Thursday, April 28, 2016

Signers: New Jersey / Connecticut

For today's Signers post, we look at the Garden State and the Nutmeg State.

New Jersey
  • Abraham Clark (1725-1794), was a self-taught lawyer (as many were in that time period).  An active member of the Continental Congress, he was later selected to attend the Constitutional Convention but was unable to serve.  Clark Township in New Jersey is named in his honor.
  • John Hart (1711-1779), was a farmer in New Jersey.  Born in Connecticut, his family moved to New Jersey where he inherited the family farm.  He actively supported the American army, allowing the troops to encamp on the farm, which had been looted by British troops earlier in the war.  He died in 1779 at the age of 66.
  • Francis Hopkinson (1737-1791), was a lawyer, who was "a man of extraordinary talent and charm."  He was appointed by President Washington to serve as Federal District Judge for New Jersey in 1790.  He died the next year of an epileptic seizure at 53.  There is some controversy surrounding Hopkinson, as he maintained that he was responsible for the design of the American flag.  He also was involved in the design for the Great Seal of the United States.  The pizza dedicated to Francis Hopkinson at Declarations features sliced tomatoes, basil pesto, and reggiano parmesan
  • Richard Stockton (1730-1781), another lawyer, had developed one of the largest practices in the colonies.  After being appointed to the Continental Congress, he listened to both sides regarding independence before agreeing to sign the Declaration.  In 1776, he was captured by the British and imprisoned for several weeks and his property and belongings in New Jersey were destroyed.  Stockton later donated land that became Princeton University.
  • John Witherspoon (1723-1794), was a Reverend who held a Doctorate degree and was President of the College of New Jersey (Princeton) prior to his appointment to the Continental Congress.  He and the other delegates from New Jersey arrived shortly before Richard Henry Lee made his proposal for American independence to the Congress.
Connecticut
  • Samuel Huntington (1731-1796), was a lifelong public servant, serving in the Congress and as Governor of Connecticut.  There are some who maintain that Huntington is actually the first President of the United States, as the Articles of Confederation were ratified while he was President of the Congress.
  • Roger Sherman (1721-1793), was previously covered in the Declaration Committee post. The Declarations pizza for the "simple cobbler from Connecticut" has meatball, housemade ricotta, san marzano tomatoes, and roasted peppers on it - and it might be my favorite of all of them.
  • William Williams (1731-1811), arrived at the Congress too late to vote for independence, but signed the Declaration.  Williams had replaced Oliver Wolcott, who had fallen ill (but also later signed the document).
  • Oliver Wolcott (1726-1797), was the son of the Royal Governor of Connecticut, Roger Wolcott.  Upon graduating from Yale, Wolcott was a Captain in the American forces during the French and Indian War.  As a result of this service, Wolcott was involved in Indian affairs during his time in Congress.  He later served as Governor of Connecticut.

Monday, April 25, 2016

French Apple Tart

Last week I posted about my aunt's Beef Stroganoff and the memories that it evokes.  Similarly, my grandmother lived with my aunt in her later years, though also spending the summer months in a big house in Maine, where the extended family would descend for weeks at a time.

Often, my grandmother would break out her French baking skills and make a tarte, though usually with plums, peaches, or some other summer fruit.  But this picture looks a lot like what she would make.

French Apple Tart
from Saveur via BuzzFeed
Serves 8

Ingredients 
  • 1 1⁄4 cups flour, plus more for dusting 
  • 12 tbsp. unsalted butter, cubed and chilled 
  • 1⁄4 tsp. kosher salt 
  • 7 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored, and halved 
  • 1⁄4 cup sugar 
  • 1⁄2 cup apricot jam 
  • Whipped cream or vanilla ice cream, for serving
Instructions
  1. Combine flour, 8 tbsp. butter, and salt in a food processor and pulse until pea-size crumbles form, about 10 pulses. Drizzle in 3 tbsp. ice-cold water and pulse until dough is moistened, about 3—4 pulses. Transfer dough to a work surface and form into a flat disk; wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. Unwrap dough and transfer to a lightly floured work surface. Using a rolling pin, flatten dough into a 13″ circle and then transfer to a 11″-tart pan with a removable bottom; trim edges; chill for 1 hour. 
  2. Heat oven to 375ยบ. Working with one apple half at a time, thinly slice into sections, keeping slices together. Press sliced apple half gently to fan it out; repeat with remaining apple halves. Place 1 fanned apple half on outer edge of the tart dough, pointing inward; repeat with 7 more apple halves. Separate remaining apple slices. Starting where the apple halves touch and working your way in, layer apples to create a tight rose pattern. Fill in any gaps with remaining apple. Sprinkle with sugar and then dot with remaining butter. Bake until golden brown, 60–70 minutes.
  3. Meanwhile, heat apricot jam in a small saucepan until warmed and loose; pour through a fine strainer into a small bowl and set aside. Transfer tart to a wire rack; using a pastry brush, brush top of tart with jam. Let cool completely before slicing and serving with whipped cream.  

