Maggie's FarmWe are a commune of inquiring, skeptical, politically centrist, capitalist, anglophile, traditionalist New England Yankee humans, humanoids, and animals with many interests beyond and above politics. Each of us has had a high-school education (or GED), but all had ADD so didn't pay attention very well, especially the dogs. Each one of us does "try my best to be just like I am," and none of us enjoys working for others, including for Maggie, from whom we receive neither a nickel nor a dime. Freedom from nags, cranks, government, do-gooders, control-freaks and idiots is all that we ask for. |
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Saturday, January 19. 2008Saturday LinksSnobbery is so sweet. NY Sun Global warming hysteria fading in Canada. ht/ Junk Science, along with cartoon above Peter Lawler reconsiders the Repub candidates The Top Ten american political speeches. RWNH The Law of Unintended Consequences: AIDS money to Africa Crisis of violence among American Veteran reporters. When will the madness end? Tax rebates will not help the economy. Related: Prepare to be Stimulated The environmentalist case for fascism. Coyote Bill Clinton's anger management problem. NYT Dear Third World Farmer: The West likes you just the way you are. Chertoff: The danger of Europe-based terror Trackbacks
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Obama and White Guilt
" Obama remains “beyond criticism .” Had any white candidate, with less than three years experience in the national arena declared himself a candidate for the presidency, especially at the tender age of 46, he/she would have been ridiculed. The media’s collective white guilt with its derivative of “political correctness,” does not seek articulation on policy or substance from Obama . It does not demand answers as to how he would tackle Iran’s terrorist aggression and nuclear pursuits, or ideas on how to grow the U.S. economy? His generalized “vision” is sufficient for the liberal media . The white liberal media would love a black president in order to end the perceived stigma of white institutional racism - a way to cleanse the soul and regain moral legitimacy. http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Printable.aspx?GUID=A7674500-910C-44C4-8EA1-D81D5DEE8218 Wake up people, the guys an empty suit with no executive experience, but a glib, oleagenous delivery. Grandma's Fried pies
Stir up some fun tonight--cook plump, juicy fried pies. Prepare the fillings ahead of time, and then get everyone involved in assembling and frying. Purchased piecrusts and wonton wrappers or our fool proof pastry make these easier than the ones your grandmother made from scratch. We've expanded the flavors and included a savory beef pie you can serve as an entree. FRIED PIES 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon salt 3/4 cup shortening 1 large egg, lightly beaten 1/4 cup water 1 teaspoon white vinegar 2 cups fruit filling (see recipes) Vegetable oil Sugar (optional) Combine flour and salt in a large bowl; cut in shortening with a pastry blender until crumbly. Combine egg and water, stirring with a fork; drizzle over flour mixture. Add vinegar, and stir with a fork just until dry ingredients are moistened. Divide pastry into thirds; roll each portion to 1/4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface, and cut each into 5-inch circles. Spoon 2 1/2 tablespoons of fruit filling onto half of each pastry circle. Moisten edges with water; fold dough over fruit filling, pressing edges to seal. Crimp edges with a fork dipped in flour. Pour oil to depth of 1/2 inch into a large heavy skillet. Fry pies in hot oil over medium-high heat 6 to 8 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain well on paper towels. Sprinkle with sugar, if desired. Yield: about 1 dozen. Hussein's greazy plan is to hold jummah salat with terrorist Iran.
