Fog/Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ Hotel Made of Salt Blocks ~ Touchdown Potato Pizza ~ National Chopsticks Day

 

Good 37º high fog morning. 

 

Yesterday the super thick fog hung around for awhile and then it left but we had dark clouds and no sunshine until late in the afternoon when some sun shown through the clouds for a short time. We topped at 48º.  

 

 

Picture of the Day ....

 

 

Interesting about a hotel made of salt blocks....

 

 

Palacio de Sal or "Palace of salt" is a hotel built of salt blocks. It is located at the edge of 'Salar de Uyuni', the world's largest salt flat.

'Salar de Uyuni' is the world's largest salt flat at 4,086 sq mi. It is located in the 'Potosí' and 'Oruro' departments in southwest Bolivia, near the crest of the Andes at an altitude 11,995 feet.

'Salar de Uyuni' has long attracted tourists, who came great distances and needed a place to rest before returning to their cities. Building such a resting place required construction materials, which are scarce in the area. Therefore, it was logical to erect a hotel made of salt, which is in ready supply at 'Salar de Uyuni'.

The first hotel was built in 1993-1995 out of salt blocks in the middle of the 'Salar de Uyuni', and soon became a popular tourist destination. Its location in the center of a desert produced sanitary problems. The hotel had to be dismantled in 2002.

Around 2007, a new hotel was built, under the name Palacio de Sal. The new site is south of Bolivia's capital La Paz. The building was constructed of about 1 million 14-inch salt blocks, which are used for the floor, walls, ceiling and furniture, including beds, tables, chairs and sculptures.

The sanitary system has been restructured to comply with the government regulations. The hotel has a dry sauna and a steam room, a saltwater pool and whirlpool baths.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

These yummy mini potato-crust pizzas will score you big entertaining points whenever you serve them. Imagine the reaction when you pass around a platter of these awesome Touchdown Potato Pizza appetizers.

 

• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, divided
• 4 Idaho potatoes, scrubbed and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• 2 ounces pepperoni (about 30 slices) chopped
• 3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

 

1. Preheat oven to 425º. Coat 2 baking sheets with 1 tablespoon each of olive oil.
    
2. Arrange potato slices on baking sheets and bake 10 minutes, or until pale golden in color. Turn potato slices over and cook 6 additional minutes, or until fork-tender and beginning to brown.
    
3. In a medium bowl, combine remaining ingredients except remaining olive oil, and toss until well blended.
    
4. Remove potatoes from oven and evenly distribute pepperoni mixture on top of each potato slice. Return to oven and bake an additional 3 to 5 minutes, or until cheese begins to melt. Remove from oven, and then drizzle remaining 2 tablespoons oil evenly over topped potato slices. Let stand 5 minutes to allow flavors to absorb, then serve.

 

 

Historically this date....

1959 – At Cape Canaveral, Florida, the first successful test firing of a Titan intercontinental ballistic missiles accomplished.

1976 – In testimony before a United States Senate subcommittee, Lockheed Corporation president Carl Kotchian admits that the company had paid out approximately $3 million in bribes to the office of Japanese Prime Minister Kakuei Tanaka.

1978 – The Blizzard of 1978, one of the worst Nor'easters in New England history, hit the region, with sustained winds of 65 mph and snowfall of 4" an hour.

1996 – Willamette Valley Flood of 1996: Floods in the Willamette Valley of Oregon, United States, causes over US$500 million in property damage throughout the Pacific Northwest.

1998 – Washington National Airport is renamed Ronald Reagan National Airport.

And births this date include....

1845 – Isidor Straus, co-owner of Macy's department store and former Congressman from New York (d. 1912)

1849 – Ida Straus, American passenger aboard the Titanic (d. 1912)

 

1895 – Babe Ruth, American baseball player (d. 1948)

 

1911 – Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the United States (d. 2004)

 

1912 – Eva Braun, German mistress and wife of Adolf Hitler (d. 1945)

 

1917 – Zsa Zsa Gábor, Hungarian-born actress (d.2016)

..................nine husbands!

  

 

1931 – Mamie Van Doren, American actress

................only 5 husbands!

1940 – Tom Brokaw, American news anchorman

 

1943 – Fabian Forte, American singer

 

1945 – Bob Marley, Jamaican musician (d. 1981)

...... LOVED his music!

 

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Saturday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on National Chopsticks Day, people worldwide celebrate the humble and ancient utensils on February 6th.

Around 1200 B.C., Chinese cooks began using chopsticks to prepare food. These tools were likely long enough to reach into hot cooking pots. Then about 400 B.C., when fuels for cooking became scarce, food was prepared in smaller pieces reducing the number of resources needed to cook it. At the same time, the need for sharp eating utensils faded, and shorter chopsticks entered the scene.

Once these handy eating tools found their way to the dinner table, they spread around the world. Portable and elegant in their design, they also vary in style from region to region.

Today chopsticks may be made from wood such as bamboo or aspen. Elaborately carved chopsticks may be cut from jade, ivory, or wood, and artisans may ornately paint some chopsticks with miniature scenes.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Use chopsticks to eat your meals. Practice using chopsticks or teach someone how to use them. Share your favorite set of chopsticks or your favorite meal to eat with chopsticks. Visit your favorite restaurant where chopsticks are provided. Make sure you give them a shout out, too! Of course, you should invite someone to celebrate with you, also! Maybe ask them to join you in a chopstick competition to see who is the most proficient using them. 

 

Fog/Sun ~ Picture of the Day ~ Empire State Building ~ Honey BBQ Chicken Bites ~ National Weatherman's Day

 

Good 32º SUPER foggy morning. 

 

Yesterday we started off very foggy, not as foggy as today, and then we got sunshine!!!

We topped at 54º.

