Posts made by fancydude

Sorry about the format, but I spent quite a bit of time a few days ago listing this as a normal recipe and this site or my internet timed out and I spent a lot of time trying to reboot etc. I got tired and gave up.   So…....here it is pretty much copied & pasted from an email to a friend who likes my recipes.

The bean soup consisted of 1 stalk (the whole package) of celery, 1 large green pepper, several onions (don't waste your time cutting anything too small since it will reduce in the sauteeing and long simmering time) lots of dehydrated minced garlic - saute all that for about 15 minutes in a small amount of the oil of your choice, I used coconut oil. Stir every few minutes for the first 10 minutes and every minute thereafter to avoid burning your vegetables.   Add rinsed two pound package of dry Great Northern beans, 3 or 4 tablespoons of Vegit (a delicious low sodium seasoning powder made of dehydrated vegetables available at any health food store) two 8 oz cans of tomato sauce, 1 cup of the veg juice cocktail, One (one serving) envelope of no sodium chicken broth, about a one pound slice of ham steak cubed and water to fill the pot. but leave room for the carrots. (3 lbs sliced about an inch or so thick)  After it boils on high heat, reduce to simmer for a couple hours, stirring occasionally or until beans are almost ready.  Add carrots and maybe a tablespoon more garlic, simmer for another 15 minutes. Taste it first, of course, but  I found this needed 1 tsp of regular salt but even adding that,  it would still have a lot less sodium than most canned soups.

Of course, you can use any seasoning in place of the Vegit and you can use diced tomatoes from the can or canned whole tomatoes cut up a bit but use at least one 8oz can of tomato sauce.  You'll need at least a 2.5 gallon stock pot.

If you don't want to use the ham, use something else or just add two teaspoons liquid smoke, one at the beginning and one at the end.  I add the carrots at the end because I don't want them to be mushy.

1/2 cup unseasoned, well-mashed cooked potatoes (about 1 medium potato)*
3 cups powdered (confectioners) sugar
1 cup flaked or shredded coconut
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 ounces semi-sweet chocolate
3 tablespoons butter

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Preparation:
While the mashed potatoes are still hot, beat in the powdered sugar and coconut; then add the vanilla extract.
Press into a lightly greased 8-inch square pan.
In a saucepan over low heat, melt chocolate and butter, stirring occasionally. When melted, pour over top of the potato mixture. Refrigerate until set and then cut into squares.
Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
You can use your imagination and make changes like using Marshmallow Fluff, White Chocolate and Peppermint Extract, during Christmas, or shape into logs and roll in nuts etc.

I fixed one problem - I actually figured out how to remove my DVD burner and clean it and I didn't get the "burn strategy 32 error".  But I downloaded Diamond Pictures Lost as Sea Shore leave" an AVI file. The downloaded file plays on VLC media player.   It seems to convert, with Convert X to DVD 3, the preview window shows a good picture,  but it will not burn to DVD after conversion.  I get an error 16 (0) that I look up on the net and it says to reduce burn speed.  It will still not burn.   The odd thing is it looks like something has burned on the disk, but it will not play.  VLC media player will not play the disk and the standalone DVD say "cannot play this disk."

I also tried burning the converted file (that Convert X converted)  on a brand new external burner - seemed to burn but again wouldn't play on either VLC or standalone DVD player.  One clue something was wrong is sometimes the burning is either too quick or it doesn't start right away, stays at 0% completed for quite a while before starting.

I also tried Xilosoft and DVD flick, again seems to convert and burn but won't play.

The reason this is so confusing for me is up to now, either files converted and burned with no problem or Convert X said immediately after I loaded the file that is was an unrecognized format.  For everything to appear to work perfectly and then not play the completed DVD is a mystery.