"I’ve already said, I would meet directly with Iranian leaders." he replied to "How would you elicit cooperation from Iran and Syria" during NYTimes interview. On his website; "If Iran abandons its nuclear program and support for terrorism, we will offer incentives like membership in the World Trade Organization, economic investments, and a move toward normal diplomatic relations." That's a big IF Iranians will not go along with. Iranians would have to disavow Islam to stop being terrorist state. Bushes Solicitor General files SCOTUS brief restricting gun ownership
National firearms ban 'reasonable'? Gun owners warn arguments endanger Second Amendment The document from U.S. Solicitor General Paul D. Clement noted since "unrestricted" private ownership of guns clearly threatens the public safety, the Second Amendment can be interpreted to allow a variety of gun restrictions http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=59770 Uncle Bill's Jus de Gibier (mixed game) sauce, aka Brown Game Stock, aka Clean out the Freezer Sauce
This will be the tastiest sauce base, or sauce, you have ever had in your life, for chicken, game birds, turkey, venison, pork, veal, pasta, ravioli, etc. It's an ideal base for pheasant, chicken, venison or goose bourguignon. It has an earthy richness to it which is remarkable. We like to make a woodcock ravioli with black truffle, and this sauce is essential for that. Gibier refers to mixed game, but we do it with mixed meat too, but not beef, which would overpower the subtler flavors. It is the best use of freezer-burned game and other stuff in the freezer. It's fun to make (but it takes a while), and you can clean out the freezer and the fridge at the same time. I freeze the used carcasses of Thanksgiving turkey, ducks, goose, random deer bones, etc. to use when I make this, once or twice a year, along with freezer-burned chicken, pheasant, etc. You could do this with entirely store-bought stuff if you lack a hunter in the family. The more stuff, the better. You need a 10-12 (or larger) quart stovepot to make this, if you have a lot of stuff to use, but it freezes fine when made. It's good for a few months, at least. Bake in oven until browned (not necessarily cooked-though) your saved carcasses and freezer-burned game meat and meat, especially pork and pork bones are good, and veal bones, (even if they have already been cooked). Yes, you bake the bones too. Do not burn them in the oven. I tend to use freezer-burned venison, pork chops, all my game bird carcasses, venison bones (cracked with a mallet), a bunch of veal bones and veal scraps if I can get them nowadays (it doesn't hurt to hit up the butcher for some stuff for this), turkey carcass, woodcock carcasses, and a pile of chicken wings. Chop this stuff roughly with a cleaver into 3-6" chunks and toss in the pot. Try to crack the bones. Take a large saucepan and sautee hot in olive oil and butter (skins on): Very coarsely cut carrots, onions, garlic (just smash the whole hunk of cloves, skin and all), shallots, mushrooms, celery, until slightly browned. I use about 3 onions, a bunch of carrots, a whole garlic thing, a pile of mushrooms, and a whole clump of celery. Dump them in the stockpot. Make about 6 strips of bacon or a hunk of salt pork, cooked but not crisp, and toss them in the pot. Almost cover what's in the pot with white wine, leaving room for the other wine. Throw in some salt and a bunch of whole peppercorns and turn to simmer. Throw in about 3 tomatoes, roughly chopped, or a little can of tomato paste. Throw in a handful of dried or frozen blueberries or huckleberries. Throw in a big handful of fresh parsley and several generous big twigs of fresh thyme, and a couple of bay leaves. Throw in a couple of handfuls of dried porcini mushrooms - these are required - plus any other dried mushrooms or fresh mushrooms you might have around. Got any spare truffles or some truffle oil lying around? Use them, too. Pour in a half or whole bottle of ordinary port (minus one glass for the cook). Pour in 2 bottles of drinkable cabernet, depending on how much sauce you are making (minus one or two glasses for the cook). Low simmer, covered, for around 8 hours to extract all of the flavors, sniffing the etherial fragrance frequently. Careful about salt, because you may want to reduce this. Add water or wine if needed. You might add some sugar if you want, but the port, carrots, and blueberries should eliminate most of the bitterness, if there is any. Let cool a little bit, then strain through a strainer, or preferably cheesecloth. And give the big bones to the dogs. Then gently cook down to whatever degree of reduction you want for your use, or freeze it and reduce it when you use it. You can cool and scrape off the fat if you want to. If you used enough meat and bones, this sauce will be firmly gelatinous when cooled in the fridge. Make this without the red wine, if you know how to clarify, and it makes a heck of a Consomme Gibier. Here's a good site on sauces. Once you have the rich stock, there are tons of things to do with it. Given the 2nd Amendment has been interpreted to allow a variety of gun restrictions it's a fact that it can be.
