Consumables

 

It's the 4th of July, Independence Day, a day to celebrate our freedoms, show our patriotism, acknowledge our country's forefathers for the wisdom of the Constitution. And in the past I've not only enjoyed the cookouts and the firewrks and the celebrations (OK, and the cockails), feeling as though I have a place at the table (so to speak). This country was built on the idea of no taxation without representation (hello, Boston Tea Party). And the representation? Well, I have a vote.

So what's on my mind? 

Consumables.

No, not edibles. Although edibles are consumable, not all consumables are edible. It's the non-edible consumables that have me concerned.

Did you follow that?

Consumables have been on a lot of our minds lately, since the beginning of Covid, really. 

It started with the great toilet paper debacle of 2020, and went on from there. Food prices have, in many cases doubled. Some I can't even find any more. And the sizes of the bags and cans have decreased (wreaking havoc on recipes that call for a can of something, btw), as the prices increase.

Raspberry Lime Slice and Bake Cookies

And along with the loss of quantity has gone quality. Those items we'd not thought of as consumables, but durables, are no more. When our fairly new dishwasher died, the installers of the new one told us that they are now only made to last a few years. Same with our fridge. We have one in the basement that's from the 1970s, yet the newer one in our kitchen has been replaced twice. Include electronics in that category too, TVs, cell phones . . .

But what has me most concerned on this 4th of July is the latest to go into that consumable category, newly considered disposable.

Me.

All of us, really.

Face it, with gerrymandering there now is taxation without representation.

With both our judicial branch and our legislative branch going rogue, voting and mandating their own personal agenda without regard to the will of the overwhelming majority of the people, our humanity has been compromised. In the current climate in this country, I no longer feel valued, or even safe, as a Jew, as a woman, as a citizen.

Our voice, our vote, is not a seat at the table, but a means to an end. Election. And once that is achieved, we are discarded.

Consumables.

Raspberry Lime Slice and Bake Cookies       

                                                                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, room temperature

1/2 stick margarine, room temperature

3/4 cup sugar

1 tsp lime zest

1 egg, room temperature

2 1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

4 oz raspberries, chopped

Directions:
*Cream the butter, margarine, sugar, and lime zest, then beat in the egg.

*Starting on a low setting until incorporated, beat in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Mix in the raspberries.

*Flour your hands and roll the dough into a log, enclose in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Cover baking sheets in parchment paper.

*Slice the dough into about 1/2 inch slices.

*Bake for 12 - 14 minutes, until they start to brown. Leave on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to cool completely.

 

Beauty Doesn't Do It Anymore

 

 

It's a dangerous fall from a steep cliff, ending in a life (liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) altering collision.   

 

The fall from that cliff had been coming. I saw the signs, we all did. From the moment that narcissistic bigot took his pseudo-regal trip down that escalator, to all of the lies, disrespect, and bigotry, to the growing support he garnered, the signs were all there. And each was a step towards that cliff.

The not one, but two impeachments where his cultists proved there would be no accountability. Another step.

 

A denied pandemic, increasing the death toll, shooting after shooting after shooting with no gun reform. Step.

The packing of the courts and especially the Supreme Court by those not qualified, who lied at their hearings, and under circumstances denied (with malicious intent) to the preceding administration. Step.

The deadly attempted coup. The denial of the insurrection, the continued lack of consequences. Step. Step.

 

It was two Supreme Court decisions that were the final push. For the first time in our history, this Supreme Court is taking away rights. The ability to trust, just as the forefathers did, that no matter the personal beliefs, we would all work fairly and honestly, conduct ourselves with dignity, strive to build and strengthen a more perfect union has been proven a myth. 

 

And the full and complete loss of what was clearly naivete, that is the life (liberty, and the pursuit of happiness) altering collision. A sense of security, the collateral damage.

Over the past few years, I've developed some strategies to keep me from being too disheartened. Limiting (not head in the sand denial, but limiting) news intake, playing brain exercising games, reading, writing, and recipe development, feeding others, food is love, all necessary temporary distractions. 

 

 

 

Grilled Raspberry Mustard Chicken

 

 

But for comfort, reassurance some level of peace, I've turned to beauty for that. There's something about nature that taps into a place of serenity, brings joy, evokes a smile.

