Matt in the Middle: You're a Daisy if You do!

Thursday, December 30, 2010

You're a Daisy if You do!

Catch Me in Habitat Africa!

cue the music (today's mood)
Second to last blog of 2010!

Tomorrow is New Years Eve and it is confirmed that we are going to Brookfield Zoo for Zoo Year's Eve after I get off of work at about 4 or so. Splenda is not going to be with us unless her real plans fall through so we are her plan B or C which makes sense. I am happy to be that high in the alphabet. We were also invited to a couple of parties and we may stop at one or more of them on the way home. Let me know if you're gonna be at the zoo and we'll hook-up like my Waffle House hash browns,

I am still fighting this cold but from what I see of a lot of my friends on Facebook it is something going around. Maybe it's a Facebook virus. I haven't been as ill as some of you have been. I was never laid-up where I had to say in bed; I just had a headache and a cough and a runny/stuffed-up nose (is it possible to have both).

A Great Humanitarian and Ballplayer

Tomorrow is the anniversary of the night that Roberto Clemente died in 1972. For those of you who are not familiar with Roberto Clemente he was from Puerto Rico and was one of the early Latino (Puerto Rico) players to play Major League Baseball. He played for the Pittsburgh Pirates. When I was eight-year-old I did a paper on him for school. As research I wrote to him in Pittsburgh and received a bunch of Pittsburgh Pirates material along with a Roberto Clemente autographed photo. I was already trying to be a writer 40 years ago. Even at that young age I was impressed not only by his greatness on the baseball field but with his humanitarianism and charity work. He died on New Year's Eve in a plane crash while delivering aid to earthquake victims of Nicaragua. His body was never recovered. He was voted into the MLB Hall of Fame posthumously in 1973 without having to wait the usual five years. He was the first Latin American to elected to The Hall. Whatever happened to that autographed photo? It was thrown out sometime when I was young with my bushel basket full of 1950's and 1960's baseball cards. Don't tell my mom...though this is the story of numerous MIDDLE kids.

I'm Your Huckleberry!

I am really having a hard time keeping this blog short. I feel like I am ripping you off. Ripping you off of what? I don't know. The voting has ended and Nature Girl is staying Nature Girl receiving 40% of the overall vote (2 votes). There is still one more day to vote for the best movie Doc Holliday on MIDDLE MOVIE REVIEWS but Val Kilmer looks like he is gonna run away with the title...Maybe I should send him a plaque for his office from us (MIDDLERS). I am sure he would treasure it always...I actually think I may do that and see if I get a response. I am still working on my 2011 resolutions and will reveal those on New Year's Day while you're hung-over and looking for something to ease your pain. TTTT...MITM (let me be free).

2 comments:

StaceeDecember 30, 2010 at 3:27 PM
val kilmer came in for dinner earlier this year where i work. i was not there, but the scoop was he was not very friendly, and he no longer looks like above photo. *sigh*
i think you should guilt your mom out about how much some of those baseball cards could be worth! lol
have a wonderful and safe new years, please be careful of crazy drivers if you are out there driving. i will be working my 13th new year in a row. every year i say it is the last new year's eve i will work, but its become tradition for me to just threaten and complain about it while trudging sadly to my car to drive to work. I look forward to your blogs of 2011.
ReplyDelete
Replies
Matt HelserJanuary 1, 2011 at 12:51 PM
I have seen him and he doesn't look even close to the same - you're right Stacee. Thank you for the kind words...I hope you and your family have a great 2011.
ReplyDelete
Replies

Add comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

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!