Friday Foto

Purple Flowers signs of spring...

Can Caps

I love these can caps. They come four to a package and are quite inexpensive. I think I ordered these from Walter Drake. With summer just around the corner I would recommend getting some of these to take with you to ballgames, picnics and any other outdoor activity.

Crochet Washcloth Edges

My Granny use to crochet around the edges of inexpensive washcloths to make them last longer. My mom can also do this awesome craft. Not me. This washcloth is one of the last ones I have with crochet around the edge. This is a really great idea to give a set of these washcloths as a gift.  

I have no idea what this crochet stitch might be called.

Hope you can see it well enough to know if you crochet.

THIS IS MY MOM'S 77TH BIRTHDAY!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM...

Bill and Mom

Somewhere in Mississippi having fun...

she is too busy to make crochet washcloths!

Mayo or Miracle Whip?

How do you decide which you like? Taste them both side by side. The sweeter one is Miracle Whip. It depends on what I plan to make as to which one I use. I do use more Miracle Whip than Mayo.

In 1756, the French under Louis François Armand de Vignerot du Plessis, duc de Richelieu, captured Mahón on the Spanish-held island of Minorca. In honor of this victory, the duc’s chef created a new dressing for his master: Mahonnaise. It wasn’t until 1905, however, at Richard Hellmann’s New York deli, that Americans got to taste the goods. But boy, did it catch on! Within seven years, he’d mass-marketed the condiment as Hellmann’s Blue Ribbon Mayonnaise.

I think, mayo is one of those love-it-or-hate-it things. The lovers know that, in its most authentic form, mayo’s a pretty simple affair: raw egg yolks, oil, lemon juice or vinegar, and spices. Not much room for improvement.

But in 1933, Kraft Foods though differently. Inventor Charles Chapman’s patented emulsifying machine allowed regular mayonnaise to be evenly blended with cheaper dressings and more than 20 different spices (plus sugar). The result was Miracle Whip, which debuted at the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair. Promising to create "Salad Miracles with Miracle Whip Salad Dressing," the Whip was an instant hit.

The main difference between Miracle Whip and Mayonnaise are the sweeteners: high-fructose corn syrup and sugar are the fourth and fifth ingredients, respectively, of Miracle Whip.

Mayonnaise adds:

11 Grams of fat

per 15 ml serving

and 0% Tangy Zip

Miracle Whip adds:

3.5 Grams of fat

per 15 ml serving

100% Tangy Zip

 

Miracle Whip has 64% less fat than mayonnaise, and is also low in saturated fat and free of trans fat which can help you and your family in maintaining a healthier lifestyle. Again, I think it depends on what you are going to be making with the spread, I would not want to use Miracle Whip in my Chocolate Mayonnaise Cake! Leave a comment and tell us which do you use?

Sweet 405 Cupcakes

One of my co-workers is sweet enough to bring us samples from her Mom's new business Sweet 405 Cupcakes. I must say they are the most moist flavorful cupcakes I have ever tasted. She does a big variety with awesome combinations of flavors. Her business is in the Oklahoma City area so it is a real treat to have cupcakes delivered to Western Oklahoma.

Family Fun in Arkansas

Last week we were in Arkansas for Easter. My Mom's favorite holiday is Easter. She rented a "bounce house" for the kids to play in and they all loved it. It was also awesome because they were all in the same place at the same time.

My friend Pat made her bunny cake for the gathering.

The kids lined up to start the Easter egg hunt. They had to find over 300 eggs the teens had hid all the way to the front fence. They all had so much fun. Then we went to the patio above the creek to eat our lunch and I forgot to take photos!

After lunch my brother got out the pinata for them to take turns trying to bust open.

It was a great day for lots of family fun in Arkansas.

Tractor Supply Sweepstakes

Tractor Supply Company Sweepstakes

ends 4/25/12.

www.TractorSupply.com/DemoDays

for official rules and entry instructions.

Friday Foto

Western Oklahoma Sunset

Salad Bowl Planter

After I planted my peppers and tomatoes in my recycled Cats Pride containers I felt the need to add a little color to the "garden" area. A couple days ago I posted about my container garden. Today I want to tell about my Marigold adventure. I wanted to put a pop of color between each white veggie container. Marigolds are suppose to help keep the bugs away from your garden, if you ever smell one you will understand why the bugs do not like them.

