tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12460780651724208032024-03-19T04:21:53.647-05:00Straight from the Scullerynarrative baked at 350 and served directly.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-57764885721937686082018-12-05T19:42:00.000-06:002018-12-05T19:58:11.585-06:00To the Woman at the Grocery Store<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I raced from one place to another today, trying to get fourteen things done in a time slot that would fit only three. Not unusual, and it was relatively stress-free; nothing on the list was terribly pressing with the exception of finding the ingredients for dinner and making sure the puppies get a good run before the afternoon sun turns things into a premature winter's night. </div>
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After finding the shallots, discovering that lettuce is on the "safe to eat" list again, and picking up things to pack in lunches (how could I have forgotten the cookies????), I stood and waited for Dylan to pack up some chicken for me. Dylan is slower than a frozen river, and I am convinced his schedule is made once his managers determine when I will be shopping. Need some brats or burgers? Dylan is there every time...testing my patience. He is very, very nice. I know because I chat with him for long periods of time while he painstakingly wraps my dinner and fumbles with the tape. He is actually quite interesting to talk to.<br />
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As Dylan weighed the chicken and carefully packaged it up, a woman with long, wavy gray hair left her cart across the aisle and strode over to me. She had purpose, and she had such a beautiful big smile. I have seen this woman shopping before. She shops without any assistance, though I am sure she struggles with some tasks you and I take for granted. I don't think it is Downs Syndrome, though schools today would certainly place a label on her. I wish I had thought to ask her name.</div>
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"Have I given you one?" she asked me abruptly, and she leaned in to study my face, squinting her eyes and clearly making some decisions. She had a paper in her hand, and she started to hand it to me, then she snatched it away. "No!" she exclaimed, and hurried back to her cart where there was a stack of about 30 more papers. She filtered through them, evidently looking for just the right one. </div>
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She barreled back across the aisle with a new paper in her hands and held it in front of me. "Here!" she said, nodding for me to take the paper from her. "This is for you! Happy Holidays!"</div>
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And then she came around to the back of my cart and smiled again, pointing at the picture she'd drawn with stickers surrounding it. "This is for you," she said again, this time not so loudly. "This is your dog angel." I looked down at the picture and stared. By the time I looked up, the woman was gone. Across the deli section, startling a mother with her teenager, smiling and handing her another picture she'd drawn. "Happy Holidays! This is for you..."</div>
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I looked back down at the picture and my throat swelled just a little bit. The picture was a little brown dog with a red halo over her head. My dog angel. Looking up, I spotted the woman over by the rice, handing a picture to a guy with a walker, who smiled and gave her a hug. </div>
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I lost the greatest dog in the world this past summer. A beautiful chocolate lab with eyes that peered into your soul. She was just an amazing animal, full of love and excitement, a fantastic trail runner and great kayaking partner. She and I did everything together. I was with her when she died, hugging her and telling her she was going to be okay, that even though she was dying, everything would be okay for her. I told her the pain she was in would stop soon, and then I saw the light go out of her eyes. She was a magical creature. Nothing short of it. </div>
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I hope I see this woman again at the grocery store. I have seen her before, so I am hopeful that the chance will present itself. When I do, I am going to follow her until she is finished shopping (not in a stalker way lol) and buy her groceries for her. What a gift she gave me today. I have hundreds of pictures of that dog, I look at them all the time. Now, thanks to this kind soul, I have a picture of my dog angel. </div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-56905352911446483372018-11-28T10:20:00.002-06:002018-11-28T11:53:47.714-06:00Being RealMeghan is up in Alaska, where right now it gets light out at 11am and then the sun goes down around 2 pm. Her husband is in the military and is getting set to deploy soon, which means he will be gone for a year or so while she and their infant son keep things rolling at home. She has recently decided to take up cooking and baking, and is really quite good at it.<br />
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Susan struggles with dementia and is worried that her "mind is erasing itself," as she put it the other day. She is sad she can't remember the history shared with her husband, and listens to him tell her stories about when they were younger, smiling at pictures of them, not recognizing herself. Back in the day, she was an exceptional cook, and is distressed because she can't remember how to make a Thanksgiving dinner anymore. It was delivered to her home this year, which makes her feel both happy and sad.<br />
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Tom is a shuttle driver for a car dealership and faults himself for his own misfortune. He looks back and admits he was lazy and never did what he needed to succeed. It is a hard realization. Now, at 50 years old, his mother drives him to work each day so he won't get robbed on the bus. He needs another paycheck in his pocket to afford a car of his own, though that will have to wait if he needs to buy groceries before the end of the week. His mother still cooks him dinner, which he feels lucky about, because she can make the long day's work melt away with the smell of dinner in her oven.<br />
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Jocelyn is a teen who goes home every day to her grandmother's house, where she helps her grandmother prepare the evening meal for her entire family. Her parents live there as well, both on long term disability for various reasons. Her brother was unable to get into the military (as he'd always dreamed of) because of a head injury that caused permanent damage. He helps Jocelyn make dinner from time to time, though he is very messy in the kitchen and she only lets him chop the vegetables.<br />
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At the end of each day, these four people all sit down to a meal with their families. They are all from different parts of the world, they all have realities that take courage and strength. And for a short time late each afternoon, the troubles of the day are forgotten. Laughter replaces worry, smiles light up the room. Warm food, uninterrupted time together, and remembering that despite any difficulty, there is much to be thankful for are just a few beautiful details of family dinners.<br />
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Share a meal with the people you love. It changes your world.<br />
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<span style="color: black;">Enchiladas from My Family Dinner Table<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">1 lb
ground beef (cooked and drained)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">2 - 14 oz
cans black beans (rinsed and drained)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">½ red
pepper diced into small pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">1 can
sliced black olives (either 2.25 oz or 3.8 oz)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">2 - 10 oz
cans of hot red chile enchilada sauce (sometimes I use green/mild, but the hot
is better. I like La Preferida brand, but have used many different kinds - all
good)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">¾ cup
frozen corn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">3 cups
shredded cheddar, divided (1 cup + 2 cups)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">1 medium
fresh tomato, diced into small pieces<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">6 large
(or xl) flour tortilla shells<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Add some
taco seasoning (1 packet or 3 Tablespoons) and a couple of shakes of cayenne
pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">*a couple
of notes here - I have also mixed in things like ½ block cream cheese, ½ cup
salsa verde (or any salsa), and other types of peppers. I love to add diced up
sweet potatoes. You can really add anything - you can also substitute the
ground beef for shredded chicken or shredded pork, but I like ground beef best<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">In a
glass baking dish (like what you’d cook lasagne in), spray the bottom with
cooking spray. Make sure you shake up the first can of enchilada sauce, then
pour half of one can into the bottom of the dish. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">In a
large bowl, mix together the cooked ground beef, the remaining half of the
first can of enchilada sauce, both cans of beans, red pepper, olives, frozen
corn, 1 cup of shredded cheddar, tomato, taco seasoning and cayenne pepper.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Make sure
you divide out the mixture evenly into six portions (the more times you make
it, the easier it is to eyeball it). Lay out one tortilla at a time and spread
one portion evenly down the middle, then wrap it up with open ends (into a
burrito shape - but with open ends). As you wrap each one up, lay it in the pan
on top of the layer of sauce you put in there. Squish them all into the pan
next to each other, then shake up the second can of enchilada sauce and pour it
evenly over the top of each enchilada, using up the whole can.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Spread two
cups of shredded cheddar over the top of the enchiladas, and cover the pan with
aluminum foil. Bake at 350 for 30 minutes, then take the foil off. Make sure
all the cheese on the top is melted before removing it from the oven.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black;">*another
note: I sometimes make this in the morning, all the way up to covering it with
foil. Then BEFORE baking it, I put it in the fridge for the day and let it just
soak all together. That makes them extra amazing. The tortillas are really good
then. But even if you make it just ahead of baking it (with no refrigeration),
it’s still amazing.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-28541258798853290642018-10-29T13:46:00.001-05:002018-10-29T14:02:47.026-05:00Pulling Positive Out of the Shadows<div style="text-align: justify;">
Drama was meant for theatres...not for every day life. I think my threshold has almost reached capacity. For example, the driver behind me at the light this morning: FYI, the reason I didn't GO this morning right when the light changed had to do with the oncoming car from the left who appeared to be (and was) running a red light. Perhaps, Impatient Driver, next time you're behind someone who doesn't go from 0 to 70 in .23 seconds, you might recognize the fact that had I been urged on by your honking instead of paying attention as I am supposed to, I would have been plowed over by a maniac from the left. </div>
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The drama created all around us on a regular basis is wearing everyone down. I know because it's wearing me down, and I'm usually one of the last to go! Time for a no-phone, hot bath with pizza and champagne night.<br />
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<a name='more'></a>The reality stands that drama sells. Drama creates energy, and people are drawn to it. Let's take a look at some "creations" that come to mind. Misconceptions that have been created around us by someone to create a "wow" factor...despite the fact that they are just flat out incorrect.</div>
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For one, I am sorry to break it to you, but the Great Chicago Fire was not started by a cow kicking over a lantern in a barn. Maybe you knew that already. The conditions were in the fire's favor, and as a result over 300 people died in a terrible tragedy. But not because of a cow. Incidentally, did you know that the very same day, a fire started in Peshtigo, Wisconsin? This fire was only 4 hours away from the O'Leary Barn, and ended up claiming the lives of over 1,000. I don't know why that one didn't get more press, but the cow ended up getting the notoriety.<br />
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How about this one...how many of the "witches" in Salem do you think were burned at the stake? The answer? Zero. Not one. Their fate was still horrible, and the events surely leave a mark on our nation's history, but no one burned at the stake. They were hanged (another horrid way to go), and one was pressed to death by stone (also rather twisted). Incidentally, it wasn't only women who were sentenced and executed...there was a man as well. And, sadly, even two dogs.<br />
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Here are a few more for you: A penny dropped from the top of the Empire State Building won't kill anyone, nor will it crack the sidewalk. Despite popular belief, Santa Claus was NOT created by Coca-Cola. A goldfish memory span actually lasts about 6 months (longer than most of the goldfish I ever owned). First cousins having children together doesn't actually hold any higher risk of producing a baby with birth defects than a woman over 40 years old giving birth. The shelf life of Twinkies? Not 7 years...more like 45 days. Cinco de Mayo? Not created in celebration of Mexico's independence...it's a really long list.<br />
