Monday, October 02, 2023

Instant Pot Stuffed Peppers in the Kitchen

Michael e-mailed he had the perfect recipe for the Instapot from The Food Network:


Ingredients:


Directions:

  1.                If the bell peppers don't sit upright on your cutting board, trim about 1/8 inch off the bottom to make level. Cut the top 1/2 inch off each pepper. Remove and discard the stem, then finely chop the remaining flesh from the trimmed top. Scoop out the seeds and as much of the membranes as you can. Set the hollowed-out bell peppers aside.
  2. Set a 6-quart Instant Pot® to high saute (see Cook's Note). Add the olive oil to the pot; once it's shimmering, add the chopped bell pepper, onion, garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are just tender, about 4 minutes. Add the ground beef, then cook, breaking up the meat with a wooden spoon into small pieces, until no longer pink, about 4 minutes more. Stir in the diced tomato, chicken broth, tomato paste, chili powder, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt and several grinds of black pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the tomato starts to break down and the mixture becomes thick and saucy, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of the Cheddar and the rice until cheese is melted and rice is combined. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and black pepper. Turn off the saute function, then spoon the filling into the reserved bell peppers. Wipe out the Instant Pot bowl. 
  3. Set the rack into the bottom of the pot, then pour in 3/4 cup water. Add the stuffed bell peppers (they should fit snuggly). 
  4. Follow the manufacturer's guide for locking the lid and preparing to cook. Set to pressure cook on high for 5 minutes. After the pressure-cook cycle is complete, follow the manufacturer's guide for quick release and wait until the quick-release cycle is complete (this should take about 1 minute). Being careful of any remaining steam, unlock and remove the lid, then top the stuffed peppers with the remaining 1/2 cup Cheddar, dividing evenly. Place the lid back on the pot and let stand until the residual steam melts the cheese, about 1 minute. Use tongs and/or a large spoon to transfer the stuffed peppers to a plate and sprinkle with the parsley.              



If you missed it, last week I noted I was going to do a week of Instapot recipes.  

I've been covering spices a lot lately so let me note this from the FDA:


Penzeys Spices of Wauwatosa, WI, is voluntarily recalling some of its 2.2-ounce Jars of Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle (SKU/Item Number 20756) because they may contain undeclared sesame seeds. People who have allergies to sesame seeds run the risk of serious or life-threatening allergic reactions if they consume these products.

The Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle in question was distributed nationwide ONLY in Penzeys Retail Stores and through Internet or Phone orders beginning July 5, 2023.

The product comes in a 2.2-ounce, clear glass jar marked on the side with the following information:

  • Batch/Lot # 37652-1 or 37652-2
  • “BEST BY JUL 2024”

No other sizes or lots are affected by this voluntary recall.

No illnesses have been reported to date in connection with this recall.

The voluntary recall was initiated after it was discovered that a small sample of a similar item containing sesame seeds was unintentionally added to the “Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle” during bottling. An investigation identified that the problem was caused by an error in the company's production/packaging processes and corrective action has been taken.

The impacted 2.2-ounce Jars of Brady Street Cheese Sprinkle are eligible for replacement or full refund. Consumers can return the item to any Penzeys location, or contact us at customerservice@penzeys.com, or 1-800-741-7787.

Penzeys Spices - 12001 W Capitol Drive - Wauwatosa, WI 53222








This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Monday:


Monday, October 2, 2023.  In Iraq, a report on the fire that left over 100 dead was issued Sunday and is already being called out today as a whitewash, in the US Congressional skirmishes take place on both sides, an elderly woman and her fan base want her appointed to the Senate because they believe the country needs more almost 80 year olds in elected office, and much more.


Over the weekend, a stop-gap measure was passed to avoid a government shutdown.  This was a kick-the-can measure that only funds the government until November 17th.  Which means, it could again come down to a nail biter right before Thanksgiving.

