The voting booth is now open . . . WIDE open . . .

It is amazing to me that anyone can oppose checking ID when you go to vote. The only reason anyone would be against such a requirement is to perpetuate voter fraud. And you don't have to wonder much why anyone would want to insure uncaught voter fraud . . . in order to steal someone else's vote and stuff the ballot box with your choice to win an election unfairly.

I just read that the judges in Wisconsin are blocking the voter requirement in Wisconsion. Gosh, I wonder if it could do with the fact that they are trying to recall the governor and want to make sure they don't lose? What happened to one vote to each eligible person and the best man wins? From what I understand, Governor Walker has brought the state back from the brink yet greedy people who don't want to take cuts, etc., would rather cut off their noses to spite their faces than recognize the fact that something worked.

I imagine that we will be seeing more and more of this sort of behavior this November when our current administration may have to rely on tactics rather than a reasonable voting platform. So far, there isn't much to recommend a second term based on past performance.

The fact that the election might be swayed by improper voting won't keep me from the polls, however. Every vote counts and if we go to the voting booth with a good heart and a prayer, miracles happen in spite of human deceit and antics.

Mr. Einstein had it right . . .!

"The best doctor in the world is the veterinarian. He can't ask his patients what is the matter-he's got to just know."
-- Will Rogers

"If computers get too powerful, we can organize them into a committee -- that will do them in."
-- Bradley's Bromide

"The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible."
-- Albert Einstein

Pizza Night!

Trying to keep within the budget, we went through the refrigerator and found cheese and a bit of bacon and salami so it was definitely a sign that pizza should be on the menu tonight. I was also inspired by a cookbook my husband brought home from the library.

According to the book, if you heat up a baking stone at 500 degrees and place it directly under the broiler, the pizza will bake up quickly and taste like a gourmet treat. It did! The crust was crisp and slightly charred but in a good way. The toppings melted and the bacon cooked almost crisp.

My husband taught himself to bake when he was a bachelor so acquired some specialty items for the kitchen that I gladly took over when we married. The baking stone was one of those items. As you can see from the picture, the baking stone has seen a lot of baking in it's time.

My two children, currently residing at home, must have liked the pizza as they asked for a second one each. I didn't get my pizza until the very last but I think the wait was worth it as I had really gotten the hang of baking them under the broiler by then.

It's great the way few ingredients and a little work can produce a fun meal for little cost other than the effort.

And, he was a great painter, too . . .!

"The greater danger for most of us is not
that our aim is too high and we miss it,
but that it is too low and we reach it."- Michelangelo

Sunny California?

The weatherman was right . . . rain! It wasn't throughout the day but the couple of storms really drenched us for awhile. The advantage of our usual dry weather is that no matter how much rain falls, within an hour of stopping, it is hard to tell we had a storm at all.

Perfect considering our world today . . .

He who passively accepts evil is as much involved in it as he who helps to perpetrate it. He who accepts evil without protesting against it is really cooperating with it.

- Martin Luther King

Simple Broccoli Beef

 I like to cook Asian food and there are many ways to fix this family favorite. On a lazy evening, this is my go-to recipe for a fast, relatively easy meal.





Broccoli Beef
1 pound of fresh broccoli
1/2 pound thinly sliced beef
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
vegetable oil as needed
2 teaspoons finely minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
Dash salt
2-3 teaspoons brandy

Cut the broccoli into large, bite-sized pieces. Steam or boil until they are almost done, about two minutes. Drain immediately and rinse under cold water to stop the cooking, drain and set aside.

Toss the beef with soy sauce, cornstarch, and pepper.

In a wok or frying pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over high heat until it starts to smoke. Add beef and stir-fry to the doneness you prefer usually about two minutes. Remove from the pan

Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to your cooking pan or wok and return to heat. Add the ginger and cook for two seconds to bring out the scent. Add broccoli, sugar, salt, brandy, and two tablespoons of water. Stir and cook until the water is just about gone. Return meat to the pan, toss with broccoli to heat and serve.

Jasmine rice goes great with this. I've also served it with angel hair pasta with good results. If you are into Asian foodstuffs, there are a variety of long noodles that would work with this, too.