PREDICTION: Sadly, Repugnicunts will continue firearms recalcitrance until one of their own, or a family member, is… twitter.com/i/web/status/1…>•<Think on this a little while.>•< 4 days ago
"The Global Consciousness Project, also known as the EGG Project, is an international multidisciplinary collaboration of scientists, engineers, artists and others continuously collecting data from a global network of physical random number generators located in 65 host sites worldwide. The archive contains over 10 years of random data in parallel sequences of synchronized 200-bit trials every second."
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Tuesday, August 30, 2022
Spaghetti! Who doesn’t like it?
Spaghetti is an easy-enough meal to prepare, and it can be as simple, or as complex, as one desires.
And despite that, as some things often are, they can be deceptively simple, or even challenging to master.
While with recipes, whether found online, on boxes, or in magazines and books, there seems to be a somewhat straight-forward approach to making certain dishes, even with renown and very popular ones, sometimes, the “Whys & Wherefores,” i.e., the rationales, the reasons why one does a certain thing a certain way, are typically omitted. And, that can be to the detriment of a burgeoning cook, or aspiring chef.
So, we’ll set out to, at least in small part, make a correction… at least as concerning spaghetti.
1.) Salt
Salt the water which the noodles boil in — HEAVILY, not a mere sprinkle, or a dash, or two. Lay it on!
Why?
Salt is hygroscopic, which means that it draws, or attracts, water.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Wednesday, February 9, 2022
LEFT to RIGHT: Spaghetti noodles, tomato-based meat sauce, freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano cheese
Ever get tired of eating mediocre spaghetti?
Of course you so.
But, how can you make your otherwise boring spaghetti a world-class dish?
It’s easier than you think.
Naturally, there are a few (very few) “secrets,” or tips-n-tricks, that everyone should know, and understand, in order to improve the character and quality of the dish.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Saturday, December 4, 2021
Perhaps you’d be surprised at the MANY “knock-off,” el-cheapo, wanna-be, so-called “recipes” for AIOLI.
For some, it’s a Johnny-come-lately to the faux phood scene, a veritable “flash-in-the pan” — here today, gone tomorrow — and something, some trick of “the new and kewl” to attract, and FOOL, or DECEIVE, folks into believing that a great amount of effort, or love, went into making a food item.
Pretty pictures adorn all kinds of websites, magazines, and newspapers — online, and in print — that depict food as an artistic creation… and to be certain, there’s little doubt that some of it is. Certain cakes come to mind, for example.
The finished product… GENUINE, AUTHENTIC aioli.
But most food is not “art,” though it can, and should be, presented attractively. And the reason for that, the reason why food should be presented attractively, is that we FIRST ‘eat’ with our eyes. That is to say, that, what we see whets our appetite. However, for food made in a restaurant, the olfactory sensation is largely missing, because almost no one goes into any restaurant and smells the food cooking. It’s not like your grandma’s, or mama’s kitchen, wherein the savory aromas of food waft throughout the house, eagerly increasing your expectations as mealtime approaches.
But, back to the aioli.
At its essence, aioli is almost pure garlic in a spreadable form. I write ‘almost’ because it has olive oil in it, and cannot be made without it. And, there’s some salt, as well. But the amount, volume, quantity, etc., of salt is up to the maker. And though salt may not be 100% absolutely required, or a mandatory item like garlic or olive oil, it is HIGHLY recommended to be a constituent part of aioli. In other words, just put some in. Don’t neglect it.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Saturday, November 27, 2021
What is it?
😋Breakfast!!
Glad you asked!
It’s THE MOST important meal of the day!
Whyzat?
Because you’re BREAKING your FAST! Hence, the name — break-fast.
Overnight, your body has thoroughly digested, and fully utilized every nutrient which you put it yesterday.
And, now, it’s time to eliminate the waste. Your blood’s been filtered, too. And that waste as well, is ready to go. That’s why upon awakening from an overnight rest, you, everyone else, and all god’s creatures gotta’ go.
And since it’s ALL empty, just like your automobile, it’s time for a refill. Can’t travel cross-country on an empty tank, now, can you? Prolly can’t even make it cross-town when the gas gauge is pointing on ‘E’.