I plant my outdoor pots, watch the plants grow, the flowers bloom. I wait for the trees in the back yard to green, look forward to the rustling of the leaves. Wait for the Lilacs to ping their tiny buds open in harmonious unison, and smell their fragrance whenever I'm near. I anticipate each morning, seeing which Day Lillies will burst open, then close again at night, as others show their colors the very next day. I go out in the yard and bring some of that beauty indoors, what I call my yard bouquets.

 

 

 

But beauty doesn't do it anymore.

 

We all know the treasonous head of the cult party will run again. He's going to run on his despicable additions to the Supreme Court. He's going to run on that court's decision to strike down NY's attempt to keep their citizens safe by enacting a sensible gun law. He's going to run on that court's decision to strike down Roe v Wade, something all of his additions to the court agreed not to do. He's going to run on a threat made by Thomas (a clearly compromised "jurist") that reproductive rights and gay rights are next. And he's going to run in a climate of gerrymandered districts, voter suppression, voter purging, and limited access to the polls by targeted groups.

 

I did have some scintilla of hope that trump would be stopped by indictments, if not on federal charges, then maybe in the states of Georgia and/or Arizona for his election fraud. But shockingly, it seems that being arrested doesn't disqualify you.

 

Two months ago, a man in jail in Indiana, awaiting trial for the vicious murder of his (cancer stricken) wife, won his Republican primary (he did later withdraw). 

 

"I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and shoot somebody and I wouldn't lose any voters."  Anyone remember that quote? Prophetic, I guess.

 

I have fallen from that cliff of naivete, no longer disillusioned by the belief that we, as a nation, and those we elect to represent us, pledge allegiance to the constitution. Or to the belief that life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is meant to be guaranteed for not just a few, but for all.

We are just days away from the 4th of July. Those who lived in our country then were living in the most significant time in our history, the birth of an independent nation.

 

"A republic, if you can keep it."

Those of us living in our country now, are living in the second most significant time in our history, the real and present danger of the death of an independent nation.

Grilled Raspberry Mustard Chicken       

                                                ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

2 lg boneless, skinless chicken breasts

1/4 cup Raspberry Vinaigrette dressing

1 TBSP stone ground mustard

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tsp honey

Directions:
*Cut each chicken breast into 3 fairly evenly sized pieces. Place into a gallon sized plastic bag.

*Whisk together the dressing, mustard, garlic, and honey. Pour into the bag with the chicken. Seal the bag and refrigerate for at least two hours up to overnight.

*Preheat the grill to medium hot, about 400 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade, place on the grill, close the grill and immediately lower the grill to medium.

*Grill the chicken for about 4 minutes, turn each piece 1/4 of the way around and grill for another 4 minutes. 

*Flip the chicken over, grill the other side for 4 minutes, turn each piece 1/4 of the way around and grill about another 4 minutes. Make sure the chicken is completely cooked through, there is no red, and the juices run clear.

Red, White, and Blue Celebrations: 22 Recipes

  

Red, White, and Blue, although always associated with Independence Day, is a representative feature of many other American occasions as well: Memorial Day, Flag Day, Veterans Day, election day, Patriot's Day, Labor Day, Presidents Day, to name a few. 

 

When choosing which deserts to feature this year, for my 4th of July dessert buffet, I had a decision to make. The selection is now scaled back, way back, from the days when the boys were home and we had waves of kids in the driveway setting off fireworks. Teenage boys can eat, let me tell you, their weight in gold desserts. And once word spread . . . about the spread . . . let's just say I may have had to buy out all the plastic plates and spoons in the local store county.

This year, there will only be a few desserts. And we'll mostly watch the pyrotechnics from inside the house, where mosquitos won't be feasting on the feasters, and the smell of gunpowder won't be hanging in the air, and in our eyes, and up our noses.

It's actually, I'm finding, easier to have a bigger selection, than to try to whittle it down (I'm still debating that). 

 

First step was to take a look at the selections. And here's where the idea for this recipe round-up post started to take shape. As I started to pull all of the recipes from the past years together, I thought that maybe this collection would come in handy for you too. 

So here they are, 22 recipes, not only perfect for patriotic holidays, but for any cook-out, pot-luck, party, get together, or family dinner. I'm sharing a picture of each selection since, as the saying goes, we eat first with our eyes. Below the collage is a listing of each treat by name, and a link you can click on to find my recipe.

