A writer's Random ramblings
Ever since the #metoo movement hit society, we never seem to stop hearing stories of women bringing accusations against men. People stand accused of rape, molestation, and other crimes that once remained behind closed doors. Even Supreme Court nominees past and present fall into the news each day. Reporters mention parents needing to help children understand the stories. But what if the parents don’t have the information the children seek or for some reason can’t cover it? To get these youngsters the information as they need it, we need to equip our schools with science and social studies teachers who can provide what the students need.
In science, sexual education needs to come forth from basic biology studies. This can begin in elementary school and continue until students begin choosing career pathways. The lessons can also integrate into the studies via discussions of how sex and sexuality affect the various paths people take in life. After all, puberty, hormones, and parenting all give science a place in the home. The scientific lessons learned here also flow naturally into concurrent social studies curricula. Pupils need to study alcohol and drugs, the chemistry of these substances, and how they scientifically affect human functions from breathing to sexual ones. Biochemistry presented in this practical way could ignite curiosities leading some into science studies at higher levels or into medicine and psychiatry later. Even if this does not happen, knowing the science behind how humans function can provide future teachers, emergency personnel, social workers, and reporters with better information to disseminate in their careers. This will lead to a better informed society capable of handling its issues from a holistic perspective. Social studies can pick up where science leaves off with how the mechanics of sex figure into what people become. The lessons here bring how hormonal changes in puberty help youngsters define their sexual attractions. From there, expand into how to help people of all sex and gender constructs can become productive members of society. Then, discuss how people can better relate to one another from levels of respect that mitigate, if not remove, sexual and domestic violence through constructive ways of communicating. These lessons can relate to historical studies of race relations as well as sex and gender studies and why the different eras see things so differently, integrating the arts as students take on literary roles related to the studies, including acting out parts they see on the news and how they can change the situations. Social studies departments can also explore the psychology and sociology of drugs and alcohol as related to peer pressure and bullying behavior to make the curriculum more comprehensive. Such lessons can begin with anti-bullying and inclusivity in elementary school settings and pick up the more advanced topics as students grow. In these ways, schools can make science and social studies more personally relevant to students. This will ignite more interest in these key curricular areas. Everyone needs to learn respect for others, and schools give us the best place to do that since society requires that all children attend. News stories can provide a jumping off point for anyone to begin the conversation, but many in society in general will not pick it up in the home, thus meaning schools need to mend the gap.
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Can wine be both inexpensive and pleasing to the palate? What do we do when unexpected guests arrive for dinner or we just want to unwind after a long day? I head to my local liquor store and look for one of the following Australian wines to satisfy both wallet and taste buds. Each brand offers different size bottles of several flavors, but for under $10 each, the wine drinker can’t go wrong.
Rosemount Estate, of Australia, supplies 2 blends of wine, both available in 750 mL bottles for under $5 each. White blend of Traminer/Riesling leans more Riesling in flavor. However, it presents itself as a very well-balanced wine whether you pair it with dessert or even a dish integrating BBQ sauce. Rosemount Estate’s Red blend of Shiraz/Cabernet hits the tongue as an ever so slightly sweet red wine. Its style matches better with savory dishes than ice cream, as it tastes bitter when consumed alongside sweet food. Its smooth and fruity character otherwise blends well with spicy foods. Australian vintner Lindeman’s supplies wine shops with 6 varieties. These include Bin 85 Pinot Grigio, Bin 55 Red Blend (Shiraz-Cabernet), Bin 50 Shiraz, Bin 40 Merlot, Bin 65 Chardonnay, and Cabernet. Suited for those seeking good value or enough wine for a larger gathering, these 1.5 L bottles for around $8 match more dishes and occasions. Both Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio come across as shades of dry white wine. The Pinot Grigio will, however, resound notes of lemons, limes, green apples, and honeysuckle, making it appear somewhat sweeter. For this reason, Pinot Grigio will lean towards pairings with sweeter foods during or after a meal, while more savory items match better to Chardonnay. Lindeman’s supplies the red wine fan with more flavors to match more foods and moods. As with the white wines, Lindeman’s reds come in several shades of dry wines and a blend. These will pair well with heavier dishes such as salmon and beef, or spicier dishes with pepper in its many varieties. As the names imply, Bin 55 Red Blend provides a middle ground for those who like Shiraz and Cabernet but want to buy one bottle rather than two or people who find one style alone overpowering in flavor. The Bin 40 Merlot gives the mildest flavor of the red wines, making it a good introduction for those not too familiar with red wines. In these ways, the two nominally-priced wines give wine drinkers of all experience levels economical ways to test new flavors. Less than $10 for either 750 mL or 1.5 L bottles gives a host or person in need of relaxation what he or she needs for the meal or occasion. Creative blends as well as traditional single flavors abound at this price point. Check the local liquor store next time you need a break that won’t break your budget. Corn Muffin Dogs
Not too long ago, I ran across a recipe that makes hot dog filled corn muffins. Wondering how I could use my mini muffin pan and create a more child friendly version yielded the following recipe. Outer muffin: 2 cups Yellow corn meal, 2 cups AP flour, 6 Tbsp baking powder, 2 tsp salt, 2 cups milk, 2 eggs, ½ cup oil. Cut 12 hot dogs into quarters so they fit in the mini muffin cups. Mix the outer muffin recipe. Fill each muffin cup about ¾ full of the mixture. Place ¼ of a hot dog in the center of each. Bake each pan of 24 at 425 degrees F for 12 minutes. You will eventually have 48 hot dog-muffins. Serve when cool enough to avoid burning yourself. These work well whether hot, room temperature, or even from the fridge with your favorite condiments. Place any extras in an airtight container and refrigerate or freeze. Ranchero Tuna Salad 2 large packets (22 oz total) tuna in spring water 1 lb dry elbow macaroni or other pasta of similar size 2 cups ranch dressing Any fresh vegetables you like: 1 medium bell pepper, 2 medium cucumbers, 1 large tomato, 1 large red onion, 1 avocado, 2 medium jalapeno or habanero peppers (If you like things spicy) Cook pasta in boiling salted water according to package directions. Drain and cool the pasta. Dice the vegetables to bite size. Add them to a bowl along with tuna, pasta, and ranch dressing. Mix well. Serve immediately or refrigerate. Many people wonder how beer and dessert can match or mimic one another. Some seek a brew to drink as dessert, while others want to match flavors with seemingly impossible foods. The following 6 beers all offer many options to pair with or substitute for the final meal course or a corresponding snack.
