Poem Words

 Poem Words

 

A poem came to me one day

Just a word that went astray

And fortunately passed my way.

No tone or promise, just an array.

Two more floated, then another

Drifted past and softly uttered

A hint of rhyme that lingered long

And strung together, prolonged.

The beauty of it felt so new,

Red and yellow, pink and blue

Bouquets of flowers not of words

Not at all what I first heard.

But bouquets need attending

Rearranging, somehow blending

Until they look just right

Standing tall in bright sunlight.

It’s then I found the words were rhyme

A poem passing through my mind.  

And that is how it came to be

Nothing at all to do with me.

I’m just a catcher of stray words

Passed by wind and songs of birds

Until at once they come together

Poem words from wind and feather.

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Time was long and time was bent

 

Time was long and time was bent

Life’s good fortunes tossed and spent

Wasted footprints in the dust

Scattered by the breeze of lust

Love’s bubbling fount long since dry

Kisses, laughter now a sigh

The sun shined so brightly then

Not a care of if and when

Soft skin, bright eyes, golden dreams

Now hidden under wrinkle creams

Old friends that have passed beyond

Our time has spent, our savings gone

And yet we rise to greet the day

Hoping that in some way

The well of time will once more brim

With thoughts of love, bright eyes, soft skin.

Care to take a Personality Quiz?

 

Care to take a Personality Quiz?

 

I often hear people say “I don’t have time, for …..?

 

Truth is, we all have the same amount of time in a day, unless we’re so hung over we longer know day from night from nightmare.  But, for the rest of we solid citizens, sober, and in good health….well, that’s enough banter.  I’ll pick up the pace. Try to keep up.

 

Try this if you’re up for a slap in the face and an enlightening discovery on how you spend your time and why you never seem to have enough.  

 

This exercise falls in the wide gap between quiz and experiment.  As a rule I detest experiments, a hold over from time I wasted in Chemistry class cozying up to the periodic table, daydreaming about the mysteries of the female anatomy, and doing titrations, for reasons that still escape me, although anger still resides.

 

Ok, on to the business at hand.  This experiment is thoughtfully simple.

 

1. Make a list of the things that are most important to you:  family, church, close friends, job, pets, shopping for muskmelons, grand kids, exercise, biting the heads off venomous reptiles.

 

2. Categorize your list in order, from most important to least important.  Give yourself a miscellaneous category for smoking cigars, buying new shoes, cleaning the bathrooms, and remembering your wife’s birthday.

 

3. Now for the grinding of teeth.  Give each important part of your life a percentage of the time you WANT/NEED to spend.  And of course, unlike athletes who failed math and think they are able to give 110%, you are stuck with 100%.

 

4. Now comes the really tough task:  Not counting sleep, which to be dishonest, we shall call eight hours.  Keep tract of how many hours you honestly spend on everything during the other two thirds of your day.  

 

5.  Now compare where you spent most of your time and how it matches with each of your important categories.  Don’t forget to include the throw-away time you spend napping, complaining, and trying to figure out what politicians really mean.

 

As Dr. House often said, everybody lies.  Mostly we lie to ourselves.  Such as:  I exercise everyday.  I work fourteen hours a day!  I don’t have time to read.  I don’t eat very much.  I spend a lot of time with my family. Don’t guess.

 

Sometimes your categories will overlap. That doesn’t matter. The purpose of the experiment is to figure out how to rearrange your time to put the most important things first.

 

Shall I offer suggestions on how you can rearrange the time?  Oh, hell no!  As one of my favorite talking heads said:  You know the answers.  You just want someone to give you easier answers.

 

This experiment is not to turn you into a CPA for time management.  But it may stabilize your life, or at least prompt you to put the emphasis on what’s most important to you. 

 

Even so, I had to lie when household chores didn’t make my top ten and someone suggested it should.  Especially, I was told,  it should come a few steps ahead of watching football and reruns of The Beverly Hillbillies. Under threat of scorn, and in self-defense, I agreed she was right.  That’s the last time I’ll let her look at my list. Try not to judge me harshly.  And don’t lie and tell me you really did this ridiculous experiment and found you exercised like a racehorse, spent every waking moment with your family and you use a good part of your week to feed the poor, not including freeloading family members.

 

Now you have to ask yourself:  AM I READY FOR THE TRUTH?

 

Now back to The Beverly Hillbillies. 

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Marching On

 

Marching On

 

I hear the footsteps marching on

The drumbeats hollow, the band is gone

And yet the sun still roams the sky

It all seems very different now

The sun glows dimly, I don’t know why.

Leaves still rustle teased by breeze

Life should be the same to me

My heart still beats in silent measure

More and more each beat I treasure.

They passed unnoticed in my youth

Those sunny days all hid the truth

Of growing old of passing youth.

Life so full, embraced each day

Sleepy dreams blew cares away

Now clouds and clarity of youth pass on

The charm of night, the creep of dawn

All my lonely promises fade on

But footsteps heavy still march along.