Poor Rudy holds the banner for gun control he'd hand off to Hillbillary should Republicans be so foolish to float his boat. Reliable figures on the number of investors who DID NOT return to the market after the downturn of 2000-2002 are almost impossible to tally. I am confident it was a substantial number.
In those years the market performed thusly; Dow Jones Industrial Average In 2000, the Dow lost 6.17% of its value (11,497.10 to 10,788.00) In 2001, the Dow lost 5.35% of its value (10,788.00 to 10,021.60) In 2002, the Dow lost 16.76% of its value (10,021.60 to 8,341.63) It would appear that we are on a course to break the 2002 figure. Talk yesterday was of the US Government once again stepping in to rescue those private companies that offer bond insurance to municipal bonds, thus allowing the issuing authority to claim a triple AAA rating when the underlying fundamentals do not warrant such a rating...this is usually not ever explained to th investor, he or she is simple assured by the broker that the bond has "the highest rating, AAA. So burning deeper and deeper into our "capitalist" system is the "too big to fail" syndrome with the US taxpayer footing the bill for those who have lost the investment game. This was never meant to be. So when I say that we do not have a capitalist system but a socialist system one would be wise to examine just how many industries the US taxpayer has rescued for private investors over the past thirty years because they were too big to fail. Then go examine the roots our our "Federal Reserve System", a private "stock" system where the stock is never traded and the system is the product of big banks for the protection of big banks. One has to be either terribly naive or grossly misinformed to believe we have a capitalist system where risk is a anything but a word ...our government has become the underwriter of risk, and the arbiter of the "free market" This time around the "market correction" has so many variables in the equation that a huge majority of "experts" are predicting a recession that could last for years. The sub prime fiasco has produced derivatives so obscure that no one,no one, can evaluate their worth. When you can't determine value the object might as well be worthless, and many are saying they are indeed now worthless. This at a time when the baby boomers are getting ready to cash into the Social Security Trust Fund, or better known as the World's Greatest Ponzi Scheme. If they're smart they'll also drastically reduce their exposure to the "free market". reverse mortgage their homes, and invest in tangibles items that are rare. Also stock up on peanut butter, good books, my new book, Habu's Fifty Ways to Bum Yourself Out on A Sunny Day. Habu,
In your posting you mentioned in the last paragraph the sub prime fiasco. Some of the readers may not be familiar with the complexity you mentioned in evaluating the worth. Perhaps this will help. So much debt has been re-packaged in so many different ways that nobody can tell who owns what debts, and exactly what property is backing those debts. (There are now a dizzying array of Collateralized Debt Obligations (CDOs), Convertible Contingent Debt Securities (CODEs), Enhanced Equity-Linked Debt Securities (ELKs), Mandatorily Exchangeable Debt Securities (MEDs), Stock Return Income Debt Securities (STRIDEs), Structured Investment Vehicle (SIVs), and even "Super SIVs"--SIVs that aggregate other SIVs .) It is the bankers' inability to assign risk that inspired the summer of Aught Seven credit collapse. Liquidity has dried up worldwide because bankers are terrified of issuing loans if they cannot evaluate risk. With all of the repackaging within repackaging, it is nigh on impossible to identify risk. The term "marked to market" has become meaningless. With so much debt marked to mystery (my term), we are in uncharted waters. In my estimation, anyone that isn't apprehensive about the economy is a Pollyanna. MIXED FRUIT FRIED PIE FILLING
1 cup chopped dried mixed fruit 3/4 cup apple juice 1/4 cup sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup chopped walnuts 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon Combine dried fruit and apple juice in a small saucepan; let stand 30 minutes. Bring fruit mixture to a boil over medium-high heat; reduce heat, and cook, stirring often, 10 minutes or until fruit is tender and liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat; add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool. Yield: 1 3/4 cups. Note: Filling recipe will make 11 pies with Fried Pies recipe. DRIED CHERRY FRIED PIE FILLING
2 (3-ounce) packages dried Bing cherries, chopped 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup chopped almonds Combine cherries and water in a medium saucepan; let stand 30 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. * Remove from heat; add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool. Yield: 1 3/4 cups. Note: Filling recipe will make 11 pies with Fried Pies recipe. DRIED CHERRY FRIED PIE FILLING
2 (3-ounce) packages dried Bing cherries, chopped 1 cup water 1/2 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 teaspoon almond extract 1/2 cup chopped almonds Combine cherries and water in a medium saucepan; let stand 30 minutes. Bring to a boil over medium heat; reduce heat, and simmer, stirring often, 20 minutes or until liquid has evaporated. * Remove from heat; add sugar and remaining ingredients, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cool. Yield: 1 3/4 cups. Note: Filling recipe will make 11 pies with Fried Pies recipe. #3.3 Samantha on 2008-01-19 12:29 (Reply) Those top ten speeches are great speeches. I would not change any of them. Thanks.
