Weather ~ Clouds ~ Power Company/Asplundh ~ Picture of the Day ~ Root Beer ~ Pork Chops Sheet Pan Dinner ~ National Cat Day

  

Good 46º morning. 

 

 

 

Yesterday we started without fog.......... YEAH!

 

Then the clouds moved in........

We topped at 70º.

 

 

Yesterday morning this truck came and two men took down three trees that were blocking power lines up in back........ sent here by Pacific Power...

 

You can read about this company here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asplundh_Tree_Expert_Company

 

 

 

Picture of the Day...

 

 

Interesting about root beer.....

 

Root beer is a sweet North American soft drink traditionally made using the root bark of the sassafras tree Sassafras albidum or the vine of Smilax ornata (known as sarsaparilla, also used to make a soft drink, sarsaparilla) as the primary flavor. Root beer is typically but not exclusively non-alcoholic, caffeine-free, sweet, and carbonated. Like beer, it usually has a thick and foamy head. A well-known use is to add vanilla ice cream to make a root beer float.

 

Since safrole, a key component of sassafras, was banned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1960 due to its carcinogenicity, most commercial root beers have been flavored using artificial sassafras flavoring, but a few (e.g. Hansen's) use a safrole-free sassafras extract.

 

Major root beer producers include PepsiCo, Coca-Cola Company, Dad's, Keurig Dr. Pepper, and A&W.

 

Root beer has been sold in confectionery stores since the 1840s, and written recipes for root beer have been documented since the 1860s. It possibly was combined with soda as early as the 1850s, and root beer sold in stores was most often sold as a syrup rather than a ready-made beverage.

 

The tradition of brewing root beer is thought to have evolved out of other small beer traditions that produced fermented drinks with very low alcohol content and enhanced by the medicinal and nutritional qualities of the ingredients used.

 

Beyond its aromatic qualities, the medicinal benefits of sassafras were well known to both Native Americans and Europeans, and druggists began marketing root beer for its medicinal qualities.

 

Pharmacist Charles Elmer Hires was the first to successfully market a commercial brand of root beer. Hires developed his root tea made from sassafras in 1875, debuted a commercial version of root beer at the Philadelphia Centennial Exposition in 1876, and began selling his extract. Hires was a teetotaler who wanted to call the beverage "root tea". However, his desire to market the product to Pennsylvania coal miners caused him to call his product "root beer", instead.

 

In 1886, Hires began to bottle a beverage made from his famous extract. By 1893, root beer was distributed widely across the United States. Non-alcoholic versions of root beer became commercially successful, especially during Prohibition.

 

Not all traditional or commercial root beers were sassafras-based. One of Hires's early competitors was Barq's, which began selling its sarsaparilla-based root beer in 1898 and was labeled simply as "Barq's".

 

In 1919, Roy Allen opened his root-beer stand in Lodi, California, which led to the development of A&W Root Beer. One of Allen's innovations was that he served his homemade root beer in cold, frosty mugs. IBC Root Beer is another brand of commercially-produced root beer that emerged during this period and is still well-known today.

 

Safrole, the aromatic oil found in sassafras roots and bark that gave traditional root beer its distinctive flavor, was banned for commercially mass-produced foods and drugs by the FDA in 1960. Laboratory animals that were given oral doses of sassafras tea or sassafras oil that contained large doses of safrole developed permanent liver damage or various types of cancer. While sassafras is no longer used in commercially produced root beer and is sometimes replaced with artificial flavors, natural extracts with the safrole distilled and removed are available.

 

 

One traditional recipe for making root beer involves cooking a syrup from molasses and water, letting the syrup cool for three hours, and combining it with the root ingredients (including sassafras root, sassafras bark, and wintergreen). Yeast was added, and the beverage was left to ferment for 12 hours, after which it was strained and rebottled for secondary fermentation. This recipe usually resulted in a beverage of 2% alcohol or less, although the recipe could be modified to produce a more alcoholic beverage.

