Basket Blues: Use Your Words

 

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: sympathetic ~ clergy ~ hot air balloon ~ air fryer
They were submitted by Rena of The Diary of an Alzheimer's Caregiver.

                           

Confession time: when I first saw my word prompts included clergy, and since we're so close to St. Valentine's Day, I thought I'd take my post in that direction. Turns out that was a mistake. That's what happens when the Jewish girl gets the clergy prompts.

 

Googling to be sure I had my facts straight, I ended up more confused than when I started. Seems there were a plethora of St. Valentines, and even one pope. I started to rethink where I'd take this post when I read that although the St. Valentine we all think of, the patron saint of epilepsy and beekeepers (isn't that an esoteric pairing) is still recognized as a saint, but is no longer on the General Catholic Calendar of Saints.

 

But I put the brakes on hard when I went on to read that the skull of St. Valentine is adorned with flowers and on display in Rome (with other parts of his skeleton in churches in other countries). Time to pick a new direction. 

 

Maybe I could see if I can use all my words in one sentence. Or one story. Or one story using all of my words in each sentence.

 

Or maybe I need a nice long rest in a peaceful monochromatic rubber room.

But until then . . .

 

If ever there was a time to be sympathetic, it's when one of the local clergy tossed his cookies air fryer hot wings, in the basket of the hot air balloon. 

But being sympathetic was not on the hot air balloon owner's agenda, even if it was a member of the clergy, and it was he who had actually offered his guests pre-flight appetizers, including the air fryer hot wings.

The (decidedly unsympathetic) hot air ballooner committed then and there that since he couldn't (and wouldn't) ban the clergy from rides (since it's his business), he'd skip the air fryer hors d'oeurves, offering only (oven baked) snacks from now on.

 

Strawberry Creme Blondies

Fellow hot air ballooners, having had similar issues with clients before (although admittedly involving neither clergy nor air fryers), laughed quite unsympathetically at their friend's afternoon basket clean up {{ewww}}.

But while cleaning out the hot air balloon basket, the owner, feeling badly about his unsympathetic attitude, decided that he would later drop by the church with a gift for the clergy: his (barely used but no longer wanted) air fryer.

And maybe a free pass to the local hot air balloon festival, where the clergy (along the rest of the attendees) could watch from the ground, eating air fryer hot wings to their hearts' content, while the owners (their sympathetic tendencies, or lack thereof, now immaterial) float happily above.

 

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

On the Border

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver 

Climaxed

Part-time Working Hockey Mom

 

Strawberry Creme Blondies

                                               ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 1/4 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup plus 2 TBSP strawberry jam, divided

3/4 tsp vanilla

3 eggs

1 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

24 Hershey's strawberry creme hearts

Directions:

*Grease a 9 X 13 baking dish. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

*Melt the butter in the microwave. Whisk in the brown sugar, 1/3 cup of the strawberry jam, and the vanilla. One at a time, whisk in the eggs.

*Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt into the bowl. Make sure it's all well incorporated.

*Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish.
*Whisk the remaining 2 TBSP strawberry jam to loosen it up a bit. Drizzle over the batter. Drag a toothpick gently through the jam to spread over the top of the batter.

*Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are brown and the center is set.

*Cool on the counter for 30 minutes. While the blondies are cooling, unwrap the candies. After 30 minutes, place the candies onto the brownies in 6 rows of 4. Place the blondies into the fridge and cool completely before removing to slice. Store, covered, at room temperature.

Dibs, Coats, and Kites: Poetry Monday

 

 

 

Poetry Monday's once a week.

I bet you know which day.

I don't participate every time,

But today I've come out to play.

My friends assign each week a theme,

Kites is what they chose.

Now it's up to all of us,

to put our thoughts into prose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

Dibs, Coats, and Kites

 

They'd grown up by each other's side,

best friends their families are.

Through all life's ups and downs, they were

from each other, never far.

 

Since they'd always been together,

they could read each other's thoughts.

They would speak in acronyms,

a private language for public spots.

 

Like if they're at a party and

one's drinking a bit too much, 

the other calls DIBS suggesting they,

Dial It Back, Sweety (just a touch).

On poker nights with family,

competition goes over the top.

COATS doesn't mean it's time to leave,

but Cash Out And Tactfully Stop.

 

Falling in love had never been,

in any way unexpected.

Felt like right at birth they were,

for each other pre-selected.

So when his birthday came around,

the first year they were wed.

She wanted her gift to matter,

so this is what she said:

"I'll make a favorite dinner and,

we'll have a champagne toast.

"But I want to give a special gift,

to the man I love the most."

 

Creamy Portobello Rigatoni

 

 

"I'll tell you what I want," he said,

"there's just one thing, you see."

"A kite," he smiled at her impishly,

"is all I want, from you to me."

 

She thought the request unusual, 

though in general not a reach.

So many people flew them,

their condo being on the beach.

But to her it didn't feel quite right,

was there something she didn't get?

His impish smile was haunting her,

she'd not kite shop, not quite yet.

Next day, off to grocery shop,

on their way down to the car,

He leaned in, then she got it,

his gift request, not at all bizarre.

A kite! Of course! He was telling her,

what, in his life, supersedes. 

A Kiss In The Elevator means

her love is all he needs!

 

 

 

Wait!

Read more poetry, 

you're not through.