I went to Wal-Mart and checked the prices of Marigolds. I could get a 4 inch container with 4 Marigolds in each container $2.48. That would be 6 containers of Marigolds and put 3 in each pot.  I wanted one pot between each white veggie container I would need 8 pots. Next I checked the price of the pots....just regular flower pots and the medium size was $1.97 each. That was more than I wanted to spend.

Since I had other shopping to do in the store...off I went. As I passed the "summer" plastic ware I stopped and looked at the salad bowls. YES! They were $1.00 each 5 inches deep and 12 inches wide....perfect for the Marigolds...and came in a variety of colors, but I love bright green.

I already had potting soil mix. I took the green salad bowls and made holes in the bottom. I grabbed a nail with a pair of pliers and heated it on the cook stove to burn the holes in the bowls. I filled them with potting soil and put three Marigold plants in each.

With the flowers added it went the entire length of my front porch.

I think the salad bowls would be great along any one's walk way, patio area, deck or porch and they had them in a variety of colors. Always think outside the box when you need something and it is a little more than you want to pay.



Lemons

The lemon selection at our local grocery store.

I love http://www.care2.com/  they have so many interesting topics....you can sign up to get their newsletter, send care2 ecards and keep up on current world event topics too. I found this lemon information on their site.

Allergies: Lemons contain the phytonutrient hesperetin which has been shown in studies to alleviate allergic symptoms.

Brain and Nervous System Disorders: Containing the potent phytonutrient tangeretin in the peel, lemons have been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

Eye Disorders: Rutin, found in lemons, has been shown in research to improve the symptoms of eye disorders, including diabetic retinopathy.

Anti-Viral: In addition to being effective against cold and flu viruses, terpene limonoids found in lemons have proven anti-viral effects on other types of viruses.

Diabetes: In addition to improving eye problems linked with diabetes, lemons contain hesperetin which lowers blood sugar levels (when they are high).

Gall and Kidney Stones: The citric acid found in lemon juice helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones.

Anti-Aging: The vitamin C found in lemons helps to neutralize free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease.

Cook with Lemon! Remember my husband's lemon cake....yum! See blog post 9-27-10

Bowel-Cleansing: The bitter taste of lemon gives these fruit the ability to increase peristalsis–a pumping-motion in the bowels–which helps to eliminate waste from the bowels and improve regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink first thing in the morning.

Cancer: Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including limonene—a naturally-occurring oil that slows or halts the growth of cancer tumors in animals. Lemons also contain a substance called flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.

Colds and Flu: Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work in conjunction for a serious punch against infection.

Liver: Fresh lemon juice added to a large glass of water in the morning is a great liver detoxifier.

Nutrition: Lemons contain vitamin C, citric acid, flavonoids, B-complex vitamins, calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, and fiber.

Balances Body Chemistry: While lemons are acidic they interact with the body’s metabolism to have an alkalizing effect on the bodily fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH.

Read more: http://www.care2.com/greenliving/13-healing-powers-of-lemons.html#ixzz1lKaCLOrd



Recycle Cats Pride Container Garden

I know plastic containers can be taken to the recycling center, but I love to find ways to recycle stuff myself. I started saving my Cats Pride kitty litter containers to use for my container garden. This is the first time I have decided to try a container garden. Normally we just plant in the ground like everyone else. As we have grown older it it nearly impossible for us to get up after we have gotten down to plant. I told my husband that if we put the containers along the front porch we could reach them easily for watering and picking. (The neighbors already know we are a crazy.)

First, I took the label off the Cats Pride container and then used a sharp knife to cut off the handle part. I did use a pair of scissors to cut off the high spots and "smooth" out the top.

Next, I took a really sharp three prong fork and wiggled it back and forth to make holes in the bottom of the planter. I made six holes in each one. It is important to have drain holes in the bottom of the container in case of over watering.

We found Miracle-Grow Potting soil on sale and purchased 2 bags.

(Each bag was 2 cubic foot of soil. BIG BAGS.)

By using this we will not need to fertilize the plants.

We also decided to go ahead and purchase some good looking plants we found at Ace Hardware. The pitiful little ones in the front came from Atwoods. Lesson learned.

After we had the recycled Cats Pride containers filled with soil and plants we lined them up along the front porch. We put 32 inch tomato cages in the containers, we only planted peppers and tomatoes. Atwoods only had 8 cages and Wal-Mart only had 42 inch and larger ones. Still have to find one more 32 inch one. We nearly drove the cats crazy doing all this activity on the porch...one watched out the window and the other out the door.

