So it's hunting season (at least rifle hunting) and I have a tag. This is kinda my dad's thing, but he didn't get a tag this year. There are youth encouragement hunts on Thanksgiving and Christmas breaks and I have one for Thanksgiving.
I'm really not that great of a hunter. I'm loud and impatient. You can't really get much worse than that. Well...I guess I could be loud, impatient, and fat, but I can at least hike. So...you guessed it. We didn't get anything yet. We're going out again tomorrow and hopefully I shoot something, but you never know.
Today we hiked some ridges which was fun. Okay, it was fun going up and getting to the top. There's a principle of climbing that is always forgotten when going up--it's much easier to go than to come back down. The saying that if you can get down if you can get up is really a big misconception. I know. One of humanity's biggest flaw is the misconceptions that we all hold dear. Coming down those slopes was not so fun. I was terrified because the rocks were loose and it felt like I was going to fall down and die. I was also carrying a loaded gun, so that was another fear factor. Just not fun. I wouldn't recommend it.
We're leaving pretty early tomorrow morning...so if we don't shoot anything, I'm going to be pretty mad because that means I woke up early three days in a row for nothing.
Saturday, November 26, 2016
Food for Thought
Today in class we watched a video about eight students in the national spelling bee. One of them was of Indian decent. He studied approximately 8,000 words per day. I thought he was crazy, but now I realize that he was just committed. One of the comments his dad made struck me as surprisingly accurate. He said that in America, if you work hard, then you can become something great, where that isn't true in any other part of the world. My theory is that this country was made of people who came from nothing, but wanted to rise to the top and that hasn't changed in 250 years. In other countries, there is a specific social structure and where you are born is where you stay, but in America, you can rise to the top or sink to the bottom. What puzzles me is that you make the biggest decisions that will most likely decide the rest of your life when you care the least. At age 18, you probably made some the worst decisions of your life and the best ones too, it's kind of a trade off. But it isn't impossible to get your life back on track if you make bad decisions at age 18--it just makes it harder. That's just some food for thought
Path to Term Limits
A term limit Constitutional amendment would never pass congress. Why would it? No one in their right mind would vote against their livelihood. But really, career politicians ultimately hurt the country, so it's worth it to push for an amendment.
Typically amendments are proposed by Congress and then ratified by three fourths of the states, but there is another path. It is significantly more extensive, but it is possible.
If two-third of the state-legislators call for a Constitutional Convention to be held, the Convention would be held in place of Congress. Then the Convention can propose one or more amendments, which need to be ratified by three fourths of the states.
It's pretty unlikely that we'll see a Convention in the near future and it's ironic that Trump's promising for a term limit amendment, but it's not impossible. Trump can't actually fulfill the amendment, but if it doesn't happen, then people will still blame him, even though it's not really his fault.
If there is a Convention, a lot more of the people's agenda can be pushed though because calling the Convention is the most difficult part of the process. Not only can we have amendments about term limits, but also things like tax exemptions and deductions and lobbying can be addressed. There are a lot of problems and hopefully we can begin to address some of them.
Typically amendments are proposed by Congress and then ratified by three fourths of the states, but there is another path. It is significantly more extensive, but it is possible.
If two-third of the state-legislators call for a Constitutional Convention to be held, the Convention would be held in place of Congress. Then the Convention can propose one or more amendments, which need to be ratified by three fourths of the states.
It's pretty unlikely that we'll see a Convention in the near future and it's ironic that Trump's promising for a term limit amendment, but it's not impossible. Trump can't actually fulfill the amendment, but if it doesn't happen, then people will still blame him, even though it's not really his fault.
If there is a Convention, a lot more of the people's agenda can be pushed though because calling the Convention is the most difficult part of the process. Not only can we have amendments about term limits, but also things like tax exemptions and deductions and lobbying can be addressed. There are a lot of problems and hopefully we can begin to address some of them.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Christmas is Coming! (with Snicker doodles)
Happy Thanksgiving! This is my favorite time of year because of all the festivities and most importantly, the food. I love all foods associated with this time of year, except maybe green bean casserole, which I can't figure out why anyone would invent.
In a large bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and 1 ½ cups sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Then beat in eggs and scrape the bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture until well combined.
Mix remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out dough balls. Roll each ball in your hands to even them out, then roll in cinnamon sugar to thoroughly coat.
Place the balls on prepared baking sheets, 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 8–9 minutes, until just barley golden around the edges. Cool for several minutes on the baking sheets before moving.
This year, I tried a new recipe for snicker doodles and they were really good! The recipe came from the Pioneer Women (one of my favorite food blogs!) and they were really crisp. If you like them a little softer, than just don't cook them as long.
It's a pretty quick recipe except that they need to be rolled in cinnamon sugar before they're baked.
I made them in my new kitchen! It was only partially done so I still did the dishes in the laundry room sink and used the kitchen aid on the floor because we didn't have outlets or water yet. The convention oven is so nice because I can bake three batches of cookies at once and they all cook the same. It also heats up really fast which is nice.
When I was making the cookies, I used our chicken's eggs and I was trying to crack one with one hand because the other one was dirty and it turns out, I'm not very good at that. I cracked the egg into the bowl. I found most of the egg shells because they're green, but I did bite into cookie and find some.
