apple cream crumble pie

 

my parents don't like change.  they don't like to try new things.  this is my dad's new favorite pie.... so yeah.  it's that good.  i have made this with fresh pears, too, just add a pinch of cardamom to the crumble topping.

 
1- 9-inch pie crust
1 pkg softened cream cheese
1/3 C sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
2/3 C sour cream
3 apples, peeled, cored & sliced
1/2 C flour
1/4 C sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 C butter
 
1) line 10-inch tart pan with pastry, making edges even with top of dish.  pierce with fork.  bake @ 350* for 15 minutes.
2) mix cream cheese, 1/3 C sugar, and vanilla.  add egg; mix well.  blend in sour cream.  pour over slightly cooled crust.
3) top with apples.
4) mix flour, cinnamon, and 1/4 C sugar.  cut in butter until coarse & crumbly.  sprinkle over apples.
5) bake @ 350* for 50 minutes.  cool completely before attempting to slice!

my personal turkey

 

it seems i have been pretty much a grouch lately.  i complain a lot.  some of it is joking irony, some of it is "woe is me," some of it is simply venting to get it off my chest.  i try to see the positive, and the domino effect of this summer-fall has me down.  but i am thankful for many things in my life.

i have a job: it pays well. it provides me with challenges. it has given me a wider network of people i may never have met. it has flexible hours that enable me to spend time with my kids and not pay a penny for child care. it has provided avenues of education. it can be stressful; it can be fun.  it makes me feel worthwhile (most days.) my family can afford to pay for things not possible if i were unemployed.

i have medical insurance: my family has access to a worthy network of care providers and we have a positive relationship with them.  although it seems expensive at times, the care in the long run is worth not having to worry as emergencies arise.

i have a home: broken though it may be, because of my job and the medical care that keeps me healthy and working, we are able to make changes and fixes. i am proud of the work we have done to this house to improve its space, value, and functionality.  i can't wait for the work to be finished and we can sit back, entertain and i can say, "yup.  we succeeded."

i have friends: people who care surround me.  sometimes just knowing that they are listening is enough to get me by.  i give as good as i get, too.  my friends teach me things and i pass that on.  but whether they are holding me up, pouring that drink, making me laugh, or sweating my equity with me, i sleep at night knowing that i am flush with close friendships.  *warm & fuzzy*

i learn from my mistakes: for the most part. 

i have rum: and when all else fails, i don't even have to deal with a hangover because rum and i are best good pals.

pumpkin pancakes w/spiced syrup

 

yup.  it's the easy way out!

3-1/2 C bisquick
2/3 C pumpkin (if you use pie mix, omit the spices)
1-3/4 C milk
2T lemon juice
3 eggs
3T sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ginger
 
1 T butter
1-1/2 - 2 C syrup (to taste)
1/4 C chopped pecans (
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
 
1. combine bisquick & spices.
2. combine remaining wet ingredients & stir into dry.
3. make pancakes.
4. melt butter & syrup. stir in pecans & pie spice; keep warm.
5. enjoy being hailed as the best cook on the planet.

confetti meatloaf

 

i don't know where i got this recipe, we have had it for so long.  ;o)  never been a huge meatloaf fan.  might be because my mom's was just so bland and plain.  we use ground turkey instead of beef, for cholesterol reasons.  sometimes i like to shake it up a little more by adding 1/2# ground sausage.  i bake my meatloaf in a ring in a glass pie pan because it seems to cook quicker and more evenly than the deeper loaf shape.  if you want the bottom crispy, preheat a cookie sheet and place the meatloaf pan on top.

 the 'confetti' refers to the shredded veggies and the soup mix.  it is very um, colorful.  the veggies aren't well hidden, but my kids wolf this down with nary a complaint about the vegetables.  served up currently with oven roasted butternut squash, potatoes, and carrots.

