ketchup

The Ketchup Study
You call it ketchup. I call it catsup. However it is spelled or pronounced, I love it.
I put it on everything from a good steak to chop suey. I have to have it on my eggs, scrambled or fried.
The late, ex-President Nixon put catsup on his cottage cheese. I haven’t tried that yet. But it sounds pretty good.
One time, my friend Judy and I went to a hypnotist in Marengo, Illinois. Judy went to quit smoking. I went to give up catsup. It lasted about three days. For both of us.
There was a year when I gave up catsup for Lent. Everyone else was giving up chocolate. Me-catsup.
I am not a snob. Any brand will do.
I can hear my daughter saying, "Yeah, so what’s your point?" I do have a point. I’ll get to it.
Lately there seems to be a rash of information on studies that makes me nuts. Our tax money and research funds being spent on crazy subjects that make no sense, at least to me.
I’ve heard about everything from the sex lives of bugs to what makes us fat.
I don’t care about the sex life of a bug, and I KNOW what makes us fat.
The one I heard on the radio this week said the study revealed that a women could become obese if she slept more that nine hours a night or less than seven .Based on that report, I’m going right out and buy an alarm clock.
When I hear things like that, and the hundreds of million , maybe trillions of dollars being spent on special interests, I say to myself, "Another ketchup study."
The ketchup study was an experiment to see what brand of ketchup poured faster and how long it took to empty the bottle. When I heard this one, I never forgot it. The cost was in six figures. I don’t remember the exact amount, but I remember the study and my reaction-how stupid.
Give me a break. Here’s the answer. The thicker the ketchup, the slower it pours. I would have done that study for just a lifetime supply of catsup. How about a study on common sense.
My point is, this is just a tiny tip of a never-ending iceberg in government spending. If I made a resolution for 2008, it would be to get better informed. No resolution but a commitment to gather information. What can be done? I don’t know.
I think this type of spending is called "porking" or the pork barrel. Anyway, it’s got something to do with pork. Please pass the catsup.
It isn’t hard for me to give a recipe using catsup.
.
Hamburger Nests
for four servings you will need:
a twelve count muffing tin sprayed with Pam
12 slices thin sliced bread (45 calorie slice)
(oatmeal if available)
½ pound lean beef (10% or less fat)
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup seasoned bread crumbs
1/4 cup catsup
3 T catsup
1 egg, slightly beaten
salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup shredded cheddar
place one slice of bread in each muffin cup
press firmly to mold bread into the shape of the cup
combine all ingredients except 1/4 cup catsup and cheese
Spoon meat mixture evenly into cups
Top with remaining catsup
Sprinkle with cheese
Bake at 350 until beef is done and browned, about 25 minutes
Kids love this.
Enjoy