Raking the Forest

  

 

 

It started with a laugh. But by the end of the day, it had turned into insight. Surprisingly, the inspiration was Hubs who was, at the time, minding his own business, raking the front lawn. So yeah, insight from raking. 

 

Watching him, the laugh came first because what popped into my mind was trump's comment that the devastation from forest fires is the result of mismanagement. You remember, don't you? Mr. inject-yourself-with-disinfectant announced that the government should be raking our forests. 

 

I know, forest fires are dangerous, devastating, and deadly, not really something to be laughing at, but it wasn't the fires themselves, it was the absurdity of the ignorance, you had to either laugh or cry (and sometimes both).

 

That night, after a broiling hot day and a refreshingly cold dinner, I would sit down to once again watch the latest of the January 6th hearings. 

 

 

 

  Summer Shrimp Salad

 

 

When they started televising the hearings, I had an overwhelming sense of futility. At this point, I fully believed that there were two groups of Americans, those of us who understand the jeopardy our democracy is in, the seriousness of a bloody coup under the direction of a maniac, and those who are so ill informed or brainwashed that they either don't understand the ramifications of an autocracy, or just don't care. Two impeachment trials and dead capitol police didn't change any minds, why would these hearings?

 

But as I watched the hearings, and even later, as I witnessed the republican politicians push back with lies and repeated disinformation, I started to have a little hope. The people testifying were those who had actually been there, part of the administration. They were coming forward with truth, context, timeline, and insight.

 

The hearings, of course, are going on right as Bannon is going to trial for ignoring his subpoena.

 

Before these hearings, there were no ramifications, no repercussions, and therefore no downside to continuing the lies, deception, and misdirection.

But now we're witnessing testimony from administration loyalists. And, part simultaneously (and part as a result) we're seeing the start of accountability. There have been not just subpoenas, but raids, confiscation of electronics, demands for records, arrests, and even trials.

 

I realized, as more former members of the administration seem to be coming to terms with what they had been complicit in, understanding their patriotic responsibility to come forward and swear to the truth (or, of course, some less patriotic and more self preservation/jump from the sinking ship, I don't want to end up in jail motivation), that these hearings have done something meaningful for all of us.

 

 

We, those of us who have understood from the beginning just what was happening, are now bearing witness to exactly who have been able to find their inner strength, recalculate their moral compass, and come forward. And we understand exactly who's left, still determined to keep digging that hole, and ignoring subpoenas. 

 

The result of these hearings is simple. They're raking the forest.

Wheat from the chaff my friends, wheat from the chaff.

 

Summer Shrimp Salad        
                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients: 

4 oz wide egg noodles

1/3 cup Everything Bagel Vinaigrette

2 green onions

1/2 red pepper

1 cup grape tomatoes

8 oz broccoli slaw

4 oz fresh snap peas

12 oz medium cooked shrimp

OPT: serve with Giant Blueberry White Chocolate Chip Muffins

Directions:
*Cook the noodles to al dente. Immediately rinse a few times with cold water to stop the cooking process. Drain well. Place in a large bowl and refrigerate.

*Make the Everything Bagel Vinaigrette. Refrigerate.

*Slice the green onions and chop the red pepper.

*Add the cooked shrimp, green onions, red pepper, grape tomatoes, broccoli slaw, and snap peas to the cooked pasta. Mix gently. Add the Everything Bagel Vinaigrette. Mix gently.

*Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, mixing now and then. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator.

 

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.

Twelve Cheesecake Favorites for National Cheesecake Day

Classic round, bars, squares or topping brownies, baked or no-bake, cheesecake is a popular year round dessert. In fact, what makes this dessert so versatile is the endless options for flavors, for mix-ins, for crusts and for toppings. Seasonal and local fruits are not only a great inspiration for new incarnations, but allow for use of the freshest ingredients. But with or without fruit, the choices are limited only by your imagination: peanut butter, Nutella, nuts, chocolate, cookies, candy, mint . . .

Having found so much interest in the flavor pairings I've put together for cheesecake recipes on this blog, and in honor of National Cheesecake Day, I've gathered together the recipes of twelve favorites. I hope you'll try them all.

