By Andrew Armstrong
This column is the most different of all the columns, that I have ever written. In fact, this column is a letter to my viewers.
My recipe, this week is GO VOTE! I strongly feel that the above quote by our former First Lady expresses my thoughts for this entire campaign trail. At this point in the journey, our candidates are exhausted from long hours in the public eye and the fictitious knife wounds from the classic tales of “He Said and She Said”.
Being a politician isn’t easy and each one runs with a heavy heart and a list of goals. Triumphs of the past and recent achievements, that they believe will help empower their country.
Leeds, Alabama is one of many cities across our nation, preparing to vote for the president of our country. Don’t vote on an individual, because someone told you too. Vote for that person, because you feel in your heart and mind, they are the best individual for the job. Express yourself within your vote. At the end of the day regardless of if it turned out to be a good or a bad decision, the choice was still yours.
I will put into an expression of my own words, a point many people forget. Growth and the stability of a country depend on leadership from strong individuals. Go vote for who you feel is the strongest and most secure vote for your country. May you all choose with courage and I hope the stones of time, firmly stand with your pen, as you mark your ballot.
-Andrew M. Armstrong
Crockpot 16 Bean Soup
1 dry package of 16 Bean Soup
2 bay leaves
1/4 teaspoon oregano
1/4 teaspoon basil
3 stalks of celery, diced
1 package of baby carrots
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 package of meatballs, frozen
1 container of beef broth
1 can of stewed tomatoes
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper
salt and pepper, to taste
1 chicken bouillon cube
Mix all the ingredients together in a crockpot. Fill with enough water to fully cover the ingredients. Cook the mixture on low for 6 – 8 hours, until the meat and beans are fully cooked.
Macadamia Pineapple Bread
2 Cups of flour, sifted
¼ a teaspoon of baking powder
½ a Cup of margarine, softened
½ a Cup of white sugar
½ a Cup of dark brown sugar
4 eggs
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
½ a Cup of coconut
1 can of pineapple, crushed
¾ a Cup of macadamia nuts, chopped
1 teaspoon of cinnamon
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees. Cream the sugar and margarine together, then incorporate the remaining ingredients a little at a time. Pour into three 6 x 3 inch loaf pans lined with wax paper, flour and cooking spray. Pour the mixture into the pans and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until done. Place on wire racks to cool and remove the wax paper.
Spicy Asian Slaw
1 Cup of mayonnaise
2 Tablespoons of vegetable oil
2 Tablespoons of vinegar
¼ a Cup of chili sauce
3 Tablespoons of lime juice
1 Tablespoon of ginger powder
1 teaspoon of salt
¼ teaspoon of black pepper
1 Tablespoon of sesame seeds
1 pound of red cabbage, chopped
1 Pound of green cabbage, chopped
1 turnip, peeled and chopped
1 cucumber, chopped
1 bunch of radishes, cut in half
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, washed and chopped with green
1 red bell pepper, chopped
¼ a Cup of fresh mint, chopped
¼ a Cup of fresh cilantro, chopped
Mix all the ingredients together and refrigerate 4 hours, before serving.
Pink Potato Salad
1½ Pounds of fingerling potatoes, cooked until tender
(Once cooked run under cold water, cut into pieces and set to the side.)
2 Cups of yogurt
1 cucumber, chopped
4 ounces of black olives, drained and chopped
1 red onion, chopped fine
1 teaspoon of parsley
2 Tablespoons of red wine vinegar
½ a teaspoon of cinnamon
½ a teaspoon of nutmeg
½ a teaspoon of salt
¼ a teaspoon of paprika
Drain the potatoes well and mix with the remaining ingredients. Refrigerate 4 hours, before serving.
Devils Food Cake
3 sticks of butter
2 ½ Cups of sugar
3 Cups of cake flour
1 teaspoon of baking soda
½ a teaspoon of salt
(3/4 a Cup of coco powder 3/4 a Cup of boiling water blended with the coco and 3/4 a Cup of sour cream)
Sift the dry, then cream the sugar and butter.
1 Tablespoon of vanilla
Add 4 eggs one at a time before the dry
Bake in two round cake pan that have been lined with parchment paper, brushed with butter and dusted with coco powder
Preheat the oven at 350 degrees and bake for 45 – 50 minutes. Let the cake cool and frost it.
Filling
1 1/2 cups of heavy cream, heated
2 Tablespoon of light corn syrup, brought to a boil, then poured over chocolate and mixed.
8 ounces of bittersweet chocolate and 8 ounces of milk chocolate
Cool the mixture, then with 3 sticks of cubed butter