~★~♥~♥~★~ El Morno! ♥~★~★~♥ ~
June 25, 2014

★~ Today’s Quote: There are elements of intrinsic beauty in the simplification of a house built on the log cabin idea. Gustav Stickley

★~ Catfish Day:

It was President Reagan who issued a proclamation in 1987 making today National Catfish Day. Maybe he was impressed that there are over 3,000 catfish species known to man. Or maybe he just liked a good fried catfish sandwich.

Southern Fried Catfish. This recipe starts off with, ” If you don’t think you like catfish then somebody didn’t do something right. ”

★~ Strawberry Parfait Day:

A parfait is usually a layered dessert served in a glass similarly named. The layers can be custard, ice cream, or yogurt, followed by layers of fruits or fruit purees. Fresh strawberries make this a perfect summer dessert. One way to make this dessert is with cupcakes.

• 6 Vanilla cupcakes

• 1 pint of strawberries

• whipped cream (homemade or store bought)

• 6 parfait cups, wine glasses or small plastic beverage glasses

• 2 – 3 teaspoons sugar (optional)

Strawberry Parfait Recipe Directions

Wash and thinly slice strawberries.  Place them in a bowl and sprinkle with 2 -3 teaspoons of sugar if desired.

Cut each vanilla cupcake in half horizontally.  Place the bottoms of the cupcakes in the bottom of your serving cups.

Spoon 1/12 of the strawberries over the cupcake bottoms followed by 1 -2 tablespoons of whipped cream.

Place the tops of the cupcakes on top of the whipped cream.  Follow with more strawberries and more whipped cream.  Top with a strawberry slice and a mint sprig.

★~ Today in History:

♥~ 1876 – Indian Chief Crazy Horse won the two-hour Battle of the Little Bighorn, Montana, wiping out the army of Lt. Col. George Armstrong Custer. Custer, who led the battle against the Sioux Indian encampment, was among the 200+ casualties. Ironically, the only survivor of Custer’s forces was a horse, Comanche.

♥~ 1993 – Bruce Springsteen was a surprise guest on the final Late Night with David Letterman. After more than 11 years at NBC, Letterman began a similar show (Late Show with David Letterman) on CBS two months later. (Springsteen played Glory Days and Letterman seemed genuinely touched by the performance.)

♥~ 1995 –Pink Floyd were at No.1 on the US album chart with ‘Pulse’ the bands fifth US No.1.

★~Born Today:

♥~ 1874 – Rose O’Neill illustrator, author, doll designer;  The Kewpie Doll was created by Rose O’Neill.  She also produced more than 700 illustrations for the magazine Puck, however it was the little doll with the top-knot hairdo that earned her the most fame and by far the most fortune — Kewpie filled Rose’s purse with an estimated $1.4 million.

♥~ 1925 – June Lockhart actress: Lassie, Lost in Space, Petticoat Junction, Deadly Games, The Big Picture, The Yearling, Meet Me in St. Louis

♥~ 1945 – Carly Simon Grammy Award-winning [Best New Artist, 1971] singer: Anticipation, You’re So Vain, Mockingbird [w/husband James Taylor], Nobody Does It Better, You Belong to Me, Coming Around Again; Academy Award-winning song: Let the River Run [1988]; author of children’s books

♥~ 1947 – Jimmie Walker actor, comedian: Good Times, B.A.D. Cats, Airplane!, Home Alone 2: Lost in New York

♥~ 1961-Ricky Gervais actor: The office where RIcky played a inept  mid-level manager.  Gervals did not really expect the Office to be successful. He told interviewer James Hughes, “This is why I confuse broadcasters, because The Office shouldn’t have been as big as it was. It’s an acquired taste … Suddenly, this strange, acquired-taste comedy aimed at the very few with no laugh track, no stars, no jokes and quite depressing scenes was the biggest comedy around … I think I’m a cult comedian who got more famous than he should have.”

★~ Good to Know: Brilliant Idea 

Cooper Anderson, better known as Crimson Cooper, is a therapy dog. His regular gigs includes visiting hospitals, rehab centers, and nursing homes  —  but two days a week he hangs out in the Countway Library of Medicine at Harvard Medical School and is   available to students and faculty for a playdate.

Why have a therapy dog in the library? As the Harvard Gazette reported, Cooper’s there for stress relief, providing a bit of reprieve from the sometimes high-intensity of academia. He’s “an unusually calm dog” who is “content to wrestle with a toy or cuddle on the library desk’s worn, brown couch.”

Cooper is available Tuesday and Thursdays, 9 AM to 5 PM, at the library. You can’t check him out though — visits have to take place in the library.

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Thunder, lightening and rain! The weather in Chicago is wet. I kind of wish that I was running a camp for ducks, and swans. No geese.

I keep forgetting to share this story with my sweet Mom about her “dear boy,” so I’ll share it here. You remember that peaches and cream day was earlier this week, right? Well, after mentioning this to Cole he decided he had a terrible craving for peaches and cream so we bought the ingredients (Holy Peach Seed! Peaches are so expensive right now) and later that night the conversation went like this….

Mom, I’m going to make the peaches and cream.

Yum, sounds great.

About 15 minutes later my teen comes upstairs with one bowl of peaches of cream and a spoon. I look at him with some surprise and ask if he made enough for both of us…

Mom, you didn’t say you wanted any.

True. I didn’t.

And there lies the  fundamental difference between men and women.

To my teens credit, upon noticing the look on my face, he immediately got it and started to laugh hard.  No worries, I’m planning my own obtuse revenge.

Yesterday afternoon, we watched Italy play Uruguay in a World Cup game, and I was stunned to see Luis Suarez sink his teeth into Italy defender Giorgio Chiellini’s shoulder. What?? Cole informed me Luis is nicknamed Canabal and has bitten countless times before.  Perhaps, I’m a overly sensitive after the whole Cookie incident, but can you even imagine?

Wishing everyone a wonderful Wednesday.

Odd Loves Company

♥