 

Fluffy Cheese Biscuits by The Careless Cook

 

Fluffy Cheese Biscuits by The Careless Cook

 

You want the whole story?  I suspect not, so I’ll be as brief as this very brief recipe is. These biscuits are very light and fluffy!  A bit of this and that and you can sip your first cup of coffee while your creation bakes.  Oh, you want more specifics?  Ok, followed by a deep sigh.

 

First things first for this rapid fire, delightful biscuit:  Either a Bloody Mary or a Mimosa.  

 

Second step: Heat the oven to 450ºF. If you’re anywhere but the USA, try 175ºC.  Grease or put parchment paper on a baking sheet.  I used the parchment.

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups flour

1 cup milk

1 heaping tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt, or a bit less (A chef has to make a decision now and again)

¾ - 1 cup shredded cheddar (I suggest a full cup, but you’re the chef, so do what the hell suits you)

¼ cup melted butter + plus ¼ cup to paint the tops of the finished biscuits

1 large egg

 

Puttin’ it together

 

I used a handheld electric beater

 

Put the flour, salt, baking powder, and cheese in a large bowl and stir.

 

In a separate bowl, stir an egg and add the milk. Stir to combine, then  stir in a quarter cup of melted butter.

 

Add the liquid mixture to the flour mixture and use the beater to thoroughly combine.  Note: The dough will be sticky and soft.  If not, add more milk a little at a time.  Drop tablespoons of dough on the baking sheet.  I dropped a bit over a tablespoon (more or less) at a time.  

 

For this amount of dough I needed two baking sheets.

 

Depending on the size of your biscuits, bake for 8 to 10 minutes.  Judge by the tops browning.  Mine were done in 8 minutes.

 

Remove biscuits from the oven and paint the tops with the melted butter.

 

Now, while your ungrateful guests whine about not having enough for third and fourth serving. Ignore them and switch from a Bloody Mary to straight vodka. You also may want to skip the ice.

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Banana-Coconut-Walnut-Cinnamon Muffins by The Careless Cook

 

Banana-Coconut-Walnut-Cinnamon Muffins by The Careless Cook

 

What if you need to feed muffins to about twenty hungry ladies who have flitted past the age of consent long ago and hurdled a few other milestones?  What if you only have an hour or so to complete this wondrous task?  Now let’s up the ante.  Suppose your culinary career and high hopes for a settled and peaceful home-life rides on your performance?

 

Can it be done?  Well, of course and The Careless Cook will lead you on, smiling and cheerful.  Who knows, you may even get in return sly winks from your fatted calves and promises of sweet reminders of your youth, like chocolate cookies and your grandmother’s peanut brittle.  If you are lucky, you may even get pecks on the cheek, but I wouldn’t count on it.  There are limits.

 

Admittedly, The Careless Cook keeps a well-stocked larder, so if my three faithful followers lag behind in the fundamentals of chefery, they may need to make a quick trip to a nearby grocery.  And let that be a lesson to you!

 

It’s football season, so I’ll put it this way:  Are you ready to cook?  I SAID:  ARE YOU READY TO COOK?  YES, you scream, as we break the huddle and head to the kitchen.

 

Time to get on with it.

 

Sometimes the best recipes may be found on common packaging and so it was with this one from a box of Bran Flakes.  But, of course, being careless by nature and habit, The Careless Cook had to make a few minor changes, all of which are pleasing.

 

Banana-Coconut-Walnut-Cinnamon Muffins.

I realize that’s a mouthful. You may want to casually 

 mention Bran Muffins and let your hungry hordes guess

 the rest.

 

NOTE:  You may have noticed I frequently use my food processor for blending bakery dough or batter.  NOT THIS TIME.  ALL IS HAND MIXED IN A BOWL, WITH A WHISK.

 

Ingredients

 

2 cups of bran flakes

1 ripe banana, mashed

1 x 13.66 ounce can of coconut milk, or whatever amount your can says

½ cup brown sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract…I just used a slosh

1 ½ cups of flour. I used unbleached all purpose

½ to ¾ cups of chopped walnuts

1 good handful of sweetened, shredded coconut

1 ½ teaspoons baking soda

¾ teaspoon ground cinnamon, or a bit more

½ teaspoon salt  - don’t you just hate it when recipe

writers turn up their noses to show off their delicate sensitivities by specifying what kind of salt, like kosher salt or sea salt?  Yes there are some minor differences, but with ½ teaspoon, sodium chloride is sodium chloride!

 

People sometimes ask me, is salt really kosher?  No.  It’s a heavy grained salt, with no additives, used to season or preserve kosher meat.

 

Puttin’ It Together

 

Preps:

Heat your oven to 375ºF (with my oven, which runs a little hot, I used 350ºF)

Smear a 12 cup muffin tin with butter.  I used my fingers to smear and to make sure the tins were well coated. 

 

I was making 20+ muffins, so I used two 12 cup muffin tins and only filled them halfway.

