What makes your fingers fly?

I have been having an ongoing private conversation with a fellow blogging friend lately about the topics we choose to write about. She is an inspired writer and her blog is never boring. We chatted about the blogosphere giving us an opportunity to discuss topics of real merit. The topics that make you think, make you vehemently agree or disagree, and can cause one to possibly lose blogging friends. We are in a very unique period of history, and there is plenty happening.

We discussed the fact that some of us may choose a more banal writing style because we really don't want to appear controversial. I have to agree that sometimes I feel like I can be a bit overwhelming. I then choose to hit a more upbeat style for a while. I choose this because I feel the news is full of bad happenings, and life is so hard for so many right now. Not to mention I erased this blog at one point because I felt it had gone in a very negative direction. It was during the election and fall of our economy, and lasted all of three days. The feeling was that there was enough of that stuff out there, and I wanted to go in a different direction.

I still feel that way. But I also have to be who I am, and talk about those things that I feel are important. They are not always positive. But they are often the topics that make my fingers fly over the keyboard. I am a very passionate person, and my blog is my chance to let it flow, so to speak. To talk about the issues of our times that are having an impact on our world, however negative.

I had a conversation a month or so ago with a blogger who is a great writer. She had quit blogging because she felt she didn't want to participate because she didn't have anything positive to say - her life was very difficult at that point. Which has me wondering - are we becoming too worried about appearing nice? Are we losing men bloggers because we want to talk about only the positive/feel good stories?

What do you think? Do you get turned off by esoteric or negative topics? What do you look for in a blog that you follow? And by the way, what makes your fingers fly?

Youth will have their way...eventually

Does anyone doubt that "times - they are  a-changing"? The days of isolating a population, only allowing information that is sanctioned by the state are gone. Facebook, Twitter, blogging, the Internet, cell phones, have changed the world forever. Ideas will be exchanged. There is no stopping it now. With the exception of North Korea, the world is heading into a new era. They will think for themselves, thank you very much. They will have human and civic rights. They will have a say about global warming. Not every soundbite and political hack will be believed. And lets not have any more stealing of elections. At least not without a fight. The youth of the world will demand that changes be made - one way or the other, sooner or later. They're not waiting for the old to give way - they realize the old will not go willingly. Just as we realize that in the United States.

It may take some time - but change is coming.

I, for one, wish them the best in their endeavors. As a child of the Sixties, I recognize their power.

All Time Favorite Holiday Recipes

CREAM PUFFS!

I have made these cream puffs for years at Christmas and for parties. People love them! I remember making a platter of them for a New Year's party one year and we forgot to have dessert (the champagne was flowing...) A few days later my friend called and said she had eaten all but one! Not only that, but had given her husband the "eye" when he wanted the last one. She was thinking she wouldn't be needing any calories for a while.

It's a Betty Crocker recipe, and came from my very first cookbook back in 1971. It has been a family tradition to make these and deliver them to neighbors and friends on festive holiday plates. I usually make enough for each family member to have two, because one is just not enough! They are small, perfect for about two or three bites. My old cookbook is in storage so I went online to find the original recipe. The batter for the puffs was the same, but it included different fillings - so I started with the one I usually use, and added the other two as well.

Puffs
1 Cup Water
1 Cube Butter (4 oz) (or margarine - I guess...) 
1 Cup White Flour
4 Eggs


1. Heat oven to 400ºF. In 2 1/2-quart saucepan, heat water and butter to rolling boil. Stir in flour; reduce heat to low. Stir vigorously over low heat about 1 minute or until mixture forms a ball; remove from heat. Beat in eggs, all at once; continue beating until smooth.


2. On ungreased cookie sheet, drop dough by slightly less than 1/4 cupfuls about 3 inches apart.  Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden. Cool away from draft, about 30 minutes.


3. Make one of the fillings (directions below). Cut off top third of each puff and pull out any strands of soft dough. Fill puffs with filling; replace tops. Cover; refrigerate until serving. Store covered in refrigerator.


Vanilla Whipped Cream Filling: 
16 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 - 4 oz Pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding
1 Cup Milk
In large bowl beat beat all three incredients until soft peaks form. Fill puffs as directed and drizzle with chocolate frosting.

Eggnog Fluff Filling: 
16 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1 - 4 oz Pkg Vanilla Instant Pudding 
1 Cup Milk
1 tsp Rum Extract
1 tsp Ground Nutmeg
1/4 tsp Ground Ginger 
In large bowl, beat pudding mix, milk, rum extract, nutmeg and ginger with electric mixer on low speed until well blended. Add whipping cream; beat on high speed 1 to 2 minutes or until soft peaks form. Fill puffs. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 3 hours. Just before serving, sprinkle with powdered sugar or brush tops with light corn syrup and sprinkle with colored sugar or nonpareils.

Peppermint Whipped Cream Filling: 
16 oz Heavy Whipping Cream
1/4 Cup Granulated Sugar or Powdered Sugan
1 tsp Peppermint Extract
5 or 6 Drops Red or Green Food Coloring
In large bowl, beat ingredients with electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fill puffs. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate up to 4 hours.