Monday, April 18, 2016

Beef Stroganoff

Beef Stroganoff is one of those dishes that has a deep connection to my childhood.  I have vivid memories of traveling to my aunt's house in New Jersey for a visit and there would be Beef Stroganoff for dinner.  My aunt made a really good stroganoff.  I can get a passable version at Noodles and Company but I always say I would like to make this at home and so here comes my cooking girlfriend, the Pioneer Woman with a recipe.

Beef Stroganoff

Prep Time: 10 Minutes
Difficulty: Easy
Cook Time: 25 Minutes
Servings: 6 Servings

Ingredients 
  • 1 pound Sirloin Steak, cut into cubes 
  • Kosher Salt and Black Pepper to taste 
  • 2 Tablespoons Olive Oil 
  • 1/2 whole Large Onion, finely diced 
  • 2 whole Carrots, finely diced 
  • 8 ounces, weight Cremini or White Button Mushrooms, stemmed and halved 
  • 1/2 cup Brandy 
  • 2 cups Beef Stock 
  • 2 Tablespoons Cornstarch 
  • 1/4 cup Sour Cream, room temperature 
  • 1 teaspoon (heaping) Dijon Mustard 
  • Cooked Egg Noodles, for serving 
  • Minced Parsley, for serving 

Instructions
Season the steak with salt and pepper, then heat 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a heavy skillet over medium high heat. Add half the meat to the pan and brown it quickly, about 2 minutes. Remove the first batch to a bowl and cook the rest of the meat. Remove and set all the meat aside.

Add the remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to the pan and add the onion, carrots, and mushrooms. Cook until the mixture is deep golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the brandy and add 2 cups of the stock. Stir, scrape the bottom of the pan, and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook to reduce the liquid by about a third, 3 to 4 minutes.

In a small pitcher, make a slurry by mixing the remaining 1/4 cup stock and the cornstarch with a fork. Pour the slurry into the skillet and cook until the sauce thickens, about 1 to 2 minutes. Turn off the heat. Stir in the sour cream and Dijon. Add the beef and stir over low heat until the mixture is nice and piping hot. Taste and adjust seasonings as you like.

Serve over cooked noodles and sprinkle with parsley.

Thursday, April 14, 2016

Signers: Pennsylvania

This is the week that I am in Pittsburgh for the Spring 2016 MARAC meeting, so it's only appropriate to look at the state in which the Continental Congress sat (albeit on the other side of the state from
where I am) and the signers from the Keystone State.

Pennsylvania
  • George Clymer (1739-1813), a merchant by trade was elected to the Congress in 1776 and served on the War Committee and was instrumental in bolstering George Washington and the Continental Army.
  • Benjamin Franklin - for Dr. Franklin see the entry on the Declaration Committee.
  • Robert Morris (1734-1806), also a merchant, like Clymer, formulated a plan for a National Bank and was appointed to serve as Financial Agent (the forerunner to the Secretary of the Treasury).  He went on to serve in the Pennsylvania Legislature, attended the Constitutional Convention, was appointed a Senator, and was later tapped by President Washington to serve as Secretary of the Treasury, which he declined, instead suggesting Alexander Hamilton.  Ironically, Morris died in relative poverty.
  • John Morton (1724-1777), was a judge immediately prior to being elected to the Continental Congress.  He was responsible for submitting a report on the proposed Articles of Confederation, dying shortly after the report was presented to Congress.
  • Benjamin Rush (1745-1813),was already a prominent physician in the Philadelphia area before becoming involved in the cause of American Independence.  One of the few blemishes on Rush's career was his criticism of a fellow doctor for the Continental Army.  The Congress and General Washington supported the other doctor and Rush resigned his commission.  He went on to serve as Treasurer of the US Mint.
  • James Smith (1719-1806), a lawyer, has one of the lowest profiles of the members of the Continental Congress, holding few offices after the Declaration and given the circumstances that his collection of papers in his officers were destroyed in a fire shortly before his death.
  • George Taylor (1716-1781), was an Ironmaster and was concerned with the production of iron for the majority of his life.
  • James Wilson (1742-1798), was a lawyer and judge in Pennsylvania.  He was committed to the cause of independence but represented a colony that was not for independence at the time.  After a delay, Pennsylvania's delegates were swayed and Wilson voted for independence.
And while he didn't sign the Declaration, I would be remiss if I didn't include anything about, "Gentlemen of the Congress, I say ye, John Dickinson."  A lifelong opponent of American Independence, when the time came to sign the Declaration, Dickinson announced "I'm sorry, Mr. President. I cannot, in good conscience, sign such a document. I will never stop hoping for our eventual reconciliation with England, but... because, in my own way, I regard America no less than does Mr. Adams, I will join the army and fight in her defense, even though I believe that fight to be hopeless." (1776).  Dickinson College stands as one of Dickinson's legacies.

