Creamy Veggie Soup

This soup is very forgiving....you can add everything mentioned or just a few things; either way, it will be delicious and satisfying! I recommend doing plenty of tasting while you cook to find the taste you love!

-3-5 cups worth of assorted chopped veggies of choice such as: onion, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, celery, bell pepper, mushrooms, potatoes (microwave taters until mostly tender)
-1 TBSP butter or olive oil
-1 1/2 cup milk, cream, half n half or combo
-1 1/2 cup water or veggie or chicken broth...add more water if additional liquid is needed (a splash of white wine works well too!)
-pinches of each of the following if desired: sage, thyme, chili powder, paprika, garlic powder, mustard, and oregano
-salt and pepper to taste
-1/4 cup flour(to thicken)
-1/2 or more shredded cheddar cheese, Parmesan, Swiss or combo of all

1) saute all veggies together in the butter or olive oil in large pot
2) add a little water or more oil if needed to prevent burning and cook until tender
3) add in 1 1/2 cup water or broth
4) slowly add in the milk, cream, or half n half and stir well
5) add more liquid if needed to cover veggies or if you like it more soupy
6) add in herbs and spices now
7) stir in flour over medium-low heat until thickened
8) add cheese and stir until thoroughly melted
9) heat through and until you're hungry!

Tastes great with a sprinkle of cheese and some crusty bread!
Also works well blended if you like a creamier soup!

Butternut Squash Soup

I made this smooth 'n creamy, slightly spicy and very nutritious soup after picking up a beautiful squash from Findlay Market in downtown Cincinnati and fresh Fuji apples from an orchard stand in Laurelville, OH. This soup is perfect for those first nippy days of fall and for reheating on a frigid day in the dead of winter.

-2 TBSP butter or margarine
-1 small onion, chopped
-handful of chopped celery leaves or 1 stalk celery(finely chopped)
-1 medium carrot chopped or shredded
-1 or 2 medium potatoes, cubed (any type works)
-1 apple, peeled and cubed
-1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and cubed
-water, milk, chicken, vegetable stock or a combination (enough to cover veggies)
-1/4 cup sour cream
-1/2 tsp. cinnamon
-1/4 tsp. ginger
-1/2 tsp. nutmeg
-1/2 tsp. paprika
-1/4 tsp. garlic powder
-1/2-1 tsp. curry powder (optional, but recommended as it seems to accentuate the other flavors!)
-1/4 tsp. chili powder
-salt and black pepper to taste

1) Melt the butter in large pot
2) Cook onion, celery, carrot, potatoes, apples, and squash for about 10 minutes or until softened and slightly browned
3) Poor in enough liquid to cover veggies and bring to a boil
4) Reduce heat to low, stir in sour cream along with herbs and spices
5) Cover and simmer about 40 mins. stirring occasionally
6) Transfer soup to a blender and blend until smooth- careful, it's hot!
7) Taste test and perfect to your liking

CNN and First Lady

Lead story on cnn.com is "First Lady says 'gloves are off' in bid for Olympics." Here's the link: Obama on Olympics

""It's a battle -- we're going to win -- take no prisoners," the first lady said with a smile at a roundtable discussion with reporters in the White House State Dining Room...."And our view is, we're not taking a chance," she said. "We're just not going to assume that the bids -- that the decisions are made, and so that no matter what the outcome is, we'll feel as a country, as a team, that we've done everything that we can to bring it home.""

I read that and I thought it was great...they're committed to bringing our soldiers home from Afghanistan after victory.....but then I realized it was about bringing the olympics to Chicago. We have soldiers on the ground dying and Mrs. Obama is saying that the battle is on and that she'll take no prisoners. She should tell that to our soldiers fighting in rural Aghanistan. It's a shame.

Honduras Update

Former President Zalaya is back in Honduras hiding in the Brazilian embassy. The current Honduran administration gave Brazil a deadline to turn over Zalaya but still refused. The deadline has past. What now? Here's an article to understand the mess by William Ratliff from Forbes.
Understanding the Mess in Honduras

Say No to Soda Tax

A soda tax was recently passed in San Francisco as an attempt to promote healthy living. Although, it sounds good in theory, we are opposed to such an act for several reasons. First, it is a pilot program for liberals who want a national tax on soda and other sugary drinks. This is just the beginning of a long stream of similar taxation on various other aspects of our private life. The Federal Government should not have the power to dictate what we eat and drink. If it's going to be discussed then keep it as a state issue, please, right there in California.

