Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ The State of Virginia ~ Roasted Spring Vegetables ~ Pigs in a Blanket

 

 If there is no blog after this, it's  because I have computer problems. 

Good 40º morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we topped at 83º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....perfectly timed...

Interesting about the state of Virginia

 

 

 

 

Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The state's capital is Richmond and its most populous city is Virginia Beach, though its most populous subdivision is Fairfax County, part of Northern Virginia, where slightly over a third of Virginia's population of 8.72 million live as of 2023.

 

The Blue Ridge Mountains cross the western and southwestern parts of the state. The state's central region lies predominantly in the Piedmont. Eastern Virginia is part of the Atlantic Plain, and the Middle Peninsula forms the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The fertile Shenandoah Valley fosters the state's most productive agricultural counties, while the economy in Northern Virginia is driven by technology companies and U.S. federal government agencies, including the U.S. Department of Defense and Central Intelligence Agency. Hampton Roads is also the site of the region's main seaport and Naval Station Norfolk, the world's largest naval base.

 

Virginia's history begins with several Indigenous groups, including the Powhatan. In 1607, the London Company established the Colony of Virginia as the first permanent English colony in the New World. Virginia's state nickname, the Old Dominion, is a reference to this status. Slaves from Africa and land from displaced native tribes fueled the growing plantation economy, but also fueled conflicts both inside and outside the colony. Virginia was one of the original Thirteen Colonies in the American Revolution and several key battles were fought there during that war. More major battles were fought in Virginia during the American Civil War, which split the state as the government in Richmond joined the Confederacy, but many northwestern counties remained loyal to the Union, which led to the separation of West Virginia in 1863.

 

Although the state was under one-party rule for nearly a century following the Reconstruction era, both major political parties have been competitive in Virginia since the repeal of Jim Crow laws in the 1970s. Virginia's state legislature is the Virginia General Assembly, which was established in July 1619, making it the oldest current law-making body in North America. It is made up of a 40-member Senate and a 100-member House of Delegates. Unlike other states, cities and counties in Virginia function as equals, but the state government manages most local roads inside each. It is the only state where governors are prohibited from serving consecutive terms.

 

Earliest inhabitants

 

Nomadic hunters are estimated to have arrived in Virginia around 17,000 years ago. Evidence from Daugherty's Cave in Russell County shows it was regularly used as a rock shelter by 9,800 years ago. During the late Woodland period (500–1000 CE), tribes coalesced, and farming, first of corn and squash, began, with beans and tobacco arriving from the southwest and Mexico by the end of the period. Palisaded towns began to be built around 1200, and the native population in the current boundaries of Virginia reached around 50,000 in the 1500s. Large groups in the area at that time included the Algonquian in the Tidewater region, which they referred to as Tsenacommacah, the Iroquoian-speaking Nottoway and Meherrin to the north and south, and the Tutelo, who spoke Siouan, to the west.

 

In response to threats from these other groups to their trade network, thirty or so Virginia Algonquian-speaking tribes consolidated during the 1570s under Wahunsenacawh, known in English as Chief Powhatan. Powhatan controlled more than 150 settlements that had total population of around 15,000 in 1607. Three-fourths of the native population in Virginia, however, died from smallpox and other Old World diseases during that century, disrupting their oral traditions and complicating research into earlier periods.^[ Additionally, many primary sources, including those that mention Powhatan's daughter, Pocahontas, were created by Europeans, who may have held biases or misunderstood native social structures and customs.

 

Statehood

In the decade following the French and Indian War, the British Parliament under prime ministers Grenville, Chatham, and North passed new taxes on various colonial activities. These were deeply unpopular in the colonies, and in the House of Burgesses, opposition to taxation without representation was led by Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, among others. Virginians began to coordinate their actions with other colonies in 1773 and sent delegates to the Continental Congress the following year.^[37] After the House of Burgesses was dissolved in 1774 by the royal governor, Virginia's revolutionary leaders continued to govern via the Virginia Conventions. On May 15, 1776, the Convention declared Virginia's independence from the British Empire and adopted George Mason's Virginia Declaration of Rights, which was then included in a new constitution that designated Virginia as a commonwealth, using a translation of the Latin term res publica. Another Virginian, Thomas Jefferson, drew upon Mason's work in drafting the national Declaration of Independence.

