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1/2 cup raspberries, fresh or frozen (thawed) 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 2 tsp sugar 1 tbsp dijon mustard 1/4 cup vegetable oil or extra virgin olive oil Add all ingredients, except oil to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly add oil until well combined. Serving Suggestion: 4 cups spring mix greens 2 bartlett or anjou pears 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted Cracked black pepper Core & slice pears. Divide spring mix across 4-6 salad plates. Arrange pear slices on greens and sprinkle with pecans. Drizzle with rasberry vinaigrette dressing, dust with black pepper and serve.

As much as I enjoy red velvet cake, it's a little too time-consuming for most occasions. This take-off -- in cookie form -- is much easier. The cookies freeze well -- so you can make them in advance, freeze them and then pull them out for frosting & serving when you need them. For the cookies: 1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour 2 tablespoons cocoa powder 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/4 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup butter, room temperature 1 cup sugar 2 eggs 2 tablespoons buttermilk 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 tablespoon red food coloring For the Cream Cheese Frosting: 1 pound cream cheese, softened 2 sticks butter, softened 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 4 cups powdered sugar 3/4 cup finely chopped pecans Preheat oven to 375°F. Mix together flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time. Then beat in t...

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2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered 2 tablespoons minced garlic 5 to 6 strips bacon 1/4 pound Maytag Blue Cheese 1/4 cup heavy cream 1/2 cup sour cream Salt and freshly ground black pepper chives or green onions for garnish Add potatoes to a medium pot and fill with enough cold water to cover the potatoes by an inch. Season with salt and bring water to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until potatoes are soft, about 15 minutes. Meanwhile, fry bacon in a skillet until crisp. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. Roughly chop and reserve. Drain potatoes and place them back in the pot with the garlic, cheese, heavy cream, sour cream and chopped bacon. Roughly mash, adding more cream if needed. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with chives or green onions. Note: I let my KitchenAid Mixer do the "mashing".

Cooking spray 1/3 cup all-purpose flour Salt and ground black pepper 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch wide strips 1/3 cup buttermilk 1/3 cup grated Parmesan 1/2 cup quick-cooking oats 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder 3/4 teaspoon onion powder 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat a large baking sheet with cooking spray. In a shallow dish, combine flour and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Place buttermilk in a separate shallow dish. In a third shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, combine parmesan, oats, garlic powder, onion powder, and oregano. Add chicken to flour mixture and turn to coat. Dip chicken into flour and turn to coat. Dip flour-coated chicken into milk and then transfer chicken to oat mixture. Turn to coat chicken (or shake bag) until well covered with oat mixture. Place chicken on prepared baking sheet and spray the surface with cooking spray. Bake 15 minutes, until crust is golden brown and chicken is cooked t...

Garlic Ranch Dressing (for salads or veggies) 2 tablespoons minced garlic in olive oil 3/4 cup buttermilk 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/8 teaspoon onion powder 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon black pepper 1/4 cup parsley leaves (1/8 cup dried parsley flakes) 2 tablespoons chopped chives Put the garlic in a blender. Add the buttermilk, mayonnaise, salt, parsley, chives, and pulse until blended. Chill until ready to serve. For dips (chips & veggies), prepare as above and add 3/4 cup sour cream during the mixing process. Serving Suggestion: Use a single romaine lettuce leaf as a "bowl" for a hearts of romaine salad. Fill with hearts of romaine (About 3/4 cup per serving). Drizzle with ranch dressing, add some crumbled bacon, about 1 tablespoon grated extra sharp cheddar and a few croutons and you have an elegant, restaurant-style salad.

...the GOP Outrage Machine forced Dick Durbin to apologize for comparing U.S. treatment of prisoners to the Nazis and Soviets in their gulags? Funny how the facts bore him out . Since the GOP is in full-hard-on-embrace of this kind torture, I'm surprised that they're not issuing an apology to Senator Durbin. After all, the rhetoric of condemnation he used has been re-purposed into full-throated praise .

http://search.twitter.com/search?q=%23FightHateNow Representative King (R-NY) is a real homophobic tool. And I wish Andrew Sullivan would actually read the bill before pronouncing his usual blather about being against hate crimes legislation.

As more shoes drop about the Bush Administration's torture policies and practices -- that they were put in place before the so-called "legal justification" and their purpose was not really to prevent another terrorist attack, but to help fabricate the non-existent link between Iraq and al Qaida ... it is disappointing to see so many Republicans jump to the defense of torture. I have to keep asking myself: "Who ARE these people?"

