Peeing in a Parking Lot

Part 1

I am apprehensive about leaving my house.  More times than not when my husband asks me if I’d like to go out somewhere, I choose to stay home.  Some of the things I am exposed to are very disturbing and I am fearful because I know that it is only going to get worse in the days ahead.

I remember when men opened doors for women.  Children didn’t interrupt their parents.  Men took their hats off in church and at the dinner table.  Please and thank you were used in normal conversation.  People practiced the golden rule of doing unto others as you would have them do unto you.  And last but not least, if you didn’t have anything nice to say, didn’t say anything at all.

A couple of weeks ago we made our monthly trip to the local trash station.  I prefer to call it “the dump” but to protect the environment dumps have been replaced with the Collection and Recycling Centers.  After disposing of our trash and other recyclables, we stopped to gas up the truck at the place on the corner.  My husband went into the store to pay because the debit/credit card option on the pump was out of order, and I sat in the truck waiting for him. 

My attention was drawn to two young adults in a new SUV.  They were probably in their early twenties, talking and laughing.  One disappeared inside the store while the other one commenced to pump gas.  Soon the other boy joined him outside the SUV at the pump.  He was talking with his hands and laughing loudly.  The boy that pumped the gas finished, put the nozzle away, and got in the truck.  The other boy leaned up against the grill on the front of the SUV as if he was going to climb up on the bumper.  To my horrified surprise, he unzipped his pants, pulled out his penis and commenced to urinate.  The SUV was parked directly in front of the store in broad daylight, and he was peeing right in front of me.  I was aghast! 

I thought about the mother of that boy on our way home.  What would she think if she knew her son did that?  I thought about my son. Would my son do something like that?  I hope not.  I know we cannot blame parents for a child’s mistakes, and we cannot blame children if their parents do not teach them well.  But one hopes that someone will take the time to teach a child at a young age the difference between right and wrong.  I am not saying that peeing outside is a right or wrong thing … when nature calls one should answer it.  I think discretion should have been used.  Instead of peeing outside in front of a busy store, in front of people sitting in their cars, the young man should have at least walked out behind the store.

© Crackerberries 2013

Charlie

Had a big doggie, who’s name was Charlie

Nighttime he liked to bark, no sleep for us.

Just moved his dog house, new pad was gnarly,

Broke loose from his chain, hit by a school bus

Maybe not a bus, but car, or a truck

Whoever hit him left him there to die

Poor little doggy never had good luck

Died ‘fore I had a chance to say good-bye

I hope there’s a heaven for all my dogs

They all mean so much, hate for them to go

Next pet should be a bucket full of frogs

‘Cause I probably wouldn't miss them so

Chuck was a good dog, though he barked a lot

His brother will miss him, poor old Foxtrot.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

       Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

1½ cup light brown sugar

¾ cup canola oil

1½ tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

15 oz can pumpkin

3 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ginger

1 8 oz package cream cheese

½ stick butter

1 tsp vanilla extract

4½ cups confectioner’s sugar

Preheat oven 350°

Mix brown sugar and oil together until well blended.  Add vanilla and eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.  Add pumpkin and blend to incorporate.  Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices together in bowl and mix well.  Add to pumpkin mixture a little at a time, and mix until smooth.

Using small ice cream scoop, drop on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake at 350° 11-13 minutes until puffed and set.  Let cakes cool for three minutes on cookie sheets then move to wire racks to cool completely.

Once completely cool frost with cream cheese frosting.

In large bowl, mix butter and cream cheese together until light and fluffy.  Add vanilla extract and confectioner’s sugar a little at a time.

Can be stored at room temperature for two days or in freezer for two months

© Crackerberries 2012

Mulled Cider

Festive Mulled Cider

½ gallon apple cider

1½ cups Captain Morgan spiced rum

5-6 cinnamon sticks

1 Tbsp whole cloves

Heat apple cider in sauce pan on stove with cinnamon sticks and whole cloves; bring to a boil.  Add rum and vanilla and stir well.  Serve in mugs garnished with cinnamon sticks or candy canes.

To make a single serving, place ¾ cup of cider in microwave with one cinnamon stick and 4 whole cloves and heat for one minute.  Add rum, stir and serve.

This can also be made in a crock pot.