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This doesn't even take into account the fake news going on, nor does it list out all the embellishments filling our every day lives. "Did you hear that...?" "Last time I heard, she said..." Or my personal favorite, "Well, don't say anything, but..." All are recipes for rumors, untruths, and the potential to wreak havoc.<br />
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Sensationalism is all around us. It is in advertising, it's in the news...the coffee shops and the bars, the internet, the gossip centers. It is surely at all family gatherings!! School hallways, workplaces, and the evening dinner table. Sensationalism, embellishment, drama, it's in our everyday lives to be sure. Some of it is fun, in fact, much of it is. But as with everything, there is a healthy balance. A little bit here and there: fun and lighthearted. Constantly carrying on: not such a good idea. The issue, then, shifts from the drama surrounding us to recognizing the level of our own need for it. Some of us more than others, surely. Take a step back, take a deep breath and give this some thought next time you have a moment to ponder:<br />
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Two quotes, the first from everyone's mother ever: "If you don't have something nice to say, then don't say it at all."<br />
The second from Alice Roosevelt Longworth: "If you don't have something nice to say, come sit next to me..."<br />
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Which is more suited to you? (I mean, be honest, you're the one you are answering to...)<br />
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Remember, at the same time all this drama is unraveling around us there is an equal amount of good, and it is sitting in the shadows waiting for recognition. Be the focus shifter, and give the energy to the positive. Positive will build upon itself and create...more positive. All because of you, glorious you.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-46747324229443171012018-09-18T09:58:00.001-05:002018-09-18T09:58:39.711-05:00Narrow it Down<div style="text-align: justify;">
2018 has been a year for reviewing things I already have rather than just plowing forward into something new. It is a practice I planned to form a habit around and have it become a part of who I am. Of course that could all go out the window at any time....I am constantly challenged with reminders that this is actually a "thing" I am working out internally, and it happened again last night.</div>
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In fact, I heard the reminder coming out of my own mouth. The listener was taking it in and actually paying attention (it was one of our children, so he was stuck with me at the dinner table). And as I heard myself saying it, I thought "ohhhh yeah, that's actually really good advice across the board. Hm." We all learned some basic lessons when we were younger (for some of us that goes back a few decades, for others, well...you are a few years closer to young), sometimes they come back around and smack us in right in the face. This particular lesson I was reciting was picked up back in English 101 as a basis for creating credible and cohesive research papers.</div>
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So the topic at hand was history (one of my personal favorite things to ramble on about, as many of you know). In AP US History at the high school, an optional project has been assigned, and the theme of the historical research presentation is "Tragedy or Triumph." My husband and I were so enthralled with the very idea of it, we pretty much took over the conversation and our high school junior basically gave up trying to get a word in for the next 30 minutes. </div>
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"The New Deal," I threw out there, then cut my husband off yet again "Or Washington's secret spy ring!" Topics of war flew around the table, topics of conspiracy and then inventions...just endless possibility. I perched atop my infamous women's rights soapbox and started in on the fact that we couldn't even OWN PROPERTY....which my husband and kid began reciting along with me until I was shushed. They are both lucky they didn't wake up to a women's history quiz at the breakfast table.</div>
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Once the two of us finally recognized that we aren't actually in school anymore, and this actually isn't our project, we finally posed the question: "Soooo...did you have any topics in mind?"</div>
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Tentatively selecting his words in order to avoid another re-enactment of the historical events of the past two centuries right in our dining room, he said, "I was thinking maybe something about World War II." My husband smiled...he immerses himself in World War II studies at every possible moment. I purposefully stepped into the kitchen in order to avoid the temptation to teach about the 350,000 American women who joined the military during that time period...or the fact that World War II officially spanned about six years and fatalities are estimated to be anywhere from 50 million to 80 million, depending where you get your information. It was a war that would change the face of the globe forever in a multitude of levels. Impossible, then, to encapsulate all of that information into one cohesive high school history position paper. </div>
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What I came back with, however, had a bit more practicality involved. I listened as the conversation turned from the power of aviation and it's impact on the war to the Pacific theater, the USS Indianapolis and all the incredible stories from the South Pacific. </div>
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"Start broad," I suggested, "and then start narrowing it down. You have to continue to simplify until you reach the crux of it all. That's when you will be able to make sense of the chaos and create your best work."</div>
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This comment alone gave the two dinner table historians some purpose to their discussion, and I left them to their own devices. But as I stepped into the other room to finish a few things up for the evening, I thought "wow, if I could only remember that on a daily basis."</div>
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And so this morning, that is how my approach has come back around. Simplify. Narrow things down. Prioritize. Clearly I am not in the practice of breaking down components of historical battles and wars in order to understand the purpose behind world affairs. I am, however, in need of clearing my plate of extraneous events in order to focus on the things which must take precedence over others. There are only so many hours in a day, and there are only so many plates that can spin at the same time before one brings them all crashing to the floor. </div>
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So far, so good...I have created a list of things I would like to get done each day. I have deleted files that serve no purpose in any realm of my life. I have organized my writing in a way that makes sense, so that I am not looking at chaos when I sit down to multiple projects, instead, they are narrowed down into something that makes sense. I have organized my refrigerator to include things that are healthy and delicious. And I have put systems in place to make all the events that need to happen each day just a little bit easier.</div>
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It just gives you time breathe. Turns out, that's kind of important.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-56482229892634451782018-02-07T10:43:00.000-06:002018-11-01T11:02:38.447-05:00The Heroine of Rocky Ridge Farm<br />
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">February 7, 1867</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For many women I know,
one of the most iconic figures of our childhood was the feisty little pioneer
girl who set out into the great frontier with her family from the big woods of
Wisconsin, heading across the frozen Mississippi River in their covered wagon
with high hopes and their faithful bulldog, Jack. Laura Ingalls Wilder served
as our heroine and our champion, working hard to make ends meet, struggling to
hold back when her sharp tongue threatened to get the best of her, and teaching
us some of the greatest moral lessons of our lives. Laura taught us to be kind,
to be grateful, to be resourceful, and above all, to find the silver linings
that surround us each and every day, despite the circumstances. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Born in the small town
of Pepin, Wisconsin on February 7, 1867, Laura and her family’s adventures
spanned Missouri, Kansas, and Minnesota, finally setting in the Dakota
Territory where Laura became a teacher at the age of 15, and met and married
the love of her life, Almanzo Wilder. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After many financial, emotional,
and physical setbacks in the Dakotas, the young Wilder family relocated to
Mansfield, Missouri, naming their newly acquired undeveloped property Rocky
Ridge Farm. It was here that Laura would pen her famous <i>Little House on the
Prairie</i> series, bringing to life Pa’s fiddle, Ma’s lessons in gracious
living, Mary’s scarlet fever, Nellie Oleson’s constant tests of Laura’s
patience, and Mr. Edwards braving the elements and high waters to bring gifts
from Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Laura’s childhood was an
example to all of us; her adult life, though not as widely chatted about, could
serve the same purpose. Laura was politically active (as well as opinionated
and vocal), served as an advocate for many regional farm associations, and was
an astute businesswoman, handling the affairs for their poultry, dairy farm,
and apple orchard. Laura was considered a regional expert on farm life,
publishing articles in the<i> Ruralist</i> with titles like “As a Farm Woman
Thinks.” Periodically, she was forced to publish her articles under her
husband’s name, as the content included farming advice that would be “better
received man to man.” </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Laura’s farm kitchen
cooking evolved throughout the years, beginning with the handed down verbal
recipes Ma shared in the prairie years, working into dinner table specialities
from the early editions of <i>The Joy of Cooking</i>. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This apple pie, created
by my mother’s best friend (a pioneer girl at heart), would have surely been a
favorite of Almanzo’s (he was always on board for a good dessert, especially
pie). Laura could have used the Ben Davis and Missouri Pippin apples from her
orchard on Rocky Ridge Farm, but I use the Granny Smith brought straight from
Michigan farms and delivered to our local produce section at the supermarket. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Apple Pie for the Golden
Years</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 - 9" deep dish pie shell</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">3/4 cup sugar</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 T flour</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 tsp vanilla</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 egg</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1 cup sour cream</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 cups sliced, peeled apples</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a large bowl, cream together sugar, flour,
vanilla, egg, and sour cream. Fold in the apples and pour into the pie shell.
Bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/2 cup brown sugar</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/3 cup flour</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">1/4 cup butter</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: #313131; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mix together; sprinkle over the pie and bake
20-30 minutes longer.</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-10261475351594480032018-01-01T10:12:00.000-06:002018-10-31T11:46:51.391-05:00The Grandmother of Europe<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;">January 1, 1877</span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: "arial"; font-size: 14.6667px; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During her reign, Queen
Victoria mothered 9 children...a lot by any standard, let alone for a woman who
didn’t much care for being pregnant. The Queen’s children grew up (as children
have a tendency to do) and worked themselves into the royal fabric of the
entire Old Continent. Her great-great grandchildren include Queen Elizabeth II
of the United Kingdom, Queen Sofia of Spain, King Constantine II of Greece,
King Michael I of Romania, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, and King Carl XVI
Gustaf of Sweden. Not a shabby lot. When she ascended the throne in 1837, she
was excluded from becoming the ruler of the Kingdom of Hanover, because
according to the laws of the day girls don’t get to rule things. (Hanover ended
up getting conquered by Prussia about 30 years later, which then got “unified”
with the German Empire a couple years after that, but that’s another story…)
Undaunted by the exclusion, Queen Victoria proposed to her husband (he
surely couldn’t ask her...she was the queen for crying out loud) and proceeded
to make such an impact that an entire era was named for her. Throughout her
reign, Queen Victoria survived not one or two, but six assassination attempts.
