Kitty e-mailed to note that she's teaching her kids how to prepare food. That's a wonderful gift, as I've noted many times before. Our kids are not going to forget us. If we're okay parents, they're going to love us even when we're gone and if we're abusive jerks we'll also be remembered. But teaching your child how to prepare food creates a special memory. There are foods I make to this day that make me remember my mom teaching me how to do it, my father teaching me or his mother teaching me. And there are times when we're having coffee on the weekend that one of my children (I have 8) will remember when they were younger and I taught them this or that. And they'll have to jog my memory sometimes -- because it was so much bigger to them. It was about trusting them and telling them that they could do this.
So Kitty found a lot of good recipes at Healthy Little Foodies and narrowed it down to two asking me to pick the one to highlight. Ants On A Log is my pick:
Ingredients
▢ 3 Celery Sticks *SEE NOTE 1
▢ ¼ cup Peanut Butter *SEE NOTE 2
▢ 30 Raisins *SEE NOTE 3
Instructions
Wash the celery sticks and cut each stick in half.
Add peanut butter into the concave part of each celery stick and spread.
Push raisins into the peanut butter to represent "ants"
Recipe Notes
1)Alternatives to celery include
Carrots
Cucumber (slice in half, lengthways and scrape out seeds)
Banana (slice in half, lengthways)
Apple (cut into wedges)
Pear (cut into wedges)
Peach / Nectarine (cut into wedges)
2) Alternatives to peanut butter include
Any nut butter
Cream Cheese
Cottage Cheese
Hummus
Mashed avocado/guacamole
Greek Yoghurt
Other dips/spreads (beetroot dip, carrot hummus, bean dip, tzatziki etc)
3) Alternatives to raisins include
Other dried fruit (apricot, dates, figs, pineapple etc) cut into raisin-sized pieces.
Peas
Sweetcorn
Olives
Cherry tomatoes
Grapes
Blueberries
Seeds
Nuts
The reason I picked that one is my kids.
The other recipe has strawberries. I would be surprised if you found many of those here (I'd be surprised if you found any but I'm tired sometimes so who knows).
Two of my eight kids had strawberry allergies. One of my daughters would break out in a painful rash. My son Mike (Mike never cares if I talk about him here, some of my other kids are of the don't-mention-me-by-name!) had it worse. Not only would he get the rash but he would go into shock if he ate something with them in it. Or if someone gave him one at school. Now both of them were only allergic to fresh strawberries. But Mike's got so bad in junior high, he couldn't even be near them.
An idiot at an after school event put him next to 3 trays of strawberries. And why would you do that? She knew he was allergic so why would you put him next to a food that he couldn't eat?
He didn't eat it but that's when we learned that even the fumes from fresh strawberries could harm him.
He's grown out of the allergy over the years. He still gets the rash but that's about it.
But that really ticked me off with both kids (and now one grandkid who's allergic) because the school would acknowledge the peanut allergy -- and it should acknowledge it -- but the strawberry allergy was treated as nothing.
Modern Family, the TV show, has an episode where a child is highly allergic to strawberries to the point of breathing and that's the only time I've ever seen a TV show or film address that reality.
Reality? Michelle Obama gave a great speech last night.
News? Zachary D. Carter (Slate) has an important piece:
Eight years ago, anyone who accused the executive class of stoking racism to “divide and conquer” workers would have been attacked by an outrage army for minimizing the role of race in American history. When Fain said it Monday night, a relaxed audience simply cheered. This was a party comfortable with itself as pro-union, anti-monopoly, and pro-family—all families—one whose paeans to retail workers, immigrants, and ex–Trump voters seemed natural, with no need for certificates of authenticity.
There were real worldview differences between the old Clinton and Sanders camps, but what made these ideologies so difficult to unite was their origin in an equally real social distinction. For all the ink and pixels dedicated to analyzing the 2016 contest through race, gender, and class, the most striking and consistent demographic divide was age. Hillary handily defeated Bernie among women overall, for instance, even as Sanders trounced her by 37 points among women under 30. Sanders’ idealism was innately appealing to the young, whose energy and optimism have always been essential to any project aimed at social change. But his appeals to economic justice were uniquely compelling to a generation that came of working age during the Great Recession, a time when the volume of student debt more than doubled. Even college grads who made it into the economic lifeboats knew plenty of people who hadn’t. The experience of economic frustration was common, the experience of economic fear almost universal. The dividing line between millennials and Gen X was not so much a calendar year as an economic order.
This is C.I.'s "Iraq snapshot" for Wednesday:
OK! We got a big night ahead. Thank you all so much. Thank you so much.
OK. Hello Chicago!
Something wonderfully magical is in the air, isn't it?
You know we're feeling it here in this arena, but spreading all across this country we love. A familiar feeling that's been buried too deep for far too long.
You know what I'm talking about?
It's the contagious power of hope!
The anticipation, the energy, the exhilaration of once again being on the cusp of a brighter day.
The chance to vanquish the demons of fear, division, and hate that have consumed us and continue pursuing the unfinished promise of this great nation-the dream that our parents and grandparents fought and died and sacrificed for.