Monday, April 11, 2016

Another Side of Banana Bread

If you've been with me from the beginning dear reader, you will note that my "go-to" Banana Bread recipe is this one from Cooking Light.  I recently spotted this one and may give it a go the next time that SoBA can't keep up with the Banana Inventory.  From the Wholesome Dish via BuzzFeed.

Chocolate Oatmeal Banana Bread
Prep time 10 mins
Cook time 50 mins
Total time 1 hour

Ingredients 
  • 3 overripe medium-sized bananas 
  • ¾ cup packed dark brown sugar
  • ½ cup apple sauce 
  • 2 large eggs 
  • 2 tbsp. canola oil (or your preferred cooking oil) 
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract 
  • ¾ cup all-purpose flour 
  • ½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder 
  • 1 tsp. baking powder 
  • ½ tsp. baking soda 
  • ½ tsp. salt 
  • ½ cup old fashioned rolled oats 
  • Optional: an extra tablespoon of oats and semi-sweet chocolate chips for topping 
Instructions
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 9x5 inch loaf pan with cooking spray. 
  2. Place the bananas in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or the back of a fork. There should be 1 cup of mashed bananas. 
  3. Add the sugar, apple sauce, eggs, oil, and vanilla to the bananas. Whisk until well blended. 
  4. Add the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to the bowl. Mix just until all of the flour has been incorporated. Add the oats. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix. 
  5. Pour the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Optional: Sprinkle the top of the batter with oats and chocolate chips. 
  6. Place the pan on the middle oven rack. Bake for 50-60 minutes. A toothpick inserted near the center of the bread should come out with some moist crumbs, but no raw batter on it. 
  7. Let the bread cool in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the bread to a wire rack to cool completely before slicing. Store in an air tight container in the refrigerator.
Nutrition Information
Serving size: 1/10th 
Calories: 198 
Fat: 4.6 
Saturated fat: 0.6 
Carbohydrates: 39 
Fiber: 3 
Protein: 3.9 

Thursday, April 7, 2016

Baseball Answers

How'd you do?

