Short, Sweet, and Savory Sausage Bread Pudding

Saturday - Yesterday I was resolved to bake multiple batches of cookies. Thursday evening I went to my tai chi class and was feeling pretty good.  I even had a positive mental attitude! So come Friday, bake I did.  Stand on my feet for 6 hours I did. Knocked out 4 different recipes I did. Knocked myself out in the process, but it was worth it. Mandarin Orange Cookies, Pine Nut Cookies, Peanut Butter Rebels (Wookie Cookies), and Paradise Cookies. Recipes, you say? Why yes, I got 'em, but I've got to gather the energy to type them up. You may have noticed I've missed posting to the blog here and there, and that's just part of the fibromyalgia, which I find pretty damn depressing. I look forward to my daily posts, and being limited in even that is infuriating.

I seem to be shopping for food every day, and I am finding that tiring and painful.  I am determined to prepare a "proper" Thanksgiving dinner for my family, "proper" requiring hours and hours of cooking and baking. In some ways, Thanksgiving is what I live for. My favorite cooking holiday of all, even though the big family gatherings are a thing of the past.  I used to cook for 20; now it is just five. People move away, people pass away, and couples divorce, fracturing the family dynamic. Still, I want every Thanksgiving dinner to be special, and this year involves both turkey and spiral-cut ham.  Stay tuned.

In the middle of all my planning, I had a brainstorm and proceeded to put together a recipe for a breakfast casserole that my husband insists on eating for dinner.  We used to call them "stratas" which tells you nothing, but I prefer to think of this as a savory bread pudding.  No matter what you call it, I think you will love it

Savory Sausage Bread Pudding

About 15 slices buttercrust bread, torn into smaller pieces (from a 20 oz. package)

1 pound roll of pork sausage (Jimmy Dean's, Tennessee Pride, Publix) - I used maple for this

1 large onion, chopped

canola oil

kosher salt

ground black pepper

sweet paprika

dried thyme

1 - 7 oz can chopped green chiles (fire roasted and peeled), drained

5 cups whole milk

8 eggs

Kosher salt

ground black pepper

1/4 teaspoon Crystal hot sauce

1/4 teaspoon maple syrup

1 pound shredded cheese (I used 8 oz. each of sharp cheddar and hot jalapeno & habanero jack cheeses)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Put the bread pieces on a baking sheet and into the preheated oven for several minutes until the bread dries out, without toasting them.  Set the bread aside.

In a large skillet, heat a very small amount of canola oil and add the sausage.  Break the sausage apart as it brown, and about halfway through, add the chopped onions. salt, pepper, paprika, and thyme.  Cook until the sausage is done and the onions are well-softened. Stir in the drained chiles. Set the skillet aside. In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs together. add the milk, salt, pepper, hot sauce and maple syrup and whisk until well-blended.

Grease or no-stick spray a large baking dish. Layer the ingredients in this order: one-third of the bread, then one-half of the sausage mixture, then one-third of the combined cheeses. Repeat one time, then add the last of the bread. Carefully pour the egg and milk mixture over the entire casserole, and finish with the remaining cheese and a sprinkle of paprika.  Bake for 60 - 75 minutes until the cheese is melted and the casserole is puffy. Check the internal temperature, which should read at least 125 degrees.

You can serve it immediately or at room temperature, plain, with more maple syrup, or some sour cream. So good. 

Fear and Loathing in Disney World - Queen's Cakes

When in danger, or in doubt

Run in circles, scream and shout

Thursday - Yesterday it occurred to me that all of this week's tragedies are designed to move us all one step closer to worldwide jihad.  This is not just about France; what the Islamic State wants is to provoke all the non-Islamic countries to the point of another World War. Why else issue specific threats against the U.S. while bringing down a Russian plane over the Sinai peninsula and publishing photos of beheaded prisoners from China and Norway? In simple terms, ISIS wants to piss off everybody. The Syrian refugee crisis is, to ISIS, just another means of causing great dissension among and within the western nations facing the terrible question of whether to bring the refugees within their borders. Either way, ISIS wins; the debate over humanitarian aid versus strict security enforcement is setting Americans at bitter odds with each other.  If the President gets his way, we run the risk of admitting an unknown number of ISIS terrorists. If the Governors of over 30 states get their way, the outrage among the pro-refugee Americans will cause yet another rip in the fabric of our culture.

Think of it - with all the great nations of the world in a confused uproar, without the leadership normally provided by the United States, ISIS is in the perfect position to attack. They already live among us, pretending to be westerners, recruiting our children, spreading their cancerous tentacles deeper into our country and our culture.

If we are to learn anything from history, it is that no war has ever been resolved by anything but brute force. That is a terrible thing to realize, but all the high-level discussions and negotiations never solved a damn thing in the geopolitical universe. Obviously ISIS knows that, and is rubbing its collective hand in glee at the thought of world jihad, or as I tend to think of it, Armageddon.

