Friday, September 28, 2018

Is that a Watermelon in Your Seat? Funny Friday

Today’s post is this month’s Funny Friday, a regular feature published on the last Friday of every month. Funny Friday is a collaborative project. Each month one of the participants submits a picture, then we all write 5 captions or thoughts inspired by that month’s picture. Links to the other bloggers’ posts are below, click on them and see what they’ve come up with. I hope we bring a smile to your face as you start your weekend.

Funny Friday:a multi-blogger challenge, one picture, five Captions,  | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics



Here’s today’s picture. It was submitted by Dawn of Cognitive Script. 
Funny Friday, a multi blogger picture captioning challenge | September 2018 picture submitted by Dawn of The Cognitive Script | Featured on www.BakingInATornado.com | #funny #laugh



1. Woman to her new boyfriend (as she gets in the car): Is that a watermelon in your seat or are you happy to see me?

2. Man to his girlfriend: You know how shipping works, don't you? The thing is . . . you have to actually put the watermelon inside the box or it won't get there.

3. Man to his girlfriend: Why is there a watermelon on the car seat?
Woman: Because it wouldn't fit in my purse.

4. Watermelon (to himself): I wonder what that package is that she picked up at the post office. Oh, I hope it's not a set of knives. I may be in trouble here. I need to get out of this car. Where are a set of feet when I need them.

5. I have a riddle for you:
Q: What did the watermelon say to the box?
A: Nothing. Watermelons can't talk.



 And now for something yummy, not watermelon, but apple: 


Add another layer of flavors to a holiday favorite, Apple Wassail Pie adds the flavors of the hot drink to your apple pie. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert

Apple Wassail Pie

Add another layer of flavors to a holiday favorite, Apple Wassail Pie adds the flavors of the hot drink to your apple pie. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert


Click on the links below and let some other bloggers make you smile:

Cognitive Script
The Bergham Chronicles 



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


Apple Wassail Pie
   ©www.BakingInATornado.com


Ingredients:
pie crusts - you can make your own or use the refrigerated ones
6 - 8 apples of your choice, depending on the size of your pie dish (I use Braeburn because I like them a little tart)
4 TBSP flour, divided
2 TBSP orange juice
1 TBSP orange liqueur (can substitute with another TBSP orange juice)
1/2 tsp orange zest
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon 
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground cloved
OPT: egg wash

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Line your ower oven rack with tin foil in case your pie spills over.
*Spread 1 TBSP of flour onto a pie crust. Turn the crust into your pie plate so the flour is on the bottom. Gently fit the crust evenly into the pie plate.
*Core, peel and slice the apples. Place in a bowl and mix with the orange juice, orange liqueur (if using) and orange zest.
*Mix in the remaining flour, sugars, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Gently mix, then pour into and arrange evenly in the prepared crust.
*Put the top crust over the fruit, tucking and crimping the sides. Cut a few slits into the center of the top crust. Brush with egg wash if desired.
*Bake for approximately 45 minutes, it's done when you can see the filling bubbling. Check after 25 minutes and add a crust shield if necessary. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Tuesday, September 25, 2018

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, October is Here Soon

It's been a very long time since I've read children's books.

Yes, I'm aware that this is a bit of a strange way to begin a warning. Or even an apology, depending on how you view it.

But I'm hoping that the characters from some old favorites will soften the blow. Because Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, October is here soon and like The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one week from today I will break out of my egg. And very hungry (for Halloween) I will be.

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom, October is Here Soon. Using children’s books to say, spooky season’s on the way. | Graphic property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #October #Halloween


I said it when I started this blog six years ago (really? has it been that long?), that no matter what anyone else does, I hold off until October first. No pumpkin recipes in July, no Halloween treats in August, no starting holidays six months in advance for me. 

Like today. It's still September so I will not share a Halloween recipe, I will not share a pumpkin recipe. Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake for the win!


A Chocolate lover’s favorite, Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake marries a dense chocolate cheesecake studded with cookie chunks with a cookies and cream crust. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #chocolate

Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake
A Chocolate lover’s favorite, Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake marries a dense chocolate cheesecake studded with cookie chunks with a cookies and cream crust. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #chocolate
 


BUT, here's the warning part: October 1st, that's next week.