 

After the American Revolutionary War began in 1775, George Washington was selected by the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia to head the Continental Army, and many Virginians joined the army and other revolutionary militias. Virginia was the first colony to ratify the Articles of Confederation in December 1777. In April 1780, the capital was moved to Richmond at the urging of Governor Thomas Jefferson, who feared that Williamsburg's coastal location would make it vulnerable to British attack. British forces indeed landed around Portsmouth in October 1780, and soldiers under Benedict Arnold managed to raid Richmond in January 1781. The British army had over seven thousand soldiers and twenty-five warships stationed in Virginia at the beginning of 1781, but General Charles Cornwallis and his superiors were indecisive, and maneuvers by the three thousand soldiers under the Marquis de Lafayette and twenty-nine allied French warships together managed to confine the British to a swampy area of the Virginia Peninsula in September. Around sixteen thousand soldiers under George Washington and Comte de Rochambeau quickly converged there and defeated Cornwallis in the siege of Yorktown. His surrender on October 19, 1781, led to peace negotiations in Paris and secured the independence of the colonies.

 

Virginians were instrumental in the new country's early years and in writing the United States Constitution. James Madison drafted the Virginia Plan in 1787 and the Bill of Rights in 1789. Virginia ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788. The three-fifths compromise ensured that Virginia, with its large number of slaves, initially had the largest bloc in the House of Representatives. Together with the Virginia dynasty of presidents, this gave the Commonwealth national importance. In 1790, Virginia and Maryland ceded territory to form the new national capital, which moved from Philadelphia to the District of Columbia a decade later, in 1800. In 1846, the Virginian area of the new capital was retroceded. Virginia is called the "Mother of States" because of its role in being carved into states such as Kentucky, which became the fifteenth state in 1792, and for the numbers of American pioneers born in Virginia. It's also known as the Mother of Presidents, being the home state of eight different Presidents, the highest in the nation.

 

^ Virginia State Capitol in Richmond

^Richmond Virginia 

^Norfolk Virginia

^Rosslyn Virginia

If you want to read a whole lot more, go here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia

 

 

From Mr. Food

 

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

25 Min

We love spring! Why? Because this is the time of year when produce is at its peak! The radishes, asparagus, and corn all taste like Heaven. That's why we made them the stars of our recipe for Roasted Spring Vegetables. After one bite you'll want to make this recipe more than just a spring-fling; no matter what time of year it is, this recipe is something you'll crave. 

 

• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 12 ounces asparagus, washed, trimmed, and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 8 radishes, washed, trimmed, and cut in half
• 3 ears fresh corn, cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh dill

 

1. Preheat oven to 400º. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray.
2. In a large bowl, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper; mix well. Add vegetables to mixture and toss until evenly coated. Spread in a single layer on prepared baking sheet.
3. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until veggies start to brown. Sprinkle with dill and serve.

 

 

Historically this date.........

1967 – Cosmonaut Vladimir Komarov dies in Soyuz 1 when its parachute fails to open. He is the first human to die during a space mission.

1970 – The first Chinese satellite, Dong Fang Hong I, is launched. (Oh my, that sounds funny!!)

1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis.

2005 – Snuppy, the world's first cloned dog, is born in South Korea.

 

And births this date include....

1934 – Shirley MacLaine, American actor and author

 

1936 – Jill Ireland, British actress (d. 1990)

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Wednesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Celebrated across the world, the term often refers to a variety of different dishes. In the United States, Pigs-in-a-Blanket are often hot dogs or sausages wrapped in biscuit or croissant dough and baked. Pigs-in-a-Blanket are generally served as an appetizer or as breakfast. However, it can be served any mealtime!

The following from Wikipedia.....

Pigs in a blanket (also pig in a blanket) is a variety of different sausage-based foods in the United Kingdom, United States, Denmark, Republic of Ireland, Germany, Belgium, Russia, Canada, and Japan. The sausage centre varies depending on geographic location (e.g Cumberland is a favoured variety in the UK while it is virtually unknown in the USA). Geography also dominates the form of the ‘blanket’ with bacon being the most common choice in the UK, while Americans choose pastry.

Many are large, but other recipes call for a dish that is small in size and can be eaten in one or two bites. For this reason, they are commonly served as an appetizer or hors d'oeuvre, or are accompanied by other items during the main course.

A small bite-sized form is a common hors d'oeuvre served at cocktail parties and is often accompanied by a mustard or aioli dipping sauce.

Pigs in a blanket are different from sausage rolls, consisting of sausage meat (different in flavor, texture and appearance to an actual sausage) wrapped in flaky pastry. These are mainly eaten in the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada and New Zealand as a lunchtime snack.

