Great CNN iReport story about a woman who had some Dave Ramsey advice for her husband!

Donna LeBlanc gave her husband, a former restaurant manager, the stark ultimatum: become a pizza delivery man or their family “wouldn’t make it.”

Wow - refreshing, candid and a great story! Bottom line - THEY MADE IT THROUGH A LAY OFF!

My Dr. wanted me to try the Sassy Water from the Flat Belly Diet, to help fight inflammation. I have a blood clotting disorder/disease….what IS it? Anyway, he suggested I try this!

Sassy Water

2 liters water
1 tsp freshly grated ginger
1 medium cucumber, peeled and thinly sliced
1 medium lemon, thinly sliced
12 small spearmint leaves

This photo breaks my heart….

TAKE ME TO TEXAS…

History Will Remember Bush Well

Iraq looks good compared to the Korea that Harry Truman left behind.

By MARC A. THIESSEN

In August 1951, with a little more than a year left to Harry S. Truman’s presidency, historian Henry Steele Commager published an essay in Look magazine with this prediction: “By all normal standards, [Truman’s] Administration has been one of almost . . . unparalleled success . . . the verdict of history will not be the same as the verdict of contemporary critics.”

At the time, Truman’s popularity hovered in the low 20s and most Americans considered his presidency a failure. Look’s editors even published a note declaring “doubts” about “whether history will accord Harry S. Truman as generous a place as Professor Commager assigns him.” History eventually sided with Commager.

Today, President George W. Bush leaves office with approval ratings only slightly higher than Truman’s. And I will make this prediction: The verdict of history on the Bush presidency will not be the same as the verdict of contemporary critics.

While Mr. Bush made mistakes during his time in office, like Truman he racked up a record of unparalleled success that will be increasingly appreciated in the years to come.

Like Truman at the start of the Cold War, Mr. Bush set our nation’s course at the start of a new and unprecedented war. And like Truman, he responded by laying out a clear doctrine to guide America through the conflict. Mr. Bush created the institutions necessary to prevail in this struggle. He created the Department of Homeland Security and a new director of national intelligence. He transformed the FBI and the Justice Department to fight terror. He established new military commands. And he transformed NATO from a defensive alliance into an expeditionary alliance that is now leading the fight in Afghanistan.

Mr. Bush signed the Patriot Act, breaking down the walls between intelligence and law enforcement. He created a terrorist surveillance program. He directed the CIA to detain and question captured terrorist leaders. He drove al Qaeda from its Afghan sanctuary and put America on the offensive. As a result, more than seven years have passed since 9/11 without another attack on our soil. That’s an achievement few thought possible when the rubble of the World Trade Center was still burning.

Like Truman in Korea, Mr. Bush imperfectly fought an unpopular war in Iraq. Yet just as most Americans now see our success in Korea as essential to our victory in the Cold War, it will one day be clear that our success in Iraq was essential to our victory in the war on terror. And the success Mr. Bush delivered in Iraq is far more complete than the stalemate that endures on the Korean Peninsula.

As Mr. Bush leaves office, Iraq is a unified and free country, and our enemies there have suffered a devastating defeat. If his successor does not squander that victory, a free Iraq will one day be to the Middle East what a free South Korea has been to Asia.

Like Truman, Mr. Bush made a first, failed attempt to solve difficult domestic challenges. Truman failed to get Congress to approve national health insurance for the elderly. But two decades later, President Lyndon Johnson invited Truman to join him as he signed legislation creating Medicare.

Similarly, Mr. Bush failed to get Congress to pass immigration and Social Security reforms. But years from now, Congress will have to act on these issues. When it does, I predict a future president will invite Mr. Bush to watch as the reforms are signed into law.

When President Truman left office, his fellow liberals blamed him for handing the White House to the Republicans. Today, Truman is a liberal icon.

Similarly, many conservatives who are angry with Mr. Bush today will take a better view of his presidency with the passage of time. While he took actions that dispirited some conservatives — from bailing out the auto industry to taking North Korea off of the list of state sponsors of terror — Mr. Bush did more to advance conservative priorities than any other president.