1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled 3/4 cup sugar 1/3 cup cocoa 1/3 cup cornstarch 1/4 teaspoon salt 3 eggs, beaten 3 cups milk 3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate baking chips 3 tablespoons butter 2 teaspoons vanilla extract Prepare pie crust, cool. Stir together sugar, cocoa, cornstarch and salt in medium saucepan. Combine eggs and milk; gradually stir into sugar mixture, blending well. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with wire whisk, just until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Add chocolate chips, butter and vanilla. Stir until chips and butter are melted and the mixture is smooth. Pour into the pie crust. Press plastic wrap onto pie surface and refrigerate three to four hours or until firm. Garnish with whipped cream and chocolate shavings prior to serving.

The "perfect pie crust" (from the Methodist Women's Cookbook): makes two 9 inch crusts or the top & bottom for a single pie 2 cups flour 2/3 cup shortening 1 teaspoon salt Ice water Cut shortening into flour and salt mixture until crumbs are course and granular. Add 3 - 6 tablespoons ice water, a little at a time. Mix quickly and evenly through the flour until the dough just holds together. Gently gather dough particles together into two balls. Wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for at least 30 minutes before rolling. Preheat oven to 425° F. Place rolled-out pastry in pie plate, gently press against bottom and sides of pan. Trim overhanging edge of pastry about 1-inch from the pie plate's edge. Tuck this rim of dough underneath itself so that folded edge is flush with pan edge. Flute the edge. Prick crust thoroughly on the bottom and sides with the tines of a fork to help prevent the dough from blistering and "puffing up" as it bakes. Bake for about 15 minu...

Because it's Monday...

1 tablespoon olive oil 1 large onion, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 large carrots, chopped (about 1 cup) 2 stalks celery, sliced (about 1 cup) 2 cloves garlic, minced 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth (or chicken broth if preferred) 1/2 cup uncooked wild rice 1 cup uncooked regular long-grain white rice 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, celery and garlic and cook until the vegetables are tender. Add the wild rice to the skillet, and stir for about 30 seconds. Then stir in broth and heat to a boil. Reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook for 25 minutes. Stir in the white rice. Cover and cook for an additional 20 minutes or until the rice is tender. Sprinkle with the parsley and serve

http://cohapp.cityofhouston.gov/cefwebcam/BuffaloBayou.html Not good for this weekend's planned International Festival.

Tranquility Park, downtown Houston, sits next to City Hall and is one of the parks created to sit on top of the underground parking system that serves the Theater District and City Hall -- and includes entrances to the Houston Tunnel System which connects virtually all of downtown. The system of interconnected tunnels and public skywalks makes it possible to traverse downtown from end-to-end (during regular business hours) without ever going outside. During the week, it's possible to enter the tunnels at Tranquility Park and walk all the way to the other side of downtown, coming up at Discovery Green -- Houston's newest park addition.

Jogging trails under the WWI Veterans Memorial Live Oaks.

It's quite the dreary day today -- constant rain and thunderstorms as Houston is prone to have -- so I thought I'd post some photos of a sunnier bent. This is the statue of Sam Houston that stands at one end of Hermann Park. Hermann Park contains many of Houston's hidden jewels -- including the Houston Zoo, Japanese Garden, Miller Outdoor Theater, Houston Garden Center (love the rose garden) and an 8 acre lake... oh, and the Hermann Park Railroad which takes you through and around the entire park. The park itself is bounded by the Texas Medical Center, Houston Museum District, Rice University and the Hermann Park Golf Course & Buffalo Bayou. Although there is parking available, the park is also easily accessible from the Metro Light Rail.

1 8 oz. can of chicken (breast meat), shredded 2 green onions, chopped fine 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard 2 large eggs, beaten 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 4 oz Maytag Blue Cheese 3/4 cup panko bread crumbs, divided Olive oil, for sautéing Place the chicken, onions, mustard, eggs, lemon juice, salt, pepper and 1/4 cup of the bread crumbs into a medium mixing bowl and stir to combine. Divide the mixture into 16 rounds and set aside on a parchment lined half sheet pan. Allow to rest for 15 minutes. Top 8 of the rounds with a portion of blue cheese, then top with another round and to form a patty with the cheese inside. Place the remaining bread crumbs into a pie plate. One at a time, coat each round in the panko on all sides. Heat enough olive oil to cover the bottom of a 12-inch saute pan over medium heat until shimmering. Add the croquettes and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove to a cooling r...

It's time to end the bullying. This is not about "religious freedom" or "forcing people to accept homosexuality". It is about ensuring that our children are safe from bullying and harrassment -- and to let them know (all of them), that regardless of their sexual orientation, they are loved, respected and will be kept safe from harm at school.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lp0IWv8QZY Not to mention a good tear in the eye...

Schuster: If You're Planning Tea Bagging Across The Country, 'You're Going To Need A Dick Armey' As noted earlier ...

