Matt in the Middle: The 2 Little Rascals are Home Alone for Only One More Night!

Friday, May 6, 2011

The 2 Little Rascals are Home Alone for Only One More Night!

It's Friday and it sorta feels like a Friday so the days do catch up it seems.

Today seems like a pretty productive day so far. I donated plasma (without any snags for the sixth time straight), I cleaned up around the house since Cha Cha is coming home tomorrow and you can imagine what the house looked like with Oscar Madison and Oscar Madison, Jr. being alone for four days, I went to The House Cafe and had a salsa-avocado wrap after listening to myself talk about it on this weeks podcast while mowing the lawn yesterday, then I went to chase a lead on a possible job. Unlike the one I blogged about yesterday this one I do hope I get. It's really close to home and is for a place where I know I would like to work. That's all I am going to say about it because I don't want to jinx it. Now, after I get done blogging I am going to change the oil on the 4Runner because A) it's time and B) this coming week I make the long trek down and back to pick up Splenda for summer break. It appears that I am going it alone which I don't mind. When Cha Cha and I were dating and I was still going to SIU and she had transferred to NIU I would drive home and back every weekend...ahhh young love (now turned into MIDDLE love).

I have so many things written down to talk about but I have a conflict these days. Do I blog it or podcast it? I don't want to repeat the same stuff in both.

I heard that Jackie Cooper died. The things that come to mind immediately when I think of Jackie Cooper are: Perry White in Superman (the Christopher Reeve ones) and his roles as Jackie in Our Gang / The Little Rascals. I was a huge Little Rascals fan and my favorites were: Jackie (who fell in love with Mrs. Crabtree), Mickey (who grew up to be Baretta), Stymie and Wheezer. If you ever get a trivia question asking about my favorite Little Rascal now you'll know (probably tied between Stymie and Wheezer actually). Cooper left The Little Rascals to go to the big screen in the movie Skippy where we was the youngest person nominated for the Lead Actor role. He was the youngest person to be nominated in any category until 50 years after he was nominated Justin Henry was nominated for Best Supporting Actor for Kramer vs. Kramer.

I just got a text from a beautiful young woman friend asking me if I wanted to go to a strip club with her. No kidding. If Cha Cha were in town I may take her up on it but it would seem awfully weird to do that with Cha Cha out of town. I do find strip clubs fascinating though since I am a people-watcher. I have been to maybe five or six in my life (the ones in Las Vegas are nice). I am usually pretty embarrassed to be there; I don't know why - I'm not the one shaking my stuff in people's faces. I just talk to the strippers until they see someone who wants to part with their cash.

Speaking of child actors and moms jumping on planes and leaving without their handsome, crafty, charming young men... did you see where the Home Alone house went up for sale in Winnetka, IL yesterday? I was gonna buy it and turn it into a movie museum but the zoning laws wouldn't allow for that in that particular residential area. Maybe even a Home Alone Bed and Breakfast would be cool. How long would it take for me to make my $2.4 million back do you suppose? Maybe I could get Daniel Stern and Joe Pesci to work the front desk and Macaulay Culkin to be the bellhop.

Okay, I gotta get out there and start draining the oil and getting the old filter off before the wind kicks up again. Enjoy your Friday night and maybe I will blog this weekend between baseball practice, airport shuttle duty, Mother's Day, and recording a podcast... If you want to get mentioned on the podcast send me a line at matthelser1@gmail.com. TTT?...MITM (out to change the oil) TA!

1 comment:

Matt HelserMay 7, 2011 at 6:29 AM
I just re-read this and it was Ms. Crabtree not Mrs. Crabtree you moron!
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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!