Work on it Wednesday

Books! Books have always been a huge part of my life and as a ferocious reader I have way too many. As you all may recall, I love a good thrift deal and generally books at a thrift store range from $.50-$3 or 4. Never one to pass up a good deal I've gotten some awesome books for personal library. At the same time though, I have amassed more books than one person could ever need and more than I probably will ever read in this lifetime. So, that's what I'm doing today. Packing up books I won't read or won't read again and passing on the gift of literature to someone else. I'll post an offer on Freecycle. I'm sure there will be some takers as like me, most people enjoy a good book.

Sweet Deals

Not that I'm an enabler or anything but Amazon has been running awesome deals on magazine subscriptions. I just got a Real Simple magazine subscription for the insane price of $5 last month and now I see they have Country Living for $5. Sweet! I'm getting it. There's a bunch of other magazine deals too. Not all of them are for $5, but definitely deeply discounted. Go check it out.

Monday's Meal

I make a lot of pizza in my house. It's one of the few things that E. will eat consistently and it's pretty inexpensive and quick to do. I own two pizza stones and two bread machines so that helps the process go a lot quicker. I can toss the makings for dough in oven on my way to the gym, when we get back the dough is ready and lickety split lunch is served. I like making dough in the bread machine vs. by hand (hence the two bread machines), but you can make this recipe either way. So, lately I've been trying to make the switch over to a pizza dough recipe that uses some whole wheat flour rather than just white flour. Trying to be semi healthy, lol. I have found that I prefer the white wheat flour over regular whole wheat, but you can use whichever wheat flour you like best. I have to admit that I prefer the texture of the whole wheat pizza crust over a white flour pizza crust and believe it our not the kids haven't even noticed the switch. I buy my cheese in large quantities and use leftover pasta sauce and I can make 2 pizzas for under $4. I think that's pretty good, don't you?



Sort of Whole Wheat Pizza Dough


1 1/3 cups warm water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups white whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon white sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 package active dry yeast (about 2 1/4 tsp)


If you are using a bread machine to make your dough add the ingredients as listed and use the dough cycle. Remove the dough when done and follow the directions for rolling out your dough.

In a large bowl, dissolve sugar in warm water. Sprinkle yeast over the top, and let stand for about 10 minutes, until foamy. Stir the olive oil and salt into the yeast mixture, then mix in the whole wheat flour and 1 cup of the all-purpose flour until dough starts to come together. Tip dough out onto a surface floured with the remaining all-purpose flour, and knead until all of the flour has been absorbed, and the ball of dough becomes smooth, about 10 minutes. Place dough in an oiled bowl, and turn to coat the surface. Cover loosely with a towel, and let stand in a warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour. When the dough is doubled, tip the dough out onto a lightly floured surface, and divide into 2 pieces for 2 thin crust, or leave whole to make one thick crust. Form into a tight ball. Let rise for about 45 minutes, until doubled.
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Roll out a ball of dough with a rolling pin to the desired size and thickness (If you want 2 thin crust pizza, divide dough into 2 balls). Place on a well oiled pizza pan or seasoned pizza stone. Top pizza with your favorite toppings. Bake for 12 to 15 minutes (depending on thickness) in the preheated oven, until the crust is crisp and golden at the edges, and cheese is melted on the top.

Here's a tip. We like a thick crust pizza so I usually prebake my crust for about 8-10 mins. without toppings and then remove it from the oven, add my topping and bake for another 10 or 12 minutes. This way I have found my crust is cooked completely through. I probably wouldn't do this if I were doing thin crust pizzas.

Tales from the cookie jar

M. is a die hard hardcore chocoholic and I think his most favorite chocolate fix is homemade chocolate chip cookies. I have to admit, they are pretty tasty, but they've become somewhat of an obsession with M. He reports to me frequently the status of the cookie jar, but it's in such a way that might have you wondering, um...does he want me to bake more? Our conversations generally go something like this with M. peering into the empty depths of the jar: "There's only three more cookies left, someone should make some more." Me: "M., would you like me to make some more cookies." M: sly smile and a nod. So, I find myself employed part time as a Keebler elf. I guess there's worst occupation to have. Here's a tasty recipe to make with your own cookie monster.



Chocolate chip cookies


1 cup softened butter
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup white sugar
1 small package instant vanilla pudding mix
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a large mixing bowl, cream butter and sugars. Add pudding mix, eggs one at a time and vanilla. In a small bowl combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture and mix well. Fold in chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Work on it Wednesday

It's been a blur of activity around here lately getting everyone squared away and back in school. Looking around I realize that I've neglected my house cleaning routine. That's right, I have a routine. I think I'll take today to get back on track and spiff up my abode. So...I'm off to scrub the toilet. Fun times!

Race relations in America?