Many things took place over the weekend having to do with Congress -- and all more consequential than a pulled fire alarm.  In the House, Corbin Boiles (DAILY BEAST) notes:

Rep. Dean Phillips of Minnesota will step down from his post in Democratic leadership over his public statements that another Democrat should challenge Joe Biden for president next year, according to Axios. “My convictions relative to the 2024 presidential race are incongruent with the majority of my caucus, and I felt it appropriate to step aside from elected leadership,” he told Axios reporter Andrew Solender. Phillips has expressed his interest in a challenger, not ruling out the possibility of his own run as recently as last month.


When you hear the name Matt Gaetz, it generally means he's having another tantrum or dating another high school girl. Over the weekend, you heard his name because of a tantrum.  He wants to take down the Speaker of the House.  Aaron Parnas (MEIDAS TOUCH NETWORK) notes:


Hours after the House of Representatives narrowly avoided a government shutdown, talks on Capitol Hill have now turned to the possible (dare we say, bipartisan) expulsion of Congressman Matt Gaetz. As you may be aware, Gaetz is currently facing an ethics investigation into several allegations including sexual misconduct, illicit drug use, and others. Now, the rumor on Capitol Hill is that if the Ethics Committee comes back and has findings of guilt, House GOP leadership will seek to quickly expel Matt Gaetz. Such a decision would likely face little opposition from House Democrats, and only half of the House Republican Caucus would have to join this resolution. 
This ethics investigation was reopened weeks after the United States Attorney's Office declined to prosecute Gaetz for actions related to the possible sex trafficking of minors. But, a declination by a U.S. Attorney does not automatically end an ethics investigation on Capitol Hill. Quite the contrary actually. For example, when Senator Bob Menendez was first indicted and later acquitted, he did not face criminal accountability but was admonished by the Ethics Committee. 


Covering the same story, FOX NEWS adds:


The House Republican members will seek to expel Gaetz if the ethics committee report comes back with findings of guilt, Fox News has learned. One member told Fox News the report is mostly written but does not know what it contains. Yet following threats to vacate McCarthy, the member said of Gaetz, "No one can stand him at this point. A smart guy without morals."

It takes a two-thirds vote to expel. And Republicans are treading on thin ice with their majority. The House is down to 433 members. It’s unclear where things stand with federally indicted Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y. If you were to have members expelled, retire or die, the majority could be right on the edge for the GOP. 

During an appearance on CNN Sunday morning, Gaetz said he planned "to file a motion to vacate against Speaker McCarthy this week."


Staying with the theme of Congress gone wild, Joshua Wilburn (RADAR) notes:

Brian Glenn, the boyfriend of Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and host for Right Side Broadcasting Network, went on a rampage against a heckler at a recent event featuring former President Donald Trump, RadarOnline.com has learned.

The incident occurred in Santa Monica, California, where a group of supporters greeted the GOP frontrunner. However, a heckler's question about Trump's popularity triggered Glenn's explosive response.

According to Mediaite, the event took place on Friday, with Trump delivering remarks earlier in the day in Anaheim.

During his speech, he mocked the Pelosi family, imitated President Joe Biden, and advised Californians to "dampen your forests" to prevent wildfires.

As Trump greeted his supporters in Santa Monica and signed autographs, a man in the crowd questioned the size of the gathering, asking, "Donald, why are there only a hundred people here? I thought you were popular."

This simple inquiry ignited Glenn's wrath, leaving him momentarily unable to articulate a coherent response.

In a fit of rage, Glenn berated the heckler, shouting, "Why are you an idiot? This guy's an idiot, President Trump. I'm going to throw his ass out of here."

The shocking spectacle unfolded as Glenn approached Trump, microphone in hand, attempting to reassure him of his popularity.


Moving over to the Georgia state senate, Dave Williams (GEORGIA PUBLIC RADIO) reports:


The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus has suspended freshman Sen. Colton Moore after he unsuccessfully pushed for a special legislative session to investigate Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’s prosecution of former President Donald Trump.

Moore, R-Trenton, mounted his bid for a special session despite Gov. Brian Kemp publicly dismissing the idea and over the objections of the other 32 Republican state senators.

