Something to Think About!

I'm finally diving into Glenn Beck's "Arguing With Idiots," and finding it to be a great reminder of what our country is facing today.

Here are a few tid bits to get you thinking:

"The kind of capitalism that has failed is "soulless capitalism," because success without compassion results in greed and excess - and we have plenty of both. But that soullessness didn't come out of nowhere, it was bred by a government that continually tries to step in to do the jobs that individual Americans should be responsible for."

"Any economic system will inevitably fail if individuals stop caring about the welfare of others. But which economic system is more likely to drive people out of poverty, one that cherishes the slogan "from rags to riches" or one that aims to help the poor via government bureaucracy?"

"You Know You're Turning Socialist When...

Sweden, a country internationally known for its cradle-to-grave social programs (free health care, free education, up to 80 percent of your pay for unemployment compensation - and massive tax rates), refuses to do something our government already has: bail out automakers. Responding to the difficult situation their car company, Saab, found itself in, the Swedish enterprise minister said, "The Swedish state is not prepared to own car factories."

Ouch"

Giving Thanks & Not Leaving A Crumb!

Thanksgiving this year was perfect. Just our little family.. cozied up inside as the winter weather howled! Of course, the center of the day was the food - rosemary roasted turkey, agave glazed sweet potatoes, classic green bean casserole, orange-cranberry sauce, and cornbread stuffing. To round out the day, I made pecan pie tartlets and a crustless pumpkin pie for dessert.

Glazed Sweet Potatoes 

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 Medium Sweet Potatoes

1/4 Cup Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

1/4 Cup Honey or Agave

Cinnamon

DIRECTIONS:

Peel & cut 4-5 medium sweet potatoes into 1- 1/2 inch cubes

Toss potatoes with 1/4 Cup extra-virgin olive oil and 1/4 Cup honey (or Agave Nectar)

Sprinkle Cinnamon to your desire! (I est. put in 2-3 Tablespoons)

Line a baking dish (with a rim) with foil for easy cleanup, and lay the potatoes out in a single layer. Roast in the oven for about 30 minutes or until tender.

The great thing about these is the fact that they are SO easy and SO hard to mess up.

Crustless Pumpkin Pie - A must try! It's so delicious, you won't miss the crust - I promise!

INGREDIENTS:

1 1/4 Cups sugar

3 Tablespoons All-P Flour

3 Eggs

2 Cups Canned Pumpkin

3/4 Cup Evaporated Milk

1 1/2 Teaspoons Vanilla Extract

1/2 tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 tsp Pumpkin Pie Spice

DIRECTIONS:

Combine the sugar and flour in a bowl. Add eggs and mix well. Stir in the pumpkin, milk, vanilla and cinnamon, and mix until well blended. Pour into a greased 9" pie or tart plate. Place pie plate in a larger baking dish and add 1/2 inch of hot water to pan. Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes - 1 hour or util a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Let cool slightly before serving.

Cranberry-Orange Sauce

From Tyler Florence, of FoodNetwork.com

INGREDIENTS:

2 (8 oz) Bags of Cranberries (fresh or frozen)

1 Orange (zest & juice)

3/4 Cup Sugar

2 Cinnamon Sticks

DIRECTIONS:

Put all ingredients in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until cranberries burst and sauce thickens (about 20 minutes. That's it!

Pumpkin Bars. Yum!

It's been snowing and snowing and snowing for days! The blanket of white across town and the mountains is absolutely breathtaking. Along with the snow has also come negative degree weather. Since we are cooped up in the house, I decided to get-ta-bakin'!! First up, pumpkin bars with a cream cheese icing. I used a recipe from Paula Deen at FoodNetwork.com, and made just a few changes. They came out amazing - a must for a festive holiday week!

INGREDIENTS:

Bars:

4 eggs

1 2/3 Cups Sugar

2/3 Cup Veg. Oil

1/3 Cup Butter, Melted

15oz. Can Pumpkin

2 Cups All-P Flour, Sifted

2 Tsp. Baking Powder

1 Tsp. Baking Soda

4 Tsp. Cinnamon

1 Tsp. Pumpkin Pie Spice

1 Tsp. Sald

Icing:

8oz. Pkg Cream Cheese, Softened

1/2 Cup Butter, Softened

3 Cups Confectioner's Sugar

1 Tsp. Vanilla Extract

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Using a mixer on medium speed, combine the eggs, sugar, oil and pumpkin until fluffy. In a separate bowl, sift together to flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture while mixing on a low speed until thouroughly combined and the batter is smooth. Spread into a well greased 9x13" baking pan. Pop in the oven and bake for 40 minutes. Let it coooooool completely before frosting!

To make the icing: Combine the cream cheese and butter with a mixer until smooth. Add in the sugar and mix on low until well combined (If you would like a thicker consistency, just slowly keep adding powdered sugar into the mix until you reach your desired thickness). Add in the vanilla and mix again. Spread on cool pumpkin bars. Here comes the important part - cut a big slice, sit down on the couch, and enjoy!