Secondly, this tax is going to hurt poor people the most; what's new? Who drinks and eats the most unhealthy food and foodstuffs? The poor. Why is this? It is because of a lack of education, a lack of funds, and a lack of convenience and availability. How many Whole Foods set up stores in lower-income areas? It's tougher for most families who are looking for convenience and low prices to place value on buying organic, local, or more nutritional food items. Those items tend to cost more, are harder to find, and not everyone understands the disparity between real food and food products. When saving money and filling stomachs is the bottom line it's a lot easier to purchase that $0.99 two liter of coke over the $5 bottle of organic 100% fruit juice. Put a tax on that soda and the price will increase, but because it's still cheaper than some of the healthier beverage choices, the poor will continue to buy it but now at higher prices. It's very similar to the cigarette tax. Who smokes the most cigarettes? The poor. I thought the democratic party was for the "working and poor classes." If that were true don't you think they would make that $5 pack of cigarettes cheaper?

Back to the soda tax. The final and most important point is that once you start a precedent of taxing certain items in the name of health, you start a troubling trend. From there on, where does the government stop? Cup cakes? Ice cream? Donuts? Ice tea? If the government believes they can dictate what you can and cannot eat, then they gain more control over your life. It's seems quite reminiscent of the issues surrounding nationalized health care. In a nationalized health care system, the government can dictate what health care services can be provided. You smoke?.....no services for you. You don't work out?.....no services for you. You eat red meat?.....no services for you. A soda tax is just a starting point for most liberals who want more control over everybody else. They believe they can garner such control in the name of healthy eating.

I say it would be better if the San Francisco City school district taught about nutrition in health class at school. Served fresh, local produce, meat, and dairy to the children. Developed school gardens, eliminated all soda from vending machines. Showed them first hand the importance of healthy eating. Those sound like good ideas, ideas that can help a community and a population make better choices and over time, become all around wiser and healthier. Through education, people learn and understand. You don't have to hurt the poor and gain more control in the name of health. If a person is fat, that's their prerogative. That's their decision. Not the government.

No to the soda tax.

Joe Wilson was Right

Who would have thought?

Mr. Obama misleads on 20 items in joint session of Congress.

Michael Pollan's Lecture

Yesterday, we attended a lecture by Michael Pollan at Xavier University. In case you haven't heard of him, he's the author of several books about food ethics and politics such as, The Omnivore's Dilemma, In Defense of Food, and The Botany of Desire. All of which, we recommend.

A few observations from his speech:

1. Don't listen to nutritionists ("It's a young science.....kind of like surgery in 1650"), food studies reported on TV, and food commercials that make health claims .
2. Eat real food. Don't buy things in boxes or "food" that needs a label.
3. Eat until you're about 80% full. Until you no longer have hunger (which comes way before feeling "full")
4. Eat mostly plants.
5. Only eat pasture-grass fed meats.

In essence, he said to act like you're living in an earlier era and that's how you should eat. Go back to nature.

Worst Foreign Policy

Mr. Obama and his foreign policy: Worst Foreign Policy Ever

"Then there is the catalogue of Mr. Obama's embarrassing moments on the world stage, a list which includes: giving England's Queen Elizabeth II an iPod with his speeches on it; giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown a collection of DVDs that were not formatted to the European standard (by contrast, Mr. Brown gave Mr. Obama an ornamental desk-pen holder made from the oak timbers of Victorian anti-slaver HMS Gannet, among other historically significant gifts); calling "Austrian" a language; bowing to the Saudi king; releasing a photo of a conference call with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in which the president was showing the soles of his shoes to the camera (an Arab insult); saying "let me be absolutely clear. Israel is a strong friend of Israel's"; saying the United States was "one of the largest Muslim countries in the world"; suggesting Arabic translators be shifted from Iraq to Afghanistan where Arabic is not a native language; sending a letter to French President Jacques Chirac when Nicolas Sarkozy was the president of France; holding a town-hall meeting in France and not calling on a single French citizen; and referring to "Cinco de Cuatro" in front of the Mexican ambassador when he meant Cinco de Mayo. Also of note was Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton giving Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov a "reset" button with the Russian word for "overcharge." "

Mrs. Obama

Mrs. Obama and farmers' markets. Read the article and I'm sure you can come to your own conclusions.

