Friday, December 14, 2012

Take 2- December Secret Subject Swap

Welcome to Take 2 of December’s Secret Subject Swap, the second one this month. This week, 15 more bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts.



Secret Subject Swap | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swaps. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

Cassandra's Corner
Moore Organized Mayhem
The Sadder But Wiser Girl
Stacy Sews and Schools 
Baking In A Tornado
Momaical
Macdonald's playland
Menopausal Mother
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy
Hungry Little Girl
Rushing for Bagels
Mommy Unmuted
3 Monkeys and a Martini
The Family Pants
Love Art Baby

My subject is: Will you be on Santa’s nice or naughty list this year? Give your reason why. It was submitted by: Cassandra's Corner.

Initially I thought that this was a strange subject for me to get given the fact that I’m Jewish, but the truth of the matter is that the concept of naughty or nice doesn’t belong to any one religion. So in that spirit I, like anyone else, should be able to answer this question.


Naughty or Nice | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

As I thought about this prompt, two things came to mind. First, I’m going to have to make a list (and check it twice) to see if I come out naughty or nice. Second, and this is the big one: naughty or nice according to who? Because I was looking pretty good until my kids got a look at my list. They felt the need to, shall we say, add a little perspective? So now the list looks something like this:

Nice: I put dinner on the table every night.
Naughty (according to my kids): I put dinner on the table every night.

Nice: I bake all my kids’ favorite sweets and welcome all of their friends into the house. Their friends even stop in the kitchen to grab the snacks to take down to the basement.
Naughty: I may sneak a sample of some of those treats. In my defense, I’m just making sure no one gets sick so this could actually be another “nice”, right? Anyone with me?



White Chocolate Almond Cookies | www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe
White Chocolate Almond Cookies
No Santa, this is not a bride, bribes are naughty

Nice: I keep the basement fridge stocked with soda (and water and Gatorade) for the kids and their friends.
Naughty: I may be responsible for some of my kids’ friends’ dental bills.

Nice: I blog as a positive way to keep my brain active and engaged and to relieve stress.
Naughty: I may have bribed my kids to follow my blog.

Nice: I work to maintain relationships with people far away through FB and Twitter.
Naughty: I may also use FB and Twitter to spy on the kids.

Nice: I’ve tried to instill solid morals and values in my sons, although the jury is admittedly still out as to whether I’ve been able to swim up this particular stream.
Naughty (according to my kids): It appears that the use of “grounding” as a consequence to get this particular point across is not looked upon fondly by two other members of my household.

Nice: I do all of the shopping and the errands required to maintain a household.
Naughty: I may “not see” some of the items the kids add to those shopping lists.

Nice: When a friend or neighbor is sick, I always cook their family dinner and bring it to their home.
Naughty (according to my kids): Forcing friends’ kids to eat my cooking is torture.

Nice: I am honest
Naughty (according to my kids): I’m not honest about my cooking. Anyone sensing a theme here?

Nice: I bake for my husband’s charity committee meetings.
Naughty:

Wait a second. That last one is only nice. Does this mean? Is it possible? Yes! Nice! I made it onto the nice list.

Unless, of course, I’m still on the hook for that Christmas when I gave my son’s School Principal a lump of coal . . . literally . . . but that’s another story . . . for another day . . . or not.



Baking In A Tornado signature | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

White Chocolate Almond Cookies
                                  ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1/2 cup sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 cup white chocolate chips

Directions:
* Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
*Beat butter, margarine, sugar, brown sugar, egg and almond until creamy.
*Mix in flour, baking soda, ginger, salt and cinnamon. Mix in white chocolate chips.
*Roll into 3/4 inch balls and place on cookie sheets. Gently flatten slightly with the heel of your hand.
*Bake for 12 minutes. Leave on cookie sheet for one minute before removing.

45 comments:

  1. I think the nice far outweighs the naughty!! l love what you did with your prompt. I had a blast with mine, too. Count me in on the future ones! Off to check out the others now....

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    1. I think everyone did a great job. I just love reading these.

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  2. LOL!! Well, you definitely get MY vote for the Nice List! ;)

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  3. Hilarious! You'll always be super duper nice in my book!!!

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  4. Good job with this prompt babe...yes, being good is universal in all religions. I think you are NICE because you put together this super secret swap

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    1. Thanks, I'm so glad you keep participating, I love reading yours.