The latest ISIS threat is an attack on Times Square in New York City, but I have no reason to believe that they will not simultaneously attack other "soft" targets like Madison Square Garden, Grand Central Station, Kennedy Airport, the Statue of Liberty and even the Museum of Modern Art.  I also have no reason to believe that other cities are safe, and living as I do in one of the biggest tourist areas in the world, I share the fear that we will be targeted - Disney World, Universal Studios, Sea World, Orlando International Airport, Amway Center, Gatorland, Kennedy Space Center on the east coast, Busch Gardens on the west - think about it. Because I am dead certain that they have.

Well - the usual aches and pains mixed with a healthy dose of sadness, and here I am still sitting on the bed, unwilling to fire up any additional nerve endings with a trip downstairs. I've not had breakfast (nor lunch - yeah, it's that late) nor coffee, and I'm not sure I care. Well, maybe about the coffee.

Yesterday was not a bad day, as days go.  Found a new route to the therapist's office, wandered a bit near Bay Hill where the rich athletes live, checked out a brand-spanking-new Publix, baked a big batch of Queen's Cakes. Oh, and if you heard any screaming around 9:58 PM, that was me after Evan Fournier sank a 3 point shot just half a second before the buzzer sounded at the end of overtime. The Magic never win in overtime, except last night they did, tied 101-101 with the Timberwolves, and then Fournier did what he did.  I love those guys, especially Coach Scott Skiles.  The rest of the world is falling apart, but the Orlando Magic have risen from the ashes left behind by Dwight Howard, Jacques Vaughn, and Otis Smith.

Today, however, is not a good day. I tried to eat some of the fabulous pasta salad I'd put together 2 days ago, and it is delicious, but apparently eating normal food is not going to be one of the day's accomplishments. The coffee is not working its usual magic. I had a rather sudden nosebleed, splashing blood all over me and my keyboard and nosebleeds always depress me under any circumstances.

Let's talk about cookies. One cannot be depressed, despite the stabbing pain on the left side of one's back, when one is contemplating fresh, homemade cookies, can one?  I've been working my way through my list, trying new recipes but always going back for a batch of old favorites. This recipe for Queen's Cakes is from The Joy of Cookies by Sharon Tyler Herbst, copyright 1987 which makes it as old as my son. Ha. You will need some miniature muffin tins; I have 4 tins, each baking 12 mini-muffins, that I bought in 1976 to make the Nut Cup recipe I got from a coworker.  Just this past month, I found a 48 mini-muffin pan, really well-made by Wilton, and I treated myself.  Heck, I was in Walmart, it was reasonably priced. I've also seen 24 mini-muffin tins there.  If you like to bake, mini-muffin pans are something of a necessity, in my opinion.

Robert loves the way they taste, as do I, but I also love the fact that they are called Queen's Cakes.  I have a special bond with Queen Elizabeth II, although she is unaware of it - she was crowned in 1952, the year I was born, so in case Alex Trebek ever gives me that answer, I have the question. Royalty for $400? God save the Queen!

Queen's Cakes

3 cups all-purpose flour

scant 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
scant 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sour cream
3/4 cup dried currants
1/2 cup finely chopped maraschino cherries, blotted well on paper towels
coarse decorating sugar (I used turbinado)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Grease or no-stick spray 48 miniature muffin tins. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, and salt. In a large mixing bowl, beat together butter, sugar and extracts together until light and fluffy. Gradually beat in the sour cream, then stir in the flour mixture 1/2 cup at a time, blending well after each addition.  Stir in the currants and cherries (I like to use a rubber spatula to fold them into the dough).

Divide the dough evenly among the 48 miniature muffin tins. (I used a scoop. No kidding.) The tins will be almost full. Sprinkle lightly with the decorating sugar. Bake for 18-22 minutes, until the cookies are baked through and the sides and bottom are golden brown.  Remove the cookies from the tin and transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

Spoonie Got Scoops - Exotic Spice Cookies

Flags at half-mast, downtown Kissimmee. Viva la France.

Once and for all we have to resolve the matter of scoops.  But first, Tai Chi.

When my son was just 11 years old, he started studying martial arts.  Not, as you might think, in taekwando, but in kung fu. His instructor, Sifu Tony Juron, started Cory on a path that contributed all sorts of positive things to his childhood (along with Senior Master Casco, his taekwando instructor and mentor) and helped make him the really fine adult he turned out to be.

Tonight, watching Cory finish teaching taekwando class at ATA Mass Defense in St. Cloud, I can only imagine that Sifu Tony felt some well-earned pride. Even though it has been years since Cory took formal classes with Tony, he says that Tony is still teaching him.

Why was Sifu Tony at the taekwando school? And why was I at the school, when I'd had to stop doing taekwando several years before because of fibromyalgia? (I have a black belt - hard to believe, I know. It only took me 12 years.)  Without going through a long and interesting (to me, anyway) story, Tony has come to an agreement with Mrs. Massey, the owner and chief instructor at ATA Mass Defense (and without whom I would not have made it as far as I did in taekwando; talk about having patience!) to teach tai chi. And tai chi is something I can do; there is no impact to jar my nerve endings. Tai chi is all about calmness, light movements, and positive energy, all the things I need in my life.