And proteins — broadly, meat, eggs, cheese, and nuts — take longer to digest than carbohydrates, thus, releasing their energy more evenly, whereas carbohydrates burn (release their energy) rather quickly.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Tuesday, August 24, 2021
A simple dish like pinto beans can quickly and easily become a hearty, tasty, complex-flavored dish with the addition of a few ingredients. Seen here, are the beans with all extra ingredients added, just before cooking in the pressure cooker. When pressure cooking beans, it’s NOT necessary to soak them. Simply rinse them off, throw ’em in the pot, fasten the lid, and cook away! They’re ready in a jiffy! How long’s a “jiffy”? About 15-20 minutes +/- depending upon how well you like ’em cooked. No more soaking overnight baloney!
Beans and cornbread.
There you have it!
How much more simple could it be, eh?
And honestly, that’s a meal unto itself.
If you wanted, you could add some rice to it, either separately, or mixed in.
But, we’ll just concentrate on the two, for now.
So… here’s what you’ll need for the beans & cornbread.
NOTE:Milk can be clabbered/curdled using a small amount of vinegar or lemon juice (both are acid). Soured milk should not be discarded, and can be used in cooking, in lieu of buttermilk or milk, and can be added to buttermilk.
If it seems like a lot of ingredients… IT IS!
And, it’s WELL WORTH IT!
Besides… any cook worth their salt will use numerous spices, herbs, and seasonings… because NOBODY BUT NOBODY enjoys bland food. Read the rest of this entry »
Joe Biden is hiring about 4,000 political staffers to work in the White House and federal agencies. Here’s how you can boost your chances getting a job in the new administration, according to 3 experts.
Robin Bravender
29 Novmber 2020
President-elect Joe Biden formally introduced his newly-picked national security team in Wilmington, Delaware on November 24, 2020. Biden will have thousands more political and non-political jobs to fill in 2021.Photo by CHANDAN KHANNA/AFP via Getty Images
President-elect Joe Biden is hiring about 4,000 political staffers to work in the White House and federal agencies.
Former campaign staff and Democratic insiders will have a leg up in getting their résumés considered, but government employment experts say there will be room for Washington newcomers, too.
The Biden administration is promising to build its team from a big talent pool that “looks like America and works for all Americans.”
The transition team created a portal where you can apply for jobs in the Biden White House and agencies across government, like the State Department, the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Department of Education. You can even try for obscure panels like a US-Russia commission on polar bears.
To be considered, employment experts urge job applicants to be clear about what they want, keep their application materials concise, play up their skills, and work any connections.
So you want to go work for Joe Biden.
You’re in luck. The president-elect has thousands of jobs to dole out inside the White House and federal agencies.
But you’ll probably want to get moving quickly since the incoming team is anxious to get up to full strength as it races to replace outgoing Trump administration staffers with its own people. You’re not the only one hoping to get a job on the new team, and you can expect stiff competition.
“There will be tens of thousands of people who are very excited about this administration and want to be a participant in it,” says Katherine Archuleta, who led the Obama administration’s Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency that manages government employees.
Of course, it helps if you have powerful allies who can vouch for you and help get your résumé in front of the right people. Connections are everything in Washington, and people who worked on Biden’s campaign or have ties to his orbit will have a leg up when it comes to scoring one of roughly 4,000 political jobs that change hands when a new administration arrives.
If you blindly send in a résumé to the Biden transition team or the White House personnel office, “the odds of the résumés actually being taken seriously are pretty darn low,” said Paul Light, a professor of public service at New York University.
But don’t despair if you don’t count political insiders among your family and friends. You might still land your dream job at the State Department, the National Park Service or the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy.
“We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Saturday, November 23, 2019
I decided to cook the Thanksgiving turkey today… because I can.
And, as always, it’ll be low & slow – 350°F for about 3-4hrs +/-.
Kinda’ like barbecue, only shorter.
The bird’s not really large, it’s only about 12-13 pounds, or so.
The cavity is stuffed with coarsely cut vegetables (including shiitake, and crimini/portobello mushrooms, red, white, and yellow onions, carrots, celery, and various peppers) all which are coated with pulverized dried bread crumbs, and two blocks of pulverized dried cheeses.