In a statement issued Thursday, the caucus accused Moore of using false statements to whip up public sentiment against those opposed to a special session .

“Senator Moore has a right to his opinion,” the statement read. “However, during his advocacy for his ill-conceived proposal, Senator Moore has knowingly misled people across Georgia and our nation, causing unnecessary tension and hostility while putting his caucus colleagues and their families at risk of personal harm.”


From Georgia to California, we find idiots like Ro demanding that Governor Gavin Newsom fill the empty seat in the US Senate (Dianne Feinstein passed away at the age of 90 last Friday) with the elderly Barbara Lee.  Lee is 77.  It's cute the way 'progressives' pretend to care about things one moment and jettison them the next.  Especially consider Barbara Lee's long term fake assery.

I'm against the war but I'm giving Barack one year to get us out of Afghanistan and then I'm going to hold him accountable -- she said at the start of 2009.

And then again in 2010 and then again and then again -- and never held him accountable.  He had eight years in the White House and never had to once fear 'pressure' from Barbara Lee.

She's really good at flapping her gums but that's all she's ever been good at.  She's failed to deliver repeatedly and she was behind the disbanding of the Out of Iraq caucus -- though that may be one of her few 'accomplishments' she doesn't rush to brag about.

There are way too many people in elected office right now who are over the age of 70.  The last thing the country needs is one more.  Gavin shouldn't appoint her to begin with  but her age should also rule her out.   

California needs younger representation.  Barbara Lee needs to find a nursing home, not a seat in the Senate.  She knows she's not liked in the state and that she probably can't win in 2024 unless she's the seated incumbent.  That's what her recent attacks on Gavin were about.  


Again,  Barbara Lee at 77 today is too old to be going to the US Senate.  The country needs young blood and 77 is too damn old.  She will be 78 next year and can run for the seat -- she won't win it because the people California actually know her -- as opposed to soft press she gets from left websites who think her empty words mean something.  She's too damn old.


From one empty politician (Barbara Lee) to another (Ron DeSantis), Florida's governor is not being greeted warmly.  Manasa Gogineni (THE CALIFORNIAN) reports:

GOP candidate and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a highly controversial trip to Salinas today, which was preceded by community protests on Sunday and Wednesday, a Salinas City Council resolution denouncing his visit, and widespread disapproval from county supervisors, organizations and Salinas residents across social media.

Executives of big agriculture companies from Taylor Farms to Mission Produce hosted a private fundraising brunch for DeSantis this morning ahead of his bid for the White House, with tickets selling at $3,300 a seat.

DeSantis has gained notoriety for supporting policies that harm farmworkers and make it more difficult for undocumented immigrants to gain employment.

Salinas has a large population of immigrant and migrant farm workers, which agriculture companies have historically failed to protect from voter intimidation, COVID-19, wildfires and harmful pesticides (which are used in fields near local schools despite being linked to leukemia in children).


Ben Blanchet (HUFFINGTON POST) notes the response to Ronald wasn't that much warmer on FOX NEWS:

Fox News host Maria Bartiromo kept it frank with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis over former President Donald Trump’s big lead against him in national polls. (You can check out the interview in the clip below)

The Florida governor has trailed Trump the entire year in an average of national polls and, as of Sunday, is behind the GOP frontrunner by over 40 percentage points, according to polling aggregator FiveThirtyEight.

“Let’s face it, governor, Donald Trump is ahead of you by a significant margin,” Bartiromo told DeSantis during his appearance on “Sunday Morning Futures.”

“I think the last poll was 52 percent, above, right now, for Trump. How are you going to cut into Trump’s lead? What truly is your path to victory?”


He has none.  Turns out, when you attack women, African-Americans, immigrants, teachers, professors and the LGBTQ+ community, you are left with very few that can support you.  Oops, almost forgot his war on DISNEY.  Molly Sprayregen (LGBTQ NATION) explains:

The Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis-appointed board overseeing Disney World’s tax district has officially approved a $4.5 million budget for the year to fund the anti-LGBTQ+ governor’s legal battle with the entertainment company.