The topic I'm writing about is sometimes difficult to discuss, but I think it's an important one and that we as citizens of the world don't talk about it enough. Before you begin reading this you need to know that I'm going to talk about race relations. It's not meant to offend anyone, but it is how I feel. You don't have to agree or understand it. You may have been one of the people that felt after Obama was elected that America had embarked on a new chapter of equality unprecedented in our history. I have to admit I was not one of those people. I was a skeptic. I wanted to believe, but you see I live in a world where things like this and this happen. So perhaps my view is a bit colored by my life experience.
I don't think I'm your stereotypical woman of color (if there's even such a thing). Or maybe I am since most of the woman of color I've known are strong. They are resourceful and self reliant in a way I've never seen in women who are not of color. I'm not passing a judgement here, I just think we've had to be like this because the plight of our men left us to care for our families in a way that other women haven't had to. I'm kind of crafty and domestic, but not because I read about it in some book or a group told me I should be. It's because that's what I knew growing up and that's what made the most sense to me. I had a very thought provoking conversation with one of my white co-workers recently. Let me explain a few things. I grew up on military installations. I wasn't really aware of racism or discrimination on the basis of color until I was much older (college age). It was very shocking and disappointing to me. I mean I had friends of all colors and felt accepted and valued by them for the person I was. Fast forward to present times. I moved to the south. Don't get me wrong, I love it here...now, but it was like falling back in time and not in a sweet Pleasantville way, but more in a Jim Crow kind of way. Moving here really changed my world view and made me a more cynical person than I was. I still have friends of all colors, but I probably am more aware now of our cultural and racial difference than I ever would have been if I never lived here. In fact when I encounter certain experiences I generally wonder if race is a part of it. If I'm treated a certain way such as being ignored in a store by the employee or followed around the store to determine if I'm shoplifting, I always wonder if it's because of the color of my skin. I don't want to think that way, but it happened so many times that it became the norm and perhaps I even came to expect it. It's the little things that chip away at your humanity, things no one considers to be harmful, but when stacked up tall, you realize that the assaults can leave a wound that never quite heals over. For example I've noticed in my work place some people can make caustic albeit funny remarks and their remarks are perceived as harmless and witty. If I behave in a similar fashion I'm thought of as the angry neck rolling finger pointing "big" black woman that will kick your @ss if you cross her (just for the record, I've never been in a fight in my life!). It weighs on me mightily. Often I feel isolated and separate from other women. They don't get my life (and perhaps I don't get theirs either). I mean how could they really and should I expect them to? There's no need for them to extend themselves to understand my world view is there when the world is set up from their prospective. Most images seen on television, most images in magazines...what's considered the norm is not my face. Society helps perpetuate that we are still separate. You rarely hear or read a story discussing a white individual that points out in fact that they are indeed white. But you rarely if ever read or hear a news story pertaining to a nonwhite person that doesn't disclose that fact. It seems that it's essential that we know that the person is black or Hispanic or the story has little merit. I find it a bit ironic because really we are all probably more alike than we are different, but where is the impetus for us to discover that? We all want the same things. To be happy, to love and be loved.
I remember having a conversation with another white co worker about why she wouldn't attend an HBCU to further her education. To me, why wouldn't she? She'd get a great education and because she was a minority on campus she'd have an abundance of funding options. Her response was she wouldn't feel comfortable. How ironic. All my life it's been expected that the world I live in is suppose to feel "right" to me. Most of the times it's fine, it doesn't bother me and I too take it for granted that this how life is. Sometimes though, sometimes I feel something inside of me that objects to this and makes me a little...well, I guess the best word I can use to describe it is sad and maybe just the tiniest bit alone on this planet.
And yet as a mother I am still hopeful. Each time I send my children out into the world I am hopeful for their future and that their experiences will be different. I am hopeful that they will be judged not by their skin, but by their character, their own abilities and by all the gifts they have to offer.

Monday's meal

I love fish. I would eat it every day if I could. Alas not only are we not near any decent bodies of water (and once you've gone down to the docks to get the fresh catch somehow getting it from the grocery store isn't quite the same) but, Mister is allergic to seafood. Even though the planets have aligned against me, occasionally I get an overwhelming urge for some catfish. I like it best fried. I know that's not very healthy, but there it is. It's super easy to do and so delish I could just eat it straight from the frying pan with nothing but a fork, lol.


Southern Fried Catfish

1 cup buttermilk
salt and pepper, to taste
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 pound catfish fillets, cut in strips
1 1/2 cups fine cornmeal
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoon Old Bay or the seafood seasoning of your choice
Enough vegetable oil for deep frying


In a medium bowl, mix buttermilk, salt and pepper. Place the fish in bowl making sure to coat each side, and set aside to marinate.
In a resealable gallon sized plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, flour, garlic powder and old bay seasoning. Add fish to mixture, a few fillets at a time, and tumble gently to coat evenly. Lay the fish on a cookie sheet covered with parchment paper and let set for 10 minutes before frying. Heat oil to medium high (365 degrees f)in deep fryer or skillet deep enough to fully cover fish. Deep fry fillets until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Fish should be slightly crisp outside, and moist and flaky inside. Remove and drain paper towels.