Mrs. Obama's Carbon Footprint for some kale

Honduras Update

Why is the United States still meddling around with the Honduran transitional government? Just recently, the US revoked all visas from the transitional government personnel. That's a shame because everything the Honduran Congress and Supreme Court did was correct under their own laws; their actions were not a military coup. Read this editorial by the current Interim President of Honduras and you'll understand. Here's his quote describing the effect of President Obama's policy on the Honduran people: "We are, of course, disappointed with the position of the United States and the European Union, both longtime friends. We look forward to continuing dialogue with the United States, the European Union and the rest of the international community to prove our commitment to democracy and the Honduran people's love of freedom. Coercive action directed at our nation will only harm less fortunate Hondurans, whose hospitals, schools, roads and other institutions rely greatly on our friends' generous assistance, for which all of our citizens are immensely grateful." Here's the whole article: Strengthening Democracy

Missle Defense Program

In 2007, President George W. Bush made a deal with Poland and the Czech Republic to install a missile defense program to knock out ballistic missiles from Iran and North Korea in order to protect Europe and America. Today, President Obama has decided to scrap that deal in order to propitiate Russia. Russia, who always sides with Iran, and who recently stated that it would not go along with tougher sanctions with the Iranians in the United Nations, complained how the defense program would destroy relations between the United States and Russia. President Obama decided to give a middle-of-the-night call to two of our staunchest allies in central and eastern Europe to let them know that the US would change their plans. It's great to know Mr. Obama would sell out our allies to appease Russia while also allowing certain threat to our own country's security and especially the security of our European allies.

The President smears the facts about the missile defense system. "YOU LIE!!!"
Smears the Facts

A quote on cnn.com supports my statement, explaining the reason for Mr. Obama's change in directions, "The U.S. reversal is likely to please Russia, which had fiercely opposed the plan".
In other words, let's help out the Russians who recently invaded one of our allies, Georgia, and shaft Poland and the Czech Republic who are supporting our endeavor in Afghanistan.

Here is former democrat, Joe Lieberman's response to Mr. Obama's decision:
Lieberman's Response

Compare that to Nancy Pelosi's response:
"I think this is brilliant...bilateral relationship with Russia is very, very important...I congratulate the administration."

I wonder who Mr. Obama listens to for foreign policy advice. Obviously not moderate Lieberman.

Sad day to be an American when our President turns his back on two great allies.
Sorry Poland. Sorry Czech Republic.

Update:
Bolton on the defense system: Pre-emptive Capitulation
Romney on the defense system: Decision is alarming and dangerous

Health Care and Abortion

*Update from yesterday's post: Here is a number for you to consider- each family would have to fork over an extra $1,750 a year if cap and trade passes......here's a new article on the issue: Cap and Trade


Republicans have made the claim that the health care bill currently in the House of Representatives (Bill HR 3200) will indeed provide federal funds for abortions. President Obama stated in his joint address to Congress that what republicans are saying about the health care bill is untrue. Let's take a closer look. First, Pres. Obama is correct; the bill itself does not allow for abortions to be federally funded. However, his semantics are completely misleading because an amendment was passed that does provide federal funds for abortions. The amendment is known as the Capps Amendment. Here are the allowances specifically stated in the amendment, " 3) Coverage under the public health insurance option - The public health insurance option shall provide coverage for services described in paragraph (4)(B).
(4) Abortion services -
(B) Abortions for which public funding is allowed - The services described in this subparagraph are abortions for which the expenditure of Federal funds appropriated for the Department of Health and Human Services is permitted, based on the law as in effect as of the date that is 6 months before the beginning of the plan year involved."

