★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
May 29, 2014
Today’s Quote: “Everything in the universe has a rhythm, everything dances. ” ― Maya Angelou
★~ Coq Au Vin Day
Cock-a-doodle-doo! Despite my frequent rooster sightings I still have not made or eaten Coq Au Vin, but someday I plan to enjoy it with chicken (never rooster).
Coq Au Vin Day! Coq Au Vin is French for “rooster with wine.” It is a popular dish made with braised chicken that is slowly cooked with red wine, mushrooms, pork fat, and various spices. According to some legends, Coq Au Vin has ties to Julius Caesar or Napoleon, but most historians agree that the dish has more humble roots. Roosters are only butchered when they are quite old and rather inedible. Peasant families most likely invented the Coq Au Vin recipe to avoid wasting the meat.
Coq Au Vin became popular in the United States thanks to Julia Child, who featured the dish in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking. It also appeared many times on her TV show “The French Chef.” It’s not quite as heavy as red-meat stews so it’s a prefect spring and summer stew.
To celebrate International Coq Au Vin Day, embrace your inner chef and plan a French-inspired dinner party. Or better yet make a reservation at a French restaurant.
Coq Au Vin is celebrated twice a year – so if it feels like we just celebrated this dish, we did, on March 22.
Bon Appétit!
★~ Composting Day:
Learn about Composting Day: Garden compost and garden mulch are two of a gardener’s best friends. They are beneficial for strong and healthy plants. They significantly increase the productivity of your garden. Their long lasting benefits saves you time and effort in all types of gardens. There are many forms of compost and mulch. Some are organic, while others are artificial. Learn More
★~ Back in the Days:
♥~ 1453BC – The Ottomans conquered Constantinople and the Middle Ages wrapped up and Renaissance era was believed to have been begun. Obviously, without Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube it took some time for the change to go viral.
♥~ 1790 – The smallest of the United States joined the first 12 states as number 13. Rhode Island, the Ocean State, probably got its name when discoverer Verrazano noted that it looked about the size of the tiny Greek Isle of Rhodes. Rhode Island’s capital city is Providence, and the tiny violet is the state flower. Probably the most famous variety of chicken, the Rhode Island Red, is the state bird.
♥~ 1848 –Wisconsin, became the 30th state to enter the Union (Wisconsin, is thought to be the Chippewa Indian word for “grassy place”.) The wood violet is the state flower, the robin is the state bird and Madison is the capital city. Wisconsin’s nickname is the Badger State.
♥~ 1942 – Bing Crosby recorded the Irving Berlin song ‘White Christmas‘ with the John Scott Trotter Orchestra and the Ken Darby Singers in just 18 minutes. According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the version sung by Bing Crosby is the best-selling single of all time, with estimated sales in excess of 50 million copies worldwide.
♥~ 1999 – Hikers found a skeleton in a minivan at the bottom of a canyon near Malibu, California. It turned out to be the remains of Iron Butterfly bassist Philip ‘Taylor’ Kramer who had been missing since Feb 1995.
♥~ 2010 – The Philadelphia Phillies’ Roy Halladay threw the 20th perfect game in major-league history in a 1-0 win over the Florida Marlins. It was the second perfect game in the majors in 2010 — Dallas Braden achieved the feat for Oakland against Tampa Bay on May 9 — the first recorded time in which two perfect games were thrown in the same season.
★~ Born Today:
♥~ 1903 –Bob Hope (Leslie Townes Hope) The consummate entertainer, appeared in a multitude of films, millions caught his act on nightclub stages, and on countless TV specials, including 17 years as host of The Academy Awards. Yet he was still best known for his USO tours and entertaining of troops overseas and on the front lines during World War II, the Korean War, the Viet Nam War and during Desert Storm in the early 1990s. Did you Know: Hope, a lifelong golf lover who once putted against a 2-year-old Tiger Woods on The Mike Douglas Show, moved to Cleveland at the age of 5 and was a die-hard Indians fan. He became a minority owner of the Indians after Bill Veeck acquired the team in 1946 and graced the June 1963 SI cover in an Indians uniform.
♥~ 1917 –John Fitzgerald Kennedy 35th U.S. President [1961-1963]
♥~ 1945 –Gary Brooker, Procol Harum, (1967 UK No.1 and US No.5 single ‘A Whiter Shade Of Pale’). Brooker founded The Paramounts in 1962 with his guitarist friend Robin Trower and also worked with Eric Clapton, Alan Parsons and Ringo Starr.
