HDQ

It's time for the Humpy Day Question. Short and profound:

What do you believe to be absolutely true even though you can't tangibly proove it?

Has the 9/11 Memorial been Hijacked?

This is truly awful and makes me mad. Read on...
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The memorial at "ground zero" in New York is supposed to honor the memory of the victims and heroes of that day. Sadly, it has been hijacked by politically-correct groups and will become a platform for lessons about tolerance and "freedom." The memorial will be 50,000 sq. feet and underground. That wouldn't be so bad if it weren't for the fact that on top of that will be a 300,000 sq. foot "International Freedom Center" multi-cultural institution. Don't get weary and bored here. Read on. The intention is that the victims of 9/11 and the attack itself will be de-emphasized by the Freedom Center's focus on other things.

So here are a few of the diversions, all of them worthy of attention, but not at "ground zero." The plight of Native Americans, Chinese dissidents, the Soviet gulags, and even the Holocaust, a subject for which I have a passion and have written a best-selling book about, but I don't need to learn more about it at "ground zero." The attack on America, thanks to the "International Freedom Center", will be lost in this global, multi-ethnic lesson on tolerance. Yet 9/11 is a uniquely American tragedy for Americans who don't wish to forget.

As Debra Burlinghame, who lost her brother, pilot of American Airlines Flight 77 which crashed into the Pentagon says, "This on-site International Freedom Center which will overshadow the much smaller 9/11 memorial, has a purpose of judging America's actions through her history which will prove that 'we deserved what we got on 9/11.' It will satisfy those who consider the post 9/11 provisions of the Patriot Act to be more dangerous than the terrorists the Patriot Act is designed to apprehend."

Who is behind the "International Freedom Center" designed to draw your attention away from the 9/11 memorial onto other issues? The ACLU, of course. Another, Eric Foner of Columbia University says, "I'm not sure which is more frightening--the horror that engulfed New York City or the apocalyptic rhetoric coming daily from the White House."

Don't think for a minute that the "International Freedom Center" has any intention of taking one on a real "journey through the history of freedom" as they say. Their idea of freedom isn't that of most Americans. The public will come to see the 9/11 memorial to pay their respects at the place where heroes died. They want a personal connection to this day of infamy on our shores. They want to touch what touched them that day that changed the life of every American forever. But they will first be herded through the "International Freedom Center's" multi-million dollar debacle designed to suggest that America just might be a terrorist nation itself.

The IFC are ideologues hoping to use the memorial site as a visual aid to promote their own agenda.

If it bothers you that the 9/11 memorial will turn into yet another outpost of anti-Western terrorist sympathy placed on top of the ashes of the victims of 9/11, then call New York Gov. George Pataki at 1-518-474-8390.

I have established a permanent memorial to 9/11 on my Web site, www.olivetreeviews.org, then go to "Terrorism: U.S." May we never forget, particularly the fallen heroes of that day.

God is our "Homeland Security Director." He has had favor on us for almost four years. It may never happen again, though that is unlikely, for these are the "perilous times" of II Tim. 3. In the meantime, Americans who have been deeply touched by that event need to be allowed to remember minus the propaganda.

Awaiting His return,
Jan Markell

Monday Meals - The Father's Day Edition

So, I thought that today we would go ahead and do a delicious dish for Father's Day. I usually do something with chicken, but today we are going to do cedar-plank grilled salmon with lemon butter. Cedar planks for grilling are fairly cheap and can be gotten at places like Bed, Bath and Beyond, Williams Sonoma or even your local grocery store, depending on what it is. I thought this might be a good way to celebrate the summer and how wonderful a good father can be.

Despite our issues, which we are working through, Matt is simply the best daddy. He loves PQAL more than anything and it shows. She just adores him and rightly so. He is one heck of a great father to her and to Brian. Plain and simple - he cares. So here's an excellent Father's Day recipe to celebrate the fabulous fathers in your life. And doggonit, because I want this to be the absolute BEST meal it can be I am going to break down and give you the recipe for my famous mashed potatoes. These potates are so good, rich and creamy you don't need any gravy or anything extra on them.
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Cedar-Planked Salmon with Seasoned Lemon Butter
Grilled on a cedar plank, this salmon is moist and succulent and imbued with delicious smoky flavor. It replicates a technique that was pioneered by Native Americans, who roasted fish and game on aromatic wood planks. Here, the fish is first seasoned with a rub, which adds even more layers of flavor.