 

 

Commercial root beer is now produced in Canada and every U.S. state. Although this beverage's popularity is greatest in North America, some brands are produced in or imported by other countries, including Australia, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Argentina, Germany, the Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, South Korea, Indonesia, Sweden, Vietnam, and Thailand. The flavor of these beverages may vary from typical North American versions, or be similar to those found in North America. While no standard recipe exists, the primary ingredients in modern root beer are filtered water, sugar, and safrole-free sassafras extract, which complements other flavors. Common flavorings are vanilla, caramel, wintergreen, black cherry bark, licorice root, sarsaparilla root, nutmeg, acacia, anise, molasses, cinnamon, sweet birch, and honey. Soybean protein, or yucca is sometimes used to create a foamy quality, and caramel coloring is used to make the beverage brown.

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

You'll love this sheet pan dinner 'cause it's so easy to make and clean. The whole family will love it 'cause it's so tasty! Our Pork Chop Sheet Pan Dinner is an all-in-one, no-fuss meal that's fit for a hungry family. Hearty pork chops, potatoes, and carrots are seasoned with yummy ranch dressing, which makes for a flavorful meal. You'll definitely want to add this sheet pan dinner to your weeknight dinner line-up.

 

 

• 1/2 pound small potatoes, cut into quarters
• 8 ounces petite carrots
• 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 1 (1-ounce) package dry ranch dressing and seasoning mix, divided
• 4 bone-in center cut pork chops, about 1/2-inch thick

 

1. Heat oven to 375º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a bowl, combine potatoes, carrots, and 2 tablespoons oil; toss with 2 tablespoons dry ranch dressing mix until evenly coated. Place on baking sheet.
3. Brush pork chops with remaining 1 tablespoon oil and sprinkle evenly with remaining dressing mix. Arrange pork chops between potatoes and carrots on baking sheet.
4. Bake 25 minutes or until pork is no longer pink in center and vegetables are tender, turning pork halfway through cooking.

 

 

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

1929 – The New York Stock Exchange crashes in what will be called the Crash of '29 or "Black Tuesday", ending the Great Bull Market of the 1920s and beginning the Great Depression.

 

1960 – In Louisville, Kentucky, Cassius Clay (who later takes the name Muhammad Ali) wins his first professional fight.

 

1994 – Francisco Martin Duran fires over two dozen shots at the White House (Duran is later convicted of trying to kill US President Bill Clinton).

 

1998 – Space Shuttle Discovery blasts off on STS-95 with 77-year old John Glenn on board, making him the oldest person to go into space.

2008 – Delta Air Lines merges with Northwest Airlines, creating the world's largest airline and reducing the number of US legacy carriers to five.

2012 – Hurricane Sandy hits the east coast of the United States, killing 148 directly and 138 indirectly, while leaving nearly $70 billion in damages and causing major power outages.

 

And births this date include...

 1947 – Richard Dreyfuss, American actor

 

1948 – Kate Jackson, American actress

 

 

1971 – Winona Ryder, American actress

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

National Cat Day on October 29th is the purrfect day to give extra attention to your feline friends.

Cats make excellent companions. They rarely miss you, but when they do, you sure know it. Awareness days such as this one urge pet lovers to adopt from a local shelter. The day also reminds us that neutering and spaying our furry companions helps reduce the abandoned population.

Shelters are full of cats and kittens in need of forever homes. These feline fur babies come with as many personalities as they do colors and coats. They curl into our hearts and will just as quickly remind us they decide who they love. Whether they were born in the shelter, surrendered or abandoned, 3.4 million find their way to a shelter.

When considering the adoption of a furbaby, take your time. Each shelter animal will touch your heart, so be sure to find a life-long love.

• Consider your lifestyle. Will you have time for an active kitten or will an adult cat be more to your pace?
• Make multiple visits before making a choice. Sometimes, the purrfect cat will choose you.
• Spend one-on-one time with the cat so you have some bonding meowments and her true personality comes through.
• Do other members of your fur family need to be considered? If so, be sure to introduce them to be sure their personalities mesh.
• When you bring your new family member home, have a space ready for him to decompress and adjust to his new abode. Don’t be surprised if he hides at first. This is normal cat behavior.

HOW TO OBSERVE

Pay particular attention to your cat today.  Adopt a new cat.

NATIONAL CAT DAY HISTORY

This day was created by Pet Lifestyle Expert and Animal Welfare Advocate, Colleen Paige, in 2005.   Since its inception, it has helped save the lives of more than one million cats.

My Bruiser..... so missed!

10-28 ~ Weather/Fog ~ Picture of the Day ~ Jell-O ~ Creamy Ham Casserole ~ National First Responders Day ~ National Chocolate Day

  

Good 38º morning. 