Do I need an updated version of Convert X?  Thanks much

A friend at work has been very kind about bringing salads and such to share for lunch so when she said her personal trainer recommended gluten free, I decided to figure out how to make some gluten free waffles.  I had tried gluten free cake mixes from rice flour and they are not very good.  The Muslims around here make some fantastic bean pies with white beans so I decided to try to mix the two. I happen to have a VitaMix with the grain grinder, but my cousin told me she makes bean flour in her regular blender.  If you use the regular blender, just don't do more than 1/2 cup dry beans at a time to prevent burning up the motor.   And be patient.  These waffles actually taste pretty good.

Gluten Free Waffles

One more note - I didn't measure precisely, so you want the batter just a bit thicker than for pancakes.  The batter will thicken somewhat as the bean flour absorbs liquid.  So let it set a minute or two before making pancakes or waffles.

1 cup bean flour from Great Northern or Navy beans
1 cup rice flour (I used Arborio rice since that is what I had, but you can use brown or white rice)
2 heaping soup spoons of corn meal
3 good teaspoons baking powder
Dash salt
3 large eggs
2 tsp. vanilla extract
scant 1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup milk of your choice, I used commercially made almond milk

Mix dry ingredients well, add remaining and mix thoroughly.  Add more liquid or flour  if needed.  Let stand a couple minutes and then pour onto hot waffle iron.  On my particular iron, I bake for an additional minute and a half after the ready light goes on since it still is steaming pretty good.  The idea is to wait until the steam is mostly stopped.

ENJOY

Thanks indeed!  I'd like the movie titles for some of these.  So many movie descriptions say cum eating and they either don't at all or they are facials.  I thought initially "bukkake" would take care of that, but that has turned into mostly facials too. 

I'm aware of the Mt. Cashel orphanage, but " The boys of St. Vincent" still had to be heavily fictionalized/made composite or they would have just called it "The boys of Mt. Cashel".

I'm in agreement that the pope almost certainly knew about abuse, but I don't know if a meeting in 1967 proves anything.  Getting an invitation is not the same as attending.  Making accusations or broaching a subject for the first time is not the same as proof or "full awareness."  THE PRECEDING STATEMENTS ARE NOT EXCUSING WRONG DOING, but it would be just as if is someone said to me "State employees are crooked."  Yeah, there are 30,000 of us and I'm sure one or two are crooked. It would be very difficult for me to accept after working there 25 years that MOST state employees are stealing.  (even if most state employees actually did steal.).

Raph -

Are you saying since Churches hoard wealth, you are going to donate your entire income to help the poor and live in a tent?

Since religion upsets you so and it is corrupt, are you going to leave England and move to a deserted island?

Or another solution:  Are you saying since all religion should be banned, that people who are religious should be deported to their own country?  But then since it should be banned completely according to you, should religious people be done away with somehow?

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Now you didn't say any of those things, except taking your religious ban to the extreme, what would be done with Churches and religious people?

But that is what you're doing to me (for example)  when you say "the philosophy teacher defends the Church hoarding wealth."  Actually I didn't defend hoarding money and don't defend it, but many have called for the Church to sell off all its art treasures and give the money to the poor.

And I ask again - how long would poverty be alleviated EVEN IF the Church did that?  Not long, since wealth is primarily concentrated in the hands of individuals and corporations. But really, I don't mind you attacking the Church for being "obscenely wealthy" but do you think they have MORE wealth than Bill Gates?  Warren Buffet?  Do you have as much or more outrage at them?  Or better still, what is it specifically that bothers you about Churches accumulating wealth?  (as long as it is not via the taxpayers?)  Or excommunication?  Belonging, at least in the 20th and 21st centuries is completely voluntary.

I NEVER said, to quote you, that people who disagree with me are "unwashed immoral losers"  and I have stated emphatically that I DO NOT think governments should give taxpayer money to Churches.  I even stated a reason - that the Church risks government control when taking government money.  But you STILL say "your side …is against separation of Church and State"

You really have stretched me out of context when you ask if Irans' government is superior to the USA.  I never said that.  I never said relgious governments are preferable.

Ok, I think I"ve made my points and if you think I haven't please bold the exact phrases from my writing to prove your point or I can't discuss this any further.