The top/exterior has paprika and coarse kosher salt with some mild pepper sauce (Valentina brand “Red Label” – it’s WAY flavorful, and not too hot for most tastes).
Before stuffing the cavity, coarse kosher salt, garlic powder, paprika, and “Badia brand Complete Seasoning” was applied.
And, ALWAYS, always, always!!! Cook turkeys (and chicken) breast side down, of course!
Why?
Because it keeps the breast moist and tender – and prevents it from dying out.
Here’s how and why it works.
As the bird begins to cook, when the fat starts to render (melt), it runs DOWN (remember that thing called “gravity”?), into the breast meat, thereby “juicifying” it.
And a bit of bragging here – I have NEVER cooked a bad turkey, no matter how I’ve cooked it. Even my very first one was perfect.
Also, there’s NO need to “baste.” That’s an utter waste of time & effort. If you insist on cooking it breast side up, put the thing in a bag if you’re gonna’ do it that way.
How will you know when it’s done?
Smell.
And a little tug on the leg.
Never cook by time, or use a thermometer. That’s an amateur’s chore, or a fool’s errand. Cook it until you like how it turns out. (What’s the BEST part about being a cook? You get to eat your mistakes!)
Seriously.
Don’t cook by time, or “internal temperature.”
Seriously.
Don’t.
You’ll smell it when it’s done, and ready.
Here’s how you check.
First of all, you’ll smell it.
And THEN! you check.
Here’s how you check:
Just open the oven door, pull out the rack, and using a fork, or your finger, “flick” the leg.
If it bounces back, it’s not ready.
If it gives way, it’s ready.
It’s just that simple.
Look, folks… cooking ain’t rocket surgery, or brain science.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Thursday, September 19, 2019
I’ve never been much of a ‘mater sammich kind of guy.
But I had to do something with the 2 HUGE ones which I purchased a few days ago.
So, I made one.
…which I’m eating w/a fork and knife.
Seriously.
I’ve always hated having dirty hands, and eating w my hands.
In fact, I have long known how to eat fried chicken w/a fork.
But that’s beside the point.
What’s on it?
Between two sourdough heels, there’s fresh basil (sweet & chocolate), tomatoes, Vidalia onions, garlic powder, coarse kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, Duke’s mayonnaise, Dijon mustard, with sambal oelek, and a sweet pepper.Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Friday, February 1, 2019
Mexican lasagna!?!
Yeah.
The first layer is soft corn tortillas. Be sure to cover the sides of the dish.
That’s what I thought when I read the text message sent to me by a friend.
I’d never heard of “Mexican lasagna,” but the ingredients and pictures intrigued me, so I decided that I’d try my hand at it. After all, I do enjoy cooking, because for me, it’s a creative outlet. And besides… who DOESN’T like eating, eh?
Layer as you wish. But first place a layer of sauce atop the soft corn tortillas, followed by the meat. Seen here, the pinto beans with sausage atop a layer of vegetables (onion, olives, tomatillos, salsa verde, tomaotes, bell pepper, cilantro, etc.) and cheese. Mustn’t forget the Pepper Jack cheese!
And, like most recipes, I make it my own, because as I see it, recipes are essentially broad guidelines, rather than precise and exacting hard-and-fast rules for cooking or preparing any dish.
Top with crushed corn tortilla chips before adding the next layer.
So, I set off to procure the ingredients which I didn’t have on hand, purposely omitting any ingredients which I didn’t think “fit,” and adding ones which I thought would accentuate the dish.
Be GENEROUS with the veggies and other ingredients. DO NOT BE STINGY!
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Wednesday, November 14, 2018
By definition, classic, authentic French bread has only 4 ingredients:
1.) Flour
2.) Salt
3.) Yeast
4.) Water
For some, baking is a mysteriously puzzling process. For others – as with math – it comes easily. Either way, it’s a learned process, can be taught, and the products it produces may be further developed, refined and enjoyed.
At the most basically fundamental level, making bread is the transformation of raw grains into deliciously tasty finished products. An entire language surrounding the baking of bread has arisen, and as our understanding of the art and science of bread-making continues to be developed, new terms may emerge. However, there remain time-tested terms about which many have heard – even if they’re not fully understood – and it is with those most basic terms and processes that French bread is understood, and made.
