2012 Election

Don't worry this isn't yet another political post.  I'm not a fan of discussing and debating politics with people.  My friends are too diverse and so are my views so they don't fit into anyone's preconceived box and this doesn't bother me.  I have found that it does bother some people a whole lot.  So I refrain from entering a debate nobody is going to win.  I delete the hysterical emails I get trashing either party without reading them.  I record most anything I'm going to watch on TV so I skip the political ads too.  Facebook has proved to be a bit more problematic, but I just scroll on by ignoring whatever political views my friends decide to post.

I am, however, a HUGE fan of voting.  You are entitled to your opinion, as I am mine.  Let your voice be heard.  It's important.

Of course, I couldn't have been brought up in the family I was without some part of me conceding that it's very possible that it's all an illusion.  That our votes don't actually count and it has all been predetermined by the powerful, moneyed few who actually run our country.  That our elections, elected officials etc. are all kept in place to keep the masses happy and in line.  I don't know.  I don't think I'll ever know for sure.

So I vote.  And so should you.

~S

P.S.  Do you watch the election coverage?  Make a party of the evening?  We do.  What are you serving and drinking?  I have no idea what I'm doing because I have a cold and everything tastes weird.  But I know there will be something to nosh on while we sit on our sofa and watch the states go blue and red.

A Case of Wine

This afternoon I bought a case of wine and was reminded that I am my grandfather's granddaughter.  My appreciation for classical music is to his credit as well.  We lost him a year ago and I miss him all the time.  (The fact that I purchased the case at Bev Mo! during their 5 cent sale reminds me I am my grandmother's granddaughter.  She was very smart with their finances and it paid off in world travel and a life next to the shore.  She's been gone 15 years and I miss her every single day.)

In the last 4 weeks my husband and I have both lost fathers.  My biological dad, Joe, is not a man I knew much at all, but his biggest wish, I've learned, was that his 3 children would be close.  In his death, we 3 have drawn together and gotten to know each other a little more. It was precious time I got to spend with them and their spouses and I think we all look forward to more.

My father in law, Ron, was quite a man.  The minute you laid eyes on him you knew he was his own man and played by his own code of ethics and rules.  He loved his home among the woods, his children and his grandchildren.  Even from afar he won the hearts of my 3 kids and we will all miss him dearly.  Of the many things he gave my husband one was a love of country music, and I must admit that it has been passed along to me too.  Without Ron there would be no melodious twang on my kitchen radio.

We miss the ones who go before us, but in each of us a bit of them lives on.  It's that which becomes their legacy.

Striving to make them proud,
~S

YOU rise and YOU shine!

Because I so do NOT!

Name the movie my title is quoting....win a prize.  Ring the bell.  Push the button, Max!  That's from the movie too.  It is Bill's all time favorite movie.  At least in his top 3.  And it IS pretty funny stuff.  You should watch it if you haven't.  You'll have to read to the bottom to find the movie name.  I'm demanding like that sometimes.

Are you a morning person?  Do you burst forth from your bed all smiles and perkiness?  Do you get your best work done before 10am?  Yes? Really?  Are you sure?  Because I think you've been brainwashed into believing you're a lark.

Fact:   Statistically, only 10% of the population are truly early risers.  Which means most of us are getting bossed around by these chipper rays of sunshine.  And they have somehow convinced all of us that it is better to be up at the Crack Of Dawn. 

Most weekdays I pry myself out of bed at the unmentionable hour of 5am.  I am not proud of this fact.  I am doing a disservice to all night owls.  I know and I apologize. 

I do this for the sake of my two oldest children.  Because, despite being trained since diaperhood of the evils of their very own father's early rising tendencies, they have willingly chained themselves and thus ME, to the public school starting hour of 7:45am.  If  I want to be the kind of mother who makes breakfasts and lunches and drives people around without incident at 7:20am, I have to get up while it's dark out.  That's the cold, ugly truth.

But there are requirements  I need Primo Joe.  2 cups.  Really hot and totally bionic.  I need a muffin.  And slightly under 2 hours of indulgent TV.  

That would be:  Peet's Coffee brewed nice and strong, ready and willing at 5am.
                         2 episodes of Mad Men (I've finished up my 7 year stretch with Nancy Botwin)
                         A Morning Glory Muffin.
                         A blankie.

So if you are like me, and require daily bribing to leave the snugly comfort of your fabulously more-perfect-in-the-morning-than-any-other-time-of-day bed, these muffins might make things a little less horrible at 5am.

I found this recipe on the world wide web and then of course substituted all the stuff I had for all the stuff I didn't have....and for healthy muffins they came out AWESOME!  So I'm thinking it's a pretty forgiving recipe and you can change it up even more depending on what is lurking in your pantry.

You will need -
18 muffin (cupcake) liners 
cooking spray
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup regular oats (I subbed quick oats because I had some left from another recipe and we don't like the quick ones for breakfast)
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 Tbs. wheat bran (I subbed wheat germ because oddly I had some stashed in the garage fridge)
2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

1 cup plain fat-free yogurt (we had low-fat)
1 cup mashed ripe banana - about 2 bananas
1 large egg
1 cup chopped pitted dates (I subbed chopped prunes, we had them, don't ask)
3/4 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup dried pineapple (I actually bought these)
3 Tbs. ground flax seed - about 2 Tbs. whole (I totally skipped this, didn't have any and don't know where it lives at my grocery)

Preheat your oven to 350F

Place 18 muffin cup liners in muffin tins, coat liners with cooking spray.  Before baking if any of the muffin tins are left empty fill them 1/3 to 1/2 full of water so your muffins don't dry out.

Combine flours through salt in a large bowl and stir with a whisk.  Make a well in the center of the mixture.

In a separate bowl, combine the yogurt, banana and egg.  Add to the flour, stirring just until moist.  Fold in the dates, walnuts and pineapple (or your subs).  Spoon the batter into the lined muffin tins.  If you randomly had flax seed, sprinkle that on top of the muffins.  

Bake for 20 min.  Muffins are done when they spring back when lightly touched in the center.  Remove muffins immediately and cool on a wire rack.

Set your coffee maker for 4:45am.  Set your alarm for 5am.  Drag yourself out of bed, grab your blankie and shuffle to the kitchen.  Get your coffee and muffin, settle in on your sofa and watch, bleary eyed, 2 episodes of Men Behaving Badly Mad Men.

Then get on Netflix and request The Great Race so you can enjoy the antics of  Jack Lemmon, Natalie Wood and Tony Curtis being directed by Blake Edwards.

xoxo

~S