1.  Name the team that won a record 26 consecutive games (but finished fourth).
    1. 1916 New York Giants
2.  Name the player among those with 3,000 hits, the player with the fewest home runs.
    2.  Eddie Collins
3. Who is the player who led both leagues in homers and triples (not in the same season)?
    2. Sam Crawford
4.  Who hit the only game seven World Series walk-off home run?
    4. Bill Mazeroski
5.  Name the four players who hit World Series homers in three different decades.
    1. Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Murray, Matt Williams
6.  Who was the first manager to lead three teams to pennants?
    2. Bill McKechnie
7. Who, after managers Connie Mack and John McGraw, had the most consecutive years managing one team?
    4. Walter Alston
8.  Who was the first player to hit 30 home runs, score 125 runs and steal 45 bases in a season?
    1. Mike Trout
9.  Name the four hitters who, since World War II, had five or more seasons batting .350 or better.
    4. Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Ted Williams
10. Name the five hitters ranked in the top 25 in career singles, doubles and triples.
    2. Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Paul Waner, Honus Wagner
11. Whose 44 hits in his first month is second to Joe DiMaggio's 48?
    3. Yasiel Puig
12. Who are the four Hall of Fame pitchers DiMaggio faced during his 56-game hitting streak?
    4. Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Ted Lyons, Hal Newhouser
13. Who was the youngest player to lead the National League in hits?
    3. Starlin Castro
14. Name the three players to get two extra-base hits in an All-Star game before age 23.
    3. Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Trout, Ted Williams
15. Who played seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks?
    1. Frank Thomas
16. Name the Hall of Famer who played most of his games as DH.
    4. Frank Thomas
17. Who was the second player, after Ty Cobb, to have at least 221 hits, 46 doubles and 54 steals in a season?
    1. Jose Altuve
18. Name the team that had five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners.
    4. Los Angeles Dodgers
19. Who was the player who slugged .826 in a six-game World Series, with a record 10 RBIs, but whose team lost?
    2. Ted Kluszewski
20. Which player had the most consecutive World Series hits (7)?
    3. Billy Hatcher
21. What is the record number of games in a season in which a team homered?
    4. 131
22. Who had the most career RBIs (1,903) without ever leading the league?
    3. Willie Mays
23. Name the player who reached a base in a record 84 consecutive games.
    4. Ted Williams
24. Name the most recent former Rookie of the Year elected to the Hall of Fame.
    2. Mike Piazza
25. Which two pitchers pitched 27 World Series innings without yielding an earned run?
    2. Christy Mathewson, Waite Hoyt
26. Who was the only player in the last 100 years who twice in a season scored four runs in a game without a hit?
    2. Bryce Harper
27. Name the pitcher who won 107 games before age 23.
    2. Bob Feller
28. Which pitcher was the first to have two 300-strikeout seasons?
    3. Rube Waddell
29. Name the four pitchers to win at least two Cy Young awards, to win at least two World Series rings, and pitch a no-hitter.
    1. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Tim Lincecum, Jim Palmer
30. Who were the three pitchers who started five All-Star games?
    4. Don Drysdale, Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts
31. Name the team that had the highest American League season winning percentage.
    2. 1954 Cleveland Indians
32. Name the team with the most wins in an AL season.
    3. Seattle Mariners
33. Which NL team holds the best single-season winning percentage since 1900?
    2. 1906 Chicago Cubs
34.  Which team that existed in 1900 took the longest to win a World Series?
    4. Philadelphia Phillies
35. Name the youngest unanimous MVP.
    1. Bryce Harper
36. Name the three pitchers to strike out 150 in each of their first nine seasons.
    1. Hideo Nomo, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton
37. Who was the first infielder (other than first basemen) to hit 500 home runs?
    4. Eddie Mathews
38. Name the manager of the AL team with a season-record 116 wins.
    3. Lou Piniella
39. Who won a home run title with a batting average lower than that year's Cy Young winner, Steve Carlton (.218)?
    4. Dave Kingman
40. Name the pitcher who retired 46 consecutive batters.
    1. Yusmeiro Petit
Bonus question: Who said, "All of the Mets' road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium."?
    2. Ralph Kiner

Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Baseball Is Back, Baby!

To commemorate the return of America's Pastime - here is George Will's Annual Baseball Quiz.  How well do you know baseball?  Answers on Thursday - the day of the Nationals Home Opener.

