Toilet Brush and Paperback Books: 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.

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: robber ~ sunshine ~ pretty ~ books ~ every
They were submitted by Diane of On the Border.

                          
The first word on my list, robber, is what drove me to tell you this story. In fact, I hadn't thought about it for quite some time, but just seeing that word brought the memory to mind, and I had to smile.

I wasn't smiling at the time. In fact, I probably had to change my pants when all was said and done.

Before I tell you the story, let me just say that back in the day I did a pretty good job of constantly getting myself into sticky situations. Funny now, every one of them, but not at the time. In my very first Secret Subject Swap, all the way back in 2012, I tell one of these stories, about the time I locked myself out on the my third floor apartment deck in my pajamas. There are so many more stories. As I said I tended to get into it on a regular basis. Remind me to tell you about the time both of my boyfriends showed up at the apartment at the same time, or later when my then live-in boyfriend threw a pot plant off my balcony while I was in the process (I later found out from his father) of having an FBI file created on me . . .

Today's story is another one that happened at around the same time. Admittedly it never would have happened in the bright sunshine of daylight. I was living in the apartment and one day I looked out the window to see a furniture delivery truck and someone I recognized. My stepfather owned 2 furniture stores, one an Ethan Allen Gallery and the other nice furniture but not as high end and not as traditional. The person I had seen was my stepbrother delivering furniture to an apartment across the parking lot from mine. I went over there and walked in to see him. Two men about my age were moving in. I ended up becoming friends with them and later dated one of them off and on for many years.

When he and I would come home from work, we'd park our cars in the parking lot between our buildings and often if we saw the other's car or, when it was dark out, if we saw a light on in each other's windows, we'd stop by to say "hello" or to hang out. 

One night, he had gone out to dinner with friends and I was making myself a late dinner when I lost electricity.

Pistachio Crusted Cod

It was pitch black so I grabbed a flashlight and was finding my way to the door to open it to see if it was the whole building. Nope, of course not, it was just my apartment. Great. I left the door open for some minimal light and took the flashlight and went to find the phone number for the management company.

What I didn't know was that my friend had come home and looked up to see if I was around. He saw that no lights were on, but then realized that someone was walking around with a flashlight. Knowing that was just not right, you know what he did, don't you?

The police showed up, saw the moving flashlight in the dark apartment, somehow got in the main door and found my door open. That went well. 

Once I could breathe again, after I was able to prove I was not a robber and yes, once I changed my pants (guns are scary, friends), I went to talk to my friend. I was grateful he was looking out for me but really, I was a recent college graduate living in an apartment with barely a thing to my name. Some decent furniture, that's about it. "So what did you think?", I asked him, "someone was going to get away with my toilet brush and some well read paperback books?"

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

Wandering Web Designer 
Cognitive Script
The Bergham Chronicles  
On the Border 
 Southern Belle Charm
Bookworm in the Kitchen
Follow Me Home 
Part-time Working Hockey Mom 
Climaxed 

Pistachio Crusted Cod

                                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients (serves 2):

2 Cod fillets (about 3/4# total)
1 cup roasted shelled pistachios
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 tsp lemon zest
1 egg
1 tsp lemon juice
3 TBSP oil

OPT: fresh sliced lemon or tartar sauce for serving

Directions:
*Place the pistachios in a food processor, chopping to coarsely fine crumbs. Place on a plate.

*Mix together the flour, salt, pepper, onion powder and lemon zest on a second plate.
*Whisk the egg with 1 tsp lemon juice in a bowl.
*Rinse and pat dry the Cod fillets. Dredge through the flour mixture, tapping off the excess, then dip in the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Last, coat all sides with the pistachios. Place in the refrigerator for an hour.
*Heat the oil in a saute pan to medium heat. Add the Cod fillets and cook for about 5 minutes, until the nuts have browned. Gently flip over and cook the other side for another 3 to 5 minutes, reducing the heat slightly if the pistachios look like they're getting too dark. 
*Remove fish to a paper towel and check to be sure it's done. NOTE: Fish is done when it is opaque and flakes easily.