1 pkg ground turkey
1 egg
1/2 C shredded carrots
1/2 C shredded zucchini
1/2 C finely chopped broccoli
1 envelope knorr/lipton vegetable soup mix
1/3 C plain oatmeal (to absorb juices)
1-2 handfulls bread crumbs
 
1. saute the shredded veggies in 2T butter until some juices evaporate (if your veggies are fresh).  or make sure you squeeze most of the juice out of the zucchini (if your veggies are frozen). 
2. combine all ingredients and mix thoroughly with hands.  pat into greased loaf pan or form a ring in glass pie pan.
3. bake @ 350 x 40-60 minutes.  Raise temp to 450 for last 10 min to crisp crust.

pretzel shortbread

 

from martha stewart living, october 2011

~3-1/4 C mini pretzels, divided
1/2 C flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 stick unsalted butter, room temp
1/2 C sugar
1 large egg yolk
**my extra: 2-3 T nutella

1. preheat oven to 325. coat a 4-/14 x 13-1/2 inch fluted tart pan with removable bottom with cooking spray.  line bottom with parchment.  (ok, so i have never heard of such a specific pan.  i used a 10 inch glass tart pan and it was just fine. seriously martha.)
2. pulse 1-3/4 C pretzels in a food processor until powdery.  combine 1/2 C with flour and baking powder.  toss any left over. coarsely chop remaining 1-1/2 C pretzels.
3. beat butter & sugar on med speed until pale & fluffy.  reduce speed to low, adding egg yolk until combined.  add 1/2 C of remaining pretzels.
4. press dough evenly into prepared pan.  top dough with remaining 1/4 C pretzels.  toss any left (or save them for a few minutes...)
5. bake shortbread until pale brown and firm in the center ~25-30 min.
**6. place nutella in pastry bag or freezer ziplock bag.  snip teeeeeny corner and pipe warmed nutella on hot shortbread in whatever pattern you choose.  ;o)
7. cool pan on wire rack X 1 hr, then remove shortbread from pan.  if using the glass tart pan, use an offset spatula to loosen the edges before sliding it out of the pan.  cut with serrated knife.

dip extra pretzels in nutella.  no need to thank me.

driveway? parkway?

 
the employee parking lot at work is under construction.  they are resurfacing, re-painting and it looks like they are making the lot bigger.  i know this because of personal observations in the parking lot itself - oh, and it was briefed fully at the end of september/beginning
of october.  so while they resurface and re-paint, all vehicles need to be moved.  away from the place they are fixing.  which is likely the place where they set up those huge orange barrels.  and then tied them together.  every day.  and then re-tie them together.  every day.
because somehow they keep coming untied and those big barrels keep moving so that vehicles have access to the roped off area.  somehow. *scratches head in wonderment*
 
yesterday i watched someone drive into the parking lot, park their car and get out to untie the caution tape, drive through the roped off area, park again and untie the caution tape in another location and drive into the parking garage.  for those in the know, yup, they had the white hangtag.  so in other words, they can drive anywhere they effing please and road construction will not get in the way of their commute.  did it really take less time to do all that than following the driving lanes through the parking lot into the garage??  (and yes, i saw which assigned space they parked their red dodge avenger in the garage...)
 
as a result of the weird parking arrangements, assigned parking has been suspended until the project is complete.  apparently that means that handicapped spaces are at a premium.  so, yesterday, five cars with handicap placards simply created their own parking spaces in the middle of the driving lane.  i had to "austin powers" my SUV out of the legal driving lane and back into the parking lot because five cars were blocking the exit.  and i only drove that direction because it *IS* the legal driving lane and all.  so, even if i don't have a handicapped placard, can i invent my own parking spot as well?  because the sidewalk right next to the shuttle shelter, right ON the curb is looking pretty inviting. and i wouldn't even be blocking the driving lane.
 
i realize that this is going to be an adjustment. but for the love of mother mary's dirty sock basket, can we please put our heads on??? there are still eight cars parked in the roped off area.  and i know for a fact that one of them was NOT there when i left yesterday at 2:30pm.
so they purposely drove in there to park.  the other cars haven't moved for quite a while, so i have to assume that the owners are away... which means that the resurfacing won't start until they return and MOVE... which likely means that in the meantime someone else is going to park in the roped off area....
 
aaaah, the sweet smell of entitlement.  reminds me of nebraska farmland.

secret's in the sauce

the ignorance of the american public is astounding.  to witness buffoonery of this caliber... it was difficult to just stand there and not knock that man into his place. 
 
there are many foreign nationals employed in this 'land of opportunity.' to walk up to someone of a different skin color than yours and ask of their lineage is rude, to say the least.  now, if you were having a friendly conversation, and said something along the line of, "your
accent intrigues me; where did your family originate?"  that is one thing.  to start the conversation by asking, "where are you from?" smacks of confrontation.
 
but that is just what this man did. 
 
