Monthly Archives: November 2011

>Worry is still my middle name

Posted on by
Reply

>They do grow up, our children. Do they ever really outgrow us? Or it may be us, the parental units left behind in the empty or almost-empty nest, who feel the pain as the apron strings snap.

Amigo sent me the following email while he was away at school.

Hello all

What a night we’ve had here in the LIFEhouse! It all started when I was cooking a frozen pizza in the oven. All of a sudden when my pizza was done, I started to smell smoke. I opened the oven door and sure enough, the whole room literally filled with smoke.

It turns out that a towel that was hanging on the oven door somehow got in there and almost caught on fire. Anyway, Ms. A, our supervisor, pulled it out using a pot holder, ran it under the sink, and opened the windows to try and let out the smoke. Wouldn’t you know it, the fire alarm went off and we got a visit from the fire department. The moral of this story is, never let anything besides food fall into a hot oven!

The next day he sent this one.
I am cobbing dowd with a head code. All mording I hab been blowig by dose like a trubet. I’b wondering if I should dake sobe psudifed or somethig to help be get over this?
That night he called. That tug on my heart? Apron strings stretching, stretching until they’re taut. Everyone survived the adventures without injury, Amigo didn’t freak out or melt down, and his pizza was still edible, with a slight smokey flavor. He called it a “learning experience.” His cold is improving after a long weekend at home. TLC and a chance to sleep in each day must have been good for him.
Good for him, maybe. For me? I still worry. Maybe not the same worry I felt when he was little, but it’s worry nevertheless. When these apron strings get cut for good, I hope it’s a clean cut, the kind that heal quickly and easily. I’ll need all the help I can get.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>And more Granola

Posted on by
Reply

>In our home, I’m the one who most likes granola.

In our home, I’m also the only one who enjoys coconut.
Here’s another granola recipe, this one including coconut. I haven’t tried it yet, but it looks good. Maybe I could take out the coconut so Chuck could enjoy it, too. My current granola is delicious on yogurt and makes a good breakfast cereal, too. It’s certainly less expensive than the granola-type cereals in the store.
Ingredients
3 cups old fashioned oats, uncooked
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup wheat germ (What about flaxseed?)
1/3 cup sunflower seeds (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil (Do you think olive oil would work?)
1/4 cup honey
1/3 cup coconut (I hope this is optional. I’d think so.)
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/3 cup raisins (plump by adding water, microwaving for 1 minute; let stand and drain)
Directions
In a glass dish, heat oats for 3 minutes on high in microwave.
Add brown sugar, wheat germ, sunflower seeds, oil, honey, coconut, vanilla, and cinnamon. Stir well to coat dry mixture evenly. Microwave 4 to 5 minutes on high, stirring twice. Add raisins. Microwave 2 minutes on high, stirring midway through cooking.
Cool. Store in airtight container.
Well, readers, what do you think? How does this compare to my other granola recipe? And my other question: would this work in the oven like my other granola recipe? I’ll try it as is first, and then play with it a little. Maybe. If I can resist making changes the first time… I hear you. Yeah, right.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Flat Stanley visits Lambeau Field

Posted on by
Reply

>

When Flat Stanley arrived in my mailbox from Irving, Texas, we knew one place we needed to go: Lambeau Field. Chuck folded Stanley into his wallet and headed off to work.
Stan’s first stop was the Lombardi statue at the entrance. He held onto Vince’s left shoe; that first step would be a doozy.


The best place to start any tour is the Lambeau Field Atrium, including the entrance to the field itself. Can you see the lines on the floor? They line up exactly with the yard lines on the field itself. “Impressive,” thought Stanley.


Stanley’s first stop was the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame where he saw the collection of Lombardi trophies. He felt a lump in his throat as he viewed the most recent addition to the collection, the trophy from last season, Super Bowl XLV.


Then Stanley considered his choices. Locker Room or Field? The locker room was locked, so on to the field it was.


“Wow,” thought Stanley. “This is hallowed ground, not frozen tundra.”


Flat Stanley had the good fortune (and the connections) to sit on the sound board during the evening show of Larry McCarren’s Locker Room. The studio audience overflowed the place for this guest: Aaron Rodgers himself.

Stan was exhausted after his Green Bay adventures, so he climbed back into his envelope in Chuck’s wallet and went to sleep. After all, tomorrow would be another day. There were places to go, people to see, and adventures galore awaiting his flat little self.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>State politics? Felonies? Say it isn’t so, Wisconsin!

Posted on by
Reply

>One Wisconsin Now felt compelled to raise money for the recall cause – but not to fund a candidate or circulate petitions. This progressive organization raised $10,000 to create a reward fund: a reward for information about recall petition destruction.

