Friday, July 5, 2019

Sobriquetless: Secret Subject Swap

Welcome a Secret Subject Swap. This month 7 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.


Secret Subject Swap, a multi-blogger writing challenge | developed and run by www.BakingInATornado.com | #MyGraphics

My subject is: Do you have a nickname? If so, where did it come from? If not, what do you think it should be and why?
It was submitted by: Donna of Our Prime Years.

I've had a few, nothing that ever stuck for any length of time. Some worth mentioning, some I'd just as soon forget. But for the most part, I've been sobriquetless. I don't have one of those names that comes with a built in nickname. Like, you know, Bob for Robert or Cathy for Catherine. Karen just isn't one of those names. I guess it's short and to the point. I mean, what are you going to call me "Ka" or "Ren"? Nothing really works naturally.

When I was little, my dad put my initials together, they were "K" "B" and "L" and called me Kibble for a while. It was endearing but only, as I said, for a while. Then some dog food company came out with a product called Kibbles and Bits and the nickname sort of lost all of its magic. I mean, a dog food nickname. That's just great. Everyone wants to be called dog food, right?

Later, in high school, a close friend of mine raced stock cars. At one point he had "sweet cheeks" painted on the back quarter panel. He said it was for me. I guess you can have a nickname whether you know it or not. Fortunately that car is long gone. As is the size my cheeks had been, but I may be getting a little off topic . . .

I've been called a few things between then and adulthood. Not all worth mentioning. Like Roseanne Rosannadana when it's humid out (unfortunately the similarity still exists in that weather). And a high school teacher used to call me Mona Lisa because he said I had the same smile. Still not sure what to make of that.

As an adult, I've been called Martha Stewart of the Midwest (not really a compliment since she ended up in jail), and Neighborhood Pied Piper, I bake and all the kids come (better).


Crème de Menthe Cheesecake Brownies are a gooey chocolate treat. Studded with chocolate crème de menthe baking chips and swirled with a cheesecake layer, these brownies are a family favorite. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert

Creme de Menthe Cheesecake Brownies
Crème de Menthe Cheesecake Brownies are a gooey chocolate treat. Studded with chocolate crème de menthe baking chips and swirled with a cheesecake layer, these brownies are a family favorite. | Recipe developed by www.BakingInATornado.com | #recipe #dessert

My mom, my husband, my sister, my friends, most everyone just calls me Karen. My kids, now that's another story. We joke around a lot (at least I hope we're kidding), they like to called me "mean old lady". To which I respond "you better be nice to me or I'll have my mother beat up your mother".

But through all the years and all the names and all the jokes, by far the best thing I've ever been called (especially with all I went through to have children), though not technically a nickname, is Mom.

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


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





Creme de Menthe Cheesecake Brownies    
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
12 TBSP butter
1 1/4 cups sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
4 eggs
1 cup flour
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup Andes baking chips

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese, room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 TBSP sour cream
1 egg
1/2 cup Andes baking chips

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease a 9 X 13 baking pan.
*Melt the semisweet chocolate chips and butter in the microwave until completely smooth when stirred. 
*Whisk in 1 1/4 cups of sugar and the brown sugar, then the eggs. Mix in the flour and salt, then the 1/3 cup Andes baking chips. Pour into the prepared baking pan.
*Beat the cream cheese, sugar, vanilla and sour cream until smooth. Beat in the egg, then mix in the remaining Andes baking chips.
*Dollop the cream cheese mixture carefully onto the brownie mixture in the pan. Using a toothpick, gently swirl the cream cheese mixture just barely into the brownie mixture.
*Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until the sides are brown and crusty and the center is just set.
*Cool to room temperature, then refrigerate until cold before slicing. Store in the refrigerator, bring to room temperature for serving.
 

20 comments:

  1. Sweet cheeks - I didn't even think of the kind that get larger in time but the ones you see when someone is smiling. That's the reason I like this nickname for you.
    You have a picture of yourself, kind of vintage colored (not black and white, but brown-ish) you're probably 18 years old, and I think that's where one might see that Mona Lisa smile?
    That being said, I am ready for my slice of those Brownies, yum!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I actually, in a 2014 Secret Subject Swap, published an old pic of myself with that smile.

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  2. We always come up with nicknames in our family. It's just something we do and sometimes they stick and sometimes they don't. Like my husband and I call each other Pooch, Poochie, or Poochie Bear. That came from a show we used to watch about a late night hot dog stand in Chicago and the main employee was called Poochie and that was how it all started. My father used to call me (and I'm probably not spelling it correctly)Weinersnitzel. Don't as me why, but he did. (Rena)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I love the sweet nicknames you and your husband use. Now Weinersnitzel (which is a thin, pan fried pork cutlet), I'm not really sure what that could be all about.

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  3. Like you, I grew up without a nickname. I tried naming my kids so they wouldn't have one - but Darren became Dar and Sheri became Sher. LOL! As an adult in my 50's, I did gain a nickname that has stuck to today. Froggi...long story, sometime I will blog about it. Thanks for hosting this!

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  4. Aww sweet cheeks! Love to hear the story behind that! LOL
    Dawn doesn't lend itself to a nickname either. I was called "Delta Dawn" of course which got OLD real quick. But I agree the best nickname is Mom and Grandma of course.

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  5. I didn't have a nickname - maybe my first name doesn't lend itself. I would so love to dive into that cheesecake but if I put the ingredients into my Weight Watchers app, I think it would crash all of Weight Watchers. I need to keep this for a special occasionally, so it's been pinned! Lovingly. Alana ramblinwitham.blogspot.com

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  6. My mother always hoped I would be called Babs, but it never caught on with anybody but her. Some friends and neighbors used to call me Barbecue when I was growing up, and I hated it. So my mom called me Suzy-Q. When the Barbie doll became popular, I was Barbi. Then, in high school my boyfriend's name was....you guessed it.....Ken, so that ended. Since college I have been just Barb, except, like you, I really liked being Mom. Until I had grandkids, and now I am MiMi. I think you're going to like having that to look forward to, whether it's Gran, or Nana, or whatever, it's the best!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Ha ha, I love the evolution of your nicknames. I have to admit that I like your last two the best!

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  7. Ha ha, do I have a nickname. My brother calls me 4'6'. It's as the name implies. And my mother had called me princess T.T. so sweet! Lovin' your post today, Karen.

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  8. Oooh, nicknames! I love them--the affectionate kind. I was 'Danny Boy' (With song) for many years. The song was to get rid of me. And it worked! When I got my hair cut short, Daddy called me 'Mike'. Not sure why. But Mom told him to find a less boyish name and I became 'Lou'. from my middle name of Louise. That one stuck forever.
    I love your train of names. And I went back to your 2014 posts and found your 'Mona Lisa' post. I would have to agree. I think the resemblance is very much in evidence. My cousin got 'Kare' her whole life. It's funny now to think of adding the 'n'. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I can't believe you found that old post. And that you agree!

      Delete
  9. Looks like a luscious dessert. My nicknames were Becky, (obviously) Bec, and my husband called me Binky.

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  10. Martha Stewart is still rad as hell in my book especially since she's had her show with Snoop. It's amazing to see her be so open and funny and flirty. I absolutely adore her, and I'd take it as a compliment!

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