8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 1/2 Tbs. poultry and fish grilling rub
Finely grated zest of 1/2 lemon
3 to 4 lb. salmon fillet, skin intact
2 Tbs. potlatch seasoning (recipe below)
1/2 lemon, thinly sliced

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater (preferrable if you have one), beat the butter on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Add the grilling rub and lemon zest and beat until well blended, about 1 minute more. Spoon the butter mixture into a glass dish and cover with some type of saran or cling wrap. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or as long as 2 days.

Plank Preparation
Be sure to use untreated planks free of chemical preservatives.

Immerse the wood completely in a large bin or strong plastic bag filled with water and soak for 20 minutes to 4 hours. Prepare a medium fire in a grill. Place the plank on the grill, close the lid, and heat until the plank begins to smoke and crackle. The plank will smoke lightly, infusing the food with its distinctive sweet, woodsy flavor.

To add moisture and herbal notes, place a bed of fresh dill, fennel fronds, bay leaves or rosemary sprigs between the food and the plank before cooking.

Have ready a spray bottle of water to extinguish any flare-ups on the plank. Bring the seasoned butter to room temperature.

POTLATCH SEASONING: Combine 2 teaspoons salt; 3/4 teaspoon ground cumin; 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano,crushed; 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder; 1/4 teaspoon chili powder; and 1/8 teaspoon white pepper. Makes about 4 teaspoons

Seafood Preparation
Rub the salmon on the skinless side with the potlatch seasoning. Place the salmon, skin side down, on the plank and arrange the lemon slices on top of the fish. Close the lid and grill until the salmon is cooked through, 8 to 10 minutes.

Transfer the plank with the salmon to a heatproof platter, or carefully transfer the salmon directly to a warmed platter. Use a little melon balleror some sort of utinsel to scoop out and put as much of the seasoned butter as desired on the salmon, reserving any remaining butter for another use. Serve immediately. Serves 6 to 8.
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Ok, I am giving you my secret mashed potato recipe. It is extremely easy to make, but I have never failed to have someone ask for the recipe wherever I have brought it. The secret is in the taste. I personally no longer really measure, it is all by taste to me, but when I started out, I used this recipe. I originally got it from Martha Stewart and modified it to my tastes. (Mine tastes better!) This is NOT for the faint of heart as it is very generous with the calories. It also doesn't taste as good with anything less than what is here.

4 large peeled Russet baking potatoes
1 1/2 sticks salted butter - almost room temperature (BUTTER - NOT the fake Oleo or Margarine crap)
1/2 cup HEAVY whipping cream (regular will suffice for a sub if you can't find the heavy kind)
Salt and (Fine Ground Black)Pepper to taste (sometimes I add a little garlic powder to make "hint of garlic" mashed potatoes but I am not using that in today's recipe)

Cube potatoes and put in large pot with enough water to cover the potatoes and add some salt to the water. Not much, maybe 1 tbsp. This will hellp the potatoes absorb flavor during the cooking process.

When potatoes are fork tender (meaning you can pierce them easily with a fork), drain completely. Take an electric mixer with the paddle attachment if you have it (regualr attachment will work ok if you don't have a paddle attachment)and mix until most of the potatoes are mashed with only a few lumps left. You won't get all the lumps out in this step.

Add the butter and mix completely into the potatoes. Your potatoes should start to have a creamy consistency already and the lumps should be mostly out by now.

Next heat the HEAVY whipping cream until it is HOT - this is best in a pyrex measuring cup. Start by pouring in 1/4 cup of the cream and mixing completely. Taste the potatoes. If you feel like they are not creamy enough, add more of the cream and mix thoroughly again. Taste again and add more butter and/or cream if you want to.

Last, add salt and fine ground black pepper for taste.

Makes approx 6 servings.

