Cathy Burnham Martin's Blog, page 56

Be YOU!

Today you are you! That is truer than true! There is no one alive who is you-er than you!

— Dr. Seuss (Theodor Seuss Geisel) (1904 – 1991)
American children’s author, illustrator, and political cartoonist

Happiest Birthday wishes to my hubby, Sir Ronald!

Rumaki Anyone?

I was recalling Rumaki, a popular appetizer from the 1950s & 60s. Thought you might like this updated rendition and some variations.

Rumaki
1 recipe of Asian Sauce (below)
6 chicken livers, halved
6-oz can sliced water chestnuts, drained
6 slices raw bacon, halved
¼ c coconut sugar
Pour Asian Sauce into large zip-top plastic bag with livers and 12 slices water chestnuts. Close and refrigerate 4 hours. Reserve the marinade. Wrap 1 liver and 1 water chestnut slice in each piece bacon, securing with wooden toothpick. Roll in coconut sugar Broil 3” from heat for 10 min, turning once or twice until bacon is crisp. Makes 12 tapas pieces.

Asian Sauce
¼ c tamari or soy sauce
¼ c x-virgin olive oil
2 T catsup
1 T apple cider vinegar
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp garlic powder
Combine. Makes ½ c of sauce.

KISS Variations: Try these as Oysters in Bacon. Use 1 lb bacon, partially cooked and cut in half. Plus, an 8-oz tub or can of whole oysters, each cut in 3 pieces. Wrap bacon around an oyster; secure with wooden toothpick. Bake at 350°F for 12 min, turning once or twice. Turn this into a Rockefeller-style with the addition of baby spinach, etc. Also can do this as a Shrimp Rockefeller. Another Super Simple twist is to replace Asian Sauce with a favorite bottled sweet Thai chili or General Tso sauce. You can also eliminate the chicken livers completely, and use whole water chestnuts. Or replace the chicken livers with another protein or even a chunk of pineapple.

Educate

 

“Bigotry is the disease of ignorance of morbid minds.  Education and free discussion are the antidotes.”

— Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
3rd president of the United States; diplomat, architect, and philosopher (in a letter to John Adams on August 1, 1816)

Do a Grouch a Favor Day

I think I will simply share a positive thought for “Do a Grouch a Favor Day.”

 

“I’ve always believed that you can think positive just as well as you can think negative.”

— Sugar Ray Robinson (1921-1989)
American professional boxer

National Wisconsin Day

 

Wisconsin became the 30th state of the union in 1848. Being shortly before the Civil War, people met in Ripon, Wisconsin to discuss stopping the spread of slavery, resulting in the creation of the Republican Party. The state then became an important part of the Underground Railroad, helping escaped slaves reach freedom in Canada.

 

Wisconsin’s prairie soil is very fertile, boosting corn, the state’s #1 crop. The Sun Prairie’s sweet corn festival is one of the largest of its kind in the nation.

 

 

The Badger State is so famous for its cheese that it has a cheese museum. In truth, the Swiss Cheese Capitol of the World is in Wisconsin, rather than in Switzerland. The term “cheesehead” started as a term used by German soldiers to insult the Dutch during World War II, long before Green Bay Packers’ fans adopted it. Famous for its dairy products, Wisconsin banned the sale and use of margarine from 1895 to 1967. It remains illegal for a restaurant to serve margarine as a butter substitute unless a customer requests it.

 

The name Wisconsin hails from a Native American word “meskonsing,” meaning “this stream meanders through something red,” likely referring to the state’s reddish sandstone. Eleven Native American tribes still live in Wisconsin today.

 

 

With a current population nearing 6 million people, the state is noted for its forests and fertile farmland.

 

 

 

 

Neighboring Minnesota is called the Land of 10,000 Lakes, but Wisconsin has more than 15,000, all created during the last Ice Age some 12,000 years ago when glaciers scraped across the land.

 

 

 

 

 

Glaciers carved a sandstone gorge called the Dells of the Wisconsin River, along with flattop hills called buttes and mesas.

 

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin is also home to a major archaeological find: 14,500-year-old mammoth bones with human-made tool marks.

 

 

 

Here are a few more fun facts.

 

Nearly 21 million gallons of ice cream are consumed by Wisconsinites each year.

Green Bay, the oldest city in Wisconsin, is known as the “Toilet Paper Capital” of the world.

 

 

Sheboygan, which freshwater surfers know as the “Malibu of the Midwest” is also known as the “Bratwurst Capital” of the world.

 

 

The Fox River is one of the few rivers in the nation that flows north.

More than 800,000 deer roam Wisconsin woods.

With 250 miles of lake front shoreline, Door County has more shoreline than any other U.S. county.

 

 

A long list of famous folks hail from Wisconsin, including magician Harry Houdini, architect Frank Lloyd Wright, actor Orson Wells, and performer Liberace.

 

 

 

 

Wisconsin contains 60,570 acres of State parks and 471,329 acres of State forests.

Its highest elevation is Timms Hill at 1,951.5 feet.

 

 

 

The town of Warrens has 400 residents but draws 100,000 visitors each September for the world’s largest cranberry festival. Wisconsin produces 60% of the nation’s cranberries.

Happy Valentine’s Day

 

“Love is an attempt to change a piece of a dream world into reality.”

— Theodor Reik (1888 – 1969)
Austrian psychoanalyst

National Italian Food Day

 

We celebrate National Italian Food Day every year on February 13th.

 

 

 

 

So, perhaps you’ll want a nice Bolognese pasta, because Ragu alle Bolognese is Italy’s national food, made with meat, tomatoes, and tagliatelle pasta.

 

 

 

But the most popular food in Italy is pizza. In 1889, when Queen Margherita of Savoy visited the city of Naples, the now famous pizza Margherita was born.

 

 

 

Representing the colors of the Italian flag, it features tomato sauce, hefty chunks of fresh mozzarella cheese, and basil leaves.

 

 

 

(Okay, I admit that before I toss one on the grill, I tend to add some pepperoni.)

 

 

 

On one of our Italian cruises with friends Dr. Jeremy and Beverly Moody, Sir Ronald and Dr. J learned to toss pizza dough. Glad we were on the top deck, as Sir Ronald was shooting for the moon!

 

 

We have also enjoyed pizza Margherita at Campiello’s on 3rd Avenue in Naples, FL. They cut the basil in strips and add shredded Parmesan. But, ahhhhh, it’s a treat to enjoy with a glass of wine at an outside table on National Italian Food Day or any other!

Turn that Frown Upside Down

Image by Ryan McGuire

 

“Start off every day with a smile and get it over with.”

— W.C. Fields (1880 – 1996)
American actor and comedian

We Need Songbirds

 

“The only thing better than singing is more singing.”

— Ella Fitzgerald (1917 – 1996)
American jazz singer

(I was humbled and honored during work at one fundraising event to share a dressing room with the “First Lady of Song.” She was most gracious.)

Defend Freedom

 

“We cannot defend freedom abroad by deserting it at home. “

— Edward R. Murrow (1908 – 1965)
American broadcast journalist and war correspondent