Love You Ma

If there's one thing a momma never gets tired of hearing, it's "I love you"s from their kids. At any time, any place, any age, instant warming of the heart.

You all know that my oldest isn't far from home but my youngest, PurDude, is in college 700 miles away. I'm grateful to be living in an age of cell phones (well, except last spring when we sent PurDude back to school with a brand new cell phone we'd barely started paying for, and are still paying for, FYI, which he immediately and unceremoniously dropped in the toilet).

I digress.

But the truth is, once I had sent him his old cell to reactivate, I could once again take comfort in knowing I can reach him at any time. And more important, that he can reach me. There have been times since he left, really heart wrenching times, when I was so grateful we could be in touch no matter where he was. Including in the hospital.

And texting. An amazing tool. No one has to worry about a convenient time to talk. Just shoot off a short text, get one back and abracadabra, you're in touch.

Except when you start to suspect you're not.

   
Back to the "I love you"s. I was getting a lot of them. In fact, they were suspiciously similar. Same exact wording. Same exact spelling. Same exact punctuation. Sometimes I got them almost the instant I sent my text.

Hmmm.

I know you can have incoming emails responded to automatically with a predetermined response. I'm starting to suspect you can do that with texts too. Lately I've been putting my hypothesis to the test. Collecting data. Analyzing. Hoping to be proven wrong, of course. Here they are. Randomly chosen texts between PurDude and I. A few from each month since he left for school.

August

My text: Miss you already.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

My text: Tried a new recipe today. Cinnamon Biscoff Gingerbread Squares. Don't you wish you were here to taste test?
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

Cinnamon Biscoff Gingerbread Squares

September

My text: Be careful at that concert in Chicago. Especially driving home with your friends late at night.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

My text: How are your classes going?
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.


October

My text: Thank you for not breaking your leg again on my birthday this year, LOL.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

My text: Happy Halloween. Is your house having a party?
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

My text: Your brother says I'm ugly.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

My text: I miss you so much.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: Love you too, honey.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: Not your dad, though. He never much cared for you.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.



November

My text: Don't bother coming home for Thanksgiving.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.  
Me: I've left home.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: To join the circus. 
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: I'm walking the high wire. 
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: Naked. 
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: Had to clean out your savings account for moving expenses.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.  
Me: And I'm in love. 
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.
Me: With the bearded woman.
PurDude: Ok, love you ma.

What do you think? I'm on to something here, aren't I? 

{{sob}}

Cinnamon Biscoff Gingerbread Squares

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 stick butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg, room temperature
2 TBSP molasses
2 cups flour
2 tsp cinnamon 
2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves

1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup cinnamon baking chips
12 Biscoff cookies 

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9 X 13 baking pan.
*Beat butter, sugar, brown sugar, molasses and egg until creamy.
*Mix in flour, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Set aside 1/2 cup.
*Press the rest of the dough into and barely up the sides of the prepared pan. Bake for 10 minutes. Remove from oven but leave oven on.
*Crush the Biscoff cookies.
*Place the sweetened condensed milk and the cinnamon chips in a microwave safe bowl. Microwave for about 1 minute or until smooth when stirred. Mix in 3/4 cup of the cookie crumbs.
*Pour over the baked crust. Sprinkle with the remaining cookie crumbs. Dot the top with the reserved dough.
*Bake for 30 minutes. Cool completely before slicing.

Use Your Words: Plausible Deniability

Today’s post is a monthly writing challenge. If you’re new here, this is how it works: participating bloggers picked 4 – 6 words or short phrases for someone else to craft into a post. All words must be used at least once. All of the posts will be unique as each writer has received their own set of words. That’s the challenge, here’s a fun twist; no one who’s participating knows who got their words and in what direction the recipient will take them. Until now.

At the end of this post you’ll find links to the other blogs featuring this challenge. Check them all out, see what words they got and how they used them.
I’m using: bare ~ lies ~ circumstance ~ grass ~ email ~ silence
They were submitted by Jenniy of Climaxed.

                          
I used to start these posts by using all the words in just a few sentences. It's an added level to the challenge and, honestly, if the post doesn't work out the way I want . . . well . . . technically I've completed my contractual obligation.

So . . . 

If circumstances found me bare naked in the tall (or short for that matter) backyard grass, I'd be forced to tell lies about having been there. You know, a flat out denial (and possibly a threat of suit for slander) to silence anyone traumatized by the incident who may have witnessed my momentary lapse in judgement. 

Unless a picture were to arrive by email . . . then I'm screwed.

Grilled Nutella Crunch Sandwich

It started like any other day. I was in the kitchen playing with food, trying to see if my latest recipe idea would work out in the execution. College Boy had put the finishing touches onto the vision for the dish, choosing the cereal to dip the sandwich into, as I had been at a loss. He was now there as my captive taste tester.

In my defense I have to tell you that this growing old thing is kicking my butt. I'm forced to learn to function normally with all kinds of aggravations, basically with one hand tied behind my back. It's especially challenging when I'm in the kitchen, oven on, chopping and cooking and trying to do what I've always done, cook and bake. 

Impatience. Well, lets just say I've never been known for my patience to start with. But it's worse when I have to hold myself back from throwing a cake against the wall. 