Mr. Bush enacted sweeping tax cuts. And he has the best record on judges of any Republican president — his appointments of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito will be judged favorably over time compared to Justices Anthony Kennedy, Sandra Day O’Connor, David Souter and John Paul Stevens (all put on the high court by Republican presidents). Mr. Bush enacted free-trade agreements with 17 nations, more than any president in history. He created Health Savings Accounts — the most important free-market health-care reform in a generation. And he defeated Democratic efforts to use the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (Schip) to nationalize health care.

 Mr. Bush won a Supreme Court ruling declaring school vouchers constitutional and enacted the nation’s first school-choice program in the District of Columbia. He has been the most pro-life president in history, securing passage of the Born-Alive Infants Protection Act, the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, and the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act. He refused to fund the destruction of human embryos for research — and was vindicated by the scientific breakthroughs that followed.

Mr. Bush increased defense spending by nearly 73%, the largest increase since the Truman administration. He unsigned the International Criminal Court treaty, withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, and fulfilled Ronald Reagan’s promise to deploy defenses against ballistic missiles. This is a conservative record without parallel.

In his final months, Mr. Bush confronted a challenge Truman never faced — a massive financial crisis. It is hard for many Americans to appreciate the magnitude of the economic collapse the president averted. But history will show that Mr. Bush’s actions in the fall of 2008 rescued our economy and saved our financial system.

Mr. Bush often told his staff that a president’s job is not to chase popularity, but to do what is right. His insistence in following this philosophy is why he has low approval ratings, and why he has been a great president. Mr. Bush has led a history-making presidency and, like Truman, history will be kinder to our 43rd president than the polls indicate as he leaves office.

Mr. Thiessen was chief speechwriter for President George W. Bush.

I have been doing alright with this, until today, last night really. I wanted to cry tucking Emily in, and thinking that that was our last night with President Bush as our president.

President Bush has truly been “OUR” president. We campaigned for him twice – it was a huge part of school (campaigning always is for our family). He was the first president my girls wrote, they would write him, he would write the girls back, we would keep his letters, proud of “their” president. They worked hard for this man, leader of the free world, and he took the time to write them (we all know his staff did!) but it was still a THRILL to get his letters and photos!

During 9/11 we prayed for him. He has faced what no other president has faced, a silent enemy in terror. And as he said in that interview, “people have gone back to their lives after 9/11, but I never did.” Always on watch, he has kept our country safe these 7 years.

An imperfect man, but a man that loved the Lord. Understood his worldview. Not a perfect man, but “our” president that we dearly loved and prayed for nonetheless.

We worked so hard for the Republican ticket last fall. We campaigned in two swing states, knocked on hundreds of doors, made phone calls to 5 states, over 2000 phone calls as a family, and marshaled homeschooling families across the nation to campaign. We lost. And we accepted that as God’s sovereign will.

But today feels like a death that I cannot describe. I am overwhelmed with sadness.

I am also sad at the end of an era in our personal lives. President Bush has been our president almost the entire time we homeschooled. We made the decision TO homeschool while the turmoil was going on in FL during the 2000 election. We can never separate homeschooling from our dear President and Mrs. Bush.

Today, we will make the inaugural menus that I sent out yesterday that the White House is serving, and we will just try and get through the day.

Am I the only one?

Well, time to go get the Chicken with Chutney and the Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes going in the crock pots. If you missed the recipes, scroll down, they are right here on my blog. Yes, we will watch the inauguration……

Today too, will pass.

Thank you President and Mrs. Bush for 8 years of service. We are forever grateful for you.

President-elect Obama has decided on Lincoln themed inaugural, from the Bible that President Lincoln took the oath on, to inaugural luncheon dishes based on Lincoln’s favorites, and even the painting of Yosemite below.

Mr. Obama has chosen to pay tribute to Mr. Lincoln in many ways according to the NY Post.The backdrop for the luncheon will be Lincoln-esque as well - the painting “View of the Yosemite Valley” by Thomas Hill, borrowed from the New-York Historical Society.The painting, which will hang behind Obama, is a landscape of Yosemite Valley at dawn - representing Lincoln’s signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant that set aside the land as a public reserve.

Part of the meal will even be served on replicas of the china picked out by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln at the beginning of her husband’s first term in office in 1861.The appetizer will feature a seafood stew in puff pastry - including scallops, shrimp and lobster - in honor of Lincoln’s love of seafood.The main course of a “Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck)” with sour-cherry chutney will be served with molasses sweet potatoes - a nod to the root vegetables and wild game that Honest Abe ate as a child in Indiana.

