Monday, June 16, 2014

Easy Garlic Potatoes

One of my daughter's favorite potatoes of all times is a recipe she calls "Easy Garlic Potatoes."

Ingredients:

8 to 10 small red potatoes
1 Tablespoon minced garlic
2 Tablespoons butter
1 can Vegetable Broth (or chicken broth)
Salt and Pepper
Parmesan cheese (optional)
Parsley (optional)

Melt the butter and garlic in a frying pan on low heat.

Wash the potatoes and either peel a strip down the middle (if they are smaller than an apricot) or, if larger than an apricot, cut in half.  Set aside.

When the butter is melted, turn up the heat and brown the garlic. Once the garlic is as brown as you want it (and the butter will be a little brown also), add the potatoes, salt, pepper, parsley and broth.

Bring to a boil, turn down to a low simmer and cover. When the potatoes are completely done (depending on how many you cook it could be 20 to 30 minutes) if there is any broth left in the pan, turn the heat up and boil the broth until it begins to thicken (due to the starch in the potatoes). Pour the potatoes and broth into a bowl and serve.

As a variation, sprinkle some parmesan cheese on the potatoes. They're delicious either way!

Sunday, June 1, 2014

Health Insurance

Moving to another state has resulted in the loss of our health insurance. Once I become a member of the employed sector again, I won’t be so worried about it. And, my husband’s new job does not offer health insurance, but they do pay a $3.25 per hour stipend to go toward the purchase of our own health coverage. Moving was stressful, and finding a job is stressful, but knowing that we can get health insurance again is at least one thing I don’t have to worry about.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

I need help

At the age of 42 I took a giant leap of faith and applied to law school. I wanted to achieve my lifelong dream of being a lawyer. I knew I wanted to be a lawyer when I was 9 years old, when I was thrust into the legal system because I was kidnapped. After that experience, I knew that when I grew up, I wanted to be the voice for others who could not speak for themselves.

I graduated from Law School on April 26th, 2014, and as excited and proud as I am, I am also haunted by the idea that I will not pass the bar exam on July 29th and 30th, 2014 - rendering the past three years and hundreds of thousands of dollars in student loans - a total waste of time because I cannot afford the cost of a Bar preparation class. Studies show that people who do not take a preparation class have a lower pass rate. The cost of the Bar preparation class, fees, and travel is approximately $4,500.

For those who do not know anyone who has ever taken the bar exam, it is a two day test that one must pass in order to become a licensed attorney. The cost of Bar preparation class alone is between $2,400 and $3,000. The classes are about 3 hours each, five to six days per week, and expected outside of class study time to be 8 to 10 hours per day. We are told to treat bar study as if it were our full time job. Many people do not work while studying for the Bar, but I do not have that option.

Asking for help is not something I do proudly. It is not something I am used to. It takes humility and courage, but I am, quite literally, prepared to beg.

I do not have family that can help me with these costs. I have tried everything I can get the funds. I have applied for private loans (they offer these loans specifically for bar sitters, like me) and while I have a full time job - and the ability to repay the loan - my student loans, house payment, bills, etc. have rendered me over-extended credit-wise.

I have wanted to be a lawyer since I was very young so that I could help people who didn't have the voice to help themselves. I have put myself through undergrad and law school, all while working and raising a family. Law school took a huge toll on my marriage and my family and we managed to survive it together. To get this close to my dream is so very special to me. I want to make my kids proud. Please help me in any way you can. I appreciate YOU more than you will ever know or realize.

Thank YOU for taking the time to read my plea and sharing it with others if you see fit.  If the above widget doesn't work, please click HERE.

Thursday, May 8, 2014

Good to know

When you drive a motorcycle, there are many things you must know and learn and always be aware of. There is also a fair amount of maintenance that goes with owning a bike, and thankfully, for those of us who have to learn such maintenance things on our own, there is mrcycles.com which is almost like a one stop shopping for “how to” on some things. Like changing a motorcycle tire tube.