Wisconsin progressives noticed conservative leaders boasting about their plans to circulate bogus petitions or circulate real petitions and then destroy them. Some posted their boasts on Facebook, declaring their intentions to burn enough petitions to heat their homes for the winter.
Hyperbole aside, destroying recall petitions is a felony. Whether they really mean to interfere with the recall election process or just wanted to thump their three-piece-suited chests, Governor Walker’s cronies are looking rather ridiculous right now. Publicly bragging about the possibility has attracted people who may have been neutral, and those people are donating money to organizations like One Wisconsin Now to fund the recall and offer rewards to those who report interference.
It’s so sad, so disappointing, to see my state reach record lows that have nothing to do with winter temperatures. I applaud One Wisconsin Now for its creative PR efforts and its willingness to raise money for a reward fund that should be unnecessary.
When the disagreements interfere with the Democratic process, that’s going too far.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

The Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving – Reprise

Posted on by
1

What are you doing reading blogs on Thanksgiving Day? Go spend time with friends and family!

But if you must, here’s my classic Thanksgiving post, The Fabled Fairies of Thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving Dinner? No problem! I’ll call in the fairies. They’ll do everything.

The laundry fairy washes, dries, and presses the table linens, including the cloth napkins. If she’s feeling generous, the sheets and towels might get folded, too.
The turkey fairy will practice her specialty and make sure the bird is cooked and carved just in time for dinner. White meat and dark, it’ll all be moist and savory and leave just enough leftovers for sandwiches and a turkey noodle soup.
The baker fairy will take care of pies, pumpkin and otherwise. He’s an expert on flaky crust, selected spices, and the perfect portion of whipped cream. Don’t let that Simple Simon guy get in the way; the kitchen’s too small for anyone who begs to taste the wares.
The brownie — the cunning little house elf — will clean the home thoroughly, put the leaf in the big table, and get the extra chairs out of the basement.
I wouldn’t dream of neglecting the wine fairy: the sommelier so tiny she only recommends, never lifts, a bottle. Her taste is impeccable. Now if we could stop her before she over-imbibes and falls asleep on top of the piano…
Did I mention the decorator fairy? She’ll fix the fireplace mantel with something tasteful and seasonal before she makes sure the couch and rocker are properly arranged for the annual holiday gladiator contests known as NFL football.
The ambiance fairy keeps the wood fire crackling in the fireplace, the aromas wafting deliciously through the home, and the family discussions neutral and unpolitical.
The kitchen fairies: really, there must be a whole crew of these talented sprites. One to do the shopping early and avoid the crowds, another to make sure the cranberries are perfect (and local, of course), and a magical maestro with the potato masher. Then we’ll need a feisty fairy, one with attitude — yes, you, Tinkerbell, you can make the coffees.

Mom, you can send the fairies over to my house now that we’re hosting the annual family Thanksgiving dinner. Let them know that I’ll have their room ready and their favorite cookies baked. If they arrive on Sunday there should be enough time to get everything done.

Wait. What do you mean…they’re…not….real?

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Eating the Opponent – and Michigan’s U.P.

Posted on by
1

>We’ll be eating a traditional turkey dinner at Grandma’s on Thanksgiving Day. Grandma is cooking most of it ahead of time so she can watch the game.

What do you mean, what game??!!??
The Green Bay Packers are playing the Detroit Lions, of course. That’s The Game. Turkey Day dinner will be on the table after the fourth quarter clock winds down. In the meantime, our Eating the Opponent project continues. We decided to broaden the definition of Detroit to include the entire state of Michigan, including the Upper Peninsula – da U.P., der hey, to us Wisconsinites. U.P. residents, affectionately known as Yoopers, have their own unique menus.
I stopped at a local pasty cafe and shop — okay, okay. Stop the snickering in the peanut gallery! That’s Pass-Tees. Not pays-trees or pays-tees. Pass-tees. The pasty was a food that miners could carry in their lunch pail and eat with their hands when they had their mid-day break. Traditional filling ingredients are beef, cabbage, potatoes, carrots, onions and other good stick-to-your-ribs edibles stuffed inside of a strong crust. Yooper history contends that the pasty was brought to the continental United States by Cornish miners (not minors) who came to work in the copper and iron mines of the mineral rich U.P. Nowadays, locals serve pasties with ketchup (not gravy) or a special sauce that tastes like a spicy ketchup with jalapeno peppers.
Pasties out of the oven, ready to eat!
Pasties are baked, never fried, never nuked. I bought “breakfast pasties” with bacon or sausage and scrambled eggs inside – 5 for $10, plus one free – to serve Thursday morning. Our official Turkey Dinner will hit the table after the game, so we’ll need a solid breakfast. I think Yooper style Breakfast Pasties fit the bill.
Now if any of you doubt that U.P. food is appropriate for Eating the Opponent, I give you this. I asked the cafe staff, both native Yoopers, if football fans in da U.P. are Packers or Lions backers. Without hesitation, they both declared, “Lions!”
I think I’ll serve these with a side of Trenary Toast.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

Granola with Fruit Butter

Posted on by
Reply

If you’re not reading Food in Jars, you should be. This is based on one of her recipes. I made it with my apple butter, and it’s making the house smell so good! If it turns out well (and so far, it is), I may include small packages of this in my holiday gift baskets.

