Thought of the Day
A penny saved is a penny earned.
February 10th 2025
“No” Foods for Dogs
Human foods that are bad for dogs
Humans have discovered and made some of the most delicious foods throughout history and we have shared our delicacies with many cultures around the world. Sadly there are a few things that we cannot share with out furry friends. Here is a short list of some of those “no-no” foods.
- Chocolate- This candy has a chemical called theobromine, which is extremely toxic to dogs, depending on the amount eaten and on the size of the dog. Chocolate poisoning can cause vomiting and seizures so if you pooch eats any chocolate, take them to their veterinary immediately.
- Grapes – This one surprised me when I found out grapes were toxic and can be fatal to dogs. Though the full reason why it is toxic to dogs is still unknown, the cause of eating grapes is well documented. If they eat grapes they could experience vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pains or in extreme cases some have gone into comas. So it’s best just to keep those yummy fruits to humans only.
- Cinnamon – Though not necessarily bad for dogs it can cause dogs to have irritated mouths. It can also lower their blood sugar so it’s a good idea to keep cinnamon and cinnamon oils away from your furry friends.
There are quite a few other foods to keep from your dog on this list provided by the American Kennel Club and in this article from Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine.
Lox Bagel
Lox Bagel
Lox Bagel Recipe from Tastes Better from Scratch
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: N/A
Serving size: 6 servings
Ingredients
- 6 bagels
- 2/3 cup herb and chive cream cheese (or plain cream cheese)
- 10 oz cold smoked salmon or lox slices
- 3 tablespoons capers
- Small chunk of red onion, thinly sliced
- 1/3 cup fresh dill, chopped
- Optional Toppings: Thinly sliced cucumber, tomato, avocado
Directions
- Prepare the Bagels:
Cut each bagel in half and spread each half generously with cream cheese.
- Add the Toppings:
Layer thin slices of smoked salmon on top of the cream cheese.
- Garnish:
Add a few slices of red onion, capers, and a sprinkle of fresh dill for flavor.
- Optional Additions:
Enhance the bagel by adding optional toppings like thinly sliced cucumber, tomato, or avocado.
- Serve:
Enjoy your bagel open-faced or turn it into a sandwich. Serve fresh!
Eagles deny the Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat with dominant defense in 40-22 rout
By ROB MAADDI AP Pro Football Writer
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Cooper DeJean, Josh Sweat and the Philadelphia Eagles’ ferocious defense denied Patrick Mahomes, Travis Kelce and the Kansas City Chiefs a Super Bowl three-peat.
It wasn’t even close.
DeJean got a pick-6 on his 22nd birthday, Sweat tormented Mahomes and the Eagles routed the Chiefs 40-22 on Sunday to secure the franchise’s second Super Bowl championship.
Jalen Hurts threw for two touchdowns and ran for a score on a tush push, and Vic Fangio’s defense was so dominant that the Eagles didn’t need much from Saquon Barkley.
The game-changing running back finished with 57 yards, breaking Terrell Davis’ record for yards rushing in a season, playoffs included. Hurts threw for 221 yards.
With Donald Trump becoming the first president in office to attend a Super Bowl, the Eagles outplayed Kansas City in every facet, delighting a raucous pro-Philly crowd that celebrated each score with a familiar rendition of “Fly! Eagles! Fly!”
Even Taylor Swift’s presence couldn’t help the Chiefs. They lost for the first time in 10 games this season with the pop superstar in a suite watching boyfriend Travis Kelce, who didn’t catch a pass until late in the third quarter.
Not in Kansas City’s worst nightmares could its fans have imagined such a lackluster performance. The Chiefs had won three of the previous five Super Bowls, losing 31-9 to Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers four years ago.
Mahomes was 8-0 against Fangio’s defenses before the longtime coordinator and former Broncos head coach outcoached Andy Reid, capping his first season with his hometown team. Reid fell to 3-3 in Super Bowls, including a loss with the Eagles.
