Making jelly today

I am taking advantage of the cooler weather to make elderberry jelly today. I've made 9 6-oz. jars. Should be enough for PB&J sammiches to last through the winter!

LeBron James' "I Promise" School

AKRON, Ohio - When the LeBron James Family Foundation I Promise School opens today, 240 at-risk Akron school children will get their first glimpse at a pathway designed to spell success for themselves and their families.

The I Promise School, built through a partnership between Akron Public Schools and the foundation, will welcome third-and fourth graders at 400 West Market St in Akron. By 2022, it will house grades first through eighth and will number nearly 1,000 kids.

All the students attending the I Promise School are under-performing in reading, math and other essential academic areas. The current students were selected randomly from a larger group of at-risk kids. The curriculum is STEM-based and will educate the kids through hands-on approach.

Through the Family Resource Center, the school will offer the wrap-around services that some families need for day-to-day survival, from a daily food pantry stocked by the Akron-Canton Regional Foodbank to GED classes for parents and caregivers.

In addition to an academic program, the I Promise School will use a "trauma-informed" approach to engaging students to show them a safe, supportive environment.

That includes:

Daily breakfast with their teachers
A daily time for social-emotional learning, to develop habits of promise, belonging and a sense of community
A daily supportive circle after lunch each day to help kids unwind from recess and refocus on learning
An infusion of the so-called "Habits of Promise," which encompasses perseverance, perpetual learning, problem solving, partnering and perspective
All the students will have breakfast, lunch and a snack each day. Those who live more than two miles from school will have daily bus transportation.

All told, more than 1,300 Akron school children and their families are in the I Promise program, which has a presence in all the schools across the district. All eligible students in the program who graduate from high school and complete specific classroom criteria are guaranteed a four-year college scholarship, which James partnered with the University of Akron in 2015 to provide.

More at: https://www.cleveland.com/akron/index.ssf/2018/07/lebron_james_family_foundation_8.html?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cleve_sf&__twitter_impression=true#incart_target2box_default_%23incart_target2box_targeted_

******* If only ALL public schools could be like this...

On 2020: Trump says Obama took Biden "out of the garbage heap"

When asked by Jeff Glor about the 2020 election.....

TRUMP: Well, I dream, I dream about Biden. That's a dream. Look, Joe Biden ran three times. He never got more than 1 percent and President Obama took him out of the garbage heap, and everybody was shocked that he did. I'd love to have it be Biden. I think I'd like to have any one of those people that we're talking about…You know, there's probably – the group of seven or eight right now. I'd really like to – I'd like to run against any one of them, but Biden never by himself could never do anything. President Obama took him, made him vice president and he was fine. But you go back and look at how he succeeded in running, when he ran two or three times, I don't think he ever break -- broke one. He was at the one or less level, 1 percent or less level.

*************

Don't even worry about it, Donnie .... you'll be watching the 2020 election from your prison cell. If they let you watch Fox.

Do any DUers live in a pecan growing region?

I just got back from my grocery store intending to buy some pecans to make a coffee cake .... I almost fainted .... ten ounces of pecan pieces, not even halves, but pieces ... ten ounces for $12?? Is there a pecan shortage now??

thank you for any replies in advance!

Cordray puts Republican governership in Jeopardy

Cordray puts Republican governership in Jeopardy
Cross posted in General Discussion.


In 2016, Ohio overwhelmingly backed a rightwing populist with a domineering personality who hosted a reality TV show. In 2018, Democrats hope the state will vote for a progressive populist who was once a champion on Jeopardy.

Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for governor, possesses a unique anti-charisma. Before his political career, the earnest and lanky candidate used his Jeopardy winnings to pay his taxes and buy a used car. A former statewide elected official, he spent seven years in Washington as head of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) before launching his gubernatorial bid.

The Republican nominee is Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine, a fixture of Buckeye state politics who has been elected to both chambers of Congress and was lieutenant governor before becoming the top state law enforcement official in 2010, when he narrowly defeated the incumbent: Cordray.

