Welcome to BOOKS, BONES AND BEYOND

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Welcome to the RPL Blog for adults. Here you will receive tidbit information to brighten your day and illuminate your mind. Announcements pertaining to the Rogers Public Library and adult programming; and tips on doing your genealogy. Not neccessarily in that order.

Aug 13, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Genealogy Blogs

“Dear Myrtle” has been around for a long time, even in non-Internet terms. Myrtle writes a column in the Kansas City Star and has done so for many years – at least from the ‘80’s if not longer. She took her moniker over to a blog page in 1995. It is a wonderful site, but one that you should plan to spend some time on. She’s full of information either teaching you genealogy or telling you about someplace that is – either on line or face to face.

We lived in Kansas City in the 80’s and my Aunt-in-law would clip out her columns and give them to me! She is well known, obviously, in the area and very good at what she does. Mosey on over to her page and look around. You will find tons of informational help.

Today in History

August 13

1521 Cortes captures the city of Tenochtitlan, Mexico, and sets it on fire.
1630 Emperor Ferdinand II dismisses Albert Eusebius van Wallenstein, his most capable general.
1680 War starts when the Spanish are expelled from Santa Fe, New Mexico, by Indians under Chief Pope.
1704 The Duke of Marlborough and Prince Eugene of Austria defeat the French Army at the Battle of Blenheim.
1787 The Ottoman Empire declares war on Russia.
1862 Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest defeats a Union army under Thomas Crittenden at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

1881 The first African-American nursing school opens at Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.
1889 The first coin-operated telephone is patented by William Gray.
1892 The first issue of the Afro American newspaper is published in Baltimore, Maryland.
1898 Manila, the capital of the Philippines, falls to the U.S. Army.
1910 British nurse Florence Nightingale, famous for her care of British soldiers during the Crimean War, dies.
1932 Adolf Hitler refuses to serve as Franz Von Papen’s vice chancellor.
1948 During the Berlin Airlift, the weather over Berlin becomes so stormy that American planes have their most difficult day landing supplies. They deem it ‘Black Friday.’
1961 Construction begins on Berlin Wall during the night.
1963 A 17 year-old Buddhist monk burns himself to death in Saigon, South Vietnam.
1978 Bomb attack in Beirut during Second Lebanese Civil War kills more than 150 people.
1989 The wreckage of a plane that carried U.S. congressman Mickey Leland and others on a humanitarian mission is found on a mountain side in Ethiopia; there are no survivors.
1993 US Court of Appeals rules Congress must save all emails.

Birthdays today:

1655 Johann Christoph Denner, inventor of the clarinet

1818 Lucy Stone, woman’s rights activist, founder of Woman’s Journal.

1860 Phoebe Anne Moses, later known as Annie Oakley, a sharpshooter and entertainer

1899 Alfred Hitchcock, director of over 50 films including Rebecca, Rear Window, Psycho and North by Northwest

1902 Felix Wankel, inventory of the rotary engine which bears his name

1912 Ben Hogan, American golfer

1916 Daniel Schorr, radio and television correspondent

1926 Fidel Castro, Cuban revolutionary leader and president

1930 Don Ho, Hawaii’s best-known musician and singer (“Tiny Bubbles”)

1933 Jocelyn Elders, first African American US Surgeon General (Sept 1993–Dec 1994)

1940 Ann Armstrong Daily, founder of Children’s Hospice international.

1942 Robert Lee Stewart, US Army brigadier general and astronaut

1951 Dan Fogelberg, multiple-platinum singer-songwriter

1952 Herb Ritts, photographer who revolutionized fashion photography in the 1980s and created many iconic photos of celebrities.

Word for the day:

Assignation: as-sig-NA-tion

The act of assigning.
Something assigned, especially an allotment.
An appointment for a meeting between lovers; a tryst.

Quote for the day:

“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
― Dr. Seuss

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Garden Sandwich

With a little planning, you can turn a sandwich into a complete meal. This sandwich recipe provides veggies (cucumbers, lettuce, tomatoes, red pepper), dairy (cheese) and is served on whole grain bread.

Serves: 1

2 slices whole wheat bread
2 teaspoons Dijon-type mustard
1 ounce cheddar or Swiss cheese
2 slices tomato
4 slices cucumber
1/4 cup red bell pepper strips
4 basil leaves or 2 romaine leaves (or other leafy green lettuce)

Spread one side of each piece of bread with mustard. Lay ingredients on one slice of bread and top with the other slice. Cut in half.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 12, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today: Genealogy Blogs

Today I am going to pass on to you my “overwhelmed” feeling. This will teach you how to search for blogs yourself. Later we will go back to looking at individual blogs.

There are so many blogs out there. There are blogs with lists of blogs, multiple lists! Here is one of the Lists that I found. This gives the rankings of blogs, by category. This is a more refined list than most I have found.

There are others that I have looked at, as well. This is how I found the ones I’ve talked about. Take a look at these yourself and you may find, from your own digging, blogs that don’t get mentioned here that you like. After all – a lot of these lists, including mine are subjective. You may find some I don’t mention that you may like but I ignored.

Today in History

1762 The British capture Cuba from Spain after a two month siege.

1791 Black slaves on the island of Santo Domingo rise up against their white masters.

1812 British commander the Duke of Wellington occupies Madrid, Spain, forcing out Joseph Bonaparte.

<———–1863 Confederate raider William Quantrill leads a massacre of 150 men and boys in Lawrence, Kansas.

1864 After a week of heavy raiding, the Confederate cruiser Tallahassee claims six Union ships captured.

1896 Gold is discovered near Dawson City, Yukon Territory, Canada. After word reaches theUnited States in June of 1897, thousands of Americans head to the Klondike to seek their fortunes.

1898 The Spanish American War officially ends after three months and 22 days of hostilities.

1908 Henry Ford’s first Model T rolls off the assembly line. ————————>

1922 The home of Frederick Douglass in Washington, D.C. is dedicated as a memorial.

1935 President Franklin Roosevelt signs the Social Security Bill.

1941 French Marshal Henri Philippe Petain announces full French collaboration with Nazi Germany.

1961 The erection of the Berlin Wall begins, preventing access between East and West Germany.

1969 American installations at Quan-Loi, Vietnam, come under Viet Cong attack.

1972 As U.S. troops leave Vietnam, B-52’s make their largest strike of the war.

1977 Steven Biko, leader of the black consciousness movement in South Africa, is arrested.

1977 Space shuttle Enterprise makes its first free flight and landing.

1978 Tel al-Zaatar massacre at Palestinian refuge camp during Lebanese Civil War

1979 Massive book burnings by press censors begin in Iran.

1981 Computer giant IBM introduces its first personal computer.

1985 Highest in-flight death toll as 520 die when Japan Airlines Flight 123 crashes into Mount Takamagahara.

1992 The North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is concluded between the United States, Canada and Mexico, creating the world’s wealthiest trade bloc.

2000 Russian Navy submarine K-141 Kursk explodes and sinks with all hands during military exercises in the Bering Sea.

Birthdays today:

<———–1762 George IV, named Prince Regent in 1810 when his father, George III, is declared insane.

1774 Robert Southey, English poet laureate (1813-1843)

1781 Robert Mills, architect and engineer whose designs include the WashingtonMonument, the National Portrait Gallery and the U.S. Treasury Building

1859 Katherine Bates, composer of “America the Beautiful”

1881 Cecil B. DeMille, American film director, producer and screenwriter, famous for epic productions

1889 Zerna Sharp, creator and co-author, with William S. Gray, of the Dick and Jane reading primer series

1911 Cantinflas, Mexican circus clown, acrobat and actor.

1925 Norris and Ross McWhirter, wrote and updated Guinness Book of World Records, 1955–1975; following Ross’ assassination by the IRA, Norris continued writing and updating the Guinness Book until 1985.

1927 Ralph Waite, actor (The Waltons, Roots, NCIS) ———–>

1927 Porter Wagoner, country singer, TV show host

1929 Buck Owens, country singer, a leader in establishing the “Bakersfield Sound”

1936 Vice-Admiral John Poindexter, Security Adviser to Pres. Ronald Reagan (Dec 1985–Nov 1986); convicted on 5 felonies arising from the Iran/Contra affair, but the convictions were overturned on appeal.

1937 Walter Dean Myers, award-winning author of books for young readers (Hoops, The Scorpion).

1939 George Hamilton, Golden Globe-winning actor (Crime & Punishment, USA), producer (Love at First Bite)

1954 Pat Metheny, multiple-award winning jazz guitarist, including unprecedented 7 Grammys for 7 consecutive recordings

Word for the day:

Votary – /VOH-tuh-ree/

a person who is bound by solemn religious vows, as a monk or a nun.
an adherent of a religionor cult; a worshiper of a particular deity or sacred personage.
a person who is devoted or addicted to some subject or pursuit: a votary of jazz.
a devoted follower or admirer.

Quote for the day:

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Veggie Egg Focaccia

(Makes 4 servings)

1 Tablespoon olive oil
4 Lengthwise slices zucchini, about 1/4-inch
4 Thin slices onion
2 Large pieces focaccia bread, cut in half crosswise and toasted
1 Jar (12 oz.) roasted sweet red pepper, drained and patted dry
4 Eggs
1/4 Cup skim milk
2 Teaspoons dried oregano, or 1 tablespoon fresh, chopped
Salt and pepper, optional
1 Tablespoon butter
Tomato slices, optional
Fresh oregano sprig, optional

In a 12-inch skillet over medium heat, heat oil. Add the zucchini and onion slices and cook until tender. Remove from the skillet.
Cut zucchini in half crosswise and arrange on focaccia. Top with onion.
Add the pepper pieces to the skillet and cook over medium heat until heated through, about 1 minute. Place ¼ of the peppers on each sandwich.
In a medium bowl, beat together eggs, milk, and oregano. Add salt and pepper if desired.
In the same skillet over medium heat, melt butter. Pour in egg mixture. As mixture begins to set, gently draw an inverted pancake turner completely across bottom and sides of skillet forming large, soft curds. Continue cooking until eggs are thickened and no visible liquid egg remains. Do not stir constantly.
Divide egg mixture evenly and arrange over veggies. Garnish with tomato slices and sprig or oregano, if desired. Serve immediately.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 9, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today: Top Ten Genealogy Blogs: Photo detective

Now here’s a website/blog that I like. It shows up in the top 10 lists I check. What I like about this blog is that it teaches you something. That is the kind I prefer. In fact I don’t put up a lot on my own blog because I figure people are more interested in learning something for themselves than in hearing someone go on and on about their (boring-to-others) family history. This blog is about just what it sounds like – using photo detecting to see if you can figure out who it is. A lot can be learned by the type of photo it is as well as the fashions and settings in the picture. Besides showing you samples and showing you what she learns fro them, Maureen also lists books at the end of every entry that are helpful for further researching or learning about older photos. I think you will enjoy this site and benefit from it, too.

Today in History

August 9

480 BC The Persian army defeats Leonidas and his Spartan army at the battle Thermopylae, Persia.

48 BC Julius Caesar defeats Gnaius Pompey at Pharsalus.

1483 Pope Sixtus IV celebrates the first mass in the Sistine Chapel, which is named in his honor.—–>

1549 England declares war on France.

1645 Settlers in New Amsterdam gain peace with the Indians after conducting talks with the Mohawks.

1805 Austria joins Britain, Russia, Sweden and the Kingdom of Piedmont-Sardinia in the third coalition against France.

1814 Andrew Jackson and the Creek Indians sign the Treaty of Fort Jackson, giving the whites 23 million acres of Creek territory.

1842 The Webster-Ashburn treaty fixes the border between Maine and Canada’s New Brunswick.

1859 The escalator is patented. However, the first working escalator appeared in 1900. Manufactured by the Otis Elevator Company for the Paris Exposition, it was installed in a Philadelphia office building the following year.

1862 At Cedar Mountain, Virginia, Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson repels an attack by Union forces.

1910 The first complete, self-contained electric washing machine is patented.

1930 First appearance of the animated character Betty Boop (“Dizzy Dishes”).

1936 Jesse Owens wins four gold medals in track and field events at the Berlin Olympics.

1941 President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. The meeting producesthe Atlantic Charter, an agreement between the two countries on war aims, even though the United States is still a neutral

country.

<—–1944 Fictional character Smokey the Bear (“Only you can prevent forest fires”) created by US Forest Service and the Ad Council.

1945 The B-29 bomber Bock’s Car drops a second atomic bomb on Nagasaki, Japan.

1965 Singapore expelled from Malaysia following economic disagreements and racial tensions; becomes independent republic.

1969 Charles Manson’s followers kill actress Sharon Tate and her three guests in her Beverly Hills home.

1971 Le Roy (Satchel) Paige inducted into Baseball Hall of Fame.

1974 Gerald Ford is sworn in as president of the United States after the resignation of President Richard Nixon.

1975 First NFL game in Louisiana Superdome; Houston Oilers defeat New Orleans Saints 13-7.

1979 England’s first major nude beach established, at the seaside resort of Brighton.

1992 Twenty-fifth Olympic Summer Games closes in Barcelona, Spain.

1999 Russian president Boris Yeltsin fires his prime minister and, for the fourth time, fires the entire cabinet.

1999 The Diet of Japan establishes the country’s official national flag, the Hinomaru, and national anthem, “Kimi Ga Yo.”.

Birthdays today:

1387 Henry V, British king famous for his victory at Agincourt, France

1631 John Dryden, the first official Poet Laureate of Great Britain (1668 to1700)

1633 Isaak Walton, author of the classic The Compleat Angler

1896 Jean Piaget, psychologist who did pioneering work on the development of children’s intellectual faculties

1899 P.L. Travers, author of the Mary Poppins books

1927 Robert Shaw, actor and writer

1928 Bob Cousey, Hall of Fame basketball player and coach of the Boston Celtics

1945 Ken Norton, heavyweight boxing champ

1945 Rosemary Elizabeth “Posy” Simmonds, award-winning British newspaper cartoonist (The Silent Three, Gemma Bovery,Tamara Drewe) and author / illustrator of children’s books (Fred, The Chocolate Wedding)

1957 Melanie Griffith, film and TV actress (Working Girl, Milk Money)

1958 Amanda Bearse, film and TV actress (Married with Children)

1961 Amy Stiller, stand-up comedian, film and TV actress (Little Fokkers, The King of Queens) Whitney Houston, model, singer (“Saving All My Love for You”), actress (The Bodyguard); listed in 2009 Guinness World Records as most awarded female act of all time.

1963 Whitney Houston, model, singer (“Saving All My Love for You”), actress (The Bodyguard) listed in 2009 Guinness World Records as most awarded female act of all time.—–>

1964 Hoda Kotb, Daytime Emmy-winning TV news anchor and host

1968 Gillian Anderson, film and TV actress (The X-Files)

1970 Chris Cuomo, TV journalist and anchor

1983 Ashley Johnson, film (The Help) and TV actress (Growing Pains), video game voiceovers (The Last of Us)

Word for the day:

Eggcorn: EG-corn

noun: An erroneous alteration of a word or phrase, by replacing an original word with a similar sounding word, such that the new word or phrase also makes a kind of sense.
For example: “ex-patriot” instead of “expatriate” and “mating name” instead of “maiden name”.

Quote for the day:

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Contempt is the weapon of the weak and a defense against one’s own despised and unwanted feelings.-Alice Miller, psychologist and author (1923-2010)

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Bacon Guacamole Grilled Cheese Sandwich

I know I have posted a couple of grilled cheese sandwiches already, but I found this website, closetcooking.com and liked what I saw. He has several cheese sandwich recipes. So you may find even more on this blog. This looks delicious. I’m not big on bacon myself, but I may try this with bacon bits. See what you think.

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes

Ingredients

2 slices bacon
2 slices sour dough bread
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
1/2 cup jack and cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tablespoons guacamole, room temperature
1 tablespoon tortilla chips, crumbled (optional)

Directions

Cook the bacon until crispy and set aside on paper towels to drain.

Butter one side of each slice of bread, sprinkle half of the cheese onto the unbuttered side of one slice of bread followed by the guacamole, bacon, tortilla chips, the remaining cheese and finally top with the remaining slice of bread with the buttered side up.

Grill over medium heat until golden brown and the cheese has melted, about 2-3 minutes per side.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 8, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Another blog listed on About.com/genealogy is entitled “The Genealogue.”

This is their comments: many of you probably already read Chris Dunham regularly, but if you haven’t, you’re in for a treat. His unique brand of genealogy humor puts a special spin on just about everything genealogy, from interesting items culled from old newspapers to tongue-in-cheek commentary on current genealogy news and products, to a regular genealogy challenge to keep us all on our toes. He posts regularly – often several per day. And his special Top Ten Listsare always good for a chuckle.
*Note: The Genealogue is on temporary hiatus as Chris deals with a family situation, but there is enough content already online to keep you busy for months!

Today in History

1306 King Wenceslas of Poland is murdered.

1570 Charles IX of France signs the Treaty of St. Germain, ending the third war of religion and giving religious freedom to the Huguenots.

1636 The invading armies of Spain, Austria and Bavaria are stopped at the village of St.-Jean-de-Losne, only 50 miles from France.

1648 Ibrahim, the sultan of Istanbul, is thrown into prison, then assassinated.

1786 Jacques Balmat and Dr. Michael-Gabriel Baccard become the first men to climb Mont Blanc in France.

1844 Brigham Young is chosen to head the Mormon Church, succeeding Joseph Smith.

1863 Confederate President Jefferson Davis refuses General Robert E. Lee’s resignation.

1876 Thomas Edison patents the mimeograph.

1899 The first household refrigerating machine is patented.

1925 The first national congress of the Ku Klux Klan opens.

1937 The Japanese Army occupies Beijing.

1940 The German Luftwaffe attacks Great Britain for the first time, begining the Battle of Britain.

1942 U.S. Marines capture the Japanese airstrip on Guadalcanal.

1944U.S. forces complete the capture of the Marianas Islands.

1945The Soviet Union declares war on Japan.

1950U.S. troops repel the first North Korean attempt to overrun them at the battle of Naktong Bulge, which continued for 10 days.

1963 England’s “Great Train Robbery;” 2.6 million pounds ($7.3 million) is stolen

1974 President Richard Nixon resigns from the presidency as a result of the Watergate scandal.

1978 Pioneer-Venus 2 launched to probe the atmosphere of Venus.

1979 Iraq’s president Saddam Hussein executes 22 political opponents.

1983 Brigadier General Efrain Rios Montt is deposed as president of Guatemala in the country’s second military coup in 17 months.

1988 Angola, Cuba and South Africa sign cease-fire treaty in the border war that began in 1966.

<——1989 NASA Space Shuttle Columbia begins its eighth flight, NASA’s 30th shuttle mission.

1990 Iraq annexes the state of Kuwait as its 19th province, six days after Iraqi troops invadedKuwait.

2000 Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley raised to surface, 136 years after it sank following its successful attack on USS Housatonic in the outer harbor of Charleston, South Carolina.

2007 An EF2 tornado hits Brooklyn, New York, the first in that borough since 1889.

2008 Georgia invades South Ossetia, touching off a five-day war between Georgia and Russia

Birthdays today:

1865 Matthew A. Henson, explorer with Robert Peary who first reached the North Pole (Though some recent scholarship disputes this claim)

1883 Emilano Zapata, Mexican revolutionary leader

1896 Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, author of The Yearling

1901 Ernest Orlando Lawrence, inventor of the cyclotron and winner of the 1939 Nobel Prize for physics

1908 Arthur J. Goldburg, labor lawyer instrumental in the merger of the Amercian Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations

1937 Dustin Hoffman, American actor —–>

1948 Svetlana Y Savitskaya, Soviet cosmonaut, the first woman to walk in space (July 25, 1984)

1964 M. Ashman, author, co-editor of Tales from the Expat Harem: Foreign Women in Modern Turkey, and a founding member of TED Global, the international organization devoted to Ideas Worth Spreading

Word for the day:

Impetus IM-puh-tus

1 a : a driving force : impulse b : incentive, stimulus c : stimulation or encouragement resulting in increased activity

2 : the property possessed by a moving body in virtue of its mass and its motion — used of bodies moving suddenly or violently to indicate the origin and intensity of the motion
Quote for the day:

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Spicy Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons butter or margarine

4 slices white bread

2 slices American cheese

1 roma (plum) tomato, thinly sliced

1/4 small onion, chopped

1 jalapeno pepper, chopped

Directions:

Heat a large skillet over low heat. Spread butter or margarine onto one side of two slices of bread. Place both pieces buttered side in the skillet. Lay a slice of cheese on each one, and top with slices of tomato, onion and jalapeno. Butter one side of the remaining slices of bread, and place on top buttered side up. When the bottoms of the sandwiches are toasted, flip and fry until (golden) brown on the other side.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 7, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Genealogy Blogs – Genea-Musings

This blog seems to at the top or near the top of reviews on genealogy blogs. Here is what About.com/genealogy had to say about it: Randy Seaver’s excellent blog stands here as a representative for the many great personal family history bloggers (since there isn’t room in this short list to highlight all of the great ones). His site includes enough of an ecletic mix of news, research processes, personal reflections, and genealogy debate to make it of interest to almost any genealogist. He reminds me of me; I guess…and will probably remind you of yourself as well. He shares genealogy news and new databases as he finds and explores them. He shares his research successes and failures so you might learn from them. He even shares the ways in which he balances his research with family and personal responsibilities. Randy’s musings bring out the genealogist in all of us…

Today in History

1782 General George Washington authorizes the award of the Purple Heart for soldiers wounded in combat.

1864 Union troops capture part of Confederate General Jubal Early’s army at Moorefield, West Virginia.

1888 Theophilus Van Kannel of Philadelphia receives a patent for the revolving door

1906 In North Carolina, a mob defies a court order and lynches three African Americans which becomes known as “The Lyerly Murders.”

1916 Persia forms an alliance with Britain and Russia

1922 The Irish Republican Army cuts the cable link between the United States and Europe atWaterville landing station

1934 In Washington, the U.S. Court of Appeals rules that the govenment can neither confiscate nor ban James Joyce’s novel Ulysses

1936 The United States declares non-intervention in the Spanish Civil War

1942 The U.S. 1st Marine Division under General A. A. Vandegrift lands on the islands of Guadalcanal and Tulagi in the Solomon islands. This is the first American amphibious landing of the war

1944 German forces launch a major counter attack against U.S. forces near Mortain, France

1964 Congress overwhelmingly passes the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, allowing the president to use unlimited military force to prevent attacks on U.S. forces

1966 The United States loses seven planes over North Vietnam, the most in the war up to this point

1971 Apollo 15 returns to Earth. The mission to the moon had marked the first use of the Lunar Roving Vehicle.

1973 A U.S. plane accidentally bombs a Cambodian village, killing 400 civilians

1976 US Viking 2 spacecraft goes into orbit around Mars

1981 The Washington (D.C.) Star ceases publication after 128 years

1984 Japan defeats the United States to win the Olympic Gold in baseball

1987 Presidents of five Central American nations sign a peace accord in Guatemala

1990 Operation Desert Shield begins as US troops deploy to Saudi Arabia to discourage Iraq’s Saddam Hussein from invading that country as he had Kuwait

2007 Barry Bonds of the San Francisco Giants breaks Hank Aaron’s record with his 756th home run. Bonds’ accomplishments were clouded by allegations of illegal steroid use and lying to a grand jury

Birthdays today:

1876 Mata Hari, [Margaretha G. Macleod] who passed secrets to the Germans in World War I

1903 Louis Leakey, anthropologist, archeologist and paleontologist, believed Africa was the cradle of mankind

1904 Ralph Bunche, U.S. diplomat and the first African-American Nobel Prize winner

1927 Edwin Edwards, governor of Louisiana

1932 Abebe Bikila, barefoot runner from Ethiopia, winner of the 1960 Olympic marathon

1942 Garrison Keillor, American humorist and writer, creator of the long-running PBS program A Prairie Home Companion

1950 Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter (“Leaving Louisiana in the Broad Daylight,” “Ain’t Living Long Like This”) and author (Chinaberry Sidewalks) Rodney Crowell

1963 Patrick Kennedy, son of President and Mrs. John F. Kennedy; dies 39 hours later

1966 Jimmy Donal “Jimbo” Wales, co-founder of Wikipedia

1975 Charlize Theron, model and Academy Award-winning actress (Monster)

Word for the day:

altruistic •\ˌal-trü-ˈis-tik\• adjective

showing unselfish concern for the welfare of others

The word altruistic has appeared in 85 New York Times articles in the past year, including on April 26 in “Live Music and a Canned Patron” by Ben Sisario:

Quote for the day: Good judgment comes from experience, and often experience comes from bad judgment. Rita Mae Brown

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Sandwich spreads. Use different sandwich spreads to kick up the flavor and nutrition. Go easy on spreads such as mayonnaise, margarine, butter, and cream cheese because they add fat and calories and little nutritional value. Instead, try low-fat plain yogurt, different flavors of hummus, mustard or honey mustard, or light dressing.

ENJOY!

<—hummus

yogurt——->

Now You Know!

Aug 6, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today: Genealogy Blogs.

This month we are going to be looking at genealogy blogs. There are hundreds out there and there’s some that are quite popular. We will look at the more common, well known ones (and therefore more popular) who have a broader more general focus and we will explore the ones that are lesser known but at the same time target a narrower audience.

The first one we will look at is Ancestry. Their website is very well known as being the place to put your family tree together. But did you know they also have a blog? They have current and interesting articles posted. Remember this is a business and the blog posts are written with that perspective. Yet it does offer interesing information and helpful ideas. The posts are frequent – every couple of days, and sometimes more than one a day.

Tomorrow we will look at another popular blog and see what they have to offer.

Today in History

<—– 1497 John Cabot returns to England after his first successful journey to theLabrador coast.

1863 The CSS Alabama captures the USS Sea Bride near the Cape of Good Hope.

1888 Martha Turner is murdered by an unknown assailant, believed to be Jack the Ripper, in London, England.

1890 William Kemmler becomes the first man to be executed by the electric chair.

1904 The Japanese army in Korea surrounds a Russian army retreating toManchuria.

1914 Ellen Louise Wilson, the first wife of the twenty-eighth president, Woodrow Wilson, dies of Barite’s disease.

1927 A Massachusetts high court hears the final plea from Sacco and Vanzetti, two Italians convicted of murder.

1942 The Soviet city of Voronezh falls to the German army.

1945 Paul Tibbets, the commander of Enola Gay, drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan.It was the second atomic bomb, dropped on Nagasaki, that induced the Japanese to surrender.

1962 Jamaica becomes independent, after 300 years of British rule.

1965 President Lyndon B. Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, outlawing the literacy test for voting eligibility in the South

1972 Atlanta Braves’ right fielder Hank Arron hits his 660th and 661st home runs, setting the Major League record for most home runs by a player for a single franchise.—————–>

1973 Singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder is in an automobile accident and goes into a four-day comma.

1979 Twelve-year-old Marcus Hooper becomes the youngest person to swim the English Channel.

1981 Argentina’s ex-resident Isabel Peron freed from house arrest.

1988 A melee that became known as the Tompkins Square Park Police Riot in New York Cityleads to NYPD reforms.

1991 Tim Berners-Lee publishes the first-ever website, Info.cern.ch.

1993 Pope John Paul II publishes “Veritatis splendor encyclical,” regarding fundamentals of the Catholic Church’s role in moral teachings.

1997 Microsoft announces it will invest $150 million in troubled rival Apple Computer, Inc.

2012 New Zealand’s Mount Tongariro erupts for the first time since 1897.

Birthdays today:

1809 Alfred Lord Tennyson, English poet laureate (1850), wrote “The Charge of the Light Brigade.”

1881 Alexander Flemming, Scottish bacteriologist who discovered penicillin in 1928

1889 Major General George Kenney, commander of the U.S. Fifth Air Force in New Guinea and the Solomons during World War II.