Chocolate Frosting: 
2 oz Unsweetened Chocolate
2 TBL Butter
1-2 Tablespoons hot water (or as needed)
1 Box Powdered Sugar. 
Melt the chocolate and butter, add the powdered sugar and add hot water, a little bit at a time (just so it is slightly runny), mix well. Drizzle cream puffs and voila!


Now for your recipes!

ESSAYS AND UTTER NONSENSE

PISTACHIO COCONUT COOKIES


 THE RAMBLINGS OF A DISGRUNTLED SECRETARY
FRENCH BREAKFAST MUFFINS

ARMY MOM'S PLACE
SWEET POTATO SOUFFLE



SIXTYFIVEWHATNOW
PANETTONE


CAJUN DELIGHTS
PECAN PRALINES


MY YEAR ON THE GRILL
CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER NUTELLA CRESCENT ROLLS


WRITE PLACE! WRITE CHICK!
CHERRY 'O CREAM PIE & CHOCOLATE FROSTED PISTACHIO ECLAIRS

If you think of something you would like to share, drop me a comment today and I will add it to the above list. Also in my comments from the last post I had a couple of wonderful ideas for hot chocolate and a cream cheese appetizer - so check those out. Thank you for participating and I can't wait to try these recipes!

No More Bah Humbug!

Okay, so I admit I've been a bit of a downer here the last few posts. So now it's time to think some positive festive thoughts. How about sharing your all-time favorite holiday cookie/dessert/hor'doeuvres recipe? Drop me a comment by Sunday if you would like to participate, and I will post it on my blog on Monday. Please include the name of the item so I can link your blog and your recipe title. That's Monday, December 7th!

I know just the recipe I want to share...

Decade of Excess

Photo illustration: Jojin Kang. Images: istock

I have been reading and watching television this week. Nothing like having the flu to get you to stay in one place. And I am fixated on stories of come-uppance:

Dubai is in the news quite a bit. I'm sure you've read stories of this city in the desert. It seems they wanted to have a bigger and better sin city than Las Vegas. The Dubai World is owned by one man who actually does not have oil on his little stretch of sand, so he thought he would just borrow all the money needed to build this little monument to excess. The world's tallest building, a palm tree island, mega malls everywhere. This particular dream uses about 250 times the carbon footprint to keep those indoor ski hills operating than the US. Their latest use of energy was to cool the scorching sand on the beach so people will not burn their tootsies running to the ocean that now has floating garbage. It seems they forgot to build enough sewer infrastructure, so they just dump raw sewage into the street drainage, and it washes right out to sea. Lovely. Except now the tourists, that are coming less and less, are not allowed to swim in the E-Coli infected waters. It gambled that the world would always have excess money, and that everyone would want to be a part of that particular dream (nightmare?) Only now that money is not so plentiful, Dubai is pretty empty. Maybe now the slave labor that built it can go home.

Nightline did a segment on giant jellyfish invading Japan. This is the ultimate come-uppance in my opinion. Japan has been overfishing for many decades. Using drag nets that kill everything it it's path. They, and others, have not cared one iota what they were doing to the ecosystem of the oceans. Including the vicious killing of dolphins for their ravenous unending demand for all things sea life. Now that they have killed all the predator fish around Japan, a giant jellyfish has invaded and is killing their catches. Hmmm - tofu anyone?

Nightline also did a segment last night on wives that have been left behind by their white-collar criminal husbands as they go to the big house to pay their debt to the society they scammed. The first one was about the wife of Healthsouth's ex-CEO Richard Scrushy. It seemed they were the toast of Birmingham, Alabama, with their own television ministry, 300 million in assets, and two 15,000 sq ft mansions. You always need two of those don't you? But alas, Daddy is going to have to pay back over 3 billion and that will leave little for mansions. They swear he is innocent, however. The second one, Karen Weinreb, had five houses, all lost, unfortunately/fortunately. Her husband was an unscrupulous hedge fund owner. We all know how hedge funds are doing these days. She actually sees now how the excess blinded her to the real world. I guess flying to Milan to buy your clothes can do that...

And last, but not least, I have been a voyeur of the undoing of the Real Housewives of Orange County. Now, I can hear your groan of protest against my very bad taste in television from here, but in my defense, I think these women are a microcosm of the rest of us. No we don't all have enhanced breasts, or wear sequins during the day, nor do we have fake tans all year, but most of us did get caught up one way or another in the decade of excess. It was impossible not to. I watched this program the first season, lost interest, and only recently became fixated once again. My daughter had it on at her house and after only two programs, I was hooked. It is the slow unraveling of their lives that I find fascinating. These women were all about the bling, the clothes, the cars, the botox, the dream of "you are what you own." Of course the program picks women who are less educated, and not nearly on the same scale as the women who had five houses and two mansions, but in their world they fought and struggled to look and be what the media said was beautiful and sophisticated. This season it is all falling apart. The bravado is slipping as their houses lose value, their jobs disappear, their lives become very real. One lady admitted, she was scared. Another dropped out of the program, as I'm sure she didn't want to be followed as she loses her home. Real estate is just not what it used to be in Orange County, and neither is her job selling it.