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  5. LOL. I want to hear the coal story. OMG I want to hear it now! :)

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    1. Leave it to you . . . don't know if I'll ever tell that story. Maybe next year if I'm still blogging.

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    2. Now I DEFINITELY want to hear it!

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  6. You are without a doubt on the nice list! Love this.

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  7. Love kids perspective versus adult perspective. I would LOVE to have someone cook, shop, and bake for me all the time. Clearly I need to get a wife.
    Tracy @ Momaical

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    1. If you find a discount store that sells them be sure to let me know!

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  8. LOVE LOVE LOVE this! I think you have definitely ended up on the nice list! A hard-working mama, a great bloggy friend, a wonderful wife! Also, I think baking yummy treats automatically puts you on the nice list. And giving recipes out to all of us. And baking for your hubby's charity meetings is automatic as well.
    I loved reading this!! Good job, mama!

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    1. Thank you, Pamela. I thought I belonged on the nice list too, till my kids started chiming in!

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  9. I'm beginning to believe that while a great baker, you can not cook. ;)

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  10. Can you be my mom? I promise ... I won't bitch, complain and I'll do my chores! PLEASE!?!

    xoxo
    Lanaya
    www.raising-reagan.com

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    Replies
    1. Absolutely. Someone who actually doesn't complain? Welcome!

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  11. You are so graceful! I loved this: "Initially I thought that this was a strange subject for me to get given the fact that I’m Jewish, but the truth of the matter is that the concept of naughty or nice doesn’t belong to any one religion. So in that spirit I, like anyone else, should be able to answer this question."

    SO glad you came out on the good side. It looked like a pretty close call!

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    Replies
    1. It was a close call. Wonder how it would have come out if my kids had been writing this instead of me.

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  12. Of course you came out on the good side!! -and I'm sure your children would more than agree.
    I love a stocked "drink fridge"! You rock.
    Now my friend, add some circus peanuts to that shopping list, and I'm moving in!! (With a big old bag of Cheetos, of course)
    I know you are holding a little tighter to those boys of yours this evening. It's been a heartbreaking day. Thanks for giving me something to smile about <3

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    1. I'm going to have to scour the town. I don't remember ever seeing circus peanuts anywhere. I'm on a mission. . . must . . .find . . .circus peanuts.

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  13. Cooking for your family always make you nice, no matter what they say! Mine would say to me - JUST DON"T DO IT, but that's neither here nor there. I still think I'm on the good list.

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    Replies
    1. I'm with you, they can call it whatever they want, we Moms know better.

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  14. I loved seeing the break-down of your list. And it sounds like you are extremely nice, and only viewed as naughty by your kids. (I know those days are coming for me.) I am dying to know the story of the lump of coal! You better share this holiday season!

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    Replies
    1. Those kids sure do add perspective to my self image. Unfortunately!

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  15. Quality Control. You must take this role seriously as a mom. Two points for nice, in my book.

    Good stuff here!

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  16. Great list, I enjoyed reading it. Your definitely on the nice list.Your cookies look yummy too.

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    1. Thanks for putting me on the nice list. Hope you get a chance to try the cookies.

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  17. You're definitely on the "nice list" Karen! If anyone tells you otherwise...tell them to take it up with me... :)

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  18. Great posting and answers to the questions! Enjoyed reading your posting, and definitely am going to try those cookies! Thanks for sharing the recipe!

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    1. So glad you enjoyed the Subject Swap. Hope you love the cookies as much as we do.

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  19. The fact that you bake gets you on the nice list. Period. I can't bake to save my life. And my poor kids pathetic dried out, inverted birthday cakes are proof of that. I try, but when everyone feels obligated to eat out of kindness, that is not a nice thing. And you stock the fridge with sodas and gatorades... you're like the mom I want to be ;)

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    1. I had to laugh when you said that everyone feels obligated to eat it out of kindness. I'd love a little kindness around here. If my family doesn't like something they don't eat it and they're very clear about why.

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  20. I would be on the naughty list, plus I would eat all the cookies. ;)

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    1. You would enjoy every minute on that naughty list. And the cookies are pretty great too.

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  21. Even though it looked like you are naughty the nice over-ruled!

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    1. So glad it turned out that way. I wasn't sure until the very end.

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  22. Hi Karen, thanks for linking this in. Anything with ginger in it is most welcome. Cheers

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