"where are you from?" he asked the subway sandwich-maker.
 
"would you like creamer?" asked the sandwich-maker.
 
"you are from canada?!" asked mister rude, who apparently has listening skills as awesome as his people skills.
 
"no, i live here. would you like creamer?"
 
"you are from baltimore?"
 
"i live in glen burnie."
 
"yes, but where are you from?"
 
my mouth was already open in disbelief before he asked, "are you from iran?"
 
i barked out that nervous laugh that people make when they can't bring themselves to say, "ARE YOU EFFING SERIOUS?"
 
the sandwich-maker paused, looked mister rude in the eye and said, "no. i am not from iran."
 
i wondered if we were going to play name-every-country-on-the-planet when mister rude asked, "then are you from india?"
 
I spoke at that time.  i said, "really?  you're just going to demand that from the guy making your food?  did you need a resume with your footlong?"  mister rude did not hear me because sandwich-maker was telling him about all the different countries in that part of the world, and in fact that he was from pakistan. 
 
double whammy.   
 
so, not only did this twatwaffle demand lineage of his sandwich-maker, he also insulted him by asking if he hailed from two countries which he would NOT claim as home.  ever.  sandwich-maker handled the situation well.  better than i did, or would have if i were in his shoes.
 
one question for mister rude:  did you want douchesauce on your footlong or do you have enough on you to last the rest of the day?

tortilla meatball soup

 

by request, from cooking light's october 2011 issue

 i'mma tell you right now, this girl doesn't eat spicy food.  so i completely eliminated jalepenos, chipotles, waaaay less onion and half the garlic.  to give the necessary kick, we added a few drops of Frank's Red Hot per bowl at the table, to taste.  the idea of the tortilla strips and pam made me gag, so we simply added a handful of our fave store-bought organic corn tortilla strips.  and i had 5 cups of homemade chicken stock defrosting, so i just used all of that.  lotta work, but the kids loved it.  we served them up with cheese quesadillas and had homemade apple empanandas for dessert.

2 jalepeno peppers
1 red bell pepper
2 ears corn on cob
4 (6") tortillas cut into 1/2- inch strips
cooking spray
3/4 tsp salt, divided
6 minced garlic cloves, divided
1/3 C bread crumbs
1 pound ground beef
1 large beaten egg
1 minced chipotle chile
1 T olive oil
2 C chopped onion
2  cubed red potatoes
1 C (1/2" sliced) carrots
3 C lower sodium chicken broth
2 C water
1/2 C shredded monterey jack cheese
1/4 C shredded extra sharp cheddar
1/2 C chopped fresh cilantro

 

1. Cut lengthwise & seed jalepenos & peppers.  Place skin-up on a foil lined sheet.  Arrange corn alongside.  Broil 4-15 minutes or until blackened, turning the corn.  Place peppers in a paper bag & fold.  Let stand 15 min; peel.  Mince jalepenos and chop peppers.  Cut kernels from cob.  set aside.
2. Place tortilla strips in a single layer on a baking sheet.  spray with cooking spray.  broil for 3 min or until golden brown.  Set aside.
3. Combine 1/4 tsp salt, 1 garlic clove, bread crumbs, beef, egg and chipotle chile.  Skoosh and shape into ~24 ~2" meatballs.
4. Heat olive oil in dutch oven (this will save dishes later.  i didn't follow instructions.  :oP).  saute meatballs ~8 min, browning on all sides.  Remove from pan.  Add onion, potatoes & carrots to pan; saute 5 min. Add remaining garlic cloves cook % stir X 1 min.  Add peppers, broth and 2 C water; bring to boil.  Reduce heat & simmer for 20 min or until veggies are tender. Return meatballs to pan, Add reamining 1/2 tsp salt & corn; return to simmer for 10 min or until meatballs are done.
5.  Top each serving of soup with both kinds of cheese and cilantro.  Top evenly with tortilla strips.

cheap eats under $15: smothered chicken casserole

 

1 box Zatarain's black beans & rice mix ~$3
1 can cream of chicken soup ~$1.50
3 chopped cooked chicken breasts  ~$2.50
(i usually add another 1/2 C boil-in-bag brown rice and 1/2 c water to make the meal go just a bit further)

1. Heat oven to 350.  Spray 9x13 pan with pam.
2. Combine 2-1/4 C water and soup in the 9x13 pan.  pour in zatarain's and chicken.  stir to mix.
3. Bake 35 minutes.  Stir and let sit for about 10 minutes.