Looks like federal dollars will be spent on abortions after all.

This morning,Representative Stupak (D) from Maryland had a snippet on Fox News stating that if this bill comes to the floor with that language, some democrats will join with the republicans to stop the bill. That sounds like a fantastic idea. Here's the clip.



Federal funds, also known as OUR MONEY should not be going to support abortions. Americans are in the business of saving lives and promoting a better standard of living. The last thing we need is a government that wants(proven by the amendment) to spend our tax dollars on a naive 14 year old who wants to get rid of a human being so she isn't "punished with a baby," so famously stated by the one and only, President Obama. Here's that clip.

Cap and Trade Effect on Farmers

Great article by Ed Morrissey on Hotair.com about a Texas A&M study on the effects of the Cap and Trade bill in Congress. The House passed the bill with a complete partisan vote. Good thing the bill is stalled in the Senate.

Here's Ed Morrissey's piece: Hotair
In the study it states that corn and soybean farmers will prosper the most from the bill. Pretty much all other farmers are going to suffer setbacks. We all need more corn and soy!!!...I kid.

There's another great article from the Richmond Times-Dispatch; I urge you to read it. It's about the democrats beginning to oppose the cap and trade bill in the Senate. Here's a snippet.

"Cap-and-trade is too volatile, complex, and susceptible to manipulation to sustain the needed investment milieu. Because of these inherent problems, even "green" groups like Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace came out against the bill.
It's simply at odds with our self-interest.
By imposing arbitrary caps on carbon emissions from traditional energy sources, a cap-and-trade system would drive up fuel and electricity prices. The bill's national building code would drastically increase the price of new construction, making home ownership a pipe dream for millions of working-class Americans.
Just to meet the emissions cap set for 2020, we would have to achieve the equivalent of doubling the fuel efficiency of every car on the road or building more than 100 new nuclear power plants."

Here's the complete article: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Tariff on Chinese Tires

Sounds like a good idea, right? I mean you put a tax on tires imported from China so Americans will buy American tires, what could be wrong with that?.......Let's take a closer look.

First and foremost, this was a political decision. President Obama is losing support amongst his widespread union backers and imposed these tariffs to make the United Steelworkers Union happy. You can even see this in a New York Times article on the issue. Here's the quote, "Mr. Obama cannot afford to jeopardize his relationship with major unions as he pushes Congress to overhaul the nation’s health care system." Here's the link: New York Times . Pres. Obama wants and needs the unions to continue to support him to get his agenda passed through Congress.

Besides the fact that the imposed tariff was a political decision, it is also a bad idea because it's going to make American consumers pay a higher price for tires. Think about it....why would the President want to impose a duty on Chinese tires? Too many people are buying the Chinese tires because they're cheaper, then, the union gets upset. They plea with the Obama administration who appease them by imposing a duty. Now, consumers must go to the tire store and buy expensive American tires or very expensive Chinese tires. In the end, American consumers will be hurt by the tariff.

In conjunction with the rise of tire prices, the Obama administration is teetering on agitating the Chinese, who happen to control the majority of the American debt. Even the NY Times agrees when they write, "But China is certain to be antagonized by the decision." If they understand the serious implications of this tariff, our president should have enough tact to realize the significance of such a decision. If Mr. Obama continues to enforce such tariffs, the American economy is going to suffer more. Protective tariffs are bad for economies. In most cases, the opposing country will impose retaliatory tariffs that would really hamper the country's trade. If we stop buying Chinese tires, maybe they'll impose a tariff to make our goods too expensive so they stop buying our goods. American companies that trade overseas will be hurt.

Tariffs on imports are not going to help our economy. Stay away from protective tariffs. The last thing we need is a replay of 1930 and the Hawley-Smoot Act. If you're not up on your early 20th century history, this act, a protective tariff, was an integral reason for the continuation of the Great Depression. Basically, the stock market crashed and most people were suffering, especially businesses. So, President Hoover passed the Hawley-Smoot Act which was the highest protective tariff in our country's history. In response, every other country followed suit by passing protective tariffs and the American manufacturing businesses failed.