During the Victorian era, the British Empire included Australia, New Zealand,
Canada, South Africa, and India. On January 1, 1877, the queen was proclaimed
the Empress of India. Not bad for never having set foot inside the country!</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Queen Victoria also had
a appetite for potatoes, and had them cooked for her in any possible way a chef
could dream up. Perhaps she would have liked these hometown faves:</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<u><span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Potatoes Fit for a Queen</span></u><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 medium sweet potatoes</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 large russet potatoes</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">4 tablespoons butter</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Salt and pepper to taste</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">½ cup milk (or to desired consistency)</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">2 cloves of garlic, mashed with a press</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If the picky ones are home, I will peel the
potatoes before cubing them, but if I want all the health benefits, I just
scrub them and dice them up. Boil the diced potatoes for approximately 10
minutes, then drain the water. Add the rest of the ingredients, allowing
the butter to melt completely as you’re mixing it in. Be sure the garlic is
mixed in well and dispersed so that no one bites a whole chunk at one time. </span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: black; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Mash all the ingredients together and serve
immediately. Serves 4</span><span style="font-family: "times new roman" , serif; font-size: 12.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-13665832523332258332017-05-22T17:02:00.000-05:002017-09-01T17:02:55.413-05:00Veruca and the Voice of Reason<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="IMG_0841" class=" wp-image-414 aligncenter" data-attachment-id="414" data-comments-opened="1" data-image-description="" data-image-meta="{"aperture":"0","credit":"","camera":"","caption":"","created_timestamp":"0","copyright":"","focal_length":"0","iso":"0","shutter_speed":"0","title":"","orientation":"0"}" data-image-title="IMG_0841" data-large-file="https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=175&h=271?w=662" data-medium-file="https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=175&h=271?w=194" data-orig-file="https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=175&h=271" data-orig-size="2016,3118" data-permalink="https://couragetocross.com/2017/05/22/accountability-for-veruca/img_0841/" height="271" sizes="(max-width: 175px) 100vw, 175px" src="https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=175&h=271" srcset="https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=175&h=271 175w, https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=350&h=542 350w, https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=97&h=150 97w, https://couragetocross.files.wordpress.com/2017/05/img_0841-e1495496912602.jpg?w=194&h=300 194w" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; clear: both; color: #444444; display: block; font-family: lato, sans-serif; font-size: 18px; height: auto; margin: 0px auto; max-width: 100%; text-align: justify;" width="175" /></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">My husband listens to the radio every morning during his workout. On a normal day, I get the nutshell version over coffee and school lunch making. This past January, however, one frosty, dark morning had a slightly different twist. On this day, the workout was cut short and the wooden stairs coming up from the basement creaked beneath his feet a few minutes early. The light in the bedroom clicked on and sent me hiding under the pillow.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“There’s going to be a food truck festival here in the spring!” he exclaimed, knowing how absolutely thrilled I would be. I love food. I love food trucks. I love festivals. Plans were set in motion straight away.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It was no small feat to carve out time. I know everyone can relate…between soccer practices, games, work, family obligations, guests, a new puppy, spring concerts…the list goes on and on. I am not the busiest person I know (mercifully), but I am certainly never lacking for things to do. After securing the time off work and clearing all but one soccer game from the schedule, I went online to purchase tickets for the event (as the Facebook page recommended doing) and printed them off.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In a momentary lapse of organization, I forgot to bring the printed tickets with us that morning. I somewhat frantically scrolled the Facebook event page to find out if I could use them from my phone. (Clearly this gives you an indication of my age, because the younger crowd never would have printed the paper tickets to begin with…they all assume that you can show the tickets on your screen.)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What I read in the comments of the Food Truck Festival page launched me into a rant that I am still barely past. The Festival page proudly announced the Sell Out of tickets and mentioned there would be a few available at the door this afternoon. That wasn’t the moment I lost faith in all of humankind (yes, I promise that’s a slight exaggeration).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I don’t remember the name of the author, but I’ll call her Veruca Salt for your benefit. Veruca’s post was dripping with a lack of dignity, tact, and primarily a void of ownership. “It’s my birthday weekend,” Veruca whined over social media. “I spent two hundred fifty dollars on hotel rooms, drove all the way here, invited a bunch of my friends, and now they are telling me I can’t get tickets to THE main event of MY birthday weekend.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The post went on to describe how unbelievable this whole turn of events was for poor Veruca, and the utter despair she was encountering. Against my better judgment, I opted to stay out of the conversation and simply settled into the passenger seat and watched it unfold, reading posts aloud as other Food Truck Lovers chimed in.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What happened next quickly restored my love for humanity and showed exactly how much power a little kindness and realism combined has over even the most unreasonable of souls.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The posts came shooting in, updating every few seconds:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“???”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Not clear…isn’t this YOUR fault?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“WTF? It’s pouring rain anyway…who cares?”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And then, the beautiful voice of reason.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Sometimes my friends say I plan things too well, so please know I am not trying to be critical. But the FB page was quite clear that you should purchase your tickets ahead because of the likelihood they would sell out. Please don’t blame anyone else here…a lot of people worked hard to make sure this event is successful. Next time be sure to read more carefully and also, don’t blame other people for your lack of proper planning. I do hope your birthday turns out to be wonderful…maybe someone would be able to sell you their ticket? The FB page mentioned that tickets are transferable…”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Within five minutes Veruca Salt had deleted her post. I am making it my new goal to carry that beautiful voice of reason in my back pocket and bring her out whenever necessary. Calm, composed, to the point, kind, and real. Rather than focusing on the negative, Voice of Reason looks for a solution. Instead of bashing Veruca for being obnoxious and sounding like a spoiled child, Voice of Reason sends birthday wishes and gently reminds her of many, many important points.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It ended up raining sideways all afternoon, which was here nor there to our crew. The Food Truck Festival featured the Rolling Cones and Meat on the Street…the craft beer was flowing, and, though I scoured the crowd for two hours, I could not find Veruca Salt among the festival crowds. Perhaps she wasn’t there, perhaps she was playing drinking games with her friends in her overpriced hotel room. I’d like to think, however, that she was there, that some kind soul transferred their tickets to her and she had a Rock Star Birthday party. And that when she tells the story of her birthday weekend, it begins with “At first I was so mad, but then I realized…”</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-4910004093276047732017-05-09T17:01:00.000-05:002017-09-01T17:01:40.742-05:00Run Your Own Race<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I was lucky to spend this past weekend visiting one of my kids up in her cute little college town. We celebrated her birthday, went to the movies on campus (if you’ve never seen ‘The Book Thief,’ make time to – and have your tissues close at hand), did some rearranging in her room, and hung out with her friends. The culminating event for our weekend was a half marathon we’d signed up for months prior, and her roommate would be joining our adventure. I have run my share of races; neither of the girls had ever attempted this distance before.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Training for each of us was….so-so at best. The girls were on track with a lot of discipline and excitement surrounding it until spring break hit. I was my usual self, running shorter distances and totally ignoring the best laid plans. Not smart, but not unheard of in the running world.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The three of us discussed our race strategy the night before the race. We picked up our bibs at the expo, which was an experience in itself (visit <a href="https://www.facebook.com/FeistyFiteauclaire/" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #1abc9c; font-style: inherit; font-weight: inherit; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease-in-out; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">Feisty Fit</a> on Facebook if you love fun fitness wear) and strolled back over to the dorms together, where M’s roommate blurted out, “No matter what, I want to all stick together!” Self-admittedly, she was feeling a little anxious about the start line the following morning. I shook my head “no” and insisted she stay open to the idea of splitting up.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Race day was sunny and beautiful; and I would say the same about the runners lining up to start. The national anthem was belted out by one of the most beautiful alto voices I’ve ever heard (an alum of the college, here for the weekend to give back to the place she loved so much), and the countdown to start sent us off through the streets of this cute little college town, crossing nine bridges and sending us through a cheering section on campus that was fantastically motivating.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we approached the first bridge, perhaps a mile and a half in, I prodded M’s roommate to move ahead without us. After a bit of a back and forth struggle, she was convinced. Her pace increased slightly, and as she began to separate, she looked over her shoulder. “I’m really nervous!” she yelled, to which I replied with confidence, “You are going to be just fine.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">As we stood in line for our free bratwurst (it is Wisconsin, after all) at the post-race festivities, M’s roommate was glowing with pride. In fact, we all were. “I didn’t think I could do it!” was the overall theme to the stream of excitement flowing from the girls. I had purposefully waited for this moment to share my thoughts on running.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have firm beliefs about running, I told them. And my beliefs apply to more than just running, they apply to everything across the board. In fact, they apply to life itself. You absolutely have to run your own race. Only you know how you’re feeling at any given moment. Only you know your goals and visions for yourself. Only you know your tolerance for pain, only you know what you are capable of. Only you know what your gut is telling you about the course you are carving out.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In life, those who run their own race face the risk of being labeled “selfish.” I am here to tell you, it is not. The word selfish actually means that you lack consideration for others, that you are only concerned with your own profit or your own pleasure. Have you ever met a runner? The definition of selfish couldn’t be further from the truth with regards to almost any runner I’ve ever known. In fact, the majority of people I know (runners or not) actually have a great deal of consideration for others. We simply understand that it is important to follow our own path rather than trying to maintain along someone else’s. Because, quite simply, someone else’s path just doesn’t have our name on it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We made our way through the bratwurst line where (for the first time in my running history) I had to turn down the free beer as my sights turned toward my long drive home. M’s roommate covered her mouth with her napkin and squished her eyes together because of the spicy mustard she’d loaded on. She took a long drink of water and smiled at me. “You know? After I left you guys, any time I was jittery about the race and wondered if I could really finish, I kept picturing you and kept hearing you say ‘You’re going to be just fine,’ and that’s what actually got me through.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In light of that comment, I would like to share the same thoughts with all of you. Run your own race, girls. You are going to be just fine.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-71722825444317970582017-03-13T17:00:00.000-05:002017-09-05T16:35:36.109-05:00Eat Right and Exercise<div style="text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There are so many ways to diet, so many plans, detoxification menus, pros to one way of eating, cons to others, articles on foolproof ways of dropping pounds…it is enough to make a person shut off their computer and grab a bag of Doritos.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One diet plan allows you to eat fried chicken, candy bars, Coca-Cola, etc., as long as you only eat a little bit of it every three hours. Or try the Atkins Diet, which has you eating protein and giving up flour and sugar. There is the Blood Type Diet, the Cabbage Soup diet, the Skinny Bitch Diet, or the Caveman Diet. You can use the Fat Flush Plan to cleanse your liver. You can spend time measuring your Glycemic Index, eat grapefruit with every meal, ditch your aluminum pans, regulate what you eat based on your hormones, purchase prepackaged meals, find your yin-yang balance with regards to food intake, spend days removing toxins, pair your food better to maximize your digestive system, restrict your calories, drink olive oil and sugar water, go completely vegan, replace the bad carbs with good carbs, increase your fiber intake, keep track of points per item eaten, eat to make changes in your insulin production…have you stopped reading this paragraph yet?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Don’t get me wrong, some of these plans are based on solid foundations. There is nothing wrong with a vegan diet, nor is there anything amiss with the idea of ditching the bad carbs from your daily intake. However, the best diet for you is much, much simpler than any of this craziness.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eat right and exercise. Everything in moderation.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That’s it. Wondering how to measure something like that? Well…how are you feeling? If you feel kind of low energy and blah, take a look at what you ate yesterday. Did you exercise at all? How did you sleep? And from that point, make the decision to do a better job today.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is no magic spell that is going to take care of this so you can drop 15 pounds before swimsuit season, no matter what the magazine cover in the line at the grocery store tells you. It’s you and you alone, self-discipline and determination. Here’s the simple plan, broken down.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Eat right. I will be more specific for you. Don’t eat so much sugar. As a general rule, white flour isn’t good for you. Eat more fruits and vegetables. Stop eating out so much. Carve out the time in your life (not just your day…your life) to eat clean. Use whole foods. In my kitchen we have the one ingredient rule. If the recipe asks for kidney beans and you don’t feel like soaking dry beans in a pot for a day, be sure that the label on the can includes some basic things. Kidney beans. Sea salt. Water. That’s about it. If you see things like sugar, calcium chloride, or disodium EDTA…run away! Put it back on the shelf and keep looking. That sums up the one ingredient rule. If you need a tomato, then add a tomato. Don’t add a can of tomatoes with a whole bunch of preservatives and additives. Got the idea? You don’t need any special recipe book. You need to look in the books you already own and make what’s in there. Use whole foods, cut out the stuff that’s nasty for you.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Exercise. You don’t have to train for a marathon. Not even a 5K. I mean, you can if you want, and they are great fun. But you don’t have to join a gym or brave the driving snow for a daily workout. You don’t even really need equipment. Walk more instead of driving everywhere. Ride your bike. Get your heart rate up for a little while, and try to do that a couple times a day. There are some basic Total Body exercises you should discipline yourself to do every day. And every once in a while…skip them for a day. Not often, but a day off is no big deal. Build 1/2 hour into your morning for push ups, squats, lunges, and burpees. When you take a deeper look into each of those, you’ll find a huge number of variations: wall push ups, lunge jumps (which I think may cause me to keel over soon), sumo squats…there are so many. Find the ones you love (or the ones you love to hate) and make time for them every day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Everything in moderation. So you like to have a Coke every now and then? Have one. Just don’t have seven. I like to go with the 95% rule. If 95% of what I eat each day is healthy, I can be okay with a snack bag of Cheetos every once in a while. The reality you’ll find, though, is that you will lose your taste for that stuff as time passes by. Feel good running one mile? Don’t go nuts and try out a half marathon without training for it. Feeling overwhelmed with the number of things to get through every single day? Cut some of them out. (And don’t say “I can’t.” Yes, you can.) I would advise against cutting “work” out of your day, though I know many of you would like to. If you do feel like cutting it out of each day…I would suggest finding something you love in order to spend each day enjoying this beautiful life.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A friend of mine shared this recipe with me this morning, and I thought I would pass it along (even before I try it…I trust her that much) so that you can test your family with a healthy meal sometime this week:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Sweet Potato Skin Fajitas</span><br />
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2 sweet potatoes<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ red bell pepper, sliced<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ yellow bell pepper, sliced<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ green bell pepper, sliced<o:p></o:p></div>
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½ onion, sliced<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 chicken breast<o:p></o:p></div>
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3 tablespoons mozzarella cheese, divided<o:p></o:p></div>
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Olive oil<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b>For the fajita seasoning:</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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2 teaspoons chili powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 teaspoon cumin<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 teaspoon garlic powder<o:p></o:p></div>
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1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper</div>
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1 teaspoon salt<o:p></o:p></div>
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1 teaspoon pepper<o:p></o:p></div>
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(makes 4 super filling “fajitas”)<o:p></o:p></div>
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1. Preheat oven to 400<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">˚</span><o:p></o:p></div>
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2. Using a fork, poke holes down one side of each sweet
potato. Microwave for 3-5 minutes, or until softened. Let sweet potatoes cool
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3. Next, cut the sweet potatoes in half and carve out the
centers, leaving a small rim around the outside of each sweet potato.<o:p></o:p></div>
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4. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet covered in
parchment paper. Add the bell peppers and onion to the other side of the baking
sheet. Drizzle in olive oil.<o:p></o:p></div>
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5. Next, mix the fajita seasoning ingredients together.
