Ringing in the New Year with a Winner!

Photo courtesy of Colorcubic

Happy Happy New Year! I hope you had a fun time celebrating the new year of 2009 with loved ones! For us it was pretty low key, intimate and cozy in our pajamas. Dinner wasn't anything fancy schmancy... but we enjoyed a fabulous artisanal cheese platter, fruit, salame and king crab legs with drawn butter. Oh, and we didn't forget a nice chilled bottle of bubbly!

But I know what you're more interested in... the winner of the Cookie Lovers Giveaway! Thank you to all those that participated and shared your favorite holiday baking memory involving cookies. It was so nice to read them especially after finishing up the holidays and reflecting back on previous years too! So, who's the lucky winner???...

Random Integer Generator

Here are your random numbers:

7

Timestamp: 2009-01-01 07:13:18 UTC

Lucky number 7, which comment comes from
Robin of Made with Love!

Robin said...
My favorite holiday baking memory is definitely my recent annual cookie swap, 3 years and counting. It is always such a good time and I always love perusing my cookbooks, magazines, and the internet for the perfect recipes to share!

December 30, 2008 8:38 AM

Congratulations Robin! I'll be sending your Cookie Lovers Giveaway in the mail this Friday. I hope you enjoy and have some wonderful cookie adventures with the goodies!

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A Significant New Blog - Life With A Severely Disabled Kid

This comment is a shout out for a promising new disability blog, one that doesn't subscribe to the feel good ideology that dominates internet blogs and mainstream media features about disabilities. In Canada it is so bad that the CBC outrageously included on one of its recent "autism is beautiful" productions the Toronto mother of an autistic child, art gallery curator, and blogger whose blog "the Joy of Autism" actually promotes the notion that parents should celebrate their autistic children's neurological disorders. Talking about treating or curing autism disorders just doesn't cut it in Toronto's, or the CBC's, trendier social circles. Life With A Severely Disabled Kid promises not to follow this trendy, but misguided, ideology , focusing instead on the realities faced by severely disabled children and their carers.

Claire is the owner of the Life With A Severely Disabled Kid and her Blogger profile makes her perspective crystal clear:

Claire

Gender: Female

Industry: Education

Occupation: always at home

Location: smallish town : Ontario : Canada

About Me I have a B.A. and M.A. in Religious Studies and a Montessori Diploma (0-6 years)My interest in "blogging" comes from a growing frustration with the invisibility of caregivers of and people with severe disabilities. Of particular interest: inclusion in schools...a very bad trend for the severely disabled.

Welcome to the blogosphere Claire!

autism

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CRANBERRY ORANGE WALNUT BREAD & CHOCOLATE LOAF

HOLIDAY GIFT TIME (all wrapped up & somewhere to go!)

Who doesn’t love to receive scrumptious, homemade gifts for the holidays? Well, maybe we are still a bit too stuffed from our festive meals, the refrigerator still a bit too overloaded with leftovers to really appreciate the goodness, the love put into gifts from the kitchen. But this is the perfect way to share old family heirloom recipes as well as to offer a bit of ourselves.


This kind of gift giving in France is quite easy for an American. Any of my reliable staples, both the everyday and the seasonal, are considered exotic foreign delicacies by the gourmet-minded French. From banana bread to chocolate chip cookies or gingerbread men, I can give the gift of the most traditional yet simplest goodies to heartfelt delight and thanks.

This year, I decided to offer a bevy of fresh-from-the-oven quick breads : Chocolate Chip Banana Bread, a lovely Chocolate Loaf and a traditional Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread. I wrap them in shiny foil, tie them up in pretty ribbons and carry them around town, offering them to friends throughout the holiday season.

The Banana Bread recipe is one I make almost weekly, so quick and simple to put together and an ideal and delicious way to use up those old, mushy brown bananas that nobody wants to eat. Throw in either mini chocolate chips, chopped walnut or pecan meats and this is a wonderful loaf – somewhere between a bread and a cake – to keep on hand for breakfast and snacks.

I made several one-loaf recipes but divided each into 2 liter-sized (just under 4.5 cups) aluminum loaf tins, in order to be able to offer 2 or 3 smaller loaves to each friend. I have found in the past that each recipe can easily be divided into 3 half-liter mini-loaves as well. Do not change the oven temperature whether making 1 large, 2 medium or 3 small breads, but rather watch the cooking time closely and adjust where necessary.

