Smoke/Temp ~ Throw Back Thursday ~ Breakfast ~ Human Brain ~ Picture of the Day ~ Bacon Cream Cheese Bombs ~ National Rum Day

 

Good 57º smokey morning. I can see my mountain, just barely! 

 

Yesterday the smoke kept my mountain totally obliterated all day. UGH. I was going to go into town, but decided to just stay inside. We heated to 93º.

 

 

Happy Throw Back Thursday...

This was 4 years ago when in the middle of the night I heard a strange noise on the back patio. There was a black bear in my can of cracked corn!

 

I turned on the porch light and took a picture of him. He ran!

 

After that I sprayed the can with WD-40 and no bear has returned to munch on the cracked corn!

 

 

Yesterday breakfast was a Schwans Ham & Cheese omelet, a chicken thigh, plain yogurt, and some Swiss cheese. I drizzled on some of Kikoman's Sweet & Sour Sauce. Mmmmm...........

 

 

 

Interesting.....

 

The human brain has amazed and baffled people throughout the ages. Its weight is about 3 pounds. The brain is made up of about 75 percent water and uses 20 percent of the total oxygen in the body. If it loses blood for 8 to 10 seconds, a person will lose consciousness.

The function of the brain is to exert centralized control over the other organs of the body. The brain acts on the rest of the body both by generating patterns of muscle activity and by driving the secretion of chemicals called hormones. This centralized control allows rapid and coordinated responses to changes in the environment. Some basic types of responsiveness such as reflexes can be mediated by the spinal cord or peripheral ganglia. Sophisticated purposeful control of behavior based on complex sensory input requires the information integrating capabilities of a centralized brain.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day ..... LOL! Hi Mr. President!!

 

Bacon Cream Cheese Bombs

 

• 1 can refrigerated biscuits
• 8 oz cream cheese softened
• 8 oz bacon cooked and crumbled
• 1/4 cup green onion chopped
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese grated
• 1/4 cup cheddar cheese grated
•  1 tsp garlic powder

 

 

Bacon cream cheese is every bit as yummy as it sounds -- savory, cheesy, and creamy! The tender and fluffy biscuit dough wraps around a delicious cream center for an appetizer that’s rich and satisfying -- and one that will disappear fast!

 

In a medium sized mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, bacon, green onions, garlic salt, and Parmesan cheese, mix well.

 

Open can of biscuit dough and separate out each biscuit. Roll each biscuit out flat.

 

Take a spoonful of the cream cheese mixture and place it into the center of the biscuit dough.

 

Take edges of the biscuit dough and fold over until cheese is covered. Pinch edges to seal.

 

Place on a greased baking sheet and repeat until all the biscuit dough is filled. Sprinkled grated cheddar cheese on each biscuit before placing in the oven.

 

Bake at 350º for 11-13 minutes or until golden brown.

 

 

 

Historically this date.......

 

1927 – The Dole Air Race begins from Oakland, California, to Honolulu, Hawaii, during which six out of the eight participating planes crash or disappear.

1960 – Joseph Kittinger parachutes from a balloon over New Mexico at 102,800 feet (31,300 m), setting three records that still stand today: High-altitude jump, free-fall, and highest speed by a human without an aircraft.

1989 – A solar flare from the Sun creates a geomagnetic storm that affects micro chips, leading to a halt of all trading on Toronto's stock market.

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1928 – Eydie Gormé, American singer (d.2013)

1930 – Robert Culp, American actor (d. 2010)

 

 

 

 

1930 – Frank Gifford, American football player and announcer (d. 2015)

 

1933 – Julie Newmar, American actress

1946 – Lesley Ann Warren, American actress

1953 – Kathie Lee Gifford, American singer and actress

...........weird, same birthday as her husband!

1958 – Madonna, American singer and actress

1960 – Timothy Hutton, American actor

 

 

1962 – Steve Carell, American actor, comedian, voice artist, producer, writer, and director

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy TBT. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

National Rum Day is observed annually on August 16.  Rum is a distilled clear alcoholic beverage which is a byproduct of molasses production or made directly from sugar cane juice.  After the fermentation and distillation process, most rum is aged in wooden oak barrels.