America, hope is making a comeback!
But to be honest, I'm realizing that until recently, I have mourned the dimming of that hope.
Maybe you've experienced the same feelings; it's that deep pit in my stomach, a palpable sense of dread about the future.
And for me, that mourning has also been mixed with my own personal grief.
The last time I was here in my hometown was to memorialize my mother-the woman who showed me the meaning of hard work, humility, and decency. The woman who set my moral compass high and showed me the power of my own voice.
Folks, I still feel her loss so profoundly. I wasn't even sure if I'd be steady enough to stand before you tonight.
But my heart compelled me to be here because of the sense of duty I feel to honor her memory and to remind us all not to squander the sacrifices our elders made to give us a better future.
You see, my mom, in her steady, quiet way, lived out that striving sense of hope every single day of her life.
She believed that all children, all people, have value, that anyone can succeed if given the opportunity.
She and my father didn't aspire to be wealthy. In fact, they were suspicious of those who took more than they needed.
They understood that it wasn't enough for their kids to thrive if everyone else around us was drowning.
So my mother volunteered at the local school. She always looked out for the other kids on our block.
She was glad to do the thankless, unglamorous work that for generations has strengthened the fabric of this nation.
The belief that if you do unto others, if you love thy neighbor, if you work and scrape and sacrifice, it will pay off-if not for you, then maybe for your children or your grandchildren. You see, those values have been passed on through family farms and factory towns, through tree-lined streets and crowded tenements, through prayer groups and National Guard units and social studies classrooms.
Those were the values my mother poured into me until her very last breath.
Kamala Harris and I built our lives on those same foundational values.
Even though our mothers grew up an ocean apart, they shared the same belief in the promise of this country.
That's why her mother moved here from India at 19.
It's why she taught Kamala about justice, about the obligation to lift others up, about our responsibility to give more than we take.
She'd often tell her daughter, "Don't sit around and complain about things-do something!"
So with that voice in her head, Kamala went out and she worked hard in school, graduating from an HBCU. Earning her law degree at a state school. And then she went on to work for the people.
Fighting to hold lawbreakers accountable and strengthen the rule of law, fighting to get folks better wages, cheaper prescription drugs, a good education, decent health care, childcare, and elder care.
From a middle-class household, Kamala worked her way up to become Vice President of the United States of America.
My girl Kamala Harris is more than ready for this moment.
She is one of the most qualified people ever to seek the office of the presidency. And she is one of the most dignified, a tribute to her mother, to my mother, and to your mother too. The embodiment of the stories we tell ourselves about this country.
Her story is your story. It's my story. It's the story of the vast majority of Americans trying to build a better life.
Look, Kamala knows, like we do, that regardless of where you come from, what you look like, who you love, how you worship, or what's in your bank account we all deserve the opportunity to build a decent life. All of our contributions deserve to be accepted and valued.
Because no one has a monopoly on what it means to be an American. No one!
Kamala has shown her allegiance to this nation, not by spewing anger and bitterness, but by living a life of service and always pushing the doors of opportunity open for others.
She understands that most of us will never be afforded the grace of failing forward. We will never benefit from the affirmative action of generational wealth.
If we bankrupt a business or choke in a crisis, we don't get a second, third, or fourth chance.
If things don't go our way, we don't have the luxury of whining or cheating others to get further ahead, no. We don't get to change the rules so we always win.
If we see a mountain in front of us, we don't expect there to be an escalator waiting to take us to the top.
No, we put our heads down. We get to work. In America, we do something.
And throughout her entire life, that's what we've seen from Kamala Harris: the steel of her spine, the steadiness of her upbringing, the honesty of her example, and yes, the joy of her laughter and her light.
It couldn't be more obvious: of the two major candidates in this race, only Kamala Harris truly understands the unseen labor and unwavering commitment that has always made America great.
Now, unfortunately, we know what comes next. We know folks are going to do everything they can to distort her truth.
My husband and I, sadly, know a little something about this.
For years, Donald Trump did everything in his power to try to make people fear us.
See, his limited and narrow view of the world made him feel threatened by the existence of two hardworking, highly educated, successful people who happened to be Black.
I wanna know, I wanna know: Who's going to tell him that the job he's currently seeking might just be one of those "Black jobs"?
It's his same old con: doubling down on ugly, misogynistic, racist lies as a substitute for real ideas and solutions that will actually make people's lives better.
Because gutting our health care, taking away our freedom to control our bodies, the freedom to become a mother through IVF, like I did-those things are not going to improve the health outcomes of our wives, mothers, and daughters.
Shutting down the Department of Education, banning our books-none of that will prepare our kids for the future.
Demonizing our children for being who they are and loving who they love-look, that doesn't make anybody's life better.
Instead, it only makes us small.
And let me tell you this, going small is never the answer.
Going small is the opposite of what we teach our children.
Going small is petty, it's unhealthy, and quite frankly, it's unpresidential.
So why would any of us accept this from anyone seeking our highest office? Why would we normalize this type of backward leadership?
Doing so only demeans and cheapens our politics. It only serves to further discourage good, big-hearted people from wanting to get involved at all.