According to the NY Post, President Lincoln chose much simpler fare than President-elect Obama. Taking office on the eve of Civil War, Abe Lincoln kept things simple after being sworn in as the 16th president: He lunched on mock turtle soup, corned beef and cabbage and blackberry pie.

Take a ride through history and make a few of these recipes for your kids on Inauguration Day 2009, which is coming up on January 20! Food photos can be viewed here!

Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies

Recipes from the 2009 Inaugural Luncheon

First Course

Seafood Stew

Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients

 6 (1 Lb) Maine lobsters
20 medium size Sea scallops
36 Large shrimp, peel, cleaned and tail removed, aprox. 2 lbs.
10 (1 oz) pieces of black cod
½ cup small dice carrots
½ cup small dice celery
½ cup small dice leek
½ cup small dice Idaho potato
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper
¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 quart heavy cream
1 cup dry vermouth (can be made without)
10 (5 inch) puff pastry rounds

Equipment
10 (3 ½ inch) terrines/ramekins or serving dish of your choice
Directions
1. Bring 1 gallon of water to a boil; poach lobsters, then shrimp, then black cod and last scallops. After
seafood is cooked, remove from water; reserve water and bring to boil.
2. Cook all vegetables in liquid that was used for the seafood, remove vegetables when tender. Allow
the liquid to continue to boil until only 1qt of liquid remains. This will be the base for the sauce.
3. Bring seafood liquid back to a boil and add the vermouth and heavy cream and reduce by half,
season with salt, white pepper and nutmeg to taste. You have reached your desired thickness when
the sauce will cover the back of a wooden spoon. Set aside to cool.
4. Cut Maine lobster, shrimp and scallops into bite size pieces.
5. Pre-heat oven at 400 degrees.
6. Fold seafood and vegetables into cool sauce, being careful not to mix too much as this will break up
the seafood. Scoop mixture into terrines or oven proof baking dish of your choice.
7. Cover terrines with puff pastry rounds, brush them with egg wash and bake them until golden
brown about 8-10 minutes, allow to cool for 5 minutes before serving. You can cook this 2-3 hours
ahead of time and keep warm at 150 F degrees.
*All seafood can be substituted with other favorite options of your choice and availability.

Second Course

Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney

Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients

 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped onion (1 small)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Scant ¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (½ medium)
1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dry red wine
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 can (3 cups) Bing cherries, quartered *Oregon brand
½ cup Golden Raisins
10 (6 oz.) boneless duck breasts with skin
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives

Method for chutney and glaze
Heat oil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer approx 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly and reserve all but ¼ cup of the mix to the side. Place1/4 cup mix in a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Reserve for glazing duck. To finish the chutney, add the remaining 1 ½ cups of cherries, tarragon, chives and all the golden raisins. Can be prepared one day ahead.
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F. Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper.
Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down. Cook duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is rendered(melted) and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck all over with cherry glaze and return to skillet, skin side up.
Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F, about 8 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices. Serve with cherry chutney and molasses whipped sweet potato.

Chicken Breast with Cherry Chutney in the Crock Pot

In honor of The First Annual Crock Pot Slow Cooker Month at ThePrudentWife.com

Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients

 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
½ cup chopped onion (1 small)
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
½ teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon ground cumin
Scant ¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
¾ teaspoon salt
½ cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper (½ medium)
1 plum tomato, coarsely chopped
¼ cup dry red wine
1 ½ to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 can (3 cups) Bing cherries, quartered *Oregon brand
½ cup Golden Raisins
10 (6 oz.) boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives

Method for chutney and glaze

Heat oil in a 2 to 3 quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer approx 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute. Allow to cool slightly and reserve all but ¼ cup of the mix to the side. Place1/4 cup mix in a blender and puree until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Reserve for glazing duck. To finish the chutney, add the remaining 1 ½ cups of cherries, tarragon, chives and all the golden raisins. Can be prepared one day ahead.
Spray crock insert with non-stick spray. Place chicken breasts in 6 quart crock. Pour chutney over chicken. Cook on LOW for 6-9 hours until chicken is tender. Serve with cherry chutney and molasses whipped sweet potato.