As a side, I sauteed garlic and canary peppers in olive oil, added 1 plum tomato and 1 can of corn (~$1.50) , along with corn muffins ($3).  Serves six plus seconds.

superdog?

 

thank you for bearing with me.  once i got home and established that nothing was stolen and we were all safe, i had to crash. i've had  less than 10 hours' sleep in three days and i really did not have a choice of  'sleep or not'.

i went straight to the elementary school after work.  when i arrived home at 3:40, the elder two had already invaded the house.  i stepped onto the front porch to find the screen hanging from the front window.  it was not broken, but a piece was out of place enough to show me that it had been pulled out of the frame, not fallen by accident.  i asked the kids if it had been like that when they left for school in the morning (because everything was in place when *i* left 12 hours before).  they assured me that the loose screen was new.  i stepped inside and took a quick inventory of the front room.  without listing it all (i'm not stupid) everything was in place.  power tools, appliances, etc.  checkity check check.

upon closer examination of the window, it was still just so very slightly open that i could tell it had been shut from outside.  you simply can't close it all the way from outside because your fingers can't get the leverage.  the chair that sits directly in front of the window is round.  no, really it is. it's like a mini-couch that spins in a circle like a barstool.   if you step through that window onto the chair, it will turn and go off-balance.  there was no evidence of footprints, leg marks or smudges on the back of the upholstery indicating that it was tipped off-balance at all.

i checked the shed: all bikes present and accounted for.  i checked the smaller tool shed.  everybody tucked in tight. re-checked the house: all items of pawnable expense have not moved.

now, about this dog.  this half-beagle, half-husky weighs under 30 pounds, yet has charged a full 300 pound rottweiler, honestly believing she was going to take that dog to the mat.  when she is angry she sounds rabid.  full-throated snarls rip from her wolf-like jaws and every hair (on a husky that is a lot of hair) EVERY hair stands up from crown to tip of tail.  her ears lie flat against her head and if she wasn't so darn cute, i would be scared of her when the mail carrier visits.  her growling, snarling half-husky bay has made grown men run from our front porch.  she sounds HUGE. 

no.  that window was not locked.  had anything been stolen, we would have deserved it. 

it is now.  and that dog?  she is getting a nice raw egg on her dinner tonight and maybe even a couple bites of chicken.  because i KNOW someone opened that window from the outside.  and somehow never made it in the house.

 

you have incurred the snark of kate:

 

your hair would be cute... if your wig was on straight.

men don't wear the little pantyhose footies.  no.  they don't.  stop arguing.  you are wearing pantyhose and i am wearing tactical boots with composite toes. 

if i have to physically scoot your foot onto the yellow footprint because you can't figure it out, then yes, you are that stupid.  you said it first.

if i am blocking the door, you can't come in.  bumping me with your dunlop will only anger me.

that dress is cute but you need to wear leggings.  you lose cute points if your cheeks hang lower than your hem.

when you are given multiple opportunities and reminders to close your carry-on, i feel no sympathy when you dump it on the floor.

you're welcome.  i did just swallow my cookie whole and return from my break five minutes early to search for your ID that you "forgot you put in your pocket."  that is  the first place i suggested you look.  the least you could do is thank me, bitch.

when you use please, thank you, and stop looking down your nose at me, i will tell you that you left your shoes on the floor and failed to put them in the xray.  for now you can keep looking.

this game amuses me.  let's all hold our belongings, watch the conveyor belt move and complain that the line is stopped.

WJZ News: D.C.'s Churches, Museums Hold Sept. 11 Ceremonies

 
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Washingtonians and visitors to the capital were marking the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that stunned the city with commemorations Sunday at museums, churches and ballparks.

The Smithsonian's National Museum of American History hosted a ceremony with the Transportation Security Administration and hundreds participated in a Freedom Walk at Arlington National Cemetery to support military families. Observances were also planned for a NFL game between the Giants and the Redskins, teams from the two cities hit by the terrorist attacks.