2 cups oats (old fashioned are best, quick oats will do)
3/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup peanuts
1 cup fruit butter or sauce – I used apple butter.
Spices to taste.
Stir together.
Toast at 325 degrees F., turning on the baking sheet several times.
Optional: after cooling, add raisins or other dried fruit. I like dried cranberries (a.k.a. craisins). As for the nuts, 1 1/2 cups of anything nutty will work.
My apple butter has its own unique flavor, so I didn’t add spices. Ginger or nutmeg might have been good. I think any combination of nuts would do. Next time, I might experiment with nuts, too.
It’s fun to find a recipe that offers so many options and yet is so easy to make.
This granola is simple and delicious. Next batch might be made with my super-thick cinnamon applesauce.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>I do recall being political, now and then

Posted on by
Reply

>Saturday we (all three of us) signed recall petitions for Soon-to-be-Former Governor Walker and his Lt. Governor, Rebecca Kleefisch. Is that spelled right? Well, no matter how we spell it, she’s on her way out of office.

Saturday night I found an email in my inbox letting me know that the Barack Obama Made in the USA mug is once again available. Make a donation to the Democrats, get a mug, and enjoy your morning coffee while sticking it to the conspiracy theorists.
Get your limited-edition mug
Go for it, people. Here’s a great gift idea for the progressives in your family. Wrap it up with a pound of Obama Blend coffee, and you’re all set.

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Eating the Opponent: Green Bay vs. Tampa Bay

Posted on by
Reply

>There was a recipe email in my inbox this morning with the subject line: “Plan ahead now for Thanksgiving!” Ahem. If you haven’t started planning for Thanksgiving yet, it’s not early. In fact, grocery stores will probably be mobbed this weekend with people who really did plan ahead.

Before the harvest celebration next Thursday, the family at Chez O.K. will once again be eating the opponent, Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ style. Chuck did a little research and found that the Tampa area plays host to restaurants that serve foods with a Spanish influence, a nod to Florida’s history. The menu for tonight features that influence.
Albondigas: Meatballs made from a blend of ground veal and beef with breadcrumbs and jerk seasoning simmered with tomato sauce and carrots and potatoes. No, we’re not calling the Buccaneers jerks. We’re using seasoning with a Caribbean influence. The tomato sauce will feature some of the last fresh tomatoes, harvested before the final frost and ripened indoors.
Breadsticks warmed with olive oil and cayenne pepper
Fruit salad of Passion fruit and oranges
Key Lime Pie for dessert. I admit it, the Florida Keys are not directly related to Tamp Bay or NFL Football. It is, however, delicious.
Main course alternatives were:
Grilled snapper topped with olive oil, diced tomato, garlic, onions, and artichoke hearts
-or-
Chorizo Espanola: sliced chorizo and onions sauteed in olive oil
We’ll save those for next year. Go! Pack! Go!

Share and Enjoy !

Shares

>Political Fodder – Again

Posted on by
Reply

>I attended a school board meeting. I was one of many teachers who crowded into the board room and the hallway, spilling out almost onto the sidewalk. We said little or nothing, just applauded when our representatives spoke. Our presence, however, made our position clear; we are the teachers. We do the work. We want to continue doing good work for the children. Bashing us into the ground isn’t the strategy that will improve education.

Then, at 12:01 A.M., the recall movement officially began. If every teacher recruits ten people to sign a recall petition, we’ll have it done. All the while, this story wove its way through my mind. It’s worth another retell.
Let’s call her Mrs. Lerner, the teacher in this story. Mrs. Lerner passed away, and continued on her peaceful way toward the pearly gates. St. Peter met her with, “Welcome, Mrs. Lerner. Here in Heaven, we all make contributions. What would you like to do?” Mrs. Lerner responded, “I’m a teacher, so I’ll teach.”


Peter called over St. John-Baptiste de la Salle, the patron saint of teachers, and had him escort Mrs. Lerner to her new classroom. When she got there, she was was shocked to see the conditions. 40 desks. 35 textbooks, all outdated. Pencils, pens, and paper were sufficient to supply the class for perhaps one day, no computers existed, and a cracked chalkboard hung on the front wall. A single piece of paper lay on the teacher’s desk, reminding her of hall duty and recess duty.
“Holy crap, St. Johnny-B. What the hell is this?” she exclaimed.

Suddenly, Mrs. Lerner was in an entirely different locale, escorted by a devilishly handsome young man. With a fiendish smile and a flick of his very attractive -um – tail, he brought her to a very different classroom. 15 desks, well-equipped with supplies, books of all reading levels and interests, an interactive whiteboard, a stack of iPads enough for the entire group, and behind each student, supportive parents. On her desk lay a contract offering the opportunity to bargain for decent working conditions as long as she continued to teach.

“I don’t understand,” she murmured, shaking her head. “Why the advantages here, of all places?”
The devilishly handsome escort twitched his – um – tail, smiled his fiendish smile, and slyly reminded the dedicated educator, “Mrs. Lerner, when you asked the governor for this, where did he tell you to go?”

Share and Enjoy !

Shares