1911 Lucille Ball, American actress and comedian ————- >

1916 Richard Hofstadter, historian who won two Pulitzer Prizes for his work

1927 Andy Warhol, American pop artist

1934 Piers Anthony Dillingham Jacob, science fiction and fantasy author (Xanth series).

1950 Winston E. Scott, US Navy commander and astronaut

Word for the day:

Eyetooth

Dentistry. a canine tooth of the upper jaw: so named from its position under the eye.

idiom:

cut one’s eyeteeth , a. to gain sophistication or experience; become worldly-wise. b. Also, cut one’s eyeteeth on. to be initiated or gain one’s first experience in (a career, hobby, skill, etc.).
give one’s eyeteeth , to give something one considers very precious, usually in exchange for an object or situation one desires: She would give her eyeteeth for that job .

Origin:

Eyetooth came to English in the late 1500s as a blend of eye and tooth. This tooth received its name because of its position beneath or next to the eye.

Quote for the day:

Knowledge is indivisible. When people grow wise in one direction, they are sure to make it easier for themselves to grow wise in other directions as well.

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Neat Sloppy Joes

“No green pepper in this recipe, so it’s a hit with kids. We added this to the menu at a children’s camp, and it has been a favorite for several years. The mixture is thick, so they are ‘neat’ rather than sloppy. This freezes and reheats well.” Aunt Mamie

Ingredients:

2 pounds lean ground beef

1/2 cup chopped onion

1 cup chopped celery

1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed tomato soup

1/4 cup ketchup

1 tablespoon white vinegar

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

8 hamburger buns

Directions:

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add ziti pasta, and cook until al dente, about 8 minutes; drain.
In a large skillet, brown onion and ground beef over medium heat. Add spaghetti sauce, and simmer 15 minutes.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter a 9×13 inch baking dish. Layer as follows: 1/2 of the ziti, Provolone cheese, sour cream, 1/2 sauce mixture, remaining ziti, mozzarella cheese and remaining sauce mixture. Top with grated Parmesan cheese.
Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven or until cheeses are melted.

Original recipe makes 8 servings

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 5, 2013

RESEARCHING COURTHOUSES #10

Genealogy Tip for today:
10. Concentrate on the Unique

Here is our last of 10 tips for researching at courthouses. In case you would to know or visit the site, we found this information at about.com.

Unless the facility is one you can easily access on a regular basis, it is often beneficial to begin your research with the parts of its collection that aren’t easily available elsewhere. Concentrate on original records that haven’t been microfilmed, family papers, photograph collections, and other unique resources.

At the Family History Library in Salt Lake City, for example, many researchers begin with the books as they are generally not available on loan, while the microfilms can be borrowed through your local Family History Center.

Today in History

August 5

1391 Castilian sailors in Barcelona, Spain set fire to a Jewish ghetto, killing 100 people and setting off four days of violence against Jews.
1763 Colonel Henry Bouquet decisively defeats the Indians at the Battle of Bushy Run in Pennsylvania duringPontiac’s rebellion.
1762 Russia, Prussia and Austria sign a treaty agreeing on the partition of Poland.
1815 A peace treaty with Tripoli–which follows treaties with Algeria and Tunis–brings an end to the Barbary Wars.
<—–1858 The first transatlantic cable is completed.
1861 Congress adopts the nation’s first income tax to finance the Civil War.
1864 Union Navy captures MobileBay in Alabama.
1892 Harriet Tubman receives a pension from Congress for her work as a nurse, spy and scout during the Civil War.
1914 The British Expeditionary Force mobilizes for World War I
1914 The first electric traffic signal lights are installed in Cleveland, Ohio.
1915 The Austro-German Army takes Warsaw, in present-day Poland, on the Eastern Front.
1916 The British navy defeats the Ottomans at the naval battle off Port Said, Egypt.
1921 Mustapha Kemal is appointed virtual ruler of the Ottoman Empire.
1941 The German army completes taking 410,000 Russian prisoners in Uman and Smolensk pockets in the Soviet Union
1951 The United Nations Command suspends armistice talks with the North Koreans when armed troops are spotted in neutral areas.
1962 Actress Marilyn Monroe dies under mysterious circumstances.—–>
1964 President Lyndon Johnson begins bombing North Vietnam in retaliation forGulf of Tonkin incident and asks Congress to go to war against North Vietnam.
1974 President Richard Nixon admits he ordered a cover-up for political as well as national security reasons.
1981 President Ronald Reagan fires 11,500 striking air traffic controllers
1992 Four police officers indicted on civil rights charges in the beating of Rodney King.
1995 Croatian forces capture the city of Knin, a Serb stronghold, during Operation Storm.
1997 Mastermind of the 1993 WorldTradeCenter bombing, Ramzi Yousef, goes on trial.
2012 A gunman in Oak Creek, Wisconsin, opens fire in a Sikh temple, killing six before committing suicide.

Birthdays today:

1850 Guy de Maupassant, short story writer and author of “The Necklace”

1876 Mary Ritter Beard, American historian and writer.

1906 John Houston, film director of such movies as The Treasure of the Sierra Madre and The Maltese Falcon

1908 Miriam Rothschild, English scientist and writer

1923 Richard G. Kleindienst, one of the key officials who helped elect Richard Nixon to the presidency in 1969.

1930 Neil Armstrong, the first man to walk on the moon—–>

1975 Ami Foster, television actress (Punky Brewster); nominated eight times for Young Actress Award.

Word for the day:

Insidious

Insidious adj. 1. Working or spreading harmfully in a subtle or stealthy manner: insidious rumors; an insidious disease. 2. Beguiling but harmful; alluring: insidious pleasures.

Quote for the day:

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

How beautiful it is to do nothing, and then rest afterward. -Spanish proverb

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

Fruity Tuna Salad Sandwiches

2 to 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 (6 oz.) can tuna, drained
1/2 cup red seedless grapes, halved
1/4 cup bottled olive oil and vinegar dressing
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup chopped celery
1 tbsp. light mayonnaise
4 pieces of focaccia bread
4 leaves green leaf lettuce

Directions:

Combine tuna, grapes, dressing, onion and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, just stir until combined.
Cut open bread and place lettuce leaves on half bread pieces.
Spread tuna salad over lettuce, pressing down slightly. Top with remaining bread.

Recipe Source: Courtesy of the California Table Grape Commission

Alice‘s Notes:

Choose a “low sodium” or “no salt added” form of tuna if desired.
If you’d like to make a quick olive oil and vinegar dressing from scratch, whisk together 3 tablespoons olive oil, 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar and a dash of freshly ground black pepper.
While not as colorful as red onions, a sweet onion could be substituted for the red onion.
Focaccia is a flat Italian bread with a crisp crust and traditionally flavored with olive oil and herbs. It may be round or square. If you don’t have focaccia, you might serve these on a crusty whole grain bun or even toasted whole grain bread (1 slice, cut in half, used per sandwich).
The red grapes add a nice color note; however you can substitute a different color if you like.
“Always store grapes unwashed and in the refrigerator. Rinse grapes just prior to serving or using in a recipe,” advises the California Table Grape Commission.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 2, 2013

RESEARCHING COURTHOUSES #9

Genealogy Tip for today:
9. Take Good Notes & Make Plenty of Copies

We have one more tip after today. Hopefully these have been beneficial to you.

While you may take the time to reach a few on-site conclusions about the records you find, it is usually best to take everything home with you where you have more time toexamine it thoroughly for every last detail. Make photocopies of everything, if possible. If copies aren’t an option, then take the time to make a transcription or abstract,

including misspellings. On each photocopy, be sure to make note of the complete source for the document. If you have time, and money for copies, it can also be helpful to make copies of the complete index for your surname(s) of interest for certain records, such as marriages or deeds. One of them may later make an appearance in your research

Today in History

47 Caesar defeats Pharnaces at Zela in Syria and declares, “veni, vidi, vici,” (I came, I saw, I conquered)

1552 The treaty of Passau gives religious freedom to Protestants living in Germany

1553 An invading French army is destroyed at the Battle of Marciano in Italy by an imperial army

1589 During France’s religious war, a fanatical monk stabs King Henry II to death

1776 The Continental Congress, having decided unanimously to make the Declaration of Independence, affixes the signatures of the other delegates to the document

1790 The first US census begins enumerating the population

1802 Napoleon Bonaparte is proclaimed “Consul for Life” by the French Senate after a plebiscite from the French people—–>

1819 The first parachute jump from a balloon is made by Charles Guille in New York City.

1832 Troops under General Henry Atkinson massacre Sauk Indian men, women and children who are followers of Black Hawk at the Bad Axe River in Wisconsin. Black Hawk himself finally surrenders three weeks later, bringing the Black Hawk War to an end.

1847 William A. Leidesdorff launches the first steam boat in San Francisco Bay

1862 Union General John Pope captures Orange Court House, Virginia

1862 The Army Ambulance Corps is established by Maj. Gen. George McClellan

1876 Wild Bill Hickok is shot while playing poker

1914Germany invades Luxembourg

1918 A British force lands in Archangel, Russia, to support White Russian opposition to the Bolsheviks

<—–1923 Vice President Calvin Coolidge becomes president upon the death of Warren G. Harding

1934 German President Paul von Hindenburg dies and Adolf Hitler becomes chancellor

1943 Lt. John F. Kennedy, towing an injured sailor, swims to a small island in theSolomon Islands. The night before, his boat, PT-109, had been split in half by the Japanese destroyer Amagiri

1950 The U.S. First Provisional Marine Brigade arrives in Korea from the United States

1964 U.S. destroyer Maddoxis reportedly attacked by North Vietnamese patrol boats

1965 Newsman Morley Safer films the destruction of a Vietnamese village by U.S. Marines.

1990 Iraqi forces invade neighboring Kuwait.

1990 200^th anniversary of the U.S. census

1997 Author William S. Burroughs (Naked Lunch), considered the godfather of the “Beat Generation” in American literature, dies at age 83

Birthdays today:

1754 Pierre Charles L’Enfant, French engineer who designed the layout of Washington, D.C.

1820 John Tyndall, British physicist and the first scientist to show why the sky is blue

1865 Irving Babbitt, scholar and founder of the modern humanistic movement

1924 James Baldwin, writer whose works include Go Tell It On The Mountain and Notes of a Native Son.

1932 Peter O’Toole, Irish actor ———————————–>

1942 Isabel Allende, author of The House of the Spirits

1949 James Fallows, writer and editor of U.S. News and World Report.

Word for the day:

Intelligentsia: in-TEL-le-GENT-si-a

From the Latin: intellegentia intelligence

Definition: The intellectual elite of a society

Quote for the day:

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

During the month of August we will post sandwich making tips on the weekends, i.e. Friday or Saturday. Here is today’s tip from Food.unl.edu

Freezing Sandwiches

by Alice Henneman, MS, RD, Extension Educator

It’s often reported the word “sandwich” originated with John Montagu, 4th Earl of Sandwich. The Earl supposedly ate bits of meat between pieces of bread so he could continue to play cards while eating and not get his hands greasy from the meat.

Sandwiches continue to be a popular food today because of their versatility and convenience. Freezing sandwiches offers several additional benefits:

Save money by making your own “fast food” sandwiches

for a sack lunch or meal at home.

Save time by making several sandwiches at once.
Utilize “leftovers” or cook extra at a meal for use in tasty

and different ways at future meals.

Control the type of bread (such as choosing a whole grain bread), type of filling and spread (amount, salt,

fat and so forth) by being in charge of the ingredients.

Enjoy a wholesome, homemade sandwich as part of an inexpensive, quick meal!

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

Aug 1, 2013

RESEARCHING COURTHOUSES #8

Genealogy Tip for today:

8. Be Courteous & Respectful

Here is today’s tip. Staff members at archives, courthouses and libraries are generally very helpful, friendly people, but they are also very busy trying to do their job. Respect their time and avoid pestering them with questions not specifically related to research in the facility or hold them hostage with tales about your ancestors. If you have a genealogy how-to question or trouble reading a particular word that just can’t wait, it is usually better to ask another researcher (just don’t pester them with multiple questions either!). Don’t request records or copies just before closing time, either!

Ed. note: I heard one speaker tell that she always took a box of chocolates to the courthouse or archive where she needed to do some research. She was always able to get what she wanted. In fact they looked forward to her return visits! In some places, especially small towns, you will find a lady that has worked there for “45” years and she feels a definite ownership of those records. She isn’t always ready to hand over anything you want, even though you understand they are public records and should be available to the public. A box of chocolates has smoothed over this kind of situation more than once.

Today in History

902 The Aghlabid rulers of Ifriqiyah (modern day Tunisia) capture Taormina, Sicily.

1096 The crusaders under Peter the Hermit reach Constantinople.

1465 Piero de Medici succeeds his father, Cosimo, as ruler of Florence.

1664 The Turkish army is defeated by French and German troops at St. Gotthard, Hungary.

1689 James II’s 15-week siege of Londonderry, Ireland, ends in failure.It was a shaken and demoralized English column that returned to its northern Irish base at Newry on the evening of May 28, 1595.

1740 Thomas Arne’s song “Rule Britannia” is performed for the first time.

1759 British and Hanoverian armies defeat the French at the Battle of Minden, Germany.

<–1791Robert Carter III, a Virginia plantation owner, frees all 500 of his slaves in the largest private emancipation in U.S. history. An 1839 mutiny aboard a Spanish ship in Cuban waters raised basic questions about freedom and slavery in the United States.

1798 Admiral Horatio Nelson routs the French fleet in the Battle of the Nile at Aboukir Bay,Egypt.

1801 The American schooner Enterprise captures the Barbary cruiser Tripoli.Often venturing into harm’s way, America’s most famous sailing ship, the Constitution, twice came close to oblivion.

1834 Slavery is abolished throughout the British Empire.

1864 Union General Ulysses S. Grant gives General Philip H. Sheridan the mission of clearing the Shenandoah Valley of Confederate forces. After nearly 10 months of trench warfare, Confederate resistance at Petersburg,Virginia, suddenly collapsed.

1872 The first long-distance gas pipeline in the U.S. is completed. Designed for natural gas, the two-inch pipe ran five miles from Newton Wells to Titusville, Pennsylvania.

1873 San Francisco’s first cable cars begin running, operated by Hallidie’s Clay Street Hill Railroad Company.

1880 Sir Frederick Roberts frees the British Afghanistan garrison of Kandahar from Afghan rebels.

1893 A machine for making shredded wheat breakfast cereal is patented.

1914 Germany declares war on Russia.

1937 The Buchenwald concentration camp in Germany becomes operational. The Nuremberg Trial brought high-ranking Nazis to justice.

1939 Synthetic vitamin K is produced for the first time.

1941 The Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo plane makes its first flight.

1942Ensign Henry C. White, while flying a J4F Widgeon plane, sinks U-166 as it approaches the Mississippi River, the first U-boat sunk by the U.S. Coast Guard

1943 Over 177 B-24 Liberator bombers attack the oil fields in Ploesti, Rumania, for a second time.

1944The Polish underground begins an uprising against the occupying German army, as the Red Army approaches Warsaw.

1946President Harry S Truman establishes Atomic Energy Commission.

1950 Lead elements of the U.S. 2nd Infantry Division arrive in Korea from the United States.

1954 The Geneva Accords divide Vietnam into two countries at the 17th parallel.

1957 US and Canada create North American Air Defense Command (NORAD).

<–1960 Singer Chubby Checker releases “The Twist,” creating a new dance craze. The song had been released by Hank Ballard andthe Midnighters the previous year but got little attention.

1964 Arthur Ashe becomes the first African-American to play on the U.S. Davis Cup tennis team.

1966 Charles Whitman, shooting from the Texas Tower at the University of Texas, kills 16 people and wounds 31 before being killed himself.

1988 Conservative commentator Rush Limbaugh begins his national radio show.

2004 In Asuncion, Paraguay, a fire in the Ycua Bolanos V supermarket complex kills nearly 400 people and injures 500.

2007 The I-35W bridge at Minneapolis, Minnesota, collapses into the Mississippi River during evening rush hour, killing 13 people and injuring 145.

Birthdays today:

10 BC Claudius, Roman Emperor

1770 William Clark, American explorer, led the Corps of Discovery with Meriwether Lewis.——–>

1779 Francis Scott Key, author of the Star Spangled Banner

1818 Maria Mitchell, the first female astronomer in the U.S. (See today’s Google Doodle.)

1819 Herman Melville, author of Moby Dick

1936 Yves Saint Laurent, fashion designer

1942 Jerry Garcia, lead singer of the Grateful Dead

1944 Yuri Romanenko, Soviet cosmonaut who set the record for the longest stay in space with 326 days aboard the Mir Space Station

1951 Jim Carroll, musician and writer of The Basketball Diaries

1952 Nancy Lopez, professional golfer

Word for the day:

cognoscenti

PRONUNCIATION:

(kon-yuh-SHEN-tee, kog-nuh-)

MEANING:

noun: Those with informed appreciation of a particular topic, such as fine arts or literature.

ETYMOLOGY:

Plural of obsolete Italian cognoscente, from conoscere (to know). Modern Italian form of the word, conoscente, means acquaintance — you want to use the word intenditore or conoscitore if you mean cognoscente. Earliest documented use: 1777.

USAGE:

“Some passages in Hergé, Son of Tintin seem directed at the cognoscenti. The excursions into prewar Belgian politics are not for everyone.”
Cullen Murphy; Georges Remi: Learning His Lines; The New York Times; Jan 20, 2012.

Quote for the day:

Poetry is when an emotion has found its thought and the thought has found words. -Robert Frost, poet (1874-1963)

Poetry Is

Poetry is the thinking of my mind
Revealing my thoughts as words.

Poetry is the music of my soul
Revealing the words as song.

Poetry is the feelings of my heart
Revealing by song who I am

August is Sandwich Month

Today’s Recipe

AVOCADO AND HAM SANDWICHES

Ingredients

2 loaf(s) (about 18 inches each) ficelle (Pronunciation: /fēˈsel/)
1/4 cup(s) butter, softened
2 tablespoon(s) Dijon mustard
1/8 teaspoon(s) coarse black pepper
3/4 pound(s) Virginia ham, sliced
3 large avocados, peeled and sliced

Directions
1. Cut each ficelle loaf into 3 equal pieces, and split each horizontally along one side, leaving the other side intact. Open the pieces so they lie flat.

2.Stir the butter, mustard, and pepper together until smooth, and spread on both sides of the bread. Layer with the ham and avocado, and sprinkle with the sea salt.

3.Wrap the sandwiches with parchment, and tie with a string to secure. Keep chilled and serve within 3 hours.

Tips & Techniques

Ficelle is a thin, chewy baguette loaf. Substitute one standard baguette for 2 ficelles: Just cut the heels off the ends and make each sandwich a little bit shorter.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 31, 2013

RESEARCHING COURTHOUSES #7

Genealogy Tip for today: 7. Learn the Lay of the Land

Each genealogical repository you visit is going to be slightly different – whether it’s a different layout or setup, different policies and procedures, different equipment, or a different organizational system. Check the facility’s Web site, or with other genealogists who utilize the facility, and familiarize yourself with the research process and procedures before you go. Check the card catalog online, if it is available, and compile a list of the records you want to research, along with their call numbers. Ask if there is a reference librarian who specializes in your specific area of interest, and learn what hours he/she will be working. If records you’ll be researching use a certain type of index system, such as the Russell Index, then it helps to familiarize yourself with it before you go.

Today in History

On July 31, 1975, James Riddle Hoffa, one of the most influential American labor leaders of the 20th century, disappears in Detroit, Michigan, never to be heard from again. Though he is popularly believed to have been the victim of a Mafia hit, conclusive evidence was never found, and Hoffa’s death remains shrouded in mystery to this day.

Born in 1913 to a poor coal miner in Brazil, Indiana, Jimmy Hoffa proved a natural leader in his youth. At the age of 20, he helped organize a labor strike in Detroit, and remained an advocate for downtrodden workers for the rest of his life. Hoffa’s charisma and talents as a local organizer quickly got him noticed by the Teamsters and carried him upward through its ranks. Then a small but rapidly growing union, the Teamsters organized truckers across the country, and through the use of strikes, boycotts and some more powerful though less legal methods of protest, won contract demands on behalf of workers.

Hoffa became president of the Teamsters in 1957, when its former leader was imprisoned for bribery. As chief, Hoffa was lauded for his tireless work to expand the union, and for his unflagging devotion to even the organization’s least powerful members. His caring and approachability were captured in one of the more well-known quotes attributed to him: “You got a problem? Call me. Just pick up the phone.”

Hoffa’s dedication to the worker and his electrifying public speeches made him wildly popular, both among his fellow workers and the politicians and businessmen with whom he negotiated. Yet, for all the battles he fought and won on behalf of American drivers, he also had a dark side. In Hoffa’s time, many Teamster leaders partnered with the Mafia in racketeering, extortion and embezzlement. Hoffa himself had relationships with high-ranking mobsters, and was the target of several government investigations throughout the 1960s. In 1967, he was convicted of bribery and sentenced to 15 years in prison.

While in jail, Hoffa never ceded his office, and when Richard Nixon commuted his sentence in 1971, he was poised to make a comeback. Released on condition of not participating in union activities for 10 years, Hoffa was planning to fight the restriction in court when he disappeared on July 31, 1975, from the parking lot of a restaurant in Detroit, not far from where he got his start as a labor organizer. Several conspiracy theories have been floated about Hoffa’s disappearance and the location of his remains, but the truth remains unknown.

Dates below came from here.

904 Arabs capture Thessalonica.
1703 English novelist Daniel Defoe is made to stand in the pillory as punishment for offending the government and church with his satire The Shortest Way With Dissenters.
1760 Ferdinand, Duke of Brunswick, drives the French army back to the RhineRiver.
1790 The U.S. Patent Office opens.
1882 Belle and Sam Starr are charged with horse stealing in the Indian territory.
1875 Former president Andrew Johnson dies at the age of 66.
1891 Great Britain declares territories in Southern Africa up to the Congo to be within their sphere of influence.
1904 The Trans-Siberian railroad connecting the Ural mountains with Russia’s Pacific coast, is completed.
1917 The third Battle of Ypres commences as the British attack the German lines.
1932 Adolf Hitler’s Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis) doubles its strength in legislative elections.
1944 The Soviet army takes Kovno, the capital of Lithuania.
1962 Federation of Malaysia formally proposed.
1971 Apollo 15 astronauts take a drive on the moon in their land rover.
1987 An F4 tornado in Edmonton, Alberta kills 27 and causes $330 million in damages; the day is remembered as “Black Friday.”
1988 Bridge collapse at Sultan Abdul Halim ferry terminal in Butterworth, Malaysia, kills 32 and injures more than 1,600.
1990 Bosnia-Hercegovina declares independence from Yugoslavia.
1991 US and USSR sign a long-range nuclear weapons reduction pact.
1999 NASA purposely crashes its Discovery Program’s Lunar Prospector into the moon, ending the agency’s mission to detect frozen water on Earth’s moon.
2006 Fidel Castro temporarily hands over power to his brother Raul Castro.
2007 The British Army’s longest continual operation, Operation Banner (1969-2007), ends as British troops withdraw from Northern Ireland.

Birthdays today:

1803 John Ericsson, naval engineer and inventor, developed the screw propeller.

1816 George Henry Thomas, Union general during the American Civil War

1837 William Clarke Quantrill, Confederate raider during the American Civil War

1867 S.S. Kresge, American businessman

1901 Jean Dubuffet, French sculptor and painter

1912 Milton Friedman, Nobel Prize-winning economist

1919 Primo Levi, Italian writer and scientist (Survival in Auschwitz)

1921Whitney Young, Jr., civil rights leader and executive director of the National Urban League

1928 Horace Silver, jazz pianist, composer and bandleader

1951 Evonne Goolagong, Australian tennis player

1965 J.K. Rowling, author (Harry Potter series)

Word for the day: Pinchbeck

\PINCH-bek\

DEFINITION

adjective

1: made of an alloy of copper and zinc used especially to imitate gold in jewelry

2: counterfeit or spurious

EXAMPLES: Though our hosts were not outwardly unfriendly, we suspected that their kindness to us was pinchbeck.
Read more

Quote for the day:

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

To end the month, here is a chart instead of a recipe on grilling. The number of seconds is how long you can hold your hand above the fire, palm side down, 4 inches above the coals, until you are forced to remove your hand. Using the “palm” method is quick and easy and takes no special instruments.

Seconds	Coal Temperature
2	Hot, 375°F or more
3	Medium-hot, 350° to 375°F
4	Medium, 300° to 350°F
5	Low, 200° to 300°F

There are many good tips on grilling successfully on the Internet. We were going to list them here but there are too many to list. Several food websites discuss these tips. Just type in grilling tips in a search engine and you will find a plethora.

Hopefully the recipes here this month will be of interest to you. I have already tried one myself and am ready to try another. I hope you will do the same.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 30, 2013

RESEARCHING COURTHOUSES #6

Genealogy Tip for today: 6. Learn the Lay of the Land

Today in History

1619 The House of Burgesses convenes for the first time at Jamestown, Va.

1787 The French parliament refuses to approve a more equitable land tax.

1799 The French garrison at Mantua, Italy, surrenders to the Austrians.

1864 In an effort to penetrate the Confederate lines around Petersburg, Va. Union troops explode a mine underneath the Confederate trenches but fail to break through. The ensuing action is known as the Battle of the Crater.

1919 Federal troops are called out to put down Chicago race riots.

1938 George Eastman demonstrates his color motion picture process.–>

1940 A bombing lull ends the first phase of the Battle of Britain.

1960 Over 60,000 Buddhists march in protest against the Diem government in South Vietnam.

1965 President Lyndon Johnson signs the Medicare Bill into law.

1967 General William Westmoreland claims that he is winning the war inVietnam, but needs more men.

1975 Teamster leader Jimmy Hoffa disappears, last seen coming out of a restaurant in Bloomingfield Hills, Michigan.

George Eastman (l) with Thomas Edison demonstrating a coloring camera.

Birthdays today:

<—————1818 Emily Bronte, author (Wuthering Heights).

1857 Thorstein Veblen, economist and sociologist (The Theory of the Leisure Class)

1863 Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company

1889 Casey Stengel, New York Yankees manager

1898 Henry Moore, English sculptor

1909 C. Northcote Parkinson, historian and author

1924 William H. Gass, writer (Omensetter’s Luck)

1940 Patricia Shroeder, U.S. Congresswoman

1941 Paul Anka, singer (“Puppy Love,” “You Are My Destiny”)

1945 David Sanborn, Grammy-winning jazz saxophonist (“Inside,” “Close-Up”)

1947 Arnold Schwarzenegger, body builder (Mr. Universe, seven-time Mr. Olympia), actor (Terminator, Total Recall), 38th governor of California.

1958 Kate Bush, singer, songwriter; first woman to have a UK number-one single with a self-written song (“Wuthering Heights”); appointed Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire, 2013.

1961 Laurence Fishburne, actor (The Matrix series, The Tuskegee Airmen TV movie, CSI – Crime Scene Investigation TV series)

Word for the day:

World English dictionary:

Lesbian (‘lez-bien)

— n

A female homosexual
A native or inhabitant of Lesbos
The Aeolic dialect of ancient Greek spoken in Lesbos

— adj.

Of or characteristic of lesbians

[From the homosexuality attributed to Sappho, who lived on the Island of Lesbos.]