Walking in to my home dojo after so long, and being able to take lessons was a joy. Yesterday was the second class, and I enjoyed it and appreciated the underlying philosophy.  For the first time since the fibromyalgia changed my life, I think I am capable of regaining some degree of control over my body.  It felt good to be able to move with purpose and discipline, and Tony is (still) a marvelous instructor.  I just have to get into the habit of saving some spoons for my 7:00 PM classes on my tai chi days.

Spoonie Got Scoops

Scoops.  I mention them all the time in my recipes.  Scoops for meatballs, scoops for cookies, scoops for cupcakes and muffins.  Give me liberty or give me scoops. I don't know how I made meatballs or cookies before scoops; I did, I just don't know how.

I have 4 different size scoops; the ice cream scoop with the wooden handle belonged to my grandmother-who-raised-me.  Besides ice cream, I use it to portion those massive Italian meatballs, 2 scoops per meatball. I've used the second from the left to make Swedish meatballs, as well as certain cookies.  The third from the left is my go-to cookie scoop - it holds 2 tablespoons and is perfect for most cookies and for miniature muffins and cupcakes.  The last one is also used for certain tiny cookies.  Scoops are awesome helpers in the kitchen, and which scoop you use is entirely up to you.  The advantage to using scoops is the uniformity of size and ease of release. If the dough or meatball mixture doesn't release easily, give the scoop a shot of no-stick spray.  And that's all I have to say about scoops.  Use them. Love them. Embrace the scoop. Thank you.

Exotic Spice Cookies 

These are easy. Having said that, let me warn that they are not pretty when baked, and you will surely stare at the bowl and swear at The Great Goddess of Cookies (me) that there is not enough dough to cover the chips and nuts.  Trust me, there is but just barely. These take 12 to 13 minutes to bake, but you have to watch them like a hawk so the edges don't turn into carbon. The yield is 2 1/2 dozen, although the original recipe, using a 1/4 cup measure, makes only twelve.  I'm glad I made them smaller with the third scoop from the left, because my husband and a guest scarfed up a handful each before I could get them to the freezer. Neither one noticed the cookies were not pretty because they were too busy loving the taste. The recipe is my riff on another gem from Camilla Saulsbury. I used cashews instead of macadamia nuts, and went glazeless.

1 - 16.5 oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough, softened
1/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1 cup white chocolate chips
3/4 cup cashew halves and pieces
1/2 cup finely chopped crystallized ginger

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Break up the cookie dough into a large bowl. Add the remaining ingredients.  Mix well (I used a rubber spatula) until blended. Chill for at least 20 minutes.

Now use a scoop to portion out the dough, and roll the cookie between your palms (like you roll a meatball). Place onto an ungreased cookie sheet (I used the silpat) leaving 3 inches between the cookies.  Bakes for 13 to 17 minutes until edges are golden brown.  Cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet. Move the cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

These are sublime ...

The photo is a bit darker than the actual cookies

Into the freezer with the first batch

We'll Always Have Paris - Crab Stuffed Zucchini with Pan Fried Oysters and Louisiana Remoulade Sauce

One of my favorite movies of all times is "Casablanca", and chances are that even if it is not among your favorites, you have seen it at least once.  Which would lead me to believe that, in the hours immediately following the terror attacks in Paris, perhaps hearing the French people singing "La Marseilles" your mind strayed inevitably to one of the best scenes in movie history:

"Casablanca" is a veritable treasure trove of memorable quotes (or misquotes - Bogart's character never says "Play it again, Sam") including these two - "Everybody goes to Rick's" (inside joke, sorry) and "We'll always have Paris."

Paris and France will survive these acts of terrorism, just as we Americans survived September 11th, but changed forever, and not in a good way. One thing France has done, which we failed to do, is to immediately and resoundingly attack the "capital" of ISIS.  I remember my frustration, the days immediately after 9/11, when our government failed to take immediate action against Al Qaeda and  Osama bin Ladin.  I am still bitter towards Bush 43 because of that, and once the golden moment for proper retribution had passed, he embroiled us in a questionable war which has gone on for 14 cursed years.  

This morning when I logged into Facebook, I found several more postings in which friends, and friends of friends, expressed concerns over the effects of this most recent terrorist attack upon presumably peaceful Muslims.  Some have compared ISIS to the Ku Klux Klan (seriously???), arguing that since our country did not turn against all Christians because of the despicable actions of the Klan, we should not generalize against Muslims. Sorry, but these situations are not remotely comparable. And as to the effect on the majority of followers of Islam, all I can say is they are going to have to try a lot harder to take back their religion. Sending a few imams to pay televised lip service to peaceful coexistence is not enough. Try treating your women as equals. Stop pushing Sharia law upon Western countries.

I really have to stop now.

Monday morning, and I awoke feeling better than I had for the last few weeks, but I remain cautious. There are just so many spoons, you know.  I had plans and glory be, they worked out.  I did head over to the office to visit and drop off the keys and some cookies.  I had such an enjoyable time, my only regret being that some of the folks were not there. But Terry and I had time for a good long chat and I got to see how Brian fixed up "my" office now that he moved in, and caught up with my former supervisor, and it was all good.  The Judge is apparently deep into her case with the Judicial Qualification Committee. Good. I would wish her well, but ... no wait, I wouldn't.