This is the recipe:
| Prep: 15 Minutes | Level: Easy |
| Cook: 9 Minutes | Serves: 20 |
Ingredients
- 2-1/2 cups All-purpose Flour
- 2 teaspoons Cream Of Tartar
- 1 teaspoon Baking Soda
- 3/4 teaspoons Salt
- 1 cup Unsalted Butter, Softened
- 1-3/4 cup Granulated Sugar, Divided
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Tablespoon Ground Cinnamon
Preparation
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line several baking sheets with parchment paper.In a large bowl whisk together flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and 1 ½ cups sugar together until light and fluffy, about 3–5 minutes. Then beat in eggs and scrape the bowl. Turn mixer on low and slowly add flour mixture until well combined.
Mix remaining ¼ cup sugar and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Use a 1 ½ tablespoon cookie scoop to measure out dough balls. Roll each ball in your hands to even them out, then roll in cinnamon sugar to thoroughly coat.
Place the balls on prepared baking sheets, 2 ½ inches apart. Bake for 8–9 minutes, until just barley golden around the edges. Cool for several minutes on the baking sheets before moving.
Sunday, November 13, 2016
Election Protests
So even if you don't agree with my last post, hopefully we can agree on Trump Protesters. They are ultimately making the country vulnerable and undermining democracy. Not only are they insulting Trump (which I'm sure he is used to by now), but all Trump supporters. They are saying that the votes of his supporters shouldn't matter because Trump supporters are wrong.
Problems in democracy begin with disrespect for the opposite side's views. I understand that just under half the country is unhappy because their candidate lost. That was going to happen either way. There were going to be unhappy people and there are unhappy people after every election. It's the beauty of elections--you're candidate is not always going to win and you have to except that. If everyone in America needs to learn that both the Republicans and Democrats, and even the third parties, all have valid points and it is important to disagree peacefully both so all sides are represented and all sides are weighed when making decisions.
Trump protesters are also just creating violence, similar to the Black Lives Matter Protests. They will never amount to any change and just make life worse for everyone involved. There are ways to create change, but violent has never worked before and it won't work now.
Problems in democracy begin with disrespect for the opposite side's views. I understand that just under half the country is unhappy because their candidate lost. That was going to happen either way. There were going to be unhappy people and there are unhappy people after every election. It's the beauty of elections--you're candidate is not always going to win and you have to except that. If everyone in America needs to learn that both the Republicans and Democrats, and even the third parties, all have valid points and it is important to disagree peacefully both so all sides are represented and all sides are weighed when making decisions.
Trump protesters are also just creating violence, similar to the Black Lives Matter Protests. They will never amount to any change and just make life worse for everyone involved. There are ways to create change, but violent has never worked before and it won't work now.
Wednesday, November 9, 2016
The Election
Since most of my current viewers live in France, I thought I'd take some time to go over the election and what this will mean for our country.
Trump won!!! I was a supporter of him from the very beginning. He's not very popular in my small town. There were many people against me. Since before the primaries, I've had people in my school coming up to me and asking, "Are you really a Trump supporter."
Here's why. I'm not saying that Trump is going to be the perfect president. There are times where he just needs to simply keep his mouth shut. But he has great policy and will be a strong figure on the world stage, something in which Obama is terrible. Currently, our economy is failing because companies are going offshore because the excessive regulations in the country and it's cheaper. This must stop. Trump will repeal the terrible trade deals that allow companies to do this and overall it will boost the economy, as well as start to attack the major national debt.
Trump will repeal Obamacare. It's a problem when premiums for health care have increased by fifty percent.
I do not agree with Trump's treatment of woman, but fortunately, I won't actually be dealing with Trump. He's not going to make the rape culture suddenly worse, so I don't really care. It's not really my problem.
So overall, I'm very happy with the election. My party won every part of the government, hopefully finally solving gridlock in Congress. I'm excited to see what our government can do the next two years.
Trump won!!! I was a supporter of him from the very beginning. He's not very popular in my small town. There were many people against me. Since before the primaries, I've had people in my school coming up to me and asking, "Are you really a Trump supporter."
Here's why. I'm not saying that Trump is going to be the perfect president. There are times where he just needs to simply keep his mouth shut. But he has great policy and will be a strong figure on the world stage, something in which Obama is terrible. Currently, our economy is failing because companies are going offshore because the excessive regulations in the country and it's cheaper. This must stop. Trump will repeal the terrible trade deals that allow companies to do this and overall it will boost the economy, as well as start to attack the major national debt.
Trump will repeal Obamacare. It's a problem when premiums for health care have increased by fifty percent.
I do not agree with Trump's treatment of woman, but fortunately, I won't actually be dealing with Trump. He's not going to make the rape culture suddenly worse, so I don't really care. It's not really my problem.
So overall, I'm very happy with the election. My party won every part of the government, hopefully finally solving gridlock in Congress. I'm excited to see what our government can do the next two years.
Thursday, October 6, 2016
Grilled Brownies
I just did it! I made brownies on the grill. It was different and I missed my oven, but still did it! Remolding the kitchen had forced me to be more creative, which I guess is a good thing.
I really wanted to make something since it has been over a month since we began remolding our kitchen. It's been hard not being able to cook. I've become much better at using the grill through all of this.
When baking on the grill, it takes quite a bit more concentration and attention. I read to bake about twenty-five degrees higher than normal on the grill and that worked for me. I also baked on the top rack and put a black cast-iron griddle on the bottom rack to make sure the brownies cooked more evenly. I mostly used the two outside burners, but after I opened on the grill, I would turn on the two middle burners to add more heat more quickly.
