Spaghetti Love: Poetry Monday

 

 

Hadn't planned to rhyme today,

but schedule just got changed. 

Poetry Monday chose Spaghetti Day!

Posts would have to be rearranged.

Older son's most favorite meal,

from first bite and still now.

It's National Spaghetti Day?

Had to honor that somehow.

 

Spaghetti Love

We watch our little babies,

learn to feed themselves,

communicate their favorites, 

pointing to them on our shelves.

 

My boys had tastes so different,

one's likes, the other'd frown,

A mama's challenge every night,

navigate her way around.

Now both my boys love lobster,

have from the very start.

but their momma's a Bostonian,

has New England in her heart.

 

We live in the midwest though,

where lobster's, sadly, rare.

I'd try other foods of every sort,

At some they'd simply stare.

 

My younger son would argue,

overruled but still appeal,

"They're made with cheese, you know, Mom

so cheetos are so a meal." 

My older boy at least chose

to love a legitimate meal.

Spaghetti his absolute favorite,

ate my spicy sauce with zeal.

"Let's go have dinner," I would say, 

Night after night after night.

"Spaghetti?" he'd always hopefully ask,

and smile when he got it right.

But sometimes pasta {{gasp}} was not,

what I had made to serve.

If we'd had it just the night before,

a scowl's what I deserved.  

 

I'd make desserts, I always did,

to eat them he'd be ready.

A sweet lover, just like any kid

only after, of course, spaghetti.

 

Orange Cranberry Compote Pie

 

Fall became his favorite time,

I'd make huge pot of sauce,

how a little boy consumed so much,

I was really at a loss.

 

Every occasion, spaghetti he'd want.

I'd lovingly prepare it.

Most enthusiastically he'd eat,

Undeterred, he'd even wear it. 

 

  

"Don't bother me with pictures,"

you can see his eyes convey.

"Spaghetti night is sacred, mom,

Best not get in my way."

Wait!

Read more poetry, 

you're not through.

Some talented writers

are in this crew:

 

On the Border 

Messymimi's Meanderings 

Mother Owl

Orange Cranberry Compote Pie    

                                                    ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe
 

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup sugar

3 TBSP orange juice

3/4 cup fresh cranberries

 

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs

2 TBSP sugar

5 TBSP butter, melted

1 tsp orange liqueur

 

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

3 egg yolks

1/3 cup orange juice

2 TBSP orange marmalade

 

Directions:

*Heat 1/2 cup sugar and 3 TBSP orange juice over medium heat. Stir, then add the cranberries. Cook, stirring, until it bubbles and the cranberries pop open. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool for 1/2 hour.

*Grease a 9 inch pie plate. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Mix together the graham cracker crumbs, remaining 2 TBSP sugar, melted butter and orange liqueur. Press into and partially up the sides of the pie plate.

*Whisk the sweetened condensed milk, eggs yolks, 1/3 cup orange juice and orange marmalade. 

*Pour the cranberry compote into the pie crust and arrange evenly.

*Pour the filling onto the compote and bake for 35 minutes until the edges are brown and the center is set. 

*Gently run a knife around just the top of the edges to unstick from the pie plate. Cool on the counter for 1/2 hour, then in the refrigerator until completely cold.

 

 

Fly on the Wall, July 2014

Welcome to a Fly on the Wall group post. Today 14 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.

 

I’ve talked to my kids many, many times about doing a Guest Post for my blog. My younger son is about to leave for college so I thought I’d appeal to him one more time:
Me: You know, this is such an interesting time of transition, I think you should write about it. How about a Guest Post for my blog?
PurDude walks away.
Me: Come back here, I’m talking to you. Why are you walking away while I’m talking?
PurDude: You’re just spouting nonsense.
Me: So I guess this means that you want to think about it?

We had one of our cars being fixed (ouch). Hubs took mine to work and I needed a few things at the store. Son came home from work and I told him I was taking his car and running to the store.
I come back 10 minutes later with a few bags of groceries and I walk in the house:
PurDude: I know you want me to let you know when we run out of things so you can put it on the list. We’re out of mozzarella.
It’s a very good thing that the words in my head did not escape through my mouth.