My right arm, my left arm, the head on my shoulders, and my dear friend

Da Boss

Some of the Girls in the 'Hood

I also prepared the remoulade and the pan fried oysters, and baked the stuffed zucchini, and it was all delicious.  That remoulade sauce is to die for, and can be used with so many other foods including boiled, chilled shrimp and (surprise!) Scotch eggs.

But before cooking, I took a little time to smell - no, to photograph - the flowers around my house.  The weather was perfect, the air was clear and even a touch cool. Barely.

Crab Stuffed Zucchini 

3 medium zucchini

1/2 pound claw crab meat

1 tablespoon finely chopped red bell pepper

3/4 cup seasoned panko bread crumbs

1/2 cup mayonnaise 

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1/2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 tablespoon prepared horseradish

Cut zucchini in half lengthwise. Remove seeds and inside pulp of zucchini using a melon ball scoop, leaving a 1/4 to 1/2 inch shell depending on size of zucchini. Discard the zucchini or use in another recipe (I included it in the next days pasta salad.)  Blanch the zucchini boats in salted boiling water for 2 minutes  Remove from the water, pat dry and place into an aluminum baking dish.

In a medium bowl, first toss the crab gently with the panko bread crumbs. Then add in the remaining ingredients, using a spatula to GENTLY combine everything.  Fill each zucchini with the crab mixture.  Avoid packing the filling into the zucchini boats.

You can cover and refrigerate the stuffed zucchini at this point.  When you are getting ready to serve, preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Sprinkle some more of the panko bread crumbs, then bake for 20 - 30 minutes until the filling is heated through and the panko is lightly toasted.  Serve topped with one or two pan fried oysters and some of the remoulade.

Swoon.

Pan Fried Oysters

1 - 8 oz. container shucked Willapoint oysters (refrigerator case in seafood department)
2 eggs, beaten
1 - 6 oz. bag Goya cracker meal
1/2 tablespoon Emeril's Cajun seasoning
Canola oil for frying

Drain the oysters in a colander and rinse with cold water.  Combine the cracker meal and the Cajun seasoning in a plastic freezer bag.  Dip the oysters in the beaten egg, and then add to the cracker meal.  Set the oysters aside to dry for about 15 minutes.  Now do it all over again - dip in the remaining egg, then back into the cracker meal.  Put the double-breaded oysters into the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to set up.

Time to haul out your well-seasoned cast iron frying pan and heat about a quarter inch of oil over a medium-high setting. Fry the oysters in the hot oil for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until deep golden brown.  Drain on paper towel and serve immediately with lemon wedges and the sauce of your choice.

Louisiana Remoulade Sauce

This recipe is from the Serious Eats site, and it is so good it left me speechless.

1 cup of mayonnaise (Hellmann's)

2 tablespoons Dijon mustard (Grey Poupon)
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon finely chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tablespoon Louisiana style hot sauce (Crystal)
2 teaspoons whole grain Dijon mustard (Maille)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 teaspoons capers, chopped
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon sweet paprika
1 green onion, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

In a small mixing bowl, whisk all of the ingredients together.  Let sit for an hour before serving to let the flavors get friendly.  If you are not using it right away, cover and refrigerate.

No Apologies - Purely Nuts Cream Cheese Brownie Cookies and Mocha Sanity Cream Cheese Brownie Cookies

During the last day or so, I have been called to task by two people regarding my Facebook post "Tell me again that Islam is the religion of peace." That's two out of 315 Facebook friends, and there were eleven "likes", but I do feel I should respond, in a calm and reasoned manner, and explain why I feel so strongly about this. Both of my friends have essentially stated that it is "insane" to make generalizations based on the actions of crazy zealots. 

I could explain my feelings in a four word sentence and call it a day, but I am a lawyer and lawyers like to talk. And that sentence is, "I am a Jew." 

Attend me, please.  The State of Israel was born on May 14, 1948; I was born on December 26, 1952, which makes us practically the same age.  I cannot remember a time in my life that the followers of Islam have not sought to destroy Israel and the Jews. Visualize if you will tiny Israel surrounded by Muslim countries, all of them hostile to Israel's existence. Imagine the kind of terrorist acts we have  seen in Paris, Madrid, and London, occurring if not every day, then certainly every week in Israel. Those are not Christians or Hindus or atheists blowing themselves up on Tel Aviv buses, or crashing - literally - a bar mitzvah, killing friends and family gathered to celebrate a young Jewish boy's rite of religious passage. Nor are they giving their 12 year old children military grade weapons and training them to fire upon Israelis.

One other sentence: "I am a New Yorker." I was born there, raised there, worked there, and lived there for two-thirds of my life.  Even after 24 years in Florida, I am a New Yorker, and I will never forgive nor forget the destruction of the World Trade Center on September 11, 2011.  And yes, those were Palestinians dancing for joy, celebrating the attack on Western culture.  Not just crazy zealots but everyday people. I don't know about you, but 9/11 changed my life forever, and not in a good way.

So with all due respect to my two Facebook friends, I make no apologies for my statement and my beliefs. I will not allow political correctness to blind me to the fact that Islam is anything but the religion of peace.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

In my mind, I designated today as a cookie-baking day, so of course I started preparing the crab stuffed zucchini recipe I had been working on for days.  Once I mixed the crab stuffing, and piled it into the zucchini boats, I stuck it in the refrigerator before baking it off in the oven.  Then I switched gears and started working on some cookies, because in this crazy, mixed up world, cookies make everything seem a little better.

