Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Bar Codes ~ Buffalo Chicken Tenders ~ Laura Virant ~ National Martini Day

Good 50º scattered clouds morning. 

Yesterday the clear sky was so unusual for us here, but it's going to be that way a lot more now....

Clouds came in for awhile and then they blew away. We topped at 92º.

Picture of the Day .... ha ha ha

Interesting abut Bar Codes....

However, you may now refer to the bar code, remember if the first 3 digits are: 690-695 then it is Made in China.

BAR CODES:

00 ~ 13 USA & CANADA
30 ~ 37 FRANCE
40 ~ 44 GERMANY
49 ~ JAPAN
50 ~ UK
57 ~ Denmark
64 ~ Finland
76 ~ Switzerland and Lienchtenstein
471 ~ Taiwan
480 ~ Philippines
628 ~ Saudi-Arabien
629 ~ United Arab Emirates
690 ~ 695 China
740 ~ 745 Central America

For example, if a Mexican company imported fruit from Guatemala, then packed and shipped that fruit to Belgium, the country code portion of the final product’s bar code would likely indicate an origin of Mexico rather than Guatemala. In that case the bar coding would be of little help to consumers who (for whatever reason) were desirous of avoiding food products grown in Guatemala.

It may be the case that in some parts of the world there is a fair degree of correlation between assignment of bar codes and product origins (i.e., in some countries the preponderance of bar code assignments may apply to domestic products), but for surefire product origin identification consumers must rely upon other methods. In determining the country of origin of a product sold in the U.S., consumers often still have to rely on the standard method of looking for “Made in [country name]” labels on the packaging.

From Mr. Food

One of Mr. Food's favorite cities was Buffalo, New York. So in salute of all of this city that was close to his heart, give these crowd-pleasing Buffalo Chicken Tenders a try next time you have the gang over.

 

• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce
• 1 cup plain bread crumbs
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut into 1-inch strips
• Cooking spray

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
    
2. Place flour, hot sauce, and bread crumbs each in its own shallow dish. Dip chicken strips in flour, then hot sauce, then bread crumbs, coating evenly with each.
    
3. Place coated strips on baking sheet. Coat chicken with cooking spray and bake 8 minutes.
    
4. Turn chicken over and coat with cooking spray then cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and breading is golden brown. Serve immediately.
   
   

***

Make sure to use hot cayenne pepper sauce, not simply "hot pepper sauce". . .unless you like your chicken really hot. And don't forget the traditional Buffalo go-alongs - celery sticks and blue cheese dressing.

Special birthday today... our former Temple City neighbor and Kristen's friend, Laura Vincent Virant is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY LAURA!!

Historically this date......

1910 – The first Father's Day is celebrated in Spokane, Washington.

1978 – Garfield, holder of the Guinness World Record for the world's most widely syndicated comic strip, makes its debut.

And births this date include...

1903 – Lou Gehrig, American baseball player (d. 1941)

Cute. Dimples~!

1921 – Louis Jourdan, French actor (d. 2015)

... this yummy man had been married to his one and only wife since 1946! until his death.

1969 – Lara Spencer, American TV personality

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

On June 19th, shake up some gin and vermouth with ice and add a lemon twist. It’s National Martini Day! 

This adult beverage has grown to become one of the best-known mixed drinks. A traditional or perfect Martini is made with equal parts gin and vermouth. For anyone who has never had a Martini, we have a list of terms to help get you started. 

Martini Lingo

• Dirty – This Martini includes olive brine or juice from the olive jar.
• Dry – The vermouth is decreased significantly in the Martini, and gin becomes the primary spirit. Extra dry tips the ratio even further.
• Gibson – Instead of an olive, bartenders garnish the Martini with a pickled onion.
• Shaken vs. Stirred – Most bartenders will tell you that the better Martini is stirred. Shaken Martinis tend to be inferior due to a couple of reasons – ice chips water down the drink, and shaking the Martini adds air to the cocktail. A stirred Martini results in a smoother, fuller experience.
• Straight Up – This Martini may be either shaken or stirred, but it is strained and served without ice – the opposite of a Martini on the rocks. 
• Smoky or Burnt – Scotch whisky replaces the vermouth in this Martini. A twist of lemon garnishes the glass.
• Wet – Where the dry Martini has less vermouth, this one has more.
• With a Twist – The bartender adds a thin strip of citrus peel to the Martini as a garnish or in the drink. 

