Size Really Does Matter - Monday Morning Mississippi Mud Brownies

Friday - I finished crocheting the hat and I am perplexed.  Even though I went down a bit on the size of the crochet hook, it is still, in my opinion, too big as well as too long.  So I frogged back one full row, and if and when I ever get up from this corner of the couch, I'll try it on and check in the mirror.  But I don't hold out much hope, and I see myself frogging back even more, and fiddling with the increases.

I find this frustrating.  The hat is pretty, and I like the yarn I picked, but it is simply not working out as a hat for a chemo patient.  If anything, it should be a little snug to make up for the lack of hair.  Now the pattern called for a 4.5 mm hook - that's a G hook.  I tend to crochet (and knit) a little loosely, so I almost always go down a size of hook or needle.  When I started to crochet the hat, I chose a 4.25 mm hook - that's a G hook.  Yes, I know.  But maybe I need to go down one more size, to a 4.0 mm hook.  That's a G hook.

Yeah, I know.  It's totally annoying.  Not only the whole size thing, but I know from experience that a 4.0 mm hook can result in a tight stitch, which is not usually desirable.  I see myself frogging the whole darn hat.  I see myself doing that tomorrow.

I also see myself making spaetzle tomorrow, to soak up flavors from the pork stew I made earlier in the week, and the sausage, peppers, and broccoli I threw into the crockpot earlier today. That's not a recipe, that's a clean-up-the-fridge sort of deal which relies on a jar of bottled marinara sauce to pull the ingredients - frozen Italian sausage, sweet baby peppers, onion, and frozen broccoli - together.  A can of diced tomatoes, Italian seasoning, granulated garlic, salt, pepper, and a touch of sugar.  Four hours on High.  Oops. I guess that's a recipe.  Enjoy.

Saturday - I know I told you about my new toy, a Cuisinart griddler (like a George Foreman - very cool).  Yesterday I finally unboxed it and tried it out.  What I had in mind was to try heating up a couple of  frozen Perdue chicken patties that have been in my freezer, unopened, long enough to be approaching their "use by" date.  The results were very positive; the patties were cooked through evenly and had a nice crust.   Tasty snacking with some honey-mustard sauce.

This morning I attempted a grilled cheese with bacon. Very simple - two slices of white sandwich bread, two slices of extra-sharp cheddar, a slice of cooked bacon broken up so as to fit on the sandwich.  I think I need to learn a little more about my cool new machine before I offer to whip up a half dozen grilled cheese for friends or family.

Please stop laughing.  Please.

One of the symptoms of fibromyalgia/CPS is a sudden change in vision.  I did not know that, and was totally unprepared for my inability to see at a distance, which developed over the past month.  It was scary; I could not see signs nor the faces of people walking towards me.  I have had the same eye prescription since I was a teenager, 20/500 in one eye and 20/550 in the other.  I always considered myself blind as a bat, and adapted to that reality a very long time ago.  Third grade, to be precise.  That's when the blackboard turned fuzzy and stayed fuzzy.

I made an appointment at Target Optical, where I have been getting my glasses for years.  Once I got there, I politely declined having my pupils dilated, and the exam went pretty quickly.  The good news is that I do not have cataracts.  The bad news, not unexpected, is that my vision has deteriorated, a lot.    Those new glasses cannot come fast enough.  20/700, for crying out loud.

Cooking plans for today went out the window, but for a good reason - we decided to go out for Thai food tonight, at Chai Thai in Hunter's Creek.  Oh my.  The food there is always fantastic and tonight was no different.  Robert ordered the roast duck with panang sauce; Cory had yum woosun, which had extra thin noodles and ground pork and other stuff; and I ordered the duck noodle soup.  The bowl was the size of a large mixing bowl and every element was both simple yet incredibly delicious. The hoisin chicken legs can wait till later in the week, and the spaetzle, well maybe tomorrow.

What could not wait were the brownies I wanted to bring in for my office peeps.  Since the recipe starts with a brownie mix and is ridiculously easy, I went ahead and finished them off.  They are pretty, with a marbled frosting of marshmallow fluff and chocolate frosting, and hopefully tasty.

Monday Morning Mississippi Mud Brownies

1 pkg, brownie mix
1/2 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
2 extra-large eggs
1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/4 cup white (vanilla) chips
7-8 oz. marshmallow creme
1-1 lb. container creamy chocolate frosting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Spray the bottom of a 9 by 13 inch baking pan with nonstick spray. In a medium mixing bowl combine the brownie mix, oil, water, and eggs.  Mix with a wooden spoon until just blended.  Stir in the chocolate chips and the vanilla chips.  Spread the batter into the baking pan.  Bake for 28 to 30 minutes.

