Scalloped Potatoes Recipe

This triple spiced Scalloped Potatoes Recipe is creamy and rich and incredibly – dairy free. Layers of thinly sliced potatoes meet a creamy sauce with accents of red spices like paprika and cayenne, ginger and basil. Give this crowd-pleasing recipe for my Triple Spiced Scalloped Potatoes – a try..
This decadent side dish is flavorful and really lights up a celebration table. I served this dish for Thanksgiving and my non-veg guests were shocked that it was so delicious. They didn’t mind at all that it was dairy free. In turn, this dish is much lower in saturated fat and cholesterol free – unlike a traditional scalloped potatoes recipe.
Triple Spiced Scalloped Potatoes – Dairy Free!
vegan, serves a crowd
3 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
4 potatoes, mixed variety-thinly sliced, roughly peeled
*I used one large russet, 2 medium red, 1 medium Yukon gold
1 cup + 2 Tbsp plain soy milk
3/4 cup soy milk creamer
3/4 cup vegan sour cream
1 Tbsp vegan buttery spread
1 1/2 Tbsp vegan mayo
2 Tbsp maple syrup
2 1/2 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 1/2 Tbsp arrowroot powder or corn starch
1 Tbsp garlic powder
1-2 tsp paprika
2 tsp dried thyme, crushed
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1-5 dashes of cayenne
2-4 tsp grated fresh ginger
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
3 Tbsp of vegan white cheese, sliced thin
Directions:
1. Wash and scrub your potatoes. Roughly peel them with a veg peeler. Remove any dark spots.
2. Using a mandolin slicer, slice the potatoes into thin disks. They should be translucent to look through and not able to stand firm when you hold a slice vertically-it should flop over to one side. Gather slices in a large bowl. You should have about 5 cups of potato slices.
3. Add 3 Tbsp of apple cider vinegar and a few dashes of pepper to your potatoes. Toss well. Set aside.
4. Place a soup pot over med-high heat. Dissolve the arrowroot into the cold soy milk. Then add that soy milk, soy creamer, sour cream, maple syrup, vegan buttery spread and Vegenaise. Stir until the mixture becomes liquid and is simmering.
5. Melt in about 1 Tbsp of your vegan cheese.
6. Add in, while constantly stirring, the whole wheat flour, garlic powder, paprika, salt, pepper, cayenne and crushed thyme. Continue stirring briskly. The mixture should be thickening a bit at this point-and cooking down as some of the steam rises off. Total time on med-high heat: around 5 minutes.
7. Turn the heat to low and continue stirring as you add in your freshly grated ginger and fresh sage bits.
9. Remove from heat. Allow to cool for a minute. Then transfer to a high speed blender. Blend *carefully* on low until the mixture is perfectly creamy. This will get out any lumps and smooth out the herbs and spices. Pour the sauce into a medium bowl. You could also use an immersion blender and skip the ‘transferring’ part.
10. Start layering! Grab your potatoes and lay the first layer in the bottom of your gratin serving/baking dish. You may want to lightly spray-grease the bottom of the dish.
11. When your first layer is complete, evenly spread about 3 Tbsp of sauce over the potatoes. You can use a spoon or a pastry/saucing brush to distribute the sauce. The ‘prettiness’ of the design of the potatoes is not important at this stage of the layering process.
12. Continue layering and saucing the potatoes for about 3-4 more layers. About 2-3 Tbsp of sauce per thin layer. The sauce is bold, so a little goes a long way. Then once you get towards the top of the dish you will want to start layering your potato slices in elegant rows. Pour the remaining sauce on top of the top potato layer.
13. Then do one final ring of potatoes around the edge of the dish only.
14. Add a ring of your cheese slices (see images) and lightly sprinkle the entire top layer with fine black pepper.
15. Cover tightly with foil. (Spray foil first with olive oil so the cheese doesn’t stick.)
16. Bake in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. For the last 5 minutes of baking time, remove the foil and turn the oven to broil. This will crisp the top potato edges and brown and bubble the cheese and sauce. A deeper baking dish will require a tad longer cooking time – test tenderness of potatoes in center for doneness – a skewer or toothpick in center of dish will assist.
17. Let cool at least ten minutes before serving so the sauce can set and your guests don’t get burnt tongues. Gratin dishes are perfect for a dinner party because they generally stay hot for a good amount of time.
18. Garnish with fresh sage leaves.