I think you're referring to "The Boys of St. Vincent" and it was technically fictional, but was instead a kind of "composite" of a number of Canadian cases.

NO I did not say "preferable", I said if they are to be SUPERIOR, they must be a lot better.  It is unmodified, go back and read it.

Yes, the philosophy teacher was at a Catholic school but if the point is valid, what difference does that make?

Now you're entitled to be anti-religion and that's fine except that perspective is "making" me say things I didn't.

For example, your third sentence - "just because there are other ills in the world, doesn't mean religion gets a pass."  That is NOT what I  meant nor what I said.  There is no other way to say it - If religion disappeared tomorrow, that would not alleviate corporate greed one iota.  Major changes would STILL need to take place in order to make society a more humane place.  That is all I was driving at.

I never said it was a secret, uh yeah you did.  Go back and look at what you wrote!  The Vatican is under no obligation to make it like the Library of Congress, and if they allowed CBS news in and explained it is open to scholars then I'm really not so concerned. Not sure why it is an issue with you since I'm guessing it is all religious stuff anyway.

As to the Vatican threatening to excommunicate politicians, as far as I know the issue is abortion but in any event we're straying far from the topic.  I don't see what the problem is here either though.  If you are a member of the KKK, you probably can't be a member of the NAACP at the same time.  I'm sure if you were a politician and this were discovered, the NAACP would yank your membership too.  It is not like the Vatican is trying to make poltiicians subvert their country's interest to give money or land to the Vatican.  If a politician favors his own pet causes, such as Tony Blair, it isn't right, but they all do it anyway.  You can't single out the Catholic Church for condemnation, that is a wrong THAT politician himself/herself is personally accountable for.  (and you can't prevent that sort of thing anyhow as humans are corrupt, you can only punish after it is discovered.)

WE already agree Chuirches shouldn't get taxpayer money so not sure if you have a new point here.  To say secular governments are not truly secular?  Keep on hoping for the day religion completely disappears I guess is the only plan you have.  I mean if you're a US citizen, then you know we are SUPPOSED to have separation of Church and State, it is up to everyone to make sure that is enforced.

People on welfare who have insurance (Medicaid) are not, therefore, uninsured.  Millions of Americans have NOTHING.

Well, I'm glad the emergency rooms here work differently than the ones in the UK.  Surely, then you've heard of the UNCUT movement which started in the UK.  The government there gives huge (dare I say, sincerely, OBSCENE? OBSCENELY HUGE?)  tax breaks to corporations just like here in the US.  So, there is your money to improve UK health care.  (The example on the internet was some telecom company in UK owed billions but it only paid a few thousand?)

Not quite me - I love the Church but this is one area they have a lot to answer for.  This issue was long known about at least in the US by the Council of Bishops or whatever that annual meeting where they meet from all over the US….It was brought up more than once and swept under the rug.  Priests were transferred repeatedly or fled to Rome to avoid prosecution, Priests went to Catholic families and coerced them into not filing a complaint. Church Records were allowed to be kept secret from secular authorities (not so any more). And on and on.

Did the Pope know about each and every situation?  Of course not, it is a world wide Church, but surely an annual meeting of Bishops should have raised some eyebrows.

(and I hate to agree with Raphjd not because it is him, but because I could just strangle these guys who did such incredible damage to our precious Church) but take your pick:  it is either a conspiracy or extreme negligence.

come on Raph - I am not putting the burden on anyone.  The people quoted in the article said secular governments are SUPERIOR to religious ones.  That does not show my bias in favor of religion, it shows you are not reading what I wrote.  I even went further to say a religious government is NOT preferable.