CRANBERRY ORANGE WALNUT BREAD

This Cranberry Orange Walnut Bread, festive in itself, so ideal for any holiday meal, tangy, delicately sweet and crunchy, is the recipe I have been using, like the Banana Bread, since my college days; both recipes scratched down in my old, battered and food-stained notebook that has traveled the world with me. Debbie, my college friend Chris’ sister, passed this recipe on to me one glorious Christmas Vacation that I spent with their family in that snow-covered, quaint, historical Massachusetts town. I find cranberries so quintessentially Christmas-y, their bright ruby-red glow and their tangy snap, that as soon as the season rolls around, my kitchen counter is always laden with muffins and breads, coffee cakes and fruit tarts studded with this most magical of berries. And while they are fresh, I purchase package upon package and stuff them into my freezer so I can bake with them all year round.

1 orange, preferably untreated
2 Tbs (30 g) unsalted butter, ideally at room temperature, cubed
1 egg
1 cup (200 g) sugar
1 cup fresh cranberries, thawed if frozen (I used a container of 6.7 oz/200g)
½ cup (50 g) coarsely chopped walnuts
2 cups (250 g) flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt


Preheat the oven to 325°F (160°F).

Grate the zest of the orange. Juice the orange into a glass/pyrex measuring cup.


Add enough boiling water to the orange juice to make ¾ cup (160 ml) of liquid. Add the orange zest and the cubes of butter immediately and stir until the butter is melted.


In a larger mixing bowl, whisk or beat together the egg and the sugar until blended, light and fluffy.

Pour the orange mixture into the egg/sugar mixture and stir together.


Fold the cranberries, whole or coarsely chopped, and the chopped walnuts into the batter.


In a separate bowl, blend the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir this mixture into the batter until well blended.


Spread the batter into one large, 2 medium or 3 small loaf pans or aluminum loaf tins.


Bake for 55 minutes to 1 hour until the center is set and the top is golden brown. Allow to cool on racks.



ROSE’S CHOCOLATE LOAF

I had the choice between a few different recipes for Chocolate Bread and finally decided to make Rose Levy Beranbaum’s version from The Cake Bible. I absolutely love her cake recipes, rich and moist and following her instructions leads to a perfect cake every single time. This is much more like a sweet bread rather than a cake, ideal for breakfast and snack times.

3 Tbs + 1 ½ tsps (21 g) unsweetened cocoa powder
3 Tbs boiling water
1 ½ tsp vanilla
3 large eggs
1 ¼ cups (125 g) flour
¾ cup + 2 Tbs (175 g) sugar
¾ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt
13 Tbs (6.5 oz / 185 g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature


Preheat the oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour a 4-cup loaf pan, or two 2-cup loaf pans.

In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the cocoa powder with the boiling water until smooth. Whisk in the eggs and the vanilla. Set aside.


In a large mixing bowl, combine the remaining dry ingredients and, with an electric beater, mix on low speed for 30 seconds to blend. Add ½ the chocolate mixture and the softened butter in cubes and mix on low until all of the dry ingredients are moistened.


Increase speed to high and beat for 1 minute to aerate. Scrape down the sides.

Add the remaining chocolate mixture and continue beating on high speed for another minute.


Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan(s) and smooth the surface with a spatula.


Bake for 50 minutes or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.


Let the cake cool in the pan on a rack for 10 minutes then, using a sharp knife or a metal spatula, loosen the cake from the sides of the tin, then flip out, reinvert and allow to cool completely.

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My 2009 Promise To Non-famous Persons With Autism Disorders

To the persons diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders who are not famous this autism dad wants you to know that I will not forget you in 2009.

And I am not alone. Parents, family members, carers and professionals across Canada and the United States will continue to fight for Applied Behavior Analysis intervention for autistic children and adults because of the incredible volume of research demonstrating its effectiveness in helping you make real gains in your life. And researchers and parents with common sense will continue looking for answers as to the cause, and possible cures, for the autism disorder that restricts your abilities to participate fully and independently in all aspects of life. We will fight for you, and alongside you, for decent residential care for all autistic youths and adults.

You have, unlike Albert Einstein, an actual autism spectrum disorder (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) diagnosis, but you will never receive a small fraction of the amount of time and attention that is devoted to speculation that Mr Einstein and other historical geniuses and talents were autistic. You may never pose for articles in New Yorker magazine, or tell breathless, gullible, CBC and CNN reporters that persons with autism disorders do not want to be cured. You probably did not attend a college for gifted youth and you probably do not work as a researcher with prominent neuroscientists and psychologists.