The board approved an overall $194.5 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year, setting aside an anticipated $4.5 million in legal fees for DeSantis to defend himself against Disney. According to the Washington Post, taxpayers have already footed the $1.9 million that has been spent on lawyers for the case this year. 


Yeah, that's not good business.  Mike Schneider (AP) reports on Ronald's war on DISNEY:

The Florida governor asked that the company’s First Amendment lawsuit against him be tossed from federal court, and Disney demanded emails, texts and other communications from the governor’s office in a separate state court lawsuit originally brought by DeSantis appointees of Walt Disney World’s governing district.

The legal filings marked an escalation in the battle between the entertainment giant and DeSantis, a candidate for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. The confrontation started last year when Disney publicly opposed a state law banning classroom lessons on sexual orientation and gender identity in early grades, and DeSantis retaliated by taking over the governing district that provides municipal services for the 25,000-acre (10,117-hectare) Disney World theme park resort in Florida.

[. . .]

Disney also sent a notice to DeSantis’ office demanding internal communications, including text messages and emails, and documents regarding the district’s comprehensive plan, the development agreements and the legislation that shifted control of the district to DeSantis. The notice said a subpoena would be issued requiring the governor’s office to turn over the materials to Disney’s attorneys by Oct. 27. 


Ronald's like a cock roach, he skirts off when caught in the light of day.   As Tori Otten (THE NEW REPUBLIC) notes, Ronald's wasting millions of tax dollars on lawsuits:


 In reality, DeSantis has spent more than $17 million defending his terrible laws in court since he took office. As a result, the state budget for 2023 includes a $15.8 million allotment just to defend his policies.

That allotment includes $6 million for the governor’s office, compared to just $1.6 million last year. The State University System Board of Governors received an extra $2 million to defend DeSantis’s “Stop Woke” Act, and the attorney general’s office got an additional $5 million to defend the state’s backward Covid-19 vaccination policies.

The extra money for legal costs means that DeSantis is able to hire outside (and much more expensive) lawyers to defend his policies. So far, his administration has spent the most defending laws restricting voting rights, transgender health care, and academic freedom. But despite his best efforts, and his hefty coffers, most of those laws were still overturned.



Lweek saw a fire at an Iraqi wedding that left at least 100 people dead  (by Friday, the death toll had risen to 102 and by Friday night, NYT's Alissa J. Rubin notes, it had climbed to 119) with at least 150 more injured.  Though the wedding couple was initially reported dead on Wednesday, they actually survived.  And now Revan, and Haneen are plagued with survivor's guilt.  Friday, they attended funerals for Haneen's brother and her mother.  (Some reports spell the bride's name Hannen.)  In addition, her father was injured and remains hospitalized (critical condition).  The groom's home has been attacked and his car windows broken -- some have blamed him and Haneen for the fire.
 






Haneen and Revan were initially feared dead following the blaze, which claimed the lives of 114 others.

Revan's father later confirmed the couple had survived the blaze, which tore through the large hall in the Christian town, which had survived ISIS occupation.

"It's true that we're sitting here in front of you alive. But inside we are dead. We are numb. We are dead inside," Revan told Sky News.

The horror inferno claimed the lives of 15 members of Revan's family, with the groom adding that his bride "can't speak" following the loss of 10 of her own relatives.



Hunar Rasheed (RUDAW) notes another family haunted by the fire:

The harrowing and tragic deaths of 22 people from one single family during the heartbreaking wedding inferno in Nineveh province's Hamdaniya town over the weekend has echoed across the country.

"This is my sister. This is my father. This is my mother. This is another sister of mine. This is my wife. She is missing," Fuad Silewa, a member of the family that lost 22 members in total, sighed while sobbing and holding their photographs. "I am grateful for God [on all occasions]."

