A Whole New Crop

Spring has sprung, the sun actually shines now and then, the snow has melted and nearby fields will soon be planted (I think, how would I know?). But in the blogosphere, a new crop has already begun to sprout. Three Awards I’ve never seen before have graced my path in 2013:

Most of my friends know how I feel about Blog Awards. I love them. They’re similar to a virtual hug, given by people who know how challenging blogging can be. And that means a lot.

When I got my first Award, I wrote a post. When I started getting more, I wrote another and said it would be my last. After all, how often can I write the same piece and have people still read me? I’m both shocked and humbled to admit that to date I’ve received 49 Awards and 2 Honorable Mentions. Each time, I’ve updated that second post (read it here: Really, 11 Things About Me Too?).

But it’s been 7 months and that cow’s been milked (proof I've been in the Midwest way too long). Time to give it a watch and put it out to pasture. So with the new crop of awards comes a new post. And if I’m fortunate enough to receive any more in the future, I’ll update here.

Mentioned in the previous post but once again I’d like to thank Sarah of The Momisodes and Sarah of The Sadder But Wiser Girl for the Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness. How (double) epically awesome is that? And Arielle of Their World We Live In for the Best Moment Award. My best blogging moment was the very first day that I pressed “publish”.

Updates:
Before I even had a chance to publish this I already have more thanks to extend:  
*Darla of Mom's World for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award
*Cassandra & Jenny of Dates 2 Diapers for the Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
*on 4-23-13 Today I get to thank one of my favorite new blogging friends, Kristi of Black Sheep Mom for another Epically Awesome Award of Epic Awesomeness.
*on 6-16-13 from the lovely "ViolaFury" of Homeless Chronicles in Tampa the compliment of the Very Inspiring Blogger Awards.
*on 7-4-13 April of 100lb Countdown an inspiring bogger in her own right, awarded me another Very Inspiring Blogger Award.
*on 7-5-13 another new award, the Semper Fidelis honoring loyal and supportive bloggers, from one of the most positive bloggers I know, Dinosaur Superhero Mommy. 
*on 8-3-13 the Versatile Blogger Award came my way thanks to my long time blogging friend Sarah of The Sadder But Wiser Girl. 
*on 8-9-13 another award new to me, the Shine On Award. This one from Jenn, of My Daily Jenn-ism a woman who blogs from the heart, and promotes and supports other bloggers. 
* On 9-9-13 a new blogger making her mark on the blogosphere, Beth of Writer B is me chose me for a Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award. Keep your eye on Beth, this woman's just started but she can write.
* on 11-14-13 a Liebster award from Writer B is Me.
 Hope you took my advice last time and are following her. Beth is smart and funny and a visit to her blog is always an adventure.
* on 1-4-14, just when I needed it most, Confessions of a part-time working mom brought sunshine in the form of a Sunshine Award. And this isn't the first time she's gone out of her way to show kindness. This past December she put together a 24 day Advent Calendar for me, an honor that had me speechless.
* on 1-17-14 another Sunshine Award from Rants from my Crazy Kitchen. I have to admit that this one is very special as it's been awarded to me by someone I respect who's in the Food Blogging world, a first for me.
*on 3-10-14 I was nominated for a Liebster Award by another food blogger, the incredibly innovative Rini of Healing Tomato. Once again, I'm honored.
*on 3-12-14 a Liebster from yet another cook and baker who I admire, Trisha of The Lazy Mom's Cooking Blog. Something she and I have in common is why we started blogging; to give our friends on our personal FB pages a break from all the food posts.
* on 3-16-14 Carol of Battered Hope awarded me another Liebster. Carol is a survivor many times over and a true inspiration.
* on 6-17-14 a Versatile Blogger Award from Lydia of Cluttered Genius. Thank you for reminding me of the value of friendships made through blogging.
*on 8-10-14 a Sunshine Blogger Award from Dawn of Spatulas on Parade. I'm honored to receive this Sunshine Award from a friend who is a ray of sunshine in the blogging world.
*On 5-12-15 a Liebster Award from a blogger who's all heart, Rena of The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver.