An afternoon 9/11 Unity Walk event drew hundreds of people of all faiths to the Washington Hebrew Congregation, where Rabbi Bruce Lustig told the crowd that the Washington area has a strong interfaith bond among its many religious groups.

"The terrorists changed America on 9/11, but only we would determine how," Lustig said. "We can choose hope over fear, light over darkness."

Earlier in the day at the museum, former Transportation Secretary Norman Mineta led a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. to mark the time the first plane struck one of the World Trade Center towers, and thanked those who have served in the TSA since the agency was created just 70 days after Sept. 11. The TSA has screened more than 7 billion travelers and thwarted potential attacks, officials said.

As Mineta toured an exhibit of 9/11 objects at the museum, he recalled tracking the plane that would eventually slam into the Pentagon. He said he would always be grateful for the people on Flight 93 who stopped the plane from reaching a city, possibly to strike a political target in Washington.

Elizabeth Pero-Swingle, accompanied by her 5-year-old daughter, Sydney, visited the museum in her blue TSA uniform. The 32-year-old TSA officer at Baltimore Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport sang the national anthem for the ceremony. Ten years ago, Pero-Swingle was studying opera at an Arizona college. After 9/11, she felt a call to serve and joined TSA in 2005.

"I was just so thrilled to be part of the government, just to serve -- period," she said.
Albert Haywood, 60, of Detroit, also at the exhibit, said he wanted to be back in Washington for the anniversary because he had been working as a security director for the American Red Cross in the city when the attacks happened.

"The people who were actually here are going to appreciate this even more," Haywood said of the exhibit. "And it's good for the people that weren't here too."

At the Newseum, visitors lined the sidewalks outside the journalism museum to see the front pages of newspapers 10 years later. The Chicago Tribune ran the headline "We remember," with a photograph of the smoldering New York site from Sept. 12, 2001. The front page from The Arizona Republic featured memories from readers summed up in six words, such as: "Angry that they changed my life," and "Began: United Police States of America."

At the Arlington National Cemetery, several hundred people participated in a Freedom Walk sponsored by Operation Homefront, which supports military families.

Lea Pfeifer, 37, of Falls Church, Va., took part in the walk with her husband, Eric, and their 2-year-old son. "I will never forget my experience that morning," Pfeifer said. "I think we carry that horror with us every day."

Vivian Dietrich of Leesburg, who helped organize the Freedom Walk, said the cemetery was the perfect place to commemorate 9/11 and recognize the service of those who gave their lives for their country.

"When you walk in here, you realize each headstone has its story," Dietrich said.
Dietrich's husband worked at the Pentagon when it was hit 10 years ago. "I sat there knowing full well that it was his office building that had been hit." Her husband survived and later served in Iraq.

Images from the cemetery, including a live performance of "Taps," were to be presented Sunday afternoon during NFL games, including the Giants-Redskins game.

Before that game, family members affected by the plane that struck the Pentagon and players from both teams were to help hold an American flag, covering the entire field, as the national anthem was sung.

Robin Berretta, wearing a Giants jersey, came from New York for the game. She said she had friends who suggested she shouldn't come.

"They thought it was going to get bombed. Everyone's very paranoid," Berretta said. "And they're not even from New York."

Berretta was unfazed.

"I even took the Metro," she said.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)   link to website

hurricane irene prep

 

propane stove and 2 full tanks at the ready.
freezers are full enough to keep contents cold for a couple days.
ham & navy bean soup in the crockpot, ready to reheat tomorrow.
instant coffee is on the way home.
banana oatmeal coffeecake, banana bread, italian herb bread: baked.
uniforms ironed for the week.
bedrom furniture on blocks (cuz my bedroom is in the basement.) one room left to tidy in the basement and i can call it a night.
i think we are ready. except for not having a battery back up for the sump pump. :o(

untitled

 

...and in the silence, doubt

creeps on silent slippered feet;

a thousand unspoken thoughts

rest on closed lips.

the pain of nothing wells

up to overflow its banks

while i wait out the silence

once again.

it was the tiffany lamp

 

The call came in at 13:20 that D pier was dumped for an unattended bag. My co-workers headed upstairs with test kits. The office I was in was included in the blast zone; I could get out, but I would be unable to return until the all clear was sounded.  Deep in a protocol discussion, I noticed the pull chain from a desk lamp, rattling against a mug. I stopped, splayed my hand flat on the desk and said, "Why is the airport... MOVING?"