 

It’s not always easy having College Boy home. He’s been off doing his own thing, making his own choices and schedule.
One day last month he woke up and we had an argument about a long-standing issue.
I was telling him what the rules are in my home and he was telling me why they didn’t apply to him.
And the argument went on until College Boy walked away to call his dad at work to tell on me.

 

College Boy decided that instead of the dorms he’s going to live in an apartment. I can’t see this working out for him for many reasons, including doing his own grocery shopping and laundry. So I stopped doing his laundry and told him that he couldn’t use my washer. The hope was that he would take responsibility for getting himself to a laundromat. A sort of trial period.
College Boy: Mom, do you want to go to the clothes store with me.
Me: No. I know what you’re doing. You’re going to try to buy new clothes because everything you own is dirty.
College Boy: No, that’s not what I’m doing.
Me: What ARE you doing?
College Boy: I’m going to try to get YOU to buy m new clothes because everything I own is dirty.
Me: Oh, that’s much better.

 

Back in April I talked to PurDude about Skyping with me next year. He doesn’t like Skype and won’t use it.
Me: But I want to talk to you and see you.
PurDude: There are other options, Skype isn’t the only one.
Me: OK, but you need to set me up on whatever we’ll use and teach it to me so we should do it soon.
PurDude: I’ll let you know.
Me (in May): So what are we going to use to talk when you go off to college? I need to get set up and learn how to use it.
PurDude: I’ll let you know.
Me (in June): So what are we going to use to talk when you go off to college? I need to get set up and learn how to use it.
PurDude: I’ll let you know.
I’m thinking “I’ll let you know” has a similar meaning to “the check is in the mail”.

Chicken Brunch Cups

PurDude usually mows the lawn but he’s working more hours this summer than College Boy so a few times I’ve asked College Boy to mow. He hates doing it, feels like he did it for 2 years and now it’s his brother’s turn but when his brother was a work a week ago and I asked him to mow and he agreed.

About 95% of the lawn was done and he came in to tell me that the mower stopped and wouldn’t start again. I took a look and the cable had snapped.

I would have thought that he had done it deliberately, but I know this kid, he’d do it when the lawn was 5% mowed, not when it was mostly done, so I guess it really did break.

So now our lawn has a Mohawk. Wonder if I should spray paint it blue or something. If I’m stuck with it I may as well go with it, right?

 

We have a double garage and a single garage. In between the two I have a flower pot:

One day, Hubs was leaving and I was going out to water the plant. He saw me standing in the garage holding the water and waiting for him to pull out. He pulled out, I walked out and started watering the plant. He put the garage door down and left.

And that, my friends, is why you always keep a fresh battery in the garage door keypad.

Here's something that doesn't work. Think of it as my version of a Public Service Announcement:
Make a casserole, heat up the oven. When the oven beeps that it's up to temperature, take the casserole off of the counter and put it into the fridge. An hour later, abracadabra: no dinner!

 

Me: I think there’s something wrong with my phone.

PurDude: What’s wrong?

Me: It has a lag. When I’m on FB and when I play my games.

PurDude: How many programs do you have running at once?

Me: Just the one I’m using.

PurDude grabs my phone, presses some magic buttons in some secret way.

PurDude: You have 46 programs open including BlueTooth.

Me: Well I didn’t open them.

I think he rolled his eyes so hard I actually heard them.

I have a pretty sullen (at times) teenager at home. So I just love when I earn a smile, a fist pump and a “yesssss” from him. Unfortunately I’d rather it not come after this short exchange:

College Boy: What’s for dinner?

Me: Dad’s not home tonight so I’m not cooking.

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

Just A Little Nutty

The Momisodes

Spatulas on Parade

The Sadder But Wiser Girl

Follow me home . . .

Stacy Sews and Schools

Menopausal Mother

Go Mama O

Kim Ulmanis

Dates 2 Diapers 2

Dinosaur Superhero Mommy

Someone Else's Genius

Battered Hope

  

 

PS: See another version of this recipe here: Toasted PBJ Cups

Chicken Brunch Cups

                                                                              ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
6 slices of bread (I removed the crust)
Approximately 1 cup of cooked boneless skinless chicken, chopped
6 slices of fresh ripe peach (with or without the skin)
12 leaves of spinach
6 sharp cheddar squares
 
Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Either spray a 6 cup muffin tin with non-stick spray or grease the cups with butter.
*Using a rolling pin, flatten the bread slices.
*Pinching the sides in, fit the bread slices into the muffin cups. Tamp down the sides and bottom.
*Divide the chopped chicken amongst the bread cups, top each with a slice of peach, 2 leaves of spinach and a square of sharp cheddar.
*Cook for 15 minutes.
*Remove from oven, run a knife gently around the sides of each cup and carefully remove from pan.