As for the recipe, I bought a new cookbook at garage sale a couple of weeks ago. It's called Pie in the Sky. It's a high-altitude adjustment cookbook. I don't really usually need high-altitude adjustments, but I thought that maybe it'd help. I also know someone who uses this cookbook and her recipe always turn out well.
I was a little worried because the recipe didn't have any leavening, but the brownies rose just fine. I was just extra careful with the amounts and temperatures of the ingredients.
The recipe also has ingredient adjustments for each altitude.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
I really wanted to make something since it has been over a month since we began remolding our kitchen. It's been hard not being able to cook. I've become much better at using the grill through all of this.
When baking on the grill, it takes quite a bit more concentration and attention. I read to bake about twenty-five degrees higher than normal on the grill and that worked for me. I also baked on the top rack and put a black cast-iron griddle on the bottom rack to make sure the brownies cooked more evenly. I mostly used the two outside burners, but after I opened on the grill, I would turn on the two middle burners to add more heat more quickly.
As for the recipe, I bought a new cookbook at garage sale a couple of weeks ago. It's called Pie in the Sky. It's a high-altitude adjustment cookbook. I don't really usually need high-altitude adjustments, but I thought that maybe it'd help. I also know someone who uses this cookbook and her recipe always turn out well.
I was a little worried because the recipe didn't have any leavening, but the brownies rose just fine. I was just extra careful with the amounts and temperatures of the ingredients.
The recipe also has ingredient adjustments for each altitude.
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/2 Cup Dutch-Process Cocoa Powder (I just used Hersey's and it turned out just fine if you don't have Dutch Processed)
- Flour
- Sea Level-2,999--1/2 Cup
- 3,000-6,999--1/2 Cup plus 1 Tablespoon
- 7,000 and up--1/2 Cup plus 2 Tablespoons
- Granulated Sugar
- Sea Level-2,999--1 Cup
- 3,000 and up--1 Cup minus 1 Tablespoon
- Salt
- Sea Level-2,999--1/8 Teaspoon
- 3,000 and up--1/4 Teaspoon
- Eggs (room temperature)
- Sea Level-2,999--2
- 3,000 and up--3
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- Butter
- Sea Level-2,999--6 Tablespoons
- 3,000-9,999--8 Tablespoons
- 10,000 and up--6 Tablespoons
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips
- 1/2 Cup Nuts or White Chocolate Chips
Instructions:
- Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven. Butter a 8 1/2 by 8 1/2 pan.
- Sea Level-2,999--325 Degrees Fahrenheit
- 3,000 and up--375 Degrees Fahrenheit
- Combine cocoa, flour, sugar, and salt. Make a well in the center and add the eggs, vanilla, and the melted and cooled butter.
- Beat together then add the chocolate chips an nuts. Beat hard until incorporated. *The batter will be thick.
- Scoop into pan and bake just until the sides are beginning to pull away and a toothpick has just a few moist crumbs on it. *Don't over bake.
- Sea Level-2,999--30 to 35 minutes
- 3,000-4,999--18 to 20 minutes
- 5,000-6,999--20 to 27 minutes
- 7,000-9,999--22 to 25 minutes
- 10,000 and up--20 to 22 minutes
- Cool on a wire rack and enjoy!
Tuesday, October 4, 2016
The Vice President Debate
So Tim Kaine is just dumb. He added five million immigrants onto the number of illegal immigrants in this country.
You cannot vet refugees based on if they are dangerous. It's impossible.
The Iranian nuclear weapons program is not gone. It still exists. Hillary Clinton if anything, helped grow their program.
"Hillary will stand up to Putin." Sure, she will.
You cannot vet refugees based on if they are dangerous. It's impossible.
The Iranian nuclear weapons program is not gone. It still exists. Hillary Clinton if anything, helped grow their program.
"Hillary will stand up to Putin." Sure, she will.
Monday, September 26, 2016
Security Debate
Hillary talks about how we don't want to engage in Cyber warfare, but we will.
Hillary keeps talking about all her plans, but what are they? I still am not any clearer on any of her plans other than to tax the rich.
We are making no progress on ISIS. She is lying. Trump is right about how Obama and Secretary Clinton created ISIS.
NATO doesn't do anything. It will have no impact! Working with NATO will do no good.
I want to know what Trump's homeland security plans are. I'm really curious about that.
Hillary just lies! Iran is still working on nuclear weapons! She did nothing to stop Iran from creating nuclear weapons!
Hillary keeps talking about all her plans, but what are they? I still am not any clearer on any of her plans other than to tax the rich.
We are making no progress on ISIS. She is lying. Trump is right about how Obama and Secretary Clinton created ISIS.
NATO doesn't do anything. It will have no impact! Working with NATO will do no good.
I want to know what Trump's homeland security plans are. I'm really curious about that.
Hillary just lies! Iran is still working on nuclear weapons! She did nothing to stop Iran from creating nuclear weapons!
The Economy Debate
HillaryClinton.com is apparently the new fact sources.
Trump made a great point when he said that Hillary has been in politics for thirty plus years and it just keeps getting worse. She also talks about creating debt-free college and creating government jobs that we don't have money.
Trump has made some really great points about taking jobs oversees.
How do we know what she is saying about Trump not paying people is true?
She also keeps referring to "statistics" that she doesn't cite. They sound good, but they're not true. You can make a statics say anything you want.
They're talking about tax plans. Not really actually. They're talking about Trump's tax returns. I don't know why he hasn't released his tax returns, but I don't think it that big of a deal.