So for a short while Where the Wild Things Are will be right here in the blogosphere where I will roar my terrible roar and gnash my terrible teeth and share my wonderful recipes. Yes, pumpkin and all.

And to those who might feel I owe it to you (even in advance), I (begrudgingly) apologize. By the time I start the Halloween posts and recipes you'll probably already be sick of them. But face it, If You Give a Moose a Muffin in October . . . it's bound to be pumpkin. 

For the record, don't even try to leave, you cannot run away from me. I've gotten used to having readers so you may as well know that I will hunt you down and haunt your dreams.

Love You Forever
love you for always.
As long as I'm writing,
my readers you'll be.

Well, that may be a bit more ominous than the mom in The Runaway Bunny, who tells her little bunny that if he runs away she will run after him, but then we are talking about Halloween here after all. I'm just getting into character.

Never fear, once the month culminates in one long night of spooky costumes and candy consuming binges, like that caterpillar I will encase myself in a witch's cape protective cocoon and . . . 

Goodnight pumpkins, 
Goodnight Moon.
In just eleven short months . . . 
we'll meet again soon.


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





Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake        
                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 package Oreo cookies
6 TBSP butter, melted

2 packages (8oz) cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP baking cocoa
2 TBSP chocolate syrup
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup heavy cream
3 eggs, room temperature

Directions:
*Grease a 9 inch springform pan. On the outside of the pan, wrap a sheet of tin foil around the bottom and partially up the sides of the pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
*Place 8 cookies into a plastic bag, close and pound to small chunks but not crumbs. Set aside.
*Place the rest of the cookies into a food processor and crush to crumbs. Mix these crumbs with the butter and press into and partially up the sides of the springform pan.
*Beat the cream cheese, sugar, brown sugar, baking cocoa and chocolate syrup until smooth. Beat in the sour cream, heavy cream, then the eggs, one at a time. Mix in the reserved cookie chunks.
*Pour the filling into the prepared crust. Bake for 60 to 75 minutes, until the center is just set.
*Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
*To serve: gently run a knife around the cheesecake before removing the side of the springform pan.
*Store leftovers, covered, in refrigerator.

Friday, September 21, 2018

A Bird, A Plane: Fly on the Wall

Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 4 bloggers are inviting you to catch a glimpse of what you’d see if you were a fly on the wall in our homes. Come on in and buzz around my house. At the end of my post you’ll find links to this month’s other participants’ posts.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


We were getting take-out from this new restaurant that opened up just around the corner from our house. I was getting everyone's order so I could call it in.

Me: Do you want french fries or tater tots with your sandwich?
Hubs: Tater tots?
Me (reading their on-line menu): Yes, it says the sandwiches come with your choice.
Hubs: French fries, they're healthier.
Me (rolling my eyes): Yeah, you keep telling yourself that.
Hubs (confidently): I think I will.


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I was in the den with PurDude. College Boy and Hubs were in the kitchen eating a sandwich. From the laundry room the clothes dryer made its loud long beeping sound signaling that it was finished.

No one moved.

Me (sarcastically): That's OK, I'll get it.
Hubs (looking up): Huh?

So basically like high pitched sounds only dogs can hear, apparently the dryer makes a sound only I can hear. Or so they want me to believe.

Later on we were all downstairs in the basement when the doorbell rang. I didn't move.

Hubs: I guess I'll get that. 
Me: Huh?

See . . . two can play this game.


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I live with one man and have raised two and I still will never understand how they think.

I have some expensive rugs in my house, one of a kind hand-made, beautiful (I think so) rugs. 

When you come in my house from the garage, straight ahead is a mud room with lockers in it. This is where we've always left our shoes. The kids friends always walked in the front door, took off their shoes and walked over and threw them into the mud room.

The other day Hubs comes in from the garage, takes off his shoes (good), walks past the mud room (huh?), sits down in a chair in the den and places his shoes next to the chair on the Persian rug (oy).


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

It's very difficult to have a sarcastic sense of humor and a husband who doesn't understand sarcasm.

