Braising is a cooking technique in which the main ingredient is seared, or browned in fat, and then simmered in liquid on low heat in a covered pot.  The end result is tender and flavorful. Other than great taste and economy, there are other reasons to cook this way.  Yet another plus of cooking with this method is that the meat tastes great and you also get delicious broth, sauce or gravy. It’s one pot cooking at it’s finest. There isn’t much to cleaning up and anything leftover can be reheated or frozen and reheated for later. This method of cooking is great for tough cuts of meat, but works well with chicken, fish and/or vegetables. You can braise in a crock pot, pressure cooker, large saute pan or the most often used cooking vessel for braises, a Dutch oven.
(1) Season the main ingredient with salt and pepper.
(2) Heat a few tablespoons of oil and/or butter in a heavy pan or Dutch oven.
(3) Saute meat or vegetables in the pan on medium-high heat until the meat browns.
(4) Deglaze [deglazing is a cooking technique for removing and dissolving caramelized bits of food from a pan in order to make a pan sauce] the pan by pouring broth, stock, wine or juice and scrape any pieces of meat that are stuck to the pan and stir.
(5) Add cooking liquid (water, stock, wine, juice or some combination) to the half-way point of the main ingredient.
(6) Cover and place the meat on the middle of a rack in an oven that has been pre-heated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
(7) Cook until completely tender. This can range from 1 hour to 6 hours, depending on what you are cooking.
(8) Remove the pan from the oven and strain the meat and vegetables out of the liquid.  Or, make gravy by adding a mix of equal parts fat and flour (a roux).

Using crock pots can be easy as well as tricky.  Everyone thinks that meals made in the crock pot are so simple, but there are a few factors that can affect the outcome of the meal.  For example, if you have a piece of beef and you want to surround the meat with vegetables,you can totally spoil the meal if you fill the crock pot too full. The meat does not have room to cook adequately.  When you return from work and expect to have a family meal waiting, you are sad to find that the meat cannot to be cut with a sharp knife and the vegetables are barely cooked.  Also you have to be sure that the lid to the crock pot is securely in place. Another hint is not to lift the lid while the meal is cooking.  Another hint is to braise the meat before placing in the pot.  This procedure seals in the juices and flavor for the cheaper pieces of meat.  Braising is usually used for tougher cuts of meat, such as pot roasts, rumps, shanks and ribs, and sometimes for vegetables. The food cooks in liquid, similar to stewing, and the result is a much more tender piece of meat.

The effect of divorce on children can and usually is devastating; however, the devastation can be minimized if both parents will attempt to put the children first.  The reality of selflessness happening in a divorce situation is very rare. If either or both parents were selfless, then the divorce probably would not be happening in the first place. Nevertheless, children in turmoil need as much stability as is possible given the circumstances of a divorce.  Parents should attempt to maintain schedules and have as much consistency in discipline and decision making as possible.  Each parent should commit to discussing conflicting issues when they are alone and not in front of the child.  If adults will act like adults, which is seldom in a divorce, the children will have a better chance of surviving emotionally. http://www.todaysdivorces.com/2010/02/11/the-ups-and-downs-for-children-going-through-a-divorce.html

This recipe will go with anything and is a crowd pleaser.

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds Yukon gold potatoes, peeled
• 1 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Warm the 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large (12-inch diameter) nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until tender and fragrant, about another 2 minutes. Season the onion mixture with salt and pepper. Transfer the onion mixture to a large bowl and set aside. Reserve the pan.

Meanwhile, grate the potatoes in a food processor using the grating attachment blade. Use a kitchen towel to help squeeze out the water from the grated potatoes. Add the potatoes to the bowl with the onion mixture. Add the Parmesan and the basil. Stir to combine and season with additional salt and pepper, to taste.

Warm the remaining olive oil over high heat in the same pan that was used to cook the onions. When the pan is hot, but not smoking add the potato mixture. Use a spatula to press the mixture down into the pan firmly and evenly. Turn the heat down to medium and cook the potato mixture until the bottom is golden brown and the pancake can move in the pan, about 12 to 15 minutes. Turn the heat down to medium-low if the pancake is browning too fast in places. Place a large plate on top of the pancake and flip the pancake out of the pan. Turn the heat on the pan back up to high. When the pan is hot slide the pancake back into the pan and cook until the bottom is golden and is cooked through, about 12 to 15 minutes. Slide the pancake onto a serving platter, slice, and serve.

Barack Obama is the 44th President of the United States of America.  He is a black man with an agenda to bankrupt America.  He is pushing for socialistic health care and many other spending programs that will eventually have America in so much debt that they will not recover in the years to come.  He also is married to a woman who is anti-America and has said on many occasions that she does not like America.  She obviously likes the publicity of being the first lady and all the perks that go with that position. It is so sad to see the office of the President lose prestige by not honoring age-old traditions. http://www.radarchatter.com/2009/12/20/president-obama.html