And now the newest sprout: 
from Sarah at The Sadder But Wiser Girl, the Beautiful Mama Blog Award. I’ve been asked to display the Award, list three things I love about motherhood, and make some nominations.

Three things I love about motherhood:
1. Umm . . .
2. Well . . .
3. Hmm . . .

All my nominees are blogs that are new to me in 2013. A note to them: this Award is about recognition, not obligation. Do with it as you wish:

Black Sheep Mom
Finding Felicity
The Rowdy Baker
Outsmarted Mommy
Evil Joy Speaks
Home on Deranged
Bad Word Mama
Their World We Live In
Tiny Steps Mommy
Mom's World 

A note about my nominees: There isn’t enough room on this page for all the blogs worthy of mention here. So to all who support me, read me, laugh with me, tag me in games, shower me with awards, do private projects with me, recommend me, interact with me on FB and twitter, leave me comments, join my monthly link-up challenges and more, I can’t name you all but I hope you know who you are, and please know this:

If it’s true that you cannot change the people around you, but you can change the people you choose to be around, I choose to be around you.

P.S. I love you, Sons. And I love being your Mother, every minute of every day.

Thoughts From a Shower

I honestly have no idea why blog ideas come to me in the shower. But they do. Frequently. I think it’s the Murphy’s Law of blogging that thoughts come to me in the one place where I cannot have my laptop. Then, thanks to my mush-brain, instead of having a leisurely rest of my shower, I have to spend the entire rest of the time there holding tightly onto the thought or risk losing it. Anyway, the next time I have writer’s (I use the term loosely, all of you real writers, don’t be offended) block, you’ll know where to find me. 

So I was standing in the shower the other day, just minding my own business; kids at school and no phone ringing. I was actually trying to figure out how a grown woman can take her bra out of the laundry room and lose it between there and her bedroom (still don’t know) when a new recipe suddenly dawned on me. Those of you who’ve read me for a while (thank you, thank you, thank you, but the way) know I don’t profess to be a foodie. I’m a Mom who bakes to relieve the stress of living (again, I use the term loosely) with two teenagers. I mean, my mush-brain is bad, but don’t even get me started on Mom-of-teens-brain (yes, I’m shuddering). When I started this blog I did not intend to include recipes as many of the treats I make are very basic and are adaptations of recipes to fit our tastes (OK and my skill level). I do come up with my own concoctions as well, so when enough people started asking for the recipes, I added them.

Mostly I blog, though, to vent because clearly there’s not enough flour and sugar in the world. . .  So my posts aren’t those great step-by-step baking instructions with the gorgeous pictures illustrating how each process should look along the way. My posts are the rantings of a mush-brain Mom living with teen-brain kids. I do want to add recipes to as many of my posts as I can, to entice (yes, bribe) those of you who like the recipes to come back.

So, back to the shower . . . pondering bra conundrum . . .recipe epiphany strikes. I had known that I wanted to come up with something new, and believe me when I tell you that gets harder and harder to do. Most mixtures and concoctions and pairings have been done. And then it dawned on me . . . but, damn it, I was in the shower. So like those games of “telephone” from the olden days, my left brain tried to remember the steps and told it to my right brain that tried to picture it, which told it to my left brain that tried to remember the steps, which passed it back to my right brain to try to hold on to the picture of it. . . I jumped out of the shower, ran down to the laptop, and despite that old game of “telephone” (anyone remember how that used to turn out?) I think I got it!

Presenting. . . the latest original Baking In A Tornado recipe!