We have a pair of very large owls who've been hunting in our back yard. A few times we've actually seen them standing on our back lawn or heard them when perched somewhere on our house.

The other day we were sitting in the den watching TV when out of the corner of my eye I caught movement outside the window right behind where Hubs was sitting. It startled me.

Me: Oh!
Hubs: What?
Me: Something huge just flew by right outside the window behind you.
Hubs: Something huge?
Me (sarcastically): It was either an airplane or an owl.
Hubs (seriously): It couldn't have been an airplane.

Duh.


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I wrote a few weeks ago about PurDude moving to his own apartment. I tried everything I could think of to get him to stay but, you know, the job and everything.

One night after dinner we were all having a slice of my Strawberry and Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chip Cheesecake.

PurDude: This is really good.
Me: See, you shouldn't move out, who will make you cheesecake?
Hubs: The area he lives in has all kinds of shops and restaurants, I bet he could buy one.
Me (shooting daggers at Hubs with my eyes): Thanks.
Hubs (looking at PurDude): But it wouldn't be anywhere near as good as your mom's.

Good save. Or my unique cookies either, I might add.


Cinnamon Banana Nutella Cookies are full of flavor. Banana Nutella cookie dough is studded with cinnamon baking chips and baked. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #cookies

Cinnamon Banana Nutella Cookies


Moving day came quicker than we'd expected. Labor Day weekend was a frantic time of shopping, packing, moving, unpacking and setting up. 

Monday night we were sore and tired but happy with the results:

Me: Sorry. No more days off, you go back to work tomorrow.
Hubs: Believe me when I tell you I've never been happier to go back to work.

And I bet he was. Did I mention how exhausted we were? And sore?



Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

After we'd moved PurDude in, I was taking pictures of all the rooms. I wanted to be sure my mom could see his new apartment, and I ended up posting them here on my blog as well. Hubs saw me taking pictures and decided he'd do the same. I'm not sure why, since he certainly has access to all of mine. And honestly, as bad as I am with technology, he's worse. Although, in his defense, he did finally learn how to text this year.

Hubs is holding up his phone and complaining it's not working. PurDude looks at it immediately and sees that not only does Hubs have the phone set to video, but has the camera facing in. 

So I've got some great pics of the apartment. Hubs? He's got lots of video of his own face.


Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


I just can't get used to buying and cooking for just 2 again. I always seem to have way too much food. It's partially because cooking for 2 is new (again) and partially because if one or both of the boys come to dinner, I want there to be enough food.

Hubs: Look at all this food, there's just the 2 of us, who's going to eat all of this.
Me: Remember when I was pregnant and eating for two?
Hubs: Yeah?
Me: I didn't complain, I did what I had to do, right?
Hubs: Yeah?
Me: It's your turn. Until I adjust, you're just going to have to eat for 3.
Hubs (grabbing the apple pie I'd made that afternoon and a fork): That's for dessert too, right?




Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


Not funny, but sweet.

Now that PurDude is in his apartment, I've gone back to hearing from him rarely. Same complaint I had while he was in college. 

I wanted to hear how work was going, how he was enjoying the first week in his new apartment, and I had a few things I wanted to tell him. I waited until Friday, then texted him. It went like this:
   
Screenshot of a conversation from A Bird, A Plane, Fly on the Wall | Picture property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #parenting
   
Well, sweet or smart. Either one will do.

Fly on the Wall, a multi-blogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics 

He was coming to dinner just 2 days later, on Sunday for Rosh Hashanah. I texted him on Saturday to see what time he wanted me to serve dinner, in case there was a particular time he wanted to be back to his apartment. He didn't care so I chose. 

I know what a master sleeper he is and wanted to be sure he'd come over before dinner to spend some time with us. I figured if I could get him here by 4:30 or 5:00 (since he doesn't even get out of bed on the weekends until 2:00) that would be great, but a mama's always gonna try for as much time with her boy as she can:

Screenshot of a conversation from A Bird, A Plane, Fly on the Wall | Picture property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #parenting

Yeah, that's what I thought.