Herb Roasted Pheasant with Wild Rice Stuffing

Yield: 10 portions
Ingredients

10 Pheasant breast, boneless, remove tenders and reserve for stuffing, cut small pocket in side of breast for stuffing
½ cup Olive oil with chopped rosemary, thyme and sage
1 lb. Wild rice, long grain
2 quarts Chicken stock or canned chicken broth
2 Carrots, diced
½ Onion, diced
½ cup Dried apricot, small diced
1 Tablespoon Salt and pepper mix
2 Tablespoons Garlic, roasted

Directions
1. Boil the rice with the chicken stock, cook until soft and most of the liquid is gone.
2. Add the onion, carrot, garlic and apricot. Cook until the vegetables are soft and all liquid has been absorbed. Refrigerate rice mixture until cold.
3. In a food processor, puree pheasant tenders to a paste consistency to use as a binder for rice mix.
4. When rice is cool, add the pheasant puree to the rice until well mixed. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper and return to refrigerator until ready to stuff.
5. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
6. Make 10 small football shaped patties of the rice mix, stuff inside the pheasant, being careful not to overstuff the pheasant. Rub herb/oil mixture on top and bottom of the pheasant, season with salt and pepper. Place the pheasant on a heavy gauge roasting pan and then in a preheated oven for approximately 8-10 minutes. Remove from oven and cover with lid or foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Serve over sauté of spinach.
*Pheasant can be substituted with chicken.

Molasses Whipped Sweet Potatoes

Yield: 2 quarts
Ingredients

3 large sweet potatoes, about 3 pounds
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon kosher salt
¼ cup orange juice
½ tablespoon of brown sugar
1 tablespoon of molasses
1 teaspoon of ground cumin
2 tablespoons maple syrup

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Place sweet potatoes on a baking sheet and roast until easily pierced with a fork, about 1 hour.
3. Peel the skin off of the sweet potatoes while still hot.By hand or mixer, smash potatoes until all large chunks are gone. Combine the potatoes, butter, salt, orange juice, brown sugar, ground cumin, molasses and maple syrup in a large bowl. Continue to mix all together until all lumps are gone. Adjust any of the seasonings to your specific tastes. Can be made the day before.

Molassess Whipped Sweet Potatoes in the Crock Pot

In honor of The First Annual Crock Pot Slow Cooker Month at ThePrudentWife.com

Spray crock with non-stick spray. Put peeled sweet potatoes in the crock pot. Add other items. Cook on LOW for 6 to 7 hours, until sweet potatoes are tender. Whip in crockpot with hand held blender until lumps are gone.

Winter Vegetables

Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients

2 bunches Asparagus, green, bottom 1/3 of stem removed
2 lbs. Carrots, peeled, cut oblong or large dice
1 lb. Baby Brussel Sprouts, fresh,cleaned or frozen can be used
1 lb. Wax Beans, ends snipped
2 oz Butter
1 each Zest from orange
4 oz. Olive oil

Salt and Pepper to taste.

Directions
Asparagus: preheat grill or large heavy bottom sauté pan. Rub 2 oz of olive oil on asparagus and season with pinch of salt and pepper. Lay flat on grill or sauté pan until lightly browned. Using long fork or tongs, rotate the asparagus to brown other sides. Usually 2 or 3 minutes per side. The asparagus is done when you can use a fork to cut through. Do not overcook, this will cause asparagus to become stringy. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Carrots: bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, add carrots to water and cook until fork tender, meaning a fork will easily pass through the carrot. Drain the water from the pot and toss 1 oz butter and zest of orange and mix until carrots are coated. Season with pinch of salt and enjoy. Keep warm until ready to serve.
Brussel Sprouts: For Fresh: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil, cut into the stem of the sprout with a pairing knife to create an X on the bottom, this will allow the stem to cook more evenly. Place sprout in boiling water and allow to cook until bottom of sprout is tender and easily cut with a knife. Preheat a heavy bottom sauté while the sprouts are cooking. Remove sprouts from water and allow all water to drain completely. Add 2 oz oil to sauté pan and add the sprouts, season with salt and pepper while tossing the sprouts around to evenly brown in the pan. If sprouts are too big, you can cut them in half, keep warm until ready to serve.
For Frozen: Bring 3 qt salted water to a boil and drop frozen brussel sprouts into water, these are precooked so you are only thawing them out. Remove from water and sauté as above.
Yellow Wax beans: bring 3 qt salted water to boil, add snipped wax beans to water and allow to cook until fork tender or to your liking of doneness. Remove from water and toss with 1 oz butter and season with salt and pepper.