Of or relating to Lesbos
Of or relating to the poetry of Lesbos, esp. that of Sappho

Quote for the day:

A successful man is one who makes more money than his wife can spend. A successful woman is one who can find such a man.
Lana Turner
Read more at brainy quotes

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

PERFECT GRILLED EGGPLANT

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. salt, plus more for sprinkling
3 medium eggplants
About 1/3 cup olive oil

Preparation:

In a large bowl dissolve 2 Tbsp. salt in 1 cup warm water. Add 3 quarts cold water. Set aside.
Trim eggplant and cut into ¾-inch thick diagonal slices. Put slices in salt water, weigh down with an upside-down plate, and let sit 30 minutes.
Meanwhile, heat a charcoal or gas grill to medium-high heat (you can hold your hand about an inch above the grill for 3 to 4 seconds).
Drain eggplant and pat dry with paper towels or a clean kitchen towel. Lay on a large baking sheet or tray. Brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Lay oiled-side-down on the grill. Close lid if using a gas grill and cook until grill marks appear, about 5 minutes.
Brush top sides with oil and sprinkle with salt. Turn slices over, close lid on a gas grill and cook until grill marks appear on the other side and eggplant is very tender, about 5 minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 29, 2013

Courthouse #5

Genealogy Tip for today: 5. Time Your Trip

Before you visit, you should always contact the courthouse, library or archives to see if there are any access restrictions or closures which may affect your visit.[Ed. Note: you might even ask about road construction in the area.] Even if the Web site includes operating hours and holiday closures, it is still best to confirm this in person. Ask if there are any limits on the number of researchers, if you have to sign up in advance for microfilm readers, or if any courthouse offices or special library collections maintain separate hours. It also helps to ask if there are certain times which are less busy than others.

Today in History

1588 The Spanish Armada is sighted off the coast of England.

1602 The Duke of Biron is executed in Paris for conspiring with Spain and Savoy against King Henry IV of France.

1603 Bartholomew Gilbert is killed in Virginia by Indians, during a search for the missing Roanoke colonists.

1693 The Army of the Grand Alliance is destroyed by the French at the Battle of Neerwinden.

1830 Liberals led by the Marquis of Lafayette seize Paris in opposition to the king’s restrictions on citizens’ rights.

1848 A rebellion against British rule is put down in Tipperary, Ireland.

1858 Japan signs a treaty of commerce and friendship with the United States.

1862 Confederates are routed by Union guerrillas at Moore’s Mill, Missouri.

1875 Peasants in Bosnia and Herzegovina rebel against the Ottoman army.

1915 U.S. Marines land at Port-au-Prince to protect American interests in Haiti.

1918 Adolf Hitler becomes the president of the Nationalist Socialist German Workers’ Party (Nazis).

1981 Prince Charles marries Lady Diana. —————————————————>

Birthdays today:

1805 Alexis de Tocqueville, French historian (Democracy in America)

1877 Charles William Beebe, American biologist, explorer and writer

1878 Don Marquis, novelist and poet

<-1883 Benito Mussolini, Dictator of Italy (1922-1945)

1887 Sigmund Romberg, composer

1900 Owen Lattimore, writer

1905 Stanley Kunitz, poet

1905 Dag Hammerarskjold, Nobel Peace Prize winner, secretary-general of the United Nations (1953-1961)

1909 Chester Himes, author (Cotton Comes to Harlem, If He Hollers, Let Him Go)

1918 Edwin Greene O’Connor, author (The Last Hurrah)

1918 Mary Lee Settle, novelist

1920 Hank Ketchum, cartoonist, creator of Dennis the Menace

1930 Paul Taylor, choreographer and dancer

Word for the day:

Grillable (adjective): able to be cooked on the grill. [Ed note: Almost anything is grillable. Well, maybe not jello.] J

Quote for the day:

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. Marcus Aurelius

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

GRILLED BAKED BEANS

Ingredients: (Serves 20)

3 large cans of Bush’s original baked beans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup mustard
2 tbsp hoisin (optional)
3 tbsp garlic, minced
Olive oil
3 slices of maple bacon, cut in one inch sections
1/2 cup apple pie filling, rough chopped

Directions:

Put a little olive oil in a pan and throw in your garlic and sweat the garlic over a medium heat. Next add the brown sugar and a little more oil, as the sugar will absorb some of the oil. Let this simmer/sauté. Dish out the pie filling and chop the apples into smaller pieces then add them to the mix and let the pieces cook down a little bit. While this is simmering, dump your beans into a disposable aluminum pan. Now add the mustard and hoisin to the apple mix, and then dump into the beans. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Take your bacon and cut up into one inch squares; cover the beans with gaps to all them to cook faster. Place on grill and cook for 90 minutes or longer. The longer they cook, the more the flavors will infuse the beans. When ready to serve, stir the beans, mixing in the bacon pieces throughout the beans.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 26, 2013

Courthouses Tip #4

Genealogy Tip for today: 4. Create a Research Plan

As you enter the doors of a courthouse or library, it’s tempting to want to jump into everything at once. There usually aren’t enough hours in the day, however, to research all records for all of your ancestors in one short trip. By planning your research before you go, you’ll be less tempted by distractions and less likely to miss important details. Create a checklist with names, dates and details for each record you plan to research in advance of your visit, and then check them off as you go. Byfocusing your search on just a few ancestors or a few record types, you’ll be more likely to achieve your research goals.

Today in History:

On this (26th) day in 1775, the U.S. postal system is established by the Second Continental Congress, with Benjamin Franklin as its first postmaster general. Franklin (1706-1790) put in place the foundation for many aspects of today’s mail system. During early colonial times in the 1600s, few American colonists needed to send mail to each other; it was more likely that their correspondence was with letter writers in Britain. Mail deliveries from across the Atlantic were sporadic and could take many months to arrive. There were no post offices in the colonies, so mail was typically left at inns and taverns. In 1753, Benjamin Franklin, who had been postmaster of Philadelphia, became one of two joint postmasters general for the colonies. He made numerous improvements to the mail system, including setting up new, more efficient colonial routes and cutting delivery time in half betweenPhiladelphia and New York by having the weekly mail wagon travel both day and night via relay teams. Franklin also debuted the first rate chart, which standardized delivery costs based on distance and weight. In 1774, the British fired Franklin from his postmaster job because of his revolutionary activities. However, the following year, he was appointed postmaster general of the United Colonies by the Continental Congress. Franklin held the job until late in 1776, when he was sent toFrance as a diplomat. He left a vastly improved mail system, with routes from Florida to Maine and regular service between the colonies and Britain. President George Washington appointed Samuel Osgood, a former Massachusetts congressman, as the first postmaster general of the American nation under the new U.S. constitution in 1789. At the time, there were approximately 75 post offices in the country.

Today, the United States has over 40,000 post offices and the postal service delivers 212 billion pieces of mail each year to over 144 million homes and businesses in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, the American Virgin Islands and American Samoa. The postal service is the nation’s largest civilian employer, with over 700,000 career workers, who handle more than 44 percent of the world’s cards and letters. The postal service is a not-for-profit, self-supporting agency that covers its expenses through postage (stamp use in the United States started in 1847) and related products. The postal service gets the mail delivered, rain or shine, using everything from planes to mules. However, it’s not cheap: The U.S. Postal Service says that when fuel costs go up by just one penny, its own costs rise by $8 million.

Birthdays today:

World War II veteran Howard D. Pringle of Austin is 92.
Actress Barbara Harris is 78.
Rock musician Jim McCarty (The Yardbirds) is 70.
Rock musician Verdine White (Earth, Wind & Fire) is 62.
Singer-musician Jem Finer (The Pogues) is 58.
Model-actress Iman is 58. ————————————>
Cartoonist Ray Billingsley (“Curtis”) is 56.
Rock musician Thurston Moore (Sonic Youth) is 55.
Actress-singer Bobbie Eakes is 52.
Actress Katherine Kelly Lang is 52.
Actress Illeana Douglas is 48.
Country singer Marty Brown is 48.
Actor Matt LeBlanc is 46.
Actress Wendy Raquel Robinson is 46.
Rock musician Paavo Lotjonen (Apocalyptica) is 45.
Actor D.B. Woodside is 44.
Actress Miriam Shor is 42.
Actor Jay R. Ferguson (“Mad Men”) is 39.
Actor James Lafferty is 28.
Actress Shantel VanSanten is 28.
Actor Michael Welch is 26.
Classical singer Faryl Smith is 18.

Word for the day:

Repertoire – REP-per-twarh

1: a list or supply of plays, operas, pieces, or parts which a company or performer is prepared to present

2: a supply of skills, devices, or expedients; broadly : amount, supply

3: a list or supply of capabilities
Read more

Quote for the day:

Sample use of our Word for the Day: Though I have a limited repertoire when it comes to cooking, I managed to put together a decent meal that all of my guests seemed to enjoy.

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

GRILLED STEAKS

Ingredients:

4 -5 choice beef steaks
1/2 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 teaspoons olive oil
2 teaspoons ketchup
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon pepper

Directions:

Blend all ingredients, pour over steaks.
Marinate 3 hours, turning frequently.
Grill to your liking.

Have your grill hot (450 degrees); grill you steak just a few minutes depending on thickness and desired doneness (5-10 minutes); turn once using tongs or spatula. Do not use a grill fork or anything that will pierce your meat and let out the juices. Let rest 5 minutes before serving.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 25, 2013

COURTHOUSES, #3

Genealogy Tip for today: From About dot com: 3. Are the Records Available? You don’t want to plan a trip halfway across the country only to find that the records you seek were destroyed in a courthouse fire in 1865. Or that the office stores the marriage records in an offsite location, and they need to be requested in advance of your visit. Or that some of the county record books are being repaired, microfilmed, or are otherwise temporarily unavailable. Once you’ve determined the repository and records you plan to research, it is definitely worth the time to call to make sure the records are available for research. If the original record you seek is no longer extant, check the Family History Library Catalog to see if the record is available on microfilm. When I was told by a North Carolina county deed office that Deed Book A had been missing for some time, I was still able to access a microfilmed copy of the book through my localFamily History Center.

Today in History

July 25

326 Emperor Constantine refuses to carry out traditional pagan sacrifices
1394 Charles VI of France issues a decree for the general expulsion of Jews from France
1594 Maximillian II becomes emperor of the Holy Roman Empire
1587 Hideyoshi bans Christianity in Japan and orders all Christians to leave
1759 British forces defeat a French army at Fort Niagara in Canada
1799 On his way back from Syria, Napoleon Bonaparte defeats the Ottomans at Aboukir, Egypt
1814 British and American forces fight each other to a standoff at Lundy’s Lane, Canada
1845 China grants Belgium equal trading rights with Britain, France and the United States.
<—-1867 President Andrew Johnson signs an act creating the territory ofWyoming.
1850 Gold is discovered in the Rogue River in Oregon, extending the quest for gold up the Pacific coast
1861 The Crittenden Resolution, calling for the American Civil War to be fought to preserve the Union and not for slavery, is passed by Congress
1894 Japanese forces sink the British steamer Kowshing which was bringing Chinese reinforcements to Korea.
1909 French aviator Louis Bleriot becomes the first man to fly across the English Channel in an airplane.
1914 Russia declares that it will act to protect Serbian sovereignty
1924 Greece announces the deportation of 50,000 Armenians
1934 Austrian chancellor Engelbert Dollfuss is shot and killed by Nazis
1941 The U.S. government freezes Japanese and Chinese assets
1943 Italian Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini is overthrown in a coup
1944 Allied forces begin the breakthrough of German lines in Normandy
1978 The first test-tube baby, Louisa Brown, is born in Oldham, England

Birthdays today:

1844 Thomas Eakins, American painter———————————->

1848 Arthur James Balfour, Prime Minister of England (1902-1905)

1853 David Belasco, actor, playwright and producer

1880 Morris Raphel Cohen, American philosopher and mathematician

1902 Eric Hoffer, American longshoreman and philosopher (The True Believer, Before the Sabbath)

1907 Johnny Hodges, jazz musician

1927 Midge Decter, writer and editor

1935 Barbara Harris, actress

Word for the day:

Cherubic – /chuh-roo-bic/ angelic, cherub-like

Synonyms: adorable, cherubical, childlike, cute, innocent, sweet

Quote for the day:

“Don’t mistake thinking for action & don’t mistake action for results.” -Orrin Woodward

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Grilled Asparagus Bundles

Ingredients

1 1/2 pounds asparagus spears, trimmed 4 to 5 inches long tips
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
A few grinds black pepper
4 slices center cut bacon or pancetta
Chopped chives or scallions, optional garnish

Directions

Preheat oven, if using, to 400 degrees F.

Lightly coat asparagus spears in extra-virgin olive oil. Season the asparagus with black pepper. Take a quick count of the spear tips. Divide the total number by four. Gather that number of spears and use a slice of bacon to wrap the bundle and secure the spears together. Repeat with remaining ingredients.

To grill, place bundles on hot grill and cover. Cook 10 to 12 minutes until bacon is crisp and asparagus bundles are tender.

For oven preparation, place bundles on slotted broiler pan. Bake 12 minutes.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 24, 2013

COURTHOUSES, #2

Genealogy Tip for today: Today we look at Point # 2 in researching courthouses. 2. Who Has the Records? Many of the records you’ll need, from vital records to land transactions, are likely to be found at the local courthouse. In some cases, however, the older records may have been transferred to a state archives, local historical society, or other repository. Check with members of the local genealogical society, at the local library, or online at the

local GenWeb site to learn where the records for your location and time period of interest can be found. Even within the courthouse, different offices usually hold different types ofrecords, and may maintain different hours and even be located in different buildings. Some records may also be available in multiple locations, as well, in microfilm or printed form. For U.S. research, The Handybook for Genealogists, 11th edition (Everton Publishers, 2006) or Family Tree Resource Book (Family Tree Books, 2004) both include state-by-state and county-by-county lists of which offices hold which records.

Today in History

<—1783 Revolutionary Simon Bolivar was born in Caracas,Venezuela.

1847 Mormon leader Brigham Young and his followers arrived in the valley of the Great Salt Lake in present-day Utah.

1862 Martin Van Buren, the eighth president of the United States, died in Kinderhook, N.Y., at age 79.

1866 Tennessee became the first state to be readmitted to the Union after the Civil War.

1937 The state of Alabama dropped charges against five black men accused of raping two white women in the Scottsboro case.

1959 During a visit to the Soviet Union, Vice President Richard M. Nixon and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev compared the merits of capitalism and communism in the “kitchen debate,” so-named because it took place at a model kitchen at a U.S. exhibition.

1969 Apollo 11, the first manned mission to the moon, splashed down safely in the Pacific.

1979 A Miami jury convicted Ted Bundy of first-degree murder in the slayings of two Florida State University sorority sisters.

1990 Iraq massed tens of thousands of troops and hundreds of tanks along its border with Kuwait.

1997 Retired Supreme Court Justice William J. Brennan died at age 91.

2002 The U.S. House expelled Rep. James Traficant, D-Ohio, who had been convicted of bribery, racketeering and tax evasion.

2005 Lance Armstrong won a seventh consecutive Tour de France.

Birthdays today:

1725 – John Newton, English cleric and hymnist (d. 1807)
1783 – Simón Bolívar, Caracas, Venezuela, political and military leader (freed 6 Latin American republics from Spanish rule), (d. 1830)
1802 – Alexandre Dumas, Aisne France, author (3 Musketeers, Count of Monte Cristo), (d. 1870)
1874 – Oswald Chambers, Scottish minister and writer (d. 1917)
1897 – Amelia Earhart, US aviator (1st woman to solo Atlantic) —————–>

1916 – Bob Eberly, Mechanicsville NY, singer (Jimmy Dorsey Band)
1920 – Alexander H Cohen, NYC, Broadway producer (Beyond the Fringe)
1920 – Bella Abzug, (Rep-D-NY, 1970-74)
1933 – Doug Sanders, American golfer
1934 – Jimmy Holiday, US singer (How Can I Forget)
1934 – Thomas Ambler, CEO (Texaco)
1934 – Willie Davis, NFL defensive end (Cleveland Browns, Green Bay)
1936 – Ruth Buzzi, Westerly RI, comedienne (Laugh-In, Margie-That Girl)
1939 – Bob Lilly, NFL defensive tackle (Dallas Cowboys)
1951 – Lynda Carter, Phoenix Az, Miss USA (1973)/actress (Wonder Woman)
1977 – Lee EunHee, Miss Korea Universe (1997) Amelia Earhart

Word for the day: Bi·fur·cate

bi·fur·cat·ed, bi·fur·cat·ing, bi·fur·cates

v.tr. To divide into two parts or branches.

v.intr. To separate into two parts or branches; fork.

Forked or divided into two parts or branches, as the Y-shaped styles of certain flowers.

[Medieval Latin bifurcre, bifurct-, to divide, from Latin bifurcus, two-pronged: bi-, two; see bi-¹ + furca, fork.]

Quote for the day:

The best time to plant an oak tree was twenty-five years ago. The second best time is today. James Carville

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Angels on Horseback

INGREDIENTS

16-32 small oysters (or scallops), or larger ones cut in half, shucked
8-16 slices of thin-cut bacon
16-32 wooden toothpicks
3-4 limes or lemons

1 Working in batches if necessary, cook the bacon slices on medium low heat in a large frying pan, until only about halfway cooked, but not crispy. You need to pre-cook the bacon a bit or else when you cook them with the oysters the oysters will be overcooked by the time the bacon is crispy. Set the bacon aside to cool.

2 Get a grill or broiler good and hot while you wrap the oysters.

3 To make an angel on horseback, you wrap 1/2 a piece of bacon around the small oyster and secure it with the toothpick. Overlap the edges of the bacon by about an inch if you can.

4 Grill or broil over high heat to cook the oyster and crisp the bacon, about 5-6 minutes on the first side, another 2-4 once you turn them over. You will need to turn them once or twice to get a good crispiness on all sides.

5 As soon as they come off the heat, squirt with the lemon or lime juice and serve hot.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 23

IT’S A BOY!

Congratulations to William and Kate on the birth

of their new little Prince, yesterday!

Researching Courthouses

Genealogy Tip for today: Sooner or later researchers end up visiting courthouses, libraries, archive repositories and other like places. So, over the next few days we will be sharing with you tips on researching courthouse. There are 10 tips that we found from about dot com that we will post here.

Scout the Location: The first, and most important, step in onsite genealogy research is learning which government most likely hadjurisdiction over the area in which your ancestors lived during the time they lived there. In many places, especially in theUnited States, this is the county or county equivalent (e.g. parish, shire). In other areas, the records may be found housed in town halls, probate districts or other jurisdictional authorities. You’ll also have to bone up on changing political and geographical boundaries to know who actually had jurisdiction over the area where your ancestor lived for the time period you’re researching, and who has current possession of those records. If your ancestors lived near the county line, you may find them documented among the records of the adjoining county. While a bit uncommon, I actually have an ancestor whose land straddled the county lines of three counties, making it necessary for me to routinely check the records of all three counties when researching that particular family.

Today in History

1715 – The first lighthouse in America was authorized for construction at Little Brewster Island, Massachusetts. (Near Boston.)

1827 – The first swimming school in the U.S. opened in Boston, MA. Actually, the first lesson proved interesting: A student was suspended from a pole on a rope while “learning the use of his limbs.” Famous people who were former students: John Quincy Adams, James Audubon.

1829 – The first typewriter was patented — by William Burt of Mt. Vernon,MI. It didn’t work out as well as other practical models developed years later. The first problem was, people couldn’t get used to calling it a Burtwriter…

1885 Ulysses S. Grant, the 18th president of the United States, died atMount McGregor, N.Y., at age 63.

1934 – The program “Home Sweet Home” debuted on the NBC Red radio network. The principal characters were Fred, Lucy, Dick Kent and Uncle Will.

1941 – Sonny Dunham and his orchestra recorded the tune that was to become Mr. Dunham’s theme song. “Memories of You” was Bluebird record #11289.

1945 – The first passenger train observation car was placed in service by theChicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad.

1950 – To the strains of “Back in the Saddle Again”, by Ray Whitley and Gene Autry, TV viewers were treated to the first performance of “The Gene Autry Show”. The singing cowboy made the transition from Hollywood films to the tube this night. Autry and his sidekick Pat Buttram maintained law and order in the U.S. Southwest for six years. And they did it in a most entertaining manner. Gene sang just like he did in the movies and his horse, Champion would do some amazing horse tricks, and Pat Buttram would invariably get into silly situations.

1962 – The “Telstar” communications satellite sent the first live TV broadcast to Europe. The bird was used to send TV programs between the United States and Europe.

1966 – Frank Sinatra hit the top of the pop album chart with his “Strangers in the Night”. It was the first #1 Sinatra LP since 1960. The album’s title song had made it to number one on the pop singles chart on July 2nd.

1969 – Three Dog Night received a gold record for the single, “One”. It was the first of seven million-sellers for the pop-rock group.

1972 – Eddie Merckx of Belgium won his fourth consecutive Tour de France bicycling competition.

1984 – From the Oh, THOSE Pictures File: Miss America, Vanessa Williams, turned in her crown. It had been discovered that she had posed nude for “Penthouse” magazine. Williams, the first black Miss America, relinquished her title to Suzette Charles, the pageant’s runner-up.

1987 – Billy Williams, Catfish Hunter and Ray Dandridge were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. Joining the trio, St. Louis Cardinals/CBS radio announcer Jack Buck, who became the 11th person to receive the Ford Frick Award for broadcasters.

Birthdays today:

1925 – Gloria DeHaven (actress: Two Girls and a Sailor, Three Little Words, Summer Stock, Broadway Rhythm, Nakia)

1926 – Johnny (John Thomas) Groth (baseball: Detroit Tigers, SL Browns, Chicago White Sox, Washington Nationals, KC Athletics)

1929 – Billy Maxwell (golf: Texas Golf Hall of Famer: North Texas State University: 4 straight NCAA championships [1949-1952]; champ: U.S. Amateur [1951], Azalea Open [1955], Arlington Hotel Open [1956], Hesperia Open [1957], the Memphis Open [1958], Palm Springs Classic, Puerto Rico Open [1961], Dallas Open [1962])

1933 – Bert Convy (TV host: Win, Lose or Draw, Tattletales, Match Game, People Do the Craziest Things; actor: Love of Life, The Snoop Sisters; singer: group: Cheers: Black Leather Jacket and Motorcycle Boots; died July 15, 1991)

1934 – Steve Lacy (Lackritz) (jazz musician: soprano sax: Ask Me Now, Pannonica; composer)

1935 – Cleveland Duncan (singer: group: Penguins: Earth Angel)

1936 – Don (Donald Scott) Drysdale (Baseball Hall of Famer: pitcher: Brooklyn Dodgers [World Series: 1959], Los Angeles Dodgers [World Series: 1959, 1963, 1965, 1966/all-star: 1959, 1962, 1963, 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968/Cy Young Award-winner: 1962]; broadcaster: ABC Monday Night Baseball; writer: Once a Bum, Always a Dodger; died July 3, 1993)

1936 – Anthony Kennedy (lawyer: U.S. Supreme Court Justice, sworn in February 18, 1988)

1938 – Ronny Cox (actor: Scissors, Total Recall, Loose Cannons, RoboCop, Beverly Hills Cop series, Some Kind of Hero, Taps, The Onion Field, Harper Valley P.T.A., Gray Lady Down, Bound for Glory, Deliverance, Sweet Justice, Spencer, Second Chances, St. Elsewhere, Cop Rock, Apple’s Way)

1939 – Nicholas Gage (writer: Eleni)

1940 – Don Imus (Radio Hall of Fame talker: Imus In The Morning; actor: Odd Jobs)

1940 – Gary Stites (singer: Lonely for You, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Starry Eyed)

1945 – Dino Danelli (musician: drummer: group: The (Young) Rascals: Good Lovin’, Groovin’, How Can I Be Sure, A Beautiful Morning, People Got to Be Free; group: Bulldog)

1946 – Andy Mackay (musician: saxophone, woodwinds: group: Roxy Music: Virginia Plain, Pyjamarama, Do the Strand, Editions of You, In Every Dream a Heartache, Street Life, A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall, All I Want is You, Out of the Blue, Dance Away, Angel Eyes, Jealous Guy; solo: LPs: In Search of Eddie Riff, Resolving Contradictions)

1947 – David Essex (Cook) (singer: Rock On, Lamplight, I’m Gonna Make You a Star; actor: Godspell, Evita, That’ll be the Day)

1947 – Larry Manetti (actor: Magnum P.I., Baa Baa Black Sheep, Exit, The Take)

1948 – Coby Dietrick (basketball [center]: San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls)

1950 – Belinda Montgomery (actress: Man from Atlantis, Doogie Howser, M.D., Stone Fox, Tell Me That You Love Me)

1951 – Edie McClurg (actress: WKRP in Cincinnati, The Hogan Family, Planes, Trains and Automobiles, A River Runs Through It, Eating Raoul)

1961 – Martin Gore (musician: group: DePeche Mode: Enjoy the Silence)

1961 – Woody Harrelson (Emmy Award-winning actor: Cheers [1988-89]; White Men Can’t Jump, Natural Born Killers, Indecent Proposal, The Cowboy Way)

1962 – Eriq La Salle (actor: ER, Another World, Coming to America, Under Suspicion, Color of Night)

1967 – Philip Seymour Hoffman (actor: The Talented Mr. Ripley, Scent of a Woman, The Getaway, Twister, Boogie Nights, The Big Lebowski, Patch Adams, Magnolia, State and Main, Almost Famous)

1968 – Gary Payton (‘The Glove’: basketball [guard]: Oregon State Univ; NBA: Seattle SuperSonics, Milwaukee Bucks, LA Lakers, Boston Celtics)

1968 – Stephanie Seymour (super model)

1972 – Marlon Wayans (writer, actor: The Wayans Bros, Scary Movie, Scary Movie 2; brother of Damon Wayans, Keenen Ivory Wayans, Kim Wayans, Shawn Wayans)

Word for the day:

Chicanery

1 : deception by artful subterfuge or sophistry : trickery

2 : a piece of sharp practice (as at law) : trick
Read more here

Quote for the day:

To vice, innocence must always seem only a superior kind of chicanery. Ouida

Read more here

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

America’s Test Kitchen, has stumbled upon the perfect technique for smoking the meat: rather than using wood, they soak 8 black tea bags (orange spice or Earl Grey, preferably) in water for 5 minutes, then tightly seal them in a foil packet. Cut vent holes in the top of the packet so the smoke can escape, and set the packet on the coals.
Beautiful. Also, if you can’t find St. Louis-cut spareribs (which have been trimmed of the brisket bone and surrounding meat), substitute baby back ribs and begin to check for doneness after 1 hour on the grill. Cover the edges of the ribs loosely with foil if they begin to burn while grilling. And enjoy this classic Pacific Rim dish!

Chinese-Style Barbecued Spareribs
Serves 6
2 racks pork spareribs (2 1/2 to 3 pounds each), preferably St. Louis-cut
8 black tea bags (see below)
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup hoisin sauce
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup dry sherry
6 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 cup red currant jelly

Remove membrane on underside of ribs. (At one end of the rack, loosen the membrane with the tip of a paring knife. Grab the membrane with a paper towel and pull slowly — it should come off in one piece.) Cut rib racks in half. Cover tea bags with water in small bowl and soak for 5 minutes. Squeeze water from tea bags and tightly seal in foil packet. Cut vent holes in top of packet.

Adjust oven rack to middle position and heat oven to 300 degrees. Whisk 1 cup ketchup, soy sauce, hoisin, sugar, sherry, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and cayenne in large bowl; reserve ½ cup for glaze. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, in large disposable roasting pan and pour remaining ketchup mixture over ribs. Cover pan tightly with foil and cook until fat has rendered and meat begins to pull away from bones, 2 to 2½ hours. Transfer ribs to large plate. Pour pan juices into fat separator. Let liquid settle and reserve 1 cup defatted pan juices.

Simmer reserved pan juices over medium-high heat until reduced to ½ cup, about 5 minutes. Stir in jelly, reserved ketchup mixture, and remaining ketchup and simmer until reduced to 2 cups, 10 to 12 minutes. Reserve one-third of glaze for serving.

Open bottom vent on grill. Light about 100 coals; when covered with fine gray ash, carefully pile on 1 side of grill. Arrange foil packet directly on coals. Set cooking grate in place and heat, covered, with lid vent open halfway, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. (For gas grill, place foil packet directly on primary burner. Heat all burners on high, covered, until tea begins to smoke heavily, about 5 minutes. Leave primary burner on high and shut other burner[s] off.) Scrape and oil cooking grate. Arrange ribs, meaty side down, on cool side of grill and cook, covered, until ribs are smoky and edges begin to char, about 30 minutes.