Trump has made great points on trade deals and the fact that politicians are horrible with money. We need someone in politics who is good with money.
Is Hillary talking about our word as a country? Does Hillary even have values.
Trump made a great point when he said that Hillary has been in politics for thirty plus years and it just keeps getting worse. She also talks about creating debt-free college and creating government jobs that we don't have money.
Trump has made some really great points about taking jobs oversees.
How do we know what she is saying about Trump not paying people is true?
She also keeps referring to "statistics" that she doesn't cite. They sound good, but they're not true. You can make a statics say anything you want.
They're talking about tax plans. Not really actually. They're talking about Trump's tax returns. I don't know why he hasn't released his tax returns, but I don't think it that big of a deal.
Trump has made great points on trade deals and the fact that politicians are horrible with money. We need someone in politics who is good with money.
Is Hillary talking about our word as a country? Does Hillary even have values.
Sunday, September 25, 2016
Stupid People
I'm going to rant. This is a warning. Sometimes I can't read the news because it just makes me angry. Today was one of those days.
It is ridiculous that America has come to this. This nation was built on being the land of the free and a place to openly voice opinions. And this is diminishing. I just read a story on Fox News (yes, I know many people don't think Fox News is accurate, but that's just because they're not afraid to cover risky topics) about the University of Kansas. There was a transgender student who believed she has been discriminated against based on her sexual orientation. In response to a video that was posted, students held "safe places" to discuss both sides of the issue. The meeting was invaded by "social justice workers", verbally abusing the students, calling them racist and white supremacists.
First of all, the students were holding a discussion based on sexual orientation, not race. The protesters were just wrong. Second of all, everyone should have the right to politely and respectfully voice their opinions everywhere they go, especially on a public college campus. It's very sad. Colleges' are meant to be the places where change starts, but how can that happen if students are denounced for voicing their opinions?
It is ridiculous that America has come to this. This nation was built on being the land of the free and a place to openly voice opinions. And this is diminishing. I just read a story on Fox News (yes, I know many people don't think Fox News is accurate, but that's just because they're not afraid to cover risky topics) about the University of Kansas. There was a transgender student who believed she has been discriminated against based on her sexual orientation. In response to a video that was posted, students held "safe places" to discuss both sides of the issue. The meeting was invaded by "social justice workers", verbally abusing the students, calling them racist and white supremacists.
First of all, the students were holding a discussion based on sexual orientation, not race. The protesters were just wrong. Second of all, everyone should have the right to politely and respectfully voice their opinions everywhere they go, especially on a public college campus. It's very sad. Colleges' are meant to be the places where change starts, but how can that happen if students are denounced for voicing their opinions?
Saturday, September 24, 2016
Horrible Cancer Charities
I've been doing some research on different charities and the worst are cancer charities. Cancer is a large problem, but there are too many cancer charities making money off their donors. It's so sad. I don't know how people can live with themselves knowing that their million dollar salary was donated for cancer research. I think the biggest problem is there is too much trust. People should trust charities. It should be expected that when you donate to a charity, the money will go towards the cause. But that is simply not always true and you have to be aware that there are charities that make a profit from your donations.
- Cancer Fund of America. There are a lot of really bad cancer foundations in America, which is really sad, but true. This foundation has been said to be spending $80 million to corporate solicitors over the last ten years.
- The Make A Wish Foundation. This is another cancer-type foundation. It's not technically cancer-specific, but it effects mostly cancer victims. It's overhead costs are estimated to be around 90% of the proceeds from fundraising. The Kids Wish Foundation, which is very similar, is much worse! Only $3.2 million of the $127.8 billion has actually gone towards its mission of granting wishes for dying children.
- The American Breast Cancer Societies. These cancer charities are the worst! This particular charity pays 75% of its donations to the telemarketing company that is run by the founder's son. In recent years though, the company was forced to terminate that agreement and is now dedicating more money towards breast cancer.
- The American Breast Cancer Relief Society. The Tampa Bay Times went through and ranked the top fifty worst charities. This was number six. Only 2.2% of the donations actually goes to cancer research for this charity.
- National Cancer Coalition. Only 1.3% of donations goes to the cause for this charity.
- Disable Police Officers Counselling Center. I know this one doesn't have anything to do with cancer research, but i had to include because only 0.1% of the donations go to police officers. I don't know if it can even be considered a charity.
Friday, September 9, 2016
Ideas
If anyone has a specific topic in which they want me to post, you can leave it in the comments.
Monday, September 5, 2016
MSM Ban on Blood Donations
I was doing research for an upcoming debate research on the MSM ban on donating blood. MSM is men who've had sex with men. It's ridiculous to believe that this ban is targeting a sexual orientation. The ban also includes prostitutes and women who've had sex with MSM.
Lifting the ban would greatly endanger the blood supply. Only 78% of new HIV infections in the US occur in MSM. And yes, HIV testing has greatly improved since the ban was instituted in the 1980s, but there is still a ten day incubation period where HIV could go by undetected. In addition to this, according to a study done by the FDA, men who'd had a history of MSM had a 62-fold increase in HIV-transmission among donors. A history of multiple partners only had a 2.3-fold increase.
The ban is there for a very good reason and shouldn't be lifted.
Lifting the ban would greatly endanger the blood supply. Only 78% of new HIV infections in the US occur in MSM. And yes, HIV testing has greatly improved since the ban was instituted in the 1980s, but there is still a ten day incubation period where HIV could go by undetected. In addition to this, according to a study done by the FDA, men who'd had a history of MSM had a 62-fold increase in HIV-transmission among donors. A history of multiple partners only had a 2.3-fold increase.