You may live at home, or in a community residential facility. You may live in full institutional care. You may or may not be able to read, and understand, this promise. If you can not then I hope that someone, a parent who loves you, a professional carer who helps you each day, will communicate the message to you in a way that is meaningful to you. Not so much that I personally will not forget you, but that they will not; they will be there for you and they will be focused on you and your needs. They care about you.

And in 2009 this father of a boy with autistic disorder will continue the fight on my son's behalf and on behalf of those of you who DO seek a fuller life through common sense acceptance of the realities of autism disorders, through evidence based interventions, through research into the causes and possible cures of autism disorders. The fight will continue for decent, autism focused residential care facilities.

You are not famous but in 2009 you will not be forgotten. This I promise you.

autism

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Best of 2008...

I debated whether or not I should do this and in the end decided that I wanted to show case my top 10 favorite recipes from the past year! These are my favorites. Not necessarily the most popular ones but ones that I really loved and have made over and over again and have become family favorites. It was also really fun to look back and see how my blog has evolved in the year and half (411 posts) that I have been blogging.

Hope you enjoy...

Souvlaki

I found this perfect recipe for Souvlaki on my good friend Peter's blog Kalofagas-Greek Food and Beyond. Not only is this an incredible recipe but through the year Peter has become a very good friend of mine. When I was on vacation over the summer Peter very graciously took me and my family on a whirl wind tour of my hometown through his eyes. Great person, great friend and incredible blog!!!

Lemon Chicken Scaloppini

This has become one of my families favorite meals. Served with rice the sauce is perfect for it. It is a perfect balance of sour and savory. Love this dish! Thanks The Food Channel!

Greek Stuffed Peppers

This was another recipe of Peter's from Kalofagas-Greek Food and Beyond. I was very hesitant to try this one as it has mint and dill in it. 2 things T. hates but I went ahead and everyone loved it!!! Even my tomato hater!

Pomegranate Lemon Bars

These came to be with a pomegranate that had been tagged for something else that I never got around to making. Oldest daughter was home sick and I thought this would make for a nice treat for her. Turned out wonderful and can't wait to make these again! I also needed to make something for some pics that I needed taken for an interview that I did with the fine folks at Capessa.com. Jo from the Adventures of Kitchen Girl has the links embedded in a great post she wrote about me!!! Thanks again Jo!

Pasta with Squash and Prawns

This is an incredible recipe that is nothing like you wold expect it to be. It is made with butternut squash as the sauce! We eat this quite regularly as it is one of my favorite ways to eat squash!!!

Sunshine Citrus Marinade

This is a very, quick and flavorful marinade to help you jazz up that mid week grilled or broiled chicken. It is one of my most searched recipes and is one that I keep coming back to again and again.

Homemade Fig Preserves over Brie

This was a surprise hit. I had been to Whole Foods and had sampled their version of Fig Preserves over Brie. I figured I could make it myself. Guess what? I did and it was really, really good!!!

Beer Battered Squash Blossoms

I had never had squash blossoms so this was a huge treat for me. I loved them. These a zucchini blossoms which are the easiest to get. All you do it clean them up and whip up this real simple beer batter and fry them gently and munch away! We all love these!

Split Pea Soup (vegetarian)

My family is filled with pretty hard core omnivores with meat playing a very strong role in the diet. Over the past year this has changed...a lot! One of the ways that I did this was to make the vegetables the main attraction of the meal. I have also incorporated many vegetarian dishes into our meals. This one for Split Pea Soup is one of our favorites and most requested from all of them! I found this on Heidi Swanson's Blog - 101 Cookbooks

And last but not least...

Homemade HOT Sauce


I made this for T. for his Christmas gift this year. I had no idea when I made it what a huge success it would be. He loved it and I loved the fact that I could play around with the recipe of he didn't like it. Adjust the vinegar to make is less so, add more or less heat. Possibilities are endless. I go this recipe from Caron's blog To Market, To Market with San Diego Foodstuff and was so happy with it!!!

Honorable Mentions:

Grass Fed Arm Roast, Cooked Slow and Low

Oven Roasted Beets

Pico de Gallo

Homemade Taco Seasoning

Peanut Butter Bars

Homemade Blue Cheese Dressing

Hope you enjoyed this roundup of my favorite Top Ten recipes from 2008!