In a set of high-stakes midterm elections, in a perennial swing state, this is one of the most important and closest gubernatorial races.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/28/ohio-richard-cordray-governor-democrats-republicans

********* I loathe deWine, he is your typical numbskull Republican -- anti healthcare, anti-woman, anti public schools, pro-gun.
I wish Cordray were a little more forceful in his demeanor and speaking and had a clearer message to deliver, though.

Cordray puts Republican governership in Jeopardy

Cross posted in Ohio group.

In 2016, Ohio overwhelmingly backed a rightwing populist with a domineering personality who hosted a reality TV show. In 2018, Democrats hope the state will vote for a progressive populist who was once a champion on Jeopardy.

Richard Cordray, the Democratic nominee for governor, possesses a unique anti-charisma. Before his political career, the earnest and lanky candidate used his Jeopardy winnings to pay his taxes and buy a used car. A former statewide elected official, he spent seven years in Washington as head of the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau (CFPB) before launching his gubernatorial bid.

The Republican nominee is Ohio attorney general Mike DeWine, a fixture of Buckeye state politics who has been elected to both chambers of Congress and was lieutenant governor before becoming the top state law enforcement official in 2010, when he narrowly defeated the incumbent: Cordray.

In a set of high-stakes midterm elections, in a perennial swing state, this is one of the most important and closest gubernatorial races.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/jul/28/ohio-richard-cordray-governor-democrats-republicans

********* I loathe deWine, he is your typical numbskull Republican -- anti healthcare, anti-woman, anti public schools, pro-gun.
I wish Cordray were a little more forceful in his demeanor and speaking and had a clearer message to deliver, though.

We're having a very good year

My husband plants a 30 x 40 foot garden every spring. This year it's been very productive so far.

1 row each of lettuces and endive which we've been using in salads ever since mid June. Sugar snap peas are just about done, I picked the last dozen pods this morning. Italian parsley doing nicely. Blue lake green beans have been off the charts, as have the cucumbers. My husband has taken 3 boxes of cucumbers to the food pantry, we've had so many. The row of hot banana peppers have needed cages since they're falling over, full of peppers. I will can those in oil, vinegar, garlic, and oregano. I just this morning got my first 2-foot-long asparagus bean, many more to come. Those are neat, we've never planted them before. Then there are 18 tomato plants -- Early Girl, Better Boy, Health Kick (a kind of Roma), Beefsteak, and Moby Grape. I can those, too, except for the Moby Grapes, which I love for snacking and salads.

This morning we juiced elderberries to make some jelly with. I figure I'll get about 6 pint jars of jelly from what we were able to procure.

All in all, very happy with this year's garden so far!

It's back on the store shelves, baby!

"Yes, the weather may still indicate it’s the season of lemon and sunshine, but no summer flavor or product has quite the madness and power of pumpkin spice....."

https://www.msn.com/en-us/foodanddrink/foodnews/pumpkin-spice-is-back-on-store-shelves-baby/ar-BBL6c0I?li=BBnb7Kz&ocid=mailsignout

How about some nice refined, sedate, cello music for a Friday night?

Peach Mojitos

I can attest this recipe is WONDERFUL on a hot summer day while sitting on the patio in the shade!

4-5 fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and rough-chopped
8 limes
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup packed fresh mint leaves
2 cups light rum
4 cups chilled club soda or sparkling water
ice
additional mint sprigs for garnish

Zest one lime and juice all 8 limes. You'll want about 1 cup of fresh lime juice. Add the peaches, sugar, lime zest and lime juice to the jar of a blender. Blend until very smooth. Using a rubber spatula, press the finished puree through a fine mesh strainer into a bowl. Discard any remaining solids.

Add the rum and fresh mint leaves to a large pitcher. Using a wooden spoon or muddler, crush the mint leaves against the bottom and sides of the pitcher to release aromatics before adding the peach puree mixture. Add peach mixture; stir to combine before adding club soda. Serve over ice with a mint sprig for garnish.