Happy Independence Day!
From: History.com
Independence Day in the U.S., is an annual holiday commemorating the formal adoption by the Continental Congress of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, in Philadelphia. Although the signing of the Declaration was not completed until August, the Fourth of July holiday has been accepted as the official anniversary of U.S. independence and is celebrated in all states and territories of the U.S.
The holiday was first observed in Philadelphia on July 8, 1776, at which time the Declaration of Independence was read aloud, city bells rang, and bands played. It was not declared a legal holiday, however, until 1941. The Fourth is traditionally celebrated publicly with parades and pageants, patriotic speeches, and organized firing of guns and cannons and displays of fireworks; early in the 20th century public concern for a “safe and sane” holiday resulted in restrictions on general use of fireworks. Family picnics and outings are a feature of private Fourth of July celebrations.
New Orleans June 2009
Posted by scotch in Family Fun, Family Outing, kids on June 19, 2009
Deva and I took the girls down to New Orleans last Saturday. We found out they were having the Louisiana Seafood Festival there in the French Market, so we enjoyed browsing through there for a bit. After that, we had lunch and took the girls to Southern Candymakers. Then we went to the Louisiana Children’s Museum, where the girls had a blast. Winn-Dixie has sponsored an exhibit there where the kids get to “play-shop” at a miniature Winn-Dixie!
Camping at Paul B. Johnson
Posted by scotch in Family Fun, Family Outing, kids on June 8, 2009
Just had a great weekend with the family at Paul B Johnson State Park. Me, Mommy and the girls went fishing Saturday, and the next morning, bright and early, I went with the boys. Plenty of marshmallows and hot dogs were enjoyed as well! After fishing, the boys found a bird had become trapped in some twine we had by the fire. They were able to relase the bird and set him back free into the wild.
The Earth at Night
Posted by scotch in Random bit of interesting on May 6, 2009
One of my favorite pictures out there.
Source: http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/ap001127.html
Earth at Night
Explanation: This is what the Earth looks like at night. Can you find your favorite country or city? Surprisingly, city lights make this task quite possible. Human-made lights highlight particularly developed or populated areas of the Earth’s surface, including the seaboards of Europe, the eastern United States, and Japan. Many large cities are located near rivers or oceans so that they can exchange goods cheaply by boat. Particularly dark areas include the central parts of South America, Africa, Asia, and Australia. The above image is actually a composite of hundreds of pictures made by the orbiting DMSP satellites.
Pork Loin Rub
I tried this last night and smoked it on the Propane Grill. Cut the heat on two burners, and placed the meat on the indirect side. It only took about an hour and 20 minutes to be done. To preserve juices, Deva wrapped a couple of aluminum foil sheets together and made a bowl to place the loin in. The family loved it and it was completely gone at the end of the night.
2 1/2 pounds boneless pork loin roast
1 1/4 cups brown sugar
2/3 cup sugar
3 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons ground ginger
4 1/2 teaspoons garlic powder
4 1/2 teaspoons onion salt
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons crushed red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground red pepper (cayenne)
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons paprika
3/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crushed
DIRECTIONS
Stir together brown sugar, sugar, black pepper, salt, ginger, garlic powder, onion salt, dry mustard, crushed red pepper, ground red pepper, cumin, paprika and thyme in small bowl. Heat oven to 325 degrees F. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the brown sugar mixture* evenly on all sides of the pork roast; use your fingers to rub into pork. Place roast on rack in shallow roasting pan. Roast, uncovered, until internal temperature is 150 degrees F., 40 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from oven. Cover with foil; let stand 15 minutes before slicing.
FOOTNOTE
*Note: Store remaining brown sugar mixture in airtight container at room temperature up to 3 months; use on pork roasts or chops before roasting or grilling. Recipe makes about 3 1/2 cups dry rub.