Top row, left to right:

 

White Brownie Parfait

 

Red, Fluff, and Blue Cookies

 

Independence Cake

 

Cookie Cup Sundaes

 

Lemon Blueberry Cake with Strawberry Lemonade Drizzle

 

Second row, left and right:

 

Berry Ricotta Cinnamon Cups

 

Confetti Cookie Bars

 

 

Third row, left to right:

 

Frozen Red, White, and Blueberry Bars

 

Red, White, and Blueberry Cookies

 

White Chocolate Sprinkle Cake

 

Vanilla Blueberry Tartlets

 

White Chocolate Peppermint Cake 

 

Forth row, left to right:

Firecracker Red White and Blue Cake

Frozen Berries and Cream Cocktail

Sparkling Jello Parfait

Cinnamon Cheesecake with Mixed Berries

Red Velvet Kiss Cupcakes

 

Bottom row, left to right:

Berry Pie Crisp

Berry Blue Angel Poke Cake

Individual Berry Cookie Shortcakes

Berry White Chocolate Chip Pie

Blue Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookies

I hope I've given you some food for thought (lame?), and that you find some interesting recipes to try out. There's more here than you can make at once of course, but don't worry, Labor Day is right around the corner, as is Veteran's Day, Patriot's Day, election day . . .

 

Happy Independence Day. Have fun, be safe, make good choices . . . all the things I (still) say to my boys.

Frozen Berries and Cream Cocktail: Blog With Friends, School's Out

Today’s post is the next in our series of Blog With Friends theme collaborations. Each month a group of bloggers get together and each publish a project based on a theme. What I love about this partnership is that it’s not bloggers with similar interests or strengths but a diverse group coming up with a variety of posts. In any given month we may have a recipe, sewing tutorial, crafts projects, book review and/or a technology post all related to the theme of the month.

This month's theme is School's Out.

There will be individual project pictures and links to what everyone else has to offer at the end of my post, but here’s a peek at what we all came up with:

All while growing up, "school's out" meant one thing, freedom. I think Alice Cooper said it best "no more pencils, no more books, no more teacher's dirty looks . . ." Then I grew up, married, had kids and sent them to school. "School's out" suddenly didn't mean freedom any more. It meant the opposite. For 13 years, it's been more like holy crap, school's out, Mama needs a cocktail.

The other thing I associate with school being out is the red, white and blue holidays, Memorial Day and Independence day. So for this month's Blog With Friends I married those two thoughts and made a red, white and blue cocktail. Frozen, for those hot summer months. Perfect for the adults at your Memorial Day and 4th of July celebrations.

Frozen Berries and Cream Cocktail

A month ago I published a (very popular, if I do say so myself) recipe for my Frozen Mai Tai. At the time I was writing about the fact that we'd lost electricity. In that heat we found that taking a cocktail and translating it into frozen form was . . . well . . . genius for the summer months. It being berry season, this latest frozen drink was a no-brainer.

Start with just gathering a few ingredients:

Blend and then freeze. I kept them in my freezer right in the blender glass jar. 

When you're ready to serve you have a few choices. You can scoop into glasses and serve frozen with a spoon. The other option is to stick your jar in the fridge for a short time (or on the counter for an even shorter time) and serve them slushy with a straw. Either way, don't forget to garnish.

I like to serve these frozen. As you drink them they defrost to a slush. If you let them get liquid they're still delicious, but you're drinking too slow.

As always, any time you make one of my recipes, feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado Facebook Page. I'd love to see it!

Portions of this piece cross posted on BA50 as July 4th Signature Cocktail: Frozen Berries and Cream on 6-27-17

Be sure to visit all of this month's other Blog With Friends projects:

Rabia of The Lieber Family Blog shares Make the Most of Summer: For Working Moms . 

Kia of Think In English shares School's Out: 5 Books ESL Teachers must Take to the Beach and Read.

Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares Summer non-screen activities.

  Dawn of Spatulas on Parade shares the recipe for her Frozen Mocha Coffee.

Melissa of My Heartfelt Sentiments shares Flower Market Card Frenzy.

Tamara of Part-time Working Hockey Mom shares Summer Bucket List.

Frozen Berries and Cream Cocktail

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients (makes 3 - 4):
24 oz raspberry sherbet
1 cup fresh strawberries, chopped
1/4 cup milk
3/4 cup raspberry liqueur
1/3 cup white chocolate liqueur
1/4 cup whipped cream vodka

OPT: whipped cream and fresh berries for garnish

Directions:
*Place all ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth.
*Freeze for 2 hours, up to a few days.
*Move to the counter to allow to start defrosting until it's at the consistency you want. Cocktail can be served frozen with a spoon or semi frozen.
*When ready to serve, garnish with whipped cream and fresh berries. 