Nancy Grace Being Sued for $15 million

Nancy Grace, CNN’s HLN TV Host, is being sued by a former partner Patricia Caruso for a reported breach in contract for a syndicated television series where Caruso would have been executive producer and Grace the host.
The New York Supreme Court March filing notes that “Caruso alleges that the two former Court TV professionals met in 2002, and in 2008, they started developing and marketing a series, tentatively called ‘Grace’s Cases,’ under the agreement that Caruso would be executive producer. In 2009, CBS took on the show, but a year later, Grace signed on to host ‘Swift Justice With Nancy Grace’ without Caruso,” per the Business Insider.
Fox News reports that Caruso also claims that for two years she “worked tirelessly and successfully to develop, market and sell a syndicated television series featuring Grace – all in support of her future role as executive producer of the series.”
Apparently in October 2009 “news broke that the CBS sold the series in 80 percent of the U.S syndicated market and Caruso said the two, accompanied by their husbands, went out for a celebratory dinner. However, in the Spring of 2010 – despite Grace’s reassurances that CBS would make Caruso an offer and she would not proceed without her – Caruso alleges the TV host signed on to host ‘Swift Justice With Nancy Grace’ without her as executive producer” reports Fox News.
One of Grace’s legal representatives told Fox 411’s Pop Tarts column, “Ms. Grace will respond in full, in court — not the media — and has great faith that the truth will come out.”

Electrifying Win for the Nissan Leaf

The Nissan Leaf charged past two German luxury sedans to win “World Car of the Year,” a huge validation of the car — and of electric vehicles in general.
A panel of 66 automotive journalists from 24 countries named the Leaf the best thing on four wheels, choosing it over the BMW 5-Series, Audi A8 and 34 other automobiles from around the world. The jurors called it “the gateway to a brave new electric world.”
They’re absolutely right. We’ve spent a lot of time driving the Leaf and several other cars with cords, and it is the benchmark for electric vehicles. A whole lot of people who may not have considered an EV ought to, because the Leaf is that good. Nissan is to be commended.
“It is a great joy that the world’s first mass-marketed electric vehicle, the Nissan Leaf, has won the prestigious award of 2011 World Car of the Year,” said Nissan boss and EV evangelist CEO Carlos Ghosn. “It validates Nissan’s clear vision and the values of sustainable mobility that we want to offer to customers around the world.”
It also validates EV technology. Yes, there are still hurdles to be cleared in terms of cost and range, but any car — and the technology underpinning it — that tops a field of 39 cars ranging from the Aston Martin Rapide to the Peugeot RCZ to the Volvo S60 must be taken seriously.
In an odd twist, the Nissan Leaf placed third in the World Green Car category, behind the BMW 320d and the Chevrolet Volt. We’re not sure how it could win one but not the other, but the Chevrolet Volt is an equally impressive automobile and a new direction for the industry.
Auto journalists love to put the hammer down as much as the next guy, which is why they named the Ferrari 458 Italia the World Performance Car of the Year. It beat the the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG and Porsche 911 Turbo.

This Weekend in SD: Easter Bunny, Evolution and Easy Listening

Easter Bunny visits, splashing around with Shamu and lovely Easter brunches.  Check out what San Diego has to offer you and your family this wonderful Spring weekend.

San Diego Concerts

Balboa Park is hosting a Benefit Concert for Japan this Saturday at their WorldBeat Center to raise donations for relief effort. Come contribute a red origami crane to the Tree of Hope as Asayake Taiko, Naruwan Taiko, Buddhist Temple of San Diego Taiko, and others perform throughout the day. In order to support a cleaner existence, San Diego State University hosts their 3rd Annual Greenfest this week featuring a concert on Friday for students and guests with headliners Lupe Fiasco and Steve Aoki.