I also reused the containers that the veggies came in to plant some seeds. I read somewhere that you need to stagger the planting times of your veggies to have a more continual harvest for a longer period of time. I hope my chives come up...I love chives.

I decided those white veggie containers would look better with some flowers in between them. So I went to Wal-Mart and checked out the flower prices. Marigolds are suppose to help keep the bugs away, so that is what I got to brighten up the area.

More about the Marigolds in a couple days....

4 Mexican Meals 10 Ingredients

I love the Nate Berkus show! He always has such neat tips about saving money decorating, fashion and cooking. These 4 Mexican Meals using 10 ingredients was one of the cooking segments on his show. Go to www.thenateshow.com to learn more awesome tips.

Learn how to make four Mexican meals with just ten ingredients from Chef Marcela Valladolid!


Ingredient List
1. Guajillo Chiles
2. Tomatoes
3. Garlic
4. Onions
5. Corn Tortillas
6. Refried Beans
7. Mexican Crema
8. Whole Chicken
9. Monterey Jack Cheese
10. Lettuce
Standard Kitchen Ingredients
Salt & Pepper
Canola Oil
Olive Oil

Guajillo Enchiladas
4 to 6 servings
Ingredients
6 dried guajillo chiles, stemmed, seeded, soaked in boiling water 5 minutes (reserve 1/3 cup soaking liquid for sauce)
4 tomatoes, cored
4 garlic cloves, with peel
1 onion, peeled and quartered
8 corn tortillas
2 cups shredded monterrey jack cheese
1 can organic refried beans
2 tablespoons Mexican Crema
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
Heat heavy large saucepan over high heat. Add whole tomatoes, garlic with peel and onion quarters to dry skillet (no oil necessary). Cook for about 10 minutes, turning occasionally, until vegetables have browned in spots. Transfer vegetables to blender along with soaked chiles and reserved 1/3 cup soaking liquid. Season with salt and pepper and blend until smooth. Transfer to shallow platter.

Heat enough oil in saucepan to come 1/2-inch up the sides of the pan to 350F. Working with 2 tortillas at a time, add tortillas and cook 3 minutes until beginning to crisp but still pliable. Using tongs, take tortillas out of oil and dip into enchilada sauce, turning to coat.
Transfer to cutting board. (You make a mess, but it’s worth it).
Fill each with 2 tablespoons refried beans and scant 1/4 cup cheese. Roll up like a cigar and arrange snugly into large glass baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas.
Pour any leftover sauce over quesadillas. Sprinkle with any remaining cheese and drizzle with Mexican crema.
Transfer quesadillas to oven and cook until cheese melts, about 10 minutes. Enjoy!

Tortilla Soup
Serves 6
Ingredients
4 large tomatoes, cored
1 small white onion or a 1-inch-thick slice of a large white onion, peeled
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1 medium-large dried guajillo chile, stemmed, seeded, and torn into large pieces
4 cups chicken broth (recipe is at the end)
4 corn tortillas, torn into pieces (used for soup thickening)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
6 additional corn tortillas, halved, cut into 1/2-inch wide strips
Canola oil for shallow frying
Mexican sour crema for serving
1 medium-large guajillo chile cut into rounds
Directions
Soup
Line a heavy saute pan with aluminum foil. Place over medium-high heat until hot. Put the tomatoes, onion, and unpeeled garlic cloves in the pan. Roast, turning frequently until garlic is soft, about 10 minutes. Remove garlic when soft, but slightly blackened. Peel garlic and place in a blender. Continue roasting tomatoes and onions for another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove onion and put in blender with garlic. Roast the tomatoes, which should be charred and blackened in spots, for another 5 minutes. Place in blender. Carefully puree the contents of the blender. Check the consistency of the soup. It should be slightly thickened; add the 4 torn-up tortillas to the blender with enough soup to blend easily. Set aside.

Put the chicken broth in a large pot. Add the contents of the blender to the pot along with the guajillo chile. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 20 minutes to blend flavors. Carefully puree the soup in batches in the blender. (Add more torn up tortillas to blender to thicken if desired). Return to pot, simmer for 5 minutes. Check and adjust seasoning.