The ban is there for a very good reason and shouldn't be lifted.
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Book Review: You Should Have Known
I love reading! I like most genres, but I'm not really a fan of fantasy. It's okay but not favorite.
I usually read Adult Fiction. My library staff has a section of staff favorite so I usually read those. I think there's only been one on that shelf that I haven't liked.
This book was called You Should Have Known, which is the perfect title for the book. If I was the author, I would have picked the same name. In the book, the main character, a traditionally married marriage counselor, writes a book by the same title about how there's things you should have known before you marry your partner. The fact that she wrote this book is so ironic. The beginning's a little rough to get through because it feels like a marriage counseling book, but it gets a lot better after you get into it.
Warning: If you are going to read the book, don't read any further, unless you just like spoiling books before you read them.
The book really changes tone when Malaga Aves is brutally murdered in her apartment. The author does an amazing job of characterization of Grace. I had no clue that Jonathon was anything but a perfect husband until Grace finds the phone. Even then, I still didn't suspect that he had been having many affairs over many years. I was especially surprised when the the detective said he had been fired from his job several months before!
By the end, I really hated Jonathan, as the author intended. What kind of person kills his younger brother and feels no guilt?! I also hated how Grace kept defending him. After all that the police had told her, could she not see that she was lied to? It was very frustrating!
The book Grace wrote was so perfect. She should have known. She trusted Jonathon too much. She should have asked why she never saw his colleagues or why they had no friends.
I thought it was funny how Grace was paying $38,000 in her son's tuition, but he liked the public school better. It was also funny how she held on to the teachings of the violin teacher more than Henry throughout the book.
I loved this book! I thought the author did a very good job of keeping the pages turning. If I were writing a book like this, I don't think I would be able to withhold so much information from the reader, which is why I have yet to write a book--One of the reasons anyways.
I usually read Adult Fiction. My library staff has a section of staff favorite so I usually read those. I think there's only been one on that shelf that I haven't liked.
This book was called You Should Have Known, which is the perfect title for the book. If I was the author, I would have picked the same name. In the book, the main character, a traditionally married marriage counselor, writes a book by the same title about how there's things you should have known before you marry your partner. The fact that she wrote this book is so ironic. The beginning's a little rough to get through because it feels like a marriage counseling book, but it gets a lot better after you get into it.
Warning: If you are going to read the book, don't read any further, unless you just like spoiling books before you read them.
The book really changes tone when Malaga Aves is brutally murdered in her apartment. The author does an amazing job of characterization of Grace. I had no clue that Jonathon was anything but a perfect husband until Grace finds the phone. Even then, I still didn't suspect that he had been having many affairs over many years. I was especially surprised when the the detective said he had been fired from his job several months before!
By the end, I really hated Jonathan, as the author intended. What kind of person kills his younger brother and feels no guilt?! I also hated how Grace kept defending him. After all that the police had told her, could she not see that she was lied to? It was very frustrating!
The book Grace wrote was so perfect. She should have known. She trusted Jonathon too much. She should have asked why she never saw his colleagues or why they had no friends.
I thought it was funny how Grace was paying $38,000 in her son's tuition, but he liked the public school better. It was also funny how she held on to the teachings of the violin teacher more than Henry throughout the book.
I loved this book! I thought the author did a very good job of keeping the pages turning. If I were writing a book like this, I don't think I would be able to withhold so much information from the reader, which is why I have yet to write a book--One of the reasons anyways.
The Destruction of Remolding
We're currently remolding our kitchen. Here's a word of advice for you: don't remolded your kitchen. or anything in your house beyond something very small like a bathroom, for that matter. It's not worth it.
Okay, so I guess I can't really say it's not worth yet since the entire house is a complete disaster, but it sure feels like it now. We had to box up and move all the dishes and utensils and things like that in the kitchen and move all the food. We can still use the fridge and the stove, but the stove is covered in drywall dust, so food made in/on it will be of questionable safety. There's also drywall dust everywhere inside the house. It's horrible.
So my suggestion to you is to either buy a house with a kitchen you already like or learn to live with it.
Okay, so I guess I can't really say it's not worth yet since the entire house is a complete disaster, but it sure feels like it now. We had to box up and move all the dishes and utensils and things like that in the kitchen and move all the food. We can still use the fridge and the stove, but the stove is covered in drywall dust, so food made in/on it will be of questionable safety. There's also drywall dust everywhere inside the house. It's horrible.
So my suggestion to you is to either buy a house with a kitchen you already like or learn to live with it.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Unreasonable Searches of Students in Schools
The September/October topic for Public Forum refers to the rights that students have in schools. In this case, we're talking about the searches of students. The topic is basically whether or not the Probable Cause Standard morally should apply to searching students in public schools.
I don't really know where people get the idea that the Constitution shouldn't apply to public schools or students/minors in general don't have any rights, but it's just wrong. There are places that the Constitution gives an age range for whom in which it is referring, but that it quite rare. Some examples include the right to vote and the right to run for Office. But in general, the Constitution is referring to all people, as specified by the words, We the People. Public schools are provided by the government, so therefore they need to abide by the Constitution.
Currently, schools can search students based on "Reasonable Suspicion" which would be okay, except for the fact that "Reasonable Suspicion" is based on that what a reasonable police officer could/would infer. Because people other than police officers can search students, they can not be using "Responsible Suspicious" which invalidates the searches.