To recap:
1) pure politics
2) bad for American consumers and the economy
3) ticking off the Chinese
What does that add up to?
BAD IDEA

Hummus

Hummus

1 can garbanzo beans(chick peas)
1/4 cup black beans(optional)
1 TBSP lemon or lime juice
2 TBSP tahini(sesame seed paste)
1 TBSP olive oil
1/2 tsp garlic powder or 2 cloves chopped garlic
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2-1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper

other delicious options:
cilantro
basil
sun-dried tomatoes
artichokes
roasted peppers
olives
pine nuts

1)Blend all ingredients in a food processor until it is smooth and thick or until desired consistency is met- add more oil, juice, or tahini if it is too dry
2)Serve w/ tortilla/pita/sliced veggies or on sandwiches and wraps.

Must Read

Victor Davis Hanson writes a wonderful must-read peice on American foreign policy since 9/11.

Our National 9/11 Schizophrenia

Few Thoughts

1. Pres. Obama repeatedly states that the health care bill will not "require" you to change your health care plan......however, he will make it impossible for a company to provide health care at their current costs. He won't require you to change but he will make sure that keeping your current health care coverage will bankrupt your company.

2. ACORN needs to be abolished. The videos at http://www.biggovernment.com/ are eye-opening. It's amazing that our tax dollars are going to provide services through ACORN. It's a sham!!!

3. 9/11 - Prayers go out to all the men and women in service and to all those who were victims on 9/11....... Never Forget!!!

4. Van Jones is gone. He should never have been allowed into our nation's Capitol. It's a shame Pres. Obama would hire and allow a race-baiting communist into the White House.

5. Bring back DDT to kill mosquitoes so humans can rid malaria. It's unbelievable that we have the power to destroy malaria but the propaganda that Rachel Carson espoused in Silent Spring became the main essay on why DDT should be eliminated. Read Iain Murray's book and you'll know why. Really Inconvenient Truths

6. Joe Wilson for President!!

August

It's been a while since our last post. Congress went on recess; who can complain? They should go on recess more often. Maybe they'd actually stop spending money and get the country's finances in check. I say the federal government should have every other month off for recess. What's the point of having OUR representatives(representing OUR opinions) away in Washington missing what their constituents have to say?

A few comments on everything that has happened recently.

- Lockerbie bomber - Should have stayed in his jail cell in the UK. My heart go out to the victims' families of the plane bombing, all 270 of them.

- Health Care - I enjoy seeing what's happening at the town hall meetings. It's great to see the faces of the congressmen and women when they actually get questioned on what they're doing. The health care bill is around 1000 pages and uses jargon that only a few can understand. How in the world can these congressmen and women speak like they know the bill? It's not like any of them have actually read it. I wish I could have done what the politicians are doing when I was in school...skip all the reading and tell my teacher that it was just too long and I needed to make quick decisions on the questions that go along with the book. It's all a sham. Scrap the health care bill! Introduce a tort reform bill to drive down health insurance costs. Oh, by the way, for health care being so unaffordable, I just signed up for a $42/month plan with an insurance company. Even being unemployed, I can manage to pay that.

- Ted Kennedy - Growing up, I was always told that your real character is shown by what you do when no one is watching. What did Kennedy do when no one was watching? He let Mary Jo Kopechne suffocate to death in a trapped car underwater by first driving the car into the water and then leaving the scene to sleep the accident off at his hotel. He never notified any authorities. Enough said.

- Clash for Clunkers - I think the government should stop subsidizing items. They're giving money to people to buy their own products....GM cars. Too bad for them more foreign cars were bought. It does prove, however, that when you give the people money or incentives, the people will take advantage of that...... tax cuts.

- President Obama - He plays quite a bit of golf. Pushing 20 times now since he's been inaugurated. What did the media say when George W. Bush played a round here and there? Nothing good if I recall.

- Dick Cheney - No qualms with what he's saying. I support the CIA. Attorney General Holder needs to go into his office and quit fighting the CIA.

- Gov. Sanford - Shut up and resign.

I should be updating this a little more often from now on. Stay tuned for some sustainable posts as well.