Tortilla Strips
In a medium size heavy skillet, pour enough oil to reach a depth of 1/2 an inch. Heat over medium-high heat until very hot, but not smoking. Add the tortilla strips in batches and fry until golden and crisp, about 2 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.
To serve, ladle the soup into 6 indivual serving bowls. Drizzle with Mexican Crema and top with dried chiles and tortilla strips.

Chicken Broth
1 whole 6 pound chicken divided into 6 pieces (2 legs, 2 thighs, 2 wings) leaving the breasts aside for later use
1 white onion quartered
3 garlic cloves peeled
In large heavy sauce pan, add chicken and fill with enough water to barely cover all chicken pieces. Add onion and garlic. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to simmer for about 1 hour or until chicken is fully cooked.
Turn off heat. Remove chicken and let cool off. Meanwhile, strain liquid and reserve for later use.

Chicken Tostadas
Serves 4
Ingredients
Vegetable oil, enough for frying
4 corn tortillas
1 cup cooked shredded chicken DARK meat, boneless, skinless (what was used to make the broth for the tortilla soup)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 can refried bean, preferably organic, warmed
Shredded iceberg lettuce, enough for serving
Purchased canned salsa verde
Mexican crema, enough for serving

Directions
Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add tortillas (no oil) and grill until very crisp and beginning to brown, about 15-20 minutes. To make sure it’s a tostada, it has to crumble like a tortilla chip, it shouldn’t be chewy at all.
Season shredded chicken to taste with salt and pepper. Spread 1 tablespoon of refried beans to tostada. Add 1 tablespoon of shredded chicken. Garnish with lettuce and salsa verde. Drizzle with desired amount of Mexican crema and serve immediately.

Chicken Chilaquiles
Serves 4
Ingredients
For sauce
*Use same sauce as chilaquile guajillo sauce above.

For Tortilla Chips
10 corn tortillas
Vegetable oil, enough for frying
Salt
1 cup shredded Monterrey jack cheese
1 cup cooked shredded chicken white meat, boneless, skinless (what was used to make the broth for the tortilla soup)
Mexican crema, enough for serving
Directions
Heat oil in large heat sauce pan until hot. While heating, stack tortillas and cut stack into 8 triangles, like a pizza. Working in batches, fry tortilla triangles until crisp and golden in color, about 4 minutes per side. Remove from oil and drain excess oil in paper towel. Season to taste with salt.
Bring tortilla chips to pan with warm salsa making sure all chips are fully incorporated with salsa. Add cheese and let melt. Stir in shredded chicken. Drizzle with Mexican crema and serve immediately.

Plant Your Garden

What to plant in your garden...Sow your seeds well...
Here are some ideas for your garden:

FOR THE GARDEN OF YOUR DAILY LIVING

PLANT THREE ROWS OF PEAS:
1. Peace of mind
2. Peace of heart
3. Peace of soul

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF SQUASH:
1. Squash gossip
2. Squash indifference
3. Squash grumbling
4. Squash selfishness

PLANT FOUR ROWS OF LETTUCE:
1. Lettuce be faithful
2. Lettuce be kind
3. Lettuce be patient
4. Lettuce really love one another

NO GARDEN WITHOUT TURNIPS:
1. Turnip for meetings
2. Turnip for service
3. Turnip to help one antother

TO CONCLUDE OUR GARDEN WE MUST HAVE THYME:
1. Thyme for each other
2. Thyme for family
3. Thyme for friends

WATER FREELY WITH PATIENCE AND CULITVATE WITH LOVE
THERE IS MUCH FRUIT IN YOUR GARDEN BECAUSE YOU REAP WHAT YOU SOW.

Eating Well

Eating Well has a whole series of cookbooks and Eating Well 500-Calorie Dinners is a new one that popped up in my e-mail. I love their recipes and have included an example of one in this post.                                          http://www.eatingwell.com/

EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners makes eating well easy by throwing the diet concept out the window and demonstrating instead how to eat deliciously and healthily for life. EatingWell takes the guesswork out of how to build a healthy meal by providing simple, tasty recipes and menus for dinners that come in around 500 calories, an amount many health experts say will help most people lose weight without feeling deprived. This book also demonstrates how to include favorite treats, like wine and chocolate, as part of a healthy diet. By learning how to get the most out of your spices and ingredients with these menus, you will never feel like you are on a diet again.