This is an extremely easy mashed potato recipe, but the steps must be followed in order. I've found that for some reason it tastes different if you add everything together at the same time instead of in steps. These are suposed to be THICK, heavy and rich potatoes. Not whimpy, thin and tasteless. These potatoes are the staple of my meals for steaks, BBQ chicken, chicken friend steak, etc. You can never go wrong with these. I hope you enjoy them. Please let me know if you try them and what you thought.
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I am a rhubarb purist and would actually make this dish with just rhubarb instead of mixing it with strawberries, however, most people tend to prefer the strawberry/rhubarb mix.

Strawberry-Rhubarb Crisp

Prep Time: 10 min
Total Time: 40 min
Makes: 7 servings

2 cups sliced fresh rhubarb (about 1/2 inch thick)
2 cups halved strawberries
3/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
4 Tbsp. flour, divided
2 Tbsp. firmly packed light brown sugar
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) cold butter or margarine
3 cups POST HONEY BUNCHES OF OATS With Almonds Cereal, lightly crushed

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Toss rhubarb with strawberries, 3/4 cup brown sugar and 2 Tbsp. of the flour in large bowl. Place in ungreased 9-inch square baking dish.
MIX remaining 2 Tbsp. flour and 2 Tbsp. brown sugar in a separate large bowl. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add cereal; stir until well blended. Sprinkle over fruit mixture.
BAKE 30 min. or until topping is lightly browned and rhubarb is tender.
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I hope everyone has a fabulous Father's Day meal with these recipes, or an anytime meal for that matter. Bon Appetit, y'all!

First Book Review

Ok, y'all know that I review ARC's for my writer's group. ARC's are Advanced Reading Copies that the authors get months before the book actually hits the shelves. I am posting my first review that I've done since I started the blog. I talked about Dee Davis and some other friends in a previous post. Dee is so sweet and gracious and funny and she endears herself very well to other people. I had the priveledge of spending time with her this past Tuesday at her booksigning at the Barnes and Nobles in the Arboretum. A group of 6 of us went to dinner after and just had a blast. Good food, good friends, good conversation. It was what I needed!

Anyway, I wrote this review of Dee's current book Enigma to be published this month in our newsletter. As promised, I am sharing it with you, as well as any future reviews I write. Which I will be writing 2 reviews for the September newsletter: First Love from Julie Kenner (Her darling daughter is PQAL's playmate) and Exposure, the last book in Dee's trilogy. I hope you enjoy the review and if you pick up the book, or the trilogy, you definitely won't be disappointed. This book is not a romance but rather a SWRE (suspense with romantic elements). It's great for either gender!
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Enigma by Dee Davis
HQN Books, June 2005
Review by Nicole Boedeker

Two loners are forced to work together to solve a series of deadly bombings. Can they find the missing pieces of the puzzle and crack the case before time runs out for one of them?

CIA operative Payton Reynolds carries a burden of guilt that makes him the top of his game as he takes insane risks trying to atone for his past. He also excels at not letting anyone past the walls that he’s constructed around his heart. Bomb specialist Samantha (Sam) Waters, a loner with a reputation for not being a team player, is both admired and shunned by her peers because of her young age. When the two of them are partnered up on the trail of tracking a madman with a penchant for destruction and a growing appetite for murder, more than the bombings they are investigating are explosive.

When the bomber’s targets take a personal turn for Sam, the team at Last Chance soon realizes that she is the object of a madman’s obsession. Will they be able to track him down and bring him to justice before one of their own becomes the next casualty in this battle of the minds?

Move over Linda Howard and Suze Brockmann, there’s a new queen of Suspense Romance in town and her name is Dee Davis. Why do I enjoy reviewing books? It is because of true gems like this latest effort by Ms. Davis. Enigma, the second in her enthralling Last Chance trilogy, is by far the best work that she has put out yet. I’ve had the pleasure of reviewing Ms. Davis’s works before and she has really excelled at the craft of putting a perfectly tuned suspense story together. Her writing is tight and fast-paced, keeping you entranced and turning the pages long into the morning. I was disappointed when the story was over because I wanted to immediately read the next and final book in this exciting series. If her growing number of fans have any say, the Last Chance trilogy will expand into a regular series that will catapult her to the top of this genre alongside such stellar sensations as those mentioned above. I expect more exceptional works from this extremely talented author and can’t wait to read Exposure, the final book in the extraordinary Last Chance trilogy, hitting the shelves in September 2005.