© Crackerberries 2012

Festive Creamed Tuna

Festive Creamed Tuna Á La Biscuit

1½ cup milk  
½ cup heavy cream
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
½ tsp turmeric
Salt and pepper to taste
1 (5oz) can tuna fish, drained
2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
1 cup frozen peas
Sliced Roma tomatoes

In medium sauce pan melt butter over medium heat.  Stir in flour; pour in milk slowly, stirring vigorously.  Add turmeric, salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens.  Add tuna, peas and eggs.   Serve over biscuits and garnish with tomatoes.

© Crackerberries 2012

Yankee Gumbo Chicken Bog

Anderson Stew

(Up-County Boil or Yankee Gumbo Chicken Bog)

2/3 cup cranberry beans

2/3 cup black beans

10 oz beer

1 packet chicken flavored Ramen noodle seasoning

2 cups chicken broth

1 tbsp butter

1 large onion, diced

3 stalks celery, chopped

4 medium carrots, peeled and sliced

2 smoked sausages

*1 lb hickory smoked grilled chicken

½ cup uncooked rice

1 tsp Italian seasoning

½ tsp garlic salt

½ tsp chili powder

¾ tsp cumin

Cover beans by an inch with water and bring to a boil.  Boil for five minutes and turn off heat.  Let stand for one hour.  Drain and rinse beans.

In large Dutch oven, sauté onions and celery in butter until onions are golden (about 10 minutes).  Pour in beer and add Ramen noodle seasoning; stir until dissolved and well blended. 

Add chicken broth, carrots, beans, Italian seasoning, garlic salt, chili powder and cumin.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and cook for 1½ hours, stirring frequently. 

Add sausage and chicken (added bone and all to add more flavor) and cook for 1 hour.  Remove meat from chicken bones and add rice.  Cover and cook 35-40 minutes longer.  Serve with corn-corn bread. 

**To make Hickory smoked grilled chicken: Sprinkle chicken with kosher salt and fresh ground pepper; place charcoal in grill and put 4-5 good size pieces of Hickory bark around the charcoal.  This will add a nice smoked flavor to the chicken.  Once the charcoal has turned gray and the grill is about 350° place chicken directly on grill.  Spray with apple cider vinegar every 20 minutes and turn often.  Cook for about 1½ hour.

© Crackerberries 2012

Yam Casserole

Festive Sweet Potato Casserole

This is a most versatile casserole dish.  It is an excellent side dish, dessert or brunch dish.  It is tasty warm, at room temperature and cold.  Serve it plain or with a dollop of sour cream or whip cream, depending on what or how you are serving it.

9 inch pie crust

3 medium sweet potatoes

2 tbsp brown sugar

1 egg, beaten

½ cup maple syrup

½ tsp nutmeg

Cook sweet potatoes in boiling water for about 45 minutes, until fork tender.  Drain and cool slightly.  Peelings will slip right off. 

Prick pie crust with fork and cook in 350° for 15 minutes.  Let cool slightly. 

Mash one sweet potato in bowl and add brown sugar, egg and maple syrup.  Whisk or beat until well blended and smooth.

Slice remaining sweet potatoes and place in pie crust, overlapping each other if necessary.  Pour mashed sweet potato/syrup mixture over top.  Bake in 350° oven for 55 minutes. 

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before serving.

© Crackerberries 2012

Turkey Chili

Festive White Bean Turkey Chili

I’m still trying to find ways to use up the leftover turkey from Thanksgiving.  This was really easy, and very tasty.

2 cups Soldier beans

2 cups water

2 chicken flavored packets from Raman Noodles

1 tsp ground Cumin

1 large onion, diced

¼ cup green Chile peppers, finely chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

½ tsp thyme

½ cup sugar

2 cups turkey meat

Soak beans in water overnight. 

The next morning drain and discard water. 

Add all ingredients, except turkey, to crock pot.  Cover and cook on low for 5½ hours (DO NOT REMOVE COVER DURING THIS TIME).  After 5½ hours, stir. 

Cook additional 3 hours.  Add turkey meat and heat just until turkey is hot.  Serve over rice or with tortilla chips and sour cream. 

Here it is over rice in edible tortilla bowls.  

© Crackerberries 2012

Butternut Soup

Festive Argonaut Soup

What better way to heat up your insides on a cold winters day than with a hot cup of soup?