RUM FACT: The Sugar Act of 1764, which was a tax on sugar, molasses and rum by the British on the American colonies, helped start the unrest that finally became the American Revolution.

Followed by the vodka and all the whiskeys combined, rum is the third most popular spirit in the United States. It stirs up images of sandy beaches and brightly colored umbrellas in fruity drinks.  And it should.  It is a sweet spirit and originated in sunny Papua New Guinea.  It made its way to the Caribbean by way of the West Indies.

HOW TO OBSERVE

There are many ways to enjoy rum.  On a hot summer day, a great way to celebrate is with this recipe for a Strawberry Pineapple Cooler. Or as we did back in the day... Rum and Coke! or....... have a Daiquiri

• 2 ounces rum
• ½ ounce simple syrup
• 1 ounce fresh lime juice

or a Pina Colada 

• 1 cup frozen pineapple
• 2 ounces Coco Lopez cream of coconut
• 2 ounces rum

  When I worked for Fabergé  we had a sales meeting in Jamacia one year. Spouses of our sales force got to go also. Jerry and I toured the Appleton Rum Estate. Very interesting, except they served rum on the way back to all on the bus and omgoodness, some napped for a long time after that!!! LOL

 

 

Smoke/Heat ~ Hummingbirds ~ Bruiser ~ Picture of the Day ~ Times Square VJ Day Kiss ~ Jalapeño Popper Dressing ~ Margaret Laney ~ Senator Herman Baertschiger ~ Barry Perrou ~ Sunset ~ National Lemon Meringue Pie Day

 

Good 57º SUPER AWFUL SMOKEY morning!!

 

The smoke completely hid my mountain yesterday afternoon and continues today. Our high was 95º. 

 

 

 

Yesterday while I was in the kitchen and after having just filled one of the hummingbird feeders it was taken over by 6 birds. This taken through the kitchen window....

 

 

Later I was working on my blog for today and Bruiser came in from outside and decided to nap right on the middle of my desk! ♥

 

 

 

Picture of the Day

 

 

Interesting .....

Alfred Eisenstaedt’s Times Square V-J Day photo

First, there is another photograph of the same event capturing a little detail which has mostly gone amiss with the popularity of the iconic photograph.

This one captured a girl in the background, with whom the sailor was actually out on a date that day. She did go on to become his wife later and her name is Rita.

Second, the pair who are actually kissing in the photograph, George Mendonsa and Greta Zimmer, did not know each other.

The actual story behind the photo is as romantic as a cabbage:

George was all set to leave for the war again and was on a date with a girl with whom he later said he had fallen in love at the first sight.

They were watching a show when they learned the war was over. So leaving the show in the middle, they went out on the streets where people had begun preliminary celebrations. George got buzzed after having one too many drinks.

Now, George highly respected the nurses he had seen in the war.

Obviously, because they treated the injured soldiers and helped them get back on their feet.

He then sees this girl - Greta, in a nurse's uniform. Alcohol and reverence for the nurses takes over and promptly forgetting his love at first sight Rita, he moves away and grabs Greta- the nurse and plants his iconic kiss on her unaware self.

Greta was obviously not amused and tried to get out of his grasp but it was over as quickly as it had begun.

And get this, Greta was not actually a nurse.

She was wearing her dental assistant uniform and had walked to the square to confirm if the news was true.

Anyway, long story short, George and Rita end up marrying and Rita was never really bothered by the photo as George was all tipsy and they weren't even engaged at that point.

However the photo did capture the happiness which came with the end of the second world war - if you look around the pair, happiness is beaming everywhere in the background. The grabbing someone forcefully part is not cool though.

 

Jalapeño Popper Dressing......

