Weather ~ Picture of the Day (Brian) ~ Alabama Facts ~ Beef 'n Broccoli Noodle Toss ~ National Do A Grouch A Favor Day

 

Good 38º cloudy/foggy morning. 

 

Yesterday we stayed dark cloudy and windy and topped at 53º.

 

 

 

Picture of the Day ... on his birthday, Brian was at Wildlife Safari .. feeding a giraffe....

 

 

 

 

Interesting about Alabama...

 

The Monarch butterfly (Danaus pleipuss) is the state’s official insect.

Alabama workers built the first rocket to put humans on the moon.

 

The world’s first Electric Trolley System was introduced in Montgomery in 1886.

 

Alabama is the only state with all major natural resources needed to make iron and steel. It is also the largest supplier of cast-iron and steel pipe products.

 

Montgomery is the capital and the birthplace of the Confederate States of America.

 

The word Alabama means tribal town in the Creek Indian language.

 

 

The Confederate flag was designed and first flown in Alabama in 1861.

 

My Dad, Leslie Laney, was born on 3-16-1901 in Auburn Alabama.

 

^ Mom and Dad on their 50th wedding anniversary in 1976.

 

From Mr. Food

 

This easy recipe is sure to become a family-favorite! Our Beef 'n' Broccoli Noodle Toss is an Asian-inspired dish that starts with budget-friendly ramen noodles. Whip it up for a quick weeknight dinner that's sure to please everyone.

• 1 cup beef broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup honey
• 3 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1/2 head fresh broccoli, cut into florets
• 1/2 onion, slivered
• 1 pound top round steak, thinly sliced
• 2 (3-ounce) packages ramen noodles (reserve seasoning packets for another use)
• 1/2 teaspoon sesame seeds

 

1. In a medium bowl, combine broth, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, brown sugar, garlic, and cornstarch; mix well, set aside. 
2. 1. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat remaining oil until hot. Add broccoli and onion, and saute 5 minutes. Add steak and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Meanwhile, in a small pot of boiling water, add noodles and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until just tender; drain well. 
   2. Add soy mixture to beef mixture and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Stir in noodles and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately.

 

 

 

Historically this date.....

1923 – Howard Carter unseals the burial chamber of Pharaoh Tutankhamun.

1959 – Fidel Castro becomes Premier of Cuba after dictator Fulgencio Batista was overthrown on January 1.

1960 – The U.S. Navy submarine USS Triton begins Operation Sandblast, setting sail from New London, Connecticut, to begin the first submerged circumnavigation of the globe.

2005 – The National Hockey League cancels the entire 2004-2005 regular season and playoffs, becoming the first major sports league in North America to do so over a labor dispute.

2006 – The last Mobile Army Surgical Hospital (MASH) is decommissioned by the United States Army.

 

And births this date include....

1909 – Hugh Beaumont, American actor (d. 1982)

 

1909 – Richard McDonald, American fast food entrepreneur (d. 1998)

 

1921 – Vera-Ellen, American actress (d. 1981)

 

 

 

 

1935 – Sonny Bono, American entertainer politician (d. 1998)

 

1954 – Margaux Hemingway, American actress and model (d. 1996)

 

 

1959 – John McEnroe, American tennis player

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Do A Grouch A Favor Day is a call to kindness on February 16th. Everyone knows a grouch, and some of us may even be guilty of being one. On February 16th, maybe you can be the one to find the sweeter side of a grouch.

For some, it’s in their nature to be grouches all of the time; while others may just be having a rough day or two.  On National Do a Grouch a Favor Day, we have an opportunity to turn the grouches frown upside down!

A grouch can be called by a number of names, some of which won’t be described here. However, a few that might come in handy are curmudgeon, crank, grump, sourpuss, bellyacher, grouse, crosspatch, malcontent, crab, and grumbler. If you manage to turn their mood around they might become known as the neighborhood idealist.

The grouch that you know might be a friend, relative, co-worker, boss, neighbor or that someone who lives in your house.  The favor you do on National Do a Grouch a Favor Day can be simple or elaborate.  Either way, doing them a favor is going to feel right for you!!