Season the sweet potatoes and veggies.<o:p></o:p></div>
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6. Add chicken breast on top of the veggies, drizzle in
olive oil and add additional seasoning.<o:p></o:p></div>
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7. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until chicken reaches 165<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">˚</span>F/75<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">˚</span>C. Let cool for a few minutes.<o:p></o:p></div>
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8. Shred the chicken with 2 forks and mix together with
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10. Garnish with your favorite toppings (we used
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Best wishes on your journey. Keep it simple.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-84247917009938222552017-03-06T16:58:00.000-06:002017-09-01T16:58:59.507-05:00Kaizen and You<div style="background-color: white; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-size: 18px; margin-bottom: 1.7em; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-align: justify; vertical-align: baseline;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Japanese theory “kaizen” has been applied to many situations from business models to governmental policy to personal development. The Japanese word “kaizen” is literally translated as meaning “change for better.” Without putting you through information overload, I will tell you that Toyota has successfully used this theory to take their company from the lower end of the spectrum to the giant it is today. It has been incorporated into what is known as “The Toyota Way” under the translation “continuous improvement” (there is no Japanese word for “continuous,” so it has clearly been Westernized but is most certainly accurate).</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So Kaizen and You…how are you supposed to apply the principles of a major corporation into your own personal journey through life (or perhaps instead you are asking WHY?) Well, the whole goal we are after is striving to be better, all the time. So there’s your Why. The how? Well that’s entirely up to you. I can give you the framework, you supply the rest.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Slow, continuous improvement. It’s a huge undertaking, but let’s break it down. The first decisions you need to make are key. What is it you want to improve? It’s so easy to say “I want to improve my quality of life” but for goodness sake, what the hell does that mean? It could mean a bazillion different things…yet to each one of us, the meaning is specific and unique.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So we break it down in a way that makes sense. Courage to Cross is based on quality of life in some all-encompassing categories. Love, laugh, eat, strive, think, be. So if you want to use those, start there. What improvements would you like to see in each of those spaces in your life? Do you laugh enough? Are you a positive influence on others? Do you take care of yourself with healthy nutrition and sleep habits? How about your personal fitness…is it challenging you? Are you intellectually stimulated throughout your day? Do you make time for yourself on a daily basis?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am certainly not going to tell you what course your own journey should take; that is for you to decide. But, using those categories, take some time to reflect on what your own improvement goals look like. Keep in mind that it is not an “end result” you are shooting for. Instead, it’s a way of being you’d like to radiate from within. Once you have determined what this looks like (this is not a five minute list to create, this is kind of intense thought and purposeful intention), I challenge you to make time each day to check your categories internally, determine if your “slow, continuous improvement” is on track. Begin by simply ending your days taking time for a self-check, and move on to catching yourself throughout the day if you are making decisions that don’t lead toward your goals.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple of rules here:</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1) be honest with yourself…this doesn’t work if you are bs’ing yourself on how things are actually going.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2) when you are creating your own personal vision, remember that these goals are only about YOU. You can’t control anyone else, your goals should never involve anyone but you. Not in the slightest.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">-and-</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3) be patient. This is about slow, continuous improvement…changes for the better. Rome wasn’t built in a day.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It takes time to make things a habit. I have read research that gives you a certain time frame, a certain number of days before something is deeply enough ingrained to be considered habitual or a “way of life.” So maybe it’s 21 days, maybe it’s 30 days, maybe it’s 7…whatever. Point being…start now. Don’t make excuses and don’t wait for some milestone. Just make the decision and move forward. And when you falter and find yourself sidestepping or going backward…away from your intended direction, don’t waste your time worrying about it, because it will happen, not only to you but to everyone who strives toward goals. Just pick yourself back up and move forward again. And again, and again.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Become the best You on the face of the earth. And celebrate the hell out of it, because you can.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-1489109513987506352017-02-27T16:56:00.000-06:002017-09-01T16:57:13.159-05:00Celebrate Your Gift<div style="color: #3d596d; font-family: merriweather, georgia, "times new roman", times, serif; font-size: 15px; margin-bottom: 24px;">
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Some of my favorite Time-Wasters (you know, the things we do throughout the day that entertain us for a brief moment while we check out of reality) are those silly little quizzes you can take which result in some description of your personality. I have loved them since pre-internet days when you had to wait for the next issue of Seventeen Magazine to come out, hoping someone had been clever enough to create a new version of what was ultimately the same thing with a slightly different twist. </div>
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The internet (and BuzzFeed) have exploded this whole phenomenon into being a Time Waster with the potential to soak up every waking moment, get you fired from your job, and give you carpal tunnel syndrome all in the same week. I am happy to report that I have enough self-discipline to allow NONE of this to happen, though I will admit I am quite clear as to which Hogwarts House I belong, what my Patronus is, how my personality impacts my life, what color my aura is, and what my spirit animal is (I had a lot of time to do quizzes in effort to ignore all the political posts over the past weeks). </div>
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While I view these quizzes to (clearly) be simple, mildly entertaining pastimes, I do believe that there are components of the process which actually have some merit. I don't mean for you to log on to BuzzFeed and find out which Disney Princess you are. I mean that taking time in your life to reflect on your strengths is a healthy use of time. Everyone has strengths...even the people in your life you don't care to spend as much time with for one reason or another. Everyone has them. And everyone also has one strength that flows so deeply within their core, it should be viewed as a Gift.</div>
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Individual gifts come in many forms. Some are easily apparent to others, some gifts are harder to understand from an onlooker's perspective. I know some who are gifted with open minds, others who radiate with patience. Self-discipline is inherent for a few of my friends, being genuine and kind is a quality I know in some as well. The gifts to which I am referring are not always tangible, and are not to be confused with individual talents. For example, being a great runner is certainly commendable and fantastic. The running, however, is not the gift. The inner discipline it took to become great is the gift...it simply manifests in the form of running for that particular person. Becoming a great musician is the same...a wonderful talent to possess, but without the individual gift of that same self-discipline, the musician's talent would not flourish. </div>
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Find a writing notebook and your favorite pen...make the time in your day to reflect on your own greatest gift. If you find yourself having trouble digging that deeply, I would suggest that you start with writing down the things you love to do the most. Some of that list will include things that you rarely get to do. For example, one thing I love to do is go to the beach in the summer. Clearly that doesn't happen terribly often (especially in late February), but it most certainly makes the list. Start adding definition to the list of things you love. What attribute do these things speak to within you? What quality do you possess that draws you to this type of activity?</div>
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Flip your page and write another list...this time focus on the things you are good at. Be honest with yourself and know that the things you love and the things you are quite good at are often not the same thing. I absolutely love running...am I good at it? Not tremendously. Not by my own standards. On the flip side of the coin, the things you are good at may not be things you love. I absolutely loathe conflict, for example...who doesn't? I am, however, quite good at conflict resolution for some godforsaken reason.</div>
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Take some time to mull over those lists and draw your own correlations. There are intangible attributes attached to each of those items you tagged. What are they? Use the margins and other pages to break it all down. When you begin to formulate a good, strong opinion of your own personal gift, the greatest strength flowing within you...start a whole new page with a huge title line in three different colors of Sharpie. </div>
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Its time to celebrate your gift. What are you going to do with it moving forward? What do you already do with it? And most importantly, how can you tap into your own personal gift to make the world around you a better place to be?</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-50658534141536466832017-02-21T16:55:00.000-06:002017-09-01T16:56:06.544-05:00Seven Generations<div style="color: #222222;">
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I hold many beliefs...some of them so ingrained within that I would venture to call them mantras. One that I return to on a daily basis for myself is this: Always frame things from a positive perspective. Maintaining this way of being is not just important to me, it has been a game changer for my life time and time again.</div>
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Stating this is not in effort to change you or your own ways. It's not a lecture on "always being positive...blah blah blah..." It is more a tool to help you understand the place from where my viewpoint is usually coming (with the exception of the occasional rant). That being said, I feel compelled to let you know that I am also a realist. Are things always positive? No, they are not. Positive aspects can usually be unearthed, and certainly there are better ways to handle difficult situations than others, but there are rough times that simply take a lot of damn work and a ton of emotional energy. And although I always highlight the silver lining in my mind, I am fully aware that sometimes things just flat out suck. Or sometimes, although there are great things going on, there still needs to be more...it still leaves room to be better.</div>
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Such is the case, in my opinion, for the state of women's rights in America. The women of today have absolutely incredible opportunities waiting right in front of them, at veritably every turn. Picture yourselves in the middle of a beautiful city park with trees and lakes, meandering paths and birds flying overhead. This park is surrounded on each side with residential areas of all types....mansions, trailers, townhouses, shacks, condos, estates, log cabins, tents...every single option available is surrounding you in this lovely, magical park. And in the pocket of the cute little bag you're carrying is a jam packed ring of keys. On this ring are the keys to every single front door to each of the houses surrounding the park...you can choose whichever option you prefer, and it is (literally and figuratively) just a walk in the park to get there.</div>
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You won't always think so, I recognize that. Your walk through the park might have a couple of obstacles...perhaps a mugger lurking in the trees or a rabid dog chasing you across the bridge. Those usually prove to be nothing more than bumps in the road rather than actual road blocks (also somewhat depending on your perspective). But as a general rule, in today's day and age you are simply able to choose your direction and head towards it, recognizing that despite any hardships you are free to make choices leading to the front door of your choice. </div>
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I know many women who will argue with me, and they will point out all the negatives for our gender in America today. Pay scales, old boy networks, unequal treatment, harassment...many will get in line for the opportunity to point these things out. Loudly. To which I will let you know, Yes. I am fully aware. There is always room to be better.</div>
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In line with the Iroquois theory on Seven Generations, I would ascertain that not only should we live our lives thinking of our descendants who are seven generations away from birth, we should also consider our ancestors who lived seven generations prior. In many cases, those seven generations must pass (somewhere between 140-175 years) before any sort of monumental change our great-great grandmothers were dreaming of has blossomed into anything near its original intent. </div>
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To illustrate, I will use my own ancestral timeline and give you one simple progressive fact regarding the state of women's rights during each time period.</div>
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Generation #1 - 1998 (the year my daughter was born): The American division of Mitsubishi agreed to pay out $34 million to settle a lawsuit to appease hundreds of sexually harassed women</div>
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Generation #2 - 1971 (the year I was born): The Supreme Court ruled that employers could no longer refuse to hire mothers of pre-school aged children as they had been in all prior years</div>
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Generation #3 - 1937 (the year my mother was born): the Supreme Court stood behind Washington state's minimum wage laws for women</div>
