Wintertime is here

To be sung to the tune of "Christmas Time is Here" by Vince Guaraldi

Wintertime is here

So cold it hurts my rear

Numbs my nose

And my frozen toes

Sends chilblains through the year

Wintertime is here

Car is full of gear

Ice scraper

And kitty litter

To battle ice and snow

Wind is in the air

Spinning tires everywhere

Hot chocolate by

The fireside

Makes frozen shivers disappearrrrrrr

Wintertime is here

Cannot feel my ears

Frozen snot

But a roast in the pot

Eases chilblains through the year



I "wrote" this while driving cupcake to school.  She said "you think you're pretty funny, don't you?"  Yes I do darlin, yes I do.

Needed - a cook

I seriously hate the chore of planning and cooking dinner.

I used to be more June-Cleaver-inclined, and I could be again if I didn't have to work full time.  After an 8 hour day, I want Ward to meet ME at the door with a cocktail.  Then scuttle back to the kitchen where good smelling things are happening while I go to my den and read the newspaper.  Then Ward can call me at 6pm to belly-up to the roast beef and mashed potatoes.  Heck, I'd even wash the dishes!  Cuz I'm all about equality that way.

But instead I'm married to a great guy who is absolutely NOT Emeril.  He can heat frozen pizza  - period.

There's still a 14-year-old at home and she can occasionally boil up some pasta, but that gets old. 

Seriously I'd do anything if you one of you want to take over the cooking.  I'll even take in your laundry!  Time to quit blogging and hit the grocery store.  Guess it's broiler chicken again tonight.  "Hey Family, get in here and eat your fill of antibiotic and hormone-filled crap!"

Up the Snow

It's fucking snowing.

Usually the first snow of late Fall in Minnesota has me all excited for the holidays . . .  hot tea, warm pjs, winter walks and everything that comes with it.  But we had FUCKING SNOW until FUCKING MAY this year, and 4 months of no-snow is not an adequate break  Might have 3" to 5" by morning.  Fucking snow. Fuck off.

Who the heck are you?

You may not remember me, but I used to blog here.  So I opened the windows, let in the fresh air, and decided to start writing again.

Miscellania of late:

1. Still employed at Small Rural Hospital in Blue Collartown, MN.  Not my dream job, but one I rather enjoy on most days.  Thinking about an MSW - anyone want to take bets on whether or not I'll actually do it?

2. Just celebrated 23 years of solid marriage.  Yep, I chose well.

3. I've lost 25lbs lately - I like to say I lost the DONK off my badonk-a-donk butt.

4. Haven't been much of a homemaker - working full time will do that.

How've you been my good friend???

Greed is vile

I'm re-reading Paul Wellstone's book "Conscience of a Liberal".  First I can see why the secret powers had him killed.  Yes, I said it.  I think his death was planned.  He just made too much sense and resonated with the average voter and created plenty of healthy bipartisan legislation.  They hated him.

What has become very clear to me with each passing year: leaders like Paul Wellstone, Dennis Kucinich, MLK Jr, etc. see the simple truth - when we all do better, we all do better.  A rising tide lifts all boats.  No wealth grows without labor.  What is also clear - the 1% and corporate powers want none of that.  For them, a rising tide threatens their shores.

I truly believe that the 1% - the Dick Cheneys, the Koch brothers, the entire military-industrial complex, fares much much better when there exits a groveling peasant class.  If they can keep the teeming masses poor, hungry, pregnant, desperate, stupid, and most of all AFRAID of each other, then their wealth and power is secure.  So they think.

They need us stupid and fearful - so they pump the airwaves full of nonsense, and sprinkle their propaganda heavily with word like "communist", to which they add a lethal dose of racism and misogyny.  Keep the average working poor family focused on gay marriage, women's rights, or some ethnic boogey-man as the enemy.  But keep the focus OFF the giant corporation poisoning their water, ruining their lungs, and pocketing everything but the most meager of crumbs.

So how do we get greed out of our system?  I think deep inside every single human heart we instinctively know we all live or die together.  Yet show one human a way to cheat his fellow man and make an extra kill, an extra buck, an extra car, and the whole notion goes up in flames.

Stewed

"On My Gods She's Writing on her Blog!".
Yep, still here.  Facebook seems to have become my mouthpiece of choice lately.  But I will not completely abandon my blog.  Not when I have something really GOOD to share.  Something warm and cozy to eat while watching Mittens Romney self-destruct on live TV.  The family loved it.

CROCK POT BEEF STEW
2-3 lbs stew meat (I had exactly 1.7lbs, work with what you have)
3 carrots, sliced (I used more because I love cooked carrots)
1lb pkg frozen green peas with onions (I had none so skipped this, and instead added some frozen chopped onion from my garden)
1lb pkg frozen green beans
16 oz can whole or stewed tomatoes (instead I used a bunch of homegrown fresh tomatoes - chopped in chunks, skin and all)
1/2 cup beef broth (all I had was those little tiny pkgs of concentrate, so I used 2/3 of one and some water - just plopped the blob right on top of everything)
1/2 cup white wine (again, I had none)
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 T pearl tapioca
1/2 cup bread crumbs
2 t salt (I put in pepper too)
1 bay leaf

Combine everything in the crock pot.  Cook on low 10-12 hours.
Warning!  Photo stolen from the internet below!

Another crock pot victory this week - I cooked a whole chicken!  Put the whole thing in there - salt and pepper it,  put in some onion, maybe a little garlic salt.   Then cook on low 10-12 hours, or on high for 5-6 hours.  Luscious meat just falls off the bones.  Hot Chicken Sandwiches tonight!

Pickled

For the first time in my life, I made pickles today.  And I'm bringing you on the journey.

First stop was the garden, where I found I had finally achieved tomato success.  Anyone local want some?  I will have another bowlful like the above by Tuesday.   I feel some oven-roasted sauce coming on.  The onions however had completely drowned in their little raised bed - all our recent rain made onion soup.  I salvaged what I could:

At this morning's farmer's market I bought some lovely carrots, sweet peppers, hot peppers and beets.  I boiled the beets and removed their skin, and blanched the carrots.  Also used whole garlic cloves and the only 2 little jalapenos I grew.

I also received a pile of free cucs from a friend.  They were big, and not exactly pickling cucs, but we'll eat them anyway.

Look at this lovely pile that went into the compost.  If I was a true hippie I would have made stock from the leavings, but truth be told I'm a horrible hippie.  I like air conditioning and football.

Next I created my own pickling spice based on several internet recipes.  I used mustard seed, ground ginger, black pepper, whole cloves, broken cinnamon sticks, crushed bay leaves, turmeric, dill seed, whole allspice, etc.  The brine and method I copied from a youtube video.

And there you have it!  Now I'll put them in the frig for a few weeks and let you know the verdict.  Taking photos of my cooking adventures and blogging about them has added a shit-ton of fun to my kitchen.  Thanks for watching!