~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
November 10, 2013

★~ Today’s Quote:  “The person who gets the gig is the person who knows how to hang. Nobody hires you because you’re the best musician.” — Larry Legend.

★~ Forget Me Not Day:

A Medieval knight and his beloved were walking near a river when he fell into the water. The weight of his armor kept him from escaping his fate. Before he slipped away he handed his love a handful of blue flowers and said, “forget me not.”  Today is a good day to touch base with with family, friends and loved ones, especially those who we haven’t seen in a while.

★~  Tongue Twister Day:

“Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers.” “A quick witted cricket critic.” “She sells seashells by the sea shore.”

Tongue twisters have fascinated people throughout history. Did you know that Peter Piper is a historical figure? Pierre Poivre was a one-armed French pirate and horticulturist during the mid-1700s. Poivre was notorious for stealing spice nuts (known as “peppers”) from Dutch trade ships, and using them to plant his garden. On at least one occasion he stole half a bushel of nutmegs, which inspired the tongue twister we know and love today.

According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the most difficult tongue twister in the English language is: “The sixth sick sheikh’s sixth sheep’s sick.” To celebrate International Tongue Twister Day try say that three times fast!

★~ Vanilla Cupcake Day:

Did you know that cupcakes are called “fairy cakes” in England? The name is inspired by the idea that the miniature cakes are the perfect size for a party of fairies to enjoy. Today enjoy a vanilla cupcake! Maybe with some colorful little sprinkles, some tea and your favorite wee fairy!

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1775 – The U.S. Marines were organized under authority of the Continental Congress and have since served in every American armed conflict.  Semper Fi!

♥- 1951 – Direct-dial, coast-to-coast telephone service began as Mayor Leslie Denning of Englewood, New Jersey, called the mayor of Alameda, California. Eighty-four area codes were assigned for areas in the U.S., Canada, and many Caribbean nations.

♥~ 1969 – “Sesame Street,” starring a big yellow bird and a little green frog, debuted on PBS television.

♥~ 1969 – Twenty years after the first release of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Gene Autry received a gold record for the single.

♥~ 1991 – Lightening,  a pet turtle who lived in Hutchinson, Kansas, snapped onto an 8-year-old’s upper lip and wouldn’t turn loose. The parents called 911, but before help arrived they offered Lightening a carrot and he let go. The boy’s lip swelled, but he was okay. There was no mention of the fate of the turtle.

♥~ 1994 – The Codex Leicester, the only Leonardo da Vinci manuscript owned in the United States and the only one in the world still in private hands, was sold at auction. Microsoft chairman Bill Gates paid $30.8 million for it. It has been since been exhibited in Venice, Milan, Rome, Paris and New York.

★~ Born Today:

♥~ 1925 – Richard Burton (Richard Walter Jenkins Jr.) actor: Camelot, Hamlet, Anne of the Thousand Days, Becket, The Desert Rats, The Longest Day, Look Back in Anger, The Night of the Iguana, The Robe, The Sandpiper, The Taming of the Shrew, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?; TV narrator: Winston Churchill-The Valiant Years, Ellis Island; one of Elizabeth Taylor’s ex-husbands

♥~ 1948 – Greg Lake- musician: bass, singer: group: Emerson, Lake and Palmer: From the Beginning, Lucky Man; solo: I Believe in Father Christmas

♥~ 1959 – (Laura) Mackenzie Phillips actress: One Day at a Time, American Graffiti, Eleanor & Franklin; daughter of singer John Phillips [The Mamas and The Papas]

♥~ Good to Know: 

Last week on El Morno, I wrote that Edy’s Ice Cream Company took out an insurance policy to protect the taste buds of John Harrison, an ice cream taste-tester for Edy’s ice cream.  ICE CREAM TESTER perked up a lot of El Morno taste buds so I thought we would explore the job a little more through the tastebuds of John Harrison (Edy’s web site)“

What qualifies you to be an ice cream taster?
I grew up in the ice cream business―it’s one of those generational hand-me-downs. My great-grandfather had two ice cream and candy parlors in New York in 1880. My grandfather started the first dairy co-op in the state of Tennessee, and my father owned an ice cream ingredient factory in Atlanta.

What’s an average workday like for you?
It takes about four to five hours every morning to work through ice cream from the previous day. We do 20 different flavors a day, three samples for each flavor―one from the beginning, middle, and end of a production cycle―so I have 60 packages waiting for me every morning to taste before any product has been shipped out.

What’s the taste testing protocol?
I taste with my eyes initially, so if it doesn’t look appetizing, forget the rest of it. Then I let the ice cream temper about 10 to 12 degrees to maximize the flavor and get the full top note, bouquet, and aroma, and to avoid what the young people call brain freeze. For tasting, I use a gold-plated spoon because wood and plastic have a slight resin aftertaste, and I need to avoid anything that could clog my taste buds. I swirl the ice cream around in my mouth to coat all the taste receptacles, and then I spit it out.

What’s your favorite flavor for hot summer months?
Definitely sherbet and sorbet products. Whole-fruit sorbets―mango, peach, strawberry, mandarin orange-passionfruit, and coconut―are delightful, healthful summertime treats. I like to add a little light vanilla ice cream to get a good dairy cream/fruit acid contrast.

How do light ice creams compare to regular?
Light ice creams should be well rounded without a heavy cream taste. That way they’re more refreshing and have a lighter texture than regular ice cream.

Do there seem to be regional flavor preferences?
Absolutely. New Englanders like coffee-based flavors, while California and the western states are more into chocolate variations. Favorites among those in the South and Midwest include butter pecan and strawberry. Vanilla is still the best-seller throughout the country, though.

Do you ever get tired of eating ice cream?
I’m like a 60-year-old kid, because I still love ice cream. Sure, I’ve gained some weight in the 20 years I’ve been with the company, but who would trust a skinny ice cream tester?

Looking for a career as an Ice Cream Taster here are a few of the qualifications you’ll need: 

• College degree with an emphasis on food science (dairy), business (product development) or chemistry, plus a few marketing courses in brand management.

• Hands-on experience with ice cream, not just eating it. These experiences can be gained by working in an ice cream store where you can learn about ice cream flavors and preservation, consumer preferences and operating a business.

• Apprenticeship with a professional at an ice cream manufacturing company. Involve yourself in seemingly menial tasks such as washing the scoops, taking notes, helping with focus groups, checking the freezer temperature.

• Cultivate your taste buds. Stay away from spicy foods or foods with pungent odors.

• Average  Starting Pay: $56,000 (Forbes)

Well what do you think? Ready for a career change?

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Speaking of taste testing. Vickie (our friend and camp helper) made Pizza Pot pies and asked if Cole and I would be willing to try them. She didn’t have to ask twice. Last night, we popped them in the oven to bake and when they were ready, we eagerly took our first bites into pizza pies filled with sausage, mushroom, mozzarella cheese, complimented by a golden crust. They were so good!! And the ingredients can be customized to your liking,  What a tasty treat! Scroll down to Vickie’s comment where she shared her recipe.

As Tommy Snooks and Bessy Brooks
Were walking out on Sunday,
says Tommy Snooks to Bessy Brooks,
tomorrow will be Monday.

Wishing everyone a sensational Sunday!

Odd Loves Company!