Shaken, stirred, on the rocks, that’s what you need to know to order traditional Martinis. 

James Bond, the fictional spy, sometimes asked for his vodka Martinis to be “shaken, not stirred.” 

When the James Bond movies debuted in the late 1960s, the popularity of the Martini increased. In the later decades, clear spirits like vodka overtook aged spirits like bourbon in market share. However, in recent decades, a balancing act seems to be taking place. 

Dirty martini – Martini with a splash of olive brine or olive juice and is typically garnished with an olive.

Over the years, the traditional Martini inspired a variety of other cocktails such as the Cosmopolitan, chocolatini, or appletini. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Order your favorite Martini or Martini-inspired cocktail. Martinis are an excellent cocktail to serve at a small gathering with hors d’oeuvres. Whether you serve a meat and cheese tray or go all out with shrimp, stuffed mushrooms and patè, make it a night to remember. (Remember always to drink responsibly and to designate a sober driver.)

** I like my martini dirty! I like Dirty Sue Martini Mix for that... either vodka or gin. YUMMMM-O !

Weather ~ Frank's Trimmers ~ Mike ~ Picture of the Day ~ Noah Webster/Merriam Webster ~ Chicken Parmesan For Two ~ JoAnne Webb ~ Vivia Dennis ~ National Go Fishing Day

Good 46º clear sky sunny morning. 

Yesterday predictions were for sunshine and up to 73º. We still had some clouds for awhile and then they blew away and all that was up there was a contrail......

and we topped at 83º!

Mike said he would be coming over yesterday to do some mowing and trimming, which he did.  I mentioned this to my neighbor Frank Mize and he said he had a "crew" doing some "trimming" at his house....

Picture of the Day .... a reason for the "F" word!!

Interesting....

Noah Webster  (October 16, 1758 – May 28, 1843) and America's First Dictionary, Noah Webster came of age during the American Revolution and was a strong advocate of the Constitutional Convention. He believed fervently in the developing cultural independence of the United States, a chief part of which was to be a distinctive American language with its own idiom, pronunciation, and style. He believed it was important for America, a new and revolutionary nation, to assert its cultural independence from Britain through language. In 1782, Webster became dissatisfied with texts for children that ignored the American culture, and he began his lifelong efforts to promote a distinctively American education. His first step in this direction was the preparation of A Grammatical Institute of the English Language, the first part being The American Spelling Book (1783), the famed “Blue-Backed Speller,” which has never been out of print and total sales have been estimated as high as 100,000,000 copies or more.

In 1806 Webster published A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language, the first truly American dictionary.

One facet of Webster's importance was his willingness to innovate when he thought innovation meant improvement. He was the first to document distinctively American vocabulary such as skunk, hickory, and chowder. Reasoning that many spelling conventions were artificial and needlessly confusing, he urged altering many words: musick to music, centre to center, and plough to plow, for example.

Noah Webster married Rebecca Greenleaf (1766–1847) on October 26, 1789, New Haven, Connecticut. They had eight children:

• Emily Schotten (1790–1861), who married William W. Ellsworth, named by Webster as an executor of his will. Emily, their daughter, married Rev. Abner Jackson, who became president of both Hartford's Trinity College and Hobart College in New York State.
• Frances Julianna (1793–1869), married Chauncey Allen Goodrich
• Harriet (1797–1844), who married William Chauncey Fowler
• Mary (1799–1819)
• William Greenleaf (1801–1869)
• Eliza Steele (1803–1888) m. Rev. Henry Jones (1801-1878)
• Henry Bradford (1806–1807)
• Louisa Greenleaf (1808-1874)

He moved to Amherst, Massachusetts in 1812, where he helped to found Amherst College. In 1822 the family moved back to New Haven, where Webster was awarded an honorary degree from Yale the following year. He is buried in New Haven's Grove Street Cemetery.