Purely Nuts Cream Cheese Brownie Cookies

These are my variation on Camilla Saulsbury's Cream Cheese Chocolate Softies.  I have been making  cream cheese cake mix cookies for over 40 years, using a recipe I found in a Betty Crocker cookbook.  My favorite version has always been a chocolate chocolate chip, and in fact they are on my list for this holiday season's baking.  But these cookies use a brownie mix, and less cream cheese, and it occurred to me that they would be the perfect base for an all-nut cookie, brownies and walnuts being BFFs and all that.

I love nuts; I love eating them, baking with them, cooking with them. Sadly, I really can't eat them anymore, as they are the one food absolutely guaranteed to get under my dentures and cause me immediate pain. It really sucks getting older.  So I avoid including them in my baked goods these days, which is probably a disappointment to all the nut-lovers I bake for. To them, I dedicate this cookie, which is totally nuts.  No dried fruit or chocolate chips or coconut to sully that special mouthful of soft cookie dough and crunchy nut. And because anything worth doing is worth overdoing, I included some of every nut in my considerable pantry: walnut, pecan, two types of almond, pistachio, peanut, filbert, Brazil nut, cashews, and even pine nuts.  I can't believe I don't have any macadamia nuts in the house!

1 - 18.4 oz. package chocolate fudge brownie mix
4 oz. (half of an 8 oz. bar) cream cheese, softened
1/2 stick butter, melted
1 extra large egg
1 cup nuts, any number or combination

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. This can be baked on ungreased cookie sheets but if you have silpat, use it.

In a large bowl mix together the cream cheese and the egg, using a wooden spoon to beat well so that the cream cheese breaks up.  Add the melted butter and beat that in as well. Add the brownie mix, and use the wooden spoon and a rubber spatula to thoroughly moisten the dry ingredients.  Finally, stir in the nuts, using the spatula to work them into the dough.

With a cookie scoop, place the dough on the cookie sheet, 12 cookies at a time.  Bake for 13-17 minutes until done. Do not overbake (the silpat helps to avoid this). Remove the cookie sheet to a wire rack and wait 5 minutes before removing the cookies to another wire rack to cool completely.

Mocha Sanity Cream Cheese Brownie Cookies

Substitute a package of mocha fudge brownie mix for the chocolate fudge, and a cup of baking chips for the nuts (Sanity Cookies - get it? - no nuts). I used a combination made up of milk chocolate, semisweet chocolate, white chocolate and butterscotch chips.

No Place To Hide

The good news: the Magic won again last night and I am planning to take a tai chi class today. Everyone tells me tai chi is helpful to older people and people with fibromyalgia. I am looking forward to it.

The bad news: Paris. Terrorists embedded in the fabric of our daily life. No place is safe, not in France, not here in the U.S.

Tell me again how Islam is the religion of peace. Tell me how you like having to live in fear, like the Israeli citizens have had to do every single day since 1948. Tell me again how Israel is at fault and Palestinians are the victims.

You know, of course, that the terrorists are here, just as they are in every European country. Pretending to be Westerners, Christians, atheists, anything but who they really are. Living among us, spying on us, planning our deaths. Muslim terrorists, pretending to be human beings, labeling us infidels, sentencing us all - Christian, Jew, Hindu, Buddhist, atheist, Wiccan and you name it - to die violently. To be attacked in our neighborhoods, at places we gather to relax, to play, to enjoy life.

If you know me, then you know I am a fan of mediation, negotiation, mutual agreement. But you cannot negotiate with people who train their children to kill, who are driven by crazed religiosity, who have no regard for the sanctity of life.  This is a tale as old as time, it will never change.  Forget boots on the ground. We need to initiate deadly air strikes. Time to do what should have been done a long time ago. Carpet bombing. Let's be honest for once - it took two very deadly bombs to end World War II. Time to take that terrible lesson to heart and end this travesty. We have been at war in the Middle East for FOURTEEN YEARS, more than twice as long as the Big One, WWII. Enough is enough.

I need to take a deep breath after that.  And a walk. There is an art festival in downtown Kissimmee, the weather is lovely, and I would like to stroll among the artwork. I've used up a hell of a lot of spoons this morning - tai chi class at 8:00, and then to BJ's for some shopping. The tai chi, which is taught by Sifu Tony Juron (Cory's kung fu instructor) at the ATA Mass Defense School on Murcott Drive in St. Cloud, was very enjoyable, and I will be going back for regular classes. BJ's shopping was straightforward enough, as I knew exactly what I was looking for. Happy Thanksgiving.    

The art festival was more about crafts and less about art, but it was a perfectly lovely day to stroll up and down Broadway Avenue with Robert and Horatio Cane, checking out the food trucks (a White Castle food truck, in Florida!) and some new restaurants. We picked up a menu from Big John's BBQ, which is in the building formerly occupied by One Sweet Sistah, and Rob's eyes lit up when we saw the chicken livers and gizzards.  We'll be back. We also ran into old friends from our days at Congregation Shalom Aleichem and had a really good chat.  

