Stone Soup

Stone Soup

This week Erick Erickson of Redstate.com has been encouraging people to send balls to 

Speaker Boehner's office as a way of expressing the conservative GOP base's frustration with his duplicity in saying he opposes Obama's agenda but his (and the GOP establishment's) refusal to actually do anything (while citing a variety of excuses for their inaction - all while there is good reason to believe he and the GOP establishment also want what Obama wants regardless of what they say to the people who voted them into office). 

I'm suggesting that we send crocks of "stone soup" to Boehner's office to supplement the balls that are being sent. 

Here's the recipe: 

Begin with a base of bone broth, preferably composed from meaty, marrow filled spines and hocks (analogous to firm wrists). Once you have the bone broth, add beef balls, or at the very least, meatballs made with real balls (yes, the organs)! Season "liberally" with the spirit of Mike Lee and Ted Cruz. Simmer until the meat is done, then ladle into bowls and serve generous portions to the entire GOP establishment. 

As "fed up" as the conservative base is we can only hope that the current GOP "leadership" would feed up on "stone soup" as it may perhaps help them grow some manly parts, may stiffen their spines and make their wrists firmer, their hearts more steady for the noble task of slaying the giants (ie: the liberal agenda) who have had their way with our country. 

By the grace of God this will be so. 

Stuff the electronic stocking ... or stuff the stocking with digital goods ...

The beauty of a virtual stocking is you are limited only by your imagination (well, and your budget!), just not by space!

You can gift someone digital books to download onto their Kindle, or Nook, or iBooks so they can curl up with their e-reader and get gloriously lost in another world - check out this post if you want some suggestions.

If your giftee would like a different kind of visual entertainment, I would suggest the following as a starting place:

Call the Midwife (DVD) - you can order sets to get caught up if you have not already been
following this engaging period piece set in the late 1940's - early 1950's of post-WWII England.

Doc Martin (DVD) - Really, I'm not obsessed with British humor ... rather I am living up to the purpose of this blog ... providing the best of what I've found! So if you have not yet tucked in to enjoy this series get the set and enjoy a feast of unusual eclectic characters who will be sure to delight!

Downton Abbey (DVD) - If you can't get enough of PBS period pieces, then get this other huge hit about the faults and foibles of a British pre-WWI upper crust family and the staff that runs their estate. This and Call the Midwife are both smash hits with cult-like followings.
Join the fun!

Big Bang Theory (DVD) - This show is to the 2010 decade what "Friends" was to the 1990's! Follow this tribe through the ups and downs of their relationships ... it definitely deserves a "Bazninga!" or two!

The Lord of the Rings (motion picture trilogy/blu-ray) - While I would understand waiting until you can get the 4 volume set when it's available (since The Hobbit is going to be released in theaters just a few weeks from this post), you could get this now and have a JR Tolkien marathon to get in the mood before going to see The Hobbit epic. Sam was my favorite character ... his loyalty endeared me to him. I also loved the single minded focus of the team even after they were split up - each did what they could to help the other from where they were. Lastly, only Viggo Mortenson could make dirty, stringy, long-hair look sexy on a man!
Yeah, baby!

Galaxy Quest (DVD) - Comedy classic! "Never give up, never surrender!" ... you'll be a true believer by the end! If you have not seen it, don't deprive yourself - get it now!

Hitch (DVD, Blu-ray) - Chick flick for girls night in ... or a primer for guys who wants some hints and tips for the opposite sex. Either way it's great fun!

It's A Wonderful Life (DVD) - an annual in my home ... great reminder of what's important in life ... and that each life matters!

Most of these offerings are also available via Amazon Prime (a great gift in and of itself) - stream them for instant access. It's $99/year - a most generous gift ... you can give it to yourself or someone else. Do the math - look back over the last year, what have you spent on shipping for books and other items you've ordered from Amazon - if the shipping fees were >$99 over the last year it would likely pay for itself (and you'll get items faster with two day shipping). Be sure to consider what you've spent for downloading music, movies, or TV shows that you've streamed with other services. Amazon Prime could be part of an overall strategy to ditch the dish or cable - and enjoy the same content for less.

Order now to have these goodies by Christmas ... and then snuggle together on the couch and enjoy the show while munching on the goodies you found in your stockings! Fix the popcorn your favorite way - and be sure to share! Can I come over?







Disclosure:
Anne Eklektikos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Gadgets are good (with recipes to try!)