Brush ribs with glaze, flip, rotate, and brush again. Cover and barbecue, brushing with glaze every 30 minutes, until ribs are fully tender and glaze is browned and sticky, 1 to 1½ hours. Transfer to cutting board, tent with foil, and let rest 10 minutes. Serve with reserved glaze.

(Ribs and glaze can be prepared through step 3 up to 2 days in advance. Once the ribs are cool, wrap tightly in foil and refrigerate. Transfer glaze to microwave-safe bowl, cover with plastic, and refrigerate. Allow ribs to stand at room temperature for 1 hour. Heat glaze in microwave on high power until warm, about 1 minute.)

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 22

Genealogy Tip for today: We talked recently about social media. This is another website that may be helpful to you in a unique way, especially if you are a visual person. Pinterest has become a popular website, although I will have to admit it is mostly used for home décor, recipes, crafts and the like. Once you’ve created your account you keep track of your “pins”, or pictures but what bulletin board you pinned them to. You can have several boards, as many as you like – one for every topic you wish to track.

Although it is not a source for your family history it can still be a useful tool. If there are websites, or gift ideas, or décor ideas that are family history related this would be the place to keep track of them. You capture a picture or image on the website you visit, save it to your computer, and upload it to your Pinterest board. You may find others have already posted ideas, or you can add your own as you travel the web. I did not find very many “pins” on Pinterest for genealogy at first, but it is growing. Of course the more new ones you add the more it adds to the overall collection. You may be amazed at the ideas you may get when you have genealogy on the brain, as you are looking at other things. Some that you will find are photo restoration, numbering system, gift ideas, newspapers, online courses, books to help you learn your hobby, preservation techniques, immigration websites, genealogy societies, lineage societies, and much more.

So take a look and do some exploring!

Today in History

1587 A second English colony, also fated to vanish under mysterious circumstances, was established on Roanoke Island off North Carolina.

1796 The city of Cleveland was founded by Gen. Moses Cleaveland.

1849, Emma Lazarus, the American poet best known for her words inscribed at the Statue of Liberty, was born. Following her death on November 19, 1887, her obituary appeared in The Times.

1933 American aviator Wiley Post completed the first solo flight around the world in seven days, 18 1/2 hours.

1934, a man identified as bank robber John Dillinger was shot to death by federal agents in Chicago.

1943 American forces led by Gen. George S. Patton captured Palermo, Sicily.

1981 Turkish extremist Mehmet Ali Agca was sentenced in Rome to life in prison for shooting Pope John Paul II. (He served 19 years.)

1991 Police in Milwaukee arrested serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, who later confessed to murdering 17 men and boys.

2004 The Sept. 11 commission issued a report saying America’s leaders failed to grasp the gravity of terrorist threats before the 9/11 attacks.

Emma Lazarus:

Birthdays today:

1923 Bob Dole, Former Senate majority leader, presidential candidate, turns 90

1928 Orson Bean, Actor, turns 85

1932 Oscar de la Renta, Fashion designer, turns 81

1934 Louise Fletcher, Actress (“One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”), turns 79

1938 Terence Stamp, Actor, turns 75

1940 Alex Trebek, Game show host (“Jeopardy”), turns 73

1941 George Clinton, Funk singer, turns 72

1943 Kay Bailey Hutchison, Former U.S. senator, R-Texas, turns 70

1943 Bobby Sherman, Actor, singer, turns 70

1946 Danny Glover

1947 Albert Brooks, Actor, director, turns 66

1947 Don Henley, Rock singer (The Eagles), turns 66

Word for the day:

Cognate – /cog` – nate/ – a word of one language is cognate with a word from another language if they both come from the same root word, i.e. Latin.

This term is also used in reference to blood relations: one person is cognate (related) to another person if they both come from the same parents, or grandparents…etc. i.e. two people who share the same ancestor are cognate – or related.

Quote for the day:

Aim at heaven and you will get earth thrown in. Aim at earth and you get neither.

C.S. Lewis.

S. Lewis

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Succulent Grilled Peaches with Honey Chevre

Ingredients:

6 ounces chevre (soft goat cheese)

2 TBL skim milk

1 TBL honey

4 fresh peaches, halved and pitted

8 mint leaves

Directions:

Preheat outdoor grill for medium heat; lightly oil the grate.

Combine chevre cheese, milk, and honey in a small bowl.

Gill the peaches cut sides down until peaches begin to caramelize and show grill marks, 5-7 minutes. Removed and fill each peach half with 1 tablespoon of the cheese mixture. Garnish with a mint leaf and serve warm.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 19/20, 2013

Found New Website

Genealogy Tip for today: I love it when I’m wandering around the internet and find a website I have never seen before. Amber skyline/Treasure Maps is such a site. It offers free genealogy and family tree tips and how-to articles as well as some online tutorials. On the right and left hand side of the page are lists of other links that are designed to provide you all kinds of help. Coat of Arms, Family Tree Maker, Genealogy Forms, Genealogy books, videos, images, How-To get started, How to get organized, help with Old Handwriting (this can be very useful), Tombstone rubbings and a whole lot more. It also has a list of blogs that you can click on and read about.

One of the offerings I like is the help they offer with old handwriting. This is one area you do not find on the web as much as you do other things. Old handwriting can make or break a case for you depending on what the writing is really saying. Sometimes a “v” may look like an “r”, or not know that an “f” can really mean a double “s”. There are practices and spellings that were used in the past that are no longer used today. So these handwriting helps can be a huge benefit to your research.

Another feature this website has that I like is the option for free forms that you can download and print off for yourself. But I will have to advise you – you need to experiment with a few before you go carte blanche with a particular form only to decide later you like another one better. Forms are not all made equal. Layouts can be different; options for information may be different. One form I’ve seen will allow you to footnote every entry you make on the form. This to me is the ideal form, but it is harder to find.

So, stop by, look around and see if this website is a help to you. There is a lot more there, than I have mentioned. There is probably something there waiting just for you.

Today in History

64 – Circus Maximus in Rome catches fire

1553 – 15-year-old Lady Jane Grey deposed as England’s Queen after 9 days

1799 – A group of Napoleon Bonaparte’s soldiers discover what is now known as The Rosetta Stone, enabling the translation of hieroglyphics for the first time.

1860 – 1st railroad reaches Kansas

1880 – San Francisco Public Library starts lending books

1910 – Cleveland Indian baseball player Cy Young registers 500th career victory against Washington 5-4 in 11 innings

1927 – Ty Cobb gets his 4,000th hit

1952 – 15th modern Olympic Games open in Helsinki, Finland

1961 – 1st in-flight movie shown (TWA)

1965 – Shooting begins on Star Trek 2nd pilot “Where No Man Has Gone Before”

1969 – Apollo 11 goes into Moon orbit

1977 – Floods in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, kills 76

1980 – 22nd modern Olympic Games open in Moscow; US & others boycott

1985 – Christa McAuliffe chosen 1st school teacher to fly space shuttle

1990 – Richard Nixon library opens in Yorba Linda, Calif.

1996 – XXVI Olympic Games open in Atlanta Georgia

Birthdays today:

1945 – George Dzunda, Rosenheim Germany, actor (Deer Hunter, Law & Order)

1948 – Beverly Archer, Oak Park Ill, actress (Iola-Mama’s Family)

1957 – Cathy Reynolds, Kansas City MO, LPGA golfer (1981 Golden Lights)

1966 – David Segui, KC KS, infielder (Montreal Expos)

Deaths today

1995 – Dorothy McHugh, actress (I Fallen & I Can’t Get Up), dies at 87

Word for the day:

Sequester – v. se·ques·tered, se·ques·ter·ing, se·ques·ters

To cause to withdraw into seclusion.
To remove or set apart; segregate. See Synonyms at isolate.
Law
To take temporary possession of (property) as security against legal claims.
To requisition and confiscate (enemy property).

Quote for the day:

The key to being a good manager is keeping the people who hate me away from those who are still undecided.

Casey Stengel [Ed. :Might I say he sequesters them???]

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

MARTHA STEWART’S BEST BURGERS

Ingredients:

2 pounds ground chuck
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
Coarse salt and pepper
4 hamburger buns

Options – Suggested accompaniments: cheese slices, sliced beefsteak tomatoes, red and white onions (raw or grilled), ketchup, mustard, pickles, mayonnaise, Boston lettuce leaves

Directions:

Heat grill to high. In a medium bowl, use a fork to gently combine beef, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce; season with salt and pepper. Gently form mixture into four 1-inch-thick patties.
Place patties on hottest part of grill; sear until browned, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Move patties to cooler part of grill; continue grilling until desired doneness, 4 to 8 minutes per side.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 18, 2013

“On the Edge”

Genealogy Tip for today: Do you find yourself checking the margins in a book or journal, or checking down in the ‘valley’ between pages. If you don’t you should. How about the backs of all those framed pictures? I know there’s often a problem with family not putting identifying information on the back of pictures. But you might be surprised to know that sometimes you may find important papers, or even money inside framed pictures. It has been known to happen.

I personally found some helpful information when looking through a New Testament that belonged to my great-grandfather. It was the date of the funeral of his father as well as the scripture passage used at the funeral! So, always keep your eyes open. You never know where you are going to find information.

Today in History

Fire of Rome, 64

Naval hero John Paul Jones dies in Paris, 1792

Hitler publishes Mein Kampf, 1925

Spanish Civil War breaks out, 1936

FDR nominated for unprecedented third term, 1940

Kennedy’s car accident on Chappaquiddick Island, 1969

Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald’s, 1984

Video of Titanic wreckage released, 1986

Birthdays today:

1918 Nelson Mandela South African leader

1635 Robert Hooke physicist, mathematician, and inventor

1811 William Thackeray novelist

1902 Jessamyn West novelist

1906 S. I. Hayakawa scholar, former U.S. Senator

1921 John Glenn astronaut

1929 Dick Button figure skater

1933 Yevgeny Yevtushenko poet

Word for the day:

Refulgence – /re-ful-gence/ – a radiant or resplendent quality or state, brilliance.

Synonyms – brightness, brilliancy, candor, dazzle, effulgence, illumination, lambency, lightness, luminance, luminosity, luminousness, luster (or lustre), lustrousness, radiance, brilliance, splendor.

Quote for the day:

“No more the white refulgent streets,
Never the dry hollows of the mind …
Shall he in fine courtesy walk
Again, for death is not unkind.”

-Allen Tate

July is National Grilling Month

Grilled Turkey Vegetable Burger Recipe

I think today I am going to give you the link to this recipe instead of repeating it here. The website gives you additional information and I think you’ll like this recipe so much you will want to print it out. The website gives you that option.

One reviewer said this: “I was delighted to find this recipe, a healthy version of burgers with little fat, but flavorful ingredients, including carrot, onion and apple. I make these burgers with either ground turkey or chicken.”

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 17, 2013

Genealogy Magazine and News

Genealogy Tip for today: Some of the tips that I have given you come from an online genealogy magazine called “Genealogy In Time Magazine.” I am finding that this website has all kinds of helpful pages. They have the latest news in the genealogy world, articles to help the researcher and an all inclusive Genealogy Search Engine. One feature they have that I like is the obituary search option. I have a distant cousin whom I hadn’t heard from in a long time and suspected that she had passed away. I typed her name in and found her obituary notice. They also have a section of genealogy tips. Click on the title above and visit this website. I think you will find it is a very helpful website.

Speaking of ‘in the news,’ – as of July 15, 2013 the Latter Day Saints website, Family Search has announced they will no long support the Personal Ancestry File (PAF) genealogy program that they have provided for minimal cost to free (download versions). There have been so many other genealogy software programs that have come on the market that they have decided to focus their efforts elsewhere. I will admit I am disappointed that this has happened, but apparently I am in a large company of unhappy users. Maybe we can bring them back?

Today in History

1821 Spain ceded Florida to the United States.

1898 Spain surrendered to the United States at Santiago, Cuba, ending the Spanish-American War.

1917 The British royal family changed its name from the House of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha to Windsor amid anti-German sentiment during World War I.

1938 “Wrong Way Corrigan” took off from New York, purportedly aiming for California and landing in Ireland.

1945 President Harry Truman, Soviet leader Joseph Stalin and British Prime Minister Winston Churchill meet at the opening of the Potsdam Conference.

1955 Disneyland opened in Anaheim, Calif.

1975 The American Apollo and Soviet Soyuz spacecraft linked up for the first time.

1981 A pair of walkways above the lobby of the Kansas City Hyatt Regency Hotel collapsed during a dance, killing 114 people.

1998 The last Russian Czar Nicholas II was buried 80 years after he and his family were executed by the Bolsheviks.

2009 Former CBS anchorman Walter Cronkite died at age 92.

Birthdays today:

1947 Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, turns 66 years old today.

1954 German Chancellor Angela Merkel turns 59 years old today.

1935 Diahann Carroll, Actress, singer, turns 78

1935 Donald Sutherland, Actor, turns 78

1942 Connie Hawkins, Basketball Hall of Famer, turns 71

1951 Lucie Arnaz, Actress, turns 62

1952 David Hasselhoff, Actor (“Baywatch,” “Knight Rider”), turns 61

1956 Bryan Trottier, Hockey Hall of Famer, turns 57

1960 Mark Burnett, TV producer (“Survivor,” “The Apprentice”), turns 53

Word for the day:

Anchorman – 1. A man who narrates or coordinates a newscast in which several correspondents give reports.

Sports: A man who is an anchor in a competition, such as a relay race.
The person who is last – as in class standing, or sports relay team, newsman who hosts a news program and is last to sign off.

Quote for the day:

“And that’s the way it is.” Walter Cronkite’s signing off by-line.

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Hot Dog and Potato Packs

Wash and cut into wedges 1-2 potatoes. Boil till almost done. Place in foil. Add 1-2 hotdogs, top with onions, cheese and any seasoningor sauce you like. Close up, place on grill and cook for 10-15 minutes. Serves one. Create 4-6 packs. Caution opening packs as hot steam will come out.

Option – just about any food can be cooked this way, also experiment with your favorite seasonings and/or sauces. If you start with raw food, the time will need to be longer. Adjust accordingly.

Another option – create the foil in a bowl like shape; lay in food, lightly cover with a sheet of foil – this will create a tent and help the smoke to get into the food and give it a good flavor.

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 16

Disappearing relatives

Genealogy Tip for today: Sometimes family members are hard to find because they move around a lot. Many are missed on the census records for that very reason. During the industrial age people moved to the city from job to job. A good indication that they rented is if you don’t find land records. If they rented, that is a good indication that they probably moved a lot. Folks that lived in the country or owned their own homes were more settled people. Such is the same yet today. If they rented it was often because they would move to where they could find work. They may move within the city or from city to city or state to state.

These kind of people are hard to find. One way to help pin them down is to see if there are existing city directories, or even farm directories. Some of your longer established cities have directories to that go back many, many years, possibly into the late 1800’s. These came out yearly, so these are better even than census records as they don’t have the 10 year gap the census records do in finding where your person lived.

You just may have better success if you can locate your family in directories than you might could with census records or even land records. Another idea would be to check important dates like births, marriages and deaths. These usually give place names or addresses. These, too, can help you find where your family lived if they can’t be found on census records.

Today in History

1999 – America’s “crown prince” dies in plane crash: On July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy, Jr.; his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy; and her sister, Lauren Bessette, die when the single-engine plane that Kennedy was piloting crashes into the Atlantic Ocean near Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Unlike the Kennedy tradition, he did not entire politics even though he had a law degree. Instead he followed his mother in the publishing business and found a magazine, George. It was first introduced in September, 1995 and its final issue was published in 2001.

1769 – First Catholic mission dedicated in California

1790 – Congress declares Washington DC the US capital

1808 – Lewis and Clark help create the Missouri Fur Company

1935 – First parking meter installed

1945 – US successfully tests the atom bomb.

1951 – Catcher in the Rye published

1969 – Apollo launched

1990 – Earthquake in Philippines

Birthdays today:

1887 – “Shoeless” Joe Jackson, black sox player (Say it aint so, Joe)

1907 – Orville Redenbacher, popcorn King (Orville Redenbacher’s Gourmet)

1911 – Ginger Rogers, [Virginia McMath], Independence, MO, dancer (Gay Divorcee)

1947 – O[renthal] J Simpson

Word for the day:

Etymology – 1 – The study of the origin of words and the way in which their meanings have changed throughout history.

2 – The origin of a word and the historical development of its meaning.

The etymology of the word “etymology” is [Middle English etimologie, from Old French ethimologie, from Medieval Latin ethimologia, from Latin etymologia, from Greek etumologi : etumon, true sense of a word; see etymon + -logi, -logy.]

Quote for the day:

Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. George Washington

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

PIZZA ON THE GRILL

Ingredients:

1 pkg active dry yeast

1 C warm water

1 pinch white sugar

2 txp kosher salt

1 TBL olive oil

3 1/3 C all-purpose flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 TBL chopped fresh basil

½ C olive oil

1 tsp minced garlic

¼ C tomato sauce

1 C chopped tomatoes

¼ C sliced black olives

2 C shredded mozzarella

4 TBL chopped fresh basil

Directions:

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in war water, and mix in sugar. Proof (whip) for ten minutes or until frothy. Mix in salt, olive oil, and flour until dough pulls away from the sides of the bowl. Turn onto a lightly floured surface. Knead until smooth, about 8 minutes. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, and cover with a damp cloth. Set aside to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Punch down, and knead in garlic basil. Set aside to rise for 1 more hour, or until doubled again.
Preheat grill for high heat. Heat olive oil with garlic for 30 seconds in the microwave. Set aside. Punch down the dough, and divide in half. Form each half into an oblong shape 3/8 to ½ inch thick.
Brush grill grate with garlic flavored olive oil. Carefully place one piece of dough on hot grill. The dough will begin to puff almost immediately. When the bottom crust has lightly browned, turn the dough over using two spatulas. (*Option – use two spatulas to place dough on a cookie sheet. Use cookie sheet to flip it over, onto the grill to cook second side.) Working quickly, brush oil over crust, and then brush with 2 tablespoons tomato sauce. Arrange ½ cup chopped tomatoes, 1/8 cup sliced black olives, and 1/8 cup roasted red peppers over crust. Sprinkle with 1 cup cheese and 2 tablespoons basil. Close the lid, and cook until the cheese melts. Removed from grill, and set aside to cool for a few minutes while you prepare the second pizza.
Repeat instructions #3 for second pizza.

*(comments added by blogger; not in original recipe.)

ENJOY!

Now You Know!

July 15

“Archives”

Genealogy Tip for today: NARA archives is the website for our National Archives and Records Administration. You may not have been to their website, but you should. They have military records, and bounty land records that are very helpful to the genealogist. They also have all the census records that are available. Speaking of which, remember the 1890 census records burned in a fire, all but about 2 %.

Recently I discovered that they also have a wiki where you can post people you are looking for. Anywhere you can post information about your elusive ancestor the better. You just need to keep track of where you’ve posted. Over time your contact information may change and people may not be able to get hold of you if they have something – if you haven’t kept your contact information current.

The wiki at NARA is easy to post. You do have to join but it is free and simple. Then you can post here any of your ancestors you are working on. I would suggest you use these for your more difficult ancestors, but then again you can post surnames you are researching, as well. Have a look-see. There are many other features as well.

Today in History

American Army captain Zebulon Pike sets off with an expedition of 23 men west from St. Louis, accompanied by 51 captured Native Americans they will return to their villages along the Missouri River. Pike is sent to explore the terrain of the southwest of theLouisiana Purchase, and to spy on the Spanish on the border. On the way he spies a “Grand Peak” in the Rockies that, although he would never actually set foot on it, still bears his name. Pike’s group is captured by the Spanish, and returned in 1807.

Birthdays today:

1991 Emily Roeske (actress)
1973 Brian Austin Green (actor)
1961 Forest Whittacker (actor)
1960 Willie Aames (actor)
1953 David Pack (singer)
1951 Jesse Ventura (professional wrestler, governor for Minnesota)
1946 Linda Ronstadt (singer)
1944 Jan-Michael Vincent (actor)
1940 Tommy Dee (Thomas Donaldson) (singer)
1939 Patrick Wayne (actor)
1935 Ken Kercheval (actor)
1935 Alex Karras (actor, NFL)
1931 Clive Cussler (author)
1927 Nan Clow Martin (actress)

This list comes from famous birthdays.

Word for the day:

Fungible – 1: being of such a nature that one part or quantity may be replaced by another equal part or quantity in the satisfaction of an obligation

2: interchangeable; 3: flexible
Read more at Merriam-Webster.

Quote for the day:

“Oil and coal? Of course, it’s a fungible commodity…” Sarah Palin From goodreads.

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Bobby Flay’s Grilled Corn on the Cob

Ingredients

8 ears corn

Kosher salt

BBQ Butter, recipe follows

Herb Butter, recipe follows

Directions

Heat the grill to medium.

Pull the outer husks down the ear to the base. Strip away the silk from each ear of corn by hand. Fold husks back into place, and place the ears of corn in a large bowl of cold water with 1 tablespoon of salt for 10 minutes.

Remove corn from water and shake off excess. Place the corn on the grill, close the cover and grill for 15 to 20 minutes, turning every 5 minutes, or until kernels are tender when pierced with a paring knife. Remove the husks and eat on the cob or remove the kernels. Serve with the BBQ Butter and/or Herb Butter. Spread over the corn while hot.

BBQ Butter:

2 tablespoons canola oil

1/2 small red onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons Spanish paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder

1 teaspoon toasted cumin seeds

1 tablespoon ancho chili powder

1/2 cup water

1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, slightly softened

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil in a medium saute pan over high heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and cook until soft, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the paprika, cayenne, cumin and ancho powder and cook for 1 minute. Add 1/2 cup of water and cook until the mixture becomes thickened and the water reduces. Let cool slightly.

Place the butter in a food processor, add the spice mixture and Worcestershire sauce and process until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, scrape the mixture into a small bowl, cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Herb Butter:

2 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs (basil, chives or tarragon)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Combine in a food processor and process until smooth.

ENJOY!

Now you know!

July 12/13

Translate!

Genealogy Tip for today:One of the tips that I gave awhile back was to not translate information that you find. Today’s tip is to remember that maybe someone else did, including your ancestor. Dr. George Schweitzer, a history professor from Tennessee and avid genealogist, tells the story of looking for one of his ancestors. He could get to a certain point then lose them-until he realized the ancestor was translating his own name when he moved from place to place. I believe the English name was Carpenter and when in English speaking communities he would go by Carpenter. But when he moved to a German speaking community (Swiss?) he translated it to their language which made it Zimmerman. Then once again he translated it a third time in another village. When Schweitzer realized this he was once again on the trail of his ancestor.

Today in History:

July 12^th:

1862 – The U.S. Congress authorized the Medal of Honor.

1933 – A minimum wage of 40 cents an hour was established in the U.S.

1954 – U.S. President Dwight D. Eisenhower proposed a highway modernization program, with costs to be shared by federal and state governments.

1984 – Democratic presidential candidate Walter F. Mondale named U.S. Rep. Geraldine A. Ferraro of New York to be his running mate. Ferraro was the first woman to run for vice president on a major party ticket.

July 13^th:

1585 – A group of 108 English colonists, led by Sir Richard Grenville, reached Roanoke Island, NC.

1754 – At the beginning of the French and Indian War, George Washington surrendered the small, circular Fort Necessity in southwestern Pennsylvania to the French.

1832 – Henry Schoolcraft discovered the source of the Mississippi River in Minnesota.

1954 – In Geneva, the United States, Great Britain and France reached an accord on Indochina which divided Vietnam into two countries, North and South, along the 17th parallel.

1984 – In Arkansas, Terry Wallis was injured in a car accident and was left comatose. He came out of the coma in June of 2003

Birthdays today:

July 12^th:

1817 – Henry David Thoreau

1895 – Oscar Hammerstein II

1917 – Andrew Wyeth

1919 – Richard Scarry – Children’s author and illustrator

1948 – Richard Simmons – Fitness guru

1956 – Sandi Patti

1971 – Kristi Yamaguchi – Figure skater

13^th:

1944 – Erno Rubik

1942 – Harrison Ford

1940 – Patrick Stewart

1935 – Jack Kemp

1928 – Bob Crane

1886 – Edward J. Flanagan – Founder of Boys Town in Nebraska.

1913 – Dave Garroway

Word for the day:

Guru – (goo-roo) 1: a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide in Hinduism

2 a : a teacher and especially intellectual guide in matters of fundamental concern

b : one who is an acknowledged leader or chief proponent

c : a person with knowledge or expertise

Quote for the day:

I hope in my lifetime we can all continue to laugh at ourselves and not put down anyone for what they weigh.

Richard Simmons; Read more here.

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

GRILLED VEGETABLES

Ingredients

3 red bell peppers, seeded and halved

3 yellow squash (about 1 pound total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles

3 zucchini (about 12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles

3 Japanese eggplant (12 ounces total), sliced lengthwise into 1/2-inch-thick rectangles

12 cremini mushrooms

1 bunch (1-pound) asparagus, trimmed

12 green onions, roots cut off

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves

1 teaspoon chopped fresh basil leaves

1/2 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

Directions

Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or prepare the barbecue (medium-high heat). Brush the vegetables with 1/4 cup of the oil to coat lightly. Sprinkle the vegetables with salt and pepper. Working in batches, grill the vegetables until tender and lightly charred all over, about 8 to 10 minutes for the bell peppers; 7 minutes for the yellow squash, zucchini, eggplant, and mushrooms; 4 minutes for the asparagus and green onions. Arrange the vegetables on a platter. The key to getting those great grill marks is to not shift the vegetables too frequently once they’ve been placed on the hot grill.

Meanwhile, whisk the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil, balsamic vinegar, garlic, parsley, basil, and rosemary in a small bowl to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste. Drizzle the herb mixture over the vegetables. Serve the vegetables, warm or at room temperature.

Recipe courtesy of Giada

July 11, 2013

GOALS

Genealogy Tip for today: When you begin to research your family history you need to decide, at least, for now what your goal is. Are you going to do just your side of the family? Are you doing your spouse’s side also? Are you doing just your mother’s side, or your father’s side? Are you going to try to prove or disprove a family legend? Do you want to trace only those that are on this side of “The Pond”? Do you want to go back as far as you can on every line? What is your goal?

You are not locked into this decision once it is made. So do not let this bind you or make you feel you can’t do more or different. When I first started I wanted to solve a mystery. I still, 30 years later, haven’t solved the mystery, but I have proven that one particular line did not descend from the claimed ancestor my family thought was ours. So in this case a legend was disproved. For the most part my goal has been to go back as far as the person who first came to America. However, and this is where you don’t let your decision keep you tied up. I have found some lines that went back overseas and proceeded
backwards for many generations. One particular line I fell into and I couldn’t see passing it up.

This may be your situation. So set a goal, but at the same time you can always change your mind – or not. It does help you from feeling overwhelmed at first. Work on ‘this much’ first then when you get that accomplished or gone as far as you can, then you can turn to other goals and projects. It is good to start with something in mind as you will not feel quite so lost at sea but will have a direction in which to head.

Today in History

1656 – First Quakers land in Boston with the goal of establishing a home in the New World. Ann Austin and Mary Fisher came via missionary work in Barbados. Their views and teachings were abhorred by the Puritans of Massachusetts. Austin and Fisher were arrested and jailed for 5 years. At that point they were deported back to Barbados. In October Massachusetts ordered their first ban on Quakers; two years later declared the ban under penalty of death. The Quakers later settled in Rhode Island and other surrounding colonies. Eventually the ban in Massachusetts was repealed.

1854, Aaron Burr and Alexander Hamilton submit to resolve a long standing political dispute between the two of them by an “affair of honor.” Legend has it that Hamilton decided not to shoot Burr, but to keep his honor he shot the gun, just not at Burr. Burr on the other hand had no compulsions and shot Hamilton in the stomach. Hamilton died the next day of his wounds. Burr was charged with murder, left the country and many years later returned when all was forgotten.

