A Cajun Souffle and a National Disgrace

Good morning breakfastpoppers. Today is Wednesday, July 6, 2011. The children of our military personnel who attend schools on military bases are in danger. Why? Because the schools are in terrible condition and our nation isn't doing a thing about it. Before we wade into the thick of the problem let's prepare our breakfast.

Today we are making a Cajun Souffle. You will need 1/4 cup butter, 1/4 cup minced onion, 1/4 cup minced green bell pepper, 1/4 cup all -purpose flour, 1 and 1/2 cups milk, 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon pepper, 6 large eggs, divided, 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar, 2 tablespoons diced pimento and 1 and 1/2 cups diced cooked ham.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onion, green pepper and garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add flour, stir until smooth and add milk, cumin, salt and pepper. Cook 2 more minutes, stirring until thickened. Remove from heat and let set for 5 minutes.

In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks. Add 1/4 cup of warm mixture and stir to blend. Add the egg yolks to the rest of the mixture in the saucepan. Add pimento and ham and stir. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, beat egg whites with the cream of tartar until stiff peaks appear. Stir half of the whites into the sauce pan mixture. Gently fold the mixture into the rest of the whites. Pour the whole thing into a greased 2 quart oven dish and bake for 50 minutes until firm.

Mix yourself a Bloody Mary and put your feet up for a while. You have to be exhausted.

While our soldiers are serving our country in Afghanistan and elsewhere around the world their children are attending military base schools that are in deplorable condition. Schools are prone to leaks, termites, cracked ceilings and walls. Our soldiers' children, who are already missing their mothers and fathers, are forced to attend depressing schools that are literally falling apart. An investigation by Newsweek found that tens of thousands of children of U.S. military personnel attend military base schools that are old and neglected and fail to meet the Defense Department's own standards.

Why is no one talking about this.? Why is nothing being done to correct this disgusting and inexcusable situation? First Lady Michelle Obama stated that the administration has made the education of soldiers' children a top priority. With all due respect Ms. Obama there is no evidence whatsoever that these kids are even on your mind. In fact, tell these children how much your husband's administration has done, but forgive them if they can't pay attention to your every word. It is hard to concentrate when ceiling tiles are falling on your head.

Children are learning the abcs in boiler rooms, trailers, hallways, closets and whatever makeshift arrangement the school can come up with. This is a serious problem. The schools aren't safe. Military officials admit that at least three quarters of the schools they operate are beyond repair.

Our soldiers and their children deserve better. Instead of spending millions to study the mating habits of a butterfly, let's build these kids new schools. Now that's a shovel ready project that is begging for attention. I thinks it's time that the administration stop patting themselves on the back for a job not done at all. Our brave men and women are sacrificing their lives for our country. The least our country can do for them is to make sure their children are safe...POP...