Because students have the same rights regarding the fourth amendment as every other citizen of the United States and currently, schools are unreasonably searching students, the Probable Cause Standard ought to implemented in schools. Technically, non-citizens/people not lawfully here, would be exempt from the Constitution, so they could be subject to unreasonable searches. But that would require schools to (gasp) actually ask for proof of citizenship and that's a different story altogether.
I don't really know where people get the idea that the Constitution shouldn't apply to public schools or students/minors in general don't have any rights, but it's just wrong. There are places that the Constitution gives an age range for whom in which it is referring, but that it quite rare. Some examples include the right to vote and the right to run for Office. But in general, the Constitution is referring to all people, as specified by the words, We the People. Public schools are provided by the government, so therefore they need to abide by the Constitution.
Currently, schools can search students based on "Reasonable Suspicion" which would be okay, except for the fact that "Reasonable Suspicion" is based on that what a reasonable police officer could/would infer. Because people other than police officers can search students, they can not be using "Responsible Suspicious" which invalidates the searches.
Because students have the same rights regarding the fourth amendment as every other citizen of the United States and currently, schools are unreasonably searching students, the Probable Cause Standard ought to implemented in schools. Technically, non-citizens/people not lawfully here, would be exempt from the Constitution, so they could be subject to unreasonable searches. But that would require schools to (gasp) actually ask for proof of citizenship and that's a different story altogether.
Tuesday, August 16, 2016
Split Between Levels
I was reading through one of the cookbooks that we have on our shelf (there are a lot). I didn't really like most of the recipes because they were meant more for people who are just trying to get dinner on the table, not for those who are cooking to spend time and actually create the best result. This was a recipe collection from a church. I only found a couple of recipes that I actually wanted to make. This was my first time using this cookbook.
I found a chocolate dessert called Split Levels. I never heard of it before, but it looked good. It had a cream cheese chocolate topping on a shortbread type crust.
This recipe starts with combining chocolate chips, cream cheese, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over low heat. If you don't have as much time, you can cook it over medium heat. Stir it constantly so it doesn't burn if you use higher heat. Be really careful that it doesn't burn because that would taste horrible. If it does, you should just start over--there's not fix for burnt chocolate.
The mixture will be very lumpy at first, but it will come together as it cooks.
As the mixture cooks, start the crust. I combined the dry ingredients and then cut in the butter with my fingers. I then added the egg and cut that in my finger as well. The recipe said to use almond extract, but since I was using pecans instead of walnuts, I didn't know that would taste. I just used vanilla instead.
I used the chopper I used for the nuts to make the butter easier to cut into the flour.
After pressing the crust into the pan (of which I forgot to take a picture), I poured the filling and used pecan halves to make the pieces.
I think this is where the dish receives its name. It is a split level between the chocolate and the shortbread.
Next time I make this recipe, I might do a separate cream cheese and chocolate filling recipes and then swirl it.
The actual recipe:
Ingredients:
I found a chocolate dessert called Split Levels. I never heard of it before, but it looked good. It had a cream cheese chocolate topping on a shortbread type crust.
This recipe starts with combining chocolate chips, cream cheese, and evaporated milk in a saucepan over low heat. If you don't have as much time, you can cook it over medium heat. Stir it constantly so it doesn't burn if you use higher heat. Be really careful that it doesn't burn because that would taste horrible. If it does, you should just start over--there's not fix for burnt chocolate.
At this stage, the filling is done cooking. Take it off the heat and stir in chopped pecans (or walnuts) and some extra chocolate chips if you so wish. I left it a little lumpy to give it more texture. I also added more cream cheese than the recipe called for because I really like cream cheese. I would suggest melting the cream cheese in the microwave so it doesn't take so long in the pan.
The actual recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Chocolate Chips (plus more for adding to the filling at the end)
- 3 oz Cream Cheese
- 1/3 Cup Evaporated Milk
- 1/2 Cup Chopped Walnuts or Pecans
- 1/2 Teaspoon Almond or Vanilla Extract
- 1 1/2 Cups Flour
- 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder
- 1/4 Teaspoon Salt
- 3/4 Cup Sugar
- 1/2 Cup Butter
- 1 Egg
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 375.
- In a small saucepan, combine 1 cup of chocolate chips, the cream cheese, and the milk. Cook over low heat until melted and smooth. Stir in the nuts, the extra chocolate chips, and a 1/4 teaspoon of the extract.
- Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter and then the egg. Stir in the remainder of the extract until well combined.
- Pat the crust into a well greased 8x8 inch pan. Pour the filling and smooth. Garnish with pecan halves or chocolate chips.
- Bake for 20-25 minutes.
Monday, August 15, 2016
Power Balls (I'm Not Giving Away Money)
I'm a runner and I was looking for snacks to eat after practice. My coach was talking about nutrition last week and was saying how you only have about thirty minutes to eat to fully recover after a hard workout. He also talked about needing a 1:4 ratio of protein to carbs when you eat. Something like chocolate milk or a peanut butter and jelly sandwich which has a lot of carbs and some protein.
One of friends did a race a couple of weeks ago and before the race, she ate one of these type balls. She said she had made them herself with chia seeds, flax, peanut butter, honey, and oats. I thought this was a great idea and thought I'd try it myself.