Third Course

Cinnamon Apple Sponge Cake

Yield: 10 servings
Ingredients

Apple Filling
4 lbs Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and thinly sliced
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup water
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup apple sauce
½ teaspoon ground nutmeg
¼ teaspoon salt
Grated zest from 1 lemon
1 teaspoon vanilla extractBread Crust
14 tablespoons unsalted butter, melt 10 of tablespoons
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
34 slices brioche bread (or white bread)
Equipment
10 Ceramic baking ramekins or metal molds (3” diameter)
Sauce
2 cups caramel sauce(store bought)
2 cups granny smith apples, peeled, cored, diced small
Pinch sugar
Pinch cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter
Ice Cream
1 quart vanilla ice cream

Preparation
Filling
1. Melt butter in 6-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Add apples and caramelize, add water, cook, stirring occasionally for 15 to 20 minutes, or until apples are completely soft. Remove cover and add sugar, nutmeg and salt. Increase heat to medium-high and continue to cook, stirring apples frequently, until liquid has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in lemon zest, apple sauce and vanilla. Set aside to cool while making crust. The filling can be made one day ahead
Making crust and assembly
1. Position oven rack in lower third of oven and preheat to 425°F. Grease 8 ceramic dishes with 1
Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies
2009 Inaugural Luncheon Recipes 8
tablespoon butter. Sprinkle sugar in dish and tilt to coat bottom and sides. Tap out excess sugar and set aside.
2. Using a bread knife, remove crusts from bread. Center the bottom of mold over one of the bread squares. Cut around mold to form circle to use as the top. Make a total of 20 of these round pieces. Ten will be for the bottom and 10 will be used for the top. Dip each one in melted butter and place at the bottom of mold.
3. Cut each of the 15 remaining slices of bread into four rectangular pieces. Dip one side of each strip in the melted butter and arrange strips, upright, around the inside of molds, buttered-sides against mold and overlapping by about 1/2” to completely line mold. Use 6 rectangles to line the mold.
4. Spoon the apple filling into bread-lined molds, mounding it slightly in center.
5. Take the remaining ten rounds of bread and dip pieces of bread into the melted butter and place on top of filling, buttered-sides up. Press down lightly.
6. Bake for 30 minutes, then cover top loosely with aluminum foil. Bake for an additional 15-20 minutes, until top is deep golden brown and side slices are golden brown (slide a thin-bladed knife between bread and pan to check). Remove from oven, uncover, and let rest for 15 minutes on wire rack. Run thin-bladed knife around edges of molds to be able to flip the mold out onto serving plates.
7. For the apple cinnamon caramel sauce, sauté 1 cup of peeled and diced Granny Smith apples in butter, add a pinch of sugar and cinnamon. Allow to cook until apples are lightly browned and all sugars have dissolved. Remove from heat and add 2 cups caramel sauce to the apples and stir to coat apples.
To Assemble
Pour caramel apple sauce over warmed apple cakes and serve with your favorite vanilla ice cream.

Much thanks goes to the NY Post for giving us these recipes!

Read the rest of the NY Post Article here.…

O TO ARRIVE IN A ‘LINCOLN’

INAUGURAL THEMES WILL HARKEN BACK TO GREAT EMANCIPATOR

By CLEMENTE LISI

Last updated: 8:59 am
January 13, 2009
Posted: 2:55 am
January 13, 2009

They’re going to party like it’s 1861!

In what will be a Lincoln-themed inauguration from top to bottom, Obama won’t only follow in the footsteps of the former president - he’ll also eat like him, it was announced yesterday.

HONEST ABE KEPT THINGS SIMPLE

INAUGURATION RECIPES (PDF)

BARACK OBAMA’S RISE TO GLORY

Obama’s jampacked Abe-apalooza moved into high gear with an announcement from the Congressional Inaugural Committee that it will hold a luncheon next Tuesday following the swearing-in ceremony that’s modeled after foods Lincoln enjoyed.

The lunch menu is only the latest in a slew of references and tributes to Lincoln that will be folded into Obama’s big day.

