Remember When Wednesday: President Obama Goes to Springfield

In honor of last night's State of the Union, I thought I would share with you our trip to Springfield, Illinois two years ago where we heard President Obama speak as this week's Remember When Wednesdays feature.

A close family friend, Gary, is a donor to the Lincoln Foundation, which operates the Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield.  As such, he was invited to the bicentennial celebration of Lincoln's birth in Springfield.  President Obama was the guest speaker and guest of honor, since he too had ties to Illinois politics.  Gary was generous enough to secure two additional tickets for J and I to attend!

Gary is pictured below in the Lincoln Museum--can you spot him among the Lincoln family?

We stayed at the Abraham Lincoln hotel and attended a luncheon earlier that day which sought to answer the question of when (and where and why) Lincoln the young attorney became such a strong abolitionist.  We then dressed and met our party in the lobby to take the shuttle to the Crowne Plaza hotel where the dinner and speech were set to take place.  

After we went through security (which took a lot longer than expected because my brother who was unable to attend was also on the list and they thought we were married so they wouldn't give me my ticket initially), we sat down and got ready for the festivities.  Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood (from Peoria and a friend of my grandparents) introduced President Obama via video conference from Washington.  

A group of re-enactors dressed in Civil War uniforms served as the color guard and lead the national anthem.  Right before President Obama came on stage, they quickly placed the Presidential seal on the podium.

Before (without seal)

During (with seal)

The speech was well written and well delivered, something President Obama has become known for.  The whole time I was pinching myself because I could hardly believe I was witnessing a live speech delivered by the current President!  Regardless of one's political affiliation, there is something magical about the fact that on the 200th birthday of President Lincoln, who worked to free the slaves, an African-American President was delivering the address.  I do not think Lincoln in his wildest dreams would have imagined that it would be so!

Dinner was served after the speech and was absolutely delicious.  I especially liked the chocolate cheesecake they served with a copper dusted chocolate Lincoln penny on top at the end.  Notice the date on the coin: 1909, which coincided with the centennial of Lincoln's birth.

The next day we were given a private tour of the Lincoln Presidential Library and vault and had breakfast with some rather famous people, but that is another story for another day!

Happy Wednesday, friends!

Change of Dinner Plans

We were slated to have Onion Bread Pudding last night for dinner and corned beef this evening, but after a long and busy day of work with a night of great television ahead of us (State of the Union coverage and Sunday's episode of Big Love) I decided I didn't want to spend last night grocery shopping, cooking and cleaning!

Enter this fellow.

We had a gift card from Gourmet to Go that J received as a Christmas gift from the professor he TA's for and had yet to use it.  For those of you not familiar with Gourmet to Go (they only have one location in the Ladue area), it is a deli that in addition to traditional soups, sandwiches and salads, offers different fully cooked dinner entrees each night.

Last night, a night where I didn't really feel like cooking, seemed like the perfect opportunity to try it out.  I have had Gourmet to Go's sandwiches numerous times for lunch, but never eaten off of the dinner menu.

We tried both of their dinner entrees available last night: Chicken Fettucini Alfredo and Stuffed Pork Chop with Wild Rice.  They required a bit of reheating in the microwave (or oven if you preferred) but otherwise were fairly tasty.  Nothing we couldn't have made at home ourselves and I would have made a few adjustments including decreasing the sweetness of the pork chop chutney stuffing (it was a bit cloying to use a Food Network's Chopped phrase) and decreasing the salt in the alfredo sauce.  However, it did make last night easier, which was much appreciated.  I don't know if we'll be back on a regular basis, just because the prices are a bit steep and we could make comparable food at home for less, but it was definitely worth trying out.

Oh, and not to worry, Onion Bread Pudding and Corned Beef will still be made, just not according to the schedule of this post!

Have you ever tried a place like Gourmet to Go that prepares whole meals for you to take home and reheat?  What are your thoughts on the subject?

Election Day

Today is Election Day and whatever your political leanings, please try and make it to the polls today if you can.  Our forefathers and foremothers have fought hard for our right to vote, so please honor their sacrifice by voting.

The League of Women Voters has some useful information for those looking to get more informed on the issues.  They have sample ballots for nearly every district that help you learn who is running in your district and what major propositions will appear on your ballot.  To learn more, visit here.

Many local news stations devote part of their websites to campaign ads, speeches, and stories they have done on the election.  This can also be a great resource for undecided voters.

For St. Louis area voters, try visiting Fox 2 News or KSDK Channel 5 for more information.

Now get out there and vote! Maybe I'll see you at the polls :)