Other performances this weekend include piano man John Foltz at the Marble Room on Thursday, then the House of Blues welcomes the Kottonmouth Kings with Krizz Kaliko, Kutt Calhoun, Saigon, and Potluck on Friday and MiMOSA with Paper Diamond and Osal8 on Saturday.

San Diego Special Shows and Festivals

Take advantage of SeaWorld extended hours during Spring Into Night as they present a special line-up of attractions including Shamu Rocks, Sea Lions Tonite and Shamu’s SkySplash fireworks through April 25th.

This Saturday and Sunday early birds can enjoy half price admission to Balboa Park’s Museum of Photographic Arts, San Diego History Center, San Diego Museum of Man and Mingei International Museum from 10am to noon.

After browsing through the museums, head over to the Botanical Building to look at the 52nd Annual Easter Lily Display which opened up last week. Then have more fun over at Chicano Park for the 41st Annual Chicano Park Day. This year’s theme is “Education and Knowledge: Our Key to a Better Future” and involves a line-up of bands and mariachi for live music and performances throughout the day as well as a display of classic lo- rider cars and craft vendors.

San Diego Sports and Competition

Grab some friends and head over to Fiesta Island in East Mission Bay to participate this the 3rd Annual Beach Soccer Jam (see youtube video above). The event is open to both youth (ages 8-17) and adults (ages 18+) players and will be held on both Saturday and Sunday. Also check out a different form of athleticism at Shock 101: Evolution as the Culture Shock Dance Troupe takes you through the growth of a dancer at the JCC’s David & Dorothea Garfield Theatre on Friday.

Make a trip over to Petco Park this weekend to support the local San Diego Padres as they face the Philadelphia Phillies. The four-game series runs from April 21-24th. Get over to the game on Friday for the Wine & Food Festival to bask in a night a classy booze, bites and baseball.

San Diego Easter

The Easter fun doesn’t have to wait until Sunday. The are a bunch of events all weekend long to start off the Spring celebration.  Saturday hosts a multitude of egg hunting and Easter Bunny events throughout the county. Check out an extensive list of San Diego Easter festivals here.

Some of the Saturday celebrations events include Cruise Into Easter! on 5600 Kearny Mesa Rd. from 11am to 3pm with a visit from the Easter Bunny, an Easter Egg Hunt, a face painter and more.  The event is free, but any donations made go to support Givecleanwater.org.

Or drive over to Ecke Sports Park in Encinitas for their Easter Egg Hunt Festival which, in addition to the staple Easter Bunny visit and entertainment, will also feature 24,000 hidden eggs waiting for to be found.

There is also EGGStravaganza Spring Festival at Poinsettia Park in Cralsbad from 10am-1pm and the Liberty Station Spring Fling at Ingram Plaza and NTC Park from 1pm-5pm for even more Easter fun.

On Sunday, take the family out for brunch. Many restaurants throughout San Diego are hosting special menus this Easter as well as fun activities for the family. Enjoy a three course meal at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar, a buffet and underwater egg hunt at Hyatt Regency Mission Bay: Red Marlin, or champagne and Craft ‘Egg’stravaganza at the Hotel Del Coronado.