KEY LIME PIE
INGREDIENTS key limes 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 limes) 4 teaspoons grated lime zest 4 egg yolks 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 11 graham crackers 3 tablespoons granulated sugar * 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted PREP WORK It's easier to remove the lime zest from whole limes so I would start with that. Then I would cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice being careful not to include any pits. Process the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and then melt the butter and have it at the ready. HOW TO MAKE AT HOME 1. Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green. This takes about 2 minutes 2. Beat in milk, then juice and set aside at room temperature till it thickens. 3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 4. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl. 5. Add butter and stir with a fork until well blended. 6. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan. 7. Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature. 8. Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken. 9. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. 10. Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled. Some of you might like to serve it with a whipped cream topping or a meringue topping, but I prefer keeping it simple. If the pie seems to be sticking to the pan when serving, try dipping the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen it. Re: Lawler reconsiders
Indeed as Msr Lawler notes, MorMitt's core is Mormonism and that disqualifies him for presidency. Given the love affair Michigan has for had for his daddy, he could take the state for a ramblin' ride as governor. "The white liberal media would love a black president in order to end the perceived stigma of white institutional racism - a way to cleanse the soul and regain moral legitimacy."
Fair 'nuff. Now ask yourself a question: What if they're correct? What if an Obama presidency went a long way toward dragging racism off to the dust bin of history? Kind of 'wipe the slate clean', give us a chance to start over? You guys sayin' that's a bad thing? Exit question: Do you guys actually think running a country is like running a city or a corporation? Did someone tell you that, or did you figure it out all on your own? ______________________________________ BD: What's actually noteworthy about the cartoon is getting the term "mainstream media" into the popular lexicon. I had to explain it to a few people just the other day. It's important that they be able to identify it, so they understand what the critics are referring to and can view it objectively for themselves, and also that they understand how it differs from such media outlets as the blogosphere. The cartoonist gets big kudos, and we could use more like it. Viewing the MSM as a criticism-worthy entity goes far beyond just global warming, of course. There'll be people out there reading that cartoon, 'getting' what he's saying, and suddenly all those criticisms about "the liberal media" might suddenly snap into place. Suddenly, they see the whole picture. It'll be something like an innocent 2-panel cartoon that gives them that initial footwork, that grounding, and from there it's just a matter of connecting the dots. Welcome to our world, folks. ______________________________________ In other news, I saw "The Illusionist" on DVD last night. Whutta cool flick. Best movie I've seen in a while, and best ending since "The Usual Suspects." Toss it on the top of your Netflix queue. At least let's have a POTUS who has a bit of experience. Three years in the Senate, sponsoring and squiring NO bills through to fruition, NO foreign policy experience ( and please don't tell me that doesn't count).