I don't know how much wealth the Vatican has, lets say it has tons as you suggest; I will offer what a philosophy teacher once said - the Vatican could melt down everything made of silver and gold, sell every painting and statue.  Poverty would be alleviated for about an hour (pricelesss in money and artistic treasures would be lost to the public forever also)  and then it returns to business as usual by the greedy millionaires and corporations. The Church teaches social justice, which is a fundamental paradigm shift in how society operates, but will probably never happen.  Even some pretty anti-catholic posters on J-M-God said the Catholic Church looks super liberal compared to the TV prosperity gospel ministries that never mention spirituality, Jesus or helping your neighbor.  It is all about tithing to the  TV host so YOUR OWN cup will return 100 fold or whatever it says in the Bible.  (i'm referring to South America where a TV minister just ran off with 100 million but we have our own in the USA too)

But even if we agreed 100% on religion, there are so many more ills in the world that wouldn't be touched by religion vanishing and giving up all its assets.

As to the Vatican Library, CBS news went there in April 2011, so it is hardly secret. Being not open to the public is different than secret.  It is open to scholars.  In reading about it there are priceless treasures and artifacts there which would be worn out if everyone from the public went there to see them.

I don't see the point of a tit for tat, secular vs. religious since AGAIN the point at issue is the supposed superiority of secular governments.  I readily admitted more than once Church governments have a lot to answer for, even moreso I would say since they claimed to be representing God.  But I gave examples of secular misconduct to show they weren't so superior after all.

I live in the USA and I'm Gay, how could I NOT be aware of all the religious nutters running for office or having been influencing public policy?

Now, you said there was not one religious government that wasn't hostile to Gays and Women, no exceptions.  I'll grant that maybe you were referring to present day.  That is a very hard thing to look up on the internet because it gets tangled up with Christian history.  I readily admit I don't know but would posit that totally religious governments are probably in the minority compared to what they were 3 or 400 years ago so I have some more research to do but allow that probably that assertion is correct.

Don't get me started on Churches getting taxpayer money to run their charities.  The Churches don't realize they will over time subjugate their principles and mission to continue taking Caesar's silver!  Not to mention it is an obvious violation of separation of Church and state.

UK health - well, I haven't read anything lately, but I want to reiterate millions in the US have no health insurance at all.  So how many people die because of that almost certainly isn't kept track of.  I did watch a pretty long 8 hour special on public television that seemed pretty objective, watched Sicko and read about UK health stats in the New England Journal of Medicine.

So, when you were in extreme pain, you couldn't go to the emergency room?

Secular governments have a lot to answer for too.  In the USA, the eugenics policy of the 30's was supposedly to keep the mentally ill from reproducing and yet minorities, simply for being minorities were sterilized as well.  The Japanese were rounded up during WWII, their homes and businesses were confiscated and they spent the war in camps. Many were born here!  etc. etc. etc.

As to your statement ALL religious governments are hostile to Gays and women without exception - the world is a big place and has been around for several thousand years.  Isn't it true that at least some cultures have homosexuality incorporated into puberty rites?  Ancient China or Japan accepted some forms of homosexuality. Were all the governments of the past completely separate from the religion?  I don't think so.  That was supposed to be, at least in theory, a new concept when the USA started.

I am sincerely sorry about the nerve damage to your hands, but it is not as if all medical care is equal in the USA. I have waited weeks and months to be scheduled for tests. (and lets not forget millions have no coverage at all)  How specifically is that a flaw of universal coverage and how does that explain the overall better health of the UK compared to the US?

Religion or churches have never helped anyone?  ST. Vincent DePaul Society in France started during a great depression to help feed starving people.  And even if they (wrongly) accumulate wealth, there isn't one priest worth 100 million yet in our capitalist societies there are lots of people worth that much yet a minimum wage job (without pensions or health insurance) only pays  about $14,000 a year.  And out of this you are a supposed to provide health care, food, shelter, utitlites, transportation etc. for yourself.

I never said a religious government was preferable, but some in the article were quoted as saying secular governments are superior so that means they should be a lot better, not necessarily perfect.