He went on to introduce more family members who died of suffocation during the tragic inferno: "This is my brother's wife. Yesterday, I received [from health authorities] their dead and burned bodies. They have all died of suffocation. This sister had come back from abroad to change her atmosphere by visiting us. Thank you, God."

Over a hundred people lost their lives when a deadly fire engulfed a wedding hall in Hamdaniya after the roof’s flammable plastic ceiling caught fire when fireworks were ignited from the floor.


Naif Ramadhan (RUDAW) notes the dead includes a one-year-and-eight-month old girl named Marya Asaad whose father tried to carry her to safety but she died in his arms.  Her father states, "My daughter loved me more than anyone. She used to be very eager to see me when I returned from work. She would wait for me near the gate and give me my clothes although she was young."  Ayub Nasri (RUDAW) notes that 12-year-old Nazdin Khazwan also perished in the fire.  Nazdin was playing drums for the wedding.  After the roof caught fire and crashed in, Nazdin was not be found (there are over 30 corpses that have yet to be identified).  His father, Khazwan Sulaiman, states, "He told me that a fire had broken out. I looked at the stage and saw him burning. I asked him to leave [the hall]. He followed me to the exit. He told me ‘Come Daddy’ and I saw him running towards the kitchen door.  I saw him until he reached the kitchen door. Sulaiman was behind me and asked where Nazdin was. I told him that Nazdin had exited because he was in front of me and I saw him. We went out but did not find him."  Karwan Faidhi Dri (RUDAW) notes that an engaged couple, Steven and Maryam, had planned to marry next week at the same hall but cannot because Maryam perished in the fire.                                                                            

It should have been a beautiful event and a wonderful memory.  The building was fairly new (built in 2016).  Abeer Khan (AL ARABYIYA) explains that the hall lacked "sufficient emergency exits," as well as a sprinkler system and ample fire extinguishers.  Saturday, Alissa J. Rubin (NEW YORK TIMES) reported on the study ordered by Iraq's prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani:

The draft report from the investigation, ordered by Mr. Sudani, found that in addition to lacking emergency exits and sprinklers, the building had been constructed illegally on agricultural land — a common practice in Iraq as those who no longer farm seek to make money off their fallow acreage.

The report also said the building was made of a substance described by investigators as Ecobond board, which itself is not illegal, but its use must be approved on a case-by-case basis because certain types are highly flammable. It is known locally as sandwich board because it consists of two layers of metal with a synthetic filling between them.

The report found negligence by the owner of the hall — who was detained by the authorities on Wednesday — and his two partners; by the local province’s tourist commission because it had fined the owner for failing to meet fire safety requirements, but did not close the hall; by the mayor of Qaraqosh because he knew about the failings, but, the report said, did not do anything about them; and by other administrative units aware that the hall was illegally built but failed to take any action.

The Civil Defense Force responsible for the area, however, was not named in the initial report. Although the force is responsible for building safety and fire fighting, many residents were critical of its response, saying the authorities were slow to arrive at the scene and ill prepared.

For many people in the area, the fire and the report were painful reminders of the combination of corruption, weak governance and lack of accountability in Iraq.


Rubin did a feature article (a profile) of the prime minister ahead of his visit to New York last week.  That may have been why she was given an advance look at the report.  The report came out Sunday and, as REUTERS notes, pins the blame on "gross negligence."  Some are not accepting the report's conclusions.  AP reports:


Christian religious leaders in northern Iraq called for an international investigation Monday into a deadly wedding fire that killed more than 100 people last week and slammed the government’s probe, which had blamed the blaze on negligence and lack of precautionary measures.

An Iraqi Syriac Catholic priest, meanwhile, said widespread corruption in the country and the influence of armed militias on the government was one of the factors that enabled the fire.

Father Boutros Sheeto, spoke to The Associated Press over the phone from the town of Qaraqosh, where five members of his family, including his Iraqi-American sister, were buried on Monday morning. He claimed the fire was “intentional,” without offering any evidence. 

 



The following sites updated:


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