I spent my spoons wisely today, I think.  The cooking and baking can wait until tomorrow, although I did manage to make a pot of my very simple chicken noodle soup.  My puppy Romeo, who also answers to Puppy, made out like a miniature bandit, chowing down on bits of carrot, celery, yellow squash, and chicken.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         #PrayforParis

A Transparently Invisible Illness - American Rice and Beans

In the world of cyberspace, many memes have arisen to remind us that not all disabilities are overtly apparent, and therefore, one should not leave snarky notes on cars parked in handicapped spots just because the driver did not appear to be suffering from a debilitating illness.  No doubt there is a certain amount of cheating that goes on, but given the invisible nature of many handicapping illnesses, it is better to err on the side of caution, and dare I say, compassion.

I was thinking of this while staring at my arms, which are bloodied, scarred, and roughened as a result of the terrible itching that often accompanies fibromyalgia.  Not so invisible, although I often wear long sleeves to cover them when they are particularly bad.  Yes, long sleeves, in Florida.  Of course the itching is not confined to my arms. You just can't see it.

I think I've passed the point where my disease is invisible.  Perhaps at one time, when the flares were infrequent and I might have days or weeks in between to recover, I could still fix my hair and put on my makeup and look pretty darn normal.  I did not even take a lot of sick days then, but oh geez, that changed dramatically as 2013 wound down, and so did I. I look sick, and I sound sick, and my limitations are pretty obvious even to strangers. Which causes me to wonder why state and Federal disability are giving me such a hard time, but then my own doctors are not helping in the least. Seriously, dudes, if you can't certify me back to work after all these months, what part of "permanent" don't you understand?  Do you think I am going to have a miraculous recovery? Throw away Horatio Cane and go dancing up the courthouse steps? Pick up a wheeled cart carrying 20 - six inch thick files and throw it casually onto the belt for the security scanner?  Do you think my brain is going to be able to clear its decks and make all words and facts readily available for my use? Idiots.

Now that I got that off my chest, let's switch gears. Today started off better than yesterday, but I still have just so many spoons, and I used most of them up on getting dressed, food shopping and putting things away.  There might be a demitasse spoon in the back of the drawer that will let me prepare a batch of cookies - especially now that I am seriously stocked up with cooking-baking ingredients - but I can't be sure.  My back hurts from my neck to my waist, and I am feeling a touch cranky. There's a home game tonight, Orlando Magic playing the Utah Jazz, and I may want to hang on to that demitasse so I can cheer on my boys, especially Victor Oladipo who won't be playing tonight because of a concussion.

Ah, hell, I blew that last spoon on cooking this rather whimsical version of rice and beans. Lo siento to all my Spanish friends.

American Arroz y Gandules (American Rice and Beans)

2 tablespoons butter
1/2 pound regular bacon, chopped
1 large onion, chopped
1 pound hot country sausage (I used Tennessee Pride, but Jimmy Dean's and Publix are all good)
1 large sweet bell pepper, any color or combination of colors (I used about 1/3 each of green, red and yellow peppers)
1 cup of Uncle Ben's converted rice, prepared according to package directions, substituting 1 tablespoon of fat from the cooked meats in place of the butter called for in the directions.
1 - 28 oz. can KC Masterpiece Pulled Pork Baked Beans, undrained

Put the butter and bacon in a large deep pan, starting on high heat.  As the bacon renders, lower the heat to medium high. Add the onion, and season with salt, pepper, Raging River Five Pepper Blend, granulated garlic and sugar. Cook about 5 minutes, then add the sausage.  Break the sausage up with a wooden spoon, cook about 5 minutes, then add the bell peppers.  Cook 5 to 7 minutes, then take off the heat.  Drain off all of the remaining fat in a colander, then return the meat mixture to the pan.

Stir the cooked rice into the pan, and then stir in the beans. Taste and adjust seasoning. Cover the pan and heat on medium low to warm all the way through. If you don't like spicy, you can certainly use mild sausage and eliminate the pepper blend.

HOLY SHIT - all hell just broke out in Paris.  Terror attack which one FOX commentator referred to as "France's 9/11".  Three locations confirmed, reports of three more.

God help the people of Paris and France. God help us all.

The 47 Nights of Christmas (Cookies) - Cardamom Currant and HRC's Original Chocolate Chip

Even though they are covered with the warm, adorable blanket Terry made for me last birthday, my feet are so cold I fear frostbite.

Frostbite in Florida - inside the house - what the hell.

My life and my health have devolved precipitously this past month. The downtime (uptime?) between fibro flares has decreased to the point where I can no longer remember the last time I had a day without pain. Sometimes I have a couple of hours without much pain, so I rush to water my plants or bake cookies before the moment passes. It's astounding, time is fleeting.

I should be happy.  My cousin Maura and I booked our cruises to Alaska yesterday.  My bucket list number two item finally taking place, and even better, with my cousins.  Right now, I hurt too much to enjoy what should be a very special event.  We sail May 21, 2016 on the Crown Princess.  (Yes, I do travel on something other than Carnival sometimes. Like Thanksgiving of 2002, we were on the Norwegian Majesty. Right after that the ship was decommissioned.) I also stay at hotels other than Marriott. But not often. I am a creature of habit and I love loyalty programs. Besides, Carnival owns Princess, and this ship was built in the same yard as many of the newer Carnival ships. It is going to be an awesome experience.