That is quite an assertion put forth in this article that secular governments are superior to religious ones.  For this to be true, one would have to conclude that politicians only respond to the will of the people, never latch onto an issue solely for reelection and that all citizens under such systems have full equality and opportunity regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation etc.  Prisons would be uniformly humane, and capital punishment wouldn't exist.  Environmental standards would be high and uniform between nations and corporations would all employ fair labor practices and provide adequate pensions (which by the way, would be subject to stringent regulation and not be allowed to be reinvested at great risk by the company at their discretion).    For just one example, why then do some of the richest countries, such as the USA not have universal health insurance which somehow the United Kingdom residents were able to afford not many years after a devastating world war ravaged the country, costing billions to repair?  Could it be the war negatively impacted most of the populace, underscoring the commonality of experience rather than widening the gulf between the rich and poor as is so evident in the majority of countries in the world?

There is also much in the modern welfare state that goes unexamined or woefully underexamined for such claims of superioirty to be accepted at face value.  Take the last sentence in the article …."everybody...must obey the law, priest and commoner alike."  While it is beyond dispute that many wrongs were committed (and still are)  by the Church and the clergy escaped most if not all penalties, it is equally false that "all obey the law" in a secular state."  In the USA for sure, one gets the best justice one can afford based on the lawyers one can hire and for the super-rich, often the very laws are subject to their influence, probably much more so in the economic rather than the criminal arena.  Although if the rich serve time at all, they often go to country club minimum security prisons while the poor and racial minorities almost always serve time in far more harsh facilities.

Public assistance and the social service system which I am intimately familar with often creates abusive environments for children.  Speak to any child protective services worker - hundreds, if not thousands of parents routinely abuse their own children! Since workers can only issue benefits and not attempt to counsel, under the false prohibition of "moralizing" many of these parents are barely out of childhood themselves.  Due to the very misguided modern approach of not distinguishing between the "deserving and undeserving poor" generation after generation reproduces with abandon, making fathers almost irrelevant to a large segment of this population.   Non payment of a few thousand in child support can perversely affect the payor resulting in prison time (usually more costly than what is owed) and then the person is released with a felony on his record, making employment even more difficult.  Again, this affects racial minorities at a far higher rate than others in the U.S. This is not to say no one deserves financial assistance in time of need, but most people have no idea how truly counterintuitive welfare systems can be.  Just this week I have spoken to three mothers who have never met the father's parents (the children's grandparents), claimed they had no idea whether or not the man had a job, been in prison and/or found out later that the man had three to 10 other children besides theirs!  They are having children without knowing anything at all about their partner!  I ask sometimes how they were planning to financially care for the child if neither they nor the father had a job.  This question is usually greeted with a response of "what do you mean?!"  As if the government has more responsibility for them than they do themselves!  My state's protective services system will not process a referral on a teen mother unless she is under 13 years old!  I have another friend who rented her house, due to wanting to retire up north and not sell it for a fraction of its worth due to the housing market decline.  The renter lost her job, moved in her adult daughter on welfare and used $3,000 of illegally obtained electricity.  They will not be prosecuted because (a) it would cost the utility more in legal fees and (b) due to such persons knowing how to hide assets and work under the table, etc. they would never pay a judgement anyway.  The list goes on and on and is almost never discussed in any public media forum.

To summarize, every system has strengths and weaknesses and often a change in systems is simply an exchange of one set of problems for another.

I guess someone would miss telephone calls in this situation! 

To write with a broken pencil is pointless.

When fish are in schools they sometimes take debate.

A thief who stole a calendar got twelve months.

When the smog lifts in Los Angeles, U.C.L.A.

The professor discovered that her theory of earthquakes was on shaky ground.

The batteries were given out free of charge.

A dentist and a manicurist married.  They fought tooth and nail.

A will is a dead giveaway.

If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.

With her marriage, she got a new name and a dress.

Show me a piano falling down a mineshaft and I'll  show you A-flat miner.

You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.

Local Area Network in Australia: The LAN down under.

A boiled egg is hard to beat.

When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a  mall.

Police were called to a day care where a three-year-old was resisting a rest.

Did you hear about the fellow whose whole left side was cut off? He's all right  now.

