Matt in the Middle: Cockle Warming Blog

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Cockle Warming Blog

I was not sure if I would blog today but I am blogging so now I am sure. Cha Cha and I took our weekly pilgrimage to Woodstock and, though we were going to take a picnic lunch, we did not and we ended-up eating at the place where we have eaten every Saturday for the last couple of months but one week. I will miss going there next week but Puerto Rico will be a good distraction and I think they have food there, right?

When we got home today I vacuumed the patio. It took quite awhile because it is very large (30' X 11') and it is stamped concrete (lots of crevasses); stamped and colored to look like a brown brick road. No need to follow the brown road just the yellow one I guess. If it's yellow let it mellow, if it's brown don't go down. I would have just swept it or hosed it off but that would have meant having to move everything off of the driveway-sized patio. It took quite awhile but I am happy that I did it because it looks nice for now. We have so many trees in the backyard that will make it need it again soon I am sure.

I know I wrote about it last year around this time but I purchased the MLB At Bat app again yesterday. That is the app that lets you listen to any Major League Baseball team's broadcast. You can listen to the home team's or the visiting team's broadcasts; you can even switch back-and-forth if you wish. If you live in the radio frequency area of your team it does not make sense as you can probably watch the games on television or listen to your local radio broadcast. My favorite team's home ballpark is 278.9 miles away and the broadcasts only would come in on very clear winter nights when there is no baseball (in the winter). The app is only $19.99 for the entire baseball season. I used it a lot last season. Sometimes I will just listen to Brewers' games too to hear Bob Ueker. Can you believe he has been doing Brewers' games for 46 years? I also like to listen to Dodgers' broadcast to listen to Vin Scully (67 years broadcasting their games). I am so sentimental.

I did not buy another bottle of the Cardinals' wine and the Red Birds lost last night. I am not going to buy another bottle to get another win; I realize that one is not connected to the other. My buddy Ed suggested that I buy one of many of the Anheiser Busch products. I considered doing this but Busch does not own the Cardinals any longer (since 1996). I did drink a lot of their products while I was in college (because I won them during trivia contests every Friday) and they owned the Birds and they did win one while I was in school but now there is no connection there and I don't drink beer these days. That was really long, run-on sentence. It was a great idea and a much better suggestion than me buying a bottle of wine for a win. They will win 80% of their games now that I will be listening (even though they lost last night while I was listening - one of the 20%).

It is 18:19 on a Saturday evening and I feel like going to bed. I am not going to do that but I feel like it.

I am pretty excited that Silicon Valley starts the new season tomorrow night; love that show. I wanted to say something introspective about the show so - I AM PRETTY EXCITED THAT SILICON VALLEY STARTS A NEW SEASON TOMORROW NIGHT! Introspective means "to yell at the top of one's voice," right?

Okay, I am done writing. I probably shouldn't have written anything but it seemed like a good idea when I began. I do want to say that - no MATTer what your political alignments or lack thereof, or your religious or philosophical belief ... Global Warming is a real thing and we can slow that down by being better tenants of the blue ball we are hurling through space upon. Now I am really almost done this time but you can see that my looking below this paragraph.

Happy Bill Shakespeare;s birthday!

Thank you, so very much, for stopping by when you could be doing something productive - I am so happy and it warms my heart and my cockles (sort of the same things though one is the actual heart muscle in our chests and the other are the cores of our beings). I will probably not blog tomorrow but I might surprise us both. TTT?...MITM (out) TA!

May you be well,
May you be happy,
May you be peaceful.

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Matt In The Middle Blogssary

47% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 47 % estrogen
53% Rule - Matt in the Middle is 53% testosterone
Agitator (the) - Matt's podcast name (revealed in blog and podcast number 2
B. S. - blog stuff
Big Sexy - Jay Cole's drink of choice (Jack and Coke) - doesn't necessarily have to be Jack
Blogcast - our podcast (Dirty Laundry)
Bloggestion - now in Urban Dictionary meaning something suggested on a blog or taking a few minutes to understand (like suggested or digested)
Blogging Suit - like a NASCAR driver's racing suit with all of the sponsors patches
Blogssary - blog glossary
Blogisodes - episodes of this blog
BWAK - blogged with a kiss
Ca-Ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ka-ching
Cha Cha - revealed to be Sugar Momma's new name on premier podcast
Cheese & Quackers - our resident ducks. she is cheese and he is quackers
Ciaoloha - MITM's new mega-word "discovered" on Columbus Day 2011. It combines "hello," "goodbye," "love," "podcast" and "blog" into one happy little package!
Copyright - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
Dirty Laundry - our podcast/blogcast launched 4/1/11
Discomboobulated - a word Bret Michaels used on Celebrity Apprentice when he meant discombobulated though discomboobulated is an actual word
Fabio - the name my son preferred being called on the blog (the artist formerly known as Sparky)
Judii - the sister I never had but wish I did (my unofficial sister)
Ka-ching - the sound of the cash register as I try to gain sponsors that will never actually happen (I'm not really that delusional) - same as ca-ching
Kajunkles - used for people who don't know how to run correctly. Body parts moving against one another rather than together for the common goal of running (could be a noun, proper noun or a verb). Trying to accomplish something against seemingly impossible odds.
The Lost Sock - Cha Cha's brother (and my brother-in-law). One of the best people I have known in my life.
MADYM - One of my very good friends - Mary. She was given this name based on an acronym of her name by one of my other very good friends Stacee. Together they came up with the MITM theme song idea. She was also our maid of honor or matron of honor (I don't know the difference).
Middle - anything average or center (Middle of the country, Middle of life, average intelligence, a regular joe (or joan)...)
MITM - Matt In The Middle
Ms. Peabody - Maisy (our dog) because of Mr. Peabody
Nature Girl - Another very good friend- Sue. Given this name because of being a combination of Diane Fossey, Caroline Ingalls and Danielle Boone (lady Daniel)
Patent / Patent Pending - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
PFT - Plasma Fun Time - donating plasma - twice a week.
Roz - my pink/fuchsia i-pod nano. Named for Roz Kelly who played Pinky Tuscadero on tv's Happy Days. She goes with me everywhere to play my life's soundtrack and measure my steps with her pedometer.
Sparky - my son's blog pseudonym (see also Fabio)
Splenda - my daughter's blog pseudonym
Sponsorship Patch - when I mention a known product to try to get sponsorships and want to put a patch on my blogging suit
Stacee - a friend from high school that is a great inspiration to me continuously. The Cosmos keep bringing us back together electronically (MySpace, Facebook, Blog...) even though we haven't "seen" each other for nearly thirty years.
Stuck In The Middle With You - Stealers Wheels theme song of MITM. Idea suggested by MADY and Stacee
Sugar Momma - my wife, Jill
Trademark - something that I think is clever and original that needs to be protected as original intellectual material (like it would really hold up in court)
TTTT - Ta Ta 'Til Tomorrow
TWSS - that's what she said
WTF - why the face?