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Generation #4 - 1905 (the year my grandmother was born): By this time we were five years into the fact that every state had followed suit with New York's laws (enacted in 1848), allowing women a few rights over their personal property and earnings</div>
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Generation #5 - 1880 (approximate guess on my great-grandmother's birth year): The court had recently declared that women are, in fact, people, but they are actually a "special category of non-voting citizens." In another 10 years, Wyoming became the first state to grant women the right to vote in all elections.</div>
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Generation #6 - 1860 (approximate guess on my great-great-grandmother's birth year): In Missouri (five years prior), courts ruled that black women were property and had no right to defend themselves against a master's act of rape</div>
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Generation #7 - 1840 (and a guess on her mother's birth year): Mississippi had recently determined that if a husband consented, a woman could hold property in her own name. Unheard of at the time.</div>
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(information from the National Women's History Project)</div>
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While there is no question that there are many great strides to be taken, make no mistake about it...the women of today are poised for greatness. There are very few obstacles preventing us from flourishing in the way we should. Grab on to the opportunities girls...they are just sitting there waiting for you like the scents of mouth-watering dinners waiting to be devoured.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-6226641815998585792017-02-16T16:40:00.000-06:002017-09-01T16:50:36.136-05:00Perfect Measurements<div style="text-align: justify;">
One of my favorite questions to ask a group of people is this: "If I tell you that I have a couple of apples here in this bag, how many would you say there are?" Seems simple enough, right? Just a quick question, met with a quick answer. Not as simple as one might imagine. You wouldn't <i>believe</i> the difference in opinions throughout the country. For me, its cut and dry. A couple is two. Always, no questions asked.</div>
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That answer is not the same for everyone, and what I have determined (after years of asking this very same question in a variety of ways), is that a couple means two to <b>me</b>. That is <b>my</b> definition based on <b>my</b> own experience. In reality, the word "couple" is extraordinarily vague to many people. It sits in a gray area, and is rarely agreed upon. To some it means 3. Others would say 3-5. Another would say "more than one." And many will argue their position with vehemence.</div>
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Imagine, then, the variety of answers to define the word "success." <span style="background-color: #999999; color: white;">Talk about living in a gray area!</span><span style="background-color: white;"> Just thinking about the individual members of my family brings forth six, maybe seven different definitions. To some it means wealth. Others would say job title. Another would base it on the number of friends and acquaintances. Many will pass harsh judgment on not only your own personal definition, but also your position in life according to THEIR measurement. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Seems pretty unfair, doesn't it? To be defined and judged by someone else's opinion of what you should be doing? As we are all too well aware, however, that is the reality of society. Don't waste your time being angry with people who are "that way." Instead, spend your time determining exactly what your own perfect measurement of success is...for You. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">The best way to combat another person's intense judgment of you and your life is to create a clear vision of your own personal success. In business we would call the short version of that vision a Mission Statement. The creation of the Statement generally takes a great deal of time and effort, many meetings and discussions, and a wordsmith to craft it all with some creativity. Either a mission statement or a personal definition of success both require you to be as selfish as you would like to be (selfish is not actually a bad thing, you know, despite the bad press it always gets) in order for you to come up with the most authentic version possible. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Once you are clear about what a successful day, week, month, year, life look like in the World of (insert your full name here), you can have the satisfaction of knowing that your path is sitting in front of you waiting to be traveled. And then you get to hop on board and follow it.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">As you sit in your own little committee meeting determining your personal success potentials, keep a couple of things in mind. 1) Remember that it is multi-faceted...there are many components involved and they all intertwine. There is a way to put them all into a few meaningful and purposeful words/phrases that are all encompassing. It takes work and you are capable of that. 2) Block out everyone else's personal definitions. Certainly do not allow someone else to mandate or decree what you believe for yourself. You have a potential within that only you are aware of, it is your job to unlock it. It is your job to use it. And 3) know that when you have created your own perfect measurements, you will be subject to scrutiny just as you are now. The difference is this: you will have the confidence of believing in your own self. You will have your own measurement tool to utilize, and no one can take that away from you. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Perfect Crock Pot Chili</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">2 1/2 lbs of dices stew meat</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">8 strips of bacon, cut into small pieces</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">1 small onion, diced</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">1 red pepper, diced</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">3 (14 oz) cans chili beans</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">2 (14 oz) cans chili ready diced tomatoes</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">1 (14 oz) can tomato sauce</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">1 T cayenne pepper (or as much as you can handle)</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">2 t cumin</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">1 T chili powder</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">This creates the perfect scene for the end of the work day...dinner is already done. Before you head in to your office (school, store, boat...wherever you work), get a big frying pan out, dice up the bacon and start cooking it. Make sure the stew meat is cut the way you like it and fry it up right in there with the bacon. Plug in the crock pot and dump everything else in there. Set it for 7 hours on low and you are all set for a nice cozy, laid back evening!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-28473493850084257332017-01-29T15:44:00.000-06:002017-09-01T16:33:21.225-05:00Definitions and Questions<div style="text-align: justify;">
The internet is full of opinions on female confidence. Fulfilling your Inner Self. The Confident Woman. "Do You Have What it Takes?" And there is little evidence as to whether or not the traits listed hold true...because the actual Confident Woman doesn't spend time much effort or time reading and assessing the articles, questioning whether she is or is not as confident as she thinks. She just is and she's already well aware.</div>
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Should you choose to skim a few of those articles, you would find things like "confident women don't gossip." Instead, they spend their time discussing their own goals and visions. Confident women don't hold back, they set the trends, they are not people pleasers and they don't worry about much. They follow the QTIP rule: quit taking it personally. They welcome comfortable silence. Confident women don't glorify how busy they are, in fact, you'll rarely hear them speak about it. They are focused on their priorities and rarely allow themselves to get the point of being overwhelmed. Confident women are not defeated by failure, and peer pressure is not in their vocabulary.</div>
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As with all good internet articles, some of that is pretty on target...some of it might not be. Most of it gets too wordy to bother with, and a bit of it ends up pretty convoluted anyhow. And so, what is it we are really talking about here?</div>
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<b>Confidence: (kanfedens) noun. a feeling of self-assurance arising from one's appreciation of one's own abilities or qualities. </b></div>
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The question, then, is not "What does a confident woman look like?" The question becomes...</div>
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"How do I get there?" Because doesn't that sound amazing? Close your eyes and take a minute to breathe that in. It's a feeling. Like coming in from the cold to a nice steaming cup of cocoa, a cozy blanket, a fireplace with blue and red flames licking the crackling logs, a sleepy dog curled up at your feet and a good book to get lost in. It's self-assurance. Notice here the word "self." There is no one else listed within this definition. This is all you, baby. Your own appreciation of your own self.</div>
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So, how do I get there? As you can probably imagine, there are more answers than there are grains of sand on Lake Michigan beaches. There are habits to form and relationships in question. Dreams to follow and words to learn...mantras to create, values and morals to integrate...the list is nothing if not daunting.</div>
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However, those habits and values and morals all become simple by-products of a natural way of being when you begin to create experiences and opportunities for yourself. The experiences you will begin to crave creating will have one common theme among all of you...another potentially daunting idea (if you let it). Each experience will have the potential of huge failure involved. Not like "maybe I will lose this game of checkers and that would be really sad for me" kind of failure. Real world failure that has life-changing outcomes.</div>
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Those experiences, no matter what the immediate end result, are the confidence builders, the skyscraper foundations, the rock that builds itself into a mountain over time.</div>
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:) Looking forward to the journey.</div>
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<u>Chocolate Failure Cake</u></div>
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1/2 cup boiling water</div>
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2 T cocoa</div>
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1 t baking soda</div>
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1/2 cup butter</div>
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2 cups sugar</div>
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2 eggs</div>
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2 cups flour</div>
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1 1/2 cups buttermilk</div>
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1 t vanilla</div>
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1 cup chopped pecans</div>
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Use cooking spray on a 13x9 baking pan, then line it with waxed paper. Preheat your oven to 425. Combine the water, cocoa and baking soda until well blended, then set it to the side. Cream the butter and sugar together (get all the lumps out!) Add the eggs and blend them in, one at a time. Alternate back and forth with the flour and the buttermilk, keeping the whole thing blended nicely as you go. Stir in the mixed up chocolate, the vanilla and the pecans (sometimes I switch out the pecans for toffee chunks...yum!)</div>
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Bake it for 30 minutes and let it cool completely before frosting it with something delicious...cream cheese frosting is always choice #1.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-34943237100673426172016-02-02T06:41:00.000-06:002016-07-31T21:54:43.080-05:00A.K.A.<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
February 2, 1848</h3>
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Mexico won its independence from the Spanish Empire back in 1821 during the Mexican War of Independence. In 1845 (during his last weeks in office), President John Tyler signed legislation that authorized the annexation of the Republic of Texas, a move that was viewed by the Mexican government as an act of war; Mexico never viewed the Republic of Texas as an independent country. The United Kingdom and France both tried to persuade Mexico to stay out of war with the United States, but to no avail. In April of 1846, Mexican forces attacked Americans near the Rio Grande (in close proximity to future President Zachary Taylor's camp) in a raid known as the Thornton Affair. Within a month, Congress passed (and President James Polk signed) a declaration of war. By July, Mexican Congress had done the same.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>The Whig Party was strongly opposed to entering into war with Mexico; as a whole the Whigs were not big fans of the whole "Manifest Destiny" idea, and as the war drew to a close in 1848, the Whig Party also opposed the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The peace treaty signed in Mexico City was Also Known As: The Treaty of Peace, Friendship, Limits and Settlement between the United States of America and the Mexican Republic.<br />
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The Whig Party, however, was not in office at the time. Although former President Tyler had been elected (as Vice President) on the Whig ticket, Whigs expelled him from the party shortly after he took over office for William Henry Harrison, referring to him as "His Accidency." The current president was Democrat James Polk, who takes credit for the Mexican army's defeat. After losing their capital city, Mexico decided perhaps it was time to hold some peace talks. The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was negotiated by the chief clerk of the State Department, Nicholas Trist. Trist had studied law under Thomas Jefferson, a Democratic-Republican (eventually Trist married Jefferson's granddaughter), and was a big fan of Democrat Andrew Jackson.<br />