Considering the thickness of the tarmac and the fact that my office is not located in a high traffic area, this was very odd indeed. "It's just a tug going by," waved off one of the instructors. "It's a plane."

"We don't feel the tugs in here," I said, pushing away from my desk and looking at the ceiling. "Or planes. My God. Did the bomb just go off upstairs?? Was there more than one?? It's still shaking!"  At that point boxes on the top shelves began shifting violently and there were screams from the locker room next door. "It's an earthquake." (Insert a wave of relief here, followed by a breath of panic.) I picked up my phone and wallet, locked my computer screen, fumbled around looking for keys and by the time I got to the door (which everyone was trying to stand in) the earthquake was over. Those In Charge decided that everyone needed to evacuate the building.

I immediately called the kids. They were confused and scared, but safe. The phone fell off the table, but they didn't see any other damage. My supervisor told me to go home instead of standing around outside; I asked if I should stay and help when the checkpoint re-opened but he said no. So I threw my stuff in my bag and left. On the tarmac, I tried to make phone calls, but I got nothing. No dial tone, no busy signal. Just air. Very disconcerting. I was able to shoot some texts through and I was receiving them just fine.

Got a text from Tad's cell phone, indicating that he was out of the building and at least at his car. I could not reach my parents through any of their phone numbers. On the way to the parking lot, I could see passengers, airport employees, police, TSA friends with walkies standing surrounding the parking garage.  Not a few passengers had given up and decided it was Not A Day To Fly and were walking towards the hotel district.

By the time I got to my car, about 14:10, there were carloads of airport employees returning to the lot. As in, they friggin ran. As in, left the airport property entirely, not merely evacuated the building. The fact that they were returning by the carload (seven people in the back of one pickup all wearing the same shirts) says that they were supposed to still be in place, helping with evacuations and directing passengers..... what an embarrassment. While I won't call anyone or any business out individually, I will say that I am ashamed to work in an environment where people who think it is just fine to leave in a crisis. Good to see who has my back. Or, not.

Kids hugged me hard when I got home, ahead of the traffic wave.  Heard from Tad, my father and somce close friends. Finally calmed my nerves enough to take a short nap. And I get to wake up and start all over again tomorrow! Yay Friday!!

silver turtles (campfire)

 

this is a pretty filling recipe for a family of six.  we served with dinner rolls and butter, but only 2 kids were still hungry for them!

1-1/3 lb ground turkey (or beef, whatevs)
1 can cream of potato soup
1 can green beans (or your fave veggie)
shredded cheddar cheese
~ 6X9" rectangle of foil
i also used a smaller square of foil to keep the meat from burning

fill a chimney with charcoal and let burn til slightly ashy.
1.  season your ground meat to your liking.  we generally throw in italian bread crumbs, minced onion, garlic salt & pepper.
2.  skoosh seasonings into meat and form into 6 patties, one on each small foil square (about 4x4").
3.  place small foil onto large rectangle. 
4.  spoon soup on top of meat patty.
5.  place drained veggies on/slightly to the side of soup.
6.  sprinkle shredded cheese atop.
7.  fold short sides of foil up first.  make a tent of the long sides and fold over. (if patties have different ingredients, mark the fold with names before placing in the fire.) they should look like little silver ovals.
8. arrange coals in a circle, placing turtles on top of coals.  cook for about 30 minutes, turning turtles so that the sides away from the center get moved to the center coals (where it's hotter).  ground meat is done between 165-170 degrees. depending on the thickness of the patties and the heat of the coals, your turtles may cook faster or slower.

vent and serve straight from the foil packet.  they smell fantastic over the fire.  our next door neighbor said he could smell them from his house.  if you double wrap the foil packets, it may take longer to cook.  that is why i only doubled the bottom layer.  juices from the meat combine with the soup and make an almost gravy for the meat and potatoes.

we are heading out to the yard to make deluxe s'mores for dessert.  instead of plain chocolates, we use different kinds of candies: peanut putter cups, godiva chocolates, mr. goodbars, YUM!!!

wanted: control

 

my mother is compiling a power point presentation for her funeral. if anything at all says 'control freak', that is pretty much it.