Remove the brownies to a cooling rack.  Scoop the marshmallow creme onto the hot brownies, and as the creme softens, spread it across the entire top of the brownies.  Remove the cover and seal from the container of frosting.  Set in the microwave and cook for 30 seconds.  Stir it, then pour over the marshmallow.  With a butter knife, swirl the frosting and marshmallow to create a marbled look.  Cool completely before cutting.  I like to put frosted baked goods in the refrigerator, especially those I have to cut.  Pretty, right?

"I have been, and always shall be, your fan" - Dill Pickle Soup

Today is Saturday, and based on the weather, it is what my grandmother-who-raised-me used to call a "mizzo" day.  It's one constant rain drizzle out there, and the skies are a sullen gray.  The electrician came to check out a few problems and gave us bad news. I keep repeating to myself, the house is almost 90 years old.  The plumbing, the electrical, the roof - it's always bad news.  Comes with the territory.

Anyway, that makes it a perfect day to (finally) prepare the Dill Pickle Soup.  No, really.  I know I've been promising for almost three weeks, but this time I mean it.  This is my recipe, inspired by the recipe created by Cathy Pollak for NoblePig.com.  Incidentally, I have no control over the rather weird text formatting.  Sorry about that.

1 stick butter, divided

1 bunch green onions, sliced thin, white and light green parts only (about 3/4 cup)

2 stalks celery, chopped (about 1/2 cup)

3 carrots, chopped (about 1 1/2 cups)

1 small clove garlic, minced

kosher salt, white pepper

2 large Russet potatoes, peeled and cubed (about 1 3/4 pounds)

1 - 49 1/2 oz. can Swanson Natural Chicken Broth

3 large dill pickles, chopped (about 1 generous cup) - purchase a large jar of dill pickles, as you will also be using most of the pickle juice; I use Batampte, found in the refrigerator section.  Also, I like the pickles chopped fine, but you may like them not-so-fine.

1 cup sour cream

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup water

2 cups dill pickle juice

1 1/2 teaspoons Old Bay seasoning

1/2 teaspoon white pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a large pot, melt half of the stick of butter over medium high heat.  Add the green onions, celery, carrots, and garlic clove.  Season with a small amount of salt and white pepper to taste. Lower the heat to medium and sauté the vegetables for 10 to 15 minutes, until the onions are softened.

Add the potatoes, the remaining butter, and the chicken broth.  Bring to a boil and cook until the potatoes are tender, about 20 minutes.  Do not overcook the potatoes.  Add the pickles and continue to boil for 10 more minutes.  Reduce the heat to medium.

Combine the sour cream, flour, and water, and then add 1 cup of the boiling soup liquid, and whisk together until smooth.  Gradually add this to the soup, whisking well after each addition.  Stir in the pickle juice, the Old Bay, white pepper and cayenne, then cook for another 5 minutes.  The pickle juice is pretty salty on it's own, so don't add any more salt until you taste the finished soup.  I like salty foods, and did not need to add any more at the end.

This soup is crazy good!  You've got to try it!

So let me segue back to yesterday's unfinished post.  Part of it was a list of dishes I have been thinking about making this weekend.  As I sit here, the dill pickle soup is done.  I have no chicken wings in the house, nor do I feel the need to sally forth in the rain to purchase them.  Not sure if the potato salad was a good idea, so I'm crossing it off the list.  I do want to make the brownies, but not until my back recovers from standing for over an hour while preparing the soup.  

And then there was the sentence which ended rather abruptly - "In some ways, it is a true shame that the public is essentially unaware of" - and which should have ended - "the quality and quantity of work done by the attorneys for the Department."  Confidentiality and ethics most often preclude me from going into too many details about my work, or what goes on in my courtroom, which is unfortunate.  Juvenile dependency court proceedings are sui generis.  I have practiced in a number of other areas, but I always come back to dependency.

And that's all I can say about that.

Finally, I just want to return to the passing of Leonard Nimoy yesterday.  This link will take you to the article in the Hollywood Reporter, which includes a long list of tweets and quotes from many celebrities, mourning his death.  If you are a Trek fan, you should recognize all of the references (Genesis planet, anyone?), and probably already had them come to mind.  The one I did not think of, which is the title of this post, came from Nathan Fillion, and I found that it was perfect.  Like Nathan, but that's another blog post.

A Month, A Birthday, A Life

For such a short month, February is big on birthdays, and today is no exception.  Happy birthday to my cousin Gary - well actually, my cousin Sheryl's husband Gary - well, more precisely, my husband's cousin Sheryl's husband Gary - well, you get it.  We're family, and it's his birthday.  Happy Birthday, Grandpa!  I mean, Gary!  Boy, does time fly or what?