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The treaty was signed on February 2, 1848, stipulating that the United States pay $15 million in return for a border that followed the Rio Grande River on the southern edge of Texas (the former Republic of Texas included part of present day Kansas and Oklahoma), as well as taking over land that is now a part of Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and California. Anyone living in the newly acquired territory was given the choice to either relocate within the newly drawn Mexican borders or to remain where they were. Those who chose the latter were granted US citizenship and full civil rights (until 1920, the US Census counted Mexican Americans as "white"). Over 90% of those living in the territory chose to remain where they were.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;"><u><b>Huevos Poblanos</b></u></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">6 poblano peppers</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">1tablespoon vegetable oil</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">1 medium onion, chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">1 ½ cups sour cream</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">¾ teaspoon kosher salt</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">2 tablespoons butter</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">8 eggs</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">1 cup shredded Old Cheddar, Monterey Jack, or Brick cheese</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">Preheat oven to 400°F. Wash chiles and split them open. Remove stem, seeds and veins, then chop. In medium frying pan, heat oil and add poblano chiles and onions. Cook over medium heat until soft, around 8 minutes. Let cool.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">Place chile and onion mixture in a blender and process with sour cream and salt until you have a very smooth sauce. Reserve.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">Butter individual molds (or a large mold - pyrex or clay dishes work well here), allowing for one or two eggs per dish according to your guests’ preferences.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">Divide chile sauce between mold(s) and then carefully break eggs into the sauce, making sure the yolks do not break. Sprinkle cheese over eggs and sauce and bake in 400°F oven for 15-20 minutes or until sauce is bubbly and yolks are cooked to your desired degree.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;">Serve in the molds with fresh tortillas.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "papyrus" , cursive;"><b>From thelatinkitchen.com</b></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-14814591743355512412016-01-02T10:21:00.000-06:002016-07-31T21:59:42.019-05:00Georgia State of Mind<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
January 2, 1788</h3>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">Although we tend to think of American Civil War stories when discussing the history of the State of Georgia, there was a lot of action in the Peach State during the American Revolution as well. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">Georgia Patriots raided the magazine in Savannah in 1775, dividing the stolen powder with South Carolina. After driving out the royal governor, James Wright, following Savannah’s Battle of the Rice Boats in February of 1776, Archibald Bulloch was named commander in chief of the militia. Delegates were sent to the Philadelphia convention in time to sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">Over the course of the next decade, events took place that led Georgians to become the fourth state to ratify the Constitution of the United States (January 2, 1788). General Charles Lee led an ill-fated invasion into British-held Florida. It was the first of three unsuccessful attempts, each led by a different military figure. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">The Siege of Savannah then saw the return of James Wright, who announced that Georgia had been restored to the crown. Charleston fell shortly thereafter, followed by the city of Augusta. Eventually, Governor Wright was ordered to evacuate Savannah; Charleston and Augusta were reclaimed as the American Revolution drew to a close. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: "freestyle script"; font-size: 24pt; line-height: 36.8px;">Georgia Style Brunswick Stew<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1 ½ lb chicken, cooked and shredded<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1½ lb ground pork, cooked and shredded<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1 tsp ground black pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1 tsp hot sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">2 T Worcestershire sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">2 T dried minced onions<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">½ cup barbecue sauce<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1 cup ketchup<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">3 (15 oz.) cans cream style corn<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">2 (14.5 oz) cans diced tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">2 large baking potatoes, peeled and diced<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">1 chopped red bell pepper<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "palatino linotype" , serif;">Combine all ingredients in a stock pot on low heat. Cover; continue to simmer on low heat for approximately 2 hours.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-47970530994516856142016-01-01T10:26:00.000-06:002016-02-25T10:26:20.576-06:00Ten...Nine...Eight...<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
January 1, 1908</h3>
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<span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">In 1904, Longacre Square in New York City was renamed Times Square in honor of (or at the urging of) the New York Times. “Lobster Palaces” quickly gained popularity, spots like Rector’s on the corner of Broadway and 44<sup>th</sup>, allowing NYC’s middle class to enjoy the delicacies and grandeur only known to the upper echelon until this point. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-family: palatino linotype, serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;"><a name='more'></a></span></div>
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<br /><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">For New Year’s Eve 1907, Jacob Starr designed the first Time Ball to drop at One Times Square. The idea stemmed from the time ball in Greenwich, which dropped each day at 1:00 in order for sailors to set their clocks to a common time.</span><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">The Time Ball in Times Square has been re-created seven times over the past century, and has dropped every year since (with the exceptions of 1942 and 1943, when NYC was kept dimly lit during the heart of World War II).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'freestyle script'; font-size: 20pt;">George Rector’s Potato Croquettes</span></b><b><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'freestyle script'; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">2 cups mashed potatoes<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">2 T butter<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">1 unbeaten egg<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">½ tsp salt<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">¼ tsp celery salt </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif; line-height: 14.75pt; text-align: right;">⅛ </span><span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif; line-height: 14.75pt; text-align: right;">tsp pepper</span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif; line-height: 14.75pt; text-align: right;">2 tsp finely grated onion</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">Combine and mix all ingredients except the breadcrumbs and egg. Shape into croquettes. Roll the croquettes in the breadcrumbs, dip in the egg, and roll once again in breadcrumbs. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;">Fry in deep, hot fat that registers at 375 degrees on a thermometer, until nicely browned. Drain on absorbent paper. <o:p></o:p></span><br /><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: 'palatino linotype', serif; font-size: xx-small;">*published in <i>Rector's Naughty 90's Cookbook </i>by Alexander Kirkland</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-1651373019733260582015-10-24T09:47:00.000-05:002016-02-25T09:48:04.806-06:00Six Grandfathers<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
October 4, 1927</h3>
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<span style="text-align: justify;">Before the Great Sioux War of 1876, the mountain we know today as Mount Rushmore had a wide variety of names. The Lakota Sioux knew the land as "Six Grandfathers." The route was part of an annual spiritual journey for Sioux leader Black Elk as he headed for the top of Harney Peak. White settlers knew the mountain as Sugarloaf Mountain, Cougar Mountain, Slaughterhouse Mountain, and/or Keystone Cliffs. Charles Rushmore, an attorney from New York, visited area with a group of fellow prospectors in 1885; the group included David Swanzey, who was the brother-in-law of American author Laura Ingalls Wilder. The mountain was named (obviously) in honor of Rushmore, and is a part of the Black Hills of South Dakota where gold had first been discovered in 1874.</span></div>
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A decade prior to the discovery of gold, a treaty had been signed (Treaty of Fort Laramie, 1868) which gave the Black Hills to the Lakota Sioux. The treaty signed by the US government also gave hunting and fishing rights in Wyoming, South Dakota, and Montana, and guaranteed that the Powder River Country would be closed to all whites. The Black Hills War was a result of gold miners crossing into the reservation in pursuit of riches, a direct violation of the treaty, and the Sioux tribe attacking them, which also violated the agreed upon guidelines. By the end of the war, the US government decided that the treaty provisions were no longer valid, and whites took over the area once again.</div>
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A few decades later, the mining of gold, reclaiming of the land and renaming of the mountain led a man named Doane Robinson to dream up the vision of the carvings we see today. Robinson conceived the idea in order to improve the tourism industry in South Dakota, and he convinced a sculptor named Gutzon Borglum to visit the area and make sure the idea was plausible. Borglum agreed that the idea would work, though not in the exact location Robinson had chosen. Robinson liked a nearby area called The Needles, but Borglum determined the granite in The Needles was too weak and staked out the monument's current location. </div>
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Another major change to Robinson's original vision were the actual faces themselves. Robinson wanted the carvings to feature heroes from the West...Lewis and Clark, Red Cloud, Buffalo Bill. Borglum saw it differently and secured federal funding for the project with four political figures featured in his plans. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Teddy Roosevelt, and Abraham Lincoln all gaze to the southeast, facing the sunshine as they solemnly look out over the nation from their granite monument. </div>
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The carving began on October 4, 1927 and continued through 1941, with the carving completed on October 31 of that year. Today, the park itself sees almost 3 million visitors annually, proving Robinson's monument/tourism theory correct. The Lakota Sioux have spent a great deal of time in the Supreme Court over the past three decades, beginning with the United States v. the Sioux Nation of Indians in June, 1980. The monument is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and has been dedicated by President George H.W. Bush. </div>
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The people of South Dakota have been consistent with their dessert choice throughout the controversy. Ever since the years of Charles Rushmore and the prospectors, Kuchen has been served in kitchens throughout the state. It is known that there are as many different recipes for Kuchen as there are bakers of it. This recipe, however, has been handed down for generations and is as authentic (and delicious) as the history surrounding it. </div>
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<b><u>South Dakota Kuchen</u></b></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Crust:</strong></span><br />1 package dry yeast<br />1/8 cup warm water<br />2 beaten eggs<br />1 1/2 cups milk<br />1/2 cup sugar<br />1 teaspoon salt<br />1/4 cup vegetable oil<br />4-5 cups flour </div>
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In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. In a stainless steel pan, scald the milk by bringing to a boil and then reducing heat. The milk should have a film on top of it. Add sugar, salt, eggs and vegetable oil into the milk. Add milk mixture into the bowl of yeast and water and mix together. Mix in 4-5 cups of flour, enough to make a good dough. Let rise about one hour. Divide the dough into eight equal pieces. Roll each to about 1/4 inch thick and place in a greased pie pan so that the dough covers the bottom and comes about halfway up the side. Let dough rise in the pan for 15 minutes. Add a layer of thinly sliced apples, strawberries or other fruit if desired.</div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Filling:</strong></span><br />4 eggs<br />1 cup sugar<br />2 cups cream<br />2 cups milk<br />3 tablespoons flour</div>
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On the stove, heat the milk and cream together. In a large bowl, mix the sugar, flour and eggs together. Add the milk and cream mixture to the sugar, flour and eggs and return it to the stove and cook until it thickens. Pour about 3/4 of a cup of the filling mixture into each crust.</div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Topping:</strong></span><br />2 cups sugar<br />2 cups flour<br />1 cup margarine</div>
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Mix the sugar, flour and margarine together so that it is somewhere between smooth and lumpy. Pour the topping on and bake it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. After the kuchen comes out of the oven, let it set for five minutes, then remove from the pan and let it cool.</div>
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recipe makes 8 kuchen</div>
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<i>recipe from <b>South Dakota Magazine</b>, Jan/Feb 2004</i></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-11932672101034729432015-09-23T12:59:00.000-05:002016-02-29T13:00:24.970-06:00Journey's End<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
September 23, 1806</h3>
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Thomas Jefferson announced the signing of the Louisiana Purchase agreement to the American people on July 4, 1803. Plans were made to send several missions to the west, including the Corps of Discovery. The goal for the Corps was to find a direct water route to the Pacific Ocean across the newly acquired territory. President Jefferson also instructed Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark to declare US sovereignty along the way.</div>
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The route chosen headed up the Missouri River, across the Rocky Mountains and on to the Pacific Ocean via the Clearwater River, the Snake River, and finally the Columbia River.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Though the Corps of Discovery reached the Pacific Ocean, they were unable to find continuous water across the continent. Lewis and Clark drew about 140 maps of the land, established relations with over two dozen native tribes and described more than 200 plant and animal species previously unknown to European Americans.<br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