 

 

10-28 radio code for 'vehicle registration and wants (complete registration information)'

 

 

 

Yesterday we started super foggy and cold (35º).....

Then before noon the fog left.............

The sun was great..... and we were at 46º.

 

Later we topped at 71º.

 

 

Picture of the Day ...(shared by my friend Dave Clark)

 

 

 

Interesting about Jell-O......

Jell-O is an American brand name offering a variety of powdered gelatin dessert (fruit-flavored gels/jellies), pudding, and no-bake cream pie mixes. The original gelatin dessert (genericized as jello) is the signature of the brand. "Jell-O" is a registered trademark of Kraft Heinz, and is based in Chicago, Illinois.

 

The dessert was especially popular in the first half of the 20th century, but remains popular in certain demographics. The original gelatin dessert began in Le Roy, New York, in 1897, when Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked the name Jell-O. He and his wife May had made the product by adding strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon flavoring to sugar and granulated gelatin (which had been patented in 1845). When water is added and the mixture is allowed to sit in the fridge for a few hours, it solidifies.

 

Jell-O is sold prepared (ready-to-eat), or in powder form, and is available in various colors and flavors. The powder contains powdered gelatin and flavorings, including sugar or artificial sweeteners. It is dissolved in hot water, then chilled and allowed to set. Fruit, vegetables, and whipped cream can be added to make elaborate snacks that can be molded into shapes.

 

Some non-gelatin pudding and pie-filling products are sold under the Jell-O brand. Ordinary Jell-O pudding is cooked on the stove top (with milk) then eaten warm or chilled, whereas Jell-O instant pudding is mixed with cold milk and chilled; it sets up without cooking. To make pie fillings, the same pudding products are prepared with less liquid.

 

Gelatin, a protein produced from collagen extracted from boiled bones, connective tissues, and other animal products, has been a component of food, particularly desserts, since the 15th century.

 

Gelatin was popularized in New York in the Victorian era with spectacular and complex jelly molds. Gelatin was sold in sheets and had to be purified, which was time-consuming. Gelatin desserts were the province of royalty and the relatively well-to-do. In 1845, a patent for powdered gelatin was obtained by industrialist Peter Cooper, who built the first American steam-powered locomotive, the Tom Thumb. This powdered gelatin was easy to manufacture and easier to use in cooking.

 

In 1897, in LeRoy, New York, carpenter and cough syrup manufacturer Pearle Bixby Wait trademarked a gelatin dessert called "Jell-O". Wait and his wife, May, added strawberry, raspberry, orange, and lemon flavoring to granulated gelatin and sugar. In 1899, Wait sold Jell-O to "Orator Francis Woodward", whose Genesee Pure Food Company produced the successful Grain-O health drink. Part of the legal agreement between Woodward and Wait dealt with the similar Jell-O name.

 

^{By the 1950s, salads became so popular that Jell-O responded with savory and vegetable flavors such as celery, Italian, mixed vegetable, and seasoned tomato. These flavors have since been discontinued.}

If you want to read more, go here:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jell-O

 

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

This Creamy Ham Casserole is an easy and simple ham casserole recipe that uses up your leftover ham and goes together in a flash. This is comfort food at its best, and it couldn't be easier to throw together, even on a busy weeknight! So the next time you're looking for a simple casserole recipe, just grab this one and get ready for a delicious ham casserole that'll please the whole gang.

 

 

• 8 ounces medium egg noodles, uncooked
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• 1/4 cup sliced celery
• 2 cups chopped cooked ham
• 1 (10-3/4-ounce) can cream of mushroom soup, undiluted
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
• 2 tablespoons chopped pimiento, drained on paper towel

 

1. Preheat oven to 375º. Coat a 1-1/2-quart baking dish with cooking spray. Cook noodles according to package directions; drain.
    
2. Meanwhile, in a large skillet over medium-high heat, heat oil until hot. Add onion and celery and cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until tender, stirring occasionally. Stir in ham and heat 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in soup, sour cream, 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, the pimiento, and noodles. Spoon into baking dish. 
    
