Take Your Swing: Word Counters

Counting my words again.

Today my fellow Word Counters and I are sharing our monthly group post. Each month, one group member picks a number between 12 and 50. All participating bloggers are then challenged to write something (or a few somethings, as the case may be) using that exact number of words. Today we share what we all came up with.

 This month's number is 31. 
It was chosen by Mimi of Messymimi's Meanderings.

As I've been doing in these Word Counters posts, I've chosen a theme and am using my word count multiple times in keeping with the theme. This month I've chosen the theme Take Your Swing.

~ I've been playing the lottery. A lot. If you follow this blog's facebook page (if not, stop by and join us), you've probably seen the memes I've posted. About my losses {{sob}}.

~ Actually, it's Hubs who plays, on my behalf. I had chosen some numbers many years ago, ones that have meaning to me. Numbers I associated with luck, like dates of birth.

~ Hubs must have those numbers because every now and then in the past, but regularly lately as the pot approaches a billion dollars, he comes home and hands me a ticket.

~ Some say playing is foolish, chances of winning are one in a bazillion. But . . . two dollars isn't a hit to the budget, someone ultimately wins, and the lesser prizes are great.

~ Try a new recipe, or eat the same old things. Sometimes we take our chances. Because this I know, odds are meaningless if you don't play. To win, you gotta play.

Orange Everything Chicken

~ I know people, even now, who say similar things about voting: there are over a hundred million Americans registered to vote, what are my chances of affecting the win?

~ I'm a huge Red Sox fan, so let me say this: step up to the plate (ballot box) and swing for the fences. We can't win if we don't all play. 

Here are links to the other Word Counters posts:

On the Border 

Messymimi’s Meanderings 

Orange Everything Chicken         
                                                ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
2 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

2/3 cup orange juice

1 tsp orange zest

1 tsp Everything Bagel Seasoning, my recipe HERE

Directions:

*Cut each chicken breast half into 3 - 4 pieces of similar thickness.

*Mix together the orange juice, orange zest, and Everything Bagel Seasoning. Place the chicken pieces into a resealable bag and pour the marinade into the bag with the chicken. Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning the bag now and then to be sure all of the chicken pieces are coated.

*Preheat your grill to medium, about 350 degrees. Place the chicken pieces on the grill and discard the remaining marinade. How long you need to grill your chicken will depend on the thickness of the pieces and the heat of your grill, approximately 7 - 10 minutes per side, until the chicken is completely cooked all the way through.

I Had Plans: Fly on the Wall

 

 

 Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 3 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.

We'd had both snow and sleet. Hubs wasn't working, but I saw that he was putting on his coat.

 

Me: I bet the roads are dangerous, maybe you shouldn't go out there.

Hubs: Well, Mega Millions is up to 1.3 billion and the drawing is tonight, I was going to go get us a few tickets.
Me: I bet the roads are dangerous, be careful out there.

 

He did play a ticket for himself, and my numbers for me. 

 

I didn't win. 

 

Damn. 

 

I felt obliged to share the news with my Facebook friends.

I shot off a quick status, but when I checked the page later, I found that the post had 257 likes, 77 comments, and had been shared 59 times.

I guess I'm not the only one who had plans . . .

 

Same day. Hubs decided he was going out to clear off the sidewalk. Since he'd already easily driven up and down the driveway, he decided not to bother with the snowblower and just shovel the sidewalk and front walkway.

I was concerned, there was ice mixed in with the snow, which is heavy, and I didn't want him to overdo it. He did the sidewalk and the front walk, then I saw him shoveling part of the driveway.

Me (yelling from the front door): You said you weren't going to do the driveway. It's too heavy, stop and come in.

Hubs (yelling back to me): I'm just making a path from the walkway to the sidewalk.

Me (still yelling): Yeah, well if you drop dead from a heart attack, who's going to do my taxes?

Hubs texted me from work:

Hubs: What are you up to? You busy?

Me: Just multitasking. Need something?

Hubs: Not important, you sound busy, don't want disturb you.

Me: ttyl. If it's not important, I'll get back to what I was doing.

Don't tell him I was listening to the news, checking on a new book to read, and playing a word game, OK?

 

It's been a long time since I had little kids from whom I had to hide baking supplies so they couldn't get into them. Recently, I bought some Andes mints, and I did notice the family looking at them in a way that made me feel like they wouldn't be around long enough to make it to the recipe. So instead of putting them on my baking shelf in the pantry, I slipped them into the desk drawer.

Hubs: What are you doing?
Me: I'm hiding the Andes from you guys.

Hubs: You realize we're standing right here, don't you?

OK, so I guess hiding treats is no longer my superpower.

Mint Blondies

 

PurDude and I text every day. Usually just a quick check in, but if he has time we chat a bit. This day, I was exasperated.

Me: You have lived in Boulder for 3 years, but your mail still comes here, I have an insurance EOB here from when you were home over Thanksgiving and were sick.

PurDude: I don't need it though, it's just an insurance form.

Me: But it, and everything else, shouldn't still be coming here.

PurDude: But Mom, you're my sorting station.

Me: Huh?

PurDude: You throw away the junk, handle what you can, and send me the few things I actually have to deal with. Isn't it great to feel needed?
Me: Well, I need you too. I need you to change your address . . .

 

Most days I just pour my coffee into a mug like a normal person. But on certain days, I'll use my theme mugs. When Purdue plays a basketball or football game, I'll use my Purdue Mom mug that day. Same with my Patriots mug, and I use my Halloween mug all through October.

As you know, last weekend was the Super Bowl. There was also a Purdue basketball game that day.

Me: I don't know whether to use my Purdue mug or my Patriots mug.

Hubs: The Patriots aren't playing today, they've been out of it for a long time.

Me (clearly bristling): And your point is . . .

Hubs (understanding his agregious error): Gooo, Patriots!

Later that day we were about to turn on the Super Bowl. I knew a guy who had played for Purdue was in the game, but I didn't know which team.

Me: Which team is Karlaftis on?
Hubs: KC.

Me: I won't be watching much of the game, but after watching him play for Purdue, I'm interested in seeing how he does.

Hubs: Yeah, let's see if he gets any sex.

Me: Sex, on the field? In the middle of the Super Bowl? I doubt it.

Hubs: Sacks. Sacks. Not sex, sacks.

Hey, I heard what I heard.

Getting old is tough. I may have mentioned that one or two or a thousand times before. 

They say it helps if you can laugh about it.

There are 6 stairs from my main floor, then a landing, then 9 more steps (yes, I went and counted) to the top floor.

Hubs had been showering, and I was heading up to shower. We met up on the landing.

Me: Well, it's about time!

Hubs: Hey, I don't move as fast as I used to.

Me: Tell me about it, I headed up these stairs 20 minutes ago.

And then there's this (another popular FB status):

 

 

 

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

Menopausal Mother 

The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver

Mint Blondies

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
1 1/2 sticks butter, softened

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

13 Andes mints

3 eggs

1/2 tsp mint extract

1 1/4 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp baking powder

Directions:

*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 X 13 baking pan.

*In a medium sized bowl, microwave the butter with the brown sugar, just until all of the butter is melted and it's smooth when stirred. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes.

*Unwrap the mints. Finely chop 8 of them and set aside. Place the remaining mints in a small bowl and microwave until smooth when stirred. Set aside.

*Whisk the eggs and mint extract into the butter and brown sugar. Once incorporated, mix in the flour, salt, and baking soda. Gently fold in the chopped mints.

*Pour into the prepared pan, drizzle with the remaining melted mints, and swirl gently into the top of the batter with a toothpick.

*Bake for 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before cutting.