Noah Webster honored on US Postage stamp, issue of 1958

Merriam-Webster, Inc., is an American company that publishes reference books and is especially known for its dictionaries.

In 1831, George and Charles Merriam founded the company as G & C Merriam Co. in Springfield, Massachusetts. In 1843, after Noah Webster died, the company bought the rights to An American Dictionary of the English Language from Webster's estate. All Merriam-Webster dictionaries trace their lineage to this source.

From Mr. Food

Our Chicken Parmesan For Two is breaded with Italian breadcrumbs, swimming in pasta sauce, and seasoned to perfection. By the time you're done with your meal, you'll be wishing you made more of this delectable Italian dish!

 

• 1/3 cup Italian-seasoned bread crumbs
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 egg, lightly beaten
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 1/2 cups pasta sauce
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 2 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese

 

1. Preheat oven to 400 º. Coat an 8-inch square baking dish with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine bread crumbs, flour, salt, and cayenne pepper; set aside.
    
2. Place chicken between 2 sheets of heavy-duty plastic wrap, and using a meat mallet or rolling pin, flatten to 1/4-inch thickness. Dip each chicken breast in egg, then coat with bread crumb mixture.
    
3. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat oil; add chicken and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden.
    
4. Place chicken in a single layer in baking dish. Top evenly with pasta sauce and cheeses.
    
5. Bake 10 minutes, or until cheese is melted.

Two special birthdays today.... JoAnne Webb, wife of the infamous Arlon (1959 Wilsonite) is celebrating today. HAPPY BIRTHDAY JOANN!!

 

Also celebrating is Brooklyn NY pal Vivia Dennis. HAPPY BIRTHDAY VIVIA!!

 

Historically this date.........

1873 – Susan B. Anthony is fined $100 for attempting to vote in the 1872 presidential election.

1900 – Empress Dowager Longyu of China orders all foreigners killed, including foreign diplomats and their families.

1983 – Space Shuttle program: STS-7, Astronaut Sally Ride becomes the first American woman in space.

And births this day include....

1913 – Robert Mondavi, American winemaker (d. 2008)

1915 – Red Adair, American firefighter (d. 2004)

1917 – Richard Boone, American actor (d. 1981)

1942 – Paul McCartney, English singer-songwriter, musician, and producer (The Beatles, The Quarrymen, and The Fireman)

1976 – Blake Shelton, American singer-songwriter and guitarist

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Go Fishing Day on June 18th each year encourages us to drop a line – in the nearest stream, pond, lake, or river. Taking a break from our daily routine to bait a hook and catch some fish can be a relaxing endeavor. 

In addition to providing food, fishing is a recreational pastime of many. Recreational fishing includes conventions, rules, licensing restrictions, and laws that limit the way in which fish may be caught. A rod, reel, line, and hooks with any one of the different forms of bait or lures, are the most common form of recreational fishing.

The practice of catching (or attempting to catch) fish with a hook is known as angling. Catch and release (returning the fish to the water to continue its life) is often the expectation or requirement by law. For others, this is a preferred form of fishing. 

Hobbyists with knowledge of habitat, foraging behavior, and migration hone their fishing techniques for a successful fishing adventure. Some fishermen continue to follow fishing folklore by claiming the sun and the moon influence fish feeding patterns.

The earliest known English essay on recreational fishing was published in 1496. 

During the 16th and 17th centuries, recreational fishing began to gain popularity. In 1653, Izaak Walton published a book titled, The Compleat Angler or Contemplative Man’s Recreation. Walton’s book is the definitive work championing the position of the angler who loves fishing just for the sake of it.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Grab your rod and reel, some bait, and go fishing! 

Whether it’s your favorite river or lake, or out on the ocean, from the shore or from a watercraft, drop a line in the water and see what you can catch. Bring a friend or teach someone else how to reel them in.