1.  Name the team that won a record 26 consecutive games (but finished fourth).
  1. 1916 New York Giants
  2. 1935 Chicago Cubs 
  3. 1998 New York Yankees 
  4. 2002 Oakland Athletics 
2.  Name the player among those with 3,000 hits, the player with the fewest home runs.
  1. Stan Musial 
  2. Eddie Collins 
  3. Rickey Henderson 
  4. Pete Rose 
3. Who is the player who led both leagues in homers and triples (not in the same season)?
  1. Albert Pujols 
  2. Sam Crawford 
  3. Fred McGriff 
  4. Mark McGwire
4.  Who hit the only game seven World Series walk-off home run?
  1. Joe Carter 
  2. Jack Morris 
  3. Mickey Mantle 
  4. Bill Mazeroski
5.  Name the four players who hit World Series homers in three different decades.
  1. Yogi Berra, Joe DiMaggio, Eddie Murray, Matt Williams 
  2. Mickey Mantle, Babe Ruth, Reggie Jackson, Bill Skowron 
  3. Lou Gehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Hank Aaron, Goose Goslin 
  4. Babe Ruth, Matt Williams, Duke Snider, Frank Robinson
6.  Who was the first manager to lead three teams to pennants?
  1. Joe McCarthy 
  2. Bill McKechnie 
  3. Tony La Russa 
  4. John McGraw
7. Who, after managers Connie Mack and John McGraw, had the most consecutive years managing one team?
  1. Bobby Cox 
  2. Joe Torre 
  3. Sparky Anderson 
  4. Walter Alston
8.  Who was the first player to hit 30 home runs, score 125 runs and steal 45 bases in a season?
  1. Mike Trout 
  2. Jose Canseco 
  3. Gary Sheffield 
  4. Ken Griffey, Jr.
9.  Name the four hitters who, since World War II, had five or more seasons batting .350 or better.
  1. Barry Bonds, Rod Carew, Nomar Garciaparra, Roberto Clemente 
  2. Todd Helton, Tony Gwynn, Roberto Clemente, Larry Walker 
  3. Paul Hoover, Stan Musial, Albert Pujols, Barry Bonds 
  4. Wade Boggs, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Ted Williams
10. Name the five hitters ranked in the top 25 in career singles, doubles and triples.
  1. Tris Speaker, Ichiro Suzuki, George Brett, Pete Rose, Eddie Collins 
  2. Ty Cobb, Stan Musial, Tris Speaker, Paul Waner, Honus Wagner 
  3. Pete Rose, Hank Aaron, Cap Anson, Ty Cobb, Carl Yastrzemski 
  4. Goose Goslin, Rod Carew, Paul Waner, Wade Boggs, Cal Ripken
11. Whose 44 hits in his first month is second to Joe DiMaggio's 48?
  1. Steve Sax 
  2. Mike Trout 
  3. Yasiel Puig 
  4. Ichiro Suzuki
12. Who are the four Hall of Fame pitchers DiMaggio faced during his 56-game hitting streak?
  1. Hal Newhouser, Dizzy Trout, Bob Feller, Claude Passeau 
  2. Mort Cooper, Bucky Walters, Dizzy Trout, Al Benton 
  3. Dutch Leonard, Mort Cooper, Whit Wyatt, Bob Feller 
  4. Bob Feller, Lefty Grove, Ted Lyons, Hal Newhouser
13. Who was the youngest player to lead the National League in hits?
  1. Freddie Lindstrom 
  2. Stan Musial 
  3. Starlin Castro 
  4. Vada Pinson
14. Name the three players to get two extra-base hits in an All-Star game before age 23.
  1. Bryce Harper, Ken Griffey, Jr., Paul Konerko 
  2. Mike Trout, Andruw Jones, Ernie Banks 
  3. Ken Griffey, Jr., Mike Trout, Ted Williams 
  4. Albert Pujols, Bryce Harper, Willie Mays
15. Who played seven straight seasons with a .300 average, 20 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 walks?
  1. Frank Thomas 
  2. Barry Bonds 
  3. Babe Ruth 
  4. Jimmie Foxx
16. Name the Hall of Famer who played most of his games as DH.
  1. Paul Molitor 
  2. Jim Rice 
  3. Eddie Murray 
  4. Frank Thomas
17. Who was the second player, after Ty Cobb, to have at least 221 hits, 46 doubles and 54 steals in a season?
  1. Jose Altuve
  2. Willie Mays 
  3. Jimmy Rollins 
  4. Stan Musial
18. Name the team that had five consecutive Rookie of the Year winners.
  1. Oakland Athletics 
  2. Atlanta Braves 
  3. Chicago Cubs 
  4. Los Angeles Dodgers
19. Who was the player who slugged .826 in a six-game World Series, with a record 10 RBIs, but whose team lost?
  1. Gil Hodges 
  2. Ted Kluszewski 
  3. Lee May 
  4. Lou Gehrig
20. Which player had the most consecutive World Series hits (7)?
  1. Frank Baker 
  2. Bobby Richardson 
  3. Billy Hatcher 
  4. Roberto Alomar
21. What is the record number of games in a season in which a team homered?
  1. 108 
  2. 117 
  3. 127 
  4. 131
22. Who had the most career RBIs (1,903) without ever leading the league?
  1. Hank Aaron 