NBA roundup: Bulls eke by Pacers

CHICAGO -- Derrick Rose scored 36 points, Carlos Boozer added 17 points and 16 rebounds, and the top-seeded Chicago Bulls pulled out another dramatic victory over Indiana, beating the Pacers, 96-90, on Monday night in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series.
Rose scored eight points over the final 4 minutes. Kyle Korver nailed another big three-pointer to make it 90-85 with just over a minute left after hitting the tiebreaker in the opener.
A.J. Price hit three free throws with 23.4 seconds left after being fouled by Rose to cut the lead to 90-88. Luol Deng quickly answered with two of his own to make it a four-point game. Ronnie Brewer added two more after a missed 3 by Mike Dunleavy, and Chicago, which made their last 16 free throws, hung on to go up 2-0.
Miami 94, Philadelphia 73: LeBron James scored 29 points, Chris Bosh had his second straight double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds, and the Heat never trailed in Game 2 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Showing no signs of the migraine that he battled Sunday, Dwyane Wade scored 14 points for Miami, which leads the best-of-seven series 2-0. Thaddeus Young scored 18 points and Evan Turner added 15 for the 76ers, whose starters were outscored 76-29 by the Heat's first-string.
Houston: Rick Adelman is out as coach of the Rockets. The team announced that the Rockets and Adelman "have mutually agreed to part ways." Adelman's contract expires on June 30. General manager Daryl Morey said in a statement that the decision came after "numerous discussions and careful consideration." The 64-year-old Adelman went 193-135 in four seasons with the Rockets. The .588 winning percentage was the highest among the 11 full-time coaches the franchise has had. Adelman led the Rockets to their only playoff series victory since 1997. His career record is 945-616 and ranks eighth in all-time wins.
Notebook: New Orleans center Aaron Gray isn't sure whether he'll be able to play in the Hornets' next postseason game on his sprained right ankle. Gray scored a season-high 12 points in the Hornets' 109-100 upset victory over the L.A. Lakers on Sunday, but had to be helped off the court with 1:07 to play after Pau Gasol accidentally stepped on his foot. Gray later said his ankle felt better, but he doesn't know if he'll play in Game 2 on Wednesday night. His foot was in a bulky black boot.

Star finally shines for Red Bulls

Pride can be a hell of a motivator, and on a rainy and miserably night at Red Bull Arena, it was enough to motivate an international star with an incredible resume to dig deeper and remind us of just what he can do.

The dirt was already starting to hit the casket of Henry's career after he limped through the first month of the MLS season, but on Saturday he moved with purpose, created countless chances and served as the driving force in New York's emphatic 3-0 win against San Jose.

Yes, he missed his share of good chances, but the Frenchman was all over the field, working to set up a goal and ending his own goal drought with a thundering header to close out the scoring.

Henry had been booed by New York fans at times for his earlier misses, a product of his struggles this season, which might have explained his angry celebration following his goal, which consisted of him telling some of his own fans to be quiet before slamming his chest and pointing adamantly at the name on the back of his jersey.

The message was clear. In case you forgot, he's still Thierry Henry, and he can still play.

The passion and the quality of play Henry showed was a far cry from the lethargic and ineffective performances of the first month of the season, and if he is truly ready to be the sort of impact player he was brought to New York to be, then the Red Bulls have to once again be considered Real Salt Lake's stiffest competition for the league title.

As impressive as Henry's breakout game was, the star striker had to share the headlines with English forward Luke Rodgers, who scored two goals and set up Henry's finish. Red Bulls head coach Hans Backe made the curious decision to bench U.S. national team striker Juan Agudelo and start Rodgers, who had looked underwhelming to that point in the season, but Rodgers responded in impressive fashion, earning MLS Player of the Week honors in the process.

Rodgers' performance, coupled with Henry's, will make Backe's lineup decisions that much tougher. He isn't likely to complain though, not with many of his starters expected to miss matches this summer during the Gold Cup. If Henry can keep playing with passion and purpose, those weeks in June won't seem as daunting, and Henry won't have to keep reminding people who he is.

Davies does it again

Charlie Davies earned his first start for D.C. United against Toronto FC and responded with a dynamic performance that produced one goal and helped D.C. post a vital 3-0 road win against Toronto FC.

Davies notched his league-leading fifth goal from the run of play rather than the penalty spot like three of his previous goals, and his mobility was clearly a factor in unsettling a vulnerable Toronto defense.

D.C. head coach Ben Olsen had to be happy with Davies' performance, but may have been even happier to see midfielder Chris Pontius score two goals. Coming off a year plagued by injuries, Pontius has really started to come on strong and has played well enough to keep Designated Player Branco Boskovic on the bench.

Galaxy wins without stars

Playing without Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Juninho, the Los Angeles Galaxy figured to struggle in the final game of a long road trip, but instead delivered one of its best games of the season in a 2-1 win against Chicago.