Some talented writers

are in this crew:

 

On the Border

Messymimi's Meanderings 

Mother Owl 

 

Creamy Portobello Rigatoni        

                                                       ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

1 TBSP olive oil

1/2 red pepper, seeded and sliced

2 cloves minced garlic

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

8 oz Portobello mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 1/2 cups half and half

1/2 cup marscapone

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

16 oz rigatoni

fresh parsley

 

Directions:

*In a large saute pan, heat the olive oil on medium heat. Add the red pepper, garlic, onion, and tomatoes. Cook and stir until the vegetables just start to soften, about 5 minutes.

*While the vegetables are softening, boil water in a large pot and cook the rigatoni to al dente. Drain. Move to a large bowl.

*To the saute pan, add the portobellos. Cook and gently stir for 2 minutes. Add the half and half, mascarpone, salt, and pepper.

*Bring to a boil, gently stirring in the mascarpone. Boil for 1 minute, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

*Add the sauce to the rigatoni and gently stir together. Top with the parsley.

 

Done That: Secret Subject Swap

 

 

Welcome to a Secret Subject Swap. This month 5 brave bloggers picked a secret subject for someone else and were assigned a secret subject to interpret in their own style. Today we are all simultaneously divulging our topics and submitting our posts. Read through mine and at the bottom you’ll find links to all of today’s other Secret Subject participants.

My subject is: You see someone walking ahead of you on a small path in a local park. Suddenly they stop, turn around, run straight to you and say "I know what you did."
It was submitted by: Jenniy of Climaxed.
 

 

 

Well, the first thing that comes to mind as you're running straight towards me is that maybe I need to rethink that whole buying a taser thing. But what also comes to mind is a question, "which thing that I did are we talking about?"

Because, like most people, I've done a thing or two. And as far as which thing exactly it is that you know, the options are endless.

OK, maybe not endless, but "copious" might be a good word.

Like, are you talking about: 

 

~ The time I got my mother's new car stolen? If so, who cares that you know? The empty garage was a dead give-away, and the whole story already came out anyway. In court.

~ The time the fire truck came screeching up to our house thinking I'd been hit by lightening? I hadn't been, I just jumped into a cigarette when the lightening hit our house (the second time, not the first time)?

 

~ The time I, as an exhausted new mom, I was so busy arranging the groceries in the trunk of my car I didn't realize that the cart with my toddler in it had rolled away in the parking lot?

~ The time, while the feds were investigating me, I found our pot plant cut off at the stem and laying in the parking lot directly below my deck?

~ The time I forgot the cake in the oven and almost burned the house down? Come on, tell me you've never done that yourself . . .

Mixed Berry Chocolate Chip Cake

 

~ The time I went parasailing in Cancun and almost got dropped onto the roof of the hotel? Technically mom said no skydiving, and technically I wasn't sky diving . . .

 

~ The time I walked up to the high school with the spare key and moved PurDude's car to a different spot? Listen, that kid did take that car from me the minute he got his license (and then kept it for 8 years, btw), but it was legitimately mine. And, admit it, it was funny (well, in retrospect, it would have been a lot less funny if he'd have called the police instead of me).

 

~ The time I gave the finger to another parent in the pick-up line at the elementary school? He did deserve it. Truth.

 

~ The time I got into an argument with a state trooper?

  

~ The time I snuck into the men's room at the crowded bar? Have you seen the lines outside the lady's rooms?

~ The time I had my last joint stolen from me by the cops? Well, that first date was a last date.

 

Anyway . . .

 

. . . two things you need to know if you ever run towards me in a park: first, you better be wearing a mask, and second, when it comes to accusations, you need to be specific. 'Cause I've done a thing or two.

Here are links to all the sites now featuring Secret Subject Swap posts. Sit back, grab a cup, and check them all out. See you there:

The Diary of an Alzheimer’s Caregiver 

Climaxed 

Part-time Working Hockey Mom

A 'lil HooHaa

Mixed Berry Chocolate Chip Cake        

                                                                                      ©www.BakingInATornado.com

Printable Recipe

Ingredients:

6 oz mixed berry yogurt

5 TBSP blackberry jam, divided

1 box yellow cake mix

1/3 cup oil

1/2 cup mixed berry juice 

1/2 cup milk

4 eggs

1 1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, divided

1 tsp flour

1 container (16 oz) vanilla frosting

1 TBSP unsweetened baking cocoa

2 TBSP heavy cream, divided

 

Directions:
*Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour two 9-inch cake pans.

*Whisk together the yogurt and 2 TBSP of the blackberry jam. Beat this mixture with the yellow cake mix, oil, juice, milk, and eggs for 2 minutes. Toss 3/4 cup of the mini chocolate chips with the flour and mix into the batter.

*Pour into the prepared pans and bake for about 25 minutes, until the center springs back to the touch. Allow to sit in the pans for 10 minutes.

*Run a knife around the edge of the cake pans and remove the cakes. Place one layer onto a serving plate and the other onto a piece of parchment paper. Allow to cool completely.

*Once the cakes are cool, place about 1/3 of the frosting into a bowl, whisk in the baking cocoa and 1 TBSP heavy cream. Frost the top of the bottom layer of the cake. Top with the second layer.

*Whisk together the remaining frosting, the remaining 3 TBSP blackberry jam and the remaining 1 TBSP heavy cream. Frost the top and sides of the cake. Sprinkle with the remaining mini chocolate chips.