Now click on the links below for a peek into some other homes:

Menopausal Mother 
Never Ever Give Up Hope 
Spatulas on Parade


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






Cinnamon Banana Nutella Cookies
                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients (makes about 3 1/2 dz):
1 stick butter, softened
2 over ripe bananas, mashed
1/4 cup Nutella
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup cinnamon baking chips

Directions:
*Cream together the butter, bananas, Nutella, brown sugar and sugar. Beat in the egg.
*Mix together the flour, baking soda and salt. Carefully beat into the butter mixture, then mix in the cinnamon chips by hand.
*Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for one hour or up to a day.
*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover baking sheets with parchment paper.
*Roll cookie dough into about 3/4 inch balls. Place on baking sheets and press down gently with the heel of your hand. 
*Bake for 10 - 12 minutes until they just start to brown. Allow to set for 2 minutes on the baking sheets, then remove to cool completely.



Tuesday, September 18, 2018

Perspective, Perjury and the Purvis Burger

It's a saying that's been discussed and debated ad nauseum: the perjury trap. There are those who say that, since perjury is simply lying (under oath), it's impossible to be trapped, just tell the truth. There are those who say that there are facts and then there are alternative facts. I call bull-terds on that one. There are facts and there are lies, and if you look at lies through the subjective lens of what's in your personal best interest, that's delusion. News flash: they are still lies to everyone else.

But (you knew there was a "but" coming, right?). There is such a thing as interpretation. It is possible to have done something that, especially without the entire background, can seem to be one thing yet really be another. When asked about it, unless you can clarify, your answer can be misinterpreted. It's not a lie, but it's not the whole truth either. Context matters. 

You could go to a Purdue favorite, Triple XXX Drive-In and order their famous Purvis Burger. There are those who say they are delicious. Others (those like me who've actually never tasted one) might turn their nose and describe them as "unappetizing". No one is lying. The context is, simply, whether or not you like peanut butter on your burger. 

Try their root beer, btw. Well, if you like root beer, that is.

Perspective, Perjury and the Purvis Burger | Picture property of www.BakingInATornado.com



In a more complex example, let me say that I always tried to be fair with the boys, made sure everything was even. I had thought that it was difficult to do when they were little, when one got a little more or the bigger piece or to go first, the other would feel dejected. That it would be their turn next time would often not be received well. That they had the last turn would not be remembered. It was exhausting. 

But the older they got, the harder it was. They got past the pettiness, but the stakes were much higher. At this point "even" and "fair" diverged. I stayed fair, but that often precluded being even. If you were to ask me, at that point, about specific circumstance, I would answer that I had been fair. If you asked one of the boys about the same situation, he might have said uncategorically that I'd been patently unfair. And yet, neither one of us would have been lying, he could say I was unfair because he did not get what his brother got. I could say I was being fair because he refused to earn what his brother earned. 

So yes, without context a truth can be subjective.

Of course, there are those undisputed truths. Somehow, coincidentally, they all tend to involve chocolate.

Me: Are these Nutella Nutter Butter Bars delicious or what?
Family (all of them, with their mouths full): Absolutely! 

See, I know where peanut butter does and doesn't belong.
Nutella Nutter Butter Bars are for all of the chocolate and peanut butter lovers in our lives. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert

Nutella Nutter Butter Bars


Life in general but marriage specifically requires honesty. Honesty is a foundation to trust. And yet, even in marriage, without context, there can be perjury traps. In that light, there are certain questions that I will no longer be answering:

* Is that purse new?

* Do you know what happened to that old t-shirt I wear for all of the football games?

* Are there mushrooms in this casserole?

* I wanted your help with the (insert chore here). Didn't you hear me calling from the (insert location here)?

* Where did that bottle of wine that was in the fridge go?

* The game isn't over yet. You just changed the channel while I was in the bathroom, didn't you?

* Where's the rest of those Nutella Nutter Butter Bars? You didn't sent them home with PurDude did you?

* I'm craving a Purvis Burger, do we have any peanut butter?

I know a trap when I see one so nope, not answering any of those. Unless, of course, I'm guaranteed a pardon. 



