College Hoops Has Arrived!!

It's far too early to start talking about march madness, but the season so far has been an exciting one with teams exploding out to great starts. So far my top ten looks strong and I will break it down for you.

Like everyone else, I've got North Carolina on top of my list. The more Ty Lawson plays and contributes the better off the Tar Heels will be. If guys like Tyler Hansbrough are healthy UNC will do great things this year. I expect UNC to remain #1 well into January with the next tough game being Clemson on the 6th.

So far no team has impressed me more than the Duke Blue Devils, which is why I've got them at #2. It doesn't matter who they throw out there, Coach K makes sure the spread the court impeccably well which leads to one of the most efficient offenses so far. I asked Brett Watson what his early season favorite was and he shouted “ UNC will dominated and remain at the top of the polls, they are just a tough team to beat this year.”

1. North Carolina (10-0) – An early favorite to stay at the top and final four contender.
2. Duke (10-1) – They just lost a close game to Pittsburgh and should bounce back just fine. They should destroy Cornell next week.
3. Kansas (11-0) - Only a 4-point win over Arizona in OT, but I think they will be fine.
4. Texas (11-0) – Great win for the longhorns on the road against UCLA. Big top 10 match up this Saturday against Michigan State though.

5. UCLA (10-1) – They shouldn’t be concerned about the home loss to Texas, which could be a final four team at the end of the year.

6. Memphis (9-0) – The most talented team, but I don't think they've played their best yet. Next Saturday vs. Georgetown will a interesting one.

7. Georgetown (8-0) - My preseason national title pick isn't flashy, but long term I still like the Hoyas.

8. Michigan State (10-1) - Back-to-back road wins at Bradley and BYU was a good accomplishment for a team playing the most freshman minutes in the country
9. Washington State (10-0) - If you just look at scores, you likely unimpressed so far.

10. Pittsburgh (11-0) – Just off an impressive one point victory over Duke.

Who votes for the president of the United States?

Who?

The number of electoral votes of each state is the sum of its number of U.S. Senators (always two) and its U.S. Representatives. In each state, voters vote for a slate of pre-selected candidates for Presidential Elector, representing the various candidates for President. State ballots, however, are designed to suggest that the voters are voting for actual candidates for President. Most states use what is termed the short ballot, in which a vote for one party (Democratic or Republican) is interpreted as a vote for the entire slate of presidential electors. In the event that no candidate receives at least 40 percent of the popular vote, the joint resolution calls for a runoff 21 days after the general election between the two candidates with the greatest number of popular votes.

The problem with the Electoral College as implemented today is that it creates a huge round-off in the voting results. The popular vote is converted into an electoral vote, discounting the votes of the minority in the state.
The thing I like about the Electoral College is that they pick the president of the United States. They go off how many votes they get for their state that they are in and then they have to vote for that person. The thing I don’t like about the Electoral College is that they should not be able to pick the president of the United States, because the people are the ones that vote for the president of the United States to start it out. Then the person that gets the most votes should get to be the president of the United States.

People Voting for the President of the United States.

Christmas break at Welch Village

Welch Village has special holiday rates for Christmas and New Years from December 21st through January 1st. The hours are changed because of the holidays, so they will be open at 9 a.m. every morning from December 21st to January 1st. On Christmas Eve it will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Christmas day will be closed. There is one event that will be held on the 22nd and 23rd called the USASA event on run Dans Dive from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. There are a couple runs that they have not yet opened: Cannon Bell, Dreamcrossing, Rock Face, Southern Cross, and Tree Face. Other than that, I say hit it up and have a great Christmas break.
If you are planning on going to Welch Village this weekend on our very long break your in luck. They have a 25-45 snow packed base and probably going to make more snow really soon."I hope so," said Charlie. The weather sounds like its going to be very nice for Christmas break. Here is what its looking like Saturday light snow 35°, Sunday few snow showers windy 24°, Monday cloudy 26°, Tuesday mostly cloudy 32°, Wednesday flurries 32°, Thursday cloudy 32°, Friday cloudy 33°, Saturday snow shower 30°, Sunday cloudy 32°, Monday cloudy 30°, Tuesday mostly cloudy 32°, that is what the weather is looking like for this awesome winter break. "Looks like good weather to me," said Brett.