Potato Soup

Ingredients Needed:
1 - 32 oz. box Vegetarian Vegetable Broth (I used Swanson's)
can substitute with chicken broth if you wish
1 - package of Country Gravy Mix (I used McCormick's)
okay to use sausage gravy mix if you wish
1 - 26 oz. package of frozen hash browns

Cook hash browns in a large pot. Cook potatoes until slightly browned stirring often so as not to burn the hash browns. While the hash browns are cooking prepare the country gravy mix as directed on package. Once the potatoes are done to your liking slowly pour the broth into the pot with the potatoes and reduce heat and simmer until hot. After the potatoes and broth are hot add the gravy mix and continue to simmer until thickened. Serve and eat.

** special note...I like it extra spicy so I add an extra package of county gravy mix to the finished mixture and whisk and heat.

Just like I always say - add whatever you want (peas, onions...) and make it your own. And, as always, ENJOY!

Sangria Wine Recipe (reposted from 4/22/10)

I also made Sangria yesterday to honor Earth's goodness (truthfully so I could get lit). I am not a wine drinker because most wines are too dry in my opinion and I am not a big fan of cotton-mouth. I liked the movie "Sideways" though so I want to like wine. I was watching Planet Green a couple of days ago while I was cleaning the kitchen and folding laundry like a real man and Emeril Lagasse was making paella on "Emeril Green". He also threw in, as an after-thought, Sangria so I hit the record button. Well he did it very fast and didn't say measurements or anything but he gave the basics so I came up with my own recipe and I think it turned out well though I made A LOT! Sugar Momma says I am a man of excess - isn't that what "man" means? Anyway, here's my Sangria recipe but I suggest you might want to cut the volume down unless you are having a small country over for dinner:

ingredients (I would suggest cutting the liquids in half)

3 liters of inexpensive Shiraz (Frontera Mendoza 2009)
1 cup of Grand Marnier
1 cup of brandy
1 cup of lime juice
3 limes
3 lemons
2 granny smith apples
2 large oranges
12 oz. sugar
33.8 oz sparkling water (Pellegrino)
64 oz. orange juice
ice

In a HUGE bowl slice the fruit and cover with sugar, mix. Add Shiraz and stir. Add ice to hold the fruit under while it drowns in the wine. Add Grand Marnier and brandy and stir. Add lime juice, orange juice and sparkling water and stir. Let sit for awhile so the tastes blend. Taste and add ingredients to taste (I added a little more lime juice and sugar). Find the biggest vessel you own for storage (mine is a pot like they used in those headhunter movies to cook people which is now sitting on our stove). Sweet and fruity just like me. Share with your friends/neighbors and your boss at review time.

Caprese Paninis

Ingredients you will need:

good loaf of bread (I used Italian bread)
mozzarella cheese
pesto sauce (I used jarred Classico brand - found by pastas)
fresh basil leaves
extra virgin olive oil
tomatoes

And here we go:
slice the bread and brush extra virgin olive oil on both sides of each slice. Clean and separate basil leaves. Slice tomatoes. Grate Cheese. Lightly grill one side of each slice of bread. Flip the bread when lightly toasted. After flipping the bread spread pesto on the toasted side and top with shredded cheese while the other side toasts. Once the second side is toasted and the cheese is starting to melt remove it from the

grill and top with two slices of tomato side-by-side and put a basil leaf on each tomato slice. Remove another slice of the toast with the pesto and cheese mixture from the grill and place it cheese/pesto side down on top of the tomato and basil'd toast to form a sandwich. (They could just as easily be done in a frying pan or on a George Foreman Grill...)

Done! Very simple and delicious!

Saturday, April 23, 2016

Cockle Warming Blog

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