1. Sweet Baby Jesus (DuClaw Chocolate Peanut Butter Porter): As the name implies, this beer will compliment any chocolate and/or peanut butter cake or candy. It may even be a better bet with ice cream-based desserts than many beers, owing to its chocolate-heavy flavor. 2. Vanilla Porter (Breckenridge): This beer, hailing from Breckenridge, Colorado, provides the feel of baking cake or cookies. Thus, the vanilla balances out the heaviness of the base brew under it. Pair this with a lighter or vanilla based confection for the best balance. 3. Saranac S’more Porter: Here’s another beer that lives up to its dessert name. Although it sounds very sugary owing to the graham cracker, marshmallow, and chocolate of the original dessert, they come through in very reasonable amounts for a beer. The porter base of the drink provides the heaviness needed to provide a yin-yang effect and keep it from becoming too sweet to swallow. This would do well as an accompaniment to a light, airy mousse or other light dessert. 4. Young Double Chocolate Stout: Chocoholics rejoice in this beer. It can act as chaser to many confections, depending on the drinker’s whim. The bitter chocolates in here balance out the sugar present in many desserts. It also pairs well with berries serving as dessert or concoctions made with berries and their flavors, as chocolate often accompanies these on dessert plates. 5. Dogfish Head Romantic Chemistry IPA: This beer presents pronounced citrus flavor notes. Sugar cookies or items containing fruit other than berries belong here. The grapefruit and orange notes in this brew evoke these ideals in the food it means to chase. Therefore, chocolate fans may want to use a more bitter recipe or a flourless cake style dessert. Plain cheesecake would also do well alongside this beer. 6. Breckenridge Brewery Oatmeal Stout: If neutral taste in the beer is key, this one fits the bill. It has no overpowering notes of fruit, chocolate, or other flavors. It comes across as a little heavy, being a stout base, but could wash down more dessert foods than any other on this list. The oatmeal in it blends effortlessly with many baked treats from a variety of flavors, while even a simple bowl of fruit could match it as well. Thus, one can see that yes, beer can play well with dessert. Beer need not be reserved for savory times or watching sports. As many flavors abound in all forms of food, so with beer. Let your taste guide you to new combinations of flavor in food and drink. This art form can become a fun hobby for those of age to indulge in its pleasures. Has the family tired of pork and beans? Did you recently find a good deal on boneless pork ribs or thick pork chops? Need to avoid heating the kitchen to keep the house comfortable? If these dilemmas sound familiar, try my pork recipe for the crock pot. I threw this one together when I had potatoes and pork rather than my typical beans to go in. Since it took visits to several sites plus trial and error to get it right, I thought it worth sharing.
Potatoes and Pork Ribs a la Crock Pot 4 lbs russet potatoes, washed and diced to 1 inch cubes 2 lbs boneless pork ribs (or as many as fit in the crock pot in one layer) 2 cups barbecue sauce (I made this with equal parts sriracha and regular ketchup plus ¼ cup balsamic vinegar and a few shakes of burger seasoning) ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil Place the potatoes in the bottom of the slow cooker. Add half of the barbecue sauce. Layer the pork above this and add the remaining barbecue sauce. Drizzle the olive oil down the sides of the slow cooker. At this point, I placed the pot in the refrigerator for the night, then got it out the next morning. When I got up, I assembled and plugged in the crock pot. I let it cook for 4 hours on low, then put it on high for 2 hours more. The crock pot will allow the flavors to meld as it steams the dish. If your family is not into pork, use thickly cut chicken thighs or breasts. I had the pork in the freezer before trying the dish, so thawed it for several hours in the fridge. As long as whichever meat you choose to use has come to a raw temperature, the times given above will work. Also, trim off as much fat as you can, leaving only a small amount for flavor, as not all of it melts into the dish during the cooking process. Even for those who buy all of the ingredients shortly before cooking, this recipe should feed 4 or 5 people with extra potatoes on about $20.00, making it economical as well as practical on hot days or other times when the cook is coming and going from the kitchen. |
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