My wonderful husband returned from an errand in Orlando bearing gifts: Einstein Brothers' bagels, a half pound each of pastrami and tongue, and a box of black and white cookies from Toojays.  The day was definitely looking up, but I still hurt.  It is very difficult to convey the degree of pain.  I've never known how to fully describe it. But it has the ability to suck ever bit of goodness and joy out of my life. There is no normal anymore.

During one of those moments without much pain, I watered my porch plants.  Since I could not carry the large water can (too heavy when filled with water) I made multiple trips to the sink with the smaller water can.  Much smaller, many trips.  My peppers are still fighting with the frakking aphids, and my herbs are looking down in the dumps, but I still have 4 or more jalapenos on the plants, and all five of my avocado pits have rooted and are sending healthy shoots out into the world.  I also moved the strawberries and the marigold box, and I'm sorry I did.  Too heavy for me, and the plastic was cutting into my fingers. Crap.

More resting, more snickering over political gaffes, a little Facebook, a cup of lentil soup, and just enough energy to whip up a batch of cookies.  Just one, not 4 or 12 at a time like I used to do back in the day. I also baked one recipe yesterday, but because I missed a day's blogging, you all missed a day's recipe.

Never fear - you know I love BOGOs better than coupons ...

Cardamom Currant Tea Cookies                                                                  

These are from a glorious cookbook, The Ultimate Shortcut Cookie Book, by Camilla Saulsbury, in which she gets inventive with cake mix, refrigerator cookie dough, brownie mix, and even cereal (don't tell me you never tasted a Rice Krispies Treat.) You should buy the book from Amazon. Seriously.

I love currants. Think of them as tiny raisins, perfect for rugelach and cookies from delicate dough. This cookie not only has currants, it also has cardamom, a marvelous spice, sort of a cross between ginger and nutmeg.  Only three ingredients, which make up for having to make a special trip to Whole Foods for the zante currants.

1 - 16.5 oz. roll refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 cup dried currants
1 teaspoon ground cardamom

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray or silpat a cookie sheet.

Break up the cookie dough in a large bowl, and let stand 10 to 15 minutes to soften.  Add the cardamom, stir with a wooden spoon, then add the currants.  Mix well, using a wooden spoon.

With a kitchen teaspoon or very small scoop, drop the dough onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake for 10 to 13 minutes until just set and golden at the edges. Let the cookies cool on the sheets for just a few moments, then transfer the cookies to wire racks to cool completely.

Now, you can enjoy the cookies as they are, which is wonderful and delicate and tender, or you can take one extra step and make little sandwich cookies, which is what I decided to do, using Speculoos Cookie Butter as the filling.  Makes 48 cookies, or 24 sandwich cookies.

Here's your BOGO. kids, and it is delicious. Even Robert said that if there were an election, he would vote for these cookies.

Hillary Rodham Clinton's Original Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup shortening (Crisco)
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 cups old fashioned rolled oats
1 - 12 oz bag semisweet chocolate chips

Believe it or not, there is a cookbook called "Presidential Cookies" and I has it. I bought it at the Clinton Museum Store in Little Rock, Arkansas, and it has cookie recipes representative of each presidential administration.  In the later administrations, the recipes were able to be vetted as coming from the various First Ladies, including Lady Bird Johnson's Chocolate Nut Drop Cookies, Rosalynn Carter's Raisin-Oatmeal Cookies, Nancy Reagan's Brownies, and three recipes from Barbara Bush, including her losing entry in the chocolate chip cookie contest started by Family Circle magazine.  The winner, of course, was The Notorious HRC, and as we all know, Bill Clinton won that election.  As the cookie goes, so goes the election, which brings me to a silly vision of Carly Fiorina running against HRC in the general election next November - who bakes the cookies? The contest has always been between those hoping to become First Ladies by virtue of their husband's success at election time - should we anticipate a cookie contest between hopeful First Dudes?

While you puzzle that one out, preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Grease the cookie sheet, or if you have two silpats, like I do, put one on a cookie sheet and one on the kitchen counter.  I prefer to bake the cookies one sheet at a time in the smaller, upper oven, and second silpat lets me set up the cookies for the second batch while the first batch is baking. Once the baked cookies are removed and the cookie sheet cools a bit, which only takes a few minutes, I slide the cookie sheet under the second silpat and right into the oven.

Combine the flour, salt, and baking soda in a medium bowl. I do this by adding them to a wire strainer and sifting them together into the bowl.  In a large bowl, using a hand mixer, beat together the shortening, both sugars, and the vanilla until creamy. Add the eggs, beating until light and fluffy.  Gradually beat in the flour mixture, and then gradually beat in the oats.  Stir in the chocolate chips.

Using a well-rounded kitchen teaspoon or a cookie scoop (I use the one next in size from the really small scoop I used for the lemon drops and cardamom currant cookies) place the dough on the cookie sheet, about 2 inches apart.  These cookies do spread, and bake best with 12 cookies on a sheet.  Bake for 9 to 11 minutes until golden.