Weather ~ Picture of the Day ~ State of West Virginia ~ Mac & Cheese Burger ~ National Lost Dog Awareness Day

  

Good 39º clear sky morning. 

 

 

Yesterday we started at 34º and topped at 88º.

 

 

Picture of the Day....perfect timing

 

 

Interesting about West Virginia........

West Virginia is a state in the Southern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. It is bordered by Pennsylvania to the north and east, Maryland to the east and northeast, Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, and Ohio to the northwest. West Virginia is the 10th-smallest state by area and ranks as the 12th-least populous state, with a population of 1,793,716 residents. The capital and most populous city is Charleston with a population of 49,055.

 

^Charleston 

 

West Virginia was admitted to the Union on June 20, 1863, and was a key border state during the American Civil War. It was the only state to form by separating from a Confederate state, one of two states (along with Nevada) admitted to the Union during the Civil War, and the second state to separate from another state, after Maine separated from Massachusetts in 1820. Some of its residents held slaves, but most were yeoman farmers, and the delegates provided for the gradual abolition of slavery in the new state constitution. The state legislature abolished slavery in the state, and at the same time ratified the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery nationally on February 3, 1865.

 

West Virginia's northern panhandle extends adjacent to Pennsylvania and Ohio to form a tristate area, with Wheeling, Weirton, and Morgantown just across the border from the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. Huntington in the southwest is close to Ohio and Kentucky, while Martinsburg and Harpers Ferry in the eastern panhandle region are considered part of the Washington metropolitan area, between Maryland and Virginia. West Virginia is often included in several U.S. geographical regions, including the Mid-Atlantic, the Upland South, and the Southeastern United States. It is the only state entirely within the area served by the Appalachian Regional Commission; the area is commonly defined as "Appalachia".

 

The state is noted for its mountains and rolling hills, its historically significant coal mining and logging industries, and its political and labor history. It is also known for its tourism and a wide range of outdoor recreational opportunities, including skiing, whitewater rafting, fishing, hiking, backpacking, mountain biking, rock climbing, and hunting. From the Great Depression to the 1990s, the state voted heavily for the Democratic Party due to its tradition of union-based politics. Since then, the state has become heavily Republican, and is considered a "deep red" state at the federal level.

Other nominated names for the state included Vandalia, Kanawha, Appalachia, and Western Virginia. The capital was originally Wheeling, before switching to Charleston, moving back to Wheeling, and finally back to Charleston. The first governor was Arthur Boreman.

 

The area now identified as West Virginia was contested territory among Anglo-Americans as well, with the colonies of Pennsylvania and Virginia claiming territorial rights under their colonial charters to this area before the American Revolutionary War. Some speculative land companies, such as the Vandalia Company,^[12] the Ohio Company and the Indiana Company, tried but failed to legitimize their claims to land in parts of West Virginia and present-day Kentucky. This rivalry resulted in some settlers petitioning the Continental Congress to create a new territory called Westsylvania. With the federal settlement of the Pennsylvania and Virginia border dispute, creating Kentucky County, Virginia, Kentuckians "were satisfied  and the inhabitants of a large part of West Virginia were grateful."

 

West Virginia was the only state in the Union to separate from a Confederate state (Virginia) during the Civil War. In Richmond on April 17, 1861, the Virginia Secession Convention of 1861 voted to secede from the Union, but of the 49 delegates from the northwestern corner (which ultimately became West Virginia) only 17 voted in favor of the Ordinance of Secession, while 30 voted against (with two abstentions). Almost immediately after that vote, a mass meeting at Clarksburg recommended that each county in northwestern Virginia send delegates to a convention to meet in Wheeling on May 13, 1861. When this First Wheeling Convention met, 425 delegates from 25 counties were present, though more than one-third of the delegates were from the northern panhandle area. Soon there was a division of sentiment.

 

On May 13, 1862, the state legislature of the reorganized government approved the formation of the new state. An application for admission to the Union was made to Congress, introduced by Senator Waitman Willey of the Restored Government of Virginia. Carlile sought to sabotage the bill, first trying to expand the new state's boundaries to include the Shenandoah Valley, and then to defeat the Willey amendment at home. On December 31, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln approved an enabling act admitting West Virginia on the condition that a provision for the gradual abolition of slavery be inserted in its constitution (as Battelle had urged in the Wheeling Intelligencer and also written to Lincoln). While many felt West Virginia's admission as a state was both illegal and unconstitutional, Lincoln issued his Opinion on the Admission of West Virginia finding that "the body which consents to the admission of West Virginia is the Legislature of Virginia", and that its admission was therefore both constitutional and expedient.

