That's an old joke from grade school. It was funny back then.
It has turned chilly this week here in the Midwest and when the weather turns chilly, Midwest cooks turn to chili. So that's what I made for lunch. That and a mess.
I dumped a can of chili beans into the soup pot, then somehow dropped the can onto the floor. Or maybe it jumped. Bean juice splattered up my leg as it fell, the can shot half way across the kitchen floor, spewing more juice as it went, and then it rolled into the next room.
I just stood there staring.
You know, I wasn't sure if I wanted to eat beans that had that much gas before they were eaten.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Sunday, October 21, 2012
Persimmon Pudding 2012
I made my annual pan of Persimmon Pudding today. It wasn't my best effort, but it was still good. I lost count of how much ingredients I was putting in the bowl when I was making the batter so had to guess when I was finished. Thankfully, Persimmon Pudding is one of the most forgiving desserts there is.
I have lots of recipes for Persimmon Pudding. Some use wild persimmons and some cultivated Hachiya. Most call for 2 cups of persimmon pulp, but some call for 2 cups of milk and others just 1 cup. The amount of flour ranges from 1 to 2 1/2 cups. Ditto for sugar. All use baking soda, but some also add an equal amount of baking powder. Some use 2 eggs and some 3 and some add the beaten egg whites separately. Some recipes say to bake at 400 degrees while others say 350. The baking time for the same size pan ranges from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
They all come out tasting like Persimmon Pudding.
There's a moral to this story, but it's so obvious I'm going to let you figure it out yourselves.
I have lots of recipes for Persimmon Pudding. Some use wild persimmons and some cultivated Hachiya. Most call for 2 cups of persimmon pulp, but some call for 2 cups of milk and others just 1 cup. The amount of flour ranges from 1 to 2 1/2 cups. Ditto for sugar. All use baking soda, but some also add an equal amount of baking powder. Some use 2 eggs and some 3 and some add the beaten egg whites separately. Some recipes say to bake at 400 degrees while others say 350. The baking time for the same size pan ranges from 45 minutes to 1 1/2 hours.
They all come out tasting like Persimmon Pudding.
There's a moral to this story, but it's so obvious I'm going to let you figure it out yourselves.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
I'm Not Afraid
It was windy yesterday, and it stormed.
The kind of storm with rolling thunder that tramples the clouds and marches through heaven like an army to the sea. The kind of thunder that makes me want to cower under something solid with my hands over my ears, but I know there's no need to fear the thunder.
When it storms, the wind outside my bedroom window doesn't whoosh or swish or even gust, it moans and groans and whines like a haunted cemetery side effect. It's a little unsettling when it does it in the dark of night, but I know it's just the wind so I'm not afraid.
When it rains the water rolls off the roof by my bedroom window. It doesn't patter or drip, it bumps and rattles and gnaws like a hungry rodent searching for a way into the room through the walls that are supposed to protect me. Waking up to that sound makes me pull the covers over my head, but I know it's only rain so I'm not afraid.
I know it's just the thunder, and the wind, and the rain so I'm not afraid.
Really, I'm not.
The kind of storm with rolling thunder that tramples the clouds and marches through heaven like an army to the sea. The kind of thunder that makes me want to cower under something solid with my hands over my ears, but I know there's no need to fear the thunder.
When it storms, the wind outside my bedroom window doesn't whoosh or swish or even gust, it moans and groans and whines like a haunted cemetery side effect. It's a little unsettling when it does it in the dark of night, but I know it's just the wind so I'm not afraid.
When it rains the water rolls off the roof by my bedroom window. It doesn't patter or drip, it bumps and rattles and gnaws like a hungry rodent searching for a way into the room through the walls that are supposed to protect me. Waking up to that sound makes me pull the covers over my head, but I know it's only rain so I'm not afraid.
I know it's just the thunder, and the wind, and the rain so I'm not afraid.
Really, I'm not.
Monday, October 15, 2012
Giving Back
#Giving Tuesday is November 27, 2012. Mark it on your calendar!
The premise behind #Giving Tuesday is simple - In November, we (in the USA) have one day for giving thanks and two for getting deals (Black Friday and Cyber Monday.) Let's set aside one day for giving back. Donate money and/or time to your favorite charity, help a neighbor, donate gently used household items and clothing, volunteer at a local organization. Do it as an individual, a family, a neighborhood, or a team building project at work.
I first heard about this movement from Charity Navigator, an organization that evaluates and rates charities. Charity Navigator has suggestions for giving back that don't include money or even much time as well as information on giving wisely and ratings for charity organizations.
The premise behind #Giving Tuesday is simple - In November, we (in the USA) have one day for giving thanks and two for getting deals (Black Friday and Cyber Monday.) Let's set aside one day for giving back. Donate money and/or time to your favorite charity, help a neighbor, donate gently used household items and clothing, volunteer at a local organization. Do it as an individual, a family, a neighborhood, or a team building project at work.
I first heard about this movement from Charity Navigator, an organization that evaluates and rates charities. Charity Navigator has suggestions for giving back that don't include money or even much time as well as information on giving wisely and ratings for charity organizations.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
The way things are
I thought I'd have more time to post once I retired, but you probably noticed I haven't. I do have more time but I waste most of it because there's always more waiting for me around the corner so there's no need to worry about using it up.
I see things on the Internet that I'd like to discuss but then I get distracted by articles on such important things as the 10 stupidest criminals and that leads me to the 10 smartest dogs video and then to an article on the state of toilet facilities in other countries which leads to the depressed economy in some country with 247 inhabitants, 239 cell phones, 198 televisions, 12 toilets and 5 jobs. There's so much input that my mind can't remember anything at all, much less any one thing.
I'm a little groggy this morning. I went to bed early so I could get up at a decent time, but I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep for what felt like hours then just as I was finally drifting off I think my neighbor upstairs fell out of bed. Or maybe his dog jumped out of bed. Whatever. It woke me up so I got up. Now I'm ready for a nap. And I haven't even had my breakfast yet.
I see things on the Internet that I'd like to discuss but then I get distracted by articles on such important things as the 10 stupidest criminals and that leads me to the 10 smartest dogs video and then to an article on the state of toilet facilities in other countries which leads to the depressed economy in some country with 247 inhabitants, 239 cell phones, 198 televisions, 12 toilets and 5 jobs. There's so much input that my mind can't remember anything at all, much less any one thing.
I'm a little groggy this morning. I went to bed early so I could get up at a decent time, but I woke up at 4:30 and couldn't get back to sleep for what felt like hours then just as I was finally drifting off I think my neighbor upstairs fell out of bed. Or maybe his dog jumped out of bed. Whatever. It woke me up so I got up. Now I'm ready for a nap. And I haven't even had my breakfast yet.
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