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





Nutella Nutter Butter Bars        
                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 stick butter or margarine, melted
1/3 cup + 1/4 cup Nutella, divided
1/4 cup peanut butter
1 cup chocolate chips
15 Nutter Butter (or similar) cookies
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup toffee bits

Directions:
*Grease a 9 X 13 baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Chop the cookies. You want small chunks, not crumbs. Set aside.
*Whisk together the sweetened condensed milk and 1/4 cup of the Nutella. Set aside.
*Mix the graham cracker crumbs with the butter or margarine and press into the bottom of the baking pan.
*Whisk together the remaining 1/3 cup of Nutella and the peanut butter. Heat in the microwave for 10 seconds. Whisk again and drizzle over the graham cracker crust.
*Next, sprinkle evenly with the chocolate chips followed by the cookie chunks. Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk mixture over the top, followed by the toffee bits.
*Bake for about 30 minutes or until the top is bubbling. *Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes. Gently run a knife around the edges, then cool completely before cutting.

Friday, September 14, 2018

Super Supper: Use Your Words

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.


Use Your Words, a multiblogger writing challenge | www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics


At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I'm using: friend ~ super ~ supper ~ sweet ~ savoury
They were submitted by Diane of On the Border.
                         
Imagine the friend I'd be to moms everywhere if I came up with a super supper recipe that was both sweet and savoury.


~ The end ~

Thank you, thank you very much (read that in an Elvis voice, OK?)  Not only nailed those words, but in one sentence. And in order. Am I good or what? Don't answer that.

Truth is, as most of you know, I no longer have little ones. My boys are grown and aren't even here for dinner a majority of the time. I was under the impression that at this stage in my life I'd mostly be cooking just for two. Surprisingly, not so much.

My boys don't cook. At all. When it comes to sweets, baking, I would have loved it if the boys had some interest. When they were little they would help me mix ingredients. Yeah, I know, it wasn't about the baking it was about the results. Well, it was about licking the beaters and then enjoying the results. Anyway, I guess I'm not terribly surprised that they don't have an interest, and as hopes and dreams for my boys go, enjoying baking is pretty far down the list.

When it comes to savoury, however, it's less about what you want and more about what you need. 


Barbecue Thick Cut Chops, rubbed, marinated and grilled these thick pork chops have big bold flavor. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #cook #dinner

Barbecue Thick Cut Chops
Barbecue Thick Cut Chops, rubbed, marinated and grilled these thick pork chops have big bold flavor. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #cook #dinner


PurDude lived in a house with a couple of friends last year and he ate fast food pretty much every day for dinner. I was shocked, really, because he spends so much time in the gym I would have thought that eating right would be a priority. Not so much. Convenience apparently supersedes all.

With College Boy living within 45 minutes of home, cooking was more a skill I wanted him to have but less a need. He would frequently pop in to join us at the supper table. Or raid the fridge for leftovers. Either way I knew he wasn't eating a ton of crap. Not every day, anyway.

But for PurDude, learning to cook a few things was more of a need. Well, in my mind anyway. He was living far away so he couldn't stop by for meals. He needed to be as healthy as possible since missing classes his senior year could cause all kinds of problems and he obviously wanted to graduate on time. Ultimately once he did graduated and started his career, he could end up living pretty much anywhere and I'm pretty sure would still be needing to eat on a regular basis.

So every time he came home from school (that's pretty much 4 times a year for 4 years, in case you're keeping track), I'd talk to him about coming into the kitchen and just learning a simple recipe or two. But this kid had his priorities. And sleep was it.

Now he's off working his first job and living in his own apartment. Against his protests I outfitted his kitchen with a set of dishes, glasses, pots, pans, utensils . . . not a lot, mind you, just a few basics. All of which I know will remain exactly where I put them. Seems while we were shopping for apartment essentials, he bought out all of the paper plates and plastic utensils. It's all he used in college so I guess I shouldn't be surprised. And what will he eat on those paper plates? I'm guessing most nights it'll be takeout, sprinkled in a few nights a week with leftovers from Mom's house {{sigh}}.

Although it's clear that I've failed to teach the boys to cook, or even to make them understand that they need to learn how, I'm going to end this post on a positive note. I'm happy to report that I've actually seen an iota of progress on this front. Yesterday I walked into the kitchen and actually witnessed College Boy preparing food. He had a knife in his hand and was miraculously even using the cutting board too, chopping and mixing like he'd done it before. 

