Just thinking about things I’d want to know, if I didn’t! I remember when school began after Labor Day and ended at the end of May. Guess I’m getting older…
Kintsugi 8/14/26
- Senator Angus King (I-ME) released a statement saying: “At a time when the majority of Americans believe that Immigration and Customs Enforcement…has been irresponsible in its use of force, the new ICE announcement touting shock gloves begs a crucial question: is ICE genuinely focused on de-escalation or, what appears more likely, intimidation of anyone critical of their often unlawful conduct?… I never thought I would see the day when masked and armed men in unmarked cars would be roaming the streets and neighborhoods of America, acting in utter disregard of the legal constraints that are basic to our freedoms.”
- The board of the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts voted to close the building for renovations, according to The New York Times. They also voted to allow the current president’s name to appear beneath the main building signage with an inscription reading “Restored and Renovated by President Donald J. Trump” below the center’s official name. This, after being denied the right to change the name of the center and being forced to remove signage renaming the memorial to JFK.
Just to enjoy…
- Flock’s array of license-plate cameras was built to fight crime. But at least 50 law enforcement officers were charged with or accused of misusing it and other systems. Have I Been Flocked is a website that aggregates police search logs made available through public records. (more w/email)
- Did you know that Discover is now owned by Capital One?
- “Retirees and other recipients could get a lower cost-of-living adjustment, or COLA, in 2027 after government data released Wednesday showed that lower energy costs were contributing to a slower rate of price increases. Analysts recalculate their estimates for the upcoming Social Security COLA increase every month when the government releases new consumer price index (CPI) data. Still, July’s inflation metrics matter more than most because they go into the calculation for the next year’s adjustment,” writes
What Are the CPI-W and CPI-E? CPI-W measures inflation for households where the primary income comes from jobs such as clerical work or wage labor. This index adjusts Social Security benefits and some government pensions to account for inflation. CPI-E measures inflation for households with individuals aged 62 and older. It’s designed to reflect the spending habits of seniors, who tend to allocate more of their budget to healthcare and housing. CPI-E tracks inflation based on the consumption patterns of people aged 62 and older. (more)
- For most people, a comfortable temperature in summer is about 72°F to 78°F. If you’re not sure what temperature works for you, try starting at about 78°F. The National Sleep Foundation notes that the best temperature for a good night’s sleep falls between 60°F and 67°F. An air conditioner will help reduce humidity, but if humidity is too high, you may need to use a dehumidifier.
Do you watch your local news on a local station? Who owns that station? Nextar? Sinclair? Another conglomerate? Pay atteention to the news you get. Check out sources outside of the USA to see what the rest of the world is focusing on. Pay attention. I, too, am a cookbook addict. We have ticks in our woods. Nasty critters. Head Start is on the chopping block. Don’t forget to support NPR and PBS. Check out the Presidential Term Countdown Clock. 893 more days.
Wild Cooking Woman 8/10/26
Do you know who Doug Wilson is? You should. According to Kiera Butler, he is a self-declared Christian nationalist who thinks women’s suffrage was a mistake, wants to bring back public flogging, and believes in an America dominated by what he calls “biblical masculinity.” He is also influential in the elimination of women from the military being pushed by the current Secretary of Defense.
See the religious breakdown of your state and how it compares to the rest of the country HERE.
There are instances when doing less is better for the environment and your plants. Avoid deadheading these plants until after summer.
The U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) announced a recall by Taylor Fresh Foods (doing business as Taylor Farms) of numerous ready-to-eat foods sold nationwide. The products were distributed to retail distribution centers in 26 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, West Virginia, Wisconsin. Go HERE for a full list of recalled products.
Meet the elite squad known as the “Old Ladies Against Underwater Garbage” (OLAUG), a Cape Cod nonprofit made up of senior women who kayak, free-dive, and pull submerged trash out of freshwater ponds.
Dennis Kirk, co-author of Project 2025, has been nominated to be the Interior Department’s inspector general.
Want to make yourself less appealing to mosquitoes? Take this quiz for some surprising how-to ideas.