♥~ 1958 –Annette Bening actress: Richard III, The American President, Love Affair, Bugsy, Postcards from the Edge, The Grifters, Valmont, The Great Outdoors, Mars Attacks!, American Beauty
★~ Good to Know: Everything is Big in Texas
(via twitter)
I’m a gold card carrying Starbucks customers, and I love Frappuccino’s, but I’m pretty sure I could not finish a “Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino.” However, Andrew from Dallas, Texas guzzled the whole thing and as far as it has been determined, set a world record for the most expensive drink ever ordered at Starbucks. The Sexagintuple Vanilla Bean Mocha Frappuccino costs $54.75.
Andrew didn’t actually hand over that much money for his 128-ounce espresso milkshake. He’s a Gold member of Starbucks’ loyalty program, which entitles him to one free drink after every twelve that he buys. The free drink coupon entitles him to any drink available. The espresso milkshake has 4.5 grams of caffeine and at least 2,000 calories.
Go Andrew!
#
The picture at the top of the page is a sunrise in Maui. My teen is helping me live vicariously. Speaking of coffee and my teen, I’ve been tracking his expenses along the way (paypal sends automatic alerts when you make a purchase) and he has been enjoying a fair amount of coffee and gelato. Well, why not, he is in Maui. I’ve been keeping busy with the gradaution slide show. Pet Peeve. Parents that make you hunt them down in order to gather what you need to include their kid in the slide show or anything, really. It’s a gotcha because they know, no matter how frustrated you become, you’ll still make sure that their kid is not left behind. However, that does not mean you can’t fantasize about doing evil things to them. I shuffle pictures, pop open another bottle of coke and plot!
The weather has been cool and glorious. The lilacs are in full bloom! I snipped a few and put them vases throughout the house so now the house smells so good.
Happy Thursday!
Odd Loves Company,
♥~
Love that Hawaiian sunrise — an unobstructed view like that must be so heavenly (yes, I realize Illinois is flat and we should have nice sunrises, too, but with the houses and trees, well, not really!)
If it’s any comfort, I empathize with you on the graduation slide show. Everybody seems too happy to leave “work” in the hands of somebody else (then complain when it’s not done the way they want it! Grrr!)
Two thousand calories for one drink seems outrageous — I’m fairly certain I never could’ve even made a dent in it!
Thanks. I’m not chasing people down for stuff this time. It’s only a couple of parents and I forewarned in a very positive manner that I was sending one e-mail and the deadline. We’ll see how it goes.
That is a lot of frap. I would have guessed double the calorie count, tho. A grande is a lot for me.
I’m looking forward to more Hawaii pictures!
Morn,
Internet issue this morning. I am beginning to think the problem is lazy internet.
I can now say I’ve had Coq Au Vin with chicken and it was very good.
That coffee is way to much. I might be able to drink a regular coffee that size back in the days but not one with all that stuff in it.
Very pretty sunrise. Have a good one.
Sorry about your internet issues. I’m glad to hear you’ve had Coq Au Vin and like it.
That “stuff” makes pretty tasty coffee. But, I’ll agree that much stuff is too much stuff!
Forget about the Starbucks calories Andrew consumed. I more worried about the GIANT brain freeze he must have had!!! OUCH!
Very good point! OUCH is right.
Still have not had Coq Au Vin, but I think Alton Brown is funny.
I have received & given away hundreds of dollars in Starbucks cards. I don’t drink those type drinks!
Pour rum in those cokes……
Good day!
I like Alton Brown too. And his recipes usually work out for me. Try a black tea lemonade at Starbucks.
A little rum might help.
I LOVE that picture! Thanks for sharing!!!!
Love that Cole can be traced by his coffee and gelato purchases—-what a wonderful world it is when we can keep track of our children that way.
I am sure your slide show will be smashing and it will be one more feather in your cap and star in your crown. You’ve got this one despite those parents who are lagging behind in their responsiblities!
It is a fun way to watch him travel but he hasn’t been buying anything for the last two day :-/
Trying to keep a good attitude about the slide show. Fortunately I have Coles computer so I can raid Facebook accounts for pictures. Where there is a will there is a way.
Hawaii is just so pretty!
I am drinking my first Starbucks of the year. And, it tastes pretty darn good.
Have a merry Fri. everyone.
TTFN
MJ
See. They are very good! Careful with your card tho you’ll want to buy me Starbucks when you visit!