I have loved my first full year of blogging. And it was made all the more wonderful by the incredible food bloggers that I have had the chance to meet and get to know. I would be hard pressed to believe that there was another group of people out there that are more supportive, friendlier and more helpful than food bloggers. Special thanks goes out to:

Kelly
Annie
Ben
Jerry
Peter
Jenn
Val
Jo
Jill
Sandy
Andrea
Elle
Nikki
Courtney
Lori

If I missed anyone I am incredibly sorry...

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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Autism-Vaccine Connection? The Question Is Not Settled, All The Studies Have Not Been Done

In New MMR and autism study: no correlation my friend Kev, at Left Brain/Right Brain, has seized upon an English abstract of a Polish study to state that "there is no correlation between autism and MMR. Neither at ‘general’ ASD level, nor at specific ‘severe’ level." I do not read Polish in which the study itself is written, and apparently neither does Kev, but he felt comfortable in using this study to help justify mocking, in offensive terms, those who believe that there is an autism-vaccine connection. (I personally do not believe a vaccine-autism link has been established on the evidence but I do not think any such connection can be ruled out on the basis of the studies to date). Kev asked this question:

"Do we really need to keep on churning out results and studies until every last person on the earth gets the point? Or do we cut our losses, accept that there will always be some idiots who will never get it and…move on….to a research future where we can get back to thinking about autism, how we can help autistic people to live their lives and hopefully a future where children don’t die of vaccine preventable diseases."

Personally, I find the reference to people as "some idiots" offensive towards persons with actual cognitive impairments, learning disabilities and severe autistic disorders. It is equally offensive to use such attacks as a means of preventing rational discussion of controversial issues. In somewhat more polite language some commentators on that opinion piece stated:

1. "One of my resolutions for the new year is to say, enough, let the AOA’s have the mercury/vaccine talk, and onward for those of us who know the question is settled"

kristina (Kristina Chew, Ph D, classic literature)

2. yet another study that fails to demonstrate a link. i doubt that the Mercury Militia will acknowledge defeat here. tough. they like to look like idiots? then let them.

David N. Andrews, M. Ed. (Distinction)

3.All of the studies in the world won’t convince some people...

Jen

Notwithstanding the brilliance of Kev and David N. Andrews, M.Ed.(Distinction) I am sure that even they can not truly consider Dr. Bernadine Healy, cardiologist and former head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Red Cross to be "an idiot" as they described those who do not consider the vaccine-autism issue closed. In addition to that career background Wikipedia indicates that Dr. Healy :

"was the top student of her high school class at Hunter College High School. Healy then attended Vassar College and graduated summa cum laude with a major in chemistry and a minor in philosophy in 1965. She was one of only ten women out of 120 students in her Harvard Medical School class. In 1970 she graduated with her MD cum laude. For Healy's post graduate training, she stayed in the Washington, D. C. area. She completed her internship and residency training in cardiology at Johns Hopkins."

Dr. Healy has pointed out that, contrary to the belief of Kev and his gang at Left Brain/Right Brain, the question of a possible vaccine autism connection is not closed and "all the studies in the world" have not been done". See her statements in Fighting the Autism-Vaccine War, US News & World Report, April 10, 2008 :

“vaccine experts tend to look at the population as a whole, not at individual patients. And population studies are not granular enough to detect individual metabolic, genetic, or immunological variation that might make some children under certain circumstances susceptible to neurological complications after vaccination.

....

There is no evidence that removal of thimerosal from vaccines has lowered autism rates. But autism numbers are not precise, so I would say that considerably more research is still needed on some provocative findings. After all, thimerosal crosses the placenta, and pregnant women are advised to get flu shots, which often contain it. Studies in mice suggest that genetic variation influences brain sensitivity to the toxic effects of mercury. And a primate study designed to mimic vaccination in infants reported in 2005 that thimerosal may clear from the blood in a matter of days but leaves inorganic mercury behind in the brain.

The debate roils on—even about research. The Institute of Medicine in its last report on vaccines and autism in 2004 said that more research on the vaccine question is counterproductive: Finding a susceptibility to this risk in some infants would call into question the universal vaccination strategy that is a bedrock of immunization programs and could lead to widespread rejection of vaccines. The IOM concluded that efforts to find a link between vaccines and autism “must be balanced against the broader benefit of the current vaccine program for all children.”