6 cups peeled, chopped and seeded Argonaut butternut squash

3 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tbsp butter

1 onion, diced

28 oz (3½ cups) chicken broth

½ cup apple cider

Sour cream

Cover carrots with water in large Dutch oven, or soup pot. Bring to a boil and cook boiling for 5 minutes.  Drain water, remove carrots from pan and set aside. 

Melt butter and add onions.  Cook until onions are slightly golden – about 8-10 minutes.  Stir in carrots and squash.  Pour chicken broth over top.  Bring to boil, reduce heat slightly, and cook 30 minutes.  Add apple cider when veggies are fork tender. 

Remove from heat and cool slightly.  Working in batches, place squash mixture in food processor or blender and process until almost smooth; place soup in crock pot to keep warm. 

Serve with sandwiches, pretzels and a scoop of sour cream.

© Crackerberries 2012

Snickerdoodles

Snickerdoodles

What’s more Christmas than Snickerdoodle cookies?  These are Swedish style Snickerdoodles.

Preheat oven to 400°

1 cup butter flavored Crisco (+2 Tbsp water)

1½ cups sugar

3 egg whites

1 egg

¼ tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp cream of tartar

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp cinnamon

2¾ cups flour

¼ cup sugar + 1 tsp cinnamon

Cream butter and sugar together, add egg whites and egg and mix until well blended.  Combine flour, salt, baking soda, cream of tartar ginger and cinnamon together and stir until blended.  Add to creamed mixture mix well.  Drop by spoonfuls on ungreased cookie sheets.  Bake 400° for ten minutes.  Remove from cookie sheet and transfer to wire rack immediately.  Sprinkle hot cookies with cinnamon sugar mixture.

  

© Crackerberries 2012

Festive Fruit Slaw

Festive Fruit Cole Slaw

(Crackerberries fun Christmas Salad that is a take off from Waldorf salad)

The plan is to add a festive recipe every week day right up till Christmas.  Hope you enjoy them. 

6 cups shredded cabbage

2 carrots, peeled and shredded

2 stalks celery, diced

2 small apples, cored and chopped

2 small hard pears, peeled, cored & chopped

½ cup raisins

2 Tbsp lemon juice

½ cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans*

¾ cup vanilla yogurt

¾ cup light mayonnaise

Toast pecans (*optional) by heating a cast iron skillet over medium heat for 5 minutes, lightly spray pecans with vegetable oil.  Place in skillet and sprinkle with ½ teaspoon allspice.  Stir or shake skillet every minute for five minutes.  Remove from pan and let cool completely.

Place cabbage, celery, carrots, apples and pears in large bowl; sprinkle with lemon juice and mix well.

Combine yogurt and mayonnaise in small bowl and blend well; spoon into salad and stir/toss to combine.  Fold in raisins and sprinkle with pecans.  Chill before serving.

© Crackerberries 2012

Cereal Cookies

Raisin Bran Cookies

¾ cup crunchy peanut butter

½ cup butter 

¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar

½ cup sugar

1 tsp baking soda

2 eggs

1 cups all purpose flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tbsp honey

2 cups raisin bran crunch cereal

Preheat oven 375º

Cream together butter and peanut butter, then add sugars and beat until fluffy.  Add eggs and honey and beat until well blended. 

Combine flours, baking soda and mix well then add to creamed mixture.  Once all blended add cereal and stir just to combine. 

Drop by spoonful on ungreased cookie sheet.  Bake at 375º for 10-12 minutes.

Yield 5 dozen cookies.         

 Crackerberries 2012

Cranberry Muffins

Cranberry Muffins

1½ cups flour

1 cup fresh/frozen cranberries

¾ cup sugar, divided

2 tsp baking powder

¼ tsp salt

1 egg, slightly beaten 

¾ cup milk

¼ cup vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 400°.  Lightly grease muffin pan, or spray with cooking oil.

In medium bowl, combine flour, 2/3 cup sugar, baking powder, and salt.  Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients.

Combine eggs, milk, and vegetable oil and pour all at once in the center of the dry ingredients.  Mix just until moistened.  Batter will be lumpy.  Fold in cranberries.

Spoon into muffin tins; I use a large ice cream scoop to make all tins consistent.  Sprinkle remaining sugar over top of each muffin and bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.  Cool on wire rack 5 minutes and remove from tins.

© Crackerberries 2012