 

If you want to read a whole lot more, go here:https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia

 

 

From Mr. Food....Mac and Cheese Burger

 

SERVES

4

COOK TIME

10 Min

We paired two American favorites to make one outrageously good summer recipe. Our Mac & Cheese Burger is a big juicy burger that's topped with lettuce, pickles, bacon, and...macaroni and cheese! Make these burgers at your next cookout and we're sure you'll have the most interesting burgers on the block!

 

• 1 1/4 pound ground chuck
• 1 tablespoon steak sauce
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen macaroni and cheese
• 4 hamburger rolls
• Lettuce for garnish
• Pickle chips for garnish
• 4 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, cut in half

 

1. Preheat a grill or a grill pan to medium-high heat.
2. In a medium bowl, combine beef, steak sauce, salt, and pepper; mix well. Form meat mixture into 4 equal patties.
3. Prepare macaroni and cheese according to package directions, set aside. Meanwhile, cook burgers 8 to 12 minutes or until desired doneness, turning halfway through.
4. Place lettuce on rolls, top with burgers, macaroni and cheese, pickles and bacon. Serve immediately.

 

*****If you are cooking the burgers on the grill, you can put the macaroni and cheese in either an aluminum pan or cast iron skillet and keep it warm right near the burgers!

 

 

 

Historically this date......

1945 – Adolf Hitler's designated successor Hermann Göring sends him a telegram asking permission to take leadership of the Third Reich, which causes Hitler to replace him with Joseph Goebbels and Karl Dönitz.

1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than 3 months.

 

And births this date include...

1928 – Shirley Temple, American actress and politician (d. 2014)

 

1939 – Lee Majors, American actor

 

1942 – Sandra Dee, American actress (d. 2005)

 

1943 – Hervé Villechaize, French actor (d. 1993)

1949 – Joyce DeWitt, American actress

 

1960 – Valerie Bertinelli, American actress

 

1967 – Melina Kanakaredes, American actress

 

 

 

All I know. Nuff said. Have a good Tuesday. Ciao.

xo Sue Mom Bobo

Each year on April 23rd, National Lost Dog Awareness Day increases awareness concerning missing dogs and celebrates reunions. 

Through networks of shelters, veterinaries, social media, and other media sources, many lost canines and families reunite. The day is an opportunity to learn more about prevention and networking. There are also steps to take to prevent your family pet from going missing. Some of these preventative steps also help return Fido to you if he does go missing.

Preventative steps to take:

• Keep your dog secure. Whether on a leash or in a fenced yard, your dog is less likely to wander if it is secured.
• Training is valuable. Dogs who have been trained by a professional are less likely to go missing. Most importantly, they learn recall commands. Formal obedience training also offers owners valuable information that can lead to a better relationship between pet and owner.
• Always supervise your animal. Dogs, especially expensive purebreds, can be stolen even from a fenced yard.
• Tags and microchipping help with the recovery of a missing animal. These steps must be completed when you first receive your new family member. While tags are an inexpensive way to protect your pet, dogs can slip a collar. Many pet adoption sites will hold microchipping events for a fraction of the cost. The price is coming down all the time, too. It is essential to keep the information on the microchip or tag up to date also. It is only as useful as the information listed on the chip in helping recover your pet.
• Spaying and neutering reduce your pet’s likelihood of wandering off in search of a mate. Additionally, it eliminates the chances of unwanted offspring should your dog wander off unexpectedly.
• Keep records up to date on your animals. That includes photos, vaccinations, and those valuable tags and microchips, too.

Taking action if your pet goes missing:

• Contact your local shelters and vets. Please provide them with current information regarding your dog, including a color photograph.
• Walk your neighborhood. Let your neighbors know as you search. Enlist their help, too.
• Post notices in neighborhood grocery stores, gas stations, and coffee shops. Go to social media and post your pet’s info in local community forums. 
• Check advertising websites. If your dog was stolen, you might recognize the description from the ad. Contact the police if you think your dog was stolen.

HOW TO OBSERVE 

Take steps to protect your pet. Develop a plan. 

NATIONAL LOST DOG AWARENESS DAY HISTORY

Lost Dogs Illinois and Lost Dogs Wisconsin directors Susan Taney and Kathy Pobloskie created National Lost Dog Awareness Day in 2014 to increase awareness and help prevent animals from going missing. They also promote celebrating reunions.