Banana Limping and Potato Juggling: Fly on the Wall

 

 

 

 Welcome to a monthly Fly on the Wall group post. Today 2 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.

Hubs and I were in the den watching TV. I have to admit that sometimes I take my boredom out on him. 

A commercial for toe fungus spray came on.

Me: You need that.

Hubs: Toe fungus spray?
Me: Yes.

Hubs: No, I don't.

Me: Yes, you do.

Hubs takes off his socks, looks at his feet.

Hubs: No, I don't.

Me: I know.

 

 

I'm constantly getting notifications on my Baking In A Tornado Facebook page. When those little notification numbers show up on my page, I love clicking on them to see who's interacting with one of my posts, and what they have to say.

Imagine my surprise, the other day, when the notification wasn't an interaction, but what FB has decided is vital information.

Apparently, after all these years, I've earned a badge for being a top contributor . . . to my own group . . .

I had hurt my toe and was limping. I tried not to let anyone see, as I didn't want to explain. But, of course, Hubs saw.

Hubs: You're limping.

Me: I'm fine.

Hubs: Your toe is a little swollen. Did you stub it on something.

Me: No.

Hubs: What then?

Me: Ummm.

Hubs: Ummm?

Me: OK, fine, a banana fell on it.

I bet you can all see him rolling his eyes.

When I have bananas that have browned, I freeze them for baking. I had opened the freezer and a frozen banana fell out from the top shelf (note to self: don't freeze bananas on the top shelf) onto my toe.

Hubs walks into our office, where I'm comfortably sitting back in the recliner by the window and reading my Kindle.

Hubs: Want to help me with some painting in the upstairs guest room?

Me: Sure. Are you in a rush?

Hubs: No, no rush.

Me: How about you get started and I'll help when I finish this book?

Hubs: That's fine.

 

A half hour later Hubs comes back into the office.

 

Hubs: Weren't you going to come help when you finished your book?

Me: Yes.

Hubs: I'm mostly done up there, how far along are you? 

Me: Just started chapter 5.

I was bringing some red potatoes out of the pantry to the kitchen to serve with dinner. I slipped on something, I don't even know what. I didn't fall down but as I was flailing trying to regain my balance, the potatoes dropped to the floor.

Of course, Hubs came around the corner to see my hands in the air and the potatoes falling to the floor.

Hubs: What are you doing?
Me (exasperated): What does it look like, I'm juggling.

Hubs: I don't think that's how it's done.

Oven Barbecued Country Style Ribs

I had been seeing a headline about a horse that had been put down at the Preakness, but hadn't read the article. A few days later I saw something about the jockey being in the hospital. I suppose I could have just read the article, but instead I asked Hubs about it. 

Turns out he was only half listening to me.

Me: Do you know the whole story about the Preakness, a horse was euthanized right on the track and the jockey is in the hospital.

Hubs: A jockey euthanized on the track?
Me: Ummm, no, I'm pretty sure they don't do that. But I gotta say, that would be the epitome of a bad day at the office.

 

Hubs was walking through the den and glanced over my shoulder while I was playing Phrazle on my laptop.

Hubs: What's that?
Me: A game.

Hubs: How do you play?
Me: I have six tries to guess the well known phrase. I just made my third guess.

Hubs looks at the bottom line:

Hubs: Cheer the fart? That's your choice of a well known phrase?

Me: Well . . .

Hubs (walking away, rolling his eyes, and mumbling under his breath): Bet you don't win this game very often.

I had been out on the back deck trying to take pictures of a recipe for a blog post. Hubs was in the kitchen when I came in.

 

Hubs: Did you get some good pictures.

Me (exasperated): No.

Hubs: No? How is that possible, you've been out there for an hour. 

Me: I spent the whole time trying to pick that flying cottonwood off of the plate.

Hubs: So . . . how much cottonwood will I be eating in my dinner tonight?

Me: Don't worry, I Googled it, it's fiber.

Hubs: You know what? I have a sudden craving for Chinese food . . .

It was a beautiful afternoon, not a cloud in the sky.

Hubs: Are you planning to use the grill tonight?

Me: No, why?

Hubs: Just trying to decide whether to turn the sprinklers on.

Me: Well, if you don't want to turn them on, I could uncover the grill, make Mother Nature think I'm going to use it . . .

Hubs: It's not nice to fool Mother Nature.

Did he just sound like a commercial from the 70s?

I'll end today with what I'd like to blame on autocorrect, but was actually my own typing too fast screw up.

I had posted this to FB:

To which a friend had responded "again?"

I thought I'd be funny and answer her with "have you been peeping in my windows?" Except I left out a "p," saying "have you been peeing in my windows?" 

Oops not at all what I meant to accuse her of . . . edit . . . quick.

 

 

 

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

Menopausal Mother

Oven Barbecued Country Style Ribs

                                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
about 5# pork loin country-style ribs, bone in

3 tsp pepper

2 1/2 tsp garlic powder

2 1/2 tsp onion salt

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp dried mustard

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup apple bourbon

1 cup barbecue sauce of your choice

1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions:

*Rinse the ribs and pat dry. Mix together the pepper, garlic powder, onion salt, cayenne, cumin, and dried mustard. Sprinkle over and pat onto all sides of the ribs. Cover in tin foil and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours.

*Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Spray a 9 X 13 baking pan with nonstick spray. Add the onion, apple cider vinegar and apple bourbon. 

*Place the ribs in the pan, meaty side down, cover tightly with heavy tin foil and cook for 1 1/2 hours. Be very careful taking off the foil, the steam will be hot. Turn the ribs over, recover, and cook another 1 1/2 hours.

*Mix together the barbecue sauce and the brown sugar. Pour over the ribs, recover, and cook for another hour.

The New Face of Patriotism

I'm having a hard time calling myself patriotic. No, that's not quite what I'm struggling with. I'm grappling with reconciling my feelings, my morals and my values, with my commitment to patriotism.

The definition of patriotism is a strong and unwavering support of one's country. ✔. But the face of patriotism, the whole notion has shifted, for me anyway. Honestly, I'd never given it much thought, as a concept anyway. It was a feeling, a pride, an effortless commitment. I know that many people on this earth think that their country is the best, and well they should. But the place of the USA on the world stage, our strength, commitment and reputation, was pretty well acknowledged throughout most of the world.

Was. That's the key word in this last sentence. Was. That has all changed in the past 6 months. All in the name of patriotism and under the guise of America first.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for America first. But to me that means all Americans, not just the white ones, not just the Christian ones, not just the males, not just the straight ones, not just a specific voter base, all of us. In order to move forward with an America first agenda, we have to define Americans and we need to find a way to include, accommodate, and accept all. 

Further, I do not confuse America first with America only. Or America in a bubble, isolated. We are not alone on this earth. We are not devoid of responsibility for what goes on around us. And lets not pretend that we are not impacted by the health of our planet and by the relationships of others who inhabit it. It is possible to advance our own goals while maintaining relationships with other countries, while committing ourselves to the health of our planet, while coming to the aid of others.

But we're not. And I'm ashamed.

Embarrassed of the face we're showing to the world. Mortified at the deliberate degradation of relationships we've spent years building. Shocked to no longer be the leader of the free world. Bewildered by the divisive rhetoric, the dishonesty, the bullying, the ill-considered changes in policy, the conflicts between what is said and what is done, the absolute chaos. Humiliated, yes humiliated, by our current "leadership". 

I've been at odds with administrations before. I've felt deep division between my values and goals for our country and those of our leaders many times in the past. But I have always held a basic respect for their thoughtful commitment to their agenda, to their acknowledgement of the need govern us all, to their loyalty to our global relationships and yes, for their respectful decorum.

This is not that. 

My mom and I had a disagreement recently. She wants this administration to succeed. This is not what she wanted for our country either, but since it's what we have, she is able to put those feelings aside and hope for success, for the sake of us all.

I do not, and this frustrated her. I hope this administration fails. I do not want everything that this president stands for to be in any way validated. It's that simple. But does this make me unpatriotic?

So my struggle is in reconciling all of my current feelings with patriotism. Patriotism is about pride, right? Especially today, on the 4th of July. It's not just about planning a cookout and making a red, white and blue dessert, it's about celebrating who we are and what we stand for. 

Whiskey Grilled Riblets

going to the grill

I am still patriotic. Accomplished by drawing a clear line between allegiance to my country and approval of it's current public portrayal. My heart belongs firmly to this country, to the contributions of a diverse population, to its rich history. 

And to my unwavering hope for its future.

Whiskey Grilled Riblets

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

 

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

5# pork riblets
1/4 cup salt
1/4 cup pepper
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 TBSP paprika
2 tsp cumin
2 TBSP Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Whiskey

1 1/2 cups Jack Daniels Barbecue Sauce
1/4 cup Jim Beam Apple Bourbon Whiskey

OPT: Additional barbecue sauce for serving

Directions:
*Rinse and dry the riblets.
*Mix together the salt, pepper, brown sugar, paprika and cumin. 
*Liberally sprinkle over the meat and pat in. Do both sides.
*You can use a disposable aluminum foil cooking pan, or line a 9 X 13 metal pan with heavy foil.
*Place the riblets into the pan, leaving space between by alternating placing one row of ribs lengthwise and the next row sideways. Cover with foil and refrigerate overnight.
*Remove ribs from fridge an hour and a half before cooking. Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
*Place 2 TBSP Apple Bourbon Whiskey into the bottom of the pan and bake for one hour, tightly covered with foil. Remove from oven, turn ribs over, making sure the ones that were on the bottom are now on top and vice versa. Cover again and return to oven and bake for half an hour.
*Whisk the barbecue sauce and the 1/4 cup of Apple Bourbon Whiskey.
*Remove ribs from oven. Carefully remove the ribs fro the pan. Return them to the pan, covering each row with barbecue sauce/whiskey mixture. Cover tightly and return to oven for an hour.
NOTE: At this point you can proceed to the grill or you can cover and place the ribs in the refrigerator and grill the next day. If grilling the next day, bring to room temperature before grilling. Grilling times will increase.
*Spray non-stick spray on your cold grill. With the cover open, light the grill, close the cover and heat to 450 degrees. Place the ribs on the grill, close and lower the heat to medium. If you are grilling the ribs right fro the oven, they should only take about 5 minutes per side. If grilling the ribs the day after cooking, they will take longer, grill until hot (they are already cooked).
*Opt: Serve with additional barbecue sauce.