Birthday today:

1767 – John Quincy Adams, son of John (2d President) and Abigail Adams. He later became the 6^th president of the US. He served as an American Diplomat, Congressman, and Senator. He was a member of several political parties including the Whig party and several forms of the Democrat party. He was influential in ending the War of 1812 with the Treaty of Ghent. He negotiated the Canadian border with the UK, the annexation of Florida with Spain; authored the Monroe Doctrine and served as Secretary of State. Historians believe that he is one of the greatest diplomats of our country.

He was a very intelligent person, well traveled and well educated. He was in several countries accompanying his father on state business, attended college in the Netherlands and received bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Harvard. He was fluent in several languages and familiar with even more. He helped reform the American economy and succeeded in paying off the national debt while President. He served for 17 years in congress after his presidency where he was more successful than as president.

Word for the day:

Diplomat: dip-lo-mat – 1. An official representing a country abroad; 2. A person who can deal with people in a sensitive and effective way. It comes from the French word meaning one who holds a diploma; especially one who is qualified in a specialty by advanced training and experience, followed by passing intensive examination by a national board of specialists.

Quote for the day:

A diplomat is a man who thinks twice before he says nothing. Edward Heath

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Grilled Salmon with Orange and Bourbon Marinade

Ingredients:

1/4 cup bourbon

1/4 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1/4 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup chopped green onions

3 tablespoons chopped fresh chives

2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

2 garlic cloves, chopped

4 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (about 1 inch thick)

Cooking spray

Directions:

Combine first 8 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag, and add salmon to bag. Seal and marinate in refrigerator 1 1/2 hours, turning bag occasionally.

Prepare grill or broiler.

Remove salmon from bag, reserving marinade. Place salmon on a grill rack or broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Cook 6 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, basting frequently with reserved marinade.

Cooking Light
JUNE 1999

July 10, 2013

ADDRESS CHANGE

Genealogy Tip for today: Address changes can through us off. My grandparent’s house when they were living was 1158 So. Main St. Years before that it was Lake Rd. I was back in that state in the 90’s and discovered that once again the street address had changed to 3290 Rt. 14.

We had our own experience with that. When we first moved to Kansas we had a Route and Box number. Later the county gave us an actual house number and street address. Yet in both cases no one actually moved. Well, my grandparents had, but only because they had passed away.

When you are doing genealogy research you may find different addresses for people and it looks like they moved X number of times. In fact they may not have moved at all. Probably the best way to determine a move is to look for maps of the time period you are researching and compare them. Local libraries and courthouses may have the information you need. Even if your ancestors didn’t move, it could be the address has changed since they lived there – as in the case of my grandparents.

If you want to find where that piece of land or property today, you have to know what the present day address is. But you also need to be able to match up the old address with the current one in order to be sure to have the right one.

Today in History

Millard Fillmore was sworn-in as president of US (replacing Taylor) – 1850. Zachary Taylor had died on July 9, 1850 of a stomach ailment, just 16 months into his term. Fillmore supported the Compromise of 1850 which Taylor had started. This along with other events created even more tension between the North and the South over the issue of slavery, resulted in the civil war in next decade.

While Fillmore was president the country had no vice president. Daniel Webster was his Secretary of State for a time and a John Kennedy was secretary of the Navy. Here’s more information on President Fillmore.

Birthdays today:

John Calvin, 1509-1564, France. He led the Protestant Reformation and help found Calvinism. He studied law at the University ofOrleans and later studied the New Testament at the University of Bourges. He was a leading figure much like Martin Luther in the establishment of Protestantism.

Word for the day:

Reformation: 1. the act of reforming; the state of being reformed, i.e. being changed for the better. 2. Capitalized: protestant;specifically: of or relating to the chiefly Calvinist Protestant churches formed in various continental European countries.

Quote for the day:

All the blessings we enjoy are Divine deposits, committed to our trust on this condition, that they should be dispensed for the benefit of our neighbors.

John Calvin

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Bit Al’s KC Bar-B-Q Sauce

Ingredients:

2 cups ketchup

2 cups tomato sauce

1 ¼ cups red wine vinegar

½ cup unsulfured molasses

4 teaspoons hickory-flavored liquid smoke

2 tablespoons butter

½ teaspoon garlic powder

½ teaspoon onion powder

¼ teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

½ teaspoon celery seed

¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

½ teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Directions:

In a large saucepan over medium heat, mix together the ketchup, tomato sauce, brown sugar, wine vinegar, molasses, liquid smoke and butter. Season with garlic powder, onion powder, chili powder, paprika, celery seed, cinnamon, cayenne, salt and pepper.
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for up to 20 minutes. For thicker sauce, simmer longer, and for thinner, less time is needed. Sauce can also be thinned using a bit of water if necessary. Brush sauce onto any kind of meat during the last 10 minutes of cooking.

Enjoy

Now You Know!

July 9, 2013

NEIGHBORS

Genealogy Tip for today: Neighbors!!! The further back you go in history the more important the neighbors were. We were not as mobile of a society years ago, like we are today. Consequently families stuck close together, literally. If families (multi-generational) didn’t live in the same house they were often next door neighbors to each other.

When doing your research keep this in mind. You can see this in land records, deeds, plot maps, and census records and maybe more. Be sure and take your time to read the names, reading them out loud even, as that will help your brain to latch onto the information easier. If you have a sibling named Harriet but don’t know who she married, check the neighbors. Of if you are wondering what happened to grandma, check the neighbors. She may have her home next door, or living with another adult child. Censuses are really good to help determine that.

When people did move, they often moved in clusters. If you are having trouble finding where someone came from – check the neighbors and see if you can find their former home. Sometimes you can find your ancestor by tracing his neighbor – even if not related! So – remember the neighbors!!

Today in History

British Parliament declared on this date in 1900 that as of January 1, 1901 all six of the Australian colonies would be united under one name, Australia. The first inhabitants of Australia were the Aborigines, who migrated there at least 40,000 years ago fromSoutheast Asia. There may have been between a half million to a full million Aborigines at the time of European settlement; today about 350,000 live in Australia.

If you would like to read more about this event please go to Infoplease.com

Birthdays today:

Mathilde Krim, 87 – geneticist, and philanthropist was born in Como, Italy on this day in 1926. She received her PhD in Switzerland, pursued more research in Israel including developing a way to determine the sex of an unborn child. In 1958 she married Arthur Krim, then in 1962 Pres. Kennedy’s famous birthday dinner took place in their home. Further interesting information on her can be found at Wikipedia as well as other places.

Word for the day:

Neighbor – comes from the Old English word neahgebur which is akin to the German word nachbar. Neah = nigh, gebur = freeholder, peasant. 1. A person who lives near another, 2. A person, country, or thing situated near another; 3. A fellow human being, i.e. ‘love thy neighbor.’ 4. Any person: used as a term of direct address.

Quote for the day:

I want you to be concerned about your next door neighbor. Do you know your next door neighbor? Mother Teresa Read more at brainyquote.com

July is National Grilling Month
Today’s Recipe

BBQ Ribs

Ingredients

2 slabs pork spare ribs, 3 pounds each
Kansas City Barbeque Sauce, recipe follows

Dry Rub:

2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup dry mustard
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Remove the thin white membrane off of the bone-side of the ribs. Mix together the brown sugar, dry mustard, cayenne, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Massage the rub into the ribs and let sit for 1 hour or up to overnight.

If cooking on the grill, place the ribs meat-side down next to medium-hot coals that are about 225 degrees F. The indirect heat will cook them slower, making them tender. Allow to cook for 1 hour. Turn ribs every half hour and baste with the Kansas City Barbeque Sauce. Cook until the ribs are tender, about 3 to 4 hours.

If cooking indoors, place in a roasting pan with a rack. Slather the ribs with the Kansas City Barbeque Sauce and tent a piece of aluminum foil over them. In a preheated 350 degrees F. oven, place the ribs, basting with the sauce every 30 minutes and removing the foil for the last 30 minutes and cooking until fork tender, about 2 1/2 to 3 hours.

Kansas City Barbeque Sauce:

2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 (about 2/3 cup)small onion, finely diced
3 cups water
1 cup (2 (6-ounce) cans) tomato paste
1/2 cup brown sugar
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

In a small sauce pot on medium-high heat, heat the oil and add the onion, cooking until translucent.

Add the remaining ingredients in a large bowl and mix together. Add to sauce pan and let simmer for 30 to 45 minutes. Use to baste the pork spare ribs.

Yield: 3 cups

Enjoy!

Since ‘neighbors’ have been our theme today, a certain little jingle has been an ‘earworm’. We don’t endorse products, but you can probably finish this one: “Like a good neighbor…”

Now You Know!

July 8, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today: “Who Do You Think You Are?” is a book and a TV show on NBC. I saw announced Sunday that a new season of WDYTYA will start on July 23, 2013, at 8 pm (Central). Although they concentrate on celebrities to make the show more appealing to the general audience, they do offer good information. If you can watch this you will pick up all kinds of tips to help you and maybe even suggest something of which you haven’t thought, before. So remember: Tuesday Nights, 8 pm, NBC. “Be There!”

Today in History

Without druggist Edward Berner of Two Rivers, Wisconsin it wouldn’t even exist. It seems that on this day, back in 1881, a patron came into Edward Berner’s drug store and sat down at the soda-fountain counter. Since it was the Sabbath, the customer couldn’t have the desirable, but scandalous, flavored, soda water. Mr. Berner compromised and put ice cream in a dish and poured the syrup on top (chocolate syrup was only used for making flavored and ice-cream sodas, at the time). Voila! An ice cream Sunday (the spelling was later changed to ‘sundae’). The customer was happy; Mr. Berner was happy … he just invented a dessert that he could serve on Sundays and remain morally correct; and we are happy ’cause we like ice-cream sundaes no matter what day of the week it is. [Or might I add, how it’s spelled. Ed.]

Taken from here.

Birthday today:

John D. Rockefeller
1839–1937, American industrialist and philanthropist, b. Richford, N.Y..

He moved (1853) with his family to a farm near Cleveland and at age 16 went to work as a bookkeeper. Frugal and industrious, Rockefeller became (1859) a partner in a produce business, and four years later, with his partners, he established an oil refinery, entering into an industry already thriving in Cleveland.

In 1870 he and his associates—including S. V. Harkness, H. M. Flagler, and his brother William—organized the Standard Oil Company of Ohio, capitalized at $1 million. By enforcing strict economy and efficiency, through mergers and agreements with competitors, by ruthlessly crushing weaker competitors, and by accumulating large capital reserves, Rockefeller soon dominated the American oil-refining industry. Rebate agreements, which he forced from the railroads, and the control of pipeline distribution of refined oil strengthened the near monopoly of the Standard Oil Company.

To read more of this, article check out this website. :

Word for the day:

Bellygod – pronounced just as it looks – belly god!

Definition – noun: One who takes great pleasure in eating; a glutton.

We found this here. It gives illustration of how the word has been used.

Quote for the day:
Here’s a thought in reflection of our Independence Day and freedom: Emancipate yourselves from mental slavery. None but ourselves can free our minds.” –Bob Marley

July is National Grilling Month

Do you have a favorite grilling recipe?

If you do, send it to us here.

Today’s Recipe

Basic Grilled Chicken

1 cup white vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon pepper
1 broiler/fryer chicken (3 to 3-1/2 pounds), cut up

Directions:

In a small bowl, whisk the vinegar, sugar and salt. Whisk in the water, oil, poultry seasoning and pepper. Reserve 1/2 cup for basting; cover and refrigerate. Pour remaining marinade into a large resealable plastic bag; add the chicken. Seal bag and turn to coat. Refrigerate for 2-4 hours.
Drain chicken and discard marinade. Grill, covered, over medium heat for 35-45 minutes or until juices run clear, turning and basting occasionally with reserved marinade. Yield: 4 servings.

I think this recipe would also be good broiled in your oven if you are unable to grill outside.

Enjoy!

Now You Know!

July 5, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Our genealogy tip for today isn’t even about genealogy. But it certainly impacts genealogy and that is technology. Computers have been a huge ‘boon’ for anything informational and genealogy is no exception. If you’re like me, you didn’t start working on your family history until later in years. When you were young, you had no interest in the past and all those dead people, only in the now and living. Well the “now and living” of then has probably become the past and the dead! So you can’t sit down beside Grandma and ask about her grandparents, aunts and uncles. That is why technology has been such a huge help. It makes those documents and records more accessible than they used to be, even in the past.

But, you say, you don’t know how to use a computer. That is where our tip for today comes in. Find somewhere you can take a computer class. You could sign up for one at a local community college. There are also classes offered on line and as software you can buy that will walk you through the process. Sometimes Senior Centers offer adult classes, some of them are even offered free. Don’t be afraid to do it. You won’t break the computer. Once you take a class on computers you will feel more comfortable using it for you genealogy. At that point you will see how much faster and more organized it is for your research.

Today in History

On July 3, 1863, the three-day Civil War Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania ended in a major victory for the North as Confederate troops failed to breach Union positions during an assault known as Pickett’s Charge.

In 1608, the city of Quebec was founded by Samuel de Champlain.

In 1775, Gen. George Washington took command of the Continental Army at Cambridge, Mass.

In 1890, Idaho became the 43rd state of the Union.

In 1898, the U.S. Navy defeated a Spanish fleet outside Santiago Bay in Cuba during the Spanish-American War.

In 1913, during a 50th anniversary reunion at Gettysburg, Pa., Civil War veterans re-enacted Pickett’s Charge, which ended with embraces and handshakes between the former enemies.

In 1938, President Franklin D. Roosevelt marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Gettysburg by dedicating the Eternal Light Peace Memorial.

In 1944, during World War II, Soviet forces recaptured Minsk.

In 1950, the first carrier strikes of the Korean War took place as the USS Valley Forge and the HMS Triumph sent fighter planes against North Korean targets.

In 1962, French President Charles de Gaulle signed an agreement recognizing Algeria as an independent state after 132 years of French rule.

In 1971, singer Jim Morrison of The Doors died in Paris at age 27.

In 1988, the USS Vincennes shot down an Iran Air jetliner over the Persian Gulf, killing all 290 people aboard.

In 1993, Hall of Fame pitcher Don Drysdale died in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, at age 56. Comedian “Curly Joe” DeRita, the sixth member of the Three Stooges, died in Woodland Hills, Calif., at age 83.

Birthdays today:

Nathaniel Hawthorne, author (1804)

Giuseppe Garibaldi, Italian patriot (1807)

Stephen Foster, composer (1826)

Rube Goldberg, cartoonist and sculptor (1883)

Louis B. Mayer, movie executive (1885)

Meyer Lansky, mobster (1902)

Ann Landers, advice columnist (1918)

Abigail Van Buren, advice columnist (1918)

Eva Marie Saint, actress (1924)

Neil Simon, playwright, producer (1927)

Gina Lollobrigida, model, actress (1927)

George Steinbrenner, owner of NY Yankees (1930)

Word for the day:

Vouchsafe – 1. to grant or furnish often in a gracious or condescending manner; to give by way of reply. 2. to grant as a privilege or special favor.

Quote for the day:

Living alone makes it harder to find someone to blame. Mason Cooley

Watch next week for more recipes after the holidays.

Now you know!

July 3, 2013

Since tomorrow is Independence Day there will be no blog entry on the 4th. In honor of the day, we offer the following.

America – My Crayon Box

My box of crayons tells me so much

Some are my favorites, some I don’t touch.

Some here are broken, others are dull

Some are named strangely, but that is not all

Some are really sharp, some nearly gone,

Some are quite pretty, some rather wan.

Yet no two’s alike, not even in hue.

And, when one is missing, it gives you a clue:

The set’s incomplete. Yet, in this box,

They all lean together like sheaves set in shocks.

So, just like my country, there’s red, white and blue,

But my box has more colors. Of this it is true.

And though we’re all different, together we stand,

In this box of crayons, called America’s land

We all need each other. This creed I repeat:

“It takes the whole box to make it complete.”

-swg

The Ozark Mountaineer

July/August 2012

The City of Rogers will be celebrating Wednesday evening

At Veterans Park beginning at 6:30.

Fireworks will start at 9:00 pm.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Did any of your ancestors fight in the American Revolution? More than likely at least one of your lines is apt to go back far enough to include a Revolutionary soldier. If none of yours did and you have children, maybe they have someone in their line from the ‘other side’ of the family. We are proud of our soldiers, all of them, who have fought to gain our freedom, keep our freedom and protect our freedom.

This pride is especially reflected in two organizations that honor the Revolutionary Soldier: The DAR and the SAR. The DAR is the Daughters of the American Revolution and the SAR, as you can imagine, is the Sons of the American Revolution. These wonderful organizations are made up of members who descend from the men and women who fought and served to gain our independence. These organizations have a variety of service projects that help care for our veterans, foster patriotism, serve our community, preserve our history and so much more. If you are interested check and see if you have ancestors that would make you qualified then check into these organizations on the Internet for more information.

Today in History

1775 – Washington takes command of the Continental Army.

1863 – Pickett leads his famous charge at Gettysburg, the battle at Gettysburg ends.

1918 – Muhammed V, Sultan of Turkey dies (WWI)

1940 – Operation Catapult is launched (WWII)

1968 – U.S. commands announce new high casualties (Viet Nam)

Birthdays today:

1930 – Pete Fountain

1956 – Montel Williams

1962 – Tom Cruise

1962 – Hunter Tylo

1971 – Julian Assange

1975 – Jennifer Salinas

Word for the day:

Raptor – A bird of prey, e.g., an eagle, hawk, falcon, or owl

Raptors are birds that catch and eat live food. They watch for movement in the grass. They eat snakes, rats, field mice and many other small animals. They use their claws – or talons – to catch their food. Their beaks are like your knife and spoon. That’s how they eat their food.

The Children’s Library had a program today with Raptors of various kinds as well as other animals. Interesting facts and information was shared with the full room of children and adults.

Quote for the day:

“Give me liberty or give me death.” – Patrick Henry

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

The All-American Hot Dog

This is one of the easiest yet one of the most popular American food. You can cook any number of ways. To grill, lit the charcoal and when they have turned white, lay your dogs on the grill for a few minutes – not too long. Rotate once or twice. They cook quickly, so watch they don’t burn unless you like the burnt skin of a dog.

Toppings are where the variety begins. Here are just a few: Ketchup, mustard, relish, chopped (or not) onions, chili, sauerkraut, dill pickle spears, lettuce, grated cheese, etc. are the more traditional toppings. People are experimenting with many others as well. You can bacon wrap your dog, top with black beans, tomatoes and cottage cheese, green onions, jalapenos, even Mac-and-cheese has been suggested. There are many ethnic foods you could add to your dog as well – Mexican, Asian, and Italian… to name a few.

Bon Appetite!

Now You Know

July 2, 2013

A Poem for today ~

The Kitten’s Mitten

See the little kitten
Playing with a mitten
Looking rather smitten
With his tail a flitten’
In the rocker sittin’
In the cozy kitchen
While his supper’s fixin’
Smelling like a chicken
Must be finger lickin’,
Good ole’ ribs-a-stickin’
Guess he’ll need that mitten
-swg

Genealogy Tip for today: If you are like me you have probably checked many websites. And maybe found nothing! When you are working on a brick wall this can be a real stymie to what you are trying to do. BUT, have you ever thought that maybe more has been added to some of those sites you have already visited? I hadn’t. But it is a distinct possibility. So if it has been some months since you visited some websites, go back again and see if there is anything new. Keep track of websites you visit, too, with dates. Then you’ll know exactly what ones you’ve been to. If you come across a “new” one – you can check it against your list of visited sites. You’ll know in a wink if you have been there before or not or how long ago it has been. Records are continually being added to the Internet. One of those sites you may have checked off, may now have just what you are looking for.

Today in History

On July 2, 1963, President John F. Kennedy met Pope Paul VI at the Vatican, the first meeting between a Catholic U.S. chief executive and the head of the Roman Catholic Church.

On this date:

In 1776, the Continental Congress passed a resolution saying that “these United Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States.”

In 1812, Connecticut Gov. Roger Griswold declared his state’s militia would not serve in the war against Britain, reflecting New Englanders’ opposition to the conflict.

In 1881, President James A. Garfield was shot by Charles J. Guiteau at the Washington railroad station; Garfield died the following September. (Guiteau was hanged in June 1882.)

In 1926, the United States Army Air Corps was created.

In 1937, aviator Amelia Earhart and navigator Fred Noonan disappeared over the Pacific Ocean while attempting to make the first round-the-world flight along the equator.

In 1943, Bing Crosby and the Ken Darby Singers recorded “Sunday, Monday or Always” for Decca Records.

In 1961, author Ernest Hemingway shot himself to death at his home in Ketchum, Idaho.

In 1964, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed into law a sweeping civil rights bill passed by Congress.

In 1973, actress Betty Grable, 56, died in Santa Monica, Calif.

In 1982, Larry Walters of San Pedro, Calif., used a lawn chair equipped with 45 helium-filled weather balloons to rise to an altitude of 16,000 feet; he landed eight miles away in Long Beach.

In 1997, actor James Stewart died in Beverly Hills, Calif., at age 89.

In 2002, American adventurer Steve Fossett became the first person to fly a balloon solo around the world as he returned to western Australia.

Our thanks go to ABC for today’s information.

Birthdays today from here:

Thomas Cranmer archbishop of Canterbury (1489)
Hermann Hesse novelist and poet (1877)
Tyrone Guthrie stage director, playwright (1900)
Hans Bethe physicist (1906)
Patrice Emergy Lumumba prime minister (1925)
Medgar Evers civil rights leader (1925)
Richard Petty auto racing driver (1937)
Vicente Fox president of Mexico (1942)
Ron Silver actor (1946 )
Jose Canseco baseball player (1964)

Word for the day:

Grilled: 1. To broil on a gridiron.

To torture or afflict as if by broiling.
Informal To question relentlessly; cross-examine.
To mark or emboss with a gridiron.

Quote for the day:

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Grilled Chicken: An All-American Favorite

Ingredients:

Chicken parts – enough to feed your crowd. (Hint – if you buy the whole chicken and cut it up yourself, it will be cheaper.)

Seasonings:

Chicken seasoning
Garlic (salt?)
Onion (minced?)
Salt, to taste
Pepper, to taste
Red pepper (optional)
Cumin
Paprika
Worcestershire Sauce

Directions:

Light your charcoal. Let it flare up, then eventually it will settle down to an even smolder. Before you cook your meat make sure the coals are white and evenly spread around. You want an even distribution of heat.

Season you chicken front and back, then place, skin down on the grill. Make sure there is coal under all the chicken. Put the bigger pieces in the middle and other pieces around them. When it is about half done, turn chicken over – skin up – and finish cooking. Sprinkle additional Worcestershire Sauce as needed or desired. You could also add your favorite BBQ sauce at this point if you wish. Watch that the coals don’t burn out.

Takes about 20 minutes total time to cook – 10 on each side.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy

July 1, 2013

As you work on your genealogy/family history the day will come when you will find the ancestor that came from overseas. A few people are fortunate to be able to travel to these countries, but not all of us. There is, however, a way to ‘see’ what their homeland or hometown looks like today. Actually there is more than one way, but here are a couple of ideas. One is Google Images and the other is Google Earth. You can type in the name of the location you are looking for and it will pull up a picture for you to see. (Psst – Google Maps will also give you live pictures…) The picture here that I have included is ofDirmingen, Germany to where my father’s patriarchal line goes.

This little village is snuggled away in central Germany, tucked into the beautiful mountains of the area. Now I can actually visualize in my mind what the town really looks like, not what I have conjured up in my head.

There are a lot of tools and resources that we do not think of, as typical genealogical tools. But think outside the box and you will expand your research greatly.

Today in History

70 – Titus starts assaulting Jerusalem

1200 – Sunglasses invented in China

1517 – 1^st Protestants burned at the stake, in the Nertherlands

1776 – First vote on the Declaration of Independence

1798 – Napoleon reaches Egypt

1863 – Battle at Gettysburg begins

1899 – Gideon Society established

1916 – Coca cola introduces the current coke formula to the market place.

1929 – Popeye created

1956 – Elvis Presley, in a tuxedo, appears on the Steve Allen Show

1993 – One second is added to the clock

Birthdays today:

1906 – Estee’ Lauder (d. 2004)

1916 – Olivia de Havilland

1934 – Jamie Farr

1942 – Karen Black

1952 – Dan Aykroyd

1961 – Princess Diana (d. 1997)

1977 – James Perry Guinn

1977 – Liv Tyler

Word for the day:

Patriarch – 1. The father or ruler of a family or tribe; 2. A person regarded as the founder or father of a colony, religion, business, etc.; 3. A man of great age and dignity; 4. The oldest individual of a class or group; 5. A bishop in the early Christian Church, esp. a bishop of Rome, Constantinople et. al.

Quote for the day:

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning.
Albert Einstein

July is National Grilling Month

Today’s Recipe

Ingredients:

2 lbs deveined shrimp

Marinade

1/2 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons parsley
1 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon paprika
2 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3/4 teaspoon white pepper
3/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon oregano

Directions:

Mix together. Marinade for up to 24 hours. Skewer and grill, 3 minutes per side, or until tender. Serve warm or refrigerate to serve later.

Credit goes to Food.com

Enjoy

June 29, 2013

Genealogy Humor for today:

Bumper Stickers/taglines:

This car brakes for every cemetery.

I dig graves.

We’re always branching out.

Genealogy – life in the past lane.

You found WHO in your family tree?

Genealogy: chasing your own tale.

Genealogy is all relative

Genealogists collect skeletons in closets

Goldilocks had three bears. Genealogists have forebears.

Genealogist, out on a limb

A family tree is the only tree where you will find at least one nut and one lemon on the same tree.

The genealogy bug is contagious, incurable yet not fatal. However it is a ‘grave’ disease!

Only Genealogists regard a step backwards as progress.

Genealogy: it’s not the size of the tree that matters but the quality of the nuts.

David’s Genealogy Taglines looks like the granddaddy list of them all. Take a look.

Today in History

1972 – Death penalty banned

1956 – Interstate Highway system born, per bill signed by President Eisenhower, providing a $33.5 billion project

1938 – Olympic National Park established, Washington State

Birthdays today:

Gary Busey, 69, actor

Fred Grandy, 65, congressman

Joe Johnson, 32, basketball player

Word for the day:

Contagious – 1 spread by direct or indirect contact; communicable: said of diseases; 2 carrying, or liable to transmit, the causative agent of a contagious disease; 3 for the care of contagious patients; 4 spreading or tending to spread from person to person, e.g. contagious laughter; (to catch from another person.)

Quote for the day:

If I want to be free from any other man’s dictation, I must understand that I can have no other man under my control. William Graham Sumner, 1919

Today’s Recipe

Instead of posting just one recipe on here for our last day of dairy related food for “Dairy Month” I am putting here a link for you where several are listed. The Western Dairy Association has a page with “30 days of dairy” ideas and recipes. They have ideas for all three meals and a snack break as well. Take a gander over there and see what they offer up.

June 27, 2013

GENEALOGY TIP FOR TODAY: GETTING STARTED AND BREAKING THROUGH THOSE BRICK WALLS

From the New York Public Library website
This is such an awesome site with a lot of good advice that I am just going to give you the link so you can check out the whole page. The New York Public Library Explore page is a good site for beginners as well as those who have hit their head on that inevitable brick wall. You will have to click on your back button to come back to our page. Some of their points I have mentioned before. Enjoy!

Today:

o American Library Association Annual Conference begins today in Chicago.

o Watermelon seed spitting championship contest; Luling Texas, 60^th annual!

o Decide to be married day!

o National Handshake Day – The handshake is an important part of corporate American and can make or break a business deal, interview or other encounter.

Today in History:

Dark Shadows TV soap opera premiered on this date in 1966.

Anniversary of the song “Happy Birthday to You” – 1859; it is now song somewhere in the world every minute.

