Potato Leek Soup

The Volkswagen Group is attempting to expand its market-setting pace into the world of electric vehicles. As the second-largest automotive producer on the planet and with 9 plug-in models already in production, who is to say where the Volkswagen Group will stop.  As Tesla continues their exploration of the electric car world, they have expressed interest in increasing sales from 51,000 sales this year to 500,000 in 2018 and 1,000,000 sales in 2020.  The Volkswagen Group is already on pace to sell 10 million units this year.  VW's presence and potential in the electric vehicle market cannot be overlooked or easily dismissed. Recently, VW has hinted at further developing their MEB platform, a chassis that allows the car batteries to be placed in the center of the car's floor.  This would potentially allow up to 310 miles of driving before requiring a recharge. To meet this increase in demand for batteries, VW has considered building its own battery factory, costing north of $11 billion, to combat the "Gigafactory" established by Tesla. In reality, VW presence in the electric vehicle market is still relatively small.  VW is set to produce around 12,100 e-Golfs and 13,400 Golf GTE,  and a total of 100,000 electric vehicle unites by the end of the year. VW has the potential and the vision to quickly change the electric vehicle market as we know it. http://www.hybridcars.com/can-volkswagen-reinvent-itself-with-many-more-electrified-cars/ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l4LifiYMpmY

Help us build awareness and show support for Rare Disease Day on Monday, February 29th. Rare Disease Day takes place the last day of February each year and it is a day dedicated to bringing widespread recognition of the challenges faced by people living with rare diseases. What is a Rare Disease? In the United States, any disease that affects fewer than 200,000 people is considered rare. There are nearly 7,000 rare diseases impacting nearly 30 million Americans -- that's about 1 in every 10 people. Challenges that all patients and families affected by rare diseases share: Devastating medical problems & symptoms Difficulty getting a clear diagnosis Limited availability of information on their condition Limited or no treatment options Feeling alone or isolated There are over 6,000 Rare Diseases and for most there is no cure or approved treatments. Show your support by liking the Rare Disease Day Facebook page and following the Twitter feed where we encourage you to share your thoughts and experiences — because together we can make a difference. Learn more about Rare Disease Day at www.rarediseaseday.us Below is the official global video for Rare Disease Day 2016: Make the voice of rare diseases heard!

Ingredients: 2 pounds cubed beef stew meat 3  tablespoons vegetable oil 4 cubed beef bouillon, crumbled 4 cups water 1 teaspoon dried rosemary 1 teaspoon dried parsley 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 large potatoes, peeled and cubed 4 carrots, cut into 1 inch pieces 4 stalks celery, cut in 1 inch pieces 1 large onion, chopped 2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 teaspoons cold water Directions: In a large pot or dutch oven, cook beef in oil over medium heat until brown. Dissolve bouillon in water and pour into pot. Stir in rosemary, parsley and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover and simmer 1 hour. Stir potatoes, carrots, celery, and onion into the pot. Dissolve cornstarch in 2 teaspoons cold water and stir into stew. Cover and simmer 1 hour more.