Wildcats Lose In Wild Loss!

The Wildcats traveled to Cannon Fallls to wrestle the Bombers last night who struck them with their first loss. The match started much like the last one in goodhue with Goodhue's Tyler Lexvold pinning his guy followed by Charlie Dickie winning by decision. This was then followed by a few Cannon Falls wins until Caleb Deircks won by pinnfall. This then strung into a few more Bomber wins that were ended at the 152 pound match when Chad Meyer won by a major decision. Followed by a Wildcat pin the next match. The Bombers then turned around and pinned Goodhue at the 171 pound weight class, then the Wildcats followed with another pin at 189 before the Bombers closed the match with a major decision at 215 and a pin at 285. This caused the Wildcats to end up with their first loss of the season loosing 34-31. The match was wrestled pretty much the same way is was in Goodhue earlier this year except for the two Cannon Falls wins at 215 and 285. With this loss it puts the Wildcats overall record to 5-1 heading into Christmas break. The Wildcats will then resume wrestling again January 3rd in Hayfield.

Holiday Food & Drinks

Tis the season to host parties and have no idea what have for food and drinks! I don't know about you but I'm tired of the store bought egg nog, and the cider that is just too watered down. So I looked up some holiday drink ideas for you.

Homemade Eggnog-This is so simple to make from scratch -- and so much fresher tasting and satisfying when you do! At my local market, I buy Ronnybrook Farms brand milk and cream, which makes a huge difference with their thick texture and deep flavor. I even substitute skim milk for whole milk!6 egg yolks½ pound superfine Sugar½ quart milk½ quart heavy cream1 tablespoon vanilla¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg½ teaspoon ground cinnamon½ teaspoon ground dry gingerzest from ½ orange½ quart rum (optional)In a bowl, gently whisk together the eggs and sugar until smooth. Whisk in the milk, cream, vanilla, nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger, and orange zest. For best results, make the mix the day before and allow to "rest" overnight in the refrigerator. Strain before serving if you like a smoother texture.

Mulled Cider-A "straight" apple cider, labeled "sweet," is often made from mixed varieties of apples and sometimes enriched with crab apples, which offer an additional boost of pectin to thicken the cider and a tart flavor that makes it more refreshing to drink. "Hard" cider has been left to ferment and is considered an alcoholic beverage. For this recipe, I like a cloudy and murky sweet cider.1 quart apple cider10 whole cloves5 large cinnamon sticks½ teaspoon nutmeg¼ cup dark brown sugar1 knob fresh ginger, peeled and pricked with a forkzest from ½ lemon1 apple, such as Macoun or McIntosh varieties, washed, cored, and dicedHeat the cider on the stove until hot but not boiling. Add all of the other ingredients (except the lemon zest) and stir to blend. Bring to a gentle simmer over low heat. Remove the ginger (and whole spices, if desired). Add the lemon zest and diced apple. Serve immediately!

Quick Grape Spritzer- I get wonderful local grape juices at my market at the same stand where I buy my grapes. I especially like white grape juice for this recipe, but anything will work!1 quart chilled grape juice1 tablespoon honey2 cups chilled seltzer or naturally sparkling water24 to 30 grapes, stemmed, washed, and frozen Mix the grape juice and honey together. Fill some glasses ¾ full with grape juice and top with the sparkling water. Drop a few grapes into each glass for a festive garnish that doubles as an ice cube!

Recipes I found at http://food.yahoo.com/blog/thegreentable/705/festive-holiday-drink-favorites

Now that the drinks are served, you have some time to make some food. I found everything from appetizers to main courses and desserts. Here are some of the many I found.

Ham & Cheese Calzones.