 

1. Put bran cereal and coconut milk in a large bowl and stir well. Add banana, sugar, vanilla, and egg.  Stir until well blended.  Now whisk in remaining ingredients (except for flour and baking soda) until well blended.

 

2. Whisk together the flour and baking soda, and blend in with the other ingredients, a little at a time.

 

3. Put the batter in the muffin tins and shove them in the oven for 20 minutes.  Since I was only filling my cups half full, I used 18 minutes. Either way, test by inserting a toothpick in a muffin.  Should come out clean.

 

Time to finish that morning snifter of brandy and pat yourself on the back, if you can still reach your back.  If not, either join a yoga class, or ask the ladies to do the patting.

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Spanish Almond Chicken by The Careless Cook

 

Spanish Almond Chicken by The Careless Cook

 

 

 

We lived in Spain for a while and the Spanish cuisine is one of my favorites.  The last time I was there with my brother, we learned when you go into a café or bar, don’t order food, just order wine. 

 

The word tapa is frequently overplayed in the U.S., but in Spain it’s a small dish that comes along with any drink you order, be it beer or wine or a rum and Coke.  Olives, garlic shrimp, thin slices of delicious Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, made from the milk of sheep from the Manchego breed.  I’ve also often been blessed when presented with a small plate of unsalted anchovies in garlic oil. In the U.S., eating anchovies means being turned into a first cousin of Lot’s wife.  Not so in Spain. In garlic oil, or freshly fried, they are delicious.

 

 

And that takes us into the many varieties of the broad, Spanish Cuisine, beginning with the world famous paella from Valencia, and cochinillio asado, roast suckling pig, just to name a few of the culinary wonders that come from a Spanish kitchen. Almost forgot to mention the soups!  Gazpacho, Caldo Gallego from the north, and the unforgettable Fabada de Asturiana, also from the north.  Sometimes I think I could live on Fabada, that wonderful bean stew!

 

Which brings me to travel.  There is much more to Spain than Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the other tourist meccas.   Each is wonderful of course, and well worth some of your time, but don’t forget the north and northwest.  Think of the United States and ask yourself if you’ve seen the country after visiting New York City, San Francisco and Miami, and disregarding all the wonders in between.

 

I’ve been asked if there’s a Spanish wine I really like.  Yes, the wet kind. In a bar you just order a wine, red or white and what you get is wonderful.  Same with beer.  Now I must warn you, if you order a Cuba Libre, you better specify rum, or you may get either Coke with rum, or gin.

 

Ok, you hungry tourists….

 

 

 

Time we git wit it!

 

 

Spanish Almond Chicken 

 

 

Yield: serves 4

Time: About an hour, not counting the chopping and dicing.

 

By the way, I prefer what the French call mis en place (miz ahn plashs), which means doing all the chopping and measuring and getting everything ready before you start cookin’ with heat!

 

Note: this dish is all done on your stovetop.  No need for an oven.

Ingredients

·       About 1/3 cup olive oil – amount is hard to tell.  You’ll be using a splash here and there

·       1 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón) Don’t have it?  Use regular paprika.

·       5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, patted dry

·       Salt and pepper

·       2 medium onions, peeled and diced (I used sweet onions, but cook’s choice)

·       3-4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

·       2 heaping teaspoons flour

·       1 cup dry white wine

·       2 cups chicken stock

.    Two or three sprinkles of dried oregano

·       1 teaspoon Turmeric.  The Spanish use saffron, but it’s expensive and Turmeric works fine. 

·       Roasted salted marcona almonds (about 2 cups), finely ground, plus more whole almonds, for garnish.  Yes you can use marcona almonds and they are delicious, but again, expensive.  I used regular almonds, fried them in some olive oil and added salt.

·       Note:  I used one cup of ground almonds

·       1 tbsp. sherry vinegar.  Any lightly flavored vinegar will do.

·       Parsley leaves, for garnish – use or don’t use.

Instructions

1.    In a large skillet (big enough to hold all the chicken pieces…in step two (below), stir together 2 tablespoons or a bit more of the oil and the paprika. Turn the heat to medium and stir, until fragrant. Fragrance will happen rapidly!

2.    Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and add it to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and add 2 more tablespoons of the oil. Turn the chicken as needed, until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

3.    Add a little more oil to the skillet, toss in the onions and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the flour and cook until white streaks have disappeared. Add the white wine, stir, turn the heat to high, and cook until bubbling and thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock, oregano, and saffron or turmeric. Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered until the sauce thickens. Watch it!  If will happen fast!

4.    Stir in the ground almonds, vinegar, and cook a few minutes more. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and the whole almonds you put aside, and serve over rice.

 

My photos do not do this dish justice.  This is one of the most delicious I have prepared in a long time.  Would I lie to you?  Have I lied to you?  I’m thinking, no, but then my memory is drifting with the tide.  Anyway, I always have your best interests at heart.

 

Spanish Almond Chicken….tasting is believing!