The Galaxy's midfield depth was on full display, with the trio of Miguel Lopez, Paolo Cardozo and Michael Stephens working well in place of LA's missing stars. It shouldn't come as a surprise that a Bruce Arena side could adapt without its top players. The Galaxy has actually done well when missing its best, as evidenced by last season's strong run without Beckham (then on loan with AC Milan before being injured) and Landon Donovan (away at the World Cup).

Los Angeles will gladly welcome Donovan, Beckham and Juninho back, though. All three will be key to the Galaxy closing the gap that already exists between LA and first-place Real Salt Lake.

MLS Player of the Week

Portland winger Kalif Alhassan was a terror in both of the Portland Timbers' victories last week, including a pair of nifty assists in the Timbers' 3-2 win against FC Dallas. The quick and shifty Ghanaian midfielder has formed a good tandem with right winger Jeremy Hall to give the Timbers dynamic flank options, creating space for forwards Kenny Cooper and Jorge Perlaza.

MLS Rookie of the Week

New England didn't win either of its games last week, but rookie A.J. Soares continues to impress as a starting centerback for the Revolution. The first senior taken in the draft, Soares has played well enough to force veteran Ryan Cochrane to the bench, and he was steady in the back yet again vs. Houston, which manage one goal on a fluke play.

MLS Team of the Week

Portland Timbers. Riding a tangible home-field advantage, the Timbers opened Jeld-Wen Field with a pair of high-scoring victories last week. Beating a struggling Chicago side for its first win was good, but the real convincing result was beating a strong FC Dallas team, 3-2. Surrendering multiple goals in each win was a bit troubling

Red Wings dominate Coyotes, take 3-0 series lead

Glendale, Ariz. — Coach Mike Babcock talks about the race to four in these playoffs series, winning four games — and the series — as quickly as possible.
The Red Wings are sprinting to four.
Thanks to a quick start Monday all three periods, the Wings continued to roll past the Phoenix Coyotes Monday, winning 4-2 and taking a commanding 3-0 series lead.
The Wings can sweep Phoenix and advance to Round 2 on Wednesday.
"We wanted to get a good start on them and we knew they'd come out hard," Nicklas Lidstrom said. "It was a great way we responded.
"But we know we haven't accomplished anything yet."
But they can with one more victory.
In an interesting piece of symmetry, it was the Red Wings who eliminated the Winnipeg Jets from the playoffs in 1996, and the organization moved to Phoenix that summer.
Fast forward to Wednesday, and the Wings could eliminate Phoenix and send the Coyotes back to Winnipeg — there's speculation the organization is headed back to Winnipeg because of persistent ownership problems.
"Today was a huge swing game," coach Mike Babcock said. "(Being down) 3-0 is a monster to climb. This was a tough one today. If we could get off to a good start, that would help us."
Ruslan Salei, Drew Miller, Valtteri Filppula and Johan Franzen scored for the Wings.
"It was a big game for our team," Miller said. "We came out and weathered the storm. They came out hitting but we got two goals quick and from there we kept going.
"Every time they came out hard, we found a way to push back."
David Schlemko (power play) and Ray Whitney (power play) had the Coyotes goals.
Salei and Miller scored 44 seconds early in the first period to send the Wings on their way.
Salei scored his first playoff goal in three years at 1:57, firing a shot from the point on which Coyotes goalie Ilya Bryzgalov was screened.
Then, just 44 seconds later, Niklas Kronwall's shot deflected off Miller's body past a startled Bryzgalov to put the Wings ahead 2-0 not even 3 minutes into the game.
"It hit off my right shin pad," Miller said. "Some of the guys were laughing at it because I haven't gotten a goal on a shot all season."
The Coyotes pressed the remainder of the period, but goalie Jimmy Howard (28 saves) answered every challenge, maintaining the Wings' 2-0 lead after 20 minutes.
Filppula increased the lead to 3-0 at 2:50 of the second period. Filppula took a pass from Jiri Hudler in the slot, patiently waited out Bryzgalov, and beat him from the low circle.
Phoenix finally got on the scoreboard with Schlemko's power-play goal at 11:43 of the second period.
But Franzen opened the third period with his second goal of these playoffs, at the 45 second mark, beating Bryzgalov on a breakaway.