Wow. Medicine has moved ahead only because doctors, researchers, and yes, families, have openly challenged even the most sacred medical dogma. At the risk of incurring the wrath of some of my dearest colleagues, I say thank goodness for the vaccine court.”

Following is the Sharyl Attkisson/CBS interview of Dr Healy:



As I said earlier I have never claimed that vaccines cause autism. But the attempt to suggest that the question is closed is simply an attempt to stop examination of what is an important and controversial issue. If some cases of autism are caused by maternal exposure to thimerosal containing vaccines or by any other route, or if some subset of children are more vulnerable to the potential negative effects, including autism, of vaccines than research should be conducted to confirm or refute those possibilities.

Only when the research is done will the autism/vaccine question be settled.

autism

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Cilantro Pesto

Look at that beautiful, vibrant green color! Can't you just imagine it on a big plate of black beans and rice???

It is nearing the end of my CSA box week. Because of the holidays I have been picking up on Tuesdays. I looked in my fridge today and panicked. One of my friends is out of town and has gifted me her box. That means I have double the food coming and with New Years and all coming not too many veggies get eaten. I planned dinner to get rid of the bulk of it. I have salad greens and peppers left but I had some cilantro that I had no idea what to do with.

I started searching through my cookbooks and hit the Mark Bittman - How to Cook Everything Vegetarian and I found exactly what I was looking for. Cilantro Pesto. Let me tell you about this stuff. It is incredible. If you love cilantro like I do there is nothing better except for pico de gallo heavy on the cilantro. It was strong and filled with all the flavor that I love. Green and fresh. The garlic gave it a nice bite and I can just imagine this drizzled on tacos or nachos or topping some black beans and rice!!!

I made a double batch so that I didn't waste any of my cilantro and plan on freezing it. T. came home and tasted it for me and immediately got out the tortilla chips and started eating it by the chip load!

Cilantro Pesto - How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, by Mark Bittman

Ingredients:

2 cups loosely packed fresh cilantro
salt
1 clove garlic
3 Tbsp neutral oil, like corn or grapeseed (I used canola and it was great)
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lime juice

Directions:

Combine the cilantro with a pinch of salt, the garlic, and the oil in a food processor or blender. Process and scrape down the sides of the container if necessary.

Add the lime juice and blend for a second; add of little water if necessary to thin the mixture, then puree.

Taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve or cover and refrigerate for up to a couple of days or freeze for future use.

To freeze this I place it in a ziploc freezer bag and press flat. Make sure all of the air is out of the bag to prevent freezer burn. Freezing it flat makes it easier for you to break off chunks as you need or want it!!!

As Always...

Happy Entertaining!!!

Judy
www.nofearentertaining.com

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Giveaway for Cookie Lovers!

In honor of the last Tasty Tools blogging adventure of 2008 where we highlighted Baking Sheets, one lucky person will receive this Cookie Lovers giveaway set which includes:

Pampered Chef Large Sheet Pan

Wilton 12inch Disposable Decorator Bags - 100 count
Mrs. Fields Cookie Book: 100 Recipes from the Kitchen of Mrs. Fields

Some guidelines:
- Giveaway is only for those who live in the United States. My apologies to my international readers!
- Include your email address so that you can be contacted if you win.

To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about:
- Your favorite holiday baking memory involving cookies. Was it a holiday cookie swap? Baking cookie gifts for friends and family? Baking with friends or children? I'd love to hear your stories!

Deadline: December 31, 2008 at 12 midnight CST

Winner will be randomly chosen by Random.Org's Interger Generator based on the number of your comment and will be announced on January 1, 2009. Good luck!

PS: If you have any recipes made using a baking sheet, you have time to submit your recipe to this month's Tasty Tools: Baking Sheet Pans. Deadline for blogging adventures is December 31, 2008 at 12 midnight PST.

