Monday, President's Day

 I'm taking a little break from straightening the house before some friends arrive for lunch. You know how when you look at your house through someone else's eyes, it doesn't look so good anymore? Well, that's what is happening here. However, it's an informal gathering (9, latest count), so I'm not worrying too much. I'm still not sure what the seating arrangement will be--crammed around a table or casual sitting in the family room. The menu is simple. I've made chili with all the fixings and an apple pie, along with some lemonade and tea. Others will be bringing sides. Not sure what people will show up with, but I have a salad ready to go if needed.

Theo came over on the weekend, and we made two pots of chili. It was fun cooking together and exchanging ideas. He took one pot home for him and Wally to eat this week, and I am serving one today.

I'm having the gathering today because it's President's Day. All of the people coming are ones I have worked with over the years. Some are retired, and some are still on the job. With the libraries open 7 days a week and most evenings, it's hard to find a time to get together except for holidays.

Speaking of President's Day, below is a quiz about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln, who are honored on this day. I repost this quiz every couple of years so you may remember some of the answers. I originally put this quiz together for a contest at work for my coworkers. For many years, I regularly created different kinds of contests for fun at my job. 

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Presidents' Day

PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ
 

How much do you know about George Washington and Abraham Lincoln whom we honor on President's Day? See if you learn something after taking this quiz like I did when I put it together.

The statements below apply to either Washington or Lincoln.

1. _____ Stood 6'2” tall.

      2. _____ His mother was born in what is now the state of West Virginia.

3. _____ Used his hat to carry important papers.

4. _____ The first president to wear a beard.

5. _____ Had three hoe cakes and tea most mornings for breakfast.

6. _____ Introduced the mule to America.

7. _____ Had red hair when he was young.

8. _____ His formal education was only 18 months.

9. _____ He patented a system to alter buoyancy of steamboats.

   10.  _____ Had no biological children

Bonus: Both Washington and Lincoln were born in February. What days are their birthdays on?
Answers:

PRESIDENTS' DAY QUIZ

Answers

1. Washington-- Stood 6'2” tall.

     Washington and Lincoln were both tall for their time. Washington stood at 6'2” tall and Lincoln towered at 6'4” tall.

2. Lincoln-- His mother was born in what is now the state of West Virginia.

      Lincoln's mother, Nancy Hanks, was born in what is now Mineral County, WV. She died when he was nine years old. You can visit a replica of the cabin she was born in as well as a memorial marker there. 

3. Lincoln-- Used his hat to carry important papers.

     Lincoln's hat was more than a fashion statement. He also used it to carry important papers. If you want to see one of his top hats, visit the National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution. 

4. Lincoln-- The first president to wear a beard. 

      The story goes that Lincoln received a letter from an 11-year-old New York girl, Grace Bedell, who suggested that his thin face would look better with a beard. He grew a beard soon after that. Who knows? It may have helped him win the election. Other presidents with beards were Grant, Hayes, Garfield, and Harrison. Truman supposedly grew a beard while he was on vacation. 

5. Washington-- Had three hoecakes and tea most mornings for breakfast.

      Hoecakes were made from cornmeal and were originally baked on a hoe.

6. Washington-- Introduced the mule to America.

     Washington was looking for something that might work better than a horse for work around the farm. The mule, which is a cross between a male donkey and a female horse, seemed to fit bill. 

7.  Washington-- Had red hair when he was young.

     Washington had red hair when he was young and contrary to popular belief, he never wore a wig. However, he did powder his hair which was fashionable at the time. 

8. Lincoln-- His formal education was only 18 months.

     Lincoln only went to school a few weeks here and there when he was not working. However, he always had a book in his hand including when he was plowing a field. 

9. Lincoln-- He patented a system to alter the buoyancy of steamboats.

     His device was never manufactured, but he is the only US president to hold a patent. 

10. Washington-- Had no biological children.

     However, he raised two step-children from his wife, Martha, and helped raise two of his step-grandchildren when their father, John, died. Lincoln was the father of four boys of which only one survived into adulthood.

Bonus: Both Washington and Lincoln were born in February. What days are their birthdays on?

Lincoln: February 12

Washington: February 22

Sources:

http://www.wvgenweb.org/mineral/nancyhanksmem.htm

http://www.amazon.com/Abe-Lincolns-Step-into-Reading/dp/0679849777

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Presidents_of_the_United_States_with_facial_hair

http://www.amazon.com/George-Washingtons-Breakfast-Jean-Fritz/dp/0698116119

http://www.amazon.com/Lincoln-Photobiography-Houghton-Mifflin-studies/dp/0395518482

http://www.mountvernon.org/content/meet-george-washington

http://www.mountvernon.org/content/facts-falsehoods-about-george-washington-0

http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/education/patent.htm

It Was So Good, but...

No pictures of the chili,
so here's one of a young Theo.

Theo likes to cook. Partly because he likes to eat good food but partly because he enjoys the science and creativity of cooking. So for Christmas, we got him a gift certificate for a session at a cooking school - the real thing with big-time chefs, good equipment, and helpers. He recently went to a class for one-pot meals. I'm not sure if that's what he wanted to learn about the most from the wide variety of classes, but that's the one that fit into his work schedule. He said he learned a few things and had other things that reinforced what he knew, like the importance of layering flavors. They made three dishes: Morrocan chicken, mushroom risotto, and southwest chili. 

He came home and said he'd like to try making the chili for us. That required a trip to the grocery store and five hours of his time. He roasted peppers, he chopped peppers, he ground peppers. Five kinds of peppers in all. He roasted a whole head of garlic in olive oil. He chopped, he browned, he braised. And the end result was delicious. There are almost as many ways to make chili as there are cooks, and I've tasted many of them. This batch may have ranked at the top. But was it worth the effort? We all agreed that it wasn't. None of us have enough time in our schedules to cook this way, even with the excellent results it provided. Theo said that he would be looking at ways to streamline the process and still maintain the rich blend of flavors.

I hope he didn't get too discouraged by his efforts because I'm looking forward to some Moroccan chicken. Not sure exactly what that is, but I hope I get to find out soon. :)