Kale-stuffed, Sardine and Olive Brownies with a Champagne Reduction

Kale-stuffed, Sardine and Olive Brownies with a Champagne Reduction
                                    © www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:
Brownie recipe of your choice 
1 (1 lb) bag of chopped Kale
2 cups powdered sugar
approx 4 TBSP Champagne
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 stick margarine
48 Sardines
96 Olives
1 bottle Champagne (reduced by the 4 TBSP used above)

Directions:
*Make brownies according to directions. Cool completely.
*Put Kale and powdered sugar into food processor and process. Add up to 4 TBSP Champagne, 1 TBSP at a time until the mixture is of spreading consistency.
*Gently spread over the brownies.
*Melt chocolate chips with margarine and carefully spread over the powdered sugar mixture.
*Cut the brownies and decorate each one with 2 sardines and 4 olives.
*Just before serving, pour the rest of the Champagne over the brownies.
*APRIL FOOLS. Did I get ya?

Twenty Reasons

I generally write to relieve stress, mostly so it doesn’t blow the top of my head off. Sometimes I write for me. Because I just need to get it out. Right now. Sometimes I write with you in mind, hoping that if I inform or amuse you, or show you a picture of something yummy, you might come back. Maybe even tell your friends?

Anyway, just so you know, this one’s for me.

Twenty reasons I should not run away from home today:

1. It’s wicked (I’m from Boston, I was bound to say it eventually) cold out.
2. I probably don’t want to be responsible for what happens in this house when the toilet paper runs out.
3. The mortgage isn’t paid off yet, do I really want the house destroyed at this point? Think I’m kidding? Read this:  Burnin' Down the House and you decide.
4. Who would I have to complain blog about?
5. The kids probably know how to GPS track me through my cell phone anyway.
6. Who will embarrass the boys with their singing?
7.  I’d probably have to put actual clothes on.
8. When one of the kids texts their dad (who doesn’t text), who will he call to text them back?
9.  How will the Prize Patrol find me?
10. How will the boys ever eat anything healthy without someone to whine at while doing it?

 Passover Cheesecake Squares

11. Wouldn’t that be like rewarding my kids? Do I really want to do that?
12. Can I live with the responsibility of people being out of a job when a local Grocery Store loses out on my weekly attempts to keep my kids fed?  On the plus side, the fast food franchises will see a big increase in sales.
13. I’ll be disappointing all those poor uneaten bananas that hoped to be turned into Cinnamon Banana Bread.
14. Who will answer the door at midnight when my older son comes home without his key . . . again . . . as usual?
15. Who’s going to go around shutting off the water running endless into the sinks and the lights left on in every room?
16. What will the poor mailman do when no one ever takes the mail out of the box again. . . ever?
17. I’m still responsible for what the boys do until they’re 19. On the plus side, you can’t hold me responsible if you can’t find me, right?
18. Who would torture me?
19. My younger son probably won’t let me borrow my car if he knows I won’t be bringing it back.
and lastly:
20. The liquor cabinet’s full and I can’t take the whole thing with me. Looks like I’ll have to stick around a while and work on that.

So I managed to come up with 20 reasons why I shouldn’t run away from home today. And honestly, it took me the whole day so it’s too late anyway. But tomorrow, tomorrow’s another day.

Passover Cheesecake Squares
                                  ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter, softened
1 cup sugar (1/2 sugar, 1/2 brown sugar, if you have Passover brown sugar)
2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla
1 cup matzo cake meal

1 1/2 tsp instant coffee powder (grind if it isn't fine)

cheesecake filling ingredients (not the cookies, just the filling) from this recipe: Cheesecake recipe

Directions:

*Grease a glass 8 X 11 pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

*Cream the butter and sugar(s). Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in matzo cake meal and coffee powder.
*Press into the bottom and partially up the sides of the glass pan. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool. 
*Make the cheesecake filling according to the recipe here: Cheesecake recipe
*Pour filling evenly over crust. Bake for approximately 40 minutes. 
*Cool completely before cutting into squares.
*Store in the refrigerator.