Lemony Zest :: Kim Lewandowski

Archive for the ‘Politics’ Category

Congratulations to Barack Obama, on becoming the 44th President of the United States of America! And to his family – the new First Family of the United States. Best wishes on a successful presidency.

Wow, check it out – it’s already the 20th of the month. This has been a long, busy month at work, and it’s only getting more so. But it’s a good busy. But it means I haven’t had a lot of energy for blogging. I cook and take pictures, but they don’t always make it into the blogosphere. This one did, though!

This is definitely not one of my favorite dishes, but Dan loves a good split-pea soup when the weather gets cold, so baby, this one’s for you – all of it

One of our exchange students, Josi from Berlin, gave me Alton Brown’s “I’m Just Here for the Food” for my birthday a couple of years ago. This recipe is from that book, and it’s probably one of the easiest recipes I know of. Here goes:

Alton Brown’s Split-Pea Soup

18 oz. dried split peas
1 finger-sized piece of salt pork (Dan likes porky goodness, but this is optional)
1 chipotle chile in adobo sauce
1/2 cup each chopped carrots, onions and celery
2 quarts chicken broth
1-1/2 tbsp. miso paste

Combine all the ingredients in a slow cooker and set it to high. Cook for 6 to 8 hours until the peas have softened. Really, that’s it.

And here’s the delicious (according to Dan) but not real appetizing-looking (to me) result, garnished with a little sliced green onion:

This is my entry in No Croutons Required, hosted by Lisa’s Kitchen.

I just have to acknowledge witnessing history tonight. Barack Obama is the first African-American to be nominated for President of the United States of America by a major political party.

He is an impressive man and I believe he will make an excellent president.

Some interesting fallout from the Bush administration’s illegal activities over the last several years:

• European and American rights groups file torture complaint against Rumsfeld
• What Lies Beneath: Alberto Gonzales’ legal troubles may just be beginning

So our former secretary of defense is accused of torture and our former attorney general is accused of perjury, among other crimes. I wonder what other former, and possibly current, administration officials might be guilty of?

As George Allen concedes defeat to Sen.-elect James Webb, I raise my glass to the newly powerful Democratic Party. I’m looking forward to the oversight hearings the Democrats are sure to have. At last, the president and his staff will have to answer for their catastrophic mistakes.

They say now that impeachment is off the table. We’ll see after some of the Bush administration’s tactics come to light.

Taking back one house of Congress for the Democrats is huge, and it’s still possible to take the Senate, too.

I have one word for you: Oversight.