*sigh*
(via oohhcomely)
Ahhh Stupak. You failed, so now we have H.R. 358 to battle. No, it will not pass the Senate, but it did already pass the House. I cringe when I think about what life would currently be like for women if the Senate also had a Republican majority.
Republicans aren’t the only ones to blame here. 15 Democratic congressmen also voted for he passage of HR 358. Here they are: Jason Altmire (PA), Sanford Bishop (GA), Dan Boren (OK), Jerry Costello (IL), Mark Critz (PA), Henry Cuellar (TX), Joe Donnelly (IN), Tim Holden (PA), Dan Lipinski (IL), Jim Matheson (UT), Mike McIntyre (NC), Nick Rahall (WVA), Mike Ross (AR), Collin Petersen (MN), and Heath Shuler (D-NC).
So what is H.R. 358? You can read the actual legislation here. In short terms, this act would amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) which prohibits federal funds to be used for abortions, but otherwise allows federal funds to cover the costs of healthcare plans that are unrelated to abortions.
The difference between HR 358 & PPACA is that under HR 358 federal funds would be prohibited from being used to cover any part of the costs of any healthcare plan that are unrelated to abortion services. Under PPACA you can have access to all of your healthcare coverage, except when an abortion is the procedure.
It will also prohibit discrimination against doctors who refuse to perform the procedure. That’s right. If a woman winds up in an emergency room with a doctor who’s morals prevent them from performing abortions, they can allow her to DIE, and would not be held accountable since they “protected life.” Who’s life? The unborn child’s life? I know that emergency life-saving abortions are rarely performed, but they do happen. There is proof that they happen. Even if only one woman in our country is put in this position it’s still wrong.
I know that this bill will not pass our current Senate, but someday our Senate will not have Democratic control & will certainly pass then. Remember these things when you’re voting.
These are the result of having leftover veggies, a bottle of good enchilada sauce, and my favorite corn salsa in my fridge. The enchilada sauce is from Trader Joe’s & so is the salsa. I was confused because the enchilada sauce said “chicken style base,” and I assumed that meant chickens. Turns out it’s a seasoning base that would be used for chickens, not actual chicken derivatives. An email back from them confirmed this (a very quick email I should add).
This was part of the email: “The ‘chicken-style’ base that is used is just
spice blend that would be commonly used on chicken, but does not contain
any chicken itself. We hope this is helpful.”
Thanks, Trader Joe’s!
You can really put whatever you want in these, but the sweetness of the corn salsa + the hint of spice from the enchilada sauce really did it for me.
Taquitos! Black bean, corn, & roasted veggies
Servings: 4 ● Points Plus: 5
Ingredients:
Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees, line a baking tray with aluminum foil & spray with non-stick spray. Roast veggies if you need to.
2) Heat 2 corn tortillas at a time for about 15 seconds. If you don’t heat them then they will crack as you roll them. Layer the bottom third of each with 1 TB enchilada sauce, 1 TB corn salsa, some black beans, veggies, and about 1 TB of Daiya shreds. Roll & place seam side down on the baking tray.
3) Repeat with all 8 corn tortillas & bake on the bottom oven rack for 16 minutes, flipping halfway through.
*If you fill them too much don’t worry. They’ll still be crunch but you might need a fork & knife when you eat them. I forgot to spray my pan with non-stick spray so mine ended up needing to be cut up to eat.
I have been craving a creamy & cheesy casserole for days. Yesterday was the perfect day to make one, especially since I needed a big bowl of comfort food to eat while catching up on Private Practice. I had no idea how this was going to come out because I kinda made it up as I went along, but it came out exactly how I wanted it to. Next time you want a creamy casserole with a crunchy top you should make this.
Crunchy Cheezy Casserole
Servings: 6 ● Points Plus: 7
Ingredients:
Directions:
1) Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees & cook the rice.
2) Melt the Smart Balance in a sauce pan. Once melted whisk in the flour to form a blonde roux. Slowly whisk in the soy milk & bring to a boil then simmer. When it begins to bubble add the salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder, and paprika. Whisk in the nutritional yeast & Daiya. Let simmer a few minutes, whisking every once in a while.
3) Place the brown rice on the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish & pour the frozen vegetables on top. Pour the cheeze sauce over the vegetables & toss everything together with the sauce. You don’t want layers. You want a creamy mix of everything.
4) Pour the panko bread crumbs over the top & bake on the middle rack of your oven for 30 minutes. If you want, season the panko crumbs with a little salt, pepper, and garlic before using them.
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I have some recipes to post, but I’m feeling lazy & sleepy so they have to wait until tomorrow. Here’s a vegan survey for now!
What is one food you thought you’d miss when you went vegan, but don’t?Cheese, duh. I still don’t know if I’m going to remain dairy-less after October, but man do I miss cheese!
