~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
March 25, 2013

★~ Today’s Quote: “The world is my lobster.” – Henry J. Tillman

★~ Tolkien Reading Day:

A day dedicated to reading the works of J. R. R. Tolkien, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings. Celebrated on the fictional anniversary of the downfall of Sauron, the shape-shifting antagonist in the Rings, the day was originally suggested by columnist Sean Kirst of the Syracuse, New York, Post-Standard newspaper. He has since organized Tolkien reading days every year since 2008.

★~Pecan Day:

The history of the pecan can be traced all the way back to the 16th century and its pre-colonial residents. Both George Washington and Thomas Jefferson are said to have planted pecan trees. New Orleans, at the mouth of the Mississippi River, became the hub for redistributing pecans to other parts of the United States and to the rest of the world. Click For more pecan history.

• The pecan tree is the only nut tree native to North America.
• Pecan is a Native American word, of Algonquin origin, used to describe “all nuts requiring a stone to crack”.

★~International Waffle Day:

International Waffle Day originated in Sweden where it is called Våffeldagen.  The holiday coincides with the Feast of the Annunciation, which takes place nine months before Christmas – when the Archangel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary she was pregnant. The day also celebrated the beginning of Spring. It became customary for Swedish families to celebrate the events with waffles.

★~ Lobster Newburg Day:

This unique dish combining seafood with breakfast-oriented ingredients (toast, eggs and cream) has an equally unique history. Invented at New York culinary institution Delmonico’s during the height of its heyday in the late 1800s, lobster Newburg was initially named lobster Wenburg after Ben Wenburg, a wealthy sea captain who frequented the restaurant quite often. However, when a dispute arose between Wenburg and management, they made the decision to rename the dish lobster Newburg.

The difference between lobster Newburg and lobster thermidor is subtle: lobster thermidor is made of lobster meat, sherry or cognac, and a basic bechamel sauce that’s cooked together in the shell of the lobster and topped with (usually) gruyere before being baked. Lobster newburg is pretty similar, minus the shell or gruyere.

For an authentic recipe for the rich, sherry-spiked, check out Epicurious’s classic rendition.

★~ Today in History:

♥~1954 – Radio Corporation of America (RCA) began commercial production of TV sets that were equipped to receive programs in living color. To buy one of those huge sets, television buyers spent $1,000 — and more.

♥~1967 – The Who made their U.S. debut in New York as part of a week-long rock extravaganza promoted by disc jockey Murray (the K) Kaufman. The Who were virtually unknown in America at the time and were not among the top-billed acts.

♥~1971 – Tom Jones went gold with his single, She’s a Lady.

♥~1972 – Bobby Hull joined Gordie Howe to become only the second National Hockey League player to score 600 career goals. Hull played for the Chicago Blackhawks and Howe spent his NHL career with the Detroit Red Wings.

★~Born Today:

♥~1918 – Howard Cosell (Cohen) attorney, TV sports journalist/commentator: ABC’s Wide World of Sports, boxing, Monday Night Football; author: Tell It like It Is; died Apr 23, 1995

♥~1934 – Gloria Steinem feminist; publisher: Ms.

♥~1942 – Aretha Franklin ‘Lady Soul’: Grammy [15] Award-winning singer; Respect, Baby I Love You, Natural Woman, Chain of Fools, Think, Day Dreaming; first woman inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame [1987]; actress: The Blues Brothers

♥~1947 – Elton John (Reginald Kenneth Dwight) musician, singer songwriter: Your Song, Honky Cat, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road, Bennie & The Jets, Daniel, Philadelphia Freedom; actor: Tommy; established the Elton John Aids Foundation [1992]

♥~1960 – Brenda Strong actress: The Last Guy on Earth, The Work and the Glory: A House Divided, The Kid and I, Starship Troopers, Exposed

♥~1962 – Marcia Cross actress: Desperate Housewives, Everwood, The Wind Effect, Living in Fear, Target Earth, All She Ever Wanted, M.A.N.T.I.S., Almost Grown, Pros and Cons

★~ Did You Know:

 

♥~  The word waffle comes from a Dutch word, “wafel.”

♥~  The waffles we know today were born in the Middle Ages. Waffles were cooked over a fire using two metal plates with wooden handles. The plates often had the familiar grid pattern we know today, but some waffles had fancier designs – a coat of arms, a landscape, etc.

♥~ In Europe waffles were only sold during special occasions. The sellers were, of course, called “waferers.”

♥~ Competition among waferers was so fierce amongst the waferers that the King of France had to take drastic action and institute a decree that said sellers had to maintain a distance of four meters from each other.

♥~ In the late 1800’s, Thomas Jefferson returned from France with a waffle iron.

♥~ In the US, we get TWO chances to celebrate waffles! National Waffle Day is August 24! It celebrates the first patented waffle iron. The patent was submitted by Cornelius Swarthout in 1869.

♥~ Eggo Waffles were introduced in supermarket freezer sections in 1953.

♥~ Since its founding in 1955, the Waffle House chain has sold more than 500 million waffles.

♥~ Maurice Vermersch sold his wife’s fluffy Brussels Waffles at the 1964 World’s Fair in New York. Since he didn’t think anyone knew where Brussels was, he dubbed them “Belgian Waffles.”

♥~ There are several types of waffles – American, Belgian, Scandinavian, Liège, Hong Kong, and Dutch stroopwafels.

♥~ Leftover waffles can be frozen and easily reheated in the toaster or toaster oven.

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It’s March, so we can still tell Irish jokes….here’s one to start your Monday off right….

Paddy was in New York ..

He was patiently waiting and watching the traffic cop on a busy street crossing. The cop stopped the flow of traffic and shouted, ‘Okay, pedestrians.’ Then he’d allow the traffic to pass.

He’d done this several times, and Paddy still stood on the sidewalk.

After the cop had shouted, ‘Pedestrians!’ for the tenth time, Paddy went over to him and said, ‘Is it not about time ye let the Catholics across?’

Go ahead laugh,  I can wait. My plan is to do something different with a Peep every day this week (Does this rhyme or is it me?). Naturally I will share.  Snow on the ground. All I can think of to say at this point, is this too shall pass, I hope.

Wishing everyone has a very Merry Monday!

Odd Loves Company!

♥