so she needs these pictures that she thinks i have for her presentation. husband dear says mother forbade us to remove these items from her house when we visited. we are far too irresponsible to handle such things as pictures of her father. she insisted that we scan the picture and documents in at her house and take only electronics with us.

nine years later, she calls asking for the pictures back. since i have seen the pictures she is asking about, i tell her we will check in our storage unit, where we keep things we aren't looking at right now. she called back 48 hours later, wanting to know if we had found them. i told her i hadn't looked yet. that did not make mother happy. 

four days later, she called again. said my brother was going to drive down and get the pictures from us on friday on his way to her house. she was very disappointed to learn that we were to be out of state on friday. 

two days later, my brother called to ask if we could puppy sit for him whilst he visited mother. seems his puppysitter was unexpectedly called out of town. mother does not allow dogs in her house, so she told him he would have to board the dog. doggie, however, was not old enough to receive all the shots she needs to be allowed in a boarding house. no go. well. mother does not allow dogs in the house. so i am going to puppysit. and brother is supposed to pick up those pictures we discussed. 

i cannot believe that my mother is being so self-centered. while i was talking to my brother, she called my house and cell phone FIVE times. when i called her back i said, "seriously? five times in ten minutes? can't a girl take a dump??" seems she planned originally to drive up this way and stop by my house anyway. to fetch the pictures. UM, WERE YOU GOING TO TELL ME, BITCH?? i think it would have been hilarious had she decided to just show up and we were out of town.

i am really not understanding what is going on here. i told her, "i have contractors coming in and out of the house. i have multiple children going to and from summer camp. i work full time and have a house to run. i haven't had time to set my pants on fire and go look for the pictures. what is the big hurry??" 

the only answer i got was, "i need those pictures."

effing control freak. someone tell me why i left home at age 18 years, 3 weeks and four days? yeah. that was it.

 

 

husband has just returned from the storage unit. and the verdict is: we have no pictures or documents from my side of the family. at. all. everything we have has been scanned or downloaded from the census bureau. mother will not be pleased.

my all-stars

To my Den 8 Webelos at Dulaney Cub Scout camp: you are my all-stars, those boys of summer who tried their hardest, sang their hearts out (even when they didn't want to), made new friends & palled around, learned scouting values (and the Scout Law!), sweated like pigs & drank like horses, wowed the camp with their sincerity, all the while earning the bragging rights to Best in Camp for Marksman, Archery, Fishing & the Obstacle Course, in addition to top Webelos scores in those categories. On behalf of Mr. Mike, you made us proud.

 

See you on the trails, boys. 

 

PS - I remember your names, finally.  ;o)

FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFk friday.

 today i celebrated friday by

 

* working with douchecanoes on the checkpoint when i didn't have to (but wasn't told that until 11am)

* getting my new badge re-issued since this current one was deactivated the day after i got it

* staying an hour late to re-vamp a 940 line spreadsheet in which i was directed to "guess" at some of the unknown/uncollected data by a dude whose breath smelled like he frequently licked public ashtrays

* not calling the house because someone sat on the phone making it off the hook for 6 hours

* not fixing dinner because i couldn't call anyone to start the bread machine or tell me what was left on the grocery list

* and having no inclination whatsoever to fix dinner.

strawberry rhubarb pie

 

ingredients for 9 (or 10) inch pie

 

double pie crust or single crust and your favorite crumb topping
 1/2 (1/3) C sugar
3T (4T) cornstarch
1/2 tsp (heaping) cinnamon
1/4 tsp (heaping) nutmeg
2 (3) C sliced rhubarb
2 (3) C sliced strawberries
2 Tbsp butter, cubed if using double crust
you can use frozen fruit but let it thaw 10-15 min, until it is partially thawed but still icy.

 

1. slice strawberries & rhubarb into uniform pieces.

2. set bottom crust into 9-inch pie (or 10-inch tart) pan.

3. combine dry ingredients; stir well.  pour onto fruit and toss to coat.  turn into prepared crust.

(4. place butter cubes on fruit)

5. sprinkle prepared crumb topping OR roll top crust over fruit & butter.  pinch edges to seal and flute, if desired.  make sure to vent the top crust.  i use tiny cookie cutters to make designs in crust.