 

 

Pictures of the Day..... sleeping in my shoes? LOL

 

 

 

Interesting about the Empire State Building...

 

The Empire State Building is an art deco building in New York City. Started in 1930 and completed in 1931, it was tallest in the world until 1970 and it is literally iconic in that, for many years, it was widely seen as an unrivaled symbol of NYC itself. Its shape is planted in our memories like, say, the Eiffel Tower in Paris, or Tower Bridge in London.

What about that spire? It is certainly true that a flag was raised on the building when it was completed ahead of schedule, but that was from the 86th floor, not the spire. Also, a radio antenna was attached to the spire six months after the building was finished. But that was not the original purpose. The building was outfitted with the spire, not as decoration, but to serve as a mooring station for airships.

The spire was indeed used that way – just once, on 15 September 1931. It was soon realized that attempting to dock a large airship at the top of the world’s tallest building was over-complicated. Although the spire was intended as a mooring mast and there was even a staircase leading from the 102nd floor to the 103rd floor so that airship passengers could descend into the building (then take an elevator to the 86th-floor arrival lounge), it became apparent after construction that the idea was infeasible. Not only was it dangerous to dock an airship without rear mooring lines to help stabilize it, but also the building itself created strong updrafts that made mooring and unloading an airship quite dangerous.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

Looking to shake up the menu at your game day bash? If so, then you need to make these Honey BBQ Chicken Bites. They've got a crispy seasoned coating that makes them really addictive. And when they're drizzled with our homemade honey BBQ sauce, you can bet they're going to make 'em disappear!

 

• 6 cups corn flakes cereal, crushed
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3/4 cup barbecue sauce
• 1/4 cup honey

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine cereal, paprika, onion and garlic powder, salt, and pepper; mix well and set aside. In a large bowl, whisk eggs and milk. Add chicken to egg mixture and let sit for 15 minutes. Remove chicken from egg mixture and toss in cereal mixture, coating on all sides. Place on baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown and no longer pink in center.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan over medium heat, combine barbecue sauce and honey, and heat until warm. Drizzle chicken bites with sauce mixture and serve.

 

 

Historically this date......

1917 – The Congress of the United States passes the Immigration Act of 1917 over President Woodrow Wilson's veto. Also known as the Asiatic Barred Zone Act, it forbade immigration from nearly all of south and southeast Asia.

 

............click on the act title...interesting text in this ....

 

1918 – Stephen W. Thompson shoots down a German airplane. It is the first aerial victory by the U.S. military.

1958 – A hydrogen bomb known as the Tybee Bomb is lost by the US Air Force off the coast of Savannah, Georgia, never to be recovered.

 

 

 

And births this date include....

1848 – Belle Starr, American outlaw (d. 1889)

.........My gosh, what a life. Totally wild and out of control. Her son suspected in her murder, but never proven. Daughter was a trollop like her mother. Interesting read.

 

 

1906 – John Carradine, American actor (d. 1988)

 

1908 – Daisy and Violet Hilton, British conjoined twins (d. 1969) ....here's another OMG. Poor things. 60 years conjoined and a very sad death.

1919 – Red Buttons, American actor (d. 2006)

 

1934 – Hank Aaron. American baseball player (d.2021)

 

 

1942 – Roger Staubach, American football player

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good TGIF. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

Always celebrated on February 5th, National Weatherperson’s Day, which is also known as National Weatherman’s Day, honors all individuals in the fields of meteorology, weather forecasting, and broadcast meteorology. The day also recognizes volunteer storm spotters and observers as well as any others that work in the weather field.

This annual holiday commemorates the birthday of John Jeffries, born on this day in 1744.  Dr. Jeffries, a scientist, and a surgeon, is considered to be one of America’s first weather observers.  He kept weather records from 1774 to 1816. Additionally, Jefferies pioneered the field of ballooning in the United States and took his first balloon observation in 1784.

Those being honored during this celebration work hard to accurately forecast and report the always changing, and often unpredictable, weather. Despite all of the new technological advances, meteorologists continue to face challenges in forecasting the weather. Predicting “Mother Nature” and what path she may choose, is a very daunting task even with the most state-of-the-art technology.

Knowing the weather forecast is valuable to us in so many ways. We often look at the forecast to plan our activities for the upcoming days. It affects what we do, how we dress, where we go or even if we go at all.   Being prepared for upcoming storms, hurricanes or tornadoes saves lives.

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE:

“The primary mission of the Weather Service (NWS) forecast office is to provide the American public with the best possible warning service to save lives.  Recent severe weather statistics show that we continue to improve our capability to warn the public of impending hazardous weather.

Nationally lead time for flash flood warnings improved from 22 minutes in 1993 to 78 minutes in 2008.  Accuracy over the same time period increased from 71 percent to 91 percent.  Lead time for tornado warnings has increased from 6 minutes in 1993 to 13 minutes today.  Tornado warning accuracy increased from 43 percent to 72 percent.  Winter storm accuracy in 2008 was 89 percent with an average lead time of 17 hours.  Since 1990, the Tropical Prediction Center’s 24 to 72-hour tropical storm forecast track errors have been reduced by more than 50%.  These more accurate and longer lead time warnings help communities stay safe.”

HOW TO OBSERVE

Thank your local weatherperson. It may be the person you turn to on the news to keep you up to date on the latest storms. Or, it may also be the storm spotters who report to the National Weather Service. Their warnings alert us to more imminent dangers that impact our lives and livelihoods. Consider how weather impacts our daily lives and how much you appreciate an accurate forecast whenever possible.  Share your experiences and give a shout out to the weatherperson doing an outstanding job in your area!

 

NATIONAL WEATHERPERSON’S DAY HISTORY

The day commemorates the birth of Dr. John Jeffries, one of America’s first weather observers. The day has been celebrated for more than four decades.