Absolutes

 

Absolutes. 

Clear, unequivocal, immovable and inflexible. They are the foundation, serve to define the boundaries and provide structure.

I play Sudoku. Well, I play a lot of games, mostly word games. I post my results to my Baking In A Tornado FB page twice a day, and anyone who chooses to share adds their results to the threads.

Sudoku is different. This is one I just play myself, don't share anywhere. It's fun for analytical, organized, left-brained me. There is a daily game option, and every morning I get to see what the game has in store for me, sometimes they're difficult, sometimes not so much, but I let them choose. 

And then I play until I get it, until I win that day's game.

BUT, the only way to win is to accept the absolutes.

They are the rules, of course, and there are a few of them. The first is your roadmap and the second is your mandate. You can look at them as limitations. But they also provide structure, without those clearly defined parameters, there would be chaos, no hints, no clues, no direction. You're given a board with numbers already in some of the spaces. You cannot change them. And only one number will be correct for each open space. Figure it out.

In this current social climate of blurring the lines, fighting the rules, cheating to win or blaming the game, all of that falls on deaf (since games don't have any) ears. You can take it to the Supreme Court if you want (who knows what kinds of cases they'd be willing to hear these days), but it will change nothing. The rules are the rules. The absolutes are clearly defined and if your goal is to win, they must be respected.

If you want to play, you choose between winning and spinning (your wheels).

 

As we all light our grills this 4th of July, prepare to feast and to celebrate with friends and family, I hope we all take the time to think. 

Grilled Apricot Mustard Pork

Not just about food and fireworks, or even independence, but what the loss of independence, the fall into autocracy, really means. And not just for us, but all who came before us, those who have, and who continue to fight for our freedoms. 

Freedom is the game, and it's a democratic republic for the win. The only way to play is if we, as a country, can get back to respecting the absolutes.

"We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator, with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness . .  ." 

    ~ Preamble to the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, 1776

"Congress shall make no law respecting the establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press, or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances." 

    ~ First Amendment to the Constitution, James Madison, lead author, 1791

" . . . that these dead shall not have died in vain . . . that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth." 

    ~ Gettysburg Address, Abraham Lincoln, 1863

That's where we need to start. Absolutely.

Grilled Apricot Mustard Pork         

                                                                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 approximately 2# pork tenderloin

1/4 cup apricot preserves

1 TBSP sweet hot mustard

3 TBSP stone ground mustard 

2 TBSP white wine

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/4 tsp cumin

Directions:
*Rinse the pork tenderloin, pat dry, trim and cut into approximately 3/4 inch medallions. Place into a gallon sized plastic bag.

*Whisk together the apricot preserves, both mustards, wine, salt, pepper, and cumin. Pour into the bag and manipulate to be sure all of the meat is covered. Seal and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, up to a day.

*Place the medallions onto a grill, heated to medium. Discard any remaining marinade in the bag. 

*NOTE: pork needs to be cooked to at least 145 degrees. How long your medallions take to cook will depend on the heat of your grill and the thickness of your slices.

*Cook for about 7 minutes, flip over, and cook another approximately 7 minutes. Continue cooking if the 145 degree minimum heat has not been achieved.