6. place foil around edges and bake at 375 for 25 min (50 for frozen fruit).  remove foil and continue baking 20-25 min (20-30 for frozen fruit).  cool completely on wire rack.

7. roll remaining dough scraps and sprinkle with cinnamon& sugar. prick crust & bake with pie for 15-20 min.  yums.

curiouser and curiouser

 

we moved into our house in 2005; sometime that fall, we got an irate phone call from an old man who insisted that we had to come and replace his windows because he paid us.  i tried very nicely to reassure him that he had the wrong number.  i felt bad for the guy, but uh, nope.  wrong number.

sometime in 2007 a baltimore county sheriff came to the door with a court summons... for a roofing company.  i can't remember the name.  he asked for the guy and i was totally thrown off, no idea who he was talking about.  i fetched my ID and told him he could come in and look around if he liked, but no roofers here.  i mentioned the weird phone call from a couple years prior.  he left without anything further.

today i went to the post office with a postcard, dropped in my mailbox that said they had a letter needing signature confirmation.  when i showed my ID she asked if i had my business card.  stumped, i answered, "no, i don't have one."  she asked if i was with everett roofing.  since i do have "roofing" going on in my house, i said, "maybe it's from my contractor?  can i see the return address?"  

a rather large virginia law firm sprawled across the front of the envelope, stuffed thick with about two maple trees' worth of paper.  nope.  not for me.

upon spending an hour (that i don't have) searching for everett roofing or contracting or something, i have found nothing related to my phone number or address.  

preplexed, i am.

off to make a chocolate cake.

moroccan spiced beef kabobs

 

adapted from the McCormick 3-step cooking cookbook

because i can't have dairy, i've omitted the yogurt and made this a simple dry rub for the meat, leaving the veggies to roast on the grill in their own yumminess, without a sauce.  my favorite grilling veggies for beef kabobs are videlia onions, yellow squash, cherry tomatoes and green pepper.  oh, and my recipe feeds a family of six, sometimes with leftovers...sometimes not!

2 Tbs minced onion
1 tsp dalmation cinnamon (regular works too)
1/2 tsp black or white pepper
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tsp garlic powder (i used minced garlic)
2-3 pounds cubed beef

mix spices together.  shake over meat in either a plastic bag or tupperware container big enough to allow movement of meat and spices.  make sure all sides of cubes get spiced.  skewer with veggies (or separate) and grill over med heat 18-20 minutes, turning to keep from burning on one side.  OR bake in 450* oven 12-15 minutes or until edges are browned and crisp.  serve hot, rolled in whole wheat tortillas or with couscous and salad.

headline news

 

westboro bastards church:  the bastards will be protesting "outside" of meade high school (no reports of exactly where they are allowed) thursday morning during arrival, approximately 6-7:30 am.  if i didn't live so far from the base, i would be there to help create a barrier between these animals and the children of military families who attend this school.  i have heard that several friends are attending for the same reason, and i want to thank you all for doing this.  i can't imagine the parents actually sending their kids to school tomorrow; if we were still stationed there, i know i wouldn't.  i also know that as a hot-headed teenager, i would have been right in the faces of the bastards if this happened at my high school, and i hope there is a measure of protection planned for that situation; the hot-headed teen situation, that is.  my thoughts are with my military families.... as always.

had to have the talk about "don't get into a stranger's vehicle EVER" with my kids again because some nine-year-old-knuckleheads in this area jumped into a pedophile's car on the way to school yesterday.  seriously???  yes...  those kids SHOULD HAVE known better, and were obviously not paying attention to the message the past four years of elementary school when the message has been broadcast.  come on, parents: it is ultimately YOUR job to educate your children with the help of the schools.

you hear all the negative attention this evening about how awful all of us TSA child predators are?  

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/90044692?Kentucky%20family%20upset%20after%20TSA%20does%20pat%20down%20of%206-year-old%20daughter  while i will admit, the video shows the TSO giving a standard patdown when clearly the child is under 12 and should have received a modified patdown, i will leave you this evening with a little light reading on why i will continue to pat down children and the elderly.  i trust no one.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jul/02/taliban-buying-children-to-serve-as-suicide-bomber/

http://www.betar.co.uk/articles/betar1059578683.php

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/2009/04/21/Child-bombers-in-training-arrested-in-Iraq/UPI-48761240326883/