  2. Ty Cobb 
  3. Willie Mays 
  4. Ted Williams
23. Name the player who reached a base in a record 84 consecutive games.
  1. Joe DiMaggio 
  2. Pete Rose 
  3. Willie Keeler 
  4. Ted Williams
24. Name the most recent former Rookie of the Year elected to the Hall of Fame.
  1. Andre Dawson 
  2. Mike Piazza 
  3. Cal Ripken 
  4. Ken Griffey, Jr.
25. Which two pitchers pitched 27 World Series innings without yielding an earned run?
  1. Whitey Ford, Jack Billingham 
  2. Christy Mathewson, Waite Hoyt 
  3. Joe McGinnity, Babe Ruth 
  4. Carl Hubbell, Joe Dobson
26. Who was the only player in the last 100 years who twice in a season scored four runs in a game without a hit?
  1. Ted Williams 
  2. Bryce Harper 
  3. Rickey Henderson 
  4. Jackie Robinson
27. Name the pitcher who won 107 games before age 23.
  1. Walter Johnson 
  2. Bob Feller 
  3. Hal Newhouser 
  4. Denny McLain
28. Which pitcher was the first to have two 300-strikeout seasons?
  1. Sandy Koufax 
  2. Nolan Ryan 
  3. Rube Waddell 
  4. Walter Johnson
29. Name the four pitchers to win at least two Cy Young awards, to win at least two World Series rings, and pitch a no-hitter.
  1. Bob Gibson, Sandy Koufax, Tim Lincecum, Jim Palmer 
  2. Randy Johnson, Bret Saberhagen, Roger Clemens, Bob Gibson 
  3. Pedro Martinez, Tim Lincecum, Steve Carlton, Greg Maddux 
  4. Greg Maddux, Roy Halladay, Pedro Martinez, Tom Seaver
30. Who were the three pitchers who started five All-Star games?
  1. Lefty Gomez, Randy Johnson, Greg Maddux 
  2. Roger Clemens, Jack Morris, Jim Bunning 
  3. Greg Maddux, Jim Palmer, Whitey Ford 
  4. Don Drysdale, Lefty Gomez, Robin Roberts
31. Name the team that had the highest American League season winning percentage.
  1. 1927 New York Yankees 
  2. 1954 Cleveland Indians 
  3. 1998 New York Yankees 
  4. 2001 Seattle Mariners
32. Name the team with the most wins in an AL season.
  1. Cleveland Indians 
  2. New York Yankees 
  3. Seattle Mariners 
  4. Philadelphia Athletics
33. Which NL team holds the best single-season winning percentage since 1900?
  1. 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates 
  2. 1906 Chicago Cubs 
  3. 1975 Cincinnati Reds 
  4. 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates
34.  Which team that existed in 1900 took the longest to win a World Series?
  1. Brooklyn/Los Angeles Dodgers 
  2. Cincinnati Reds 
  3. Pittsburgh Pirates 
  4. Philadelphia Phillies
35. Name the youngest unanimous MVP.
  1. Bryce Harper 
  2. Ken Griffey, Jr. 
  3. Barry Bonds 
  4. Cal Ripken
36. Name the three pitchers to strike out 150 in each of their first nine seasons.
  1. Hideo Nomo, Tom Seaver, Don Sutton 
  2. Fergie Jenkins, Roger Clemens, Steve Carlton 
  3. Justin Verlander, Fergie Jenkins, Lefty Grove 
  4. Felix Hernandez, Walter Johnson, Hideo Nomo
37. Who was the first infielder (other than first basemen) to hit 500 home runs?
  1. Alex Rodriguez 
  2. Mike Schmidt 
  3. Yogi Berra 
  4. Eddie Mathews
38. Name the manager of the AL team with a season-record 116 wins.
  1. Joe Torre 
  2. Tony La Russa 
  3. Lou Piniella 
  4. Joe McCarthy
39. Who won a home run title with a batting average lower than that year's Cy Young winner, Steve Carlton (.218)?
  1. Rob Deer 
  2. Mark McGwire 
  3. Tony Armas 
  4. Dave Kingman
40. Name the pitcher who retired 46 consecutive batters.
  1. Yusmeiro Petit
  2. Mark Buehrle 
  3. Zack Greinke 
  4. Walter Johnson
Bonus question: Who said, "All of the Mets' road wins against the Dodgers this year occurred at Dodger Stadium."?
  1. Gil Hodges 
  2. Ralph Kiner 
  3. Harry Caray 
  4. Tom Seaver

Monday, April 4, 2016

Donuts

Donuts are one of those things that are easier to buy than make at home.  But these sound easy enough that they might be worth a go.  From "A Little Bit Funky" via a BuzzFeed post on desserts easy enough to make with kids.

Ingredients
  • Can/tin of biscuits
  • melted butter (4 tbsp per 8 biscuits)
  • sugar and cinnamon mixed in shallow bowl
  • vegetable oil for pan frying
Preparation
Heat oil on medium heat.  While oil is heating cut holes in biscuits.  Place donut in pan with hot oil.  Brown on one side then flip.  Remove from oil, let cool.  Dip one side in melted butter then cinnamon/sugar mixture, repeat for other side.

Enjoy!