Who was the first presidential candidate to be assassinated? Joseph Smith, Jr. founder of the LDS church, and candidate of the National Reform Party was. His brother, Hyrum was killed along with him in Carthage, IL

Birthdays today:

Anniversaries:

Bob Keeshan, 1927-2004 – the original Clarabell the clown on the Howdy Doody show, later becoming Captain Kangaroo with his show running from 1955 – 1993.

Helen Keller, 1880-1968

Charles Stewart Parnell, Irish nationalist leader, 1846-1891

Antoinette Perry, 1888-1927, esteemed actress, producer and director

Death anniversary – James Smithson, 1765-1829, founder of Smithsonian Institution

Living: non-actors/actresses

Kelly Ayotte, 45, U.S. Senator

Svetlana Kuznetsova, 28, tennis player

Ross Perot, 83, philanthropist

Chuck Connors Person, 49, basketball player

Word for the day:

Philanthropist – a person, usually wealthy, who gives large scale donations to charity with a desire to help mankind, (Humanitarian – direct concern for the welfare of humanity; Charitable – giving of money or other help for those in need; Altruistic – putting welfare of others ahead of one’s own interests, combating selfishness.)

Quote for the day:

“Eagles don’t flock, you have to find them one at a time.” H. Ross Perot, businessman.

Today’s Recipe

Tillamook, OR has wonderful cheese. It is ideal country for dairy farms and it produces wonderful cheese. It is beginning to show up here in the Midwest. Here is an interesting recipe from their website.

Ingredients

1½ cups (7.3 oz) cornmeal
2¼ cups (10.1 oz) self-rising flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
Cayenne pepper to taste
3 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons (1 oz) canola oil
2½ cups (21 oz) buttermilk
3½ slices (3.5 oz) Tillamook Medium Cheddar Cheese, diced
7 pieces cooked bacon, diced
¼ cup chives, diced
1 tablespoon black pepper
1½ tablespoons sugar

Preparation

Whisk together cornmeal, self-rising flour, baking powder, salt, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. In a separate bowl, combine and whisk together eggs, oil, and buttermilk. Slowly pour the dry mixture into the wet mixture. Once combined, slowly stir in the rest of the ingredients (diced cheese, cooked diced bacon, diced chives, black pepper, and sugar).

Use a small/medium size scoop to spoon batter and drop at close range in a deep fryer. If you don’t have a deep fryer, a deep cast iron kettle full of soy or canola oil at 350°F will also work. Cook for 7-8 minutes until dark brown (you’ll know if they are undercooked as the middle will not be hot). Serve hot right out of the fryer with your favorite vinegar, buffalo or hot sauce.

June 26, 2013

ANNOUNCEMENTS

COMPUTER CLASSES:

Email computer class, in Spanish – Today, 26^th, at 2 pm. This class is offered for Spanish speakers who want to learn how to use email.

Help, how do I turn this thing on? Tomorrow, June 27 at 2 pm., this class is for those who know nothing about a computer. If this is you, come take this class then next quarter you will be prepared for the other classes we offer.

CAMP GEEK – Saturday, June 29^th, starting at 9 am we will have Teen Techies here to Tutor you with your Tech questions andTraining! J It is open house, but if you want the lunch (fresh deli sandwiches, etc…) you must register for the event.

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up? Hope you are keeping up. If you haven’t started you can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of books you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Best of Rogers Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

TODAY’S TIDBITS

Genealogy Tip for today:

Recently we were talking about DNA and what it can do to help you in researching your family tree. Recently, on Katie Couric’s show “Katie,” she had a young man, Chris Burton, on her show that had done a DNA test with amazing results. In those results was a list of other people that were highly probable connections. The very first one was said to be a 1^st cousin or closer. Before I go any further, I should say that Chris was adopted by his parents which make this story even more fascinating. To make the long story short, he did find some very close relatives. I am not going to be a spoiler, but I am going to be a teaser. You’ll have to go here and see this for yourself! It is so awesome!

Today in History

Federal Credit Union act, 1934, signed by Pres. Franklin D. Roosevelt

Guiding Light premiered on TV, 1952

Saint Lawrence Seaway, dedicated, 1959. It had been open for traffic since April of that year. It was a joint project with Canada and the U.S. Queen Elizabeth and Pres. Eisenhower jointly held the ceremonies.

Bar Code introduced, 1974 – a Wrigley’s gum package was swiped across the first checkout scanner in troy, OH

CN Tower opened 1976, worlds tallest building in the world located in Toronto, Ontario, until 2010 when Burj Khalifa, in Dubai was opened.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone published, 1997 with only 500 copies

Human Genome mapping, 2000, announced

Birthdays today:

Anniversaries

Pearl Buck, 1892-1973, author

Abner Doubleday, 1819-1893, once credited for inventing baseball

Arthur Middleton, 1742-1787, signer of the Declaration of Independence

One adult for each decade of age:

Charlotte Zolotow, 98, author

Claudio Abbado, 80, conductor

Neil Abercrombie, 75, Governor, Hawaii

Brenda Holloway, 67, actress

Greg LeMond, 52, cyclist

Paul Thomas Anderson, 43, director, screenwriter

Derek Jeter, 39, baseball player

Aubrey Plaza, 29, actress

Ariana Grande, 19, actress

Word for the day:

Protégé – a person who is protected and aided by the patronage of another person.

Comes from the French word meaning to protect.

Quote for the day:

“If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door.” Milton Berle

JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH

Today’s Recipe

Ultimate TurtleDesert

Ingredients:

2 C finely crushed chocolate-chocolate chip cookies

¼ C butter

1 1/3 C chopped pecans

2 C caramel ice cream topping

1 ½ C hot fudge ice cream topping

1 ½ quarts vanilla ice cream, slightly softened

Whipped cream

Directions:

Combine crushed cookies and butter in bowl. Press into bottom of ungreased 13×9 inch cake pan. Freeze 10 minutes.

Sprinkle ½ c pecans over crust. Microwave ¾ C caramel topping in bowl 20-30 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over pecans. Microwave ½ C fudge topping in bowl 20-30 seconds or until warm. Drizzle over caramel. Cover completely with half of ice cream; freeze 30 minutes.

Repeat with second layer. Freeze 2 hours or overnight until set.

Place each serving on dessert plate. Microwave both remaining toppings till warm. Drizzle each serving with the ice cream toppings. Top each serving with a dollop of whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining pecans.

Nutrition information (1 serving)

Calories: 340

Cholesterol: 25 mg

Carbohydrates: 49g

Protein: 4g

Fat: 15g

Sodium: 260 mg

Dietary Fiber: 2g

Thanks to Land O’Lakes for the recipe idea.

June 25, 2013

COMPUTER CLASSES:

Email computer class – Tuesday, June 25^th. If you are already familiar with a computer but don’t have an email or know how to create one, come take this class at 2 pm.

Email computer class, in Spanish – Wednesday, 26^th, at 2 pm. This class is offered for Spanish speakers who want to learn how to use email.

Help, how do I turn this thing on? Next Thursday, June 27 at 2 pm. This class is for those who know nothing about a computer. If this is you, come take this class then next quarter you will be prepared for the other classes we offer.

ANOUNCEMENTS – Adult Summer Event

Tuesday evening 6:30, Maxine Gordon, widow of Dexter Gordon will be here as part of Conversation With Music Masters, celebrating black music month. Dexter was a jazz player on a tenor sax. This will be held in the RPL Community room

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of books you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Best of Rogers Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Google books – Tuesday we were talking about using ILL at your local library to receive books from other libraries that will assist you in your research. Today I want to talk about accessing books a different way – through Google. You may not think of this search engine site as a place to look for genealogy books. But you might be surprised. Google began a project of scanning, through the help of Universities, books that are passed copyright years. They are now in the public domain. When it comes to researching your family tree, sometimes these are just the ones you need. So before you go to ILL for an older book, try Google books first and see if you can get it right there on your computer screen.

Today in History

1675 – In colonial New England, King Philip’s War begins when a band of Wampanoag warriors raid the border settlement of Swansee,Massachusetts, and massacre the English colonists there.

1975 An Eastern Airlines jet crashes near JohnF.KennedyInternationalAirport in New York City, killing 115 people. The Boeing 727 was brought down by wind shear, a sudden change in wind speed or direction.

Korean War began, 1950. Five days later the US enter the conflict. An armistice was signed 3 years later at Panmunjom formally dividing the country in two.

After lying dormant for 400 years, the Soufriere Hills volcano in Montserrat erupted, in 1997, wiping out its capital city and two-thirds of the island. It displaced two thirds of the population, sending them to other islands or to Great Britain.

Birthdays today:

Anniversaries:

George Orwell, 1903-1950, Actor

Henry H. “Hap” Arnold, 1886-1950, Air Force General, WWII

Sidney Lumet, 1924-2011, film director

Rose O’Neill, 1874-1944, inventor of the Kewpie doll; (Died in Springfield, MO)

Anthony Bourdain, 57, TV personality

June Lockhart, 88, actress

Jimmie Walker, 65, actor

Billy Wagner, 42, baseball player

Word for the day:

Immanent – 1 living, remaining or operating within; inherent; pervasive, ubiquitous, omni-present; 2 Theology the theory that God pervades the universe

The Hasidim (Jewish mystics from Poland) emphasize joyful worship of an immanent God.

Quote for the day:

You can’t wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. Jack London

JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH

Today’s Recipe

Chicken Salad sandwiches

Ingredients:

Deboned, chopped chicken 1-2 cups

Boiled, chopped eggs, 3-4

Chopped celery, 2-3 stalks

Garlic Salt, to taste

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip), about ¾ cup

Ranch Dressing, 1/8 to ¼ cup,

Parsley

Choice of bread or buns

Directions:

None of these ingredients need to be exact. The secret ingredient to this is the ranch dressing. This is real easy to do if you use your food chopper. Put all your chopped meat and vegetables in a large bowl. Add seasonings, mayo and dressing. Sprinkle over the top with parsley. Mix well and spread, making about 4-6 sandwiches.

Optional:

quartered cherry tomatoes, 10-12
grated cheese
Add a lettuce leaf to the sandwich, before or after adding the spread

You can pretty much add whatever you would like, e.g. cucumbers, grated carrots, and any type item you would put in a toss salad.

A nice added touch is to toast your bread before putting on the spread. Some may like butter added to the toast before adding the spread. Croissants or specialty buns would be wonderful, too.

June 24, 2013

ANOUNCEMENTS – Adult Summer Event

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of BOOKS you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Best of Rogers Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today: I love finding something I never knew about before, and today is just one of those days. Being a librarian, I am very well aware of ILL (Interlibrary Loan) but I did not know about this particular library. Beverly Whitaker has been around for a long time teaching genealogy beginners and having her own website. On her website she talks about ILL – Interlibrary Loan. This is a big tool for genealogists. It’s almost impossible to travel everywhere you need to go when researching your family. So when you find a book somewhere else and can have it sent to you, it saves time and money. Ms. Whitaker mentions this on her site and tells about the National Genealogical Society moving their collection to the St. Louis Public Library where more people can access it. Take a look see and maybe you’ll find something there of help. But also remember to search for books all over and see if you can get them through your local library, via “ILL”.

Today in History

65^th anniversary – Berlin Airlift, 1948 – lasted almost a year, to bring supplies to eastern Berlin, circumventing the Stalin blockade. He finally gave it, 321 days later.

Celebration of the senses – treat yourself to the stimulation of the five senses and you may find yourself elevated to experience “known to many mystics as the sixth sense.”

(Chase’s Calendar of Events, 2012)

“Hopalong Cassidy” premiered on this date, 64 years ago today. (1949). Originally, it was segments put together from 66 movie features of Hopalong and his sidekick, Red Conners. It was so popular that they made episodes especially for TV.

Birthdays today:

Birthday anniversaries:

-200^th – Henry Ward Beecher, 1813, famous preacher and orator; Brother to Harriet Beecher Stowe. He advocated for abolition, Women’s Suffrage, Temperance and Evolution.

-Matthew Thornton, 1714, signer of the Declaration of Independence

-Jack Dempsey, 1895, boxer, champion from 1919 to 1926

Born outside the U.S.:

Mick Fleetwood, 71, musician, born Cornwall, England

Lionel Messi, 26, soccer, born Rosario, Argentina

Predrag (Prekl) Radosavljevic, 50, soccer, Born Belgrade, Yugoslavia (Now Serbia)

Word for the day:

Indicia – in-dish’-ia: 1 a characteristic mark or token; 2. a printed design or legend on mail or on a mailing label, as for bulk mail or business reply mail, to signify that postage has been paid.

Quote for the day:

“Live like there’s no tomorrow,
Love like you’ve never been hurt, and
Dance like no one is watching.”
— Lindsay Kolb

…and I might add: “Sing as if no one was listening!”

Similar variations, of this quote, have been attributed to others as well.

June is Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

This is like my grandmother’s biscuits, although we called them baking powder biscuits. This is the easiest recipe I found – not a lot of time and not a lot of fuss.

Ingredients:

4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 cup vegetable shortening, cold, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 1/2 to 2 cups buttermilk, plus additional for brushing

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Sift together the flour, salt, baking powder, and baking soda. Cut in the shortening using a pastry blender or your hands until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Make a well in the center and add 1 cup buttermilk. Using your hands, quickly fold the dry ingredients into the buttermilk until a sticky dough forms. You may need to add more buttermilk.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface. Gently fold the dough over itself 3 or 4 times to create layers. Press the dough out to 1 1/2-inches thick and cut with a floured 3-inch biscuit cutter. Lay the biscuits on an ungreased cookie sheet and brush the tops with buttermilk, [or butter] Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until risen and golden brown.

Our thanks for this recipe goes to Food Network.

June 21, 2013

COMPUTER CLASSES:

Email computer class – Tuesday, June 25^th. If you are already familiar with a computer but don’t have an email or know how to create one, come take this class at 2 pm.

Email computer class, in Spanish – Wednesday, 26^th, at 2 pm. This class is offered for Spanish speakers who want to learn how to use email.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Newspapers can be a gold mine. Start at your local library and find out where there are archived newspapers. They may be on microfilm, or they may be online. Make a list of family members you want to research, even living ones. You can search papers for engagement and wedding announcements, graduations, and obituaries. There may be other events that you will find there as well: sports events, accidents, society events, coming out parties, for example, and/or heaven forbid court cases. These may or may not link you to parents or children – some will, but those that don’t do that per se’, will flesh out your person and help people see your family as real people.

Today in History

First manned private spaceflight – 2004. Michael Melvill flew a privately financed SpaceShipOne, flying 62 miles in altitude above the Mohave Desert.

Go Skateboarding Day – held annually since 2003. It was founded by the International Association of Skateboard Companies (ISAC), giving passionate skateboarders the opportunity to drop everything and get on a skateboard. For more information see <www.skateboardiasc.org>.

Take Your Dog to Work Day – and celebrate the great companionship of dogs. Help encourage the adoption of shelter dogs. So many dogs are waiting for their ‘forever home.’

World’s Ugliest Dog contest, Petaluma Fairgrounds in California – Entries come from around the world to compete for this title. Media coverage is extensive and dogs go on to fame and glory. Past competitions have been filmed by Animal Planet and shown on their network. Audience participation determines the winner.

Hurricane Agnes happened on this date in 1972, hitting the eastern seaboard along seven states of the Atlantic Coast. 116,000 homes were destroyed, 118 lives were lost and 200,000 left homeless.

Birthdays today:

Prince William, aka William Arthur Phillip Louis, 31, born London England, 1982

Sportsmen:

Thomas Doane (Tom) Chambers, 54 former basketball player, born in Ogden, UT

Richard Jefferson, 33, basketball player, born Los Angeles, CA

Rick Sutcliffe, 57, sportscaster, former baseball player, born Independence, MO

Word for the day:

Idiom – from Greek meaning peculiarity – 1 language or dialect of a people, region, class; 2 the usual way in which the words of a particular language are joined together to express thought; 3 a phrase, construction, or expression that is recognized as a unit in the usage of a given language and either differs from the usual syntactic patterns or has a meaning that differs from the literal meaning of its parts taken together; 4 the style of expression characteristic of an individual; 5 a characteristic style as in art or music.

Quote for the day:

Our ‘quote’ for today will be phrases, or idioms. See if you recognize these:

“At the drop of a hat”

“Like a dying duck in a thunderstorm”

“Go postal”

“Do a Melba”

“Steal someone’s thunder”

“Hold your horses”

June is Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

MUSHROOM AND FETA FRITATA

Ingredients

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cups cut up mushrooms
8 large eggs, beaten
2 tablespoons milk
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons butter
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Directions

Preheat the oven broiler with the rack about 6 inches from the heat. Heat the olive oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the onion and mushrooms and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Dish out the vegetables and set aside. Mix the eggs, milk and parsley together in a bowl. Heat the butter in the sauté pan over medium heat. When the butter has melted and looks foamy, return the cooked vegetables to the pan. Scatter the feta and Parmesan cheeses on top. Pour in the egg mixture and turn the heat to low. Stir once or twice, then cook undisturbed for about 8 minutes or until the bottom has set. Place the pan under the broiler for up to a minute or until the frittata is puffed, golden and crispy on top. Season to taste with freshly ground black pepper.

June 20, 2013

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of BOOKS (not hours) you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Best of Rogers Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today:

About dot com provides today’s tip:
Organization for Genealogists

Reduce your genealogy clutter. Learn how to get those mounds of papers, books and scraps organized and keep them that way with these organization systems and tips for using files, folders, binders and your computer to keep your family tree organized.

Archival Storage & Supplies

Filling Out Genealogical Forms

The two most basic forms used by genealogists to record ancestral information are the pedigree chart and the family group sheet. They help you keep track of what you find on your family in a standard, easy-to-read format – recognized by genealogists around the world.

Today in History

Anniversary of the birth of CHARLES CHESNUTT, first important black novelist, born 1858 in Cleveland, OH

“The Ed Sullivan Show” premiered 65 years ago today. It ran from 1948 to 1971. Some of the performers making their debut on his show were Irving Berlin, Victor Borge, Walt Disney, Fred Astaire and of course, Elvis Presley and the Beatles.

First ‘Doctor of Science’ bestowed on a woman – 1895 to Caroline Willard Baldwin, at Cornell University, Ithaca, NY.

Birthdays today:

Occupation: Singers

Cyndi Lauper, 60, born Brooklyn, NY, 1953

Anne Murray, 68, born Springhill, NS, Canada, 1945

Lionel Ritchie, 64, born Tuskegee, AL, 1949

Word for the day:

Ancestor – 1. Any person from who one is descended, esp. one earlier in a family line than a grandparent; forefather; forebear; 2. An early type of animal from which later kinds have evolved; 3. Anything regarded as a precursor or forerunner of a later thing; 4. The deceased person from whom an estate has been inherited.

Quote for the day:

“Gossip is news running ahead of itself in a red satin dress.” Liz Smith, American Way, September 3, 1985.

Today’s Recipe

June is Dairy Month

Peanut Butter Ice Cream Pie

Ingredients:

½ gallon real California Peanut Butter ice cream, softened

1 nine inch graham cracker pie crust

1/2 cup honey roasted peanuts [chopped]

Directions:

Scoop ice cream into pie crust.

Top with peanuts.

Freeze till firm

Thanks go to Real California Recipes

JUNE 19, 2013

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of hours, CORRECTION: BOOKS you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Best of Rogers Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today:

If you are having Brick Wall issues try Dave’s ideas:
Dave Obee’s Top 10 Tips:
1. Create a Timeline – “plot her life…it’s easier to see the holes.”
2. Understand Geography – “plot movements”
3. Find Every Possible Record
4. Understand How Records Were Created
5. Read Every Local Story in Newspapers at that Time
6. Tap into Local Knowledge – “Locals know more” (historical and genealogical societies)
7. Go There if You Can in Person
8. Look for Negative Proof
9. Collaborate with Other Researchers
10. Be Diligent About Proof

Thanks go to Lisa for these tips.

Today in History

35^th Birthday of Garfield – America’s favorite lasagna-loving cat. Jim Davis published his first strip in 1978.

First running of the Belmont Stakes – 1867 – took place in Jerome, NY. It was held in Jerome Park, NY from 1867 – 1889. It moved to Morris Park, NY and ran there 1890-1905. In 1905 it settled in Belmont Park, NY and has run there ever since.

“War is Hell!”* – anniversary of General Sherman’s statement to the graduating class at Michigan Military Academy in 1879, more than a decade after the Civil War. He said… “War at best is barbarism…Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, more vengeance, more desolation. War is hell.”

Birthdays today:

All Foreign born –

Aung San Suu Kyl, 68, born in Rangoon, Burma (now Myanmar), 1945 – Nobel Peace Prize winner

Jean Dujardin, 41, born Rueil-Malmaison, France, 1972 – actor

Poppy Montgomery, 41, born Sydney, Australia, 1972 – actress

Salman Rushdie, 66, born Bombay, India, 1947 – author

Word for the day:

Aggregate – 1. Gathered into, or considered as, a whole; 2. Massed into a dense head or cluster, as a flower or formed of closely, clustered carpels, as the raspberry; 3. Made up of a mixture of mineral fragments, crystals, or similar materials; 4. Gathered into a whole; 5. Taken all together

Quote for the day:

*War is Hell. (see above)

June is Dairy Month
Today’s Recipe

Butterscotch sauce

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (80 mL) butter

1 cup (250 mL) brown sugar

2/3 cup (160 mL) 35% Cream

2 tbsp (30 mL) corn syrup

Directions:

Start by melting butter in a saucepan and then toss in brown sugar, cream and corn syrup.

Stir constantly over low heat until mixture comes to a full boil. Remove from heat and cool.

Adapted from here.

JUNE 18, 2013

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of hours CORRECTION: BOOKS you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Movie Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today:

From Top Ten Reviews: Many online genealogy websites offer a newsletter. Newsletters offer great tips on how to locate those hard-to-find ancestors. Newsletters will often explain how to use different databases or tools and let you know when new databases become available. It’s also great to hear motivational and inspiring success stories of others, or share one of your own.

Today in History

Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, 1815

First woman into space, 1983 – Dr. Sally Ride

Declaration of War, 1812

Birthdays today:

Roger Ebert, 1942-2013 would be 71 today

Paul McCartney, 71, singer

John D. Rockefeller, IV, 76, senator

Isabella Rossellini, 61, actress

Blake Shelton, 27, country singer

Word for the day:

Lictor – In Ancient Rome, a group of minor officials who carried the fasces* and cleared the way for the chief magistrates.

*Fasces – A battle axe with the handle covered in rods and bound, symbol of authority.

Quote for the day:

The early bird may get the worm, but the early tire gets the nail.

June is Dairy Month

Recipe for today

Kittencal’s Moist Cheddar-Garlic Oven Fried Chicken Breast

Ingredients

1/3 cup butter, melted
2 tablespoons minced garlic (can use more or less)
2 teaspoons garlic powder, divided (garlic lovers can use more)
1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt (or can use white salt)
3/4 cup seasoned dry bread crumb (seasoned or plain)
1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper (or to taste)
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
shredded cheddar cheese (optional and use any amount desired, or can use shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Butter an 11 x 7-inch pan (if using more than 4 breasts use a larger pan).
In a bowl, combine melted butter with fresh minced garlic, 1 teaspoon garlic powder and salt.
In another bowl, combine the dry breadcrumbs with 1/2 cup finely grated cheddar cheese, Parmesan cheese 1 teaspoon garlic powder and coarse ground black pepper.
Dip chicken in butter mixture; then in crumb mixture.
Place in prepared pan and bake uncovered for 35-45 minutes or until cooked through, larger breasts may take more time (placing the chicken on a rack in a pan will produce an extra crispy crust).
Top with shredded cheddar or mozzarella the last 5 minutes of cooking (this is only optional.

Our thanks to food.com

JUNE 17,2013

ADULT SUMMER READING PROGRAM – has started, have you signed up?

You can sign up from our webpage at your convenience. Record the number of hours you read and you will qualify for a drawing of different basket gifts. We have a variety this year – Food Basket, Movie Basket, Spa Basket, Garden Basket and a Book Basket. Come see the display in the Lobby Display Window.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Speaking of Social Media, I have discovered a “Facebook” site for genealogists. It is called Genealogy Wise (.com), the genealogy social network. It operates basically the same yet it is designed and customized for the genealogist and family history researcher, but actually offers a whole lot more. You can create surname pages here, among other things or check to see if one has already been created. It does require you to be registered and approved, but it does not cost you anything, except all the time you will be using going through the site.

Some of the other wonderful aspects of this website are: photo archives, video archives, forums, chat rooms, courses/classes, blogs, groups, “mypage”, and members list. This seems to be quite an ‘all inclusive’ site. Enjoy.

Today in History

Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill, 1775; legal holiday in Suffolk County in Massachusetts

National Old-time fiddlers’ contest in Weiser, Idaho – This event has been happening for 60 years and is the largest event of it’s kind, dedicated to perpetuating old-time fiddling.

Quarterly estimated Federal income taxes due – just what you wanted to hear!

Birth Anniversaries:

John Wesley, 1703, preacher

William Hooper, 1742, signer of the Declaration of Independence

Sammy Fain, 1902, composer

Igor Stravinsky, 1882, composer and author

Ralph Bellamy, 1904, actor

John Hersey, 1914, novelist

Birthdays today:

Tom Corbett, 64, Governor of Pennsylvania

Tommy R. Franks, 68, retired general, Army

Newt Gingrich, 70, politician

Word for the day:

Fiddle – among other things, a frame or railing on a ship’s table to keep dishes, etc, from sliding off in rough weather.

Quote for the day:

Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore. Judy Garland, The Wizard of Oz, 1939.

JUNE 15,2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Social Media is all the rage and has been now for over a decade. As typical with other technology, the grassroots users discover uses for technology that the inventors never intended or thought of when creating it. Facebook is a good example of this. What started out as a means of keeping in touch with your college friends has now become almost ubiquitous with everyone. Families, friends, business, non-profits and many others are finding that a Facebook page is very useful in getting information out and drawing people together.

What does this have to do with genealogy? Think about creating a family page. It can be used for cousins to keep in touch, or another idea is to create a surname page for anyone searching that name or you could create a page for an ancestor, his descendants and his ancestors. His descendants could contribute information they have that maybe a cousin does not. You can share pictures you may have of his family, post questions or share great finds you have discovered. Try this out then share your results! You may find a connection you wouldn’t other wise.

Today in History:

Arkansas Birthday – Arkansas admitted into the Union on this date in 1836. It became the 25^th state.

Great Smoky Mountains National Park Birthday – established in 1934. This covers area along the Tennessee-North Carolina boundary.

Edvard Grieg born on this date 1843 and died 1907. He was a piano composer, conductor and teacher, the first Scandinavian to compose nationalistic music, born and died in Norway.

“Hee Haw” premiered on this date in 1969. It has been described as the country-western version of Laugh-in. Critics didn’t like it but the public did and had popular appeal. It was cohosted by buck Owens and Roy Clark. It included such regulars as Grandpa Jones, Junior Samples, Lulu roam, Minnie Pearl and many others.

Magna Carta Day

Native American Citizenship Day

Nature Photography Day

US Landing in Saipan Anniversary

Wicket World of Croquet Day

World Juggling Day

Birthdays Today:

Jim Belushi, 59, actor

Courteney Cox, 49, actress

Neil Patrick Harris, 40, actor

Helen Hunt, 50, actress

Nicola Pagett, 68, actress

Word for the day:

Wicket – 1. a small door or gate, set in or near a larger door or gate. 2. a small window or op0pening as for a bank teller or in a box office. 3. a small gate for regulating the flow of water to a water wheel or for emptying a canal lock. 4. the playing space between to wickets . 5. in Croquet – any of the small wire arches through which the balls must be hit.

Quote for the day:

Behind every man who achieves success,

Stand a mother, a wife and the IRS.

Ethel Jacobson, Reader’s Digest, April 1973

June is National Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

Quick Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Ingredients:

3 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 to 2 tablespoons whipping cream

Directions:

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

Add vanilla and cream and continue to beat on medium speed for 1 minute more, adding more cream if needed for spreading consistency.

