DeAnne

Gilmer, Texas, UNITED STATES


Joined July 22nd 2007

Number of Posts:
242

Number of Comments:
89

Karma:
9



patriotic - adj. - having or showing great love of one's country A person can be patriotic without agreeing with his or her government.

About Me
I'm a forty-something-year-old woman with a wide variety of interests. I enjoy writing on many topics and enjoy being part of a community.

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Recent Posts

Yeah, I know - Meatloaf...
But it is traditional home cooking, right? And it's what's for supper tonight.

My kids and I aren't particularly fond of onions - though I love the flavor as long as there are no big pieces. So when I make meatloaf, I either use onion powder, or I use the food processor to super finely chop the onions.

Meatloaf
2-1/2 lbs. ground beef (I use the leanest I can find - but I guess you could substitute with ground turkey if you're worried about fat)
2 eggs
1 medium to large onion - peeled
6-8 cloves garlic - peeled
6-8 slices of bread (I used 7 grain tonight, but any type of bread is fine)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1-2 tablespoons steak sauce (I used A1, but any kind will be fine)
Salt
Pepper
Ketchup

The first thing I do is slice and reserve two thin slices from the onion, then I quarter the remaining onion. I throw the onion and the garlic into the food processor to get it super finely chopped. You could just dice it if you don't mind the bigger pieces. Place the ground beef into a 13X9 baking dish, then add the onion & garlic mixture. (Don't bother mixing it just yet.) Wipe out the food processor bowl and then make crumbs out of the bread slices with the food processor. Dump the crumbs on top of the meat mixture and add the eggs. Add the soy sauce and steak sauce, then about 1 teaspoon of pepper and 2 teaspoons of salt. Mix it all together and form into a loaf, leaving an inch or so around all sides. Take the reserved slices of onion and break into rings. Push the rings down into the loaf and add ketchup straight from the bottle in a curvy line over the length of the loaf. Cover with foil and bake at 350 for about 1 hour.

Creamy Slice Potatoes
1 potato for each person (add a couple extra if they're really small)
1 can evaporated milk (not the sweet stuff, just plain evaporated milk)
water
salt
pepper
onion powder
garlic salt

Peel the potatoes and cut in half lengthwise. Use the slicer attachment for the food processor for very thin slices, or slice with a knife if you prefer a bit thicker slices. In dutch oven, add the evaporated milk, 1 can of water, salt, pepper, and spices (as much as you would want for the amount of potatoes you have - a little pepper goes a long way in this dish.) Add the potatoes and bring to a boil, stirring constantly. As soon as it comes to a good boil, give it one final stir and reduce heat to VERY LOW. Cover the pot. Stir every five minutes, and as soon as the potatoes are tender, turn off the heat. The potatoes will continue to cook in the liquid, so be sure not to wait until they are extremely tender.

Tomato Gravy
I also like to make a tomato gravy for the meatloaf. I pour the drippings into a large pan and add a little flour to brown slightly. I add just enough water to make it manageble then add tomato sauce, tomato juice, or tomato soup. Tonight I used spicy V-8. Add more water if needed to thin or cornstarch if needed to thicken. Add salt, pepper, and any spices you like to taste.

We rounded this meal off with some steamed broccoli and cauliflower, and a nice green salad.

Happy Eating!
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Help For State Education Budgets

July 1st 2009 20:38
Vice President Biden Commends Department of Education for Accelerating Recovery Act Funds


"Last week, the President asked me to work with the Cabinet to find ways to accelerate our already stepped-up Recovery Act efforts. I’m pleased to announce today that the Department of Education will be making over $2.5 billion in Recovery Act funds available to states in the coming days to support state education budgets, thereby helping states in fiscal distress. These Recovery Act funds will enable states to move quickly to protect critical jobs and will help states cope with their immediate budgetary challenges. I applaud Secretary Arne Duncan and his team for moving so quickly, and will continue to press the Cabinet to find ways to accelerate the pace of Recovery Act spending."

As news headlines this morning have been focusing on school districts around the country that are facing bankruptcy and closure, this seems as if help will be available to keep those schools open and functioning. Education is right up there at the top of my list of important rights all Americans should have, along with health care, and protections such as police and fire departments. Not a big supporter of the automobile and financial industry bailouts, I fully support this extra spending to support our schools.
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Write your representatives.

Physicians for a National Health Program have on their website a form for you to write to your representatives. You may change the wording of the letter, but here is the sample text they have for you to send:

Please support H.R. 676

I write as a constituent -- and as a physician -- to express my support for single-payer national health insurance and to urge you to co-sponsor H.R. 676, the U.S. National Health Care Act.

As a physician, I see the results of our health care crisis every day. More than 46 million Americans are uninsured. Even for those lucky enough to have insurance, rising costs and deteriorating coverage cause nearly a third (31 percent) to go without needed care because they can't afford it. Indeed, of the one million Americans bankrupted by medical bills annually, more than three-quarters had insurance when they got sick.