The Eagles sacked Mahomes six times, the most of his career, including 2 1/2 by Sweat. And they did it without Fangio calling a single blitz.
Barkley, the 2024 AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year, only had 31 yards rushing in the first half when Philly built a 24-0 lead.
The Chiefs were aiming to become the third team in NFL history to win three straight championships and the first to three-peat in the Super Bowl era.
Hurts nearly led the Eagles to victory against the Chiefs two years ago in Arizona, but Mahomes led a comeback and Harrison Butker kicked the game-winning field goal in the final minute for a 38-35 victory. Mahomes rallied Kansas City to an overtime victory over San Francisco last year for the Chiefs’ second straight title.
This time, a revamped Philly defense featuring eight new starters from the 2022 team made sure Mahomes had no chance to pull off his magic.
Eagles coach Nick Sirianni, who mocked fans chanting “Fire Nick!” during a victory over Cleveland in October and was called a “clown” on national television, should finally silence critics by adding a championship ring to a resume that includes the fifth-best winning percentage in league history.
Sirianni was showered with Gatorade with nearly three minutes left in the game while backup QB Kenny Pickett took snaps in mop-up duty.
Barkley helped push Hurts into the end zone from the 1 to give Philadelphia a 7-0 lead in the first quarter.
Up 10-0 after Jake Elliott’s 48-yard field goal, Sweat and Jalyx Hunt sacked Mahomes on consecutive plays. Mahomes then rolled out and made an errant throw that was picked by DeJean, who returned it 38 yards for a 17-0 lead.
It was Mahomes’ first pick-6 in 21 career playoff games and ended a streak of 297 straight passes without an interception.
All-Pro linebacker Zack Baun picked Mahomes again late in the second quarter, and Hurts connected with A.J. Brown on a 12-yard TD pass for a 24-0 lead.
Hurts threw a perfect 46-yard TD pass to DeVonta Smith to make it 34-0 late in the third.
Mahomes fired a 24-yard TD pass to Xavier Worthy to avoid the shutout, but the 2-point conversion failed. He threw two late, mostly meaningless TD passes, one to DeAndre Hopkins and another to Worthy.
After two weeks of discussions about questionable calls that led to public perception that officials favor the Chiefs — a theory NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell called “ridiculous” — the first penalty of the game only fueled critics.
A 32-yard pass from Hurts to Brown to the Chiefs 18 on fourth-and-2 was negated by a penalty for offensive pass interference. Brady, now a Fox analyst, and officiating analyst Mike Pereira both disagreed with the call, although Brown shoved Trent McDuffie’s facemask.
On the next possession, the Eagles benefited from an unnecessary roughness penalty on McDuffie against Dallas Goedert following an incomplete pass on third-and-5.
Hurts then connected with Jahan Dotson on a 27-yard pass to the 1 and scored on the next play.
Hurts’ streak of 217 passes without a pick ended in the first half when he was intercepted deep in Kansas City territory, but the Chiefs didn’t capitalize.
The Green Bay Packers are the only NFL team to win three championships in a row, doing it from 1929-31 and 1965-67.
The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers from 2000-02, led by Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neill, are the last team in the major American professional leagues to win three straight titles.
Trump says he is serious about Canada becoming 51st state in Super Bowl interview
By JILL COLVIN Associated Press
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump said he is serious about wanting Canada to become the 51st state in an interview that aired Sunday during the Super Bowl preshow.
“Yeah it is,” Trump told Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier when asked whether his talk of annexing Canada is “a real thing” — as Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau recently suggested.
“I think Canada would be much better off being the 51st state because we lose $200 billion a year with Canada. And I’m not going to let that happen,” he said. “Why are we paying $200 billion a year, essentially a subsidy to Canada?”
The U.S. is not subsidizing Canada. The U.S. buys products from the natural resource-rich nation, including commodities like oil. While the trade gap in goods has ballooned in recent years to $72 billion in 2023, the deficit largely reflects America’s imports of Canadian energy.