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Upon reaching the Pacific Ocean, Lewis and Clark allowed what may have been the first American female and slave voting rights when determining the location of the winter fort. Sacagawea, a Shoshone Indian woman who served as both a guide and interpreter for the Corps, and York, Clark's slave who accompanied them, both helped decide upon a move to the southern bank of the Columbia River (present day Astoria, Oregon).</div>
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The return trip began as the weather broke on March 23, 1806. The Corps of Discovery split into two parties on the way home in order for Captain Lewis to explore the Marias River. After joining together again at the Yellowstone and Missouri Rivers, the Corps made a quick trip down the mighty Missouri. Lewis and Clark arrived in St. Louis, Missouri on September 23, 1806, marking the end of a two year journey across the continent.</div>
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The Lewis and Clark expedition was officially a military operation, and the Corps of Discovery spent a great deal of time hunting and catching enough food to fill thirty men. It wasn't always easy, nor was it tremendously appetizing. Throughout the trip, the Corps consumed a documented 1,001 deer, 190 Indian dogs, 12 horses, 43 grizzly bears, 35 big-horned sheep, 48 plovers, 113 beavers, 16 otter...the list does not end there. Rather than share black bear or grouse recipes with you, instead we'll celebrate this day with a local favorite from South St. Louis. </div>
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<b><u><span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Three Monkeys Spinach Artichoke Dip<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">3 lbs Frozen Spinach<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">3 lbs Cream Cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">1 lb shredded provolone cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">4 14 oz cans of Artichoke Hearts (coarsely cut)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">1 Tbs. Dry Basil<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">3 Tbs. Vegetable Seasoning<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">1/2 Tbs Tabasco<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">1 cup Ground Parmesan Cheese<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Papyrus;">Combine all ingredients in a kitchen mixer and mix on medium until completely combined. If mixer is to small you may mix in batches. Empty into large aluminum pan, cover with foil, and bake in oven at 400 degrees stirring frequently to avoid burning on the outside. Bake until warm throughout and serve with seasoned tortilla chips.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-39041055373616946582015-09-19T13:53:00.000-05:002016-02-29T13:54:07.655-06:00Farewell to the Nation<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
September 19, 1796</h3>
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George Washington's Farewell Address to the Nation has been referred to as one of the most important documents in American history. President Washington, with the help of his friend and colleague James Madison, wrote the original draft of his letter in 1792. He planned to be president for one term only.</div>
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Concerns over foreign affairs convinced Washington to run for a second term in office. The divide between the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party was growing rapidly, and President Washington set the letter aside for another four years in an effort to provide stability for the newly formed nation.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><span style="text-align: justify;">As his second term in office ended and retirement plans at Mount Vernon drew near, the President revised his letter and had it published in the </span><i style="text-align: justify;">American Daily Advisor</i><span style="text-align: justify;"> (September 19, 1796). The letter formally declined the possibility of running for a third term, and continued on to advise the nation on a number of issues. Washington addressed the importance of unity among the states within the union and discusses the ideal of a people's government, stressing the importance of the people making changes to the government as they deem necessary. He makes it clear that changes should be made through constitutional amendment, showing his clear support for the new constitutional government in place.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">
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President Washington warned the American people about political parties; sectionalism was of great concern, and he felt that power-hungry tendencies of political parties had the capability of destroying the nation as a whole. Support of the system of checks and balances was discussed at length, including the importance of the separation of powers.</div>
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Perhaps the most referred to section within Washington's Address would be the importance he placed on religion and morality. President Washington was adamant that the nation could not maintain a moral code without the presence of religion. Religion was the basis for happiness and prosperity, he ascertained, and those religious principles are the very foundations of justice. </div>
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Other topics within the Address include the importance of maintaining a balanced budget, the dangers of permanent foreign alliances, defending his personal stance on his Proclamation of Neutrality (made during the French Revolution), and advocating free trade policies.</div>
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During the Civil War, the residents of Philadelphia petitioned Congress to read Washington's Farewell Address in one of the Houses of Representatives to commemorate the 130th Anniversary of its publication. By 1899, the reading of Washington's Farewell Address became tradition within both the House and the Senate. In 1984, the House of Representatives declined to continue the readings, though the Senate still reads the Address aloud on Washington's birthday. The reading alternates between political parties each year.<br /><br /><div style="font-family: museo-slab-1, museo-slab-2, verdana, tahoma, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 23.04px; margin-bottom: 0.7em; margin-top: 0.7em; padding: 0px; text-align: center;">
<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><u>GEORGE WASHINGTON’S FAVORITE HOECAKES</u></strong></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.04px;">½ teaspoon active dry yeast</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.04px;">2 ½ cups white cornmeal, divided</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.04px;">3 to 4 cups lukewarm water</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">½ teaspoon salt</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">1 large egg, lightly beaten</span></div>
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<span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">melted butter and honey or maple syrup for serving</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 23.04px;">Mix the yeast and 1 ¼ cups of the cornmeal in a large bowl. Add 1 cup of the lukewarm water, stirring to combine thoroughly. Mix in ½ cup more of the water, if needed, to give the mixture the consistency of pancake batter. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 8 hours or overnight.</span></div>
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Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.</div>
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When ready to finish the hoecakes, begin by adding ½ to 1 cup of the remaining water to the batter. Stir in the salt and the egg, blending thoroughly.</div>
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Gradually add the remaining 1 ¼ cups of cornmeal, alternating with enough additional lukewarm water to make a mixture that is the consistency of waffle batter. Cover with a towel, and set aside at room temperature for 15 to 20 minutes.</div>
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Heat a griddle on medium-high heat, and lightly grease it with lard or vegetable shortening. Preparing one hoecake at a time, drop a scant 1/4 cup of the batter onto the griddle and cook on one side for about 5 minutes, or until lightly browned. With a spatula, turn the hoecake over and continue cooking another 4 to 5 minutes, until browned.</div>
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Place the hoecake on a platter, and set it in the oven to keep warm while making the rest of the cakes. Drizzle each one with melted butter.</div>
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Serve the hoecakes warm, drizzled with melted butter and honey or maple syrup.</div>
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<b><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">~ from Dining with the Washingtons, edited by Stephen A. McLeod (Mount Vernon Ladies’ Association, 2011). </em><span style="background-color: transparent; line-height: 23.04px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><em style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">modernized recipe developed by Nancy Carter Crump</em></span></b></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-16226228961592797972015-09-15T13:06:00.000-05:002016-07-31T22:17:59.964-05:00Not So Neighborly<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
September 15, 1914</h3>
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President Woodrow Wilson is continually ranked in the top ten most popular presidents in United States history. The Democratic governor of New Jersey won the White House in 1912, taking office in 1913. President Wilson is remembered for cracking down on child labor, avoiding a major railroad strike, the Clayton Anti-Trust Act, the Federal Farm Loan Act, and his peace statement entitled "Fourteen Points." Wilson was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his 1919 efforts to promote the formation of the League of Nations. </div>
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Throughout his first term in office, President Wilson kept the United States in a neutral position regarding World War I. At the same time, our neighbors to the south were experiencing turmoil of their own. General Victoriano Huerta had assumed leadership of Mexico through a coup d'état after assassinating Francisco Madera. Wilson declared "I will not recognize a government of butchers," and kept a "watchful eye" on the country.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>In early April of 1914, the Tampico Affair would spark events that led to the Battle of Veracruz. Nine US sailors entered an off-limits area in Tampico, Tamaulipas and were arrested. Though the sailors were released, the commanding officer demanded an apology and a Twenty-One Gun Salute. Huerta allowed for the apology but recognized that a salute would not be politically wise for him, in turn infuriating President Wilson.<br />
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On April 21, newspapers reported that the Germans had delivered a stockpile of weapons to Huerta, and Wilson ordered them to be immediately seized. The papers were not correct, however; the arms had actually been supplied by a wealthy American businessman together with a Russian arms dealer, not the German government.</div>
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The arms seizure began the Battle and occupation of Veracruz, an event that nearly brought the US and Mexico to war. General Huerta was eventually overthrown by his own people, and on September 15, 1914, President Wilson ordered the evacuation of Veracruz.</div>
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The occupation fueled an anti-American sentiment throughout Mexico, Central and South America. Several revolts were staged and US citizens were expelled from Mexican territory. England was also put off because President Wilson had agreed to notify them in the case of military action. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">The Battle of Veracruz kept Mexico in a position of neutrality throughout World War I. Wilson asked Congress to declare war when German submarines created a world stage deemed unsafe for democracy to flourish. Mexico refused to cooperate with the US military actions in Europe and allowed German companies to keep operations open throughout Mexico.</span><br />
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<b><u>Guacamole</u></b> <b><u>Autentico</u></b></div>
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4 fresh avocados, peeled and seeded</div>
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1/2 t ground cumin</div>
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1 diced Roma tomato</div>
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1/2 cup minced sweet white onion</div>
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2 Serrano chiles, seeded and minced</div>
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1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves</div>
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4 T fresh lime juice</div>
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Hot pepper sauce</div>
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Sea salt </div>
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White pepper</div>
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Cut avocados in large chunks and mash coarsely with a fork in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix thoroughly, leaving some chunks for texture. Taste and adjust seasoning with more pepper sauce, salt and pepper. Serve in a molcajete if possible.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-51895086844017899022015-09-12T13:11:00.000-05:002016-02-29T13:11:31.184-06:00The Titanic of its Time<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: center;">
<b><u>September 12, 1857</u></b></div>
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The California Gold Rush was well underway by 1857, and the <i>SS Central America </i>had so far hauled over one-third of California's output from the northern port of Colon, Panama (called Aspinwall in 1857) to New York City. The "Ship of Gold" had transported about $1.6 million in gold (1857 value) by the time it sank in a hurricane off the South Carolina coast on September 12 of that year. </div>
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Over 400 passengers left the San Francisco docks on the <i>SS Sonora</i>, one of the steamships from the Pacific Mail Steamship Line. The journey to Panama would cost $300 for a first cabin and take around two weeks, at which point passengers would take the new Panama Railroad for a four hour journey (rather than tromping through the jungle for a week) to board the <i>SS Central America </i>(of the Atlantic Mail Steamship Company)<i>.</i> The gold got a baggage car of its own.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Captain William Lewis Herndon docked the ship in Havana, Cuba on September 7, 1857, and passengers spent the day sightseeing and purchasing souvenirs to bring home. In the early hours of September 9, it was noted by a crew member that they were traveling faster than usual, and that perhaps a storm may be heading their way. By mid-day September 10, the ship was in the midst of a raging hurricane and passengers huddled in their staterooms waiting for the storm to pass. </div>