In mine, I used flaked coconut, already ground flax, honey, peanut butter (I used the creamy kind with added sugar because we bought it on Friday to make cookies and I needed to use it. I just scaled the amount of honey back to accommodate the added sweetness), chia seeds, vanilla, oats, and chocolate chips. Chia seeds are one of my favorite foods. They contain many essential vitamins and minerals, and leave you feeling more energized. During school, I put about a tablespoon in my water bottle every morning. They kind have a slimy texture when put in water that takes some getting used to, but it's really not that bad. Just make sure to wash your water bottle every week or so and never leave chia water in the bottle for more than a day. For these, I would grind the chia seeds if you feel like it. It will leave a better texture.
I use Haitian vanilla because it 99% vanilla extractives and 1% alcohol, instead of 53% vanilla extractives and 47% alcohol like the vanilla that is bought in the United States. I always use pure vanilla because the taste is so much better than the imitation. I've heard the best vanilla comes from Madagascar, but I've never been there to buy any.
One of friends did a race a couple of weeks ago and before the race, she ate one of these type balls. She said she had made them herself with chia seeds, flax, peanut butter, honey, and oats. I thought this was a great idea and thought I'd try it myself.
In mine, I used flaked coconut, already ground flax, honey, peanut butter (I used the creamy kind with added sugar because we bought it on Friday to make cookies and I needed to use it. I just scaled the amount of honey back to accommodate the added sweetness), chia seeds, vanilla, oats, and chocolate chips. Chia seeds are one of my favorite foods. They contain many essential vitamins and minerals, and leave you feeling more energized. During school, I put about a tablespoon in my water bottle every morning. They kind have a slimy texture when put in water that takes some getting used to, but it's really not that bad. Just make sure to wash your water bottle every week or so and never leave chia water in the bottle for more than a day. For these, I would grind the chia seeds if you feel like it. It will leave a better texture.
I toasted the coconut in coconut oil to add some extra flavor, but it's probably not necessary. Make sure to use unsweetened coconut to make these as healthy as possible.
I didn't have any mini chocolate chips which would be ideal, so I just chopped the regular sized ones into small pieces. I've been using Nestle semi-sweet chocolate chip because they're cheaper, but the Ghirardelli bittersweet chocolate chips are my favorite.
This is after I mixed everything together and formed balls that I placed on a cookie sheet.
The nice thing about this recipe is that it is very easily adaptable based on the ingredients you have on hand or allergies. Here's a list of suggestions for extra things:
- Nuts (Walnuts, Pecans, etc. I don't think almonds would work too well because they're so hard)
- Fruit (Mashed banana, bits of strawberries, blueberries, apples, etc. Dried fruit would also work well)
- Almond butter
- Coconut oil
Here's the recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 Cup Oats
- Peanut Butter
- Chia Seeds
- Honey
- Mini Chocolate Chips
- Ground Flax
- Vanilla
- Toasted Coconut
Instructions:
- Mix all the ingredients in a large bowl until you have reached a desired consistency.
- Form into balls and refrigerate in a airtight container.
The Electoral College
This is my first non-food post in a while. I have to start with I want Donald Trump (call me crazy) to win the November election. I think that he is the only one who will actually change anything in this country. Hillary is just mini-Obama and I don't think Johnson will have enough power or support to even win the election.
When the electoral college was established, America looked a lot different. The largest colony had almost 500,000 people (Virginia), while the smallest only had just over 23,000 people (Georgia). There are still very large population disparities among the states, but everyone can now vote. When the Constitution was written, only white, male landowners could vote. That was only 6% of the population. Currently, 68% of the population is eligible to vote (not saying that all of them do, but that's for a different post).
The electoral college was intended to give more power to the smaller states, with smaller populations of white, male landowners, which was successful. That was more than two hundred years ago. The electoral college is now outdated and instead of giving power to the smaller states, it limits it. I live in New Mexico, where a general sediment is: why vote? The state's electoral votes won't matter anyway and the state is mostly liberal so the votes will go to the liberals anyway.
Additionally, the electoral college creates a very two party country. Forty-eight states have a winner-takes-all method of the electoral college, which makes it almost impossible for a third party candidate without the publicity of a more popular party to even win a state.
I meant to write about Donald Trump's economic policies today, but that just didn't happen. I hope you liked what I had to say on the electoral college and I'll see if I have time to do Trump's economic policy before his speech in Ohio tonight.
I would love to hear you're feedback so either comment or email me if you have anything to say.
When the electoral college was established, America looked a lot different. The largest colony had almost 500,000 people (Virginia), while the smallest only had just over 23,000 people (Georgia). There are still very large population disparities among the states, but everyone can now vote. When the Constitution was written, only white, male landowners could vote. That was only 6% of the population. Currently, 68% of the population is eligible to vote (not saying that all of them do, but that's for a different post).
The electoral college was intended to give more power to the smaller states, with smaller populations of white, male landowners, which was successful. That was more than two hundred years ago. The electoral college is now outdated and instead of giving power to the smaller states, it limits it. I live in New Mexico, where a general sediment is: why vote? The state's electoral votes won't matter anyway and the state is mostly liberal so the votes will go to the liberals anyway.
Additionally, the electoral college creates a very two party country. Forty-eight states have a winner-takes-all method of the electoral college, which makes it almost impossible for a third party candidate without the publicity of a more popular party to even win a state.
I meant to write about Donald Trump's economic policies today, but that just didn't happen. I hope you liked what I had to say on the electoral college and I'll see if I have time to do Trump's economic policy before his speech in Ohio tonight.