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2008 Autism Blog Comment Of The Year

Over the past 30 years, several thousand published research studies have documented the effectiveness of ABA across a wide range of:

• populations (children and adults with mental illness, developmental disabilities and learning disorders)
• interventionists (parents, teachers and staff)
• settings (schools, homes, institutions, group homes, hospitals and
  business offices), and
• behaviors (language; social, academic, leisure and functional life skills,
  self-injury, and stereotyped behaviors)

- CARD blogsite, What is ABA?, December 15, 2008

Facing Autism in New Brunswick's 2008 Autism Blog Comment of the Year award goes to the Center for Autism & Related Disorders Inc. blog site for its comment "What is ABA?" The CARD comment comes from professionals, and an organization, that actually works with and helps autistic children from all points on the autism spectrum. It should help dispel the misinformation perpetuated about ABA and bring to the attention of parents of newly diagnosed autistic children one of the most well researched, effective, means of for helping their children.

autism

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Φονιάδες κτήνη Ισραηλινοί

Κάνουν την προεκλογική τους καμπάνια (10-2-2009 εκλογές στο Ισραήλ) στα γυναικόπαιδα της Γάζας με επιχειρήματα εμφανή. Δεν ήταν τόσο πειστικά ως τα τώρα, ο οικονομικός αποκλεισμός και η
σιωπηλή καταδίκη τους σε θάνατο με την πείνα...

Οτι ακριβώς έκανε ο Χίτλερ στους Ευρωπαϊκούς λαούς το 1941.

Γιαυτό ο τίτλος ΦΑΣΙΣΤΑΣ στην σημερινή πολιτική σκηνή του Ισραηλ της έρχεται γάντι.

Τη Δευτέρα 29/12 στις 6:00 μμ μπροστά στην ισραηλινή πρεσβεία (Κατεχάκη και Κηφισίας) η Παλαιστινιακή Παροικία Ελλάδας καλεί σε συγκέντρωση διαμαρτυρίας για τη σφαγή στη Γάζα.


1. Χωρις τέλος η σφαγή στη Γάζα.

2. Διεθνής κατακραυγή για την σφαγή στη Γάζα.

3. Χριστουγεννιάτικη σφαγή στη Γάζα.

4. Αναφορές διεθνών ακτιβιστών για τη σφαφή στη Γάζα.

5. Πάνος Χαρίτος από Ιερουσαλήμ.

Επίσης τα Ελληνικά μέσα τύπου σκαι να περιγράφουν τα πράγματα ως έχουν. F-16 κατα πετροπόλεμου, Ακου την καρδιά του "φοβισμένου Νετανιάχου- Τζίπι Λιβνι- Moshe Feiglin" θλιβερό δημοσιογραφάκι. Γενοκτονία κάνουν.

update 31-12-08.: Οταν η ΕΡΤ£3 διαφημίζει το δολοφονικό έργο των Ισραηλινών καλό είναι να βάζει κανένα σηματάκι ακατάλληλο για ανηλίκους γιατί με τόσους εξοστρακισμούς στη Γάζα και το Ραδιοτηλεοπτικό δεν προλαβαίνει και τα 13χρονα έχουν φόρτο στην εσωτερική πολιτική σκηνή!

6. MME και προπαγάνδα του Στέλιου Κούλογλου.

Καθώς μια ομάδα πολιτών ετοιμάζεται σήμερα το απόγευμα να πετάξει τηλεoράσεις στη Πλατεία Συντάγματος, είναι χρήσιμο να δούμε πως τα μέσα ενημέρωσης καλύπτουν τους Ισραηλινούς βομβαρδισμούς στη Λωρίδα της Γάζας.

Στις ΗΠΑ, η κατάσταση είναι απερίγραπτη. Καμιά εφημερίδα ή τηλεόραση δεν έχει μπει στον κόπο να παρουσιάσει το ιστορικό της υπόθεσης ή να σχολιάσει την χωρίς προηγούμενο αιματοχυσία ή την επιθετικότητα της ισραηλινής πλευράς. Μέχρι χθές Δευτέρα, οι συνήθως λαλίστατοι “New York Times” δεν είχαν σχολιάσει καθόλου τα γεγονότα που στα βασικά ΜΜΕ παρουσιάζονται με τη μορφή απλών ρεπορτάζ. Η γενική ιδέα είναι ότι το Ισραήλ απάντησε στις “προκλήσεις” της Χαμάς, η οποία από τη Γάζα εκτόξευε πυραύλους στα γειτονικά ισραηλινά εδάφη. Η ισραηλινή προπαγάνδα, που θέλει να παρουσιάζει τον αδυσώπητο βομβαρδισμό ως αντίδραση στην δράση της Χαμάς έχει περάσει. Την ίδια άποψη έχουν υιοθετήσει, σε διάφορους βαθμούς κι ελληνικά μέσα ενημέρωσης.