For the crust: 1/2 cup butter or margerine, softened 1/2 cup brown sugar 1 cup flour Preheat oven to 350F. Mix together and press firmly into the bottom of an 8" square baking pan. Bake for 10 minutes; remove and allow to cool on a rack. 2 eggs 1 cup brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup pecans, chopped Beat eggs, sugar and vanilla. Stir in coconut and pecans. Pour over crust and bake for 25 minutes longer. Allow to cool and firm up before cutting into bars.

This will be part of Easter dinner 2009, hence the early publish date... 2 teaspoons olive oil 1/4 cup minced shallots 3 cloves garlic, minced 4 cups mixed wild mushrooms (any combination of shiitake, porcini, chanterelle, oyster, portobello, and cremini) 3 tablespoons dry sherry wine 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 (10-ounce) bags fresh spinach Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook 3 to 5 minutes, until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry and soy sauce and bring to a simmer. Add spinach and simmer 1 to 2 minutes, until spinach wilts, turning frequently.

Spring is here and so are leisurely weekend brunches... 3/4 cup orzo pasta 6 eggs 1/3 cup whole milk ricotta 1/4 cup creme fraiche or heavy cream 2 cooked chicken breasts, cubed (about 2 cups) 4 scallions, chopped 1/4 cup chopped baby spinach 1/3 cup diced roasted red bell peppers 1 teaspoon salt 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bring a small pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the orzo and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes. Drain pasta. In a large bowl combine the eggs, ricotta, and cream and stir until the eggs are beaten and the ingredients are combined. Add the cooked orzo, chicken, scallions, parsley, red bell peppers, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into a 1 1/2-quart baking dish. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Turn on the broiler. Place the pan under the broiler until golden on top, about 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and let set for 5 minute...

Another staple of the party circuit -- and pretty easy to make... 1 cup milk 1/4-pound (1 stick) unsalted butter 1 teaspoon salt 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper Pinch nutmeg 1 cup all-purpose flour 4 extra-large eggs 1/2 cup grated Gruyere, plus extra for sprinkling 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan 1 egg beaten with 1 teaspoon water, for egg wash Preheat the oven to 425°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper. In a saucepan, heat the milk, butter, salt, pepper, and nutmeg over medium heat, until scalded. Add the flour all at once and beat it vigorously with a wooden spoon until the mixture comes together. Cook, stirring constantly, over low heat for 2 minutes. The flour will begin to coat the bottom of the pan. Dump the hot mixture into the bowl of a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Immediately add the eggs, Gruyere, and Parmesan and pulse until the eggs are incorporated and the dough is smooth and thick. Spoon the mixture into a pastry bag fitted with a large p...

Let's all celebrate with a Ben & Jerry's ice cream cone!

1 cup sugar 1 cup water 1/2 cup vegetable oil 1 cup raisins 1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 teaspoon vanilla 2 cups flour 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1 teaspoon baking powder 1/2 cup chopped pecans Preheat oven to 350F. Mix sugar, water, vegetable oil and raisins in a small pan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Cool and pour into a mixing bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into a greased shallow pan. Bake for 25 minutes. Can be frosted warm with a simple cinnamon glaze. Cut into bars when cool.

http://www.sciam.com/article.cfm?id=laughing-matters

Simple, basic, elegant. 1/2 pound orzo Salt 2 tablespoons butter 1 cup feta cheese crumbles A handful of parsley leaves, chopped 1/2 pint grape tomatoes, halved Freshly ground black pepper Heat water in large sauce pot to boil and add pasta, cook to al dente. Drain and set aside. Melt butter in the pot while still hot and combine with feta. Add cooked pasta to feta butter and toss with parsley and tomatoes, season with a little pepper. Serves 4.

When the news broke: Des Moines Register MSNBC -- Pete Wright Wingnuts trying to keep their heads from exploding , see Chuck Hurley or IA GOP Rep King . More rational voices heard: Daily Beast Law Dork's Analysis Nate Smith crunches the numbers on a possible constitutional amendment challenge. Dale Carpenter and Sully actually sound reasonable for a change. Now we just wait to see if Vermont overrides their Governor's threatened veto of marriage equality.

1 pound lean ground beef 1 medium onion, sliced 2 cups plain tomato sauce 1 teaspoon garlic powder dash salt & pepper 2 teaspoons oregano 3 cups water 4 oz. curly noodles 2 cups mozzerella cheese, grated In a skillet, brown beef with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Pour off any fat that accumulates. Add onion, tomato sauce, oregano and water; heat to boiling. Stir in the noodles, cover and simmer on low heat until the noodles are tender. Remove from heat and add cheese. Stir and serve.

These were always a staple at family parties... easy to make, easy to serve... 1 pound hot sausage 3 cups baking mix 2 cups shredded cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix all ingredients by hand thoroughly until well blended. (Mixture will be dry and thick.) Form into small balls and place on a baking sheet. Bake for about 25 minutes. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce.

The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c The 10/31 Project comedycentral.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor NASA Name Contest