Hell if I Know

It has come to my attention that am the authority on pretty much nothing. It's actually quite a shock, realizing this. Entering parenthood with puffed up chest and all the confidence in the world, I thought I'd be up to the challenge of some simple explanations. I mean, they're kids, how hard can it be? And in the age of the internet, basically anything can be answered with a minutes on google. But there's nothing that deflates that ego as quickly as having kids. Because no one can ask the unanswerable quite like our little darlings. 

And somehow, saying "hell if I know" to everything just doesn't seem to meet the good parenting smell test. Crap. OK, truth be told I have plenty of answers. Pretty much every time. But It's a possibility that most of them will get me a visit from Child Protective Services.

1. Why does daddy like peas?
~ Answer: Hold on a second, let me google that.

2. Why do those birds keep pooping on our deck?
~ Answer: Because they hate us.

3. Why do you keep bringing lilacs in the house when they make daddy sneeze?
~ Answer: Dad sneezing for a week is a price I'm willing to pay for beauty.

4.Why is milk white?
~ Answer: If I look like a farmer, clearly I need to reassess my wardrobe. 

8. You call chicken "chicken", why don't you call steak "cow"?
~ Answer: I will if you want me to.

6. Why do you yell at the TV? Can they hear you?
~ Answer: Yes. Yes, they can.

7. Why don't we live in Florida?
~ Answer: Because they refuse to move Florida to the middle of the Midwest.

8. Why did you tell daddy the guy next door is a jerk? 
~ Answer: Because he leaves dog shit on our lawn.

9. Why don't dogs talk?
~ Answer: Maybe they do, just not when you're around.

10. They're fruit, why can't I have Red, White and Blueberry Bars or lunch?
~ Answer: Oh hell, go ahead if it'll buy me a few minutes of peace. May as well pass me one too.

Frozen Red, White and Blueberry Bars

And it doesn't end there either. The older my kids get, the less capable I am of coming up with appropriate answers. Although, at this point I'm just gonna let it fly. Because the older they get the better that visit from Child Protective Services starts to look.

1. If no one else is on the road, why do I have to I use my blinker?
~ Answer: Because the one time you don't a cop will appear out of thin air.

2. How stupid is my mowing the lawn when we both know the grass is just going to grow right back? 
~ Answer: How stupid is my buying food when I'm just going to have to do it again next week?

3. Why dirty a plate when I can just stand here and eat the cake right off the platter?
~ Answer: Why dirty a platter when I can just not make a cake?

4. Why should I have to take the final? I have an "A", if I skip the final I'll still pass with a "C". So why put myself through all that stress?
~ Answer: Would you like my answers in alphabetical order, or in order of importance?


5. Why do I need to call when I can just send you a quick text?
~ Answer: Because every now and then I need to hear your voice, dammit.

Nailed it!

Frozen Red, White and Blueberry Bars

    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 

Printable Recipe

  

NOTE: I used a chocolate crust, but if you want to keep more to the red, white and blue coloring, you can substitute Golden Oreo Thins for the Double Chocolate cookies.

Ingredients:

6 TBSP butter, melted
1 1/2 packages Chips Ahoy Double Chocolate Thins cookies (about 42 cookies)
2 (8 oz) packages of cream cheese, room temperature.
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
2 cups fresh fruit, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
3 TBSP powdered sugar

OPT: additional berries for decoration

Directions:
*Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish.
*Crush the cookies in a food processor until they are fine crumbs.
*Move to a bowl, mix in the melted butter and pat firmly into the bottom of your baking dish. Refrigerate.
*Hull and chop the strawberries. Cut the raspberries in half. Leave the blueberries whole.
*Beat the cream cheese and sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Carefully fold in the fresh berries. Set aside.
*Beat the heavy cream until soft peaks form. Add the powdered sugar and beat until stiff peaks hold. Fold half of the whipped cream into the cream cheese mixture. Spread into the prepared crust.
*Top with the remaining whipped cream. Freeze for 3 - 4 hours. Move to the fridge about 30 minutes before serving, decorate with berries, cut into squares and serve.