So in order to understand the how’s and why’s of bread-making, it’s equally important to understand the historical context in which French bread emerged.
Unlike bread in general, French bread’s history is relatively new, per se, and dates to the mid-to-late 1700’s – a revolutionary era in which France and the United States were forming.
Like the American Revolution, the French Revolution gave power to the people who were also subjected to abuse by terror-inducing government actions, including the forced quartering of troops (lodging & feeding) in private residences without either invitation by, or reimbursement to, the owners, and included shortages and rationing of staple food supplies because of many continuous years of harshly inclement climate and weather conditions resulting in crop failures, and other agricultural catastrophes.
Market speculation didn’t help matters, and prices for all foods rose rapidly, precipitously and exponentially, especially and particularly for wheat, and significantly adversely affected the poor and impoverished, who could no longer afford to buy flour. And what flour they were able to afford was of grossly inferior quality and poorly milled, which processing left many bran hulls in the final product.
But the pièce de résistance was mass starvation.
While the few wealthy elites had plenty of money to afford all kinds of food, the majority did not, and were literally starving. Consequentially, crimes of theft, murder, and prostitution were common because people didn’t have enough money to feed their families, and resorted to such activities merely to stay alive.
King Louis XVI and his royal entourage at the royal castle in Versailles were isolated from, oblivious, and indifferent to the escalating crisis of the people’s suffering. And while in response to the appellate courts’ orders to reduce spending, he did so begrudgingly, most of his token attempts to pacify by claiming reform were thwarted by his appointed judges.
During the age of Enlightenment many writers, pamphleteers and publishers informed or inflamed public opinion, and used opposition to the government as a resource to mobilize public opinion in opposition to the monarchy, which in turn tried to repress what became known as “underground” literature. Today, they would be called the “fake news” media.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Tuesday, August 7, 2018
“Nothing says loving like something from the oven.”
– anonymous
To the idea of pot pies, some folks say things like, “You know, I’ve never liked pot pies, but probably because it was always store bought.”
-or-
“He HATES pot pies. I LOVE them.”
And then, after looking at the ingredients I used, they say this…
“That recipe looks scrumptious.”
-and-
“I’ll have to try this recipe. He might eat it if I make it.”
Understand this: Most all recipes – and that means 99.99% – have their origin in someone’s kitchen – not in a giant factory vat or laboratory test tube.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Tuesday, June 27, 2017
Admit it.
You’re not a Professional Photographer.
That is to say, you don’t make your living with a camera. And, probably never have.
That’s okay. It’s not a problem. But by the same token, you probably wouldn’t know The Rule of Thirds, backlighting, high-key, or the difference between an ƒ-stop and ISO/ASA. And, that’s okay too.
But… if you want to make better pictures, you’ll want to learn to a few tips and tricks to improve the images you do make.
The smartphone’s ubiquity has made picture-taking commonplace. And the democratization of photography via the iPhone, and other smartphones, has been a veritable dream come true for George Eastman, Kodak’s late founder, who wanted to put a camera into everyone’s hands. And to give credit where credit is due, Steve Jobs, late founder of Apple Computer, is probably the man who was actually able to do that.
Seen below, we have a snapshot taken indoors of a beloved pet dog named Bug, who is lying on his back on the sofa in a very cute state of repose.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Sunday, June 25, 2017
Who doesn‘t like pizza?
Why, it’s practically unAmerican to not like pizza! Have you ever made your own pizza at home? Ever wanted to make a Deep Dish Pizza at home? Good news – you can! And I’ll share images and a recipe which will help get you started.
This may come as a complete surprise to some, but pizza is BIG BUSINESS in the United States.
Top 50 Pizza Chains’ Annual Sales by State (Click to enlarge)
And as Marketplace Host and Senior EditorKai Ryssdal says, “but first, let’s do the numbers…”
According to CHD Expert, a foodservice industry marketing trends & data organization, at the end of September 2016, there were 76,723 pizza restaurants in operation in the United States.
In their 2016 Pizza Consumer Trend Report, foodservice industry researcher Technomic found that 41% of consumers polled say they eat pizza once a week, a 55% increase from the 26% reported only 2 years ago.