Tornado Season

I’ve made no secret about the fact that I’m an East Coast girl living in the Midwest. There's a lot to get used to, when you move from one section of the country to another and one important factor is weather. I didn’t grow up with tornadoes. To this day those sirens strike fear in my heart.

So much of life changes and as moms we’re used to constantly coming up with strategies for different situations and fine-tuning them along the way. Storm preparation is something I’ve had to think about on all kinds of levels for a very long time. I have my own check-list of essentials and, no matter where you live, I’m sure they’ll benefit you too.

Find a designated safe spot. It should be on the lower level of your home and it should be comfortable as you may have to spend time there. We have a bedroom in our basement and I chose the closet of that bedroom.

Cover the necessities. You want to be comfortable, bring down a pillow and blanket. Have your cell phone charged, stocked with music and don’t forget the ear buds. It’s best if you don’t hear what’s going on around you while in there. Take care of your emotional needs, I generally stock it with something chocolate. Oh, and a batch of cocktails.

Tornado Cocktail

Keep your eye on the clock, you’ve generally got a pretty good idea when it’s coming.

As the storm time approaches, regularly look out the window checking to the right and to the left; sometimes it can come from an unexpected direction.

Just before the storm hits, the whole world seems to get a little darker.

You can feel the air change, like someone has sucked all the oxygen out of the house. The fear has you almost frozen.

The energy is building. Suddenly a door in your own house slams. You hear a roar.

It’s time
              run 
                     dive into the closet

                           because here it is 

                                    exactly what you’ve been preparing for. . .

                                                                               The kids are home from school.

Happy April Fools Day, everyone.


 

Tornado Cocktail

                                                                           ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
2 ounces pineapple vodka
1 ounce whipped cream vodka
2 ounces orange liqueur
2 ounces pineapple juice
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce mixed berry juice (I use V8 Splash Berry Blend)
1 ounce grenadine syrup
 
Directions:
*Mix the vodkas, orange liqueur, orange juice and pineapple juice.
*Refrigerate until cold.
*Just before serving mix again, then add the grenadine and juice.
*Pour over ice.

It’s Me

Both of my boys are smart kids. They’re also very different kids. My older son is a freshman in college and really thriving. I talk about him a lot, but today’s post is about my younger son.

My younger son is really, really smart. I mean sometimes-he-scares-me smart. He also has a great work ethic, really applies himself. Now I know it seems like I’m boasting and believe me I do my share, but for the purposes of this post, it’s just a fact.

This son is a senior in high school and we’re holding our breath waiting, within the next week, to see which colleges he’s gotten into. We’ve heard from some and been offered some scholarships, but the last few promise word by April first. The whole April Fools thing isn’t lost on me.

As I sit here biting my nails and twitching as I wait to see what our options are, I’ve had some time to think about this intelligence my son exhibits and I’m trying to figure out where it came from. OK, I’m trying to take credit. Whatever, it’s just semantics.

Initially it was pretty clear that he inherited his brains from me. After all, science and math are his areas of expertise and I did really well in both. I mean I know that pi is 3.1459265358979323846264333279502884197169 . . .
I just don’t know why. It’s certainly never come up whenever I’ve made pie:

                 

 Mixed Berry Pie              

Strawberry Cream Cheese Pie     

    

Chocolate Mint Pie

OK, I’m not making a very good case for myself, am I? So maybe it’s not me?

And yet, it’s true that I’m responsible for the deduction of multiple scientific mathematical theorems that serve to quantify many of the variables of daily life.