Part of the meal will even be served on replicas of the china picked out by First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln at the beginning of her husband’s first term in office in 1861.

The appetizer will feature a seafood stew in puff pastry - including scallops, shrimp and lobster - in honor of Lincoln’s love of seafood.

The main course of a “Brace of American Birds (pheasant and duck)” with sour-cherry chutney will be served with molasses sweet potatoes - a nod to the root vegetables and wild game that Honest Abe ate as a child in Indiana.

The Lincoln-fest luncheon at Statuary Hall, a chamber of the Capitol building, will serve some 200 guests, including members of the Supreme Court, the incoming Cabinet and congressional leaders.

“It’s always good to model yourself after a great president,” said Eric Foner, a professor of American history at Columbia University. “The proof will be in the pudding.”

The guests will enjoy an apple cinnamon sponge cake for dessert, which recalls Lincoln’s love of apples.

Guests will wash it down with several California wines, since Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) is the chairwoman of the planning committee.

Design Cuisine, a Virginia-based caterer, has been hired to make the meal.

The backdrop for the luncheon will be Lincoln-esque as well - the painting “View of the Yosemite Valley” by Thomas Hill, borrowed from the New-York Historical Society.

The painting, which will hang behind Obama, is a landscape of Yosemite Valley at dawn - representing Lincoln’s signing of the 1864 Yosemite Grant that set aside the land as a public reserve.

Just to make sure everyone gets it, the Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies, which handles much of the inaugural planning, has deemed that “A New Birth of Freedom” will be the official inaugural theme.

The phrase, from the Gettysburg Address, expresses Lincoln’s hope that the sacrifice of those who died to preserve the nation would lead to “a new birth of freedom” for our nation.

And at his swearing-in ceremony, Obama will place his hand on the same Bible that Lincoln used at his first inauguration.

On Saturday, Obama will travel by train from Philadelphia to Washington, DC - part of the route taken by Lincoln during an 1861 trip.

Obama also has said his essential reading in the Oval Office would include “Team of Rivals,” Doris Kearns Goodwin’s 2005 best seller, which recounts how Lincoln surrounded himself with advisers who were better educated and more experienced than he was and who could be rivals for his job.

Pardon our dust! We are redoing ThePrudentWife.com, with some upgrades. There may be technical difficulties through January as we work to bring you the most user friendly site, filled with money saving ideas, tips, great recipes and encouragement. We will let you know the moment we officially unveil the new site!

All current subscribers will have an additional quarter added to their current memberships as a way to thank you for our patience!

In just two hours on Sunday morning, you can have a hot, delicious, kid friendly breakfast waiting for you! Great with sausage or bacon and all the toppings you want.

2 cups whole wheat flour

2 ½ teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

¼ cup sugar

1 ½ cups buttermilk (or 1 ½ cups milk with 2 teaspoons lemon juice)

2 eggs

2 tablespoons of melted butter

1-2 cups blueberries

Spray crock with non-stick spray.

In a large bowl, mix dry ingredients well. Make a well in the center.

Whip the egg (just to mix it up) and add the buttermilk. Pour into the center of the well and mix well.

Pour pancake mix into prepared crock (non stick!) and smooth evenly across the bottom. Pour 1-2 cups of blueberries into the pancake batter and gently stir.

Cook on HIGH for about 2 hours. When a toothpick inserted into the pancake comes out dry, it is done.

The blueberries will settle to the bottom, and you can flip it upside down or fun. We tried it with butter, maple syrup and Knott’s Raspberry Syrup (my husband really liked the combination of berry flavors). We also thought whipped cream would make it taste great too.

Sign up for our newsletter at www.ThePrudentWife.com, to find out how to get your copy of the First Annual Slow Cooker Month Cookbook!

To All My Valued Employees,
There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country. However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You’ve seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I’m sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life.

However, what you don’t see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn’t have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hitting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the discount store extracting any clothing item that didn’t look like it was birthed in the 70’s. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don’t. There is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden — the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations… you never realize the back story and the sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don’t pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. You know what my “stimulus” check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? That’s nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don’t understand … to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn’t need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don’t defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It’s quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child’s future. Frankly, it isn’t my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I’m done. I’m done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

So, if you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about….

Signed,

“Your boss”

(Author unknown - if anyone knows who wrote this, please let me know!)

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