Chili Days and Frostie Nights

These cold days do lend themselves to one good thing -- the one pot hot meal.

Most of the time, I cook meals that have an entree and side dishes and salad. Sweetie likes it that way because it is how his mamma always cooked. One pot meals to him have always seemed like a cheat, and he wants lots of separate things, not casseroles especially.

All of that changes when it is this cold. Serve a hot bowl of soup or chili with a cold salad, and he is happy, especially if there is hot bread to go with it.

Meanwhile, the central heat is working (although the tightwad in me won't set it very high), the circuits blown by that space heater are reset, and the one day when rain is predicted soon will be warm enough that it will not be frozen precipitation.

Note: Snow is beautiful. In theory. On postcards. Or to visit. But I wouldn't have the courage to live with it on a full time basis. One snow every couple of years is plenty for me.


Today is:

Befana, Italy (Befana is the fairy who resides in chimneys, flies on a broom, and leaves toys and candy in stockings on Epiphany, their traditional day to exchange gifts.)

Bean Day

Blessing of the Waters, Turkey

Children's Day, Uruguay

Cuddle Up Day

Dia de los Reys (Three Kings Day) -- Hispanic Christians

Epiphany -- Christian

Feast of Aesculapius (Greek god of healing)

Feast of the Theophany --Orthodox Christian

Greek Cross Day

Maroon Festival, Jamaica

National Shortbread Day

Nativity of Christ -- Armenian Christian

Perch Tenlauf, Austria (A festival with scary masks and music to frighten away winter.)

St. Balthazar, Caspar, and Melchoir's Day (patron of travelers)

St. Macra's Day (patron against breast disease)

St. Peter Baptist's Day (patron of Japan)

Swap Day

Take a Poet to Lunch Day


Anniversaries Today:

Henry VIII marries Anne of Cleves, 1540 (his 4th wife)
George Washington marries Martha Dandridge Custis, 1759
George Bush marries Barbara Pierce, 1945


Birthdays Today:

Susan Perabo, 1969
Nancy Lopez, 1957
Rowan Atkinson, 1955
Bonnie Franklin, 1944
Vic Tayback, 1929
Sun Myung Moon, 1920
Loretta Young, 1913
Danny Thomas, 1912
Kahlil Gibran, 1883
Tom Mix, 1880
Carl Sandburg, 1878
Joan of Arc, 1412


Today in History:

The first Roman Catholic Mass is celebrated in the "New World," at La Isabela, Hispaniola, 1494
All Jews are expelled from Syria, 1497
The city of Lima, Peru, is founded by Francisco Pizarro, 1535
The first recorded boxing match of the style now called English Boxing is held -- the Duke of Albemarle's butler versus his butcher, 1681
Massachusetts slaves petition the legislature for freedom, 1773
Samuel Morse makes his first public demonstration of the telegraph, 1838
A patent for reducing zinc ore granted to Samuel Wetherill of Pennsylvania, 1857
The first telephone call is made from a submerged submarine, by Simon Lake, 1898
Maria Montessori opens her first school, in Rome, 1907
Mother Teresa arrives in Calcutta to begin her work among the poor of India, 1929
Thomas Edison submits his last patent application, for a "Holder for Article to be Electroplated," 1931
Barbara Hanley becomes Canada's first woman mayor, of the city of Webbwood, Ontario, 1936
The Pacific Clipper lands at Pan American's LaGuardia Field, compleating the first around the world flight, 1942