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I'm still here!  After 11 years on Drupal 7, I've upgraded.  It goes to 11 now.

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Stars & Bars: Wading In

There's been a lot of talk lately about the Confederate flag, how evil it is, how the people who wave it are all bad, and how it must come down.  I know some of those people who love that flag, and I feel bad for them.  I feel bad for them because society doesn't understand them, and society ignores them when they try to speak up.

Tuneup

This blog is different.  Can you tell?  Probably not, which was the point.

My web host did an upgrade, which broke my blog.  The truth is this is a good thing; PHP 5.2 hasn't been supported in a very long time, and Drupal 6 is very quickly approaching End of Life.  It was time to upgrade.

Daddy in the Kitchen

Cauliflower, Leek & Garlic Soup

This one gets a split vote: I loved it but Yelena hated it.  This is the kind of ultra-gourmet thing you'd see served at Gather (which is also a love/hate kind of place).
I actually hate cauliflower, but I loved this soup.  It's got a fantastic combination of flavors that work perfectly together.  I served it with the radicchio & goat cheese bruschetta and a chilled petite voigner.  Add some candles and mood music, and you've got an at-home date at an upscale restaurant.

Sauteed Radicchio and Goat Cheese Bruschetta

It's hard to find a recipe for radicchio that doesn't involve "put it in a salad."  This is a phenomenal exception.  It's sophisticated, gourmet, perfect for when you have company over.  I recommend pairing it with a dry wine.
As always, I left out the salt & pepper.  I also didn't have chevre, so I used Laughing Cow cheese.  It's a creamy soft-spread cow cheese from France and went perfectly on the lightly toasted bread.
I am definitely keeping this in my entertainment repertoire.

Easiest Pasta and Broccoli

This one is fast, easy, and tasty.  The trick: you cook the broccoli with the pasta.  I recommend fresh pasta; the broccoli were only in the pot for three minutes so they were blanched rather than boiled.  As usual, I left out the salt & pepper, but I added crushed red pepper flakes (the way I usually do with noodles).
The only critique I can make is that it isn't thrilling - I'd call it "good not great."  But if you're looking for a quick and easy dinner, it's a great way of making plain pasta more interesting.

Homemade Applesauce

I got this recipe from The Kosher Palette, but it's pretty much the same as every other homemade applesauce recipe out there.  Here's the gist:
Peel, core, and slice apples.  Cook 'em in a pot with a little water - just enough to keep 'em from burning.  When they're soft, mash 'em a little.  Eat.  Wonder at God's creation.