A grouch is a habitually irritable or complaining person, a grumbler. ~ Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Maybe February 16th would be a fun day to watch the movies Grumpy Old Men and Grumpier Old Men.

Let’s make it a better day for your favorite grouch!

HOW TO OBSERVE

There may be ways to a grouches heart. We have a few ideas about that and so we’ve shared them.

• Find out their favorite baked good and surprise them with it.
• Listen to their grumblings and grumble along with them, just for the day. You might find out some of the reasons why they’re such a grump.
• Just visit with them.
• Offer to help with a difficult project. 

Do something to make a grouch’s day better.

Rain ~ Picture of the Day ~ Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs ~ "Unstuffed" Stuffed Cheesy Pork Chops ~ Lee Taylor ~ Olga Duran ~ Chuck Kuehl ~ Presidents Day

 

Good 41º dark cloudy morning. 

 

Yesterday it was raining when I got up and it came on and off all day. We topped at 42º.

 

 

Picture of the Day.... a reason to use the "f" word!!

 

 

 

Interesting.....

 

On February 4, 1938, Walt Disney released his first full-length animated feature film, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. To honor the release, here are five things you didn't know about Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs...

We fondly know that seven dwarfs as Grumpy, Doc, Sleepy, Happy, Dopey, Sneezy, and Bashful. But you may be taken aback by some of the original suggestions for their names. They included, Biggy-Wiggy, Dirty, Hoppy-Jumpy, Shifty, and Nifty.  If those suggestions weren’t crazy enough, others even included Awful (a dwarf who’s drinks, and steals), Lazy, Flabby, Thrifty, Stubby, and Wheezy.  And Dopey was almost named Deafy! Animators were originally opposed to the name Dopey, but Walt Disney was able to convince his team on the name after he lied to them and told them the word “dopey” was coined by William Shakespeare.

 

It may not seem like it now, but Snow White pushed the envelope for its time. Upon the film’s release, Snow White sparked a nationwide controversy about whether or not the enchanted forest and the wicked witch were too scary for young children. In fact, the theater managers at the Radio City Music Hall (where Snow White premiered) were nervous that the movie would be too scary for kids. These fears proved to be well founded. After the the movie’s premiere, the velvet upholstery on the seats had to be replaced. Kids were so frightened by the scene where Snow White gets lost in the forest, that they wet their pants.

 

Disney wanted to find the perfect voice for Snow White. He even turned down actress Deanna Durbin because he thought her voice, at age 14, was too mature. He finally chose Adriana Caselotti, a classically trained singer. However, it would be the only major role she ever performed. Because Walt Disney wanted to preserve the sound of Snow White’s voice, Caselotti’s contract prevented her from ever singing again.

 

Spelling and grammar perfectionists likely grumble over Disney's spelling of “dwarfs” (as opposed to “dwarves”). But at the time the movie was made, “dwarfs” was the accepted plural spelling of “dwarf.” It was author J.R.R. Tolkien, famous for his novels The Hobbit and the three-volume The Lord of the Rings, who popularized the spelling “dwarves" that we know and use today.

 

Disney put everything he owned on the line to produce Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, securing multiple loans and taking out a mortgage on his home. Insiders dubbed his project "Disney's Folly," and even Lillian, Disney’s wife, believed the movie would bomb. Instead, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs brought in so much money that Disney was able to buy fifty-one acres in Burbank, CA, which he used to build studio facilities that are still in use today.

 

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

The family is going to rave over these budget-friendly skillet pork chops! Made with a box of shortcut stuffing mix, and lots ooey gooey cheese, our "Unstuffed" Stuffed Cheesy Pork Chops are layered to perfection. It's a dish that looks and tastes like it's fit for royalty, so there's no need to tell everyone just how budget-friendly it actually is!