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED
1 (11 ounce) can refrigerated soft breadsticks
1/2 cup KRAFT Shredded Mozzarella Cheese
12 slices OSCAR MAYER Shaved Honey Ham
2 tablespoons KRAFT 100% Grated Parmesan Cheese

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Unroll dough; separate into 12 breadsticks. Cut each breadstick crosswise in half; flatten dough to 2-inch width.
Spoon 1 tsp. cheese onto center of each ham piece. Fold ham over cheese to create a tight roll. Place ham roll near the end of each piece of breadstick dough, leaving a border. Fold dough over ham, pinching edges to seal. Repeat process for all ham pieces. Place calzones on baking sheet. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
Bake 12 to 15 min. or until golden brown. Serve warm.
Yield: 24 servings

Make sure ham and cheese are completely enclosed to prevent cheese from leaking.

I found this one at: http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/kraft/90523/mini-ham-and-cheese-calzones

Penne with Roasted Butternut Squash and Ham

INGREDIENTS YOU WILL NEED

2 pounds butternut squash, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
1 1/4 teaspoons dried sage
1 cup mascarpone cheese
1/2 cup half-and-half
3 scallions including green tops, chopped
3/4 pound penne
1/4 pound sliced smoked ham, such as Black Forest, cut into thin strips
1/4 cup grated Parmesan

COOKING DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 450 degrees F. Put the squash on a large baking sheet and toss with the oil, 1/4 teaspoon of the salt, the pepper, and sage. Spread the squash out in a single layer. Roast, turning occasionally, until tender and starting to brown, 15 to 20 minutes.
In a small bowl, stir together the mascarpone, half-and-half, scallions, and the remaining 3/4 teaspoon salt.
Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook the penne until just done, about 13 minutes. Reserve 1 cup of the pasta-cooking water and drain. Return the pasta to the hot pan. Stir in the squash, mascarpone sauce, and ham. If the sauce seems too thick, add some of the reserved pasta-cooking water. Serve topped with the Parmesan.
Yield: 4 servings

Variations: Instead of butternut squash, roast cubes of another winter squash, such as pumpkin or acorn squash--or try roasting cubed sweet potatoes.

I found this one at: http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/food-and-wine/743CB0CE-7E63-40FA-878C793E6CFF8171/penne-with-roasted-butternut-squash-and-ham

So sit back and enjoy this holiday season with these wonderful reciepes.

ENJOY!

Goodhue Wildcat Hoops On Fire

The Goodhue Wildcats boys basketball team began the season with five non-conference matchups. Even though the cats played hard in all of these games, they were only able to come away with one win. But now these tough games can be forgotten and the Wildcats can focus on some games that actually matter, the conference schedule. The Hiawatha Valley League looks to be a very competitive conference, and the Wildcat boys plan to be right in the thick of things. Goodhue plays in the HVL Blue division along with Cannon Falls, Pine Island, Kenyon-Wanamingo, Triton, Lake City, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa.

Triton was the preseason favorite to walk away with the title, but, after only a few conference matchups, it is obvious that it will be a dogfight for the title. After two games, Triton has already lost two conferences games: once to Goodhue and once to Z-M. Right now, three different teams are undefeated in the conference. These teams are Goodhue, Cannon Falls, and Pine Island.

Even though the season just began, things are already starting to heat up and will only get hotter as the season progresses. Goodhue's D.J. Buck thinks the season is already exciting enough, "The atmosphere is always electric, especially when I'm on the court." The Wildcats travel to Bomber country tonight with intentions of handing C-F their first loss. "I think we can take it to 'em tonight and take the outright lead in the conference," said Wildcat star Sean Thomforde.

Things to Do over Christmas and New Years!

A lot of kids are probably really excited about Christmas break and New Years that is coming up soon. But there is still that responsibility to be safe and everything and have fun at the same time. There are other things to do then just party over the break; especially over New Years. Everyone knows that your parents want you to be safe but still have fun. So I just would like to say just make sure you are being safe and everything.

Some things you can do are just go and hang out with your friends and have a good time, go out to a movie, get some friends together and go out to eat on New Years, and get a group of your friends together and go skiing or snowboarding. And with that new snow that we might get you can go snowmobiling, you can go shopping. You get to open your presents and spend time with your family. So just remember have a fun time over the break.