Today's FFT (Friday Field Trip)

Today we are only going to have one fieldtrip, but b/c it is so humorous, it is a place I'm sure you will want to visit again and again.

Are you tired of having rhythm? Have you ever wanted to learn how to dance like a white guy? Well now you can by clicking the link provided here.

This is one of the funniest things I have seen in a while. Enjoy! And thanks to Moo Alex for the link. :)

HDQ

Yes, yes, I know that I have not done the Monday Meals or PQAL Princess Picture Tuesday but dang, I'm pooped. Been sleeping for dookie these past few days. SO I'm going to do those sometime this week.

What do you define as success? Is it by how much you make or by what makes you the person you are right now? How do you measure the success you have defined?

10 Words of Wisdom - a day late

1) Let people know what you stand for - and what you won't stand for.
2) Determine the quality of a neighborhood by the manners of the people living there.
3) Seek out the good in people.
4) Live your life as an exclamation, not an explanation.
5) Don't think higher price means higher quality.
6) Never waste an opportunity to tell someone you love them. You never know when it might be your last.
7) Count your blessings not your difficulties, you might be surprised by how many blessings you have.
8) A shut mouth gathers no foot.
9) Whoever gosspis to you will be a gossip of you.
10) Our children are like mirrors - they reflect our attitudes in life.

Wierd Google

Got found today from the Google "castrate gore". Now depending on what you are looking for that is really gross. (Unless the subject is Al Gore. OR, I should say Al Bore.) Sick people out there in the world looking for gross things.

We, sadly, aren't going to the biker rally. Em is coughing up some pretty good junk and is cranky. Still running a low grade fever. Not the best atmosphere for her to be around in her condition. SIGH. Maybe next year. :(

Today's FFT (Friday Field Trip)

Today we have a couple of fun places to visit. So to hurry it along as the day is more than half way through, here we go:

Last week we had the Church Sign Generator, well, this week is for those who are thinking to the future. This week we have the Tomb Stone Generator. That's right. Create your own epitaph, or create the epitaph of someone who has tweaked your last nerve. You could use the two combined to give them a message from "God" and then show them what could happen if they don't "pay attention"! Whole passels of mindless fun.

The next stop on our FFT tour is the fun and funky, Shakespearian Insult Generator. This is very handy if you want to insult someone with the vilest, most offensive declarations from the Bard's time.
Methink'st thou art a general offence and every man should beat thee, thou spongy dread-bolted clack-dish. You starvelling, you eel-skin, you dried neat's-tongue, you bull's-pizzle, you stock-fish--O for breath to utter what is like thee!-you tailor's-yard, you sheath, you bow-case, you vile standing tuck! Thou roguish idle-headed strumpet!
Pretty good, huh? You may know what you mean to say, but it's a fair bet that the person you are insulting won't have a clue. To insult without really raising someone's ire.

Hope you have a great weekend. I am hoping to go to this:
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Emily is under the weather, but if she feels better, I'm going to try and take her tomorrow during the day. She sees motorcycles and says, "Look Mommy, motorcycles! I love motorcycles!". There will be THOUSANDS of bikes out there. Tonight there is a parade from the Expo Center to downtown and in 2003 and 2004, the first bikes negotiated the 10-mile route to Austin's famous dining and entertainment district while the last bikes were still waiting to leave the Expo Center. This monster parade is winessed by the entire city of Austin who line the streets along the entire route to watch ROT Rumble by in Big Texas fashion. I'm ready!
If we go, I'll have to post pictures!

HDQ is a day late

If you had the chance to say something to one person, either a) from your life who is gone or you lost contact with b/c of time/distance or a misunderstanding or an argument that never got resolved or b) from any time in history, which would you choose, why would you choose them and what would you say?

I'll post my answer later tonight, but I'd like to hear yours now!