Single-payer national health insurance would save enough on administrative paperwork -- more than $350 billion per year -- to provide comprehensive coverage to all Americans. It would provide full choice of doctor and hospital for patients, and free physicians from arbitrary and meddlesome insurance-company dictates regarding patient care. It would control the health expenses currently crippling our economy and provide for a wholesome revitalization of our democratic values.

Please join with the 65 percent of Americans who support such a system and co-sponsor H.R. 676.

Sincerely,

Now - if you are not a physician, you might want to change that bit, and they'll add your signature for you.

I urge everyone to help with this cause. We NEED a single payer program. It's the only solution that will work. Read the information on the PNHP website, because it explains WHY this is the only option that will really work. Even if you currently are opposed to single-payer, please read what they have to say. You just might change your mind. If not, you should still write to your representatives and let them know you YOU feel about the issue.
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The Physicians for a National Health Program has a wonderful FAQ page. I thought since I post so much about health care reform on this blog, I'd copy some of their questions and answers here.

For the full FAQ, see this page
[ Click here to read more ]
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Ok - so I keep hearing about how doctors don't want a single payer health program - because they don't think they'll make as much money. But then I find PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH PROGRAM.

They INSIST that we DO need a SINGLE PAYER program


[ Click here to read more ]
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I'm so sick of comments here and elsewhere claiming that President Barack Obama is an illegal alien, that he was born in Kenya, that he forged his birth certificate, etc. Snopes.com has information verifying that he did, in fact, show a verified copy of his Hawaiin birth certificate. Even the newspapers had information about his birth - in Honolulu. Lawsuits against him, claiming his illegal status were all dismissed. Get over it people, he was born in Hawaii, and it was even a state by that time! He IS the president. He IS NOT an illegal alien.

Can we drop this and get on with our lives now


[ Click here to read more ]
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Online Health Care Town Hall

July 1st 2009 02:31
Join the National Online Discussion on Health Care Reform


On Wednesday, the President will hold another online town hall to answer more of your questions. This online town hall will be a little different than the last one. This time around, we are engaging online networks outside of WhiteHouse.gov, such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter


[ Click here to read more ]
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Home Made Herbal Bath Salts

June 30th 2009 22:07
This makes a wonderful gift for your best friend, sister, daughter or mother. (Or any special someone in your life, really.)

Put the following ingredients in your food processor


[ Click here to read more ]
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Health Care Town Hall

June 30th 2009 21:25
President Obama to Hold Health Care Town Hall on Wednesday


WASHINGTON, D.C. - This Wednesday, July 1, President Barack Obama will hold a national discussion on health care through an online town hall meeting in Annandale, Virginia. In addition to the live audience, questions will come from online communities such as Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. For more information go to


[ Click here to read more ]
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Will save billions for consumers, business while helping to create new jobs and strengthen American competitiveness

WASHINGTON – Building on the action by the U.S. House of Representatives in passing historic legislation that will pave the way for the transition to a clean energy economy, President Barack Obama and U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu today announced aggressive actions to promote energy efficiency and save American consumers billions of dollars per year. Today’s announcement underscores how the clean energy revolution not only makes environmental sense, but it also makes economic sense – creating jobs and saving money


[ Click here to read more ]
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Recent Comments

Comment by DeAnne
on GROTESQUE UNIDENTIFIED LIFE FORM FOUND IN SEWER!

July 2nd 2009 02:54
OOOOOOOh Yuck! That's nasty looking. But, apparantly they have been identified as a bunch of worms. Really Long Link
A quote from the linked site above:

Thanks for the video – I had not see it before. No, these are not bryozoans! They are clumps of annelid worms, almost certainly tubificids (Naididae, probably genus Tubifex). Normally these occur in soil and sediment, especially at the bottom and edges of polluted streams. In the photo they have apparently entered a pipeline somehow, and in the absence of soil they are coiling around each other. The contractions you see are the result of a single worm contracting and then stimulating all the others to do the same almost simultaneously, so it looks like a single big muscle contracting. Interesting video.

That link has further commentary and videos. I'm still not convinced - that is disgusting!

Yeah, the title is great! The one thing to remember though, is that not everyone who has faith in a greater being is that narrow minded. Some of us use the intelligence that greater being gave us to realize that "religion" can't explain it all, and that the Bible isn't meant to be taken literally, as an accurate historical account of all time.

You are right, though. So many people will not budge on those types of issues. "The earth is only 6000 years old, because the Bible tells us creation only took 7 days, and there is an genealogical accounting of the time since then." Of course, they never take into account that the English translation could be somewhat wrong - the word that was translated DAY could actually simply mean UNSPECIFIED PERIOD OF TIME. And, of course, we shouldn't bother doing anything about global warming, because, after all, God told us the world would end and Jesus would return. Just read all the prophecies. It couldn't possibly be that some of those prophecies were told so that we could prevent it from happening. And most definately the prophecies must all come true.