America, our parents taught us better than that and we deserve so much better than that.
That's why we must do everything in our power to elect two of those good, big-hearted people. There is no other choice than Kamala Harris and Tim Walz! No other choice!
But as we embrace this renewed sense of hope, let us not forget the despair we have felt. Let us not forget what we are up against.
Yes, Kamala and Tim are doing great right now. They're packing arenas across the country. Folks are energized, we are feeling good.
But remember there are still so many people who are desperate for a different outcome. Who are ready to question and criticize every move Kamala makes, who are eager to spread those lies, who don't want to vote for a woman, who will continue to prioritize building their wealth over ensuring everyone has enough.
So no matter how good we feel tonight or tomorrow or the next day, this is going to be an uphill battle. So folks, we cannot be our own worst enemies.
No, the minute something goes wrong, the minute a lie takes hold, we cannot start wringing our hands. We cannot get a Goldilocks complex about whether everything is just right.
And we cannot indulge our anxieties about whether this country will elect someone like Kamala instead of doing everything we can to get someone like Kamala elected.
Kamala and Tim, they have lived amazing lives. And I am confident they will lead with compassion, inclusion, and grace.
But they are still only human. They are not perfect. And like all of us, they will make mistakes.
But luckily, y'all, this is not just on them.
No, uh-uh, this is up to us-all of us-to be the solution we seek. It is up to all of us to be the antidote to all the darkness and division.
I don't care how you identify politically; whether you're a Democrat, Republican, independent, or none of the above, this is our time to stand up for what we know in our hearts is right.
To stand up not just for our basic freedoms but for decency and humanity, for basic respect, dignity, and empathy. For the values at the very foundation of this democracy.
It's up to us to remember what Kamala's mother told her: Don't just sit around and complain - do something!
So if they lie about her, and they will, we've got to do something!
If we see a bad poll, and we will, we've got to put down that phone and do something!
If we start feeling tired, if we start feeling that dread creeping back in, we've got to pick ourselves up, throw water on our faces what? [Crowd: Do something!]
We have only two and a half months to get this thing done. Only 11 weeks to make sure every single person we know is registered and has a voting plan.
So we cannot afford for anyone, anyone in America to sit on their hands and wait to be called upon. Don't complain if no one from the campaign has specifically reached out to ask for your support; there is simply no time for that kind of foolishness.
You know what we need to do.
So consider this to be your official ask: Michelle Obama is asking y'all - no I'm telling y'all - to do something!
Because-You all, this is going to be close.
In some states, just a handful, listen to me a handful of votes in every precinct could decide the winner.
So we need to vote in numbers that erase any doubt. We need to overwhelm any effort to suppress us.
Our fate is in our hands!
In 77 days, we have the power to turn our country away from the fear, division, and smallness of the past.
We have the power to marry our hope with our action.
We have the power to pay forward the love, sweat, and sacrifice of our mothers and fathers and all those who came before us.
We did it before, y'all, and we sure can do it again.
Let us work like our lives depend on it.
Let us keep moving our country forward and go higher - yes, always higher - than we've ever gone before.
As we elect the next President and Vice President of the United States, Kamala Harris and Tim Walz!
Thank you all, God bless.
CHICAGO – Yesterday, tens of millions of Americans tuned in to watch and engage with content from the first night of the 2024 Democratic National Convention – hearing directly from President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and voices across the Democratic coalition about the Harris-Walz vision for the future. Democrats are meeting people where they are, making the convention available to Americans inside and outside the hall as we tell our story to the country.
Broadcast:
- On TV, the first night of the DNC averaged 20 million viewers across 13 networks.
- This was well above the first night of the Republican National Convention, which averaged 18.1 million viewers on its first night on the same networks.
Streaming:
- Across DNC/Harris-Walz online platforms, over 7 million people streamed the first night of the convention.
Digital Content:
- Through partner-created content, there were 30 million views on content created from night one alone.
- The 2024 Democratic National Convention credentialed over 200 content creators with a cumulative reach of 169 million people.
- There have been over 2,200 downloads of DNC-provided content over the past week.
“Tens of millions of voters across America are tuning in, and here is what they’re watching: a united Democratic party with a vision for an America where we build up the middle class, we protect our democracy, and we create a future of opportunity and more freedom, not less,” said DNCC Senior Director of Communications Matt Hill. “That stands in stark contrast to the very sad and smaller audience who watched Donald Trump and MAGA Republicans push their unpopular Project 2025 that will rip away reproductive freedom, take health care away from millions, and cut taxes for billionaires at the expense of the middle class.”
As the numbers continue to come in, it’s clear that the combined viewership of the first night of the Democratic National Convention reached over 57 million Americans with numbers to only grow over the week.
The 2024 Democratic National Convention is giving Americans more ways to watch and engage than ever before. The 2024 Democratic National Convention is being streamed on over a dozen platforms as a part of its efforts to reach Americans everywhere they are. For the first time in convention history, the convention is hosting vertical streams across TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, in addition to the convention being streamed online on a variety of platforms including Amazon Prime Video, TV device apps such as Apple TV and Roku TV, and traditional television broadcasts.
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