There's no end to kitchen gadgets - each fills a niche in helping you craft meals for yourself and your family. I tend to be partial to the Oxo brand - well designed and high quality! With Thanksgiving right around the corner, here are some you may want to add to your grab bag:

Pastry chefs (real ones and wanna-be's) find this chopper/scrapper indispensable. In the South, where I live, we take our biscuits seriously ... and this dough blender is a big help. I use this can opener frequently and appreciate that it really does leave smooth edges - it can't eliminate all risk of unintended cuts, but it sure helps! For preparing veggies and salads you'll need a vegetable brush to clean your produce (this would also be a great stocking stuffer for your favorite cook). There are many ways to prepare mashed potatoes, but one common thread is the mashing of the spuds - here's what you need to be a master masher! If you're feeding an army and need more than one, someone else could be using this model. Garlic is good in just about everything - this tool can help you mash them up to release their pungent taste. But before you smash the stinking rose into what your cooking up, you have to get the paper off! Here's how - just place the cloves in this simple device and roll it on the counter while applying pressure with your hand. Super simple - I have one and I love it! While this is described as being for turning pancakes, I'm sure it could be used for other things as well (just not on the grill since it is made of plastic)! For those of you who like sipping tea or java on the way to work - I've used this travel mug. This whisk will help you in "whipping up" any number of recipes. When you need to replace your sink stopper, try this one. You can use this lemon zester on oranges as well, of course - and this is something that can be done ahead of time, and frozen in small baggies to be ready for when you need it (these also make a fabulous stocking stuffer). This next product may help decrease spills of cereal (and let the kiddos be more independent in getting the breakfast while mom and dad sleep in), but won't help them get the milk in the bowl over the cereal rather than on the counter or the floor!

Clearly this is just a start - there's more to see, so poke around, and you can also check out previous posts or other pages in my Amazon store. Want what everyone else wants? Check here for what's hot. If you need one of these (or other items) by Thanksgiving ... click here to start an Amazon Prime membership (which includes 2 day shipping as well as streaming a multitude of songs and TV shows).

Since this post has been about kitchen gadgets - here are a couple of my favorite recipes you may want to try with your new tools:

I made this tonight ... absolutely delish! Can't wait to see if it's just as good cold.

 Medley Meatloaf

1 lb ground turkey

1 lb ground beef

2 italian sausages (squeeze the meat out of the casings)

2 large eggs

½ cup instant oats (I used a coffee grinder with rolled oats)

1 can tomato paste (may substitute BBQ sauce)

1 chopped onion

1 chopped carrot (peel first)

5oz fresh spinach, chopped

fresh chopped garlic (as many cloves as you like, to taste)

½ teaspoon salt (may omit)

½ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

Preheat oven to 350 and coat 2 non-stick 9” x 5” loaf pans with cooking spray.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl. Wash hands then mix together all ingredients.

(I used a food processor to chop the vegetables into small bits).

Place meat mixture into loaf pans and shape so it is even.

Bake 1 hour, or until meat thermometer inserted into the center reads at least

160F.

(This recipe would also work great for meatballs)

This next one doubles as a side dish or a dessert, and is a great way to get

carrots into anyone who doesn't like them!

Carrot Souffle (from Katie Smillie)

1 1/2 lbs carrots (peeled)

1/2 cup (one stick) butter

3 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup flour

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 cup sugar

1/2 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350F. Boil carrots for about 15 minutes or until tender. Drain and add to work bowl of a food processor. Combine with all other ingredients in food processor and process until smooth, stopping once to scrape down the sides. Scrape into 1 1/2 quart 

baking dish and bake for about 1 hour or until set and lightly browned.

Also works well with pumpkin, could also consider sweet potato.

Stocking Stuffers - 'noshables ...

For many families a favorite Christmas tradition is stockings stuffed with goodies!

While the exact history of hanging stockings is not known there may be a connection to the saint with which the holiday is most closely associated - Saint Nicholas. The lore around the stocking angle is that an impoverished father had three daughters and worried about their prospects for marriage. St. Nick is believed to have filled their freshly washed (and drying) stockings with gold thereby enabling their nuptials. The tradition of placing an orange in the toe of a stocking is related to this story ... most can't fill stockings with gold (and fresh fruit was not always easy to come by at that time of the year, making an orange almost as good as gold), so the tradition of swapping gold balls or coins for fresh fruit was born. Those who are naughty, though, may find their stockings filled with lumps of coal!

So with what should stockings be filled? Candy, chocolate in particular, is always a good choice (hey, by that time the Halloween stash is long gone, eh?!);  Another excellent choice is Almond Roca ... one of my favorites! Salt Water Taffy is another favorite of many! Gum is also good.

If you want to go retro, use this as an excuse to introduce your children to Pez candy! If you can't find your old dispensers you can get some Mickey Mouse themed ones right here. If you're a Star Wars buff click here. Another good throwback choice is Necco wafers. Smarties have a nice balance between sweet and sour.