So here they are, in no particular order, my 12 current cheesecake favorites. Click on the name and you will magically be transported to the blog post with the corresponding recipe. As usual, you'll find the recipe at the very bottom of the page.

1) Chocolate Peanut Butter Cheesecake is for the chocolate and peanut butter lovers. I know I've got one in my family. This cheesecake features both flavors in a crust made from chocolate and peanut butter sandwich cookies.

2) Strawberry and Caramel Swirl Chocolate Chip Cheesecake is a simple chocolate chip cheesecake swirled with layers of strawberry and caramel then baked in a chocolate graham cracker crust.

3) Rustic Lemon Cheesecake Bars are bursting with lemon flavor. Dollops of the crust are also baked onto the top of these bars for a bit of a crunchy texture.

4) Orange Blueberry Cheesecake is a new but just as refreshing variation of the classic pairing of lemon with blueberry. This cheesecake is full of orange flavor and studded with fresh blueberries.

5) Creme de Menthe Cheesecake Brownies are classic a classic gooey brownie base topped with cheesecake flavored with creme de menthe baking chips.


6) Apple Pie Cheesecake has all the flavors of an apple pie baked into a cheesecake, garnished with a caramel apple topping.

7) Pistachio White Chocolate Cheesecake is a classic dense cheesecake, infused with white chocolate and a hint of pistachio flavor, baked then dusted with chopped nuts.

8) Chocolate Cookies and Cream Cheesecake is for chocolate lovers. A chocolate cheesecake studded with cookie crumbs is baked in a cookies and cream crust.

9) No Bake White Russian Cheesecake is a no bake cheesecake interpretation of a chocolate, cream and coffee flavored cocktail. Refrigerated to set, then topped with a chocolate glaze.

10) Dark Cherry Cheesecake in a Pecan Crust, the nutty crunch of a pecan crust goes perfectly with this cheesecake swirled with syrup and topped with dark sweet cherries.

11) Strawberry Lemonade Cheesecake Squares feature strawberry lemonade flavored no bake cheesecake in a baked sugar cookie dough base.

12) Cinnamon Cheesecake with Mixed Berries is a cinnamon flavored cheesecake topped with macerated mixed berries.

Whether it's today, National Cheesecake Day, or any day, if you're serving family, guests, or just yourself (save me a fork), if you want a beautiful and flavorful dessert, think cheesecake. 

As always, any time you make one of my recipes, I'd love to see it. Feel free to post a picture of it to my Baking In A Tornado facebook page.

Mother’s Day All Day: 50 Recipe Roundup

Mother’s Day is right around the corner. I have no idea where I’ll be this year. My younger son finishes finals hundreds of miles away the day before. I think he’ll need help getting all of his crap stuff home so it’s possible I’ll be on the road.

For those of you not spending Mother’s Day in a car, I hope you have something great planned. And since I’m not putting together my own celebration this year, I may as well help you plan yours.

So here it is, a celebration all in one place. I’ve put together a collection of 50 Mother’s Day recipes from Breakfast to Dinner and everything in between.

I broke this post out by meal groups: breakfast, lunch, cocktails (a very important food group in my opinion), dinner, sides and desserts. Each group has it’s own collage of pictures so you can see how the recipes turn out.

Whether you have time to prepare a more complicated dish or are in a hurry, there’s something for everyone. For each meal group there are options that can be at least partially prepared ahead, recipes that are mostly made that day but are quick and easy, and options that require but are well worth a little effort. Whatever you choose, you’re bound to impress.

Breakfast

Prepare ahead:
1 - Mocha Breakfast Muffins are delicious muffins you can make the day before. To serve warm, just pop into the microwave for about 20 seconds.
2 - Maple Glazed Mandarin Poppy Muffins can also be made the day before. They’re bursting with fruit and finished with a hint of maple.

Quick and easy:
3 - Crab Benedict Breakfast Roll-Ups are a light but substantial breakfast treat. They need to be made when eaten, but look like they take more effort than they do.
4 - Bagel Crisp Brunch Sandwiches are reminiscent of Sunday afternoon brunch. They’re quick to assemble and a delicious crunchy treat.

Worth the effort:
5 - Baked Individual Pancake Puffs are a beautiful breakfast treat. They require more effort, but you’ll really amaze when you serve these puffs.
6 - Pistachio Cream Cheese French Toast is made with thick french bread slices, stuffed, pistachio crusted and pan fried.