3. Cover and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until heated through. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup cheese, and bake, uncovered, an additional 5 minutes, or until cheese is melted

 

***Here's a great way to use leftover ham. Or, if you don't have any leftovers, take advantage of cubed cooked ham that's available in the meat counter of your supermarket. When you need just a few cups of ham, such as in this deliciously creamy recipe, it gives you an inexpensive head start for preparing a variety of meals.

 

 

Historically this date........

1886 – In New York Harbor, President Grover Cleveland dedicates the Statue of Liberty.

1929 – Black Monday, a day in the Wall Street Crash of 1929, which also saw major stock market upheaval.

1936 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt rededicates the Statue of Liberty on its 50th anniversary.

1962 – Cuban Missile Crisis: Soviet Union leader Nikita Khrushchev announces that he had ordered the removal of Soviet missile bases in Cuba.

 

And births this date include...

1793 – Eliphalet Remington, American firearms manufacturer (d. 1861)

1897 – Edith Head, American costume designer (d. 1981)

1902 – Elsa Lanchester, British-born actress (d. 1986)

1914 – Jonas Salk, American biologist and physician (d. 1995)

1917 – Jack Soo, American actor (d. 1979)

1932 – Suzy Parker, American actress (d. 2003)

1936 – Charlie Daniels, American musician (d.2020)

 

1944 – Dennis Franz, American actor

1949 – Bruce Jenner, American athlete

 

  

 

1955 – Bill Gates, American software executive

1963 – Lauren Holly, American actress

1967 – Julia Roberts, American actress

1972 – Brad Paisley, American musician

 

 

 

 

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

xo Sue Mom Bobo

October 28th sets aside National First Responders Day to honor the men and women who act quickly when an emergency is at hand.

First responders dedicate their lives to save lives. They are the people who run toward a crisis while the rest of the world flees. According to the Department of Homeland Security, 4.6 million career and volunteer first responders support the communities where they live. They are firefighters, police, emergency medical technicians (EMT), and paramedics. In an emergency, they’re the first on the scene. These dedicated professionals answer the call when a crisis arises, often putting their own lives on the line.

Serving as a national day of gratitude, we pay tribute to their endless hours and around the clock service provided to their communities. As one of the most dangerous jobs in the country, the day also pays tribute to the fallen first responders. According to the CDC, 97 firefighters and 155 police officers die each year in the line of duty. Additionally, their rate of occupational injury is higher than the national average. Often, the very people saving lives are our neighbors, friends and family members. And their families know the price they pay for their dedication to the job. 

And even though they are an integral part of our communities, their sacrifices go beyond the hours they work. They face high stress, often daily. The trauma they see wears on them both mentally and physically. Many experience Post Traumatic Stress. Long periods away from family add stress to their relationships, too.

National First Responders Day is also a call for action. First responders deserve our support. Through resources and awareness, first responders can live healthier more productive lives and pass their knowledge and skills on to the next generation of first responders, too.

 

Today is also........

National Chocolate Day, on October 28th, recognizes one of the world’s favorite tastes. While many specific chocolate related holidays exist throughout the year, National Chocolate Day celebrates all things chocolate.

As America’s favorite flavor, chocolate is well-deserving of its own day of honor. (Some sources designate July 7 or December 28 as Chocolate Day or International Chocolate Day.)

 

How is chocolate made?

Chocolate comes from the seed of the tropical Theobroma cacao tree. Cacao has been cultivated for at least three millennia and grows in Mexico, Central America, and Northern South America. The earliest known documentation of using cacao seeds is from around 1100 BC.

Since cacao tree seeds have a very intense, bitter taste, they must be fermented to develop the flavor.Research has found that chocolate, when eaten in moderation, can lower blood pressure.

Once fermented, the beans are dried, cleaned, and roasted.  After roasting, the shell is removed to produce cacao nibs. The cacao nibs are then ground into cocoa mass, which is pure chocolate in rough form. The cocoa mass is usually liquefied then molded with or without other ingredients. At this point in the process, it is called chocolate liquor. The chocolate liquor may then be processed into two components: cocoa solids and cocoa butter.

• Unsweetened baking chocolate –  cocoa solids and cocoa butter in varying proportions.
• Sweet chocolate –  cocoa solids, cocoa butter or other fat and sugar.
• Milk chocolate – sweet chocolate with milk powder or condensed milk.
• White chocolate – cocoa butter, sugar, and milk but no cocoa solids.