Trump has repeatedly suggested that Canada would be better off if it agreed to become the 51st U.S. state — a prospect that is deeply unpopular among Canadians.
Trudeau said Friday during a closed-door session with business and labor leaders that Trump’s talk of making Canada the 51st U.S. state is “a real thing” and is linked to his desire for access to the country’s natural resources.
“Mr. Trump has it in mind that the easiest way to do it is absorbing our country and it is a real thing. In my conversations with him on,” Trudeau said, according to CBC, Canada’s public broadcaster. “They’re very aware of our resources of what we have and they very much want to be able to benefit from those.”
In the interview, which was pre-taped this weekend in Florida, Trump also said that he has not seen enough action from Canada and Mexico to stave off the tariffs he has threatened to impose on the country’s two largest trading partners.
“No, it’s not good enough,” he said. “Something has to happen. It’s not sustainable. And I’m changing it.”
Trump last week agreed to a 30-day pause on his plan to slap Mexico and Canada with a 25% tariff on all imports except for Canadian oil, natural gas and electricity, which would be taxed at 10%, after the countries took steps to appease his concerns about border security and drug trafficking.
While traveling Sunday on Air Force One to the championship game in New Orleans, Trump said that he would on Monday announce a 25% tariffs on all steel and aluminum imports into the U.S., including from Canada and Mexico and a plan for reciprocal tariffs later in the week.
“Very simply it’s if they charge us, we charge them,” he said.
Trump’s participation in the interview marked a return to tradition. Presidents have typically granted a sit-down to the network broadcasting the Super Bowl game, the most-watched television event of the year. But both Trump and his predecessor, Joe Biden, were inconsistent in their participation.
Biden declined to participate last year and in 2023, when efforts by his team to have Biden speak with a Fox Corp. streaming service instead of the main network failed. During his first term, Trump participated in three out of four years.
Trump on Sunday will also become the first sitting president to attend the Super Bowl in person — something he told Baier he was surprised to learn.
“I thought it would be a good thing for the country to have the president at the game,” he said.
During his flight to New Orleans, Trump signed a proclamation declaring Feb. 9 “the first ever Gulf of America Day” as Air Force One flew over the body of water that he renamed by proclamation from the Gulf of Mexico.
Trump in the interview, also defended the work of billionaire Elon Musk, whose so-called Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, has been drawing deep concern from Democrats as he moves to shut down whole government agencies and fire large swaths of the federal workforce in the name of rooting out waste and inefficiency.
Musk, Trump said, has “been terrific,” and will target the Department of Education and the military next.
“We’re going to find billions, hundreds of billions of dollars of fraud and abuse,” Trump predicted. “I campaigned on this.”
He was also asked about his dancing, which has become a popular meme on social media.
“I don’t know what it is. I try and walk off sometimes without dancing and I can’t. I have to dance because it’s just that – something special about it,” Trump responded.
___
Associated Press writer Darlene Superville contributed reporting from Air Force One.
He’s back, baby! ESPN’s Dick Vitale makes return to commentating following 4th bout with cancer
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CLEMSON. S.C. (AP) — He’s back, baby!
ESPN’s Dick Vitale received a standing ovation Saturday night at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum in his first game back as a commentator since recovering from his fourth bout with cancer.
About 30 minutes before Clemson faced Duke, Vitale was greeted by a roar from the crowd as he arrived on the floor from a tunnel and began to make his way to his courtside seat to call the game. Clemson’s PA announcer chimed in with his best Vitale impersonation, saying “Dickie V, you’re awesome, baby!”
The 85-year-old Vitale appeared emotional as he waived to the crowd as they stood and cheered for nearly a minute.
Vitale hadn’t called a game for ESPN in two years.
He has battled four types of cancer over the past four years, including vocal cord cancer.