Very important: once you remove the cookie sheet from the oven, let it sit for five minutes before using a metal spatula to remove the cookies to a wire rack to finish cooling. The yield is approximately 4 dozen cookies.  HRC's recipe yield says 7 dozen, so I can only assume she made a very small cookie. I like this size for chocolate chip cookies, but your mileage may vary.

Baby Steps - Luscious Lemon Drops

When I was a kid growing up in Brooklyn during the waning days of the Eisenhower administration, all you needed to have fun was a couple of like-minded friends and the sidewalk outside your house. Well, a set of jacks and a Spaulding ball were nice to have as well, but nobody had ever seen so much as a microwave, much less electronic games. Oh yeah, and a jump rope and some chalk. All primitive accoutrements, but so very useful.

One of my favorites was a simple little game called "Mother, May I?" in which the leader stood at the far end of the designated area - in this case, between two stoops on E. 36th Street - and the players asked permission to move forward using giant steps, umbrella steps, and other variations, to get as close to the leader as possible.  It was up to the leader to decide if you could take those 3 giant steps you had politely requested (Mother, may I?) or do something else that would slow down your progress (No, you may not. Take one baby step). Eventually, even those baby steps would get you somewhere, and that is why today I am taking baby steps and considering myself lucky to do so.

Yesterday's agony is today's pain. My nerve endings have turned down the volume somewhat, and I have been able to get out of bed, take my medication, and gather the trash to be dumped outside. Baby steps, yes, but a big improvement from yesterday, when I hurt too much to care that the Magic lost to the Indiana Pacers. Considering that I had a terrible restless night full of pain, intense itching and noise uber-sensitivity (I restrained myself from throwing a couple of dogs out the window and smothering my husband with a pillow to stop his snoring) I still managed to do the stuff I like to do in the morning. It didn't hurt that Cory took over the dishwasher, which let me sit a bit to recover from cleaning the litter box.

Tonight is the fourth Republican debate, and I really want to watch this one. The moderators are from FOX Business, and have promised to avoid the circus atmosphere created by CNBC during the third debate.  Neil Cavuto may want to bring some duct tape for Donald Trump's mouth. 

Now onto the really serious matters of the day: HOLIDAY COOKIES. I like to bake cookies for the winter holidays - Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, and Christmas - in astonishing numbers and variations.  I started doing this my first Christmas working at Alexander & Alexander. The staff always made a big deal about the holidays, and someone was always bringing in home-baked goods to share.  I expanded the number and also packed up gift boxes of cookies for friends and family.  I was hardly memorable as an assistant broker - you may recall I was fired for being a "non income-producing member of the department" - but let me tell you, those folks missed my cookies.

Since law school, my cookie-baking binges have gotten irregular - downright spotty, you might say. It has been a good number of years since I binge-baked, probably a solid decade of cookie-less holidays, but now that I am retired, I wanted to try it again.  I can always take a nap in between batches.

To prepare myself for the task at hand, I sat down with a dozen or so cookie cookbooks, my personal notebook of cookie recipes, and a well-worn copy of the Congregation Shalom Aleichem cookbook.  In choosing the recipes, I set parameters and tried to stay within them: drop cookies, no bars, or rolled, or otherwise overly-complicated recipes; and no frosted cookies. I wanted to bake a lot of old favorites; nostalgia and the holidays go together.  I also had a bunch that I'd been wanting to try for a while, which fell within my search parameters. In the end, I came up with a list of 46 recipes, including 3 that are technically candies. The average cookie recipe produces 2 1/2 dozen cookies ... that works out to ... uh, well over 100 dozen cookies.  1380 cookies, if I calculated correctly.

Think about that. And me with only two freezers.

Anyway, here's the first of the batch. I've been wanting to try this recipe for a long time, and I picked up this cookbook in 1991. The recipe is not unique to this particular book, as I've seen these "Cool Whip cookies" popping up all over. Yep, I said Cool Whip.

Luscious Lemon Drops

1 - 18 1/4 oz. paclage lemon cake mix
half of an 8 oz. container Cool Whip, thawed
1 egg, beaten
juice and grated peel of one large lemon
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl combine all of the ingredients except the confectioner's sugar; stir well to mix. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit more of the whipped topping.

Grease, spray, or two line baking pans with a silpat.  Drop the dough by teaspoons (I used my smallest scoop) into the confectioner's sugar, turning to coat well.  Place the balls, 1 1/2 inch apart, on the prepared baking sheets. Bake in the preheated oven for 12 minutes, or until the cookies are done. They should be firm to the touch, and if you break one open, it should not be overly moist, and you should be able to see the interior crumb. Remove from the baking sheet immediately and let cool on wire racks.  This makes 48 cookies - 24 to each baking sheet.

Once they are cool, I put them on a clean baking sheet, single layer, and put them into the freezer, uncovered.  I leave them overnight, and the next day, transfer them to a freezer bag.  If you plan on enjoying these right away, don't bother with this step. These are delicate, although they scream lemon, and a very nice edition to a cookie platter.