 

• 1 (6-ounce) package flavored stuffing mix
• 1 cup sliced fresh mushrooms
• 4 (3/4-inch-thick) boneless pork chops (about 1-1/2 pounds total)
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 4 (1-ounce) slices Muenster cheese
• 1/2 cup dry white wine

 

1. Prepare stuffing mix according to package directions, adding mushrooms to water before water reaches a boil.
2. Meanwhile, evenly sprinkle pork chops with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. In a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Brown pork chops on both sides, about 5 to 6 minutes. 
3. Leaving chops in the skillet, top each with about 1/3 cup stuffing and a slice of cheese. Add wine to skillet, cover, and cook 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and pork is cooked to desired doneness. Serve with pan drippings.

 

Three friends are celebrating their birthdays today.... Lee Taylor (aka Tiffany!) (LASD ret). HAPPY BIRTHDAY LEE!! xo

 

and....... Olga Duran (wife of infamous LASD ret. Lt. Jimmy) is celebrating... HAPPY BIRTHDAY OLGA!! xo

and last but not least, Chuck Kuehl (son of my pal Patty and with is bride Linda in the photo) is celebrating. HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHUCK!! xo

 

 

 

Historically this date....

1954 – Canada and the United States agree to construct the Distant Early Warning Line, a system of radar stations in the far northern Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska.

 

1965 – A new red-and-white maple leaf design is adopted as the flag of Canada, replacing the old Canadian Red Ensign banner.

 

1989 – Soviet Union invasion of Afghanistan: The Soviet Union officially announces that all of its troops have left Afghanistan.

 

 

 

And births this date include...

1907 – Cesar Romero, American actor (d. 1994)

 

 

1927 – Harvey Korman, American actor and comedian (d. 2008)

 

1947 – Rusty Hamer, American actor (d. 1990)

 

1948 – Ron Cey, American baseball player

 

 

1951 – Jane Seymour, English actress

 

1964 – Chris Farley, American actor and comedian (d. 1997)

 

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

 

On the third Monday in February, the United States celebrates the federal holiday known as Presidents Day. The day takes place during the birth month of the country’s two most prominent presidents, George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. While the day once only honored President George Washington on his birthday, February 22nd, the day now never lands on a single president’s birthday. 

Across the country, most Americans know the day as Presidents Day. More and more of the population celebrates the day to honor all of the past United States Presidents who have served the country. Throughout the country, organizations and communities celebrate the day with public ceremonies. 

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Some businesses close, including banks and federal buildings. Celebrate your favorite U.S. president. Here are some ways to participate:

• Watch a documentary about the POTUS. For example, The Presidents by the History Channel.
• See if you can name all the presidents in order.

Challenge yourself to some presidential trivia:

1. Who are the three presidents who served in 1841?
2. Forty years later, this same phenomenon occurred again in 1881. Name the three presidents who served that year.
3. Name the three presidents who died on July 4th.
4. Who were the four presidents who were assassinated while in office?

PRESIDENTS DAY HISTORY

The origin of Presidents Day lay in the 1880s when the birthday of George Washington was celebrated as a federal holiday. In 1968, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Bill. The bill moved several federal holidays to Mondays creating three-day weekends. During the debate on the bill, one proposal suggested George Washington’s birthday be renamed Presidents Day to honor the birthdays of both George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. Washington’s birthday is February 22nd and Lincoln’s birthday is February 12th. Although Abraham Lincoln’s birthday was celebrated in many states, it was never an official federal holiday. Following much discussion, Congress rejected the name change.

Despite the rejection, soon after the bill went into effect in 1971, and the observance of Washington’s birthday shifted to the third Monday in February, gradually Presidents Day became the commonly accepted name. Over time, the observance came to be known to many as a day to honor both Washington and Lincoln. However, today another shift has occurred and many see the day as a celebration of all the U.S. Presidents.

Answers

1. Martin Van Buren, William Henry Harrison, John Tyler
2. Rutherford B. Hayes, James A. Garfield, and Chester A. Arthur.
3. John Adams, James Monroe, Thomas Jefferson.
4. Abraham Lincoln, James A. Garfield, William McKinley, John F. Kennedy