Lunch

Prepare ahead:
1 - Warm Chicken Pockets can be prepped ahead of time, then put together at lunch time. Serve with Broccoli Slaw, which can be made the day before.
2 – Taco Stuffed Potato Skins have many components that can be made ahead as well. Serve with fresh homemade Pico de Gallo, which is best made a day in advance so the flavors have a chance to marry.

Quick and easy:
3 - Sour Apple Challah Grilled Cheese can be assembled and served hot in a matter of minutes. Serve it with made ahead Greek Pasta Salad and lunch is served.
4 - Curried Chicken Salad Wraps are an easy lunch roll up packed with flavor. You can make a loaf of Veggie Bread ahead, but it’s best served warm.

Worth the effort:
5 - Stovetop BBQ Pork and Apple Pizza takes a little more effort but is both pretty and full of flavor. Serve it with Spicy Pasta Salad, another make ahead side dish, this one has a bit of a kick.
6 - Grilled Taco Chicken needs to be marinated and then grilled. It takes more time than effort but is juicy and flavorful. Smoky Cornbread is a perfect side dish.

Cocktails

Prepare ahead:
1 - Berry Sangria is mixed together and refrigerated overnight. To serve, just add the ginger ale to this refreshing cocktail.
2 - Raspberry Orange Margaritas are a cocktail I like to make by the pitcher. Put it together in the morning, refrigerate and they’re ready to serve.

Quick and easy:
3 - Tornado Cocktails are easy to make. Mix the ingredients and serve.
4 - Brunch Cocktail is just the thing for any special occasion.
5 - Iced Coffee Cocktail is the perfect afternoon blender drink, and can be served three different ways.

Worth the effort:
6 - Strawberries and Cream Cocktail is made with fresh berries and topped with a dollop of ice cream. This drink could be a dessert.
7 - My Mai Tai is a long time favorite. Many people make a version of this drink, but mine is the best!

Dinner

Prepare ahead:
1 - Grilled Marinated London Broil is my beef selection. Marinate up to two days ahead of time then grill, slice and serve.
2 - Crockpot Fruited Pork Roast can be put into the crockpot late in the morning, then left to cook until it’s time to slice and add the veggies.

Quick and easy:
3 - Peachy Chicken, although better if marinated longer, can actually be made in 30 minutes. It’s light, fruity and flavorful.
4 - Easy Grilled Halibut is another light meal that can be made quickly. Marinate the fish, grill and serve.

Worth the effort:
5 - Smoky Orange Cornish Hens take some time and effort, but they aren’t any more difficult than roasting a chicken and they make a very impressive meal.
6 - Baby Backs need time for the rub to flavor the meat and they need to slow roast for hours. The end result is a flavorful meal everyone will love.

Sides Dishes:

 

Veggies

Prepare ahead:
1 - Festive Pea Casserole can be completely assembled in the morning and popped into the oven to accompany any dinner you choose.
2 - Karen's Poppy Seed Dressing can be made ahead and works well on salad ingredients of your choice.

Quick and easy:
3 - Squash Casserole is simple to assemble and has all of the bright flavors of fresh vegetables.
4 - Pralined Snap Peas and Carrots is a beautiful side dish that’s made in minutes in the microwave.

Worth the effort:
5 - Brussels Sprouts with Pignolis and Proscuitto takes some prep time and cooking time, but is the perfect dish for a special occasion.
6 - Eggless Caesar Salad is just as good as you’d find in any restaurant. Any dinner will be enhanced by this salad.

 

Starches

Prepare ahead:
7 - Cheddar Mac Squares are a favorite side dish. Mine can be made ahead, sliced into squares and reheated for serving.
8 - Easy Cheesy Potatoes is a casserole that can be assembled in the afternoon and popped in the oven for dinner.

Quick and easy:
9 – Popovers are made simply by whisking a few ingredients, cooking in a hot oven and resisting the urge to open the oven while they cook. These light buttery treats will be a hit with everyone.
10 - Garlic Knots are quick to make when start with refrigerated bread sticks. They’re a flavorful addition to any dinner.

