Pledge of Allegiance Lentil Soup

On September 8, 1892, Francis Bellamy's "Pledge of Allegiance" was published in the children's magazine The Youth's Companion. I wonder if kids in 1892 refused to pledge their allegiance. The original composition is good — much better than the current version, which is marred by a few inelegant revisions. Who knows, maybe I wouldn't have been a brat about reciting it if we'd been reciting I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

When is patriotism not jingoism? Give me cosmopolitanism, not military strikes on Syria.

My parents bought me a Vitamix! It's a wonderful machine. I'm going to make smoothies for breakfast every day. Tonight I made lentil soup.

serves: 2 or 3
prep. time: 1 hour

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 c. red lentils
1 c. short-grain brown rice
6 collard leaves, chopped
1 white onion

3 cloves garlic

coconut milk

curry powder

cayenne powder

miso

DIRECTIONS:

1. Bring rice and 1.75 c. water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 45 mins.

2. Bring lentils and 3 c. water to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for however long the rice has left.

3. Put onion in Vitamix and blend on lowest speed until chopped.

4. Sauté onion with whole garlic cloves in oil. Add collards after a few minutes.

5. Put everything in Vitamix and blend, slowly increasing speed until desired consistency is attained. You might have to add ingredients in batches if they're too voluminous for the container prior to blending.

My friend H. recently moved to Brooklyn. She took me foraging for fruit last weekend. We picked a bunch of crab apples and made jam! It was super simple. Wash and cut up apples; cook in a pot with lemonade, agave nectar, two cloves, and some cinnamon over low heat until mushy; eat on bread.

I wrote a film review for the first time in months. This one's about crows and a cat. You can read it here.