Farsightedness. What a pain in the a$$ this has turned out to be. I'm already wearing contacts but I have to put on my glasses to read my notes, take off the glasses to start the recipe, put on my glasses to read the next part, take off the glasses to make the next part. But it's worse when I have to hold myself back from throwing the glasses down the disposal.

Hot flashes. Holy crap, these are killer. They come on without any warning and I'm broiling from the inside out. But it's worse when I have to hold myself back from whipping off my clothes and jumping out the window.  

So . . . 

If circumstances found me bare naked in the tall (or short for that matter) backyard grass, I'd be forced to tell lies about having been there. You know, a flat out denial (and possibly a threat of suit for slander) to silence anyone traumatized by the incident who may have witnessed my momentary lapse in judgement. 

Unless a picture were to arrive by email . . .then I'm screwed.

Here are links to all the other Use Your Words posts:

Not That Sarah Michelle 

Spatulas on Parade 

The Bergham Chronicles 
The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver
Dinosaur Superhero Mommy 
Climaxed 
Confessions of a part time working mom 
On the Border 
Evil Joy Speaks 

Grilled Nutella Crunch Sandwich

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

 

Ingredients (per sandwich):

2 slices bread
2 - 3 TBSP Nutella
1 egg
1 cup Cap'n Crunch's Peanut Butter Crunch cereal 
1 TBSP butter 

Directions:
*Freeze the bread. This makes it easier to work with.
*Finely crush the peanut butter crunch cereal. Place on a plate.
*In a bowl, whisk egg with 1 TBSP water.
*Remove bread from freezer and spread Nutella onto one slice. Cover with the other side and press gently.
*Dip one side of the sandwich in the egg mixture. Flip over and dip the other side.
*Place the sandwich onto the cereal crumbs. Press gently to coat the bread. Flip the sandwich over and gently press the other side into the cereal crumbs.
*In a saucepan, melt half of the butter over medium heat until hot. Place the sandwich in the pan and cook until the cereal browns and crisps. Reduce heat a little if it gets too hot too fast.
*Remove the sandwich to a plate. Melt the other half of the butter in the pan. Place the sandwich back in the pan, uncooked side down and cook until this side browns and crisps too.

Blessings: November Poetry

I'm proud to bring you, once again this month, a poem based on a theme. For November the monthly poetry group chose the theme Blessings.

I try to count my blessings all through the year. There are times when I'm successful, there are times when I'm just so overwhelmed that I can't see past whatever's going on. And although I do understand the need to keep our blessings in mind every day, I like that there is a time of year when it really becomes a priority. We all, collectively, stop, take a breath, and give thanks. 

Blessings

Thanksgiving approaches. The troupe gathers, 
parts assigned.
Prima Ballerina.
Toe shoes.
Barre work.
Plie, Releve, Changement, Jete.


A week to go. This year's production, choreographed.
To the second.
Lists. 
Shopping.
Defrosting, prepping, par-baking, plating.


Days to go. Dress rehearsal,
adjustments.
Set the stage.
Costumes.
Airport run!
All focused on opening night.

The day has come. Places, everyone.
Light the fire.
Heat the oven.
Stuff the bird.
Time the sides.
Plie, Releve, Changement, Jete.

Brown Rice Stuffed Maple Acorn Squash

Thanksgiving dinner. It's palpable, 
anticipation.
Raise the curtain.
Engage the audience.
Applause.
Take a bow.
And count the Blessings.

Before you go, click on these links to more poetry by some of my friends: 

Diane of On the Border shares Blessings.
Lydia of Cluttered Genius shares Hidden Blessings.
Jules of The Bergham Chronicles shares Blessings Overflowing. 
 Joy of Evil Joy Speaks shares Blessings of Change. 
Dawn of Spatulas on Parade shares Thanks.
Candice of Measurements of Merriment shares Life Blessings.
Sarah of Not That Sarah Michelle shares My Blessings.

Brown Rice Stuffed Maple Acorn Squash

                                                                          ©www.BakingInATornado.com
 
Printable Recipe
 
Ingredients:
1 acorn squash
2 TBSP olive oil
salt and pepper
4 TBSP butter, divided
2 TBSP maple syrup
1/4 cup pignolis
1 cup vegetable broth
1 cup instant brown rice
1/4 cup cranraisins

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the squash in half from the stem to the tip. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds.
*Place the squash on a roasting pan, flesh side up. With a sharp knife, gently score the flesh, do not puncture the skin. Brush the olive oil onto the flesh, sprinkle with salt and pepper.
*Place 1 TBSP maple syrup and 1 TBSP butter into the center of each half. Place in oven and cook for 40 minutes or until the flesh is softening.
*While the squash is cooking, heat the other 2 TBSP butter in a medium sized sauce pan on medium heat. Add the pignolis. Cook and stir until they start to brown.
*Add the vegetable broth to the pan, season with salt and pepper. Raise the heat and bring to a boil. Stir in the rice and cook according to package directions. When cooked completely, fluff with a fork, add the cranraisins, set aside but keep covered.
*Remove squash from oven. Leave oven on. Place the rice into the center of each squash half. Return to oven for 20 minutes.