Use flour au naturel for the tastiest scones
Q. Your recipes always call for unbleached flour. What’s the reason, and is it OK to substitute bleached flour? —Marcia A.Yes, you can substitute bleached flour for unbleached. But why would you want to? Growing up in an organic-centered household, unbleached flour was inevitable. Whole wheat was king, but we used unbleached for anything requiring…
Watchmen : A dynamic visual tableau in search of a narrative
After all of the hoopla surrounding Zack Snyder’s adaptation of Alan Moore’s seminal graphic novel Watchmen, it’s rather ironic that the film peaks during it’s opening credits sequence. The rest fails to recreate the sense of wonder and emotion contained in these five minutes. Set to Bob Dylan’s “The Times they are a Changin,’ ”…
Let’s talk about sex
As fate would have it, hundreds of middle- and high-schoolers lined up to enter the Capitol last week as HIV/AIDS advocates from around Illinois held a rally just a few steps away. Rally participants were calling for an end to HIV discrimination and curbing the epidemic, partly through removing barriers to testing and educating young…
Give me Liberty or give me my full refund
Last week, my younger son lost two teeth in the same day. We all know what that means: he was in for windfall from the Tooth Fairy. At a dollar per tooth, he was due two bucks minimum. He was eager to collect the cash, but he knew he had to follow a certain onerous…
Where ideas begin to grow
For Springfield inventor Ron Earley, like many others, the sweet gum tree in his yard was a real pain. Commonly referred to as “ankle-breakers,” the tree’s spiked globular fruit can be treacherous to walk on and can suffocate lawns if left uncollected. So Earley — as a half-joke, he says — chopped up a handful…
IT Picks
MUSIC |Irish party Before and after the St. Patrick’s Day Parade snakes and jams through the streets of downtown Springfield starting at noon, two of downtown’s Irish food and beverage establishments, Bennigan’s Grill and Tavern and Celtic Mist, team up for their first annual Blarney Blast situated in a heated tent on Adams Street from…
Smith revives GOP club
The Sangamon County Evening Republican Club, declared disbanded and dead about a year ago, will be resurrected just in time for Easter, according to several former party officers. Irv Smith, who chaired the GOP’s county-wide organization from 1983 through 2005, says he is revitalizing the social and fundraising organization because local Republicans lack direction. “It’s…
An early signal that Illinois voters are angry
Can the votes of a handful of Chicago and Cook County residents change Illinois? We are about to find out. Winning 22 percent of the vote is not usually considered an overwhelming mandate, but winners write the history books. And Democrat Mike Quigley’s congressional primary victory last week is already being touted as an occasion…
govt folliez poem # 77 �
recently sold my daughter my pickup she changed title insurance got new plates but didn’t bother to switch there was still some illinois grace period left yesterday she opened the packet found wisconsin had issued her F U TRUCK she called me how can I be a respectable high school reading teacher driving F U…
Middle of march brings entertainment in abundance
Looks like we’re in for a varied and diverse selection of live music adventures this week in the good, old, capital city. Maybe it’s because a Friday the 13th, the Ides of March and St. Patrick’s Day (the parade day and the actual date) are all in the upcoming week, but whatever the reason, the…
Women helping women, here and around the world
In 2006, LaVern McNeese initiated the Springfield chapter of Priscilla’s Lost and Found, a faith-based mentoring program for women that serves just six other cities in the nation. Since then, she said, she’s seen so many women “who just don’t know what to do.” These women suffer from alcohol abuse, drug use, depression — and…
The marvelous governor’s mansion across the street from the governor’s mansion
One of the grandest homes that Springfield has ever seen is only a memory. Not even a full photograph of it is known to exist. The home was built by Illinois Gov. Joel Matteson in 1856, during his last full year as governor. Matteson was a political opponent of Abraham Lincoln’s and a wealthy man…
Opponents try again to
In the nine years since Gov. George Ryan imposed a statewide moratorium on capital punishment, death penalty opponents have pushed and prodded legislators to abolish the practice. This year, due to mounting evidence of excessive costs and nominal deterrence, plus a general atmosphere of change, opponents say it could finally happen. State Rep. Karen Yarbrough,…
Gardeners, start your engines. And cool your jets.
As temperatures get warmer most of us are starting to dream of the first juicy ripe tomato or the heavenly fragrance of a garden-fresh rose. While we may be ready to get out and garden, it may be a little too early to plant some vegetables and flowers. Understanding the growing needs of plants, and…
Ann Bova’s musical magic
When Ann Bova first began the Cabin Concert music series, the idea of friends playing songs in her home and then inviting other friends to come listen seemed a given, a very natural thing to do. From a childhood immersed in acoustic music and a lifetime of performing, listening and absorbing all kinds of music,…
GOP leaders turn opposition into obstinancy
“No” can be a very good word. Whether dealing with children or Congress, a firm “uh-uh “ can set useful borders for acceptable behavior. And, for such a short word, “no” can also carry a world of principle — America would be a lot better off today, for example, if only a few indignant “do…
Letters to the editor
Thinking about Hummers The auto company which produces the Hummer has decided to put that division up for sale. High prices at the pump have finally decided them. Additionally, sales of the super-auto have plummeted dramatically. The collective pleas of environmentalists, not to mention the failure of the practical-minded to buy the boxy leviathans, were…
