Running the numbers--Equal pay for equal work

One of the candidates for President does not believe that  it's a problem that women don't make as much as men in the workplace.
A lot of people believe that the same candidate's wife, who chose to be a stay-at-home mom, said this about equal pay for women:  "Why should women be paid equal to men? Men have been in the working world a lot longer and deserve to be paid at a higher rate."  It's a great little soundbite, the perfect kind of quote to generate outrage but Ann Romney never said it.  For info on who created and propagated the bogus quote, check out this post on About.com's Urban Legend's channel.
So maybe people should quit damning Mrs. Romney for things she didn't say.
Her husband, though, has said a lot of things on the subject and he just will not be pinned down by pesky reporters who keep asking him for his opinion on equal pay for women.
What is known is that he opposed the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act.
(Who is Lilly Ledbetter you might ask.   She's a woman who sued her employer, Goodyear, claiming she'd been paid significantly less than her male counterparts. 
Here's a thought to take with you into the polling booth--Women college graduates make, on average, $8000 less a year than their male peers.  Don't take my word for it, check out this article.

Strawberry Shortcake Recipe...

It's April 12 and if this were the old days, it would be about six weeks before strawberries would be available in the Supermarket. My grandmother Tomlinson (Kate--I'm named for her) used to pride herself on having ripe strawberries in her garden before Memorial Day.

She would pick those berries and serve them up on a tender sweet biscuit slathered with whipped cream. And it was heaven on a plate. It was not until I got older that I found out there were these pre-made cake things you could buy at the grocery store to use as a base for a "shortcake." I tasted one once. I was only slightly tastier than a sponge.

Now you can get strawberries year 'round if you want them and you don't mind paying an arm and a leg. If you just want to eat them out of hand (maybe rolled in a little sour cream and brown sugar), go for it. But if you want a shortcake, make your own. You will not believe what a difference it makes.

Diana Rattray, who is the About.com Southern Food editor knows this and today she's offering a mouth-watering recipe for strawberry shortcake on cream scones. Find the recipe here. (And sign up for her newsletter--once a week she'll send you the directions for making the tastiest food you've ever eaten. It will change your life!)

And don't use that whipped topping either!! You owe it to yourself to serve these berry-licious delights with real whipped cream, not a froth of chemicals.

The "Summer Strawberry" photo is courtesy of D. Sharon Pruitt.