I am a person of faith. But my faith isn't blind. My faith isn't in the book, or people. It is in a greater being, who I believe did create the universe. But I also believe that he gave us the intelligence to understand the science behind it. It's a shame others can't accept that as well.

Thanks for a great post!

Comment by DeAnne
on Conservatives and health care in America

July 1st 2009 04:18
I've just spent the past hour or two reading the text comments on President Obama's YouTube video about the upcoming Health Care Online Town Hall. I'd bet anything that 99% of those who commented there have never bothered to read his plan.
Obama's plan isn't a single-payer plan. I'm all for one, but that's not what he's trying to get passed. It does have a public option, however. If we don't get single payer, we at least need a public option. What most people don't understand is that uninsured or under-insured people aren't that way by choice. My family recently lost insurance. We had been on Cobra for the full 18 months, because my husband changed jobs and no longer works for a company that has insurance available. We are not able to get decent private-pay insurance because of diabetes. I also found out that even if he didn't have diabetes, my husband would be uninsurable because of his occupation! Apparantly, Blue Cross Blue Shield won't privately insure anyone in Texas (I don't know about other states) who works on a drilling rig! I find this more than mildly ironic since most drilling companies (as well as so many other companies) use BCBS as their employer provided insurance company.
Whether we get a single payer plan or a public option, we MUST get some kind of regulation on these companies who are out there only to make a profit! They don't care if people are healthy or not, they only care about making money. That is my main reason for being FOR a single payer system - it won't be about making a profit - it will be about making sure everyone - regardless of health or employment satus - will have access to decent health care!

Comment by DeAnne
on Cockroach Trapping and Baiting

June 30th 2009 22:17
That's an interesting way to get rid of the pesky critters! Another way you could have disposed of them (without having to spray) would be to pick the bowl up and place it in a zip-lock bag, then just put it in the trash. Not quite as humane as the Buddhist method, but you don't have to smell the icky spray!

Comment by DeAnne
on Fun to make - plastic bag ice cream!

June 30th 2009 20:53
A few further tips...
The kids and I made some of this the other day - and we discovered that it is better to NOT double the inside bag. It just took TOO long to get the ice cream to freeze that way. With a single bag, it only took about 5 minutes.

We made this with fat free half and half, and we used Splenda instead of sugar for some really tasty fat-free, sugar-free homemade ice cream. It was just as tasty that way as I remember the other! (Though that might be part of why it took so long with the double bag - I don't know.)

Comment by DeAnne
on Post Number 2000

June 25th 2009 19:23
I know we never agree on anything, but congratulations on your milestone post, SL. My, you've had a busy few years!

Comment by DeAnne
on I'll be back!

June 25th 2009 16:53
Get well soon! Prayers and best wishes for a speedy recovery.

Comment by DeAnne
on The upcoming clash of points of view

June 4th 2009 15:49
Jim, have fun! Off topic - where did that quote come from. My son was trying to find a text version of that speech because some of his friends were up in arms about "we do not consider ourselves a Christian nation" --- they took that out of context and made it sound as if Obama was denying Christianity. The full quote, as you gave it, tells a much different story - one that is quite true of our nation. Christians (I am one, but don't like to associate myself with mainstream Christians) tend to forget that, wanting to instead consider us to be a Christian nation.

For the debate, remember that not all people of faith (even Christian faith) "hold that there are virtually no circumstances when abortion is not a mortal sin." Some of us are much more tolerant of others' beliefs and circumstances.

Good luck!

Comment by DeAnne
on Enough about the President's religion

June 4th 2009 15:26
I agree with you, Jim. The problem is that many Christians (especially those on the Far Right) don't believe that anyone is a Chrisitan unless he/she believes exactly the same way they do. In actuality, however, there are many Christians who aren't far right, who don't have the same extreme beliefs as mainstream Christianity. The way I see it, EXTREME Christians are just as bad as EXTREME Muslims. I know I'll get bashed for this - I always do - but it IS possible to be a Christian and a Liberal at the same time. In my opinion, Jesus was liberal. He stood against the status quo of his time. He was for the "little people" and told us that the meek would inherit the earth. (Note that is MEEK not WEAK.) Early Christians were socialists. They combined their wealth to care for those who didn't have as much. They took care of the poor, widows, children, etc. They came together for communal meals, and they did all they could to help others. Yes, they also spread the word, but they didn't force it on anyone. Mainstream Christianity today has gotten so far away from what Christ taught and stood for. Sometimes I am ashamed to say I am a Christian. I am NEVER ashamed to say that I have a personal relationship with Jesus, my Lord and Savior, but I AM ashamed to be associated with the types of Christians who believe that everyone else must believe exactly as they do in order to have that relationship with Christ or God.

Comment by DeAnne
on The Obama agenda: healthcare - II

April 22nd 2009 19:58
Jim, as always, a very well written article on an important topic. I've read both posts on this topic, and have been returning daily to read the next one. Hope you can get to it soon. I also wrote a related article recently, if you're interested.