And a 2016 Morgan Stanley report found that pizza delivery is a $30 billion industry, but could be be worth over $210 billion — which is the total amount Americans currently spent on off-premise dining. And of that $30 billion figure, over 1/3 – $11 billion – are delivery orders which are placed online, and nearly 2/3 of those online orders are… pizza.
So with impressive data like that, it should come as no surprise that a Harris Poll found that Americans’ No. 1 favorite comfort food is pizza, which also had twice as many votes as any other dish… including chocolate.
Now, for a recipe, and the how-to.
There are many seemingly innumerable styles of pizza, which vary with stuffed crusts, in shape, size, ingredients, and any other number of variations in pizza, and fortunately, this one will be simple enough to make at home.
We’re going to make the entire thing, including the crust.
“He that plants trees loves others beside himself.”
– Dr. Thomas Fuller, MD (1654 – 1734), British physician, writer, intellectual, preacher, in Gnomologia: Adagies and Proverbs, 1732
Over the years, I have observed (and learned by experience) that I have quite a knack for making trees grow rapidly.
Even slow-to-moderately growing trees (such as oaks) have responded phenomenally well under my guiding hand.
What and how to accomplish that?
Aside from planting in a well-lighted area, with adequately drained, properly hydrated & fertilized soil, there is but one thing we can do to encourage growth in trees. That one thing is Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Tuesday, December 13, 2016
Holiday season is again upon us, and many folks – particularly Southerners – are familiar with a tasty warm beverage known as “Russian Tea.”
Exactly how and where the recipe developed, and how it came by that name is somewhat unclear, but “the font of all knowledge” – and I sarcastically refer to Wikipedia – cites an article entitled “Russian Tea is Favorite Recipe in the South” by Cecily Brownstone in the November 27, 1976 issue of Kentucky New Era newspaper in Hopkinsville.
Interestingly, the story which is perhaps the newspaper’s most renown is the August 1955 Kelly-Hopkinsville Alien Encounter, which may also be known as “Kelly Green Men Case,” or the “Hopkinsville Goblins Case.” It’s a precursor of sorts to a “Close Encounters of the Third Kind” type story in which five adults and seven children reported to Hopkinsville Police that “little men with big heads and long arms,” presumably alien creatures, were attacking their farm house, and that they’d held them off with gunfire “for nearly four hours.” It all started around 7PM when one of the men went out of the house to get a bucket of water, and lasted until 0330 – that’s 3:30AM.
Who knows? Maybe they’d had too much Russian Tea. Anyway, I don’t think you’ll be doing any hallucinating, or discharging any firearms after drinking this, so it’s pretty tame stuff… unless you start adding Kentucky Bourbon or other liquor to it.
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Monday, March 16, 2015
The iPhone is a simple, though powerful tool. It’s ease of operation often belies the sophisticated mathematical and computer algorithms which undergird it’s operations. The integrated movie and still camera is one of the iPhone’s highlights, and Apple, Inc. makes every opportunity to improve the images the camera produces.
Quite honestly, the iPhone is perhaps my favorite creative imaging tool… as you may likely attest, if you’ve been following my photo stream for any time. There are very few things the iPhone can do that my Nikon DSLR cannot. There are a few features on the iPhone which the Nikon does not have, and vice versa. One is the Nikon’s ability to create RAW images, whereas the iPhone creates only JPEG images. By the same token, the iPhone has a “Burst” mode, whereas the Nikon does not. And I’ve been able to obtain images with my iPhone that my Nikon could never get, such as bluebird hatchlings in their nest box.
The diminutive size of the iPhone belies it’s strength, and the ubiquitous modern smartphone with integrated camera is now so commonplace that Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Warm Southern Breeze on Wednesday, November 10, 2010
*!*WARNING*!*
Sick news ahead!
In a sure-to-go-viral Internet-based campaign, recent revelations have uncovered evidence that online retail book selling giant Amazon.com is once again distributing a ‘how-to’ guide for pedophiles.
Amazon.com is defending their actions of distributing the Kindle electronic reader guide, and in an interview with Business Insider web magazine, responded by saying, …Continue…
Warm Southern Breeze 