Is America the Beautiful becoming America the Cruel?

Fair Warning! I am about to get political …. ….delete if you don’t wish to hear me rant again, however, there is a recipe at the end! Last time my rant was on hotdogs….today? Health care and Politics.

I have been on Medicare for several years now, basically haven’t used it, but it is nice to know it is available.
With all the news on the health care situation, I am sure most people age 60 and up are feeling pretty uncomfortable. (I am envisioning railroad tracks being built straight to the Arctic Ocean, where chunks of ice are being corralled, waiting for the boxcars of the elderly to arrive. We will be stripped of clothing and our dignity then set adrift to die on the ice!)
In most cultures, the elderly are respected and taken care of. They are honored members of the family and community. Here in the United States, we are suddenly being seen as drains upon society, using up resources that can be better used on people with a "future." Will we be told “No medical treatment for you, here’s a pain pill”? If there is a plug to pull, is it going to be pulled?

In all honesty, I am not so sure I will want to live after I become badly impaired, but shouldn’t that be my decision? Shouldn’t I have the opportunity to sit down with my three children and discuss my choices with them? Or is there going to be a “Death Panel” that will make that decision for me?

We need to be very careful here, Folks. Those arrogant idiots in Washinton are, unfortunately, our employees, they work for us. There is no “new god” in Washington, DC. The God in our nation’s capitol is still the One whose name is carved into the marble monuments, the One who our forefathers wrote about so eloquently in our Constitution.

I want to see the elderly of America standing tall, standing strong, standing smart! Our eyes may be going, our joints may be arthritic, our organs may be suffering from years of use, but

Our hearts belong to America the Beautiful!

We will not go quietly!

I am not sure this is the time for a recipe, but I think I will print one anyway. After all, you read this blog for recipes, not politics!

American Pecan Bars

18 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature (1 cup plus 2 tablespoons)
3/4 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
8 tablespoons unsalted butter (1 stick)
1/2 cup light-brown sugar, firmly packed
6 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups pecan halves (8 ounces)
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1. Place rack in center of oven. Heat oven to 375 degrees. To make the crust: In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix butter and brown sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add salt, and mix to combine. Add flour 1 cup at a time, on medium speed, mixing until fully incorporated after each addition. Continue mixing until the dough begins to come together in large clumps.
2. Press dough about 1/4-inch thick into a 9-by-13-by-1-inch baking pan. Prick the pastry with the tines of a fork. Chill until firm, about 20 minutes. Bake until golden brown, 18 to 20 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely.
3. Reduce oven to 325 degrees. To make the filling: Place butter, brown sugar, honey, granulated sugar, heavy cream, and salt in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture coats the back of a spoon, about 1 minute. Remove pan from heat; stir in nuts and vanilla.
4. Pour filling onto the cooled crust. Bake until filling bubbles, 15 to 20 minutes. Carefully transfer pan to a wire rack to cool completely. Run a paring knife around edges of the pan, and invert onto cooling rack, leaving the pastry on the rack. Invert rack with pastry onto a cutting board, leaving the pastry on the board, filling side up. Use a sharp knife to cut into 1-by-3-inch bars. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.