I think most of us were excessive in some way. Very few of us can cast many stones. Whether buying designer bags or spending too much on our homes, cars, travel, our children, sushi, most of us were not without sin during the decade of excess.

So where am I going with all of this?

I think we needed this decade to usher in the change I see coming. We've been humbled on a global scale. It's not just the United States, but the Mideast, Asia, Europe, Iceland. As someone said regarding Dubai - it is so two years ago! As the middle class disappears due to stagnant wages, rising prices in food and necessities, the world is beginning to see that their livelihood is inextricably tied to those without jobs. Because without them, there is no market for their goods. If we over fish the oceans we will not have fish worth eating. If we continue to drive big SUV's to the supermarket, we will forever be tied to Mideastern countries that use our money to attack us. If the US spends all if it's taxpayer's money on needless wars, there is no money for healthcare and infrastructure. We begin to see limits - to everything. As we focus on the small, we see the world differently. We can emphasize with those so much less fortunate. The veil begins to slip. We begin to look at our world from a global perspective. We are One on this small planet. It is home to all of us, not just those that want to exploit it. I look forward to the next decade. I hope that the decade of excess will usher in the decade of enlightenment.

I am permanently changed. I don't think in my lifetime, I will look at conspicuous consumption in the same way. When I see someone sporting all the bling, I just feel sorry for them. It was so two years ago.

Goodbye Old Friend

(Roxy on the right, Lucy on the left, enjoying a Lake Tahoe swim.)

We lost a dear family friend yesterday. Dear little Roxy, my daughter's fourteenth birthday present. She was quite the personality. She "talked" - loudly and often. I can still hear my husband trying to shush Roxy, who was very loudly voicing her appreciation of going for a run, early in the morning as he was leaving the house. He was worried she would wake the neighbors. She was that loud.

She was the last puppy from a litter that should not have been. Her mother had been over bred, and when we arrived to see her, it was clear the family had been living off breeding their dogs. They lived in a tiny trailer in a small town 60 miles from Reno. Their children's beds were in the living room. Roxy was supposed to be a blond lab, but we found she was more red, and had a white splotch on her chest. We were assured that it not be a problem unless we wanted to show her. She was only going to be my daughter's pet, so we gathered her up and took her home. We knew full well that getting our money back, if there were a problem, would not be in the cards. We knew we shouldn't encourage such bad dog breeding. But she was already here, and we knew we could give her a good life, which was not assured if we left her behind for a better bred dog. No, not assured at all.

She was sweet, and we loved her dearly.

She was also naughty. Chewing through our beautiful Rose of Sharon, the big stalks belonging to our wisteria, and numerous other plants. We finally had to put chicken wire around all the trunks. Marley had nothing on Roxy. She was also a very industrious digger, excavating cavernous holes wherever she lived. She was busy, busy.

When we moved from Portland to Minnesota a few years ago my daughter decided to keep Roxy with her in Portland while attending college. I can still remember Roxy staring out the window as we drove away, wondering why Lucy was going and she had to stay. It was one of the hardest things I have ever had to do - leaving my children and Roxy behind as we moved 1800 miles away. But Roxy loved going to college. Stories abound of her leaving my daughter in the bedroom after a night of college partying to rejoin those still having a good time - all the while my daughter thinking she was sleeping in her bed. Roxy routinely slept in our daughter's bed when given the chance, the only clue being a warm spot right in the middle. She was also found on the couch - a big no no - by roommates on more than one occasion. Sneaking out and cleaning the counters of anything edible - including whole loaves of bread - plastic and all, was her favorite pastime. She loved beer, long runs, pizza, going in the car, garbage of any kind, swimming, all meals and snacks, and most of all - my daughter.

Our girl, home for the holiday, was getting bad reports all weekend. Roxy, the victim of bad genes, or so the vet said, was going downhill fast. After many vet visits, and thousands of dollars, the end was forthcoming. Our little girl was about to face life full on. After fighting with the vets to keep Roxy from suffering, and getting very little support, it seemed nature would take it's course. Her sister and brother-in-law were doing their best to keep Roxy comfortable until she could get home. Bless their hearts.

So dear little Roxy, the naughtiest dog we have ever had, as well as the one with the biggest personality, ended her struggle. My youngest, with her sister, took her to the vet for the last time. She fed her spaghetti, and spent the day home from work. Just as she did when we were still taking our daughter to soccer practice, Rox loved being with her person.

She was adored for eight years. She had the best food money could buy, warm/soft beds, exercise, experiences, and most of all - love. Rest in peace Rox, and say hello to Lady, Winnie and KiKi, okay?

Bugs

The bug has bitten. All that hugging over Thanksgiving! All three of my siblings had been really sick the week before, and like all good siblings they shared what they had. I hope it's H1N1 so I can just get it over with. I'll probably spend the week catching up with all of you. Now where did I put that Tylenol...