Obama has years to become President. He is a young man, but he needs experience, which he doesn't come close to having. Look a sixteen year old can get a drivers permit but that in no way qualifies him for the Daytona 500, and that's what some are attempting to have Obama do now. I have no doubt one day he'll make a great President but let's first see if he can at least get one bill through Congress. Seems that would be a fair test before he has to confront the likes of Putin, Hamas, AQ, and others who will eat him alive. KEY LIME PIE
INGREDIENTS key limes 1/2 cup fresh lime juice (3 to 4 limes) 4 teaspoons grated lime zest 4 egg yolks 1 - 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk 11 graham crackers 3 tablespoons granulated sugar * 5 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted PREP WORK It's easier to remove the lime zest from whole limes so I would start with that. Then I would cut the limes in half and squeeze out the juice being careful not to include any pits. Process the graham crackers in a food processor or blender and then melt the butter and have it at the ready. HOW TO MAKE AT HOME 1. Whisk the egg yolks and lime zest together in a bowl until tinted light green. This takes about 2 minutes 2. Beat in milk, then juice and set aside at room temperature till it thickens. 3. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 4. Mix graham cracker crumbs and sugar in another bowl. 5. Add butter and stir with a fork until well blended. 6. Pour this mixture into a 9-inch pie pan and press over the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Try using the bottom of a measuring cup to make sure the graham cracker mixture forms a firm crust on the bottom of the pie pan. 7. Bake on the center rack for about 15 minutes until the crust is lightly brown, remove and let cool to room temperature. 8. Pour the lime filling into crust, spread evenly, and then bake for 15 minutes until the center sets, but still wiggles when shaken. 9. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. 10. Refrigerate for at least three hours until well chilled. Some of you might like to serve it with a whipped cream topping or a meringue topping, but I prefer keeping it simple. If the pie seems to be sticking to the pan when serving, try dipping the pan into a bowl of warm water to loosen it. #5 Samantha on 2008-01-19 10:40 (Reply) Funny stuff
http://joshualowry.vox.com/library/audio/6a00c225203796f21900c2252ab8c18e1d.html She was just a baker's daughter but she could make a banana cream
Banana Cream Pie Yields: 8 servings You 'll adore this ambrosial banana cream pie that 's filled with lots of bananas and a creamy pudding mixture. Once this pie is prepared, it 's slipped into the oven for about 15 minutes, chilled and served to raves. INGREDIENTS: 3/4 cup white sugar 1/3 cup all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 2 cups milk 3 egg yolks, beaten 2 tablespoons butter 1 1/4 teaspoons vanilla extract 1 (9 inch) pie crust, baked 4 bananas, sliced DIRECTIONS: 1. In a saucepan, combine the sugar, flour, and salt. Add milk in gradually while stirring gently. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture is bubbly. Keep stirring and cook for about 2 more minutes, and then remove from the burner. 2. Stir a small quantity of the hot mixture into the beaten egg yolks, and immediately add egg yolk mixture to the rest of the hot mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes; remember to keep stirring. Remove the mixture from the stove, and add butter and vanilla. Stir until the whole thing has a smooth consistency. 3. Slice bananas into the cooled baked pastry shell. Top with pudding mixture. 4. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 12 to 15 minutes. Chill for an hour. "Time Flies Like an Arrow, and Fruit Flies Like a Banana"
A young man goes into the Job Center in Jacksonville , Florida , and sees a card advertising for a Gynecologist's Assistant. Interested he goes to learn more -
"Can you give me some more details about this?" he asks the guy behind the desk. The Job Center man sorts through his files and replies - "Oh yes here it is: The job entails you getting the lady patients ready for the gynecologist. You have to help them out of their underwear, lie them down and carefully wash their genital regions. You then apply shaving foam and gently shave off all their pubic hair then rub in soothing oils so that they're ready for the gynecologist's examination. There's an annual salary of $45,000, but you're going to have to go to Oxford , Mississippi. That's about 620 miles from here." "Oh why, is that where the job is at?" "No sir - that's where the end of the line is!" |