If you take a laptop computer for a run you could jog your memory.

A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.

In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.

When a clock is hungry, it goes back four seconds.

The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.

He had a  photographic memory which was never developed.

Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the  end.

When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.

Acupuncture: a jab well done.

The constipated mathematician worked it out with a pencil…...........ta dum(p)?

Q.  What is the difference between a hooker and a drug dealer?

A.  The hooker can wash his crack and sell it again!

But with the Coke, you get 10 cent deposit back from returning the empty can. Still, I think I'll take the big cock too.

I got this off a recipe website - delicious.  I used reduced sodium soy sauce, fresh lemon juice, a bit of grated lemon rind and fresh ground pepper since "lemon pepper" spice is also high sodium.  You could also substitute lime juice and lime rind for a different flavor as well.

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon pepper
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
4 (6 ounce) salmon fillets

Directions

Whisk together the brown sugar, olive oil, soy sauce, lemon pepper, thyme, basil, parsley, and garlic powder in a bowl, and pour into a resealable plastic bag. Add the salmon fillets, coat with the marinade, squeeze out excess air, and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour, turning occasionally.
Preheat an outdoor grill for medium heat, and lightly oil the grate. Remove the salmon from the marinade, and shake off excess. Discard the remaining marinade.
Grill the salmon on the preheated grill until browned and the fish flakes easily with a fork, about 5 minutes on each side.

Hope I'm not overdoing the custard recipes!  But I did make this the other day and it was quite a surprise that it turned out so well.  My grandfather Vic was quite the jokester and when we were kids, he used to make this custard/rice pudding with raisins.  He insisted that he used flies (the raisins).  Well, when you're 5 years old, you're just not quite sure what to think, especially when your grandfather is usually quite serious.  Anyway, the reason I'm including this recipe here is his called for whole milk and half & half and I experimented with skim milk and was very pleased with the results.  I should note also that he always made this after we came back with leftover rice from the Chinese restaurant.  The "good old days' when places used to give huge portions!

Seriously though, this comes out tasting almost as creamy as his did with probably 2/3 less calories.

Grandpa Vic's Fly Pudding (reduced calorie version)

4 cups skim milk
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sugar or a bit more if you like it real sweet
4 medium eggs
2 Tbsp (or more to taste) vanilla
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups cooked rice (white or brown or arborio)
Cinnamon or nutmeg or both

Lightly grease a 9 x 13 pan with butter or margarine.  In a small saucepan, plump raisins by simmering for about 1/2 hour in the smallest amount of water possible.  Place the rice evenly in the bottom of the pan.  Of course, you can use more or less than 2 cups depending on your preference since it has nothing to do with how the pudding sets.  Layer the drained raisins over that.*

Beat sugar, eggs, salt and vanilla.  Stir in milk.  Pour gently over raisins and rice.  Cover the top with cinnamon.  Take a fork and lightly "fold" the cinnamon into the milk, making your strokes just below the surface of the milk.  Don't worry if it doesn't mix in completely.

Bake at 350F for about an hour or until a silver knife inserted into the custard comes out clean.

• you can include the raisin liquid as natural sweetener, but the water will show up at the bottom of the pan.  Sometimes I include it, sometimes I don't.

I actually figured something out myself!  I converted five titles with the intent of burning them to DVD, but it looked like I had too many GB's of torrent for the blank disk.  I kept removing them one by one and it still woudln't burn.  The error kept coming over the loudspeaker of my computer, in a British lady's voice "please insert media to continue."  Of course, I tried a -R and +R disk.  Nothing worked.  Then I checked the burn settings.  The "add DVD files" box was unchecked.  I must have accidentally unchecked it when changing another setting.

The point is the error message had nothing to do with what was wrong.  No wonder computers are so confusing!  Maybe this will help someone else.  (What happened originally was the converted files were marked for automatic deletion and I decided I wanted to keep them, for  awhile anyway.  So I went in and changed that setting but I must have accidentally unchecked that other one that I already mentioned).