This has been a bizarre morning, full of aches and chills. Yes, chills. In Florida.  And just now, having committed myself to standing upright to get dressed for work, I feel light-headed, almost woozy.  Back hurts (what else is new?), as does my stomach.  Ahh, crap.  Throw me out and start over.

Ah ha, I made it into the office and thereafter to court for an emergency hearing.  I hobble triumphant!  I'm still waiting to be heard - another rather passionate hearing has preceded mine - but in the meantime, I am enjoying the hearing. Fabulous advocacy. And that's all I can say about that.

In some ways, it is a true shame that the public is essentially unaware of

Dill pickle soup
Mississippi mud brownies
Hoisin chicken wings
Potato salad

I made garlic bread last night - and have eaten it for breakfast - and cooked off the bacon from the open package, so the boys can snack happy.  Then there's my newest  toy, and I can use some of that bacon in a grilled panini with cheese and tomato. Ooh la la!

I was in the middle of drafting this post when I saw the news that Leonard Nimoy had passed away.  For one moment I thought I might lose my composure right there in court. I was just 13 when I first saw Star Trek in 1966, and I was immediately smitten with the stories and the characters.  The Star Trek universe was, and remains, very real to me.  After all, no one questions that Gene Roddenberry was a visionary.  With all that, my favorite character was Nimoy's Spock, half-human, half Vulcan, never really fitting in anywhere.  I suppose I could go on and on about Leonard Nimoy, but all of the news agencies have already done so, and there have been the heartfelt postings from former cast members.  What I do want to say is that Leonard Nimoy was a mensch, and that the world - no, the universe - will be a poorer place with his passing.

I apologize for the unfinished post, but I'll pick up on it tomorrow.

The Day of the Doctor

Thursday - It's the Day of the Doctor.

No, not that Doctor.  For you non-Whovians, the gentleman with the hat is actor Sylvester McCoy, the Seventh Doctor.  Cory accidentally got the opportunity to take the photo a couple of weeks ago at the Coliseum of Comics.

I've actually got two appointments today, one with my PCP for blood test results, and one with a gastroenterologist to schedule an endoscopy and colonoscopy.  Ick.  Just knock me out and do what you've got to do.  Ick.  The colonoscopy is routine, although I've managed to avoid having one done for at least 12 years.  I hope I don't regret my lapse.  The endoscopy is to try to find out why I lost so much weight so fast this past year, which is tied to why I cannot swallow most food.

The news is depressing.  The government controls the Internet.  I don't know if that's good or bad.  Loretta Lynch is on her way to becoming Attorney General.  I don't think that's good.  The Clintons are in trouble again over donations made to the Clinton Foundation by foreign governments.  That one hurts, because I would like to see Hillary win the 2016 election.  More than 200 Christians have been kidnapped by ISIS.  Christian children are being tortured, murdered.  Why are we allowing history to repeat itself?  Where is our leadership?

I think that's all I can deal with tonight.  The endoscopy is set for the end of March; the colonoscopy will be set sometime after that.

Mark this day - Happy birthday to you!

Wednesday - Oh hell, back feels broken.  Let's work on sitting up straight, shall we?  The Yorkies are all downstairs napping (it's hard work waking up, walking down the steps, eating, and peeing) so Anakin is up here with me, enjoying some Mommy and Me time.  I love my doggies, and I know they love me, but nothing beats the love from a purring kitty.  Yes, I am a cat person.

I have another full day ahead of me, so while I am moving slowly, I will make it in to the office.  No court for the rest of this week, which right now is a tremendous relief.  Catching up with paperwork while trying to adapt to the very stringent requirements from a new judge has been stressful, and stress is bad - for everyone, but particularly for folks with chronic pain disorders.  I'm going to grit my dentures and carry on.

I took another look at the recipe for dill pickle soup, and I am still determined to make it, but it needs a little tweaking.  Just a tiny bit.  We'll see if I can manage a trip to Publix later.

Ah ha!  One step closer to making that dill pickle soup.  I stopped into Publix on the way home and snagged a couple of potatoes and a bunch of green onions.  That bit of shopping plus my work during a shortened day knocked me out.  But I did manage to work for most of the day, so I consider it a victory.  Now that I have all the ingredients, including some kick ass pickles, it's just a matter of time.  Let's hope I gather enough energy to cook the soup before the potatoes sprout and become inedible.

Speaking of time passing, I want to wish my very dear friend Mark a very happy birthday.  Hopefully he is celebrating his 62nd with more decorum than his 18th. Heheh. Yes, I know him that long.  We started college together at New Paltz in 1970 and have been friends ever since.  I have trouble believing that much time has passed, but Mark has two grown children, two grandchildren (twins), and another on the way, so I have to believe it.

Happy, happy birthday, old friend, and may you have many more happy and healthy years to celebrate with family and friends.