“I always say, ‘Life is hard...food should be easy.’ EatingWell 500-Calorie Dinners makes deciding what to have for dinner easy and delicious! With nearly 100 dinner menus that are satisfying and nutritionally balanced, this book is a great tool for anyone who’s trying to get—or stay—slim.”
—Joy Bauer, MS, RD, CDN, nutrition/health expert for The Today Show and bestselling author of Your Inner Skinny

Eggplant Pomodoro Pasta

 

From EatingWell: July/August 2009

Diced eggplant turns tender and tasty sautéed with garlic and olive oil. Toss with fresh plum tomatoes, green olives and capers and you have a simple light summer sauce. We like it over angel hair pasta, but any type of pasta will work. Serve with freshly grated Parmesan cheese and a mixed green salad.

Recipe 6 servings

Active Time: 35 minutes

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium eggplant, (about 1 pound), cut into 1/2-inch cubes
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 plum tomatoes, diced
1/3 cup chopped pitted green olives
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
4 teaspoons capers, rinsed
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper, (optional)
12 ounces whole-wheat angel hair pasta
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley, or basil

Preparation

1.Put a pot of water on to boil.

2.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggplant and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened, about 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Add tomatoes, olives, vinegar, capers, salt, pepper and crushed red pepper (if using) and cook, stirring, until the tomatoes begin to break down, 5 to 7 minutes more.

3.Meanwhile, cook pasta in boiling water until just tender, about 6 minutes or according to package directions. Drain and divide the pasta among 6 shallow bowls. Spoon the sauce over the pasta and sprinkle parsley (or basil) on top.

NutritionPer serving: 282 calories; 7 g fat ( 1 g sat , 5 g mono ); 0 mg cholesterol; 50 g carbohydrates; 0 g added sugars; 10 g protein; 11 g fiber; 467 mg sodium; 416 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Magnesium (25% daily value), Vitamin C (18% dv), Folate & Iron (15% dv).
Carbohydrate Servings: 2 1/2
Exchanges: 3 starch, 1 vegetable, 1 fat

I just love Eating Well....mmmm....ok I love reading about Eating Well....I just don't do it as much as I should. Seriously check out the Eating Well series of books or subscribe to their magazine or e-mails. I think you will enjoy their great tips and recipes.    http://www.eatingwell.com/



Friday Foto

Jonquils or Daffodils

Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga

Laughter Yoga is a concept with healthy benefits, started in 1995. Laughter Yoga teaches that anybody can laugh without any jokes, humour or comedy.

Laughter Yoga is a revolutionary idea – simple and profound. An exercise routine, it is sweeping the world and is a complete wellbeing workout.

The brainchild of Dr. Madan Kataria, a Physician from Mumbai, India, launched the first Laughter Club at a Park on March 13, 1995, with merely a handful of persons. Today, it has become a worldwide phenomenon with more than 6000 Social Laughter Clubs in about 60 countries.

Laughter Yoga combines Unconditional Laughter with Yogic Breathing (Pranayama). Anyone can Laugh for No Reason, without relying on humor, jokes or comedy. Laughter is simulated as a body exercise in a group; with eye contact and childlike playfulness, it soon turns into real and contagious laughter. The concept of Laughter Yoga is based on a scientific fact that the body cannot differentiate between fake and real laughter. One gets the same physiological and psychological benefits.

Check it out at http://wwwlaughteryoga.org

I saw a story on the news about the Laughter Yoga program, at one of the retirement facilities in the city. I thought that would be fun, and if it improved health even better! Look at the site and read all the benefits of Laughter Yoga.

Same View Photos

Three photos looking out the same window.

Photography is amazing...a step sideways or back can change the photo.

Butter

Who knew there was so much information one needed to know about butter! The Food Network Magazine had a butter facts article, that I found interesting. Why do some recipes say use unsalted butter and then use salt in the recpe? The answer to that is so that you can control the amount of butter used. Salted butter contains 1 to 2 percent salt. It lasts about a month longer than unsalted, but unsalted is better for cooking and baking.

European style butter has a higher fat content and richer taste than standard American butter. It is also more expensive. Cultued butter that is popular in Europe, is made from fermented cream, has a yogurt like flavor. Sweet cream butter is not cultured; it can be salted or unsalted.

Whipped butter, sold in tubs, is injected with nitrogen gas so it's light in texture and easy to spread. Not good for use in baking.

Clairfied butter is butter without the milk solids. It is used for high heat cooking because the milk fats in butter burn at 250 degrees, while clarified butter can withstand temperatures up to 400 degrees.

