Paula Deen and More....

So much in the news lately that Miss Ginger has to take a break from the craft room and the kitchen to catch up and opine! 

First- the Paula Deen drama.  Here are a few things Miss G has to put out there. First, she hates the "n" word. It makes her wince. When she was younger, Miss G heard Daddy G use it often... she'd like to think he didn't use it specifically to express hate... she'd like to think he didn't mean any hate at all.  She heard Momma say it occasionally, but not very often.  And if any of us said it, we were corrected to use the word "negro", just as if we had used the word "ain't" instead of "isn't". As Miss G  grew older, and learned what the word meant, how hateful it was, and how powerfully it expressed that hate, she realized it was a totally inappropriate word, and never used it again.  So, like Paula Deen, Miss Ginger would be lying if she said that word had never in her  life crossed her lips. But, as Paula said: "It's been a very long time."

Is Paula a racist?  Miss Ginger has no idea. She don't know Paula personally. She has watched and enjoyed her show on many occasions, and she's never seen her make a racist comment, or even any racist insinuations. Does that mean she's not a racist? I can't say that, either. Miss Ginger can only say that she has never witnessed Paula demonstrating racist behavior. 

Did Paula treat the employee who is suing her with disrespect and injustice? Again, I have no idea, and even if I did, it wouldn't matter. Miss Ginger is not a judge, and won't be asked to serve on a jury in Paula's jurisdiction, so the point it moot. Only the judge and jury can determine if she mistreated anybody, and then, it is only their opinion.  

So, Miss Ginger's opinion? Karma is a bitch and will take care of the rest.  How far Karma takes it is yet to be seen!

Next up: Senator Wendy Davis, D- Fort Worth.  If you've been anywhere near twitter in the last 24 hours you know who she is... but her story is worth retelling, in case you missed it! 

Texas Asshole Governor Prick Perry called a special legislative session to try to push through a bill that would severely limit the rights of women's clinics in the state to perform abortions.  It would outlaw abortions after 20 weeks completely, and prior to that, only ambulatory surgery centers within 30 miles of a hospital could perform the procedure. Effectively, this would reduce the number of family planning clinics in the state from 37 to 5, and since there would be 2 in Houston, only women in the 4 largest cities in Texas would have access to care.  

So, Senator Davis decided to filibuster, to keep the dialogue open until it was too late to vote.  She was required to talk non-stop for the entire time she held the floor, with no breaks for water, food, or the potty, and was not allowed to sit, lean, or stray from the topic. She started a little after 11am, and needed to keep it going until midnight. 

She talked all day and into the night on Tuesday, until the repugnants realize they'd better stop her PDQ if they wanted to vote on their little bill.  They called foul when another Senator approach her from behind to place a back brace around her waist, saying she was not allowed to have ANY assistance.  When they tried to call the bill to a vote, all hell broke loose!  The pro-choice crowd had filled the observation chamber, the rotunda of the capitol, the lawn, and just about every other square inch of Austin. And they went BERZERK when the Lt. Governor tried to bring the bill to a vote!  They screamed and hollered so loudly that he could not maintain order in the chambers. It was classic! Miss Ginger watched the live video feed in amazement as the various members of the legislature posed "parliamentary inquiries" for two hours, trying to sort out whether Davis had indeed, violated the rules. Bedlam ensued in the chamber, and as the clock ticked toward midnight, the Lt. Governor screams over the crowd trying to regain order and force a vote. He did manage to begin a roll call vote, but it was not completed prior to midnight. At first he claimed it didn't matter since it was begun during the session, but after allegations of document changes, sexism, and other unsavory issues in behind-close-doors meetings,  he emerged to announce that even though (according to him) the vote was completed and the bill had a majority "yes" vote, it was not done in adequate time for him to sign it into law, so it failed.  Victory bedlam from the pro-choice crowd.  First thing today, Governor Asshat called another special session to try to get it through again. Jeez... the man will just not give up: he want's into the vagina of every woman in Texas! 

And finally, the SCOTUS today rendered the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional, effectively saying that states cannot refuse to recognize same-sex marriages from other states where it is legal, and that same-sex couples are entitled to federal benefits.  Shortly after the ruling, Michelle Backwoman talked into her Dixie cup to tell the world that fire and brimstone were headed their way. Later, when asked what she thought of Backwoman's diatribe, Nancy Pelosi answered with 2 of the most quoted words of the day: "who cares?!"  

So, after all this excitement, Miss Ginger is ready to strap on her sling backs and pound the pavement to help get Wendy Davis elected to be Texas' next governor.  And as for Miss G's aspirations for the eloquent Pelosi?

Healthy and Delicious!

Here's a recipe that's quick, easy, and healthy- and unexpectedly delicious!  Miss Ginger has been seeing a lot of different avocado/pasta recipes on Pinterest, so she decided to copy steal concoct one of her own!  It's avocado season, and she has read that they are good for lowering her cholesterol, so, hey- a delicious food with good PR that's not real expensive? What's not to love?

This dish has just a few simple ingredients, and comes together in a snap!

1 bag of Trader Joe's pasta- any shape (they only have one size! Love that place for it's simplicity!!) Of course, any pasta will work- but you gotta figure out how much!

9 Campari tomatoes, or an equivalent amount of another kind of tomato (if you use big tomatoes you will want to peel them and dice them. Camparis are too small to peel, so Miss Ginger just kinda sliced them. You could also you cherry or grape tomatoes.)

1 can Artichoke hearts, packed in water (not the kind packed in oil)

2 Avocados, sliced

Olive Oil (or I guess you could just use the artichokes with oil in them!)

1 lb Louisiana Gulf Shrimp- the only shrimp worth eating! 

garlic, old bay seasoning- to taste

Boil the pasta.  While it's boiling:

Heat a large saute pan over medium heat; add olive oil to cover the bottom. (Lesson from Momma G:  "Hot pan, cold oil- food won't stick. Always heat your pan first!") Add the tomatoes, artichoke hearts, and seasoning, and cook until the tomatoes release their water and it boils down by about half. Add the avocado slices and stir them in well; they will begin to break up and make the sauce creamy.  Add the shrimp and cook until done, about 5 minutes.  

Drain the pasta and combine with the sauce. 

That's it!  You just cooked dinner in about 15 minutes! It makes about 6 servings!

Enjoy!