I would love to hear you're feedback so either comment or email me if you have anything to say.
Sticky Buns Continued
I won the fair with my sticky buns! Okay, to be fair, I didn't win the whole fair, only the culinary section. You now know that I'm not lying to you and the recipe is actually good. Unfortunately, I don't have any pictures of the display and the ribbon and plate, so you're just going to have to believe me.
Thursday, August 11, 2016
Sticky Buns!
Sticky buns are one of my very favorite dessert breakfasts! They are diabetes in a roll, which makes them very delicious. I've never entered anything in the county fair, but I took a salsa canning class on Friday. The teacher had a lot of information about the fair and it turns out that there are many baked goods categories. I decided to enter into pecan roll (sticky buns) because I didn't think it would be as widely entered. Also, it is really hard to ruin a dish with that much sugar.
My recipe came from the Joy of Cooking, which my brother gave me for my birthday one year. It requires 6 1/2 to 18 1/2 hours in rising time, making them a great dish to make the night before. We usually make them on Christmas Eve for Christmas morning.
The recipe starts with making the dough. A yeast coffee cake is used for this recipe. It is made kind of like a bread, but it is much sweeter and contains a lot more butter. The dough seems much too dry to come together, but it is smooth and elastic after kneaded. You can either knead by hand or with a stand mixer. It is kind of an oily dough after the butter is added, but that makes it all the more delicious. This time, I only let the dough rise for three hours in the fridge instead of four to twelve, but I think they will be fine.
Just before the dough is taken out of the fridge, the topping is made. It is just butter, dark brown sugar (it doesn't really matter if you use dark or light brown sugar, but the dark brown sugar contains more molasses, so that flavor will be more prevalent), and honey. Then the pecans are added. While they are technically optional, sticky buns just aren't sticky buns without pecans.
The last roll looks a little sad, but hopefully it will rise to be larger. I accidentally had one of the burners on low on the stove, so the middle of the topping didn't cool. It was just a little harder to put the rolls into the pan.
My recipe came from the Joy of Cooking, which my brother gave me for my birthday one year. It requires 6 1/2 to 18 1/2 hours in rising time, making them a great dish to make the night before. We usually make them on Christmas Eve for Christmas morning.
The recipe starts with making the dough. A yeast coffee cake is used for this recipe. It is made kind of like a bread, but it is much sweeter and contains a lot more butter. The dough seems much too dry to come together, but it is smooth and elastic after kneaded. You can either knead by hand or with a stand mixer. It is kind of an oily dough after the butter is added, but that makes it all the more delicious. This time, I only let the dough rise for three hours in the fridge instead of four to twelve, but I think they will be fine.
Just before the dough is taken out of the fridge, the topping is made. It is just butter, dark brown sugar (it doesn't really matter if you use dark or light brown sugar, but the dark brown sugar contains more molasses, so that flavor will be more prevalent), and honey. Then the pecans are added. While they are technically optional, sticky buns just aren't sticky buns without pecans.
After the topping is set to cool in the pan, the dough needs to be rolled out. Because I cut a hour off the rising time, I couldn't get the desired 16" by 12" rectangle. This was okay, I still made eight rolls that would rise well. I just pored the melted butter into the center of the rectangle and spread it with a brush. I sprinkled the brown sugar with my hands, but used a mini sifter to ensure the cinnamon was spread evenly.
They should be golden brown when finished and cooked. My sticky buns probably would have filled up slightly more of the pan had I let them rise more in the fridge. After I let them cool for five minutes, I lined with aluminum foil and flipped the sticky buns out. You don't want to wait too long to turn them out because the topping will harden very quickly.
All ready for the fair!!
Finally, here's the actual recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1/4 Cup Warm Water
- 1 Package Active Dry Yeast (2 1/4 Teaspoons)
- 2 1/2 to 2 3/4 Cup Bread or All-Purpose Flour
- 1/3 Cup White Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Milk
- 2 Large Eggs
- 1 Teaspoon Vanilla
- 1 Teaspoon Salt
- 2 Sticks of Butter (1 Cup)
- 1 1/3 to 1 1/2 Cups Dark Brown Sugar
- 1/4 Cup Honey
- 2 1/2 Cups Chopped Pecans
- 2 Teaspoons Cinnamon
Instructions:
- Dissolve the yeast into the water. Add a 1/2 cup flour, the white sugar, the milk, the eggs, the vanilla, and the salt. Gradually add the remainder of the flour (2 to 2 1/4 cups).
- Knead by hand for ten minutes or for six to seven minutes with a mixer. The dough should be smooth and elastic. Add six tablespoons of very soft butter and knead vigorously until it is again smooth. Cover and place in a greased bowl in a warm place. Let rise until double(1 1/2 hours).
- Punch down and slightly knead. Let rise in the fridge until doubled again (4-12 hours).
- Combine a stick of butter, one cup of brown sugar and the honey in a saucepan over meduim heat, cooking till the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and add the pecans.
- Pour into a buttered 13" by 9" pan and let cool.
- Roll out the dough into a 16" by 12" rectangle with a rolling pin. Spread with the remaining butter and sprinkle with the remaining sugar and cinnamon.
- Roll into a log and cut into eight slices.
- Place over the topping cut side down and place in a warm spot and let rise for a final hour.
- Preheat the oven to 350 and cook the rolls for 30 minutes or until golden brown and the topping is bubbling hot.
- Let rest in the pan for five minutes and then turn out onto a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Serve and enjoy!
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