In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk, mix together sugar and butter. Mix on low speed until well blended and then increase speed to medium and beat for another 3 minutes.

JUNE 14, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Well, last Tuesday I said “How to publish is next time.” Obviously I didn’t get that done the next day but hopefully this is close enough to “next time.” I went to a writing workshop last Saturday at our library about writing your family history. It was a helpful workshop, albeit too short. Marilyn Collins, the speaker, has published some books on writing your memoirs and gave us some tips.

This is something I have wanted to do and have struggled with that for some time. It’s expensive and difficult to break into the publishing world. You just about have to be someone well known in the public eye before major houses will publish your work. There are vanity presses which are there just for the purpose of publishing books for little-ole-you, the grass-roots author. BUT instead of them paying you and they selling your books (like a major publishing house), you have to pay them to publish the books and guess what YOU have to sell them, market them! What I am going to suggest is for those situations where you are only going to have a small amount of books published, say 20-30 copies. They are more expensive per book, but this is cheaper in the long run for total costs. Your local office supply stores can do this for you and do a very nice job. I am not endorsing one over the other but a couple, for example, are the Staples and Office Depot stores. Check these out and see if this would be just the ticket for you.

Today in History

Family History Day!!! “Every summer, family reunions are so busy with games and activites that most of us forget the true purpose: to share the folklore, legends and myths that bind us together. Each participant should share at least one good recollection (fact or fiction). Don’t forget the hot dogs and lemonade.” This is promoted by Thomas and Ruth Roy of Wellcat Holidays in Pennsylvania, website:www.wellcat.com. Information from the 2013 Chase’s Calendar of Events, published by McGraw-Hill

FLAG DAY! Take time today to honor our American Flag and recite the pledge of allegiance. John Adams introduced the resolution that would determine the 13 stripes alternating in red and white, representing the original colonies and the blue field of stars (for each state) representing a new constellation. If you live in Pennsylvania, today is a legal holiday.

Although Charles Lindbergh was the first to fly nonstop from New York City to Paris, France in 1927, he was not the first to cross the Atlantic flying nonstop. That was accomplished by Captain John Alcock and Lt Arthur W. Brown who flew nonstop from St. Johns, Newfoundland to Clifden, County Galway, Ireland, flying only 1900 miles as opposed to Lindbergh’s 3600 miles. Their feat was accomplished on this date in 1919. Nineteen must have been their “lucky” number. Their flight did spark public interest in aviation.

Birthdays today:

Today is the birthday of the United States Army, 238 years strong! Happy Birthday US Army! TEN HUT!

Boy George, 52, singer

Donald Trump, 67, real estate magnate

Pat Summitt, 61, coach

Eric Heiden, 55, speed skater

Steffi Graf, 44, tennis player

Word for the day:

“Ten-hut” is the gruff abbreviation of the word “attention,” that’s all. It’s what comes out when a drill sergeant shouts the command, easier to say at full shout than “attention.” It literally means the command, “Come to attention!” (From Yahoo Answers)

JUNE 13, 2013

Goings On at the library – EDIBLE LANDSCAPING

Saturday, Jun 15^th, come to the library for a program on landscaping your yard with edibles. Besides strawberries, radishes etc. there are flowers you can plant that can be eaten, also. B. Abbey, Master Gardner, will be in the Community Room at 10 a.m. The admission is free, so bring your friends and come on!

Genealogy Tip for today:

This is something new I found. It is a Facebook page for genealogy tips. I was able to access it directly from Google search and did not have to sign in to use it. So if you do not have a Facebook account you should still be able to see this page. She has daily entries with tips as well as “sounds of the day” – something a little different. Take a look at what she’s got, try out her tips and even post a comment there if you wish.

Today in History

The TV show, “The Closer” first aired in 2005. This was an original cable series which was the first ad-supported cable show. The series features Kyra Sedgwick as the Deputy Police Chief, Brenda Leigh Johnson, a former Atlanta detective brought to Los Angeles to head up a special LAPD homicide unit.

The world’s first roller coaster ride opened at Coney Island, Brooklyn, NY in 1884. It was built and patented by LaMarcus Thompson. The “gravity* pleasure switchback railway” boasted of two parallel 600 foot tracks that descended from 50 feet, carrying passengers at six miles an hour. Riders paid a nickel for each ride. The roller coaster was a big hit creating such a sensation that they spread through amusement parks everywhere.

Today is the anniversary of the Supreme Court’s decision on the “Miranda rights,” named after Ernesto Miranda who claimed he was not given legal protection or warning before being arrested. After the decision, he was “warned,” retried and found guilty the second time and sent back to prison. Today every police officer warns an individual about their own legal rights before being arrested or interrogated.

Birthdays today:

Tim Allen, 60, Comedian

Christo, 78, artist

Christ Evans, 32, actor

Mary Kate and Ashley Olsen, 27, twins, both fashion designers

Ally Sheedy, 51, actress

Richard Thomas, 62, actor

Word for the day:

*Gravity – 1. Terrestrial heaviness, force that tends to draw all bodies in the earth’s sphere toward the center of the earth. 2. Lowness of musical pitch. 3. State or condition of being grave, solemnity or sedateness of manner or character; seriousness of a situation.

Quote for the day:

“Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!” Patrick Henry, 1775.

June is National Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

Peanut Butter and Banana Breakfast Shake

Ingredients

1 cup fat-free or 1% low-fat chocolate milk
½ cup frozen banana slices
1 tablespoon peanut butter
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon

Preparation

Combine all ingredients in a blender; blend until smooth and creamy. Serve in tall glass or on-the-go drink container

See more recipes here.

JUNE 12, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

LAND RECORDS: Today let’s talk about land records. They can be more of a gold mine than you might think. Even today, land records can give you genealogical information that you wouldn’t expect would be there. If you can find out that your ancestor owned land then you need to go looking for the deed. There are several ways you can determine land ownership. One is through the census records. The 1850, ’60, and ’70 census records recorded the real estate values of the individual. Another way is to check the plat maps for the county. And of course you can contact the courthouse directly to see if they have any deeds listed for your ancestor.

You should do this for every ancestor, especially for the men, but don’t forget the women either. If you have a brick wall this can also be a source of breaking it. Once you have received the deed and look through it. Occasionally you will find birth, death, marriage and divorce records filed in with the deeds. This is especially the case when it affects the heritance of land, So be sure to check them out. You may be surprised what you find.

Today in History

1880 – Baseball’s first perfect game, between Worcester Ruby Legs and the Cleveland Indians. Lee Richmond of Worcester was the pitcher.

First man-powered flight across the English Channel – Bryan Allen pedaled the 70-pound Gossamer Albatross, 22 miles fromFolkestone, England to Cape Gris-Nez, France.

“Tear Down This Wall!” speech anniversary by President Ronald Reagan in 1987. He stood in the Brandenburg Gate and challenged Mikhail Gorbachev to do more than lip service. This finally came true in 1989, on Nov. 9^th.

National Baseball’s Hall of Fame was dedicated on this date in 1939. More than 200 people have been inducted into this Cooperstown, NY Museum. Ty Cobb and Babe Ruth were among the very first ones to be inducted*.

Birthdays today:

George Herbert Walker Bush, 41^st President, 89. b. 1924

Timothy Busfield, 56, actor

Vic Damone, 85, singer

Jim Nabors, 81, actor

David Rockefeller, 98, banker

Word for the day:

*Induct: 1. to install in an office, benefice, position etc. especially with formal ceremonies. 2. To introduce, especially to something requiring special knowledge or experience. 3. To take into military service. 4. To bring in as a member.

Quote for the day:

“Competence, like truth, beauty and contact lenses, is in the eye of the beholder.” – Laurence J. Peter and Raymond Hull, The Peter Principle, 1969

June is National Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt Squares

Ingredients:

1 cup crunchy wheat and barley cereal
3 cups fat-free strawberry yogurt
1 (10-ounce) bag frozen unsweetened strawberries (about 2 1/2 cups)
1 cup fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 cup light or fat-free whipped topping (optional)

Directions:

Line an 8×8-inch baking pan with foil. Sprinkle cereal evenly on the bottom of the pan; set aside.

Place yogurt, strawberries and condensed milk in a blender; cover and blend until smooth. Pour the mixture over top of cereal, gently smoothing yogurt mixture to edges of pan. Cover with foil (or plastic wrap) and freeze for 8 hours or until firm. Use edges of foil to loosen and remove from pan; let recipe thaw for 5 to 10 minutes. Cut into squares, top with whipped topping, if desired, and serve.

Storage tip: Squares may be individually wrapped and frozen for single servings.

Note: Create your own variations by using other flavor combinations of yogurt and fruit.

Recipe created by 3-Every-Day™ of Dairy

Nutritional Facts

Calories: 200
Total Fat: 0 g
Saturated Fat: 0 g
Cholesterol: 5 mg
Sodium: 150 mg
Calcium: 20% Daily Value
Protein: 7 g
Carbohydrates: 42 g

JUNE 11, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

Want an easy way to write your memoirs? Write a relative’s name at the top of a 3×5 card. Note the relationship to you, (mom, aunt, cousin…). Write down a characteristic, or event. Note the date, or approximate date: e.g. “March 23, 1942,” or “when I was 8,” or “teen years.” It doesn’t have to be exact. Do this for all your relatives you want to write about. Fill out a card for each different event, etc, on the same person. Put these in sequential order. Write a beginning and closing paragraph for each card, fasten, staple all together. Then put them all in order of how you want them in your book. Now start with one card and finish the story with the two paragraphs you have already written. Eventually you will have your book all done. “How to publish” is next time.

Today in History

1793 – The first patent for a stove was issued — to Robert Haeterick.

1912 – From the Hey! Let’s Have a Bit of Fun file: Silas Christoferson thought and thought of how to use his 15 minutes of fame and darn-near came close to using it all and then some with this stunt. Mr. Christoferson became the first airplane pilot to take off from theroof of a hotel! He did the deed from atop the Multnomah Hotel in Portland, OR.

1927 – Charles A. Lindbergh was presented the first Distinguished Flying Cross. No, he never took off from the roof of a hotel.

1936 – The Presbyterian Church of America was formed in Philadelphia, PA.

1939 – The King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon; later known as the Queen Mother) of Great Britain were inAmerica to visit with President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt. As is befitting of such a grand event, the King and Queen were fed some of the gourmet foods of the United States. In fact, it was the first time that both the King and Queen had tasted hot dogs. Must have been a pretty low-key state dinner… “Pass the mustard, old chum!” “Grey Poupon?”

1949 – Hank Williams sang a show-stopper on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry at the Ryman Auditorium in Nashville. He sang the classic Lovesick Blues, one of his most beloved songs.

1961 – Roy Orbison was wrapping up a week at number one on the Billboard record chart with Running Scared, his first number one hit. Orbison recorded 23 hits for the pop charts, but only one other song made it to number one: Oh Pretty Woman in 1964. He came close with a number two effort, Crying, number four with Dream Baby and number five with Mean Woman Blues. Orbison was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987; but suffered a fatal heart attack just one year later.

1972 – Hank Aaron of the Atlanta Braves tied (with Gil Hodges of the Dodgers) the National League record for the most grand-slam home runs in a career, with 14. The Braves beat the Philadelphia Phillies 15-3 to make the celebration even better.

1979 – One of America’s greatest legends, both as a movie star and as a symbol of patriotism, died this day. Marion Michael Morrison, known as John Wayne, died following a courageous fight with cancer. ‘The Duke’ was 72. He had been a Hollywood hero for almost 50 years and with some 200 movies to his credit, including The Alamo, Island in the Sky, The Longest Day, Rio Bravo, The Sons of Katie Elder and True Grit (his only Oscar-winning performance). Wayne was born in 1907 and went to school at North Hollywood High School in Los Angeles.

1982 – The movie E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial opened. Steven Spielberg directed this classic. It dazzled audiences with state-of-the-art special effects and a touching, humorous, story line, grossing over $100 million in its first 31 days of theatrical release.

1993 – U.S. audiences rumbled to theatres for a first look at Jurassic Park. The Steven Spielberg-directed dinosaur blockbuster billed a gigantic $47.06 million — just for openers.

1996 – Republican Senator Bob Dole ended his Senate career (to make a run for the U.S. Presidency) with an emotional farewell speech before a packed Senate chamber. He had spent some 27 years as a U.S. Senator.

Birthdays today:

1864 – Richard Strauss; composer: Also Sprach Zarathustra, Don Quixote, Till Eulenspiegel; died Sep 8, 1949

1910 – Jacques-Yves Cousteau; marine explorer: PBS-TV producer; co-inventor of Aqua-Lung; died June 25, 1997

1913 – Vince Lombardi; Pro Football Hall of Famer: coach: Green Bay Packers: Super Bowl I, II; “Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.”; died Sep 3, 1970

1933 – Gene Wilder (Jerome Silberman); actor: Young Frankenstein, Blazing Saddles, Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory, The Producers, The Woman in Red, Silver Streak, See No Evil, Hear No Evil, Murder in a Small Town, The Lady in Question

1937 – Chad Everett (Raymon Cramton); actor: Medical Center, The Dakotas, The Singing Nun, Jigsaw Murders, Airplane 2: The Sequel,McKenna; died Jul 24, 2012

1939 – Jackie Stewart (John Young Stewart); auto racer: 3-time World Grand Prix champion, sportscaster

1945 – Adrienne Barbeau; actress: Swamp Thing, Maude, Cannonball Run, Silk Degrees, Double-Crossed, Two Evil Eyes

1946 – John Lawton; singer: solo: LP: Take No Prisoners; groups: Rough Diamond, Uriah Heep, Lucifer’s Friend

1956 – Joe Montana; football: San Francisco 49ers quarterback: Super Bowl XVI, XIX, XXIII, XXIV: Super Bowl career records for yards gained, passes completed, touchdowns thrown and highest completion percentage; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback

1978 – Joshua Jackson; actor: Dawson’s Creek, The Mighty Ducks series, On the Edge of Innocence

Word for the day:

Apologize – 1. To offer an apology or excuse for some fault, insult, failure or injury. 2. To make a formal defense in speech or writing.

Thought for the day:

If you want the last word with a woman, apologize.

June is Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

Shredded chicken and onion tacos

Dairy-Free Tacos

Ingredients:

1 large white or yellow skinned onion, finely chopped (1-1/2 cups)

¼ cup vegetable oil or mild olive oil

1 roasted chicken, meat shredded (about 4 cups)

2 teaspoons dried oregano, preferably Mexican

1 teaspoon dried thyme, or 1 TBS chopped fresh thyme

Accompaniments: 20-24 small warm tortillas, guacamole

Directions:

Cook the onion in the oil in large skillet over moderate heat until slightly softened, about 2 minutes. Stir in chicken, oregano, and thyme and cook, stirring until heated through, 3-5 minutes. Season with salt to taste, if necessary.

Fill warm tortillas with some of the chicken and guacamole and fold.

Nutrition Note: Nutrition information for this recipe is for 2 tortillas, ½ c of filling and 2 TBS of guacamole (one serving)

Nutrition Facts:

Calories – 335

Total Fat – 18gm

Cholesterol – 49 mg

Total Carbohydrates – 25 gm

Sugars – 1 gm

Vitamin A – 4%

Calcium – 6%

Calories from fat – 162

Saturated Fat – 3gm

Sodium – 193 mg

Fiber – 5gm

Protein – 19 gm

Vitamin C – 8%

JUNE 10, 2013

Welcome to BOOKS, BONES AND BEYOND

Genealogy Tip for today:

Odd and unexpected places – You will find data in the most unusual places, when you least expect it! Vacations written onto old calendars; identification of a great aunt or great uncle in an old scrapbook; an ancestor’s funeral info in the margin of a New Testament; your family history written out, in the back of an old ledger; picture of distant relatives in a national magazine; birth and death dates of a baby on the back of an envelope. Some of these have actually happened to this blogger! Keep a watchful eye. If you or a relative is a packrat, that can be your pot of gold!

On this day…

1610 1st Dutch settlers arrive (from NJ), to colonize Manhattan Island
1639 1st American log cabin at Fort Christina (Wilmington Delaware)
1682 Tornado in Connecticut uproots a 3′ diameter oak tree
1752 Ben Franklin’s kite is struck by lightning-what a shock!
1776 Continental Congress appoints a committee to write a Declaration of Independence
1846 Robert Thomson obtains an English patent on a rubber tire
1865 Wagner’s “Tristan und Isolde” 1st performance Munchen Germany
1905 1st forest fire lookout tower placed in operation, Greenville, Me
1908 1st flying club, Aeronautical Society of NY, opens
1921 Babe Ruth becomes all time HR champ with #120 (Gavvy Cravath)
1932 1st demonstration of artificial lightning Pittsfield Mass
1940 Italy declares war on France & Britain during WW II
1943 FDR signs withholding tax bill into law (this is W-2 Day!)
1956 16th modern Olympiad equestrian events open in Stockholm
1977 James Earl Ray (Martin Luther King’s killer) escapes from prison
1984 US missile shot down an incoming missile in space for 1st time
1985 Claus von Bulow acquitted on charges he tried to murder his wife
1985 Coca Cola announces they’d bring back their 99-year-old formula
1990 Burger King begins using Newman’s Own Salad Dressing
Birthdays on this date:

1904 Frederick Loewe composer/partner of Learner
1910 Chester Burnette hamonica player (Howlin Wolf)
1911 Ralph Kirkpatrick Leominster Mass, harpsichordist
1913 Thor Johnson Wisconsin Rapids Wisconsin, conductor (Cin Symph 1958)
1913 Wilbur J Cohen 1st employee of Social Security System
1921 Prince Philip Mountbatten Greece, Duke of Edinburgh, Mr. Elizabeth II
1922 Judy Garland [Frances Gumm], Mich, actress/singer (Wizard of Oz)
1923 Earl Hamner Jr Schuyler Va, TV narrator (The Waltons)
1925 Nat Hentoff columnist/novelist (Village Voice, The Cold Society)
1926 June Haver actress (Dolly Sisters, Girl Next Door)
1928 Maurice Sendak NYC, author/illustrator (Where The Wild Things Are)
1929 James McDivitt Chicago, Brig Gen USAF/astronaut (Gemini 4, Apollo 9)
1933 F Lee Bailey Waltham Mass, attorney (Sam Shepard case)

Word for the day:

Gramercy (gra-MER-cy) – 1. Thank you very much, 2. An exclamation of surprise

Quote for the day:

Love is a little blind; when we love someone dearly we unconsciously overlook many faults. Beatrice Saunders: Portraits of Genius

JUNE IS DAIRY MONTH

Today’s Recipe

Banana and Yogurt Crepes

Thin and elegant crepes filled with a smooth, pureed nutrient-rich, low-fat yogurt, vanilla and honey mixture, and fresh sliced bananas. Substitute with fat-free or low-fat lactose-free milk to make it lactose intolerance friendly. The yogurt contains lactose, but its live and active cultures help with digestion, making this recipe a friendly option for those who are lactose intolerant.

INGREDIENTS

1 3/4 cups low-fat milk

3/4 cup flour

1 egg

1 egg white

2 tablespoons honey or maple syrup, divided

1 (8-ounce) container low-fat banana or vanilla yogurt

1 banana, diced

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

fresh mint sprigs, optional

powdered sugar, optional

DIRECTIONS

Whisk together milk, flour, egg, egg whites and 1 tablespoon of honey in a medium bowl. Allow batter to rest 5 minutes at room temperature. Heat a 10-inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Pour 1/4 cup batter into skillet; quickly tilt and swirl batter to coat bottom of skillet. When crepe is lightly browned at edges, use a thin spatula to loosen and turn over. Cook turned crepe about 20 seconds or until lightly browned; slide onto plate to cool. Continue making crepes with remaining batter. To prevent sticking, place a piece of wax paper between each crepe.

Puree yogurt, vanilla and remaining honey in a blender or food processor until smooth. Add diced banana. Spread each crepe with about 2 1/2 tablespoons of the yogurt mixture. Roll crepes into cylinders. Place 2 crepes on each serving plate and garnish with mint sprigs, if desired.

Yield: 2 crepes plus 5 tablespoons of yogurt mixture, per serving

Nutritional Facts

Calories: 270
Total Fat: 3.5 g
Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
Cholesterol: 60 mg
Sodium: 125 mg
Calcium: 25% Daily Value
Protein: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 48 g
Dietary Fiber: 2 g

This recipe comes to you courtesy of National Dairy Council

JUNE 7, 2013

Genealogy Tip for today:

From the book, “Who Do You Think You Are?” by Megan Smolenyak, (c. 2009), “Military records are less centralized than census records, but less scattered than vital records.” Even if you don’t think your ancestor fought in a war, he may have been in the military. So it is always wise to see if he or she has a military record. You should ask for a complete file. You may be surprised what you find. Ancestry.com and footnote.com are the two best websites to look for military information.

For actual locations you will want to contact the National Archives and Records Administration in Washington, DC (NARA) or the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) in St. Louis, Missouri.

Today in History:

Virginia Apgar, 1909-1974, doctor, developed the APGAR assessment done on infants at birth. This determines if they are in need of immediate medical care.

National Donut Day – Originated by the Salvation Army during the Great Depression as a fund raiser. The day is now nationally celebrated for the donut itself, the first Friday in June.

Telluride Balloon Festival, June 7-9, in Telluride, CO, celebrated annually the first weekend in June.

VCR introduced by the Sony Corporation, the Betamax, which sold for $995. Later the VHS format became more successful and Sony discontinued the production of the Betamax.

Birthdays today:

Birthday Anniversaries

Virginia Apgar, 1909-1974, doctor

James Braddock, 1906-1974, boxer

Paul Gauguin, 1848-1903, artist

Dear Martin, 1917-1995, singer, actor

Jessica Tandy, 1909-1994, actress

Jenny Jones, 67, talk show host

Tom Jones, 73, singer

Liam Neeson, 61, actor

Orhan Pamuk, 61, author (Listed here for you Downton Abbey fans; note the last name. If you don’t know the significance, you will. I won’t give it away.)

Word for the day:

Lagniappe – (laǹ – yap) 1. Chiefly Southern Louisiana and Southeast Texas. A small gift given with a purchase to a customer, by way of compliment or for good measure; bonus. 2. A gratuity or tip. 3. An unexpected or indirect benefit.

“A little something extra”

Quote for the day:

“Bromidic though it may sound, some questions don’t have answers, which is a terribly difficult lesson to learn.” Katherine Gerould, 1914

June is Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

If you like chai tea, you’ll love this creamy, comforting dessert studded with apples and raisins.

CHAI RICE PUDDING

Total Preparation Time: 15 to 30 minutes

Actual Cooking Time: 1 hour

Number of Servings: 8

(208 calories/serving)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups low-fat milk

4 black chai tea bags

1 cup short or medium grain white rice

1/2 cup light brown sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 medium apple, peeled, cored and diced

1/4 cup dark raisins

Whipped cream for garnish, optional

Cinnamon for garnish, optional

Preparation:

Bring 2 cups water and 1 cup low-fat milk to boil in large saucepan. Remove from heat, and add teabags. Cover, and steep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags, squeezing out any liquid.
Stir rice, sugar and salt into tea mixture. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes. Add remaining 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk, and simmer, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until rice is soft. Stir in apple and raisins remove from heat. Cover pot, and let sit 10 minutes.
Spoon pudding into 2-quart heatproof dish. Serve warm or cold, with whipped cream and cinnamon, if desired.

Thanks to NewsObserver.com

June 6, 2013

ESTHER WILLIAMS, swimming sensation in the 40’s has died, at age 91.

From BBC: Her spokesman said she died peacefully in her sleep. She had been in declining health due to old age.

A national swimming champion by the time she was 16, her success led to a career in Hollywood “aqua-musicals” designed just for her, in the 1940s.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Do Not Translate Names Or Dates From Original Or Secondary Material Into Contemporary Usage. Failure to copy the data exactly as given in the record can cause distortions which will lead you astray. When dates are given numerically {3- 2-29} as is common in Quaker and German records, before leaving the record, check other dates in it to determine if the first digit is the month or the day. {Since there are only 12 months, 13-2-29 = day-month-year, and 3-13-29 = month-day-year.} If your research is prior to 1752, be sure you understand the distinction between the Julian & Gregorian calendars.

Thanks for this tip goes to Charles Kerchner.

DON’T FORGET THE “WRITING YOUR FAMILY HISTORY” WORKSHOP, on Saturday, June 8th at the Library, 10 a.m.

Today in History

D-Day Anniversary, 1944

After months of planning, the allies surprised Germany with an invasion from the North Sea, landing in Normandy, on the northern coast of France. Operation Overlord involved 2 million tons of war materials. The US alone sent 1.7 million men. This took the Germans by surprise because of the adverse weather conditions, but as the sun came up, Saint Mere Eglise had been liberated.

Korean Memorial Day

Nation pays tribute to the war dead. Memorial services are held at the National Cemetery in Seoul. This is a national, legally recognized Korean holiday.

1862 Memphis surrenders. Confederate gunboats engaged a Union flotilla. Spectators watched from the riverbanks. The Confederates were defeated and the city surrendered before noon, opening up the Mississippi to the Union.

Susan B. Anthony fined for voting, 1872

Susan led a group of women who registered and voted in Rochester, NY election. She was arrested, tried and charged a fine. She refused to pay and was allowed to go free by the judge because he was afraid she would appeal to a higher court!

First Drive-in movie opens, 1933

American’s first drive-in movie theater opened in Camden NJ, on this date. At one point there were 4,000 drive-in theaters across the country. Today there are still about 600 in operation.

Birthdays today:

Bjorn Borg, 57, tennis player

Harvey Fierstein, 59, actor

Kenny G 57, saxophone player

Amanda Pays 54, actress

Word for the day:

Portend –

To indicate in advance, to foreshadow, or presage, as an omen does.
To signify, mean

Synonyms – foretell, forecast, forebode, augur, and promise.

Quote for the day:

If past history was all there was to the game, the richest people would be librarians.

Warren Buffett, Washington Post, April 17, 1988

June is Dairy Month

Today’s Recipe

Awesome Artichoke Dip

Ingredients:

1 pkg. (6 oz.) Italian Parmesan Recipe Cheese Breadcrumb Mix, mixed together

1 pkg. (8 oz.) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened

1 can (14 oz.) artichoke hearts, drained, chopped

½ cup KRAFT Real Mayo Mayonnaise

Directions:

Heat oven 375

Reserve ¾ cup breadcrumb mix

Combine remaining breadcrumbs with remaining ingredients; spread onto bottom of 9 inch pie plate. Top with reserved breadcrumbs

JUNE 5, 2013

Mark your calendar —

Genealogy Announcement: Next Saturday, June 8^th, 10:00 am, Marilyn H Collins will be at the Rogers Public Library in the Community Room. She is an award winning author and will be presenting “Writing Your Family History.” If you have ever thought about recording your family’s history to preserve it for your children and grandchildren, then this is the program for you. Admission is free!! This is one of our offerings for the Adults this summer in the Summer Reading Program. Gather Your Family website gives you information on Marilyn Collins.

For Celebration of Black Music Month, Leona Mitchell, Grammy Award Winning Opera Soprano, will be here June 11^th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Rogers Public Library. Come join “Conversations with the Music Masters” for this once in a lifetime
opportunity. Two weeks later we will be hosting Maxine Gordon, widow of Dexter Gordon, jazz saxophonist. This will be June 25^th, at 6:30 as well.

2013 Almanac Fact –

Jupiter is visible in the evening sky through the beginning of June, then moves to the morning sky from late June through the end of the year.

Mercury and Venus are visible low in the west after sunset all month.

Quote for the day –

“Obedience is much more seen in little things than in great.” Thomas Fuller, 1732

Word for the Day –

Lucubrate – 1. To work, study, thought etc, especially at night. 2. To write learnedly

From lucubrare – to work by artificial light

Today

1783 – World’s First Balloon flight, took place in France where brothers Joseph and Jacques Montgolfier succeeded in launching the 33 foot diameter glove aerostatique that they invented. This was the first sustained flight of any object achieved by man. It travelled unmanned 1,500 feet high, at a distance of 7,500 before landing.