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The <i>SS Central America </i>began taking on water around 11:00 am on Friday, September 11. The water rose above the boiler fires by 1:00 pm, and the huge paddlewheels ceased any movement. All men aboard the ship formed a bucket brigade to bail the water coming aboard, and were able to hold off the seas throughout the night. The next day, Captain Herndon turned the flag upside down as a distress signal. The hurricane slowly subsided, and a ship was spotted on the horizon. </div>
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Captain Herndon ordered the women and children into the lifeboats, and over the course of the next hours, the brig <i>Marine </i>was able to bring 109 passengers aboard. The <i>Marine</i> had also been badly damaged by the storm, however, and began to drift too far from the <i>SS Central America. </i>There was no one left to help. </div>
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Around 8:oo that evening, the <i>SS Central America </i>was broadsided by a wave that would send her to the bottom of the sea. 153 lives had been saved; 426 had been lost, including Captain Herndon. The loss of $1.6 million in gold was the straw that broke the camel's back in New York. The US had been on the brink of financial crisis prior to the shipwreck; now banks failed, stores closed, and factories stopped producing. The "Panic of 1857" had begun, spurring a financial crash throughout the United States and Europe. </div>
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The ship's location was discovered in 1987 by a man named Thomas G. Thomson. It lies 160 miles from the Carolina shore at a depth of approximately 7,200 feet. Since then, over $40 million in gold has been recovered, a series of litigation issues have ensued, and most recently (March 2014) Odyssey Marine Corporation of Tampa, Florida has been issued exclusive rights to recover any remaining treasure on the shipwreck.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">
<b><u>South Carolina Chicken Bog</u></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">5 cups water</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small; text-align: justify;">1 white onion, finely chopped</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">1 whole chicken (approx 3 lbs)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">3 ½ cups chicken broth</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup brown rice</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">½ lb sliced smoked sausage</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">2 T Italian Seasoning</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">3 cubes chicken bouillon</span></div>
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<table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border: 0px; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><tbody style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td style="border: 0px; color: #fb6400; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;" valign="top"><br /></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Add water, salt and chopped onion to a large pot. Add chicken and bring to a boil; allow to simmer about 1 hour.</span></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td style="border: 0px; color: #fb6400; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Remove chicken from pot and let cool. Remove skin and bones and chop remaining meat into 1 ½" pieces.</span></td></tr>
<tr style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px;"><td style="border: 0px; color: #fb6400; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></td><td style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 8px;" valign="top"><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: x-small;">Skim off fat from cooking liquid and measure 3 ½ cups of chicken broth into a 6-quart saucepan. Add rice, chicken pieces, sausage, herb seasoning and bouillon to this saucepan. Cook all together for 30 minutes; let come to a boil, then reduce heat to low, keeping pan covered the whole time. If mixture is too watery, simmer uncovered until it reaches the desired consistency, stirring often.</span></td></tr>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-17761791730352006482015-09-11T14:31:00.000-05:002016-02-24T13:29:28.341-06:00The Strength of America<div style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', Trebuchet, Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px; text-align: justify;">
My generation does not have haunting memories of world wars; we have the capability to take for granted the importance of the foundations on which our nation was built. We do, however, possess an understanding of the depth to which hatred and evil can shake an individual, a family, a community, a nation.</div>
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It is not in anyone's best interest to recount for you the terrorist acts of September 11, 2001. Not the details, not the destruction and despair. The depth to which our media glorifies horrific acts haunts me more than the images themselves as they are burned into memory.<br />
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What has emerged from the aftermath of the most deadly attack on US soil is a unified nation working toward the future. Certainly there are disagreements among us. Politicians continue to argue. Morals are questioned, values are tested. Those who live in another world, a world of evil, a world of carnage and ruin would have you believe that we are worse off than before, that those horrendous acts divided us and destroyed our patriotism, our sense of justice, our individual freedoms.</div>
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Those who live in that world are wrong.<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13.2px; line-height: 18.48px;">I invite you to remember and celebrate the words of Mayor Rudolph Giuliani as he described the day his city was stormed. “The attacks of September 11th were intended to break our spirit. Instead we have emerged stronger and more unified. We feel renewed devotion to the principles of political, economic, and religious freedom, the rule of law and respect for human life. We are more determined than ever to live our lives in freedom.” </span></div>
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Thank you to all who lost a loved one on September 11, 2001. And thank you to those who dedicate their lives to the service of our country, that we may spend each day in America with the freedoms you provide.</div>
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<u><b>All American Apple Pie</b></u></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1 - 9" deep dish pie shell</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">3/4 cup sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">2 T flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1 tsp vanilla</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1 egg</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1 cup sour cream</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">4 cups sliced, peeled apples</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">In a large bowl, cream together sugar, flour, vanilla, egg, and sour cream. Fold in the apples and pour into the pie shell. Bake for 20 minutes in a 400 degree oven.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1/2 cup brown sugar</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1/3 cup flour</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">1/4 cup butter</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "times" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-small;">Mix together; sprinkle over the pie and bake 20-30 minutes longer.</span></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-67228078889391502992015-09-05T13:39:00.000-05:002016-02-29T13:39:37.223-06:00Treaty by the Sea<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
September 5, 1905</h3>
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The Russo-Japanese War (1904-05) focused on the imperialist desire both countries had, wanting control over the Manchurian Peninsula and Korea. Russia had been fighting for Manchuria since the Grand Prince of Moscow, Ivan the Terrible's conquest of 1.5 million square miles of land in the 16th century. Japan had only recently emerged in the world theatre as a potential powerhouse, having spent the past couple of centuries in isolation. </div>
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Japan surprised Tsar Nicholas II with a number of crushing blows to the Russian army. After several failed attempts at peace negotiations, US President Teddy Roosevelt stepped in and contacted the Tsar in Moscow. Roosevelt had initially been pro-Japan, but as the war dragged on, he became a little bit concerned about the strength of the Japanese military and how it's potential might affect US "relations" in Asia as time marched forward. </div>
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Russia and Japan agreed to come together in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and in August 1905, the Treaty of Portsmouth was negotiated over the course of 12 mediation sessions. The actual meetings took place across the river at the naval base in Kittery, Maine, where mahogany furniture (patterned to mimic the White House Cabinet Room) was shipped to the General Stores Building. Although not present in Maine and New Hampshire, Teddy Roosevelt was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his instrumental role in the armistice, which was signed at the Hotel Wentworth in New Castle, New Hampshire on September 5, 1905.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><u>New England Lobster Rolls</u></b></div>
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3 - 1 1/4 lb live lobsters</div>
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1 finely chopped celery stalk</div>
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2 T fresh lemon juice</div>
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1 T chopped fresh chives</div>
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3 T mayonnaise </div>
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Freshly ground black pepper</div>
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6 New England style split top hot dog buns</div>
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2 T room temperature unsalted butter</div>
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Using a large pot, fill it with one inch of water and add a generous amount of salt. Boil the water, add the lobsters and cover the pot, cooking the lobsters for approximately 10 minutes (or until they are bright red). Put the lobsters on a baking sheet (with a rim) and let them cool off.</div>
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Crack the lobster shells, take the meat out of the tail and claws, then cut it into 1/2 inch pieces. Mix the lobster, celery, lemon juice, chives and mayonnaise in a medium bowl, adding salt and pepper as desired.</div>
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Heat a large skillet over medium heat, spread the flat sides of the buns with butter, then cook until golden (about 2 minutes). Fill with lobster mixture. (The lobster meat can be prepared a day ahead, chilled, then added to the buns before serving)</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1246078065172420803.post-25129635468335004122015-09-01T12:31:00.000-05:002016-02-29T12:32:11.076-06:00Arriving in Walla Walla<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="font-family: 'Homemade Apple'; font-size: 22px; font-stretch: normal; margin: 0.75em 0px 0px; position: relative; text-align: center;">
September 1, 1836</h3>
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After growing up in New York state in the early 1800's, Narcissa Prentiss was swept away by the Second Great Awakening in America. Shortly after turning down one marriage proposal, she agreed to another. Dr. Marcus Whitman and Narcissa were married in February of 1836 and left the following day, en route to Oregon Territory to set up a mission.<br /><br /><a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><a name='more'></a></div>
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On September 1, 1836, Narcissa Prentiss Whitman arrived at Fort Walla Walla (in present day Washington). She and her husband were traveling with Henry Spalding and his wife Eliza, but the group was barely on speaking terms at their point of arrival. Henry had been the first to ask for Narcissa's hand in marriage back in New York, and spent a great deal of the trip pointing out the fact that Narcissa paled in comparison to the exemplary wife he'd married. And so not one but TWO missions were established...the Whitman Mission and the Spalding Mission. Narcissa would become the first woman to give birth to a white American in Oregon Country.</div>
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Eleven years passed (with a tremendous number of events worth reading about...Narcissa Whitman wrote fabulous letters chronicling her life...just an amazing story) before Narcissa and her husband were killed. Dr. Whitman had been a favorite among the Cayuse and Nez Perce tribes until this point. A missionary who could also practice medicine was a bit of an enigma in the West. However, when a measles outbreak began to claim more Native American lives than lives of the white people (whites had a small amount of immunity to the disease built up), the unrest became violent in an event remembered today as the "Whitman Massacre." </div>
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In present day Walla Walla, Washington, you can attend Whitman College, visit Cordiner Hall to listen to the Walla Walla Symphony, and visit any number of restaurants to sample a recipe featuring the world-renowned Walla Walla Sweet Onion. The following side dish is from Chef Dave Munson and Keystone Fruit Marketing:</div>
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<b><u>Bistro Mashed Sweet Onions and Potatoes</u></b></div>
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4 sliced Walla Walla Sweet Onions</div>
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2 lbs red potatoes</div>
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2 minced cloves of garlic </div>
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1 cup of grated parmesan cheese</div>
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2 cups of ricotta cheese</div>
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½ lb butter</div>
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½ cup cream</div>
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4 T extra virgin olive oil</div>
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salt & pepper to taste</div>
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Paprika as a garnish</div>
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Boil the potatoes with the skin on. Carmelize the onions in the oil. Melt 5 T of the butter with the garlic to brush over the top of the potatoes (at the end). Mix the potatoes, cream, cheese, and onions - mixture should be slightly chunky. Place the potatoes in a large baking dish and bake at 400 degrees, brush with the garlic butter, dust with Paprika, and bake until they are golden brown on top.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06228521421613160458noreply@blogger.com0