No stone unturned: The massive operation to protect Prince William and Kate along the royal wedding route

Every nook and cranny along the route that Prince William and Kate Middleton will take on their wedding day is being searched by police.
As Union Jack bunting goes up on Regent Street and flags are raised across central London, elsewhere the focus is on more sinister stuff in the form of a huge anti-terrorism operation.
Police have launched one of the biggest security operations the country has ever seen - estimated to cost £20 million - to protect William and Kate and world leaders.
Drains have been lifted, the insides of lampposts scoured and even the fronts of the boxes on pedestrian crossing buttons have been removed as every inch of the wedding route is searched for explosives.

All around Westminster Abbey, along Whitehall, across Horse Guards Parade and down the Mall specialist officers have taken apart street furniture looking for any suspicious items.
The operation will continue right up to the last minute when the focus of attention will then turn on the people that have turned out to cheer the newly weds.
With so many members of the Royal Family, senior members of the Government, A-list celebrities and 50 heads of state in attendance, the wedding is believed to be a prime target for terrorists.
Metropolitan Police officers have been looking under manhole covers and broke security seals on the Mall, looking for any suspicious items, as part of an operation that will continue until the big day.
With a worldwide television audience of up to two billion, senior officers will want to avoid an incident like the attack on the Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall's Rolls-Royce during the tuition fees protests last year.
It is expected that there will be snipers on the lookout on roofs along the route, poised to react should the worst happen and someone tries to approach anyone in the wedding convoy.
Insp Ian Fairman, in charge of the search teams, said: 'Officers are trained to be vigilant and check areas where items may have been hidden.
'Officers will be checking vulnerable areas all along the route of the procession.'
William, accompanied by his brother Prince Harry, will leave for Westminster Abbey from Clarence House and Miss Middleton, with her father, Michael, will make the journey from the Goring Hotel.
The newly-married couple will travel in a procession to Buckingham Palace following the ceremony.
The royal family, best man, maid of honour, bridesmaids and the Middletons will all be part of the parade, and the Metropolitan Police expect the road to be lined with thousands of well-wishers.
Yesterday it was revealed that stalkers and royal fanatics would be monitored ahead of the wedding. Scotland Yard is working with mental health teams and detectives from the Fixated Threat Assessment Centre that was looking at the possibility of sectioning potential troublemakers.

Kate and her father will travel in the car in which Prince Charles and The Duchess of Cornwall came under attack during the student demonstrations.
It is believed that Miss Middleton chose a car rather than horse and carriage because of an allergy to horses, although she will return from Westminster Abbey to Buckingham Palace in such a carriage.
Police are also considering the use of stop-and-search powers to prevent troublemakers disrupting the Royal Wedding.
This will be done to prevent anarchists carrying out acts of violence or disorder such as those seen during the TUC's recent march in London and the November student protests.

Radicals want to bring forward anti-capitalist demonstrations which have become a feature of the May Day holiday in cities across Europe and North America.
The royals have not escaped attempts to breach security in the past. In 1999 the Queen was targeted by pro-Tibetan activist Guy Edwards who ran towards her carriage on the Mall but was stopped by an 18-year-old guardsman, Ian Pragnall.
The most serious breach came in March 1982 when Michael Fagan broke into the Queen's bedroom at Buckingham Palace. She woke to find him sitting on her bed. The pair allegedly chatted for half an hour. Fagan, who was 30 at the time, was later jailed.
Every year Buckingham Palace receives approximately 10,000 letters from people with mental health problems. A quarter of them are 'seeking intimacy' and half are resentful but most are thought to be harmless