Spread is soft butter mixed with oil. Buttery spreads are margarine like condiments made mostly with oil.

My husband keeps garlic butter in our frig at all times. He mixes a couple tablespoons of minced garlic into some butter and uses it to make garlic toast or add to other recipes.

I see lots of television chefs make other flavors of butter that they roll into a log and freeze. When they want to serve it they get it out and slice of the pieces. The Pioneer Woman mixed berries in her butter and rolled the log in plastic wrap and then in aluminum foil before freezing. Then she used the slices for breakfast pancakes. I have also seen the chefs add herbs to butter and then add it to the top of a steak. I guess it is just up to the taste of the individual.

Do you use flavored butter?

Fig Cake

Fig Cake

1 package yellow cake mix

mix according to package directions

add ground nutmeg approximately one teaspoon

add ground cinnamon approximately one teaspoon

(or you could use a spice cake mix)

add one cup chopped figs

bake according to cake mix directions.

I did not frost this cake. We just ate it like a bread.

I would be good with a cream cheese frosting.

Quotes - Will Rogers

I am already so tired of the political stuff, so I thought we needed a break to laugh! Will Rogers said so many funny things, most of which still apply today.

Garry Gamber a public school teacher wrote: Will Rogers was an amazing person and one of the wisest men of any generation. His accomplishments include being a champion lasso thrower, a performer on the Broadway stage, the star of 71 movies, a radio broadcaster, an author of six books, and a syndicated newspaper columnist. Will Rogers traveled around the world three times and befriended presidents, senators, prime ministers, and kings.

Will Rogers was famous for his simple, insightful humor and his ability to connect honestly with everyone he met. His comments about politics in general and the politics of his generation are among his most memorable.

The following are some of the best Will Rogers political quotes:

There’s no trick to being a humorist when you have the whole government working for you.

Ancient Rome declined because it had a Senate; now what’s going to happen to us with both a Senate and a House?

I am not a member of any organized political party. I am a Democrat.

I don’t make jokes. I just watch the government and report the facts.

The more you read and observe about this Politics thing, you got to admit that each party is worse than the other. The one that's out always looks the best.

The income tax has made more liars out of the American people than golf has.

On account of being a democracy and run by the people, we are the only nation in the world that has to keep a government four years, no matter what it does.

The man with the best job in the country is the Vice President. All he has to do is get up every morning and say, "How's the President?"

An economist’s guess is liable to be as good as anybody else’s.

Alexander Hamilton started the U.S. Treasury with nothing -- and that was the closest our country has ever been to being even.

If stupidity got us into this mess, then why can’t it get us out?

Be thankful we’re not getting all the government we’re paying for.

Politics has become so expensive that it takes a lot of money even to be defeated.

Diplomacy is the art of saying “Nice doggie” until you can find a rock.

A fool and his money are soon elected.

About all I can say for the United States Senate is that it opens with a prayer and closes with an investigation.

Our Constitution protects aliens, drunks, and U.S. Senators.

Anything important is never left to the vote of the people. We only get to vote on some man; we never get to vote on what he is to do.

Politics is applesauce.

Diplomats are just as essential to starting a war as soldiers are for finishing it… You take diplomacy out of war, and the thing would fall flat in a week.

I bet after seeing us, George Washington would sue us for calling him “father.”

There ought to be one day—just one—when there is open season on senators.

The country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer.

If I studied all my life, I couldn’t think up half the number of funny things passed in one session of Congress.

If you ever injected truth into politics you’d have no politics.

Things in our country run in spite of government, not by aid of it.

We don’t seem to be able to check crime, so why not legalize it and then tax it out of business?

Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.

Liberty doesn’t work as well in practice as it does in speeches.

Ohio claims they are due a president as they haven’t had one since Taft. Look at the United States; they have not had one since Lincoln.

The 1928 Republican Convention opened with a prayer. If the Lord can see His way clear to bless the Republican Party the way it’s been carrying on, then the rest of us ought to get it without even asking.

There is no more independence in politics than there is in jail.

All I know is just what I read in the papers, and that’s an alibi for my ignorance.

Will Rogers was asked about the nature of his humorous remarks about politicians. "I have often said in answer to inquiries as to how I got away with kidding some of our public men, that it was because I liked all of them personally, and that if there was no malice in your heart there could be none in your gags, and I have always said I never met a man I didn’t like."