 

 

Jalapeño poppers are made by stuffing jalapeños with cheese, commonly cream cheese, and then either breading them and frying until crispy or wrapping them in bacon and grilling them. With these flavors in mind the dressing has a base of creamy and tangy cream cheese along with plenty of jalapeños. Too make the dressing pourable Greek yogurt and butter milk were added and seasoned  with garlic, green onions and cilantro. Since you can't add a "crispy coating"  of bacon, bacon was added to the dressing. The resulting jalapeno dressing is super smooth and creamy with just the right amount of heat and all of the flavor of jalapeno poppers! Using a low fat cream cheese works perfectly well in this dressing meaning that it is also pretty light! Salads better beware this summer as this jalapeño popper dressing is coming!

 

• 1/2 cup cream cheese (light is ok), softened
• 1/4 cup Greek yogurt or sour cream or mayonnaise
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup fresh, pickled or roasted jalapenos
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 green onion
• 1 tablespoon cilantro
• 2 tablespoons bacon, cooked and crumbled (optional)
• salt and pepper to taste

 

1. Puree everything in a food processor and optionally let sit in the fridge for a few hours.

Tip: Add the jalapeños a bit at a time to get the heat level to where you want it.

 

 

 

 

Special day today... my Mom's birthday. Margaret Laney 1905-1994. Rest in peace Mom. I miss you and love you! You were an amazing Mom! 

 

With me and Daddy^

 

With Daddy on their 50th Wedding Anniversary 1976^

 

1945 – Japan accepts the Allied terms of surrender in World War II and the Emperor records the Imperial Rescript on Surrender (August 15 in Japan Standard Time).

What is interesting about this, in Japan on this date, my Mom's birthday, they surrendered. Then my birthday is September 2 and that was the day the surrender was signed.

 

Also today is a special day for our Oregon Senator Herman Baertschiger. HAPPY BIRTHDAY HERM!! Thanks for all your hard work!!

 

Herm is the son of my pal Karen, aka Sugar Bear.

 

 

And Barry Perrou (LASD ret) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BARRY!! .... with his bride Laurie Ann

 

 

Historically this date....

 

1914 – A male servant of American architect Frank Lloyd Wright sets fire to the living quarters of the architect's Wisconsin home, Taliesin, murders seven people and burns the living quarters to the ground.

.......... Wright was definitely and interesting man. I love his architecture! Click on the word "Taliesin" and read the fascinating story of that home.... his second wife and her murder. His 'winter home' he built in Scottsdale AZ and called it Taliesin West. I would love to go there and see it. Some day. Scottsdale is a very neat place!

1935 – Will Rogers and Wiley Post are killed after their aircraft develops engine problems during takeoff in Barrow, Alaska.

1945 – World War II: Japan surrenders to end the war.

1965 – The Beatles play to nearly 60,000 fans at Shea Stadium in New York City, in an event later seen as marking the birth of stadium rock.

1969 – The Woodstock Music and Art Festival opens

1971 – President Richard Nixon completes the break from the gold standard by ending convertibility of the United States dollar into gold by foreign investors.

1974 – Yuk Young-soo, First Lady of South Korea, is killed during an apparent assassination attempt upon President of South Korea, Park Chung-hee.

..... Man oh man, can you imagine your name being "Yuk"!

"Ewwwwww, Yuk", "What?" "I think since you are little I'll call you Yukkie!" LOL

 

And births this date include....

1912 – Julia Child, American cook and TV personality (d. 2004)

 

 

1923 – Rose Marie, American actress (d.2017)

1925 – Mike Connors, American actor (d. 2017)

 

1968 – Debra Messing, American actress

1972 – Ben Affleck, American actor

 

Last evening the sunset...

 

 

 

Today the Josephine County Fair starts. I wonder how many will attend with all this smoke!

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Happy Hump Day. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo 

Are you hungry? Pie lovers and lemon lovers from across the country get your forks ready. August 15th is National Lemon Meringue Pie Day!

Served as a dessert, lemon meringue pie is a baked pie usually made with a crust of shortbread pastry, lemon curd filling and a fluffy meringue topping.

A meringue consists of egg whites whipped into stiff peaks with white sugar then baked in a slow oven.  It then becomes crisp. Meringue can also be served individually with fruit fillings or as a cookie.  Meringue was perfected in the 17th century, and lemon meringue pie, as we know it today, was developed in the 19th century.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Enjoy this Lemon Meringue Pie recipe.