One of my favorite's (not that I'm dropping hints ... ) is Goetz's Caramel Cremes. There's a licorice version that I have not tried. While licorice jelly beans are one of my favorite flavors, I'm not sure I'd enjoy the licorice creams as much as the caramel ones.

Small tins of Altoids would work nicely to stuff a stocking ... some like peppermint, I prefer wintergreen as I find the peppermint just a little too intense, but don't forget some like cinnamon. How about you? If you're not sure - give one of each!

There are plenty of ideas here to stuff your families stockings to the brim and beyond - but there is more to stuffing stockings than candy and other yummies, and I'll offer some of those in the next post ... so please check back!

Is there anything I didn't mention that you would like to see offered?


Disclosure:
Anne Eklektikos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.

Good reads, here is where to get them!

I am delighted to describe myself as a bibliophile, to the nth degree in fact! We all have our favorite authors, and in this post I'll be introducing you to some of mine. I must confess that I have a bias toward real books - made of paper, with pages that turn. I like electronic books because you can store books virtually with far less space, but it just isn't as satisfying a format in which to read - at least not for me!

Among my all time favorites is Brock and Bodie Thoene - a husband/wife team who's niche is Christian historical fiction. They are also prolific, and if you want to read their work in chronological order you can go here, to their blog, where they have answered that question.
Part of what's fun is you will meet characters in the earlier work who will show up in other books (or you will meet their children). Of all their books so far, my favorite is Shiloh Autumn, a story that is personal to Bodie's family history.

Jane Kirkpatrick is another author whose work I've enjoyed - she also writes historical fiction and focuses on women and the Pacific northwest area. She also tends to write series of books (and you can get them as boxed sets); Her characters are independent, unusual women and there are moments of tender insight that is part of what I have so enjoyed in reading her books.

Two non-fiction works you may wish to consider are Rules for Patriots by Steve Deace (a primer on personal political strategy and debate tactics) and Dissolving Illusions by Dr. Suzanne Humphries and Roman Bystrianyk (a critique of the policy of mass vaccination);
Dissolving Illusions pokes all manner of holes in the concept of vaccination and the "benefits" of applying it indiscriminately.

Lastly, let me leave you with some suggestions for the bestselling book of all time: The Holy Bible. Here a some of the translations I've used and like: Amplified, a comparative bible with several translations/versions side by side, and a MacArthur study bible (NASB).

This post is just a beginning - I'll be adding to this in the future!

Time for tea?

Grey is good! This post is about a beverage - and no, not Grey Goose, the alcohol, but tea.
How this type of tea came to be associated with an English Earl is not entirely clear, but this tea gets its unique and distinctive flavor from adding oil or essence of begamot oranges to black tea.

A good cuppa of Earl Grey Tea is one of my favorite ways of relaxing! There are many brands I've enjoyed - one of my favorites is Tazo Earl Grey. Since I like it strong I use two bags for a 12 ounce mug, sweeten it with one tablespoon of honey drizzled on the bottom of the mug while the tea is steeping and finish it off with 1 teaspoon of lemon juice - no milk in my tea, please! How about you?

If you like a lighter flavor you may enjoy Twinnings Lady Grey Tea. Even if you steep this for a long time you'll get the flavor of Earl Grey without being overwhelmed as it has a more delicate taste.

Some prefer organic products - Numi makes an organic Earl Grey (for loose leaf) or here if you like bags. If you are sensitive to caffeine here is a decaf option.

The Republic of Tea makes a high quality Earl Grey (bags), and also available loose leaf.

A hot beverage can be very comforting, especially on a cold winter's night. I have two in particular to which I like to turn: the first is combining a Jasmine Green Tea with a mint tea.

But I also like to combine (equal parts) of loose leaf peppermint tea with licorice. No sweetener needed ... just enjoy! Hopefully in a bath with lots of bubbles! You'll emerge relaxed and ready for bed!

There are various ways to sweeten tea, regardless of the type of tea you enjoy. I like to use honey (local, of course!) and drink from a ceramic mug as when you are done enjoying the tea you can enjoy the lingering scent of the honey! Your tea will stay warm longer if you pre-heat your mug with hot water before pouring your brewed tea into it.

If you're looking for an electric countertop kettle in which to heat your water this is the one I use. I've had it for several years and love it! It heats fast and does not take up much space (and my stovetop is available for cooking). If you would rather heat water on your stove with a more traditional tea kettle it's hard to go wrong with Oxo.



Disclosure:
Anne Eklektikos is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.