And a mighty nice looking salad it turned out to be, too.


Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:




Barbecue Thick Cut Chops
                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Ingredients:
4 thick cut boneless pork loin chops
1 TBSP garlic powder
2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp apple pie spice
1 cup barbecue sauce, divided

Directions:
*Mix together the garlic powder, cumin and apple pie spice. Rinse the chops and pat dry. Place them each on a piece of plastic wrap, sprinkle both sides with the spice mixture, wrap securely and place in the fridge for 4 hours. 

*Unwrap the pork chops and place in a sealable plastic bag. Add 3/4 cup barbecue sauce, be sure all sides of all the chops are covered. Seal and refrigerate for 24 hours.
*Heat your grill to medium high. Place the chops onto the grill and reduce the heat to medium low. 
*Cook 5 minutes, turn each chop 180 degrees. Cook for 5 more minutes. Flip the chops over and, using a pastry brush, sauce them with the remaining barbecue sauce. 
*Cook for 5 minutes, turn each chop 180 degrees and cook 5 more minutes. Be sure they are cooked through (not pink) before removing. Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Wednesday, September 12, 2018

September Twelfth: Anniversaries Poetry

For September, the monthly poetry group chose the theme Anniversaries. 

I had intended, as I so often do, to write a poem that would be a humorous look at anniversaries. You know, the marriage kind. I bet all of us can tell a few jokes about that. No? Just me? 

But anniversaries are about a lot of things, not all of them happy, many of them not a celebration. In the end I decided to write about one of those, a day I will always remember but never celebrate. This anniversary is an acknowledgement. A painful one, but one we can never escape, never forget. One that changed our reality forever.


Anniversaries, this month's Monthly Poetry Group theme | Graphic property of www.BakingInATornado.com | #poetry #poem


September Twelfth

Seventeen years ago today, 
reality changed in every way.
The day before, evil went astray,
our whole world was held at bay.

September eleventh will always be,
a date that lives on in infamy.
For this I'm actually glad, you see.
Not to repeat, remembrance is key. 

But . . .

September twelfth it all sunk in.
Planned to give blood. No need, a sin.
It's the day we knew evil'd gained a win.
And healing could not yet begin.

Anniversaries we often celebrate,
but this one carries a heavy weight.
The eleventh was a day of hate.
And the twelfth saw horror penetrate.

Witnessed our country and hate collide,
the day our collective naivete died,
Soon we'd act on our outrage and pride,
But on the 12th it registered, and we cried. 

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~   
 
I deliberately didn't tie today's recipe into this piece, it just wasn't the time or the place given my topic. But I'm sharing one, as I always do, here at the end of my post.

Chocolate Strawberry Krispie Treats are today’s recipe. The old childhood favorite with the added flavors of chocolate and strawberry. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #snack

Chocolate Strawberry Krispie Treats



Before you go, click on these links to more poetry from some of my friends: 
Dawn of Cognitive Script shares Another Year has Passed
Diane of On the Border shares Times Twenty
Sarah of My Brand of Crazy shares Ten Years of a Lifetime.
Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares Unwanted Anniversary.


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



 

Chocolate Strawberry Krispie Treats
                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
about 14 chocolate cookies of your choice
2 TBSP butter
1 package (8 oz) Strawberry marshmallows
1/2 cup seedless strawberry jam
6 cups crisped rice cereal
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Directions:
*Spray an 8 X 11 pan and a spatula with non-stick spray. Line the bottom with cookies. You will not cover the entire bottom, there will be spaces between cookies, this is fine.
*Whisk the strawberry jam.
*In a large bowl, melt the butter an marshmallows for 2 minutes. Mix, and if not all melted, microwave at 10 second intervals until they are.
*Immediately mix in the jam, then quickly add and mix in the cereal. Pour into prepared pan. Pat down to equalize the thickness. Set aside.
*In a small bowl, melt the chocolate chips until completely smooth. Drizzle over the top of the cereal mixture.
*Allow to set completely before slicing.