Let’s Talk About the Tax Extension and Emancipation

Normally, all federal tax returns must be filed by April 15. But Washington D.C. was closed on Friday in honor of Emancipation Day. You have until midnight to file your income taxes.
And you can thank Abraham Lincoln and former Washington D.C. Mayor Anthony Williams for that.
How so, you ask?
Normally, all federal tax returns must be filed by April 15. But Washington D.C. was closed on Friday in honor of Emancipation Day.
Although our nation is far from perfect, this small celebration of freedom makes me proud to be an American because it is a prime example of how much good can be done when lawmakers put money behind social policy they believe in.
But I would almost be willing to bet that few people outside our nation’s capital were aware that Abraham Lincoln freed slaves in Washington D.C. some nine months before he issued the Emancipation Proclamation on Jan. 1, 1863. But what’s most interesting about Emancipation Day for Washington D.C., is that the federal government announced that it would compensate slaveholders in the District for the loss of their human chattel.
On April 16, 1862, Lincoln signed the District of Columbia Compensated Emancipation Act that effectively freed about 3,100 slaves in Washington D.C.
Under that legislation, the federal government paid approximately 900 slaveholders $300 per slave to set their bondmen free.
And in my opinion that was one of the shrewdest, most benevolent uses of federal dollars in history because it showed that emancipation was important enough to pay for without alienating slaveholders who had to give up their comfortable—yet overtly racist—way of life.
I pride myself on being an avid student of history—African American History, in particular—but I have to admit that until I started investigating the reason for this year’s tax extension, I didn’t know about D.C.’s Emancipation Day.
I was familiar with the fact that on June 19, 1865 Texas abolished slavery and that celebration is commonly known as Juneteenth.
I even knew that the British West Indies were emancipated through the Slavery Abolition Act of 1833, which led to slaveholders there being paid to free slaves in the Caribbean.
But as I discovered this exciting African American history fact I also came across a 2009 documentary on the subject called “Enslavement to Emancipation” produced by the Washington D.C. Office of Cable Television.
The one-hour film tells an interesting story of African American history that spans the colonial period to the Civil Rights era.
But what surprised me the most was learning that shortly after the Civil War, Emancipation Day was celebrated with a citywide parade that culminated in a rally with speakers who celebrated the freedom of African Americans but also brought attention to outstanding disparities between the races.
Over time, however, the celebration of Emancipation Day faded. That is, until 2005, when former Mayor Anthony Williams declared April 16, a holiday in the District.
When Emancipation Day falls on a Saturday, it is celebrated on Friday April 15. When it falls on a Sunday, it is celebrated the following Monday April 17.
And because the city was closed for Emancipation Day this year, the tax deadline has been extended.
So as you crunch those last minute numbers remember to thank our 16^th president Abraham Lincoln and former D.C. Mayor Williams for their respective roles in Emancipation Day that gives you just a little more time. And remember the Federal government, at least on occasions, puts its money where its mouth is and shows that public good  can be accomplished by allocating money to support social policy.

Gilmore and Patterson discuss Queen's visit

THE VISIT of Britain’s Queen Elizabeth next month would represent “a wonderful moment” for Ireland and Britain, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Owen Patterson has said.
In Dublin yesterday after a meeting with Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Eamon Gilmore at Iveagh House, Mr Patterson said an enormous amount of work had gone into planning the visit.
“I think the Queen will get a wonderful reception from people wherever she goes,” Mr Patterson said.
He added that while there might be a small number of people who wanted to protest against the visit, he had enormous confidence in the Garda and the PSNI to deal with protests in a tactful way.
Mr Gilmore said the visit was one of the topics for discussion yesterday in the first formal meeting between him and the Northern Secretary since the change of government. The Tánaiste said the visit was a welcome reminder of how far bilateral relations had come and an indicator of the potential for those relations to develop in the future.
Mr Gilmore said they had also discussed Northern Ireland and the continued implementation of the Belfast and St Andrew’s agreements, North-South economic co-operation and the role that could play in bringing about economic recovery.
The Tánaiste said they had also reviewed the security situation and the recent tragic murder of Constable Ronan Kerr.
Dealing with the challenge facing him as Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Mr Gilmore said he was determined to re-engage with the European Union.
He agreed with the recent comment by EU secretary general Catherine Day that “the shine has gone off Ireland’s relationship with Europe” and he wanted to reverse that process.