For instance, I’ve developed a calculation of the probability of spring-like temperatures in the middle of January based on specific identifiable factors:

wearing a sweatshirt = temperatures below zero

wearing a coat = temperature will reach 60 degrees

wearing a coat + hat = temperature will reach 65 degrees

wearing a coat + hat + scarf = temperatures will reach 70 degrees

wearing a coat + hat + scarf + gloves = temperature will reach 75 degrees

wearing a coat + hat + scarf + gloves + boots = you could boil water on the pavement

Spring Fever Cookies

There is a quantifiable correlation between how many items I send my husband to the grocery store for and how many phone calls I have to wait for before it’s safe to get in the shower:

phone calls home ÷ 2 = number of items purchased

There’s a calculable relationship between how much gas each of the parents’ cars have in them and which parent a teen will ask to borrow their car:

full tank = 100% probability

half tank = 50% probability

low gas = 0% probability

I have come up with a mathematical equation to calculate the number of times you’ll have to go to the store for forgotten dinner ingredients in a snowstorm:

1 inch of snow = forgetting an item x 1

2 inches of snow = forgetting and item x 2

sleet + ice = forgetting an item x ∞

There’s a simple logical formula for the probability of burning my fingers taking the bay leaves out of the sauce that’s been cooking all day:

boiling liquid + bare fingers = owie, every time

Oh yeah, it’s definitely me!

 

Spring Fever Cookies

                                                                        ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
 Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients, Cookies:
1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
¼ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
2 ¼ cups flour
½ tsp baking soda
4 food colorings of your choice
½ cup sugar
OPT:Ingredients, Frosting:
2 TBSP butter, softened
4 oz Fluff (Marshmallow Creme)
2 cups powdered sugar (minus 2 TBSP if using sweetened Kool-Aid)
2 -3 TBSP heavy cream
1 TBSP Kool-Aid powder, flavor of your choice
 
Directions, Cookies:
*Cream the butter, margarine and sugars. Beat in the egg and vanilla. Mix in the flour and baking soda.
*Divide the dough into four equal parts. Mix a different color of food coloring into each one.
*Flatten each dough, you can just use your hands, into an approximately 8 inch X 5 inch rectangle. It doesn’t have to be exact and they don’t have to all be the same size. Pile them one on top of the other, gently roll them into a log, wrap it in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour and a half.
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease cookie sheets.
*Remove doughs from the fridge and either slice into ¼ inch thick rounds or, using about 1 tsp at a time roll the dough into balls. Be sure to get all of the colors in each ball and don’t over roll or the colors will blend too much.
*Place on cookie sheets.
*Grease the bottom of a glass with non-stick cooking spray and dip the glass in the ½ cup sugar. Use the sugar coated glass to gently flatten the cookies. You’ll need to keep dipping the glass in more sugar as you go.
*You can leave these round or if you want to make these egg shaped, shape them with your fingers before baking.
*Bake for about 10 minutes. Don’t let them brown. Remove and cool completely.
*These are delicious filled or, for a less sweet version, just as they are.
OPT: Directions, Frosting:
*Beat the butter, fluff and 2 TBSP of cream.
*Mix in the powdered sugar and Kool-Aid until just blended.
*Beat until spreadable (should be thick so it doesn’t drip out of the cookie). If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, if it’s too thick, add the other TBSP of cream in small increments as needed.
*Spread desired amount of frosting onto the flat side of a cookie and make into a sandwich using the flat side of a similar sized and shaped cookie.

It’s Been Quite a Ride

I guess it’s no surprise to anyone that Mother’s Day is this coming Sunday. Mother’s Day means so many things through the years; as a child, a mother-to-be, and all the different stages of being a Mom.

This is my last Mother’s Day with both of my boys living at home. One will leave shortly for college and the other is only a year behind. So this year I’ve written a little poem (I never seem to learn my lesson about trying to write poems, do I?) from my current perspective.

M – is for the mischief you get into every day,
O – is for the other kids who hang out to eat and play,

T – is for the thanks I rarely get to hear,
H – is for the happiness you bring from year to year,

E – is for the everything, it’s what you mean to me,
R – is for the roller coaster ride this life can be,
‘S – is for the sharing of your germs you’ve done for free.

Triple Chocolate Cookies

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches

D – is for the dread I’m feeling to the core,

A – is for the ache I’ll know when you head out that door,

Y – is for the yesterdays I’ll cherish evermore.