Το γερμανικό περιοδικό Spiegel, που συνηθίζει να σχολιάζει τα γεγονότα, έχει προχωρήσει ακόμη περισσότερο, εμφανίζοντας τη σφαγή σαν σχέδιο της …Χαμάς! "Οσο αιματηρή κι αν ήταν η ισραηλινή επίθεση”, γράφει το περιοδικό εχθές, ”είναι βασικά αποτέλεσμα ενός κυνικού υπολογισμού της Χαμάς…”. Η Χαμάς, αρνήθηκε την παράταση της εκεχειρίας και άρχισε να εξαπολύει πυραύλους πιστεύοντας ότι οι τηλεοπτικές εικόνες και η “κλιμάκωση της βίας θα κάνουν την Δύση να θεωρήσει την Χαμάς ως εταίρο στις διαπραγματεύσεις”! Ολα αυτά γράφονται σοβαρά, την στιγμή που ολόκληρος ο μηχανισμός εξουσίας της Χαμάς στη Γάζα δέχεται συντριπτικά πλήγματα.

Από το σύνολο του διεθνούς τύπου, πρέπει κανείς να διαβάσει ισραηλινές εφημερίδες όπως η Haaretz για να καταλάβει τι συμβαίνει στη πραγματικότητα.

Την Κυριακή η έγκυρη εφημερίδα συνόψιζε την κατάσταση ως εξής σε ένα άρθρο ανάλυσης: “1,5 εκατατομμύριο ανθρώπινα όντα, οι περισσότεροι απόκληροι κι απελπισμένοι πρόσφυγες ζούν σε μια γιγαντιαία φυλακή - εύφορο έδαφος για ένα νέο γύρο αιματοχυσίας. Το γεγονός ότι η Χαμάς μπορεί να το παρατράβηξε με τις ρουκέτες της δεν αποτελεί δικαιολογία για την ισραηλινή πολιτική τις τελευταίες δεκαετίες, για την οποία της αξίζει να φάει στο πρόσωπο ένα ιρακινό παπούτσι”. ,,,,H συνέχεια εδώ.

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Spinach & Artichoke Topped Chicken

One of my favorite vegetable combinations is spinach and artichoke. It could be in a dip, on a pizza, in a sandwich or better yet, stuffed in pork or chicken... I love how it tastes especially with some cheese mixed in.

This dish is one that involves a spinach and artichoke sauce that is served over a seasoned and baked chicken breast. I came across this recipe for the sauce and used it to top my baked & seasoned chicken... yum!

Spinach & Artichoke Topped Chicken
recipe inspired by Rachel Ray's Spinach-Artichoke Cheesy Tortellini
from Express Lane Meals

For Chicken:
4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
salt & pepper to taste or seasoning salt
garlic & onion powder to taste

For Sauce:
1/2 10-oz box frozen spinach
1 tablespoon EVOO (extra-virgin olive oil), twice around the pan
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1-2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 small onion, peeled and halved
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
pinch of freshly grated nutmeg (eyeball it)
1/2 14 ounce can artichoke hearts in water, drained and chopped
1-2 handfuls grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese
Salt and black pepper

For Topping:
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs for topping
1/4 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano or Pecorino Romano cheese


Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Prepare your chicken by seasoning it to taste with salt, pepper, seasoning salt, garlic and/or onion powder (however you'd like) Place chicken on baking sheet.

For the sauce, begin by microwaving the spinach on high for 6 minutes to defrost.

Heat a deep skillet over medium heat with the EVOO and butter. When the butter melts and is hot, add the garlic. Using a box grater, grate the onion directly into the skillet.

Saute the onions and garlic for 5 minutes. Sprinkle the flour into the skillet and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the stock, then the cream, and bring the sauce to a boil. Season the sauce with nutmeg and reduce the heat to low.

Place the defrosted spinach in a clean kitchen towel and wring it dry. Separate it as you add it to the sauce. Stir in the chopped artichokes and a couple handfuls of cheese, then season the spinach-artichoke sauce with salt and pepper. Topped the raw chicken breast with spinach artichoke sauce.

Combine the panko breadcrumbs and cheese for the topping and sprinkle on top of the spinach artichoke sauce.

Bake chicken in preheated oven for 20-25 minutes until juices run clear and chicken is thoroughly cooked.

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