~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 26, 2012

★~ Today’s Quote: The best way out is always through. ~ Robert Frost

★~ Make Up Your Own Holiday Day:

If you could “call a holiday,” what would it celebrate? Brussels sprouts? Cable television? YOU?  How about a “Bring it Out and Use it Now” holiday or a “No Bills” holiday?  I have never seen a day that celebrates ice, and let’s face it, where would the world be without ice? So many choices! What do you think we should celebrate?

★~ National Nougat Day:

Ok, I’ll admit it. I had no idea what nougat was until I googled it: nougat is a general term that describes a class of sweets made with sugar or honey and some type of nut — usually almonds, pistachios, or hazelnuts. It can range from soft and chewy, like caramel, to hard and brittle, but it’s always sticky. The first documentation of nougat goes back to ninth-century Greece, but the confection didn’t gain popularity until it was introduced to France during the seventeenth century. In Spain, nougat is referred to as turrón, and in Italy, it is called torrone. Persians refer to it as gaz, and the Germans call it schmelz-schokolade.

Ok, I’m on board. Now, let’s all give thanks for nougat!

★~ Spinach Day:

We’ve all heard it from our sweet moms: “Eat your spinach.”  Actually, I don’t ever remember having spinach growing up. Did we every have spinach, Mom?  My sweet mom is nursing a broken ankle, so she should really eat her spinach! How did she break her ankle? She was running Trinket (her Doberman) in an agility trial; the ground was very uneven, and she took a misstep. Luckily, she doesn’t need surgery. To add insult to injury, Trinket would have passed the agility test if her owner had not gone down. Trinket did however pass the next day when one of my Mom’s friends took her through the course. She now has one leg towards her agility title. As soon as my mom has two legs again, they will be off and running. Anyway, I digress, Spinach is packed with go power, and it doesn’t taste all that bad, especially in an artichoke dip or even a quiche. Spinach is available throughout the year, but it’s freshest and most flavorful from March through May and from September through October during its harvest season.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1917 – The Seattle Metropolitans, of the Pacific Coast League of Canada, defeated the Montreal Canadiens to become the first U.S. hockey team to win the Stanley Cup.

♥~ 1936 – The first telescope with a 200-inch-diameter, reflecting mirror was shipped — very, very carefully — from Corning, New York to Mt. Palomar Observatory in California. The lens of the Hale telescope weighed 20 tons. It was dedicated at Mt. Palomar in 1948.

♥~ 1937 – Joe DiMaggio said he’d take Ty Cobb’s advice and use a 36 or 37-ounce baseball bat instead of a 40-ounce stick during that season. The result? ‘Joltin’ Joe’ hit .346 during the season with 46 home runs — the most he ever hit in a single year. In the words of Yankee broadcaster Mel Allen, “How about that!”

♥~ 1969 – Marcus Welby, M.D., a TV movie, was seen on ABC. Ratings showed the program to be so popular that it was turned into a long-running series starring Robert Young.

♥~ 1979 – Michigan State and Indiana State met in the all-time highest rated basketball telecast. The NBC coverage earned a 24.1 rating. Indiana State’s unprecedented 33 consecutive-win streak came to an end as the Spartans of Michigan State won 75-64. A pair of future NBA Hall of Famers played against each other that night: Larry Bird, later of the Boston Celtics, scored 19 points while Magic Johnson, even later, of the Los Angeles Lakers, scored 24 points

★~ Born Today:

♥ ~ 1874 – Robert Frost four-time Pulitzer prize-winning poet: Birches, Mending Wall, Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening; read The Gift Outright at inauguration of John F. Kennedy; died Jan 29, 1963

♥~ 1880 – Duncan Hines author, traveler, cake-mix mogul; died Mar 15, 1959

♥~ 1904 – Joseph Campbell, author:   Is most noted for his monumental study of mythology. Campbell’s book the ‘Hero with a Thousand Faces (1949) traces the common theme of the spiritual quest in myth(1949). Writers found it a treasure trove for their own work, from the poet Robert Bly to the filmmaker George Lucas, who said that without it, he would never have been able to write Star Wars

♥~ 1911- Tennessee (Thomas Lanier) Williams Pulitzer prize-winning playwright: A Streetcar Named Desire [1948], Cat on a Hot Tin Roof [1955]; The Glass Menagerie, Night of the Iguana,Summer and Smoke, The Rose Tattoo, Camino Real, Sweet Bird of Youth, Small Craft Warnings; died Feb 25, 1983

♥~ 1940 – James Caan actor: The Godfather, Rabbit Run, Brian’s Song, Dick Tracy, Rollerball, Alien Nation, For the Boys, Misery, Las Vegas

♥~ 1942 – Erica Jong (Mann) writer: Fear of Flying, Becoming Light, How to Save Your

♥~ 1943 – Bob Woodward investigative reporter: Washington Post: Watergate [w/reporter Carl Bernstein]; author: All the President’s Men [w/Carl Bernstein]

♥~ 1968 – Kenny Chesney singer: Fall in Love, Me and You, She’s Got It All, That’s Why I’m Here, How Forever Feels, You Had Me From Hello, Don’t Happen Twice

★~ Did You Know:

♥~  Spinach belongs to the goosefoot family along  with beets and Swiss chard

♥~ Spinach is a cool season crop and belongs to the goosefoot family along with Swiss chard and beets. Spinach is low in calories, and is a good source of vitamin C, vitamin A, and minerals, especially iron.

♥~  Fresh spinach is available year-round.

♥~ Spinach grows quickly.  It can be harvested and eaten after only 37 to 45 days!

♥~ California and Texas produce the most spinach  in the United Sates.

♥~  In 1937, spinach growers in Crystal City, Texas erected a statue of spinach-loving Popeye to celebrate the staple crop of the local economy.

♥~  After washing the leaves, cook them in a covered non-aluminum pan using only the water clinging to the leaves. After cooking, add just a little salt and butter, vinegar, or mustard for added flavor. Fresh tender spinach leaves make excellent salads.

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Hope you have a merry Monday! Cole is off to school with my car, and I’m not sure what I will clean today. I have a bunch of phone calls to return. It’s hard returning phone calls when you don’t have a car!  😀

Leave a comment if you have the time, because Odd Loves Company!