45^th Anniversary of the assassination of Robert Kennedy while campaigning for the Democratic presidential nomination in LA.

Birth Anniversary of Richard Scarry, born in 1919. Author and Illustrator of children’s books. He died in 1994 in Gstaad, Switzerland.

Birthdays today

Ken Follett, 64, author

Mark Wahlbert, 42, actor

Jill Biden, 62, “Second Lady,” wife of Vice President, Joe Biden.

Bill Moyers, 79, journalist

JUNE 4, 2013

A couple of reminders —

For Celebration of Black Music Month, Leona Mitchell, Grammy Award Winning Opera Soprano, will be here June 11^th from 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Rogers Public Library. Come join “Conversations With the Music Masters” for this once in a lifetime
opportunity. Two weeks later we will be hosting Maxine Gordon, widow of Dexter Gordon, jazz saxophonist. This will be June 25^th, at 6:30 as well.

2013 Almanac Fact –

Great Britain’s King George, III, was the grandson of George, II. He married Charlotte Mecklenburg; reigned 1760-1820; age at death 81.

Quote for the day –

“I seem to have seen me somewhere before.” R.F.

Word for the Day –

Porphyria – a defect of blood pigment metabolism, in which porphyrins are produced in excess and are found in the blood and in the urine.

Today

Tiananmen Square Massacre anniversary, 1989. After about a month of student demonstrations for democracy, the Chinese government ordered troops to open fire on the unarmed protestors. Under cover of darkness, tanks rolled into the square crushing many of the students as they lay sleeping in their tents. China said only a few were killed, estimates range from several hundred to several thousand casualties. Following this disaster, thousands of remaining protestors were arrested and jailed.

King George III, 275 birth anniversary – He was king of England when the American Revolution took place. He alienated the Parliament and the populace when he lost the colonies in America, but regained favor when it fought France in 1793. He suffered from insanity possibly caused by porphyria.

Birthdays today

Angelina Jolie 38, actress

Evan Lysacek, 28, figure skater

Michelle Phillips, 68, singer and actress

Dr. Ruth Westheimer, 84, medical doctor, known for her programs on sexual relationships.

June is Dairy Month

This month’s recipes will have to do with milk products.

FRUIT AND CHEESE KABOBS

Thanks to Easy Home Meals. See website for picture.
Ingredients:

Pineapple Chunks

Strawberries

Grapes

Cheddar Cheese, cut into squares

Wooden Skewers

Directions

Assemble on skewers one of each and in the same order.

Keep cold till ready to serve.

JUNE 3, 2013

GENEALOGY ANNOUNCEMENT:

Next Saturday, June 8^th, 10:00 am, Marilyn H Collins will be at the Rogers Public Library in the Community Room. She is an award winning author and will be presenting “Writing Your Family History.” If you have ever thought about recording your family’s history to preserve it for your children and grandchildren, then this is the program for you. Admission is free!! This is one of our offerings for the Adults this summer in the Summer Reading Program. Gather Your Family website gives you information on Marilyn Collins

For Celebration of Black Music Month, Leona Mitchell, Grammy Award Winning Opera Soprano, will be here June 11^thfrom 6:30 to 8:00 pm at the Rogers Public Library. Come join “Conversations With the Music Masters” for this once in a lifetime opportunity. Two weeks later we will be hosting Maxine Gordon, widow of Dexter Gordon, jazz saxophonist. This will beJune 25^th, at 6:30 as well.

2013 Almanac Fact –

$100 bills are the highest denomination of bills still being printed. Others are still in circulation. As higher ones come back to the Federal Reserve Bank, they are removed from circulation. They are: $500 bill with William McKinley; $1,000 with Grover Cleveland; $5,000 with James Madison; $10,000 with Salmon Chase, and the $100,000 with Woodrow Wilson; the last being used only for transactions between the Federal Reserve System and the Treasury Department.

Word for the Day –

Keening – 1. the act of a person who keens. 2. a wailing lament for the dead; keen – to wail in lamentation for the dead.

Today

Birth Anniversaries:

Tony Curtis, 1925-2010

Jefferson Davis, 1808-1889

Colleen Dewhurst, 1924-1991

76 years ago today, King Edward VIII married “the woman I love”, the American, Mrs. Wallis Warfield Simpson. They lived the rest of their lives in France. He died in1972, and she passed away, 1986

First Woman Rabbi in the US, anniversary. 1972. Sally Jan Priesand was ordained the first woman rabbi in the US. She became assistant rabbi at the Stephen Wise Free Synagogue in New York City.

Chimborazo Day – To bring attention to the shape of the earth, Mount Chimborazo, in Ecuador, is toted for sticking farther out into space than any other mountain, including Mt. Everest. The distance from sea level to the center of the earth is 13 miles longer at the equator than it is at the North Pole, sea level to center. This means that the Mississippi River, at New Orleans is 6 miles further from the center of the earth, than it is at it’s headwaters in Lake Itasca. So theoretically it flows uphill!.

Birthdays today

Chuck Barris, 84, television game producer

Anderson Cooper, 46, journalist

Hale S. Irwin, 68, golfer

Scott Valentine, 55, actor

Deniece Williams, 62 singer

Now you know!

MAY 31, 2013

Food for Thought

Coming June 1^st, look for a new name for this blog.

Today in History

First Copyright Law passed, 1790, signed by George Washington, extending protection for 14 years for American writers; later extended to foreign authors as well.

Johnstown Flood anniversary; 1889; Heavy rains ca\used the Connemaugh River Dam to burst, resulting in 2,300 people killed and thousands of homes destroyed. Nearly 800 victims were buried in a common grave unidentified. Floods have repeatedly afflicted the area, with floods of 1936 and 1977 being the more notable ones since 1889.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Want to write your family history but feel overwhelmed? A speaker at a genealogy conference once suggested that each evening, you write for about 15 minutes then stop. After a while you have accumulated a story. If you are writing your own memoirs, write down one memory at a time. Eventually you will have it all. Of course editing and re-writes are always needed. But take small bites and you will have the “whole elephant eaten” before you know it.

Birthdays today:

Birth Anniversaries:

Don Ameche, 1908-1993

Prince Rainier, 1923-2005

Walt Whitman, 1819-1892

Colin Farrell, 37, actor, b. Dublin, Ireland

Phil Keoghan, 46, television host, b. Christchurch, New Zealand

Archie Panjabi, 41, actress, b. London, England

Terry Waite, 74, Church of England envoy and Lebanon hostage, b. Cheshire, England

Word for the day:

Iota – 1. a very small quantity, jot, wit; 2. the ninth letter of the Greek alphabet.

Quote for the day:

What is valuable is not new, and what is new is not valuable.

May 30, 2013

Food for Thought

Today in History
Traditional Memorial Day – honors the dead with memorial tributes, especially those who have died in battle; observed as a legal holiday now on the last Monday in May.

Lincoln Memorial Dedication anniversary – The memorial is made of marble from Colorado and Tennessee and with limestone fromIndiana. It stands in West Potomac Park in Washington, DC. A skylight allows light into the interior where the statue of Seated Lincoln is situated. Daniel Chester French, sculptor

Genealogy Tip for today:

Ages! As we have said documents are only as good as the people who make them. You may discover that your great grandmother did not age 10 years, from census to census like your great grandfather did! Ages may not be correct on other documents as well. It is best, when trying to deduce a birth year, that you take several documents and see what answer is the most common or maybe the most plausible.

Memories do fail in all of us as we get older. So sometimes the age given wasn’t given intentionally wrong. Sometimes the younger the lady, the more accurate her age may be. On the other hand, if ‘she’ (or ‘he’) isn’t old enough to get married legally, she/he may lie about her/his age. If one is considerably older than the other, they may lie about their age so that they appear closer in age than they really are. So be careful about being adamant regarding a person’s age, and always be willing to be flexible. Use your best judgment in recording someone’s age based on all your sources of information.

Birthdays today:

-Mel Blanc birth anniversary, 1908 The greatest voice artist, Mel performed over 400 different voices in his career, but he is best known for “Loonie Tunes” and “Merrie Melodies” where we were entertained by Bugs Bunny, Elmer Fudd, Porky Pig, Sylvester, Tweetie Pie and Road Runner. He died June 10, 1989 in L.A.

-Peter I, (a k a Peter the Great), born on this day, 1672; His primary aim was to make Russia a major power equal to the size and potential of the country. He accomplished this through education, and technology. He established printing presses and published translations of foreign books, particularly science and technology material. He simplified the Russian alphabet and introduced Arabic numerals.

Steven Gerrard, 33, soccer player

Manny Ramirez, 41, baseball player

Gale Sayers, 70, football player, (Hall of Fame)

Word for the day:

Estuary – 1. A water passage (as the mouth of a river) where the tide meets the current of the stream; 2. A drowned river mouth caused by the sinking of the land near the coast

Quote for the day:

“We hide ourselves in our music to reveal ourselves.” Jim Morrison, 1975

May 29, 2013

Food for Thought

This day in history:

From history.com:

1953, Hillary, of New Zealand, and Norgay, of Nepal, both set foot on the summit of Mt. Everest. It was at 11:30 in 1953. The first recorded attempt to reach the summit was in 1921 by a British expedition.

On this day in 2005, 23-year-old Danica Patrick becomes the first female driver to take the lead in the storied Indianapolis 500.

In 1988, President Reagan made his first trip to Moscow to meet with Gorbachev and begin their fourth summit meeting. Just six months earlier, during a summit in Washington, D.C., in December 1987, the two men had signed the historic Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty.

1848, Following approval of statehood by the territory’s citizens, Wisconsin enters the Union as the 30th state.

2003, In a public ceremony held in Hollywood, city officials renamed the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Avenue–famous for its historic buildings and as a central point on the Hollywood Walk of Fame–Bob Hope Square

1917, John Fitzgerald Kennedy was born.

Born on this day:

Patrick Henry, 1736-1799, Patriot

Bob Hope 1903-2003, Comedian

John F. Kennedy, 1917-1963, U.S. President

Annette Bening, 55, actress

Eric Davis, 51, baseball player

Al Unser, Sr. 54, car racer

Lisa Whelchel, 50, actress

Quote for the day:

“Everyone excels in something in which another fails.” Publilius Syrus

“We cannot all do all things.” Vergil

Word for the day:

Kaput – 1. Ruined, done for, demolished. 2. unable to operate or continue.

Genealogy tip of the day:

If your deceased ancestor served in the U.S. armed forces [since 1900] and filed a claim for benefits, you can request to view the C-File kept on the veteran by contacting your nearest Veterans Affairs Office. Include as much relevant information as possible, especially full name, Social Security Number, and C-File number, if known.

May 28, 2013

Food for Thought

This Day in History:

World War I: U.S. troops score victory at Cantigny, 1918

World War II: Belgium surrenders unconditionally, 1940

Viet Nam: U.S. troops abandon “Hamburger Hill”, 1969

United States: Brooklyn Bridge turns 130

Birthdays today:

Dionne Quintuplets, 89 – 2 of which are still living, Cecile and Annette

Rudolph Giuliani, 69, former NYC mayor

Gladys Knight, 69, singer

Christa Miller, 49, actress

Quote of the Day

“The sources of information are the springs from which democracy drinks.” Adlai Stevenson, 1956

Word for the Day

Smirch – 1. to discolor or soil; spot or smudge with or as with soot, dust, dirt, etc. 2. to sully or tarnish a person, reputation or character, disgrace; discredit; 3. a dirty mark or smear, as of soot, dust, dirt etc.; 4. a stain or blot, as on reputation.

May 23,2013

Food for Thought

Today in History International World Turtle Day: An observance to help people celebrate and protect turtles and tortoises as well as their habitats around the world. For more information contact Susan Tellem, American Tortoise Rescue, 30765 Pacific Coast Hiway #243, Malibu, CA 90265

Genealogy Tip for today: From neags.com (North East Alabama Genealogical Society): Look at the ages of your ancestors when they had their “first” marriage. Was their age at that “first” marriage old enough that there might have been a marriage before the marriage you think was their “first?”

Birthdays today:

Rosemary Clooney 85th birth anniversary

Douglas Fairbanks, 130th birth anniversary

Drew Carey, 52, actor

Joan Collins, 80, actress

Word for the day: Neap tide – a tide of minimum range occurring at the first and the third quarters of the moon.

Quote for the day: “Conscience is the inner voice which warns us that someone may be looking.” H. L. Mencken, 1955

Today’s Strawberry Recipe From Campbell’s Kitchens Petit Four Berry Shortcakes

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pints fresh strawberries, cut into 36 slices (about 3 cups)

2 tablespoons sugar 1/2 of a 17.3-ounce package Pastry Sheets (1 sheet), thawed according to package directions

1 container (16 ounces) frozen whipped topping, thawed or 4 cups sweetened whipped cream

2 squares (1 ounce each) semi-sweet chocolate, melted

Directions:

-Heat the oven to 400°F.

-Toss the strawberries with the sugar in a medium bowl.

-Unfold the pastry sheet on a lightly floured surface. Cut the pastry into 3 strips along the fold marks. Cut each strip into 3 squares, and cut each square into quarters, making a total of 36 (1 1/4-inch) squares. Place the squares 1-inch apart on greased or parchment-lined baking sheets.

-Bake the pastries for 15 minutes or until they’re golden brown. Remove the pastries from the baking sheets and cool them on wire racks.

-Split each pastry into 2 layers. Spread 1 tablespoon whipped topping on each of 36 bottom layers. Top each with 1 strawberry slice, 1 tablespoon whipped topping and a top pastry layer.

Food for Thought

May 22, 2013

Today in History

-Johnny Carson’s final show, 1992. After almost 30 years as host, Johnny Carson hosted for the last time. Johnny Carson followed Steve Allen who had started the show as a local New York program. When Johnny retired, Ed McMahon his sidekick for those 30 years, and Doc Severenson, his band leader retired with him. He was followed by Jay Leno who is also now retiring.

-Strongest earthquake of the 20th century: On this day in 1960 an earthquake of the magnitude of 9.5 struck southern Chile, killing 2,000 people and leaving 2 million homeless. The earthquake was so strong that it also caused damage to Hawaii, Japan and the Philippines.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Document from the very beginning. It is much easier to do this from the start then to have to catch up, down the road. It is easier on the wallet to spread this over time, as you need it, then to have to pay out a large amount to catch up.

Birthdays today:

-Richard Wagner’s 200^th birth anniversary. German composer who made radical changes in the structure of opera

-Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, author, and creator of Sherlock Holmes; b. 154 years ago today

-Peter Nero, 79, conductor, composer, pianist

-Novak Djokovic, 26, Tennis player, b. in Belgrade

Word for the day:

Pedant: 1. a person who makes an excessive or inappropriate display of learning, 2. a person who overemphasizes rules or minor details. 3. a person who adheres rigidly to book knowledge without regard to common sense. 4. obsolete, Schoolmaster.

Quote for the day:

“Congress is so strange. A man gets up to speak and says nothing. Nobody listens—and then everybody disagrees.” Boris Marshalov, 1941

Today’s Strawberry Recipe

From foodnetwork.com

Chocolate Brownie Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients

Cookies:

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips (18 ounces)

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

3 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

White Chocolate Ganache Filling:

1/3 cup whipping cream

2 cups white chocolate chips or 12 ounces white chocolate, coarsely chopped

Strawberry Preserves:

1/2 cup strawberry preserves

About 1 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest

White Chocolate Drizzle:

3 ounces white chocolate, finely chopped

Lollipop sticks, optional

Directions

For the cookies: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper.

Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a small bowl.

Stir the 2 cups chocolate chips and butter in a medium bowl over a saucepan of barely simmering water until the chocolate mixture is melted and smooth. Remove the bowl and set aside. The mixture may be thick.

Combine the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat the egg mixture using an electric mixture, until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the melted chocolate mixture and beat until well blended. Add the flour mixture and beat until just incorporated. Stir the remaining 1 cup chocolate chips into the batter. If the batter is very soft, chill for 15 to 20 minutes to allow the batter to firm up slightly. The batter can be prepared 1 day ahead. Let the batter stand at room temperature at least 1 hour before continuing.

Using a small cookie scoop, drop the batter in rounded tablespoonfuls onto the baking sheets, spacing 1 1/2-to-2-inches apart. Bake the cookies until slightly firm to touch and crackled all over tops but still soft in the center, 12 to 15 minutes. Cool the cookies on the sheets.

For the white chocolate ganache: Bring the cream to simmer over medium heat in a heavy small saucepan. Remove the pan from heat and add the white chocolate chips. Stir until melted and smooth. Chill the ganache until firm enough to spread, 1 to 2 hours. The ganache can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and keep chilled. Let the ganache stand at room temperature 2 hours to soften slightly before using.

May 21, 2013

Today in History

American Red Cross Founded, Anniversary. The American Red Cross was founded by Clara Barton in 1881. It had been started inSwitzerland, in 1864. Besides providing blood and blood products, the teach health and safety classes and act as a go between for emergency messages between American families and their military family member.

On this day in 1878 Glenn Hammond Curtiss was born in Hammondsport, NY. He became an American inventor and aviator. He died in Buffalo, NY in 1930.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Boundaries change, constantly, with every war, or skirmish or acquisition and other event. Be sure to be aware of the time period you are working in. For boundaries in the US, William Dollarhide’s book “Map Guide to the U.S. Federal Censuses 1790-1920” show state and county changes from census to census.

Birthdays today:

Janet Dalley, 69, b. 1944, author, romance novelist.

Judge Reinhold, 56, b. 1948, actor (Beverly Hills Cop)

Mr. T. 61, b. 1952, actor (Rocky III, the A-Team),

Word for the day: Afterday is the day after tomorrow.

Quote for the day:

My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.

Mitch Hedberg

Today’s Strawberry Recipe

Strawberry Swirl Cheesecake

Ingredients:

1 cup Graham Cracker Crumbs

3 Tbsp. sugar

3 Tbsp. butter, melted

5 pkg. (8 oz. each) Philadelphia Cream Cheese, softened

1 cup sugar

3 Tbsp. flour

1 Tbsp. vanilla

1 cup Sour Cream

4 eggs

1/3 cup seedless strawberry jam

Directions:

HEAT – oven to 325°F.

LINE – 13×9-inch pan with foil, with ends of foil extending over sides. Mix graham crumbs, 3 Tbsp. sugar and butter; press onto bottom of pan. Bake 10 min.

BEAT – cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, flour and vanilla with mixer until well blended. Add sour cream; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, mixing on low speed after each just until blended. Pour over crust. Gently drop small spoonfuls of jam over batter; swirl with knife.

BAKE – 40 min. or until center is almost set. Cool completely. Refrigerate 4 hours. Use foil handles to lift cheesecake from pan before cutting to serve.

May 20, 2013

Today in History

Aviation history was made twice on this day, May 20. In 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew from New York City to Paris, France in about 34 hours, covering 3,600 miles. Five years later, Amelia Earhart crossed the Atlantic from Newfoundland, Canada to Ireland in 13 hours, 30 minutes, covering 2,026 hours. Lindbergh became the first person ever to fly solo over the Atlantic and Earhart became the first woman to accomplish this feat.

Today is the 100^th birth anniversary of William Hewlett, one of two people who founded Hewlett-Packard Company. He passed away in 2001 with an estate worth $9 billion.

Genealogy Tip for today:

Remember names can have various spellings, or be anglicanized, or translated. Names can be completely changed to another surname, including legally changed in court or not.

Birthdays today-

Ronald Prescott Reagan, 55, television host and commentator.

Bronson Pinchot, 54, actor.

Word for the day: Coalesce

-to cause to unite in one body or mass.

Quote for the day

Biology gives you a brain. Life turns it into a mind. Jeffrey Eugenides

Today’s Strawberry Recipe

Strawberry-Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:

1 cup finely chopped strawberries

¼ cup finely chopped peeled avocado

2 tablespoons finely chopped red onion

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

½ teaspoon grated lime rind

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 teaspoons finely chopped seeded jalapenos

¼ teaspoon sugar

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in medium bowl; toss gently and serve.

Delicious on pork tenderloin.
Recipe from www.cookinglight.com

May 18, 2013

Genealogy DNA, part two

Continuing from my last blog…hang in there…

Last time we talked about a chromosome browser. Here is an example of one.

This graph is comparing father and son on each line, on the right. This is similar to what you will receive.

There is somewhat of a learning curve because of the terms used in the DNA science. For example: autosomal, mitochondrial, chromosome and others. ISOGG.com is a good website to study. This is an International Society for those involved in genetic genealogy. They have a tab “For Beginners” you can click on and it gives lots of helpful information. DNA 101 also lists terms that are used in this research and what they mean.

There is another organization/website that is doing testing: the Genographic Project. The National Geographic in cooperation with IBM and a foundation is providing public testing for DNA. Field researchers at 11 regional centers around the world collect DNA samples from indigenous populations. Different populations have different genetic markers, and by following them through the generations scientists are able to identify the different branches of the human diversity. Indigenous populations provide geographical and cultural context to the genetic markers in their DNA. Their primary focus aims to map historical human migration patterns by collecting and analyzing DNA samples of people from around the world. FamilyTreeDNA does that actual testing for the Genographic Project. You will receive the results (Data) from the test.

Any of these tests are easy and simple to perform. A quick swab of the inside of your cheek is all it takes. The costs range from $49 to over $600, depending on what you want done. You can start out small and upgrade over time to spread the costs out.

The Legal Genealogist, Judy Russell, has an article on Genealogy DNA that is worth the read. It explains it so that it is easy to understand and sheds more light on the various website then given here. Check out her website here. She also talks about another website, Gedmatch.com that is being revised but you can still access their front page.

May 15, 2013

Genealogy DNA

Submitted by Ms Guinn on Wed, 2013-05-15 11:27

Testing for Genealogy DNA is the newest “big thing” in genealogy. It is no different then any other DNA testing; you get the same kind of results. But how the results are used in genealogy is a little different. In genealogy you upload your data and see if there are other matches (i.e. people) out there in your same tree that you don’t know about. This can bring together folks who are researching the same ancestor but are not aware of each other.

There are three organizations who are the major players: 23andme.com; FamilyTreeDNA.com; and Ancestry.com. They all do the same thing, but they do have different focuses.

23andme.com has a chromosome browser. This means you can look at your raw data in graph form, which makes a little more sense. Their primary focus, however, is for health issues in people groups, for example, the Amish.

But this is still a useful sight; more on that later. If you want to trace the male/surname line, you might find matches here because of the target groups they research. However, their gene pool at the moment is not as large as the others.

FamilyTreeDNA.com has a large database for comparison. For YDNA (male) or mtDNA (female) or even autosomal DNA (total) this is the website that will bring you the biggest results. They have a large surname testing project. This would be the place to research unless you want something more on the medical side of your line. FamilyTreeDNA does not have a browser yet, but they are working on it. For now, you can receive your raw data and for a fee, upload it at 23andme.com and look at it in their browser.

Ancestry.com is the third site that is doing genealogy DNA. This is the best place to go for matches in your tree. However, they, too, do not have a browser yet. They are also working on standardizing their terms so that you can receive your raw data and upload it else where and all the terms match. You will probably find your biggest amount of matches here. When it comes to genealogy this is probably the most exciting place as you may find others working on the same ancestor.

May 9, 2013

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Submitted by Ms Guinn on Thu, 2013-05-09 19:58

May is National Strawberry Month

May is National Strawberry Month. Strawberries are low in calories and high in Vitamin C. They contain antioxidants and may reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. Research indicates strawberries may help improve memory. Remember to pick up a basket of strawberries for reasons of health and taste. These easy tips will help you get those berries from the basket to the table.

-From ehow.com

Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Process strawberries in a food processor or blender 30 seconds or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour strawberry puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with back of a spoon. Discard solids. Add buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla to puree; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Pour strawberry mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.) Garnish, if desired.
1 (16-oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed, may be substituted.

Southern Living
MAY 2008

Today’s word of the day
Specious

Specious adj. 1. Having the ring of truth or plausibility but actually fallacious. “A specious argument.” 2. Deceptively attractive.

From wordthink.com

Today’s quote of the day:
“The less you talk, the more you’re listened to.” – Abigail Van Buren

From eduro.com:

New Urban Word for Today

Said no one ever – Declarative phrase appearing at the end of a statement which effectively negates the meaning of the previously stated text. Essentially, the presence of this statement instructs the reader that what has been stated up to this point is a fallacy in that no one would make that statement under any circumstances, at any time (in the past, present or future) in any corner of the known universe.

From urbandictionary.com

This Day in History

Last Episode of Honeymooners airs.
On this day in 1971, the last original episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners, starring Jackie Gleason as Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden, airs.

Genealogy Humor

Genealogists don’t die. They just lose their census.

Poem for Today

Poetry Is

Poetry is the thinking of my mind
Revealing my thoughts as words.

Poetry is the music of my soul
Revealing the words as song.

Poetry is the feelings of my heart
Revealing by song who I am

Submitted by Ms Guinn on Thu, 2013-05-09 19:58

May is National Strawberry Month

-From ehow.com

Strawberry-Buttermilk Sherbet

Ingredients

2 cups fresh strawberries
2 cups buttermilk
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Garnish: fresh mint sprigs

Preparation

1. Process strawberries in a food processor or blender 30 seconds or until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides. Pour strawberry puree through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a large bowl, pressing with back of a spoon. Discard solids. Add buttermilk, sugar, and vanilla to puree; stir until well blended. Cover and chill 1 hour.
2. Pour strawberry mixture into freezer container of a 1 1/2-qt. electric ice-cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer’s instructions. (Instructions and times may vary.) Garnish, if desired.
1 (16-oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed, may be substituted.

Southern Living

Today’s quote of the day:

“The less you talk, the more you’re listened to.” – Abigail Van Buren

From eduro.com:

New Urban Word for Today

From urbandictionary.com

This Day in History

Last Episode of Honeymooners airs.
On this day in 1971, the last original episode of the sitcom The Honeymooners, starring Jackie Gleason as Brooklyn bus driver Ralph Kramden, airs.

Genealogy Humor

Genealogists don’t die. They just lose their census.

Poem for Today

Poetry Is

Poetry is the thinking of my mind
Revealing my thoughts as words.

Poetry is the music of my soul
Revealing the words as song.

Poetry is the feelings of my heart
Revealing by song who I am

Catalog Search

BOOKS, BONES AND BEYOND

altruistic •\ˌal-trü-ˈis-tik\• adjective

Insidious

Genealogy Tip for today:

8. Be Courteous & Respectful

cognoscenti

Genealogy Tip for today: 6. Learn the Lay of the Land

Prep Time: 40 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:

Preparation:

Dry Rub:

Now you know!

July 3, 2013

Since tomorrow is Independence Day there will be no blog entry on the 4th. In honor of the day, we offer the following.

America – My Crayon Box

The City of Rogers will be celebrating Wednesday evening

July is National Grilling Month

Now You Know

July 2, 2013

A Poem for today ~

Quote for the day:

Grilled Chicken: An All-American Favorite

Enjoy

July 1, 2013

Today in History

July is National Grilling Month

Marinade

June 29, 2013

Ingredients

Preparation

June 26, 2013

ANNOUNCEMENTS

TODAY’S TIDBITS

Ultimate TurtleDesert

June 24, 2013

Ingredients

Preparation

On this day…

MAY 31, 2013

Food for Thought

May 30, 2013

Food for Thought

May 29, 2013

Food for Thought

May 28, 2013

Food for Thought

May 23,2013

Food for Thought

Food for Thought

May 18, 2013

Genealogy DNA, part two

May 15, 2013

Genealogy DNA

May 9, 2013

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

May is National Strawberry Month

Today’s word of the day Specious

May is National Strawberry Month

CATEGORIES

Recent posts

Today’s word of the day
Specious