However, Vitale announced in late December he’s cancer-free after his fourth bout with the disease in just over three years.
“SANTA CLAUS came early as Dr Rick Brown called & said that my PET SCAN at 7 AM came back CLEAN OF CANCER !” Vitale posted on X on Dec. 23. “OMG thanks so much to ALL of YOU for your (prayers). Yes I’m cutting the nets down baby it’s my National Championship!”
Vitale had surgery in the summer to remove cancerous lymph nodes from his neck. He was previously treated for melanoma and lymphoma, and had radiation treatments last year for vocal cord cancer.
February 9th 2025
Thought of the Day
Luck is a dividend of sweat. The more you sweat, the luckier you get.
Parmesan Basil Orzo
Orzo with Parmesan & Basil
Orzo with Parmesan & Basil from Taste of Home
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 15 minutes
Serving size: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked orzo pasta or pearl couscous
- 2 tablespoons butter
- 1 can (14.5 ounces) chicken broth
- 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 teaspoons dried basil
- 1/8 teaspoon pepper
- Thinly sliced fresh basil (optional)
Directions
- Toast the Orzo:
- In a large cast-iron or heavy skillet, sauté the orzo in butter over medium heat until lightly browned, about 3–5 minutes.
- Cook the Orzo:
- Stir in the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer until the liquid is absorbed and the orzo is tender, about 10–15 minutes.
- Finish with Flavor:
- Stir in the Parmesan cheese, dried basil, and pepper. Mix well until the cheese is melted and the orzo is creamy.
- Garnish and Serve:
- If desired, top with thinly sliced fresh basil for extra flavor and presentation. Serve immediately. Enjoy!
February 8th 2025
Thought of the Day
Never blame others for the road you are on, it’s your own asphalt.
Four Cheese Baked Pasta
Four Cheese Baked Pasta
Four Cheese Baked Pasta Recipe from Foodnetwork
Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour and 15 minutes
Serving size: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients
- Kosher salt
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole plum tomatoes, crushed by hand
- 1 pound mezzi rigatoni
- 4 ounces rosemary focaccia, toasted and cut into cubes (about 2 cups)
- 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese (about 1 ounce)
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/2 cup roughly chopped sun-dried tomatoes (not oil-packed)
- 1 pound part-skim mozzarella cheese, cubed
- 1 1/2 cups grated asiago cheese (about 6 ounces)
- 8 ounces part-skim ricotta cheese
- 1 head garlic
- 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for the baking dish
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bulb fennel, thinly sliced, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fennel fronds
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons tomato paste
Directions
Preheat and Roast Garlic:
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Halve the garlic crosswise to expose the cloves. Wrap the bottom half in foil and roast until very soft, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, remove the skins from the top half and chop the garlic.
Prepare the Sauce:
Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and sliced fennel, cooking and stirring occasionally for about 3 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and red pepper flakes, cooking for another 2 minutes until the garlic softens. Stir in the tomato paste and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook for 3 more minutes until the vegetables are tender. Add the crushed tomatoes and 4 cups water. Stir and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sauce thickens slightly, about 30 minutes.
Cook the Pasta:
Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the mezzi rigatoni and cook according to the package instructions. Drain, rinse under cold water, and set aside.
Prepare the Breadcrumbs:
Pulse the toasted rosemary focaccia in a food processor to make coarse crumbs. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skin and add to the food processor along with 1/4 cup each of parmesan and parsley. Pulse a few times until combined. Set aside.
Assemble the Dish:
Lightly brush a 9-by-13-inch baking dish with olive oil. Combine the cooked pasta, sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, fennel fronds, mozzarella, asiago, and the remaining 1/4 cup each of parmesan and parsley. Toss until well mixed. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking dish. Top with spoonfuls of ricotta and sprinkle with the breadcrumbs.
Bake:
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover and continue baking until golden and bubbling, about 15 more minutes.
Rest and Serve:
Let the baked pasta rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!
