Living on the Edge

Pumpkin Carving

Here is a fun way to carve a pumpkin without even getting dirty!

PUMPKIN SIMULATOR

Democratic version of Halloween

New Political Candidate!

New Presidential Candidate... It's someone we know!

There's an effort to elect an unknown random person as President... and it's someone we know! Watch this online video about the surprising new nominee:

New candidate video

Jot back a note to let me know what you think!

Macaroni and Cheese...the latest fad

Kids know all about comfort food!  They eat something and want nothing else until it's coming out of their ears or they are sweating it out of their pores!  The current, can't-get-enough-of-it menu item in our house is Macaroni and cheese!  Oh, believe me, I'm sick of it.  It is good for the budget right now, but I'm so tired of it!  We don't feed our dogs table scraps, but I'm ready to subtly stick my plate under the table and let them finish it off.

this is just a battle that isn't worth fighting.  They will eat it, and for CC, it's a great way to get calcium into her.  But I found a recipe that might make things a little less monotonous!  This one was posted on Chow.com.  Give it a try and let me know what you think.

Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

15 minutes of prep (I like that the best!)

Makes 6-8 servings.

**warning**  you may want to make substitutions...I did, cuz it's an artery blocker/diet killer!

Ingredients:

1 1/2 pounds dry elbow macaroni pasta

16 ounces (about 6 cups) shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese

2 cups half and half

4 tablspoons butter (1/2 stick)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

3/4 teaspoom hot sauce, such as Tobasco (I left this one out...I didn't want to push my luck!)

Instructions:

1.  Bring a large pot of heavily salted water to a boil over high heat.  Once boiling, add pasta, and cook according to the label on the box or bag.

2.  Drain pasta and return to the pot over very low heat.  Add remaining ingredients and stir until cheese is melted.  Season with additional salt and freshly ground black pepper as needed and serve.

Simple!!  We like to add the progresso Italian bread crumbs on top.  The little bit of crunchy is a nice contrast to the cheesy noodles!

Enjoy! We did!

Obama's Slogan: Change

I'm sorry I couldn't resist this one!  I'll blame it on my parents...they sent it to me!

Fireproof

Fireproof is a sleeper film...one that the film industry isn't spending lots of money to market.  But it is one that every married couple, new and long-time, should watch.  Vows are important, but you're not done with them after you say them on your wedding day.  You need to  act upon them every day.  They should be framed and next to the ten commandments on a wall of your house.  Not only would it be a great reminder for you, but also an example for your children.

Here is the link to the film's website: Fireproof

33 days till the election....thank heavens!

I absolutely can't wait until the election has come and gone!  It's not so much the candidates, but the media's interpretation of what they say.  Over and over again! The political analysts and experts that have crawled out of the woodwork.  Did you ever think there were so many 'experts' out there? 

It's kind of like the Thanksgiving we left a pumpkin pie on the counter at my mom's house.  We woke up the next morning and the pie was overrun by ants!  Were they really food critics or just insects that wanted a piece of the action?!

Tonight is the vice-presidential debate.  The media is working hard to set up pre-conceived notions about what is going to be said and not said tonight.  When in fact they are just impatient and need to say something because, as we all know, there isn't anything else to report. 

I'm looking forward to watching the debate.  I have my own playbook for how the evening should unfold, but I'm not emailing it to the candidates.  I think they have it handled and don't need me. 

On a more local note...It is a heated contest between Rossi and Gregoire for governor.  If Gregoire wins, we are going to see some ugly tax hikes.  If you think the fuel tax was bad...Gregoire wants to bring a state Income Tax to Washington!  And if you think that means our property, sales and fuel taxes will go down...think again.  Once they have the money source, the government doesn't readily give it back!

Katie Couric takes a bite out of Biden

The media keeps playing and replying pieces of Palin's interview with Katie Couric.  Sarah did just fine with the grilling.  Katie definitely used a variety of questions to try to trip her up.  I think she did well, considering how she first had the ABC assault the week before.  She is still an awesome candidate.  She is beging put through a wringer, while Biden is being handled with kid gloves by the same media.  He is tucked away in the green room, while Sarah is grilled publicly.

How come they don't play and replay Biden's interview with Katie Couric?  Did you know that there was tv in 1929 and Franklin D. Roosevelt was president?  Yes! That is what he said during his interview!

During his interview on the CBS Evening News with Katie Couric, this is what he said:

"When the stock market crashed, Franklin D. Roosevelt got on the television and didn't just talk about the, you know, the princes of greed.  He said, 'Look, here's what happened.'"

If you haven't read any of Ann Coulter, she pointed out this misfact in her online column.  She is a sharp cookie.  Here is the link:  http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28834

Go read the rest of the article on her site.  She is a journalist with a brain! 

Here is a snippet of it:

"Here is Couric's full response to Biden's bizarre outburst about FDR (a) being president and (b) going on TV in 1929: "Relating to the fears of the average American is one of Biden's strong suits."
   
But when our beauteous Sarah said that John McCain was a better leader on the economy than Barack Obama, Couric relentlessly badgered her for evidence. "Why do you say that?" Couric demanded. "Why are they waiting for John McCain and not Barack Obama? ... Can you give us any more examples of his leading the charge for more oversight?"
   
The beauteous Sarah had cited McCain's prescient warnings about Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. But Couric, the crackerjack journalist who didn't know FDR wasn't president in 1929, demanded more examples from Palin.
   
We are currently in the middle of a massive financial crisis brought on by Fannie Mae. McCain was right on Fannie Mae; Obama was wrong. That's not enough?
   
Not for the affable Eva Braun of evening TV! "I'm just going to ask you one more time," Couric snipped, "not to belabor the point. Specific examples in his 26 years of pushing for more regulation?"
   
This would be like responding to someone who predicted the 9/11 attacks by saying: OK, you got one thing right. Not to belabor the point, but what else?
   
Obama was not merely wrong on Fannie Mae: He is owned by Fannie Mae. Somehow Obama managed to become the second biggest all-time recipient of Fannie Mae political money after only three years in the Senate. The biggest beneficiary, Democratic Sen. Chris Dodd, had a 30-year head start on receiving loot from Fannie Mae -- the government-backed institution behind our current crisis."