Worth the effort:
11 - Sweet Potato Cups with Maple Butter take time to prep and time to make. The flavor and presentation make the effort worthwhile.
12 – Tzimmes is a slightly sweet casserole of potatoes, fruit and vegetables. There’s some prep time required but this flavorful dish is really not difficult.

Desserts

Prepare ahead:
1 - S'More and Strawberry Skewers are a favorite because kids love helping dip the strawberries and the marshmallows. When you’re ready to serve, just skewer and you’re done.
2 - Strawberry Lemonade Cheesecake Squares need to be refrigerated before serving so they’re perfect for making ahead. These little squares are such a refreshing end to a meal.

Quick and easy:
3 - Caramel Apple Angel Cake looks impressive but is really quite simple if you start with a bakery angel cake, making this an easy dessert alternative.
4 - White Brownie Parfait is really two desserts in one. The White Brownies are a delicious treat, but kick it up a notch by adding fresh fruit and whipped cream.

Worth the effort:
5 - Dark Chocolate Raspberry Fudge is a recipe I first developed for Valentine’s Day but what says “love you, mom” more than dark chocolate and raspberry fudge hearts?
6 - Spring Fever Cookies will take some time to put together, but they’re a work of art when done. And they taste as good as they look.
7 - Berry Bar Sundaes are a delicious treat. Use fresh berries to make the bars, top with ice cream, whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce. Delish.

As always, if you make some of my recipes, be sure to share a picture and your thought with my Facebook Community. I love to hear from you.

❤Hope your Mother’s Day is delicious ❤

 

This piece was published on The Huffington Post as Ffifty RecipesL Mothers Day All Day on 5-4-15.
Also cross-posted on BlogHer as Fifty Recipes: Mother's Day All Day on 5-1-15.

It’s a Wrap

I don’t know why it’s such a surprise to me. After all, it happens every year at right about this time. The calendar runs out of days and the year comes to a close.

Before we put a fork in another year (get it? fork? food? lame? OK, I tried) I’d like to take one last look at the current year on the blog; what worked and what . . . well . . . didn’t.

Here are the top ten posts of 2014 (according to page views), the bottom one (my first real stink bomb), a few of my favorites and some other memorable moments as they relate to the blog. If you’re a regular reader, I’d love to hear whether any of my posts stood out to you as memorable in the past year. And if you’re not a regular reader? You better go get your glasses, there are 284 posts you need to catch up on. Let me know when you’re done.

Top Ten Posts of 2014 ~ working up to #1

10) To My Boy

I’m so glad this one made the list. A little over a year previous to this post, I wrote a heartfelt post to my older son in the month of a milestone birthday. This one was to my younger son as he hit the same milestone. 

It included a recipe I developed with his favorite flavor combination, chocolate and peanut butter: Peanut Butter Cup Squares.

9) January Fly on the Wall

Every month some friends and I publish Fly on the Wall posts. They’re snippets of what goes on in our homes and people tell me all the time how much they look forward to laughing at me that glimpse into my home every month.

The recipe included was a winter favorite, Crockpot Beef Chili.

8) Not So Empty Nest

I spent so much time anxiously preparing myself for my anticipated empty nest and when the time came . . . it didn’t happen!

The recipe for this post was Caramel Angel Cake and it was a hit.

7) Holiday Gift Guide

I wrote this post just last month based on the hilarious, gotta see it to believe it, actual products I found on Amazon.

The post included the recipe for my Lemon Raspberry Mini Pies.

6) Secret Subject Swap: A Choice

The prompt I received for this Secret Subject Swap (a monthly group writing challenge) sent me in a serious direction. I spoke about introducing my children to funerals.

This serious post got a cocktail for a recipe, my Chocolate Raspberry Pie-Tini.

5) Love to Laugh

This post came about after I had been interviewed for one of the books I’ve contributed to, The Mother of All Meltdowns by Lydia of Cluttered Genius. She asked me what makes me laugh. I gave her an answer, then later sat down and wrote this longer response.

The post includes the recipe for PurDude’s favorite dinner, Baked Hot Wings.

4) Secret Subject Swap, June 2014

Another Secret Subject Swap post made the list. My prompt this time was about the famous person I’ve always been told that I look like.

 The recipe I included with this post was for Sweet Potato Cups with Maple Butter.