How can you get ink out of your clothes? According to Homeaglow:
- For ballpoint ink, dab alcohol or foamy shaving cream onto the ink stain and leave for a few minutes. Blot the stain with layers of white paper towels or a cloth dampened with water.
- For felt-tip pen ink, apply alcohol to a clean towel and rub the stained area. If that doesn’t work, try mixing one part baking soda with one part toothpaste in a small cup.
My most recent cookbook purchases:
- Cooking from Scratch: A Careful Selection of Useful Recipes by Toya Boudy
- A Domestic Cookbook: The First Known African American Cookbook – A Culinary Legacy from 1866 by Malinda Russell
- Food in Jars: Preserving in Small Batches Year-Round by Marisa McClellan
- The Complete America’s Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook 2001–2026 by America’s Test Kitchen
- Helen Corbitt Cooks for Looks by Helen Corbitt
- Helen Corbitt’s Greenhouse Cookbook by Helen Corbitt
- Helen Corbitt Cooks for Company by Helen Corbitt
- Braided Heritage: Recipes and Stories on the Origin of American Cuisine by Jessica B. Harris
The Department of Health and Human Services shared plans to cut back the majority of Head Start federal requirements.
Scallion & Fresh Corn Spoon Bread
INGREDIENTS
2 cups corn kernels (from about 4 cobs)
1 1/4 cups milk
1 cup water
1 tsp. kosher salt
1 cup fine white cornmeal
2 tbsp. butter, cut into pieces, plus more for greasing the skillet
1/2 cup thinly sliced scallions
1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
3 eggs
1/2 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. baking soda
PREPARATION
- Preheat oven to 375ºF.
- Grease a 10-inch cast-iron skillet or an 8-inch-by-8-inch casserole dish well with butter and set
aside. - Add kernels to a food processor and pulse until roughly chopped. Reserve.
- Heat milk, water, and salt in a heavy saucepan over medium heat until bubbles appear around
the edges. Then whisk in cornmeal and cook until thickened, 2–3 minutes. Remove pan from
heat and stir in butter, then scallions, kernels, and nutmeg. Mix well. Let the mixture cool, then
vigorously whisk in eggs. Sprinkle cream of tartar and baking soda over the mixture and stir to
combine. - Pour batter into the skillet or casserole dish and place in the oven. Bake for 30–45 minutes,
rotating once halfway through, until the center is set but still a little bit jiggly and the top is lightly
browned. - Spoon bread should inflate while cooking and deflate as it cools. Allow to cool for 15–30 minutes
before serving.
Recipe from Steven Satterfield of Miller Union in Atlanta, Georgia
I am back. Missed you all. Always some drama. Took a break from the news, too! Not a complete break, but enough to feel rested and ready to go again. Lots of concerns. Some we just have to watch, and speak up when we can. You can be a thermometer or a thermostat. (Thanks, Dr. Dorothy M.) Will Will Smith’s movie “I, Robot” come true? How many more people will starve to death in the wealthiest nation on the planet over the next 900 or so days? Why is taking one pill a day to save your life so onorous? Why don’t we have a better system than shipping children from foster placement to foster placement with their few belongings in garbage bags? How many people have died from the cyclospora outbreak?Is there any food that is safe to eat? Does character matter? Has it ever mattered? Don’t forget to support NPR and PBS. Check out the Presidential Term Countdown Clock. 900 more days.
Wild Cooking Woman 8/4/26
How long has it been since you cleaned your phone’s screen? What about your TV? Your child’s tablet? Not that you need to wipe away all your DNA, unless, of course, you have another life we don’t know about. Clean them to remove skin oils, germs, food residue, and anything else that finds your devices. Here’s how you can clean them safely.
On my reading table —
- Exit Strategy by Lee Child and Andrew Child
- River is Waiting by Wally Lamb
- Angel Down by Daniel Kraus
- Paper Girl by Beth Macy
- There Is No Place For Us by Brian Goldstone
- Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
- The Great Hippopotamus Hotel by Alexander McCall Smith
- Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor
