Should I move to Wall Street?

What is Occupy Wall Street?
What do the Wall St. protesters stand for or want?
Is it a worthy cause?
Are the things they are protesting economically sound?
What do economists think of the Occupiers?


Talk to your local historians. They will tell you we are now in the same place we were just before the depth of the Great Depression, or at least almost there. Many of the conservatives hated what the progressive president proposed to do and fought tooth and nail against many of the President's proposed programs. However, if they had been instituted sooner, there is a real possibility that they would have worked better than they already were. Yes, its true. It was World War II that actually sprang us from our poverty. However, the plans and proposals for job creation, as I understand history, may have succeeded and definitely would have done so if instituted sooner.


So where does that leave us now? What do we do now? As a political moderate, whose eyes start to roll back in her head when you talk about economics, I still want to hear from both sides of this debate.
Is there a debate? Should there be one? I asked the other day on Facebook what the Wall St. Protesters were protesting and I got one response. It was from someone who is angry at the world and this is his most recent cause to wrangle his death-metal fed post adolescent male rage. I want facts, I want figures. I do not want anything that Michael Moore or Rush Limbaugh have to say. Additionally, I do not care what Michelle Bachman or Cornell West have to say on the matter. Give me some intelligent, well thought out, economically based (theoretically) information.


Before you call me a communist pig, tool of the socialist liberals,  pawn of the right-wing religious extremists, or a Tea-bagger (yes I know the dirty implications of that title), please be aware that I did not vote for our current President Obama. I did not vote for the Republican candidate either. I voted for the man that held closest to what I believe a President should be and stand for - he was an independent candidate.


Here is my thoughts on corporate greed at the moment.
Quit buying from Wal-mart! Pay an extra 30-cents and support your local groceries and hardware stores. The more you support them, the better you are on the environment, the better quality your produce will be. the most money will go back into your local economy, and the more people they can employ. Fine - you can work at Wal-mart. Fine. Take your paycheck from them; but for heaven's sakes, put that money in a place that benefits you.

Most Fantastic Lentil Soup Evah!

Sick. fall Allergies. Hot tea with lemon. Benedryl. Kleenex. You get the gist of my week now.


However, this morning, I am feeling better (Benedryl induced, most likely); and decided to actually cook something. Initially I was craving potato soup. However, upon realizing that all good sounding potato recipes called for cream or half-n-half, I decided against those. I may be feeling better, but not well enough to put on a bra and go the store. Instead, we went for lentils.


If you are like me, my memories of childhood lentil soup are not pleasant. A gray greenish mysteriously thick gruel with the random tiny bean looking thing in it. Strangely enough, it's exactly the same as my impression of split pea soup; but that trauma is for another day. Today, however, I have triumphed. The most fantastic soup, with colors and textures and flavor - sooo sooo good. And No, it is not good just 'cause I'm sick.


This is one of those recipes that will go in the comfort food, veg-out day, meal plans. You know the ones where its dreary from raining for 3 days straight and you are watching some marathon on the Sci-fi channel or been sucked into a Lifetime Movie. The day where you plan to clean the house, but after washing the dishes, you sit down to rest and never get back up again.

Best Lentil Soup Evah.

1 cup dried brown lentils
4 cups chicken broth*
1 can (10oz) tomatoes w/ green chilies
1 can diced tomatoes**
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 large carrots, peeled and sliced
2 celery stalks (including leaves,)chopped
1/2lb Beef Kielbasa
1 bay leaf
Tbsp Thyme
Tsp oregano
(optional) carrot puree/pulp***
Balsamic vinegar

1. Over medium heat, cook onions in olive oil in a large soup pan. Add garlic and celery. Once celery begins to soften, add carrots, tomatoes, stock and spices.


2. Pour in lentils.

3. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and allow the soup to simmer for 20 minutes.***

4. In skillet brown the sausage and then deglaze pan with a little of the simmering stock. Dump entirety of skillet back into pot.

5. Simmer for 10 more min.

6. Remove from heat, discard bay leaf and add dash of vinegar.


*use as many low sodium ingredients a possible

**no salt added

***I keep the leftover pulp from juicing my carrots in the freezer.
After bringing the soup to a boil, add about 1/4 cup to stock for flavor, and additional thickening.
Putting a carrot in the food processor would give you similar effect.