3) The Family Bang Checker

Every home has a bang checker. Guess who ours is . . . the only person who doesn’t ignore them, of course.

This post includes the recipe for my Caramel Peanut Butter Kisses.

2) Secret Subject Swap: Cupid

The second most popular post of the year was another Secret Subject Swap, this one a humorous one about who I think needs an arrow in the butt. 

Recipe included was this Pineapple Coconut Cake with Butterscotch Drizzle.

1) Be My Valentine

The NUMBER ONE post of 2014 was Be My Valentine. You can’t do this blogging thing alone, at least I can’t. This post from almost a year ago, was written to thank some fellow bloggers who’ve supported me. 

The post includes a recipe that was very popular, Chocolate Strawberry Brownie Cake.

Pass/Fail

One of These Things

And now that I’ve mentioned some of my successes, 2014 was also the year I had a post that was a total and complete failure. This post was supposed to be a humorous take-off on the kids’ game where you’re presented with a grouping of items and a category and you need to guess which one doesn’t belong. 

 Category: What does YOUR kid eat?

This thing did a complete belly-flop. I mean no one got it. People were polite but I could FEEL them making the “cookoo” sign behind my back.

Most Anticipated

Use Your Words: The One Where College Boy Lights My Car On Fire

The most anticipated post was the result of my vague-posting this one night on Facebook:

Tomorrow, when I’ve (hopefully) calmed down a bit, remind me to tell you about how my son and his friends lit my car on fire tonight . . .

Every day until I was ready to write about it, people would stop by my Facebook page and ask if I’d told the story yet. When I finally did post it, as a Use Your Words writing challenge, people couldn’t get over to read it fast enough.

And you know everyone had something to say about this one!

My Favorite Humerous Post

Fairy Tale 

In the beginning of 2014, my mother’s cousin told me about a talented children’s books author and illustrator in the family. That little bit of information resulted in my writing Fairy Tale, a story that was so much fun to write and illustrated. I later had the balls guts chutzpah to send the link to this woman and she was so magnanimous.

The feedback from this post was huge. Many people suggested and a few even insisted that I needed to write a book of these Fairy Tales. I did start one, but then I edited and edited and edited and now it’s about 3 words long. It’s tough being your own worst critic. I hope to get back to it, though.

This post remains my favorite of the year.

My Favorite Serious Post

A Holiday Story 

A Holiday Story, Part Deux 

A Holiday Story, The Finale

I had the idea to write a fictitious holiday story, but I wanted it to be unique. I know so many talented writers, I wondered if some might be willing to collaborate by adding a paragraph to an ongoing story.

Some? Nope.

Lots? Oh, yeah.

I was shocked by the response. What started as my hope for a blog post ended up being 3 posts, an amazing story somehow seamlessly crafted by 16 very diverse writers.

 This series of posts was a gift. One I couldn’t be more proud of.

Favorite Recipe

Strawberry Shortcake, Nacho Style 

I developed this recipe for a Strawberry Shortcake recipe competition I was invited to enter. I’m not someone who often has her recipes come out as well as I’d envisioned them, but this one came out even better. My family loved how it looked and tasted and PurDude was mortified when it didn’t win. It did earn me enough coupons for free berries to get me through the whole summer. It also got a lot of attention, having been featured in a slide show on the website The Daily Meal, was featured in the online magazine ArtisanLife, Daily, and even had the honor of being chosen as a feature post on BlogHer.

Strawberry Shortcake, Nacho Style

Baking In A Tornado Milestones in 2014

Previous group blogging challenges I had developed and continue to run:

Secret Subject Swap, Use Your Words and Fly on the Wall got two siblings this year: Funny Friday and Blog With Friends.

Baking In A Tornado’s Facebook page topped 12,500 “likes”,

Twitter account went over 2000 followers,

Pinterest boards hit 800 followers,

Google + account exceeded 750 followers,

and I joined Instagram. No idea what I’m doing over there but I’m there.

As always, I want to thank everyone who takes the time to read this blog, to leave comments and encourages me to continue writing. I take a lot of time with my posts, not only writing them but I make all of the graphics myself, as well as developing, executing, photographing and editing the pictures. Your engagement makes it all worthwhile.

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy New Year.