Obama calls on Congress to get fiscal deal done, protect middle class

There are two days left until the so-called "fiscal cliff" and no deal has been struck to avert steep spending cuts and massive tax increases on all Americans. President Barack Obama used his weekly address on Saturday to insist Congress pass a deal that would protect the middle class from being the hardest hit if the country went over the cliff and lay the groundwork for deficit reduction and economic growth in the coming months. He said if a deal could not be reached then at the very least Congress should have a simple up or down vote on middle class tax cuts so paychecks will not increase at the beginning of the year.

President, first lady extend holiday greetings, thank troops

President Barack Obama and first lady Michelle Obama used the weekly address to wish all Americans a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. They took time to thank the troops for their service and urged everyone to visit joiningforces.gov to find out what they can do honor and support veterans and military families. They also called on everyone to come together and care for each other this holiday season.

Kool-aid pies

We are having a carry-in at work for Christmas Eve so I decided to bring some desserts. When we had a carry-in at my previous store someone brought Kool-aid pies. I loved them and asked for the recipe so I could make them for family later. Well, I made them and the family enjoyed it so I thought I'd make them again for my work this year. To make sure there would be enough I made two different kinds: fruit punch and mixed berry.

Review: These pies are quite tasty and quick to make. Depending on the Kool-aid flavor you choose it might be a little sweet or it might be a little sour. In an ideal situation you would want to use a mixer but I didn't have one so I just used a wooden spoon to mix everything. That left them a little chunkier than I'd like but they turned out OK. You might want to taste it before you pour it into the graham cracker crust, though, because if you don't think it's strong enough flavor-wise you could add a little bit of sugar. You also could add a second packet of Kool-aid if you wanted, but the proportions I used and will list below seem to be a good mix. As far as the Kool-aid packet goes, the flavor you choose is up to you, but my coworker who brought it in said she would not recommend anything with a lemon flavor. She also recommended using brand name because she tried generic packets and said they weren't the same as brand name Kool-aid.

Recipe:

• 1 package of original cream cheese
• 1 can of sweetened condensed milk
• 1 packet of Kool-aid, flavor of your choosing
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract
• 1 graham cracker crust
• sugar as needed, optional

In a mixing bowl whip the cream cheese then add the condensed milk. Continue mixing the ingredients together until smooth. Add the Vanilla extract and mix some more. Finally, pour in the Kool-aid packet and mix until blended together. Once the Kool-aid is added in, the mixture will start to thicken a little. Once the filling turns the color of the Kool-aid and everything is mixed, pour into the graham cracker crust. Use a spoon or fork to get the filling even throughout the crust then chill for 2-3 hours before serving.

Seasoned pork chops with pineapple

About a week ago I bought some pork chops and wanted to cook something with it but I didn't know what. I looked around various websites and nothing really stood out for something I wanted to cook tonight; however, the basic ingredients of some of those recipes caught my eye so I basically took the ingredients and just did my own thing.

Review: This meal was quite tasty. The pork chops were juicy and flavorful and will probably be how I cook pork chops from now on unless I find another recipe that calls for cooking it differently. While the meal might have been better cooked on the grill, it still came out pretty good on stovetop. With a couple minutes left of cooking I put the pineapple in the pan and just let them get warm and cook with the juices from the pork chops. I used chili powder, garlic powder and onion powder but none of them were overpowering. They actually mixed quite well together. I also just sprinkled each pork chop and each side of each pork chop with the spices; however, the spices I listed below in the recipe portion I'll put approximate amounts that everything equaled to. I used eight pork chops just because that's how many I bought but you can use however many pork chops you want and you also can choose if you want bone-in or boneless.

Recipe:

• 4 boneless pork chops
• 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chili powder
• 1/2 cup onion powder
• 1/2 cup garlic powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 2 cups diced pineapple

Pour the olive oil in a pan and heat. Mix the chili powder, onion powder, garlic powder, salt and black pepper together in a small bowl and sprinkle on both sides of the pork chops. Cook one side of the pork chops for about 5 minutes or until brown. Flip and cook the other side another 5 minutes or until brown. With a couple minutes remaining in the cooking process, pour the pineapple pieces into the pan and cook until warm.

Obama urges Congress to extend middle class tax cuts

Congress has one month to ensure the economy does not go over the "fiscal cliff." Part of that is dealing with tax rates for not only the middle class but also high income earners. President Barack Obama has been trying to push a tax increase of income over $250,000 to help pay down the deficit while Republicans have been adamant that nobody's rates increase.

A couple years ago Republicans won that battle and President Obama agreed to extend the rates for everybody. Now, after winning re-election President Obama is taking his case on the road and using his weekly address to urge the American people to contact their legislators and senators telling them to not raise rates on 98 percent of America. President Obama used his address also to call on Congress to pass an extension for the middle class now while the rest of the "fiscal cliff" details are worked out in the coming month.