Triple Chocolate Ice Cream Sandwiches
                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1 stick margarine, softened
1 1/2 cups brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 3/4 cups flour
1/4 cup baking cocoa
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup dark chocolate chipe
any ice cream, slightly softened
Opt: nonpareils or sprinkles

Directions:
*Grease cookie sheets. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
*Cream together butter, margarine, brown sugar and vanilla. Beat in the egg.
*Mix in the flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt.
*Last, mix in the white and dark chocolate chips.
*Roll about a tsp of dough into a ball and put on baking sheets.
*Press down slightly with the heel of your hand.
*Bake 12 minutes. Let cool on cookie sheet for 2 minutes, then remove and cool completely.
*Put cooled cookies in freezer for 10 minutes.
*Slice ice cream into slabs about 1/2 inch thick. Using cookie cutter or top of a glass approximately equal size around to your cookies, cut circles out of the ice cream.
*Put a circle of ice cream in between the flat sides of two equal sized cookies. Press together gently.
*Opt: roll the sides of the ice cream cookie in nonpariels or sprinkles.
*Wrap individually and freeze.
*Remove from freezer and allow to sit for 2 minutes before eating.

Texting, Mom Style

Everyone with kids knows that phones aren’t for calling any more. They’re for texting, almost exclusively. And if you have kids you also know that texting has its own language, incomprehensible to those over a  . . . ahem . . . certain age.

But what our kids don’t know is that we Moms have a text language too. We also frequently need to communicate quickly, and cryptically.

If you’ve not yet gotten one of these Mom to Mom missives, there’s much you need to know. Not just the meaning of the messages, but the protocol, how you’re expected to respond. So I’ve put together the most commonly used texts you might receive and what action to take when you get one. The fall into two categories.

Good news texts:

TOT – Take One for the Team – this is used when a Mom has plans (yay) and needs the other Mom to spy on host the kids at her house that night.

WOO HOO – With Out Ours, Head On Over – Recipients of this text are either being invited; they’re welcome to come to the sender’s house, but only if they can dump their own kids. Or they’re being taunted (of the “ha, ha” variety).

Responses would be either:

HI – Heading In – mission accomplished, on our way.

                                 or:

DAMN – Dark And Miserable Night – can’t get rid of our kids, tried everything.

NO NO NO – this is the Holy Grail of Mom texts, it means she has a night of NO kids, NO husband and it’s a shout-out to all available for a N O (night out).

Bad news texts:

XO – This is not hugs and kisses, this is Xylophone Overload and is the text of a Mom whose child has a musical instrument (any, not just xylophone) and is about to throw it out the window.

ABCD – This is not the text of a home-schooling Mom, it’s a Mom having an Already Been Chewed Disaster. There is gum stuck somewhere, and this text is often followed by more of the alphabet:

MNOP – Mom Needs Out, Pronto.

General calls for help:

BS – Bring Sugar. It’s the (usually initial) request of a mildly irritated Mom.

Butterscotch Slice and Bake Cookies

It may be followed by:

CRAP – Child Really A Pain – this is an unmistakable cry for help.

If the situation isn’t diffused, this one may come next:

HELP -  Have to Escape Little People – this is rarely a text to be ignored.

But if no relief is found, you’ll see a text of last resort:

COW – No, she doesn’t need milk, she’s Climbing Out a Window – this is a Mom who now needs to be talked down from the ledge, literally.

Used by Moms of older kids:

SHIT – Stuck Home, In Trouble – this is the emergency text of a Mom at home (usually with a grounded teen). The recipient of this text is obliged to drop everything and bring chocolate . . . or liquor . . . or chocolate liqueur.

The above is frequently paired with:

BUM – Bring Unused Medication.

And if you get there and no one answers the door, check your phone for this:

BITCHY – Been In The Corner Hiding, Yo.

To which you should answer:

OUCH – Open Up, Comfort’s Here.

Butterscotch Slice and Bake Cookies
                                 ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 stick butter, softened

1/2 stick margarine, softened

1/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 egg

1 3/4 cups flour

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup Butterscotch baking chips

1/4 cup toffee baking chips

Directions:

* Cream butter, margarine, sugar, brown sugar and vanilla.

*Beat in egg. Mix in flour, salt and baking soda.

*Add in the butterscotch and toffee baking chips.

*Roll into a log, wrap in plastic and refrigerate one hour (or up to 3 days).

*Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Grease 2 cookie sheets.

*Slice the log into approximately 30 cookies.

*Bake for about 12 minutes.