What is a food or dish you wouldn’t touch as a child, but enjoy now?Pudding, even though I still don’t really like it. Giggly & gross.
What vegan dish or food you feel like you “should” like, but don’t?Tofu scramble. Maybe I just haven’t had it prepared the right way, but it just doesn’t do it for me.
What beverage do you consume the most of on any given day?Seltzer. Non-stop all day long.
What dish are your “famous” for making or bringing to gatherings?My roasted butternut squash with cranberries & onions is always requested at Thanksgiving.
Do you have any self-imposed food rules (like no food touching on the plate or no nuts in sweets)?I despise nuts in sweets & especially in chocolate. I also don’t eat in layers so everything needs to be ready to go at the same time. I like sorta mixing everything together.
What’s one food or dish you tend to eat too much of when you have it in your home? Chips & salsa.
What ingredient or food do you prefer to make yourself despite it being widely available prepackaged? Pancakes.
What ingredient or food is worth spending the extra money to get “the good stuff”?Really good olive oil & balsamic vinegar.
Are you much of a snacker? What are your favorite snacks? Kinda. I’m a savory snacker. Olive oil with salt, pepper, and Italian bread is one of my favorite snacks.
What are your favorite vegan pizza toppings? Mushrooms.
What is your favorite vegetable? Fruit? Butternut squash, mushrooms, onions, leeks, baby corn. Kiwi!
What is the best salad dressing? Olive oil with red wine vinegar, apricot preserves, salt, pepper, & shallots.
What is your favorite thing to put on toasted bread? Mashed avocado & tomato with olive oil & sea salt, or smart balance & fig preserves.
What kind of soup do you most often turn to on a chilly day or when you aren’t feeling your best? Roasted tomato.
What is your favorite cupcake flavor? Frosting flavor?Lemon cupcake with raspberry.
What is your favorite kind of cookie? Sugar.
What is your most-loved “weeknight meal”? Tostadas, or cheezy casseroles. They’re both easy & comforting.
What is one dish or food you enjoy, but can’t get anyone else in your household to eat? My fiance basically doesn’t eat anything so I can’t even answer this. He will not try an avocado, brussels sprout, or anything made with nutritional yeast. He seriously just eats meatballs & hamburgers. We live in an interesting home, but we make it work for us.
How long, in total, do you spend in the kitchen on an average day?At least an hour.
“Suspected domestic abusers go free as Topeka city, county officials bicker over funds”
Article here.
I know first hand what cutting budgets does to agencies, counties, and small government. I see it every single day at my job. This situation takes it too far. The city wants the county to continue prosecuting these misdemeanors, but the county is out of money (just like most counties around the country). Instead of finding a solution, what does the city do?
“Next week, the council will vote on a measure that will strip domestic battery from a list of crimes that are illegal in the city. The vote is a tactical bid to force the county to take those cases on again.”
You do not play politics with women’s lives. I have said this again & again & I will continue to say it. When is it enough? When is it too much? Cutting away abortion funds & birth control rights is one thing, but they have just crossed the line into very dangerous territory. It’s dangerous for women. It’s dangerous for society, and it’s a slipper slippery slope.
To decriminalize domestic battery simply so you no longer have jurisdiction (and financial responsibility) over the cases is appalling. There are many other areas to save money. How about eliminating first time marijuana offenses?
I hope this becomes an uproar. The women living in this county need to step up & get out to the streets. I wish I could do this for them, but I am miles & miles away.
Stand up for your rights ladies because no one else ever will.
Vegan Mofo 7: Food Porn • Ginger Glazed Tofu with Shitake Mushrooms.
This is my favorite meal at my favorite Chinese restaurant, Asian moon. All of their tofu dishes are vegan & incredible. Tofu can be hit or miss & they do it perfect.
I am so tired today. Thank goodness it’s Friday & a 3 day weekend is coming up. Staying up late to watch the games all week has left me a zombie. Hope you all had a great week!
1. Something popular that I can’t stand/just don’t “get” is the whole colored hipster glasses thing. Why are people wearing glasses without lenses in weird colors? You look stupid.
2. Something unpopular that I secretly love is I’m not sure. I really can’t think of anything, but when I do I promise to post it.
3. When I’ve had a bad day I get in my sweatpants, pour myself a glass of wine, & catch up with Grey’s & Private Practice. I always have a few in my DVR & watch them all at once.
4. I’d prefer a second serving of dinner to dessert any day.
5. Something that makes me nervous is the thought of reading my wedding vows out loud. We’ve decided to write our own & the thought of reading them in front of everyone makes me squirm. It’s an excited nervous, but still nervous.
6. Something worth fighting for is something you truly believe in. If you have a passion for something then you need to run with it. It doesn’t matter what it is. If it’s important to you then fight for it.
7. When people think of me, I hope they think she’s a pretty awesome lady.