Kicked to the curb

In 1991, then Tennessee Sen. Al “I invented the Internet” Gore was in town to commemorate an Air Force Base anniversary. Being the seasoned local newspaper reporter, I got the interview. Our only opportunity to speak was in his limo on its way to the airport. Afterward, I was unceremoniously dumped on the side of the road.

Prompt #16: Share a celebrity encounter

I worked for a time at a thrice-weekly newspaper in rural Middle Tennessee. The paper served an area that included Arnold Engineering Development Center, Arnold Air Force Base in Tullahoma.

Gore and Sen. Jim Sasser were special guests at a 40th anniversary commemorating the opening of the base. I was to interview Gore for an article about the event. He was traveling to Chattanooga immediately after the ceremony, so I had a very small window of opportunity.

I knew he was headed to the airport, but had not been told how I was supposed to get back to the base. To say I was distracted during the interview, would be an understatement.

Just before the interstate on-ramp, the limo driver pulled onto the gravel shoulder, turned around and just looked at me. Gore also sat there simply staring at me, not saying a word. I was expected to know this was my stop. Dumbstruck, I got out of the car, all alone in the middle of nowhere, and watched as the car drove off.

This was before cell phones, so I had no way of calling anyone to tell them where to pick me up. Just when I was about to start walking the five miles back to the base, in a dress, in heels, another car pulled up. A Gore staffer got out and opened the back passenger door of car for me to get in. I didn’t say much on the drive back, but my poor husband, who was waiting for me at the base with our two-year-old daughter, certainly got an earful.

Lessons learned

I expected Allen Funt to jump out of the pantry the day my dad bare-handed a doxie turd and popped it into his mouth, noshing on it like some perverted peanut. Two valuable lessons were learned in that moment…

Be more diligent in my doggy doodie duties, and be more aware of what day it is.

Happy April Fools’ Day Pranksters!

Prompt #15: Share the best prank you ever played, saw executed or were the butt of yourself

In his shoes

If I could walk in your shoes for a day, what would the voices say to me, what would the faces look like? Could I survive your reality or would I go mad?

Prompt #13: tell about whose shoes you’d like to walk in for a day.

The Trifextra Weekend challenge: exactly 33 words written in first person narrative.

*Since his pre-teens, my son has struggled with a myriad of mental health issues. Diagnosed at age 12 with severe panic/anxiety disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, he also has bouts of depression, and times when he experiences auditory and visual hallucinations. As much as I try to be empathetic, I can’t totally grasp what he’s going through. Some days, I’ve wished I could be inside his head, to experience what he does, so that I could understand and perhaps be better equipped to help him. Yet, being witness to his episodes of panic and depression, I don’t think I could survive them with as much strength and courage as he does.

Cafe con leche

Whenever I visited Hilde, my adopted Cuban abuela, she would drink espresso from china demitasse cups she brought with her when her family fled Havana.

The afternoon I helped her scrape black beans off the ceiling when her pressure cooker exploded, she made me cafe con leche, and a love for sweet coffee was awakened in me.

Using an espresso machine, follow the instructions for brewing, using about 5 tablespoons of Cuban, Dark Roast Espresso Ground, packed, for each cup of water.

Add 4-6 teaspoons sugar (per cup of water) to the pot the coffee drips into, stirring the first few drips to make a frothy foam. You want the drink very sweet.

Combine one shot of sweet coffee to a small cup of hot, steamed milk.

Prompt #12: In 57 words or less, tell us about the best drink you ever had.

B as in Blue

When my children were young, every fall we’d pick up school supply lists and make our annual trek to Office Depot, filling our cart with No.2 pencils, wide-rule notebook paper, and 24-count boxes of Crayolas.

The kids have outgrown supply lists, but I still love crayons and coloring books, and I don’t share.

Prompt #11: Tell about something you’re embarrassed that you love.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Mel and Michele have joined forces to host, as they put it, a “… brand-spanking-new, semi-monthly link-up.” For the first prompt of December, they’ve asked for our favorite holiday recipes. Since I made this goodie over Thanksgiving, per my kids’ requests, it seemed the perfect fit.

Okay, this really isn’t a salad, and sure with all that butter and sugar, it’s also probably not all that ‘good’ for you ~ like salads should be. Yet… still… it tastes so good.

The sweet and salty combination is wonderful, and a very attractive dish. It’s sure to be a hit with your family or at any potluck dinner.

I first had this salad at an annual fundraiser luncheon hosted by a women’s group at a neighborhood church. Each spring the women would present at least a dozen different salads. The luncheon was a much-anticipated, and well attended function. The women were also generous enough to share some of their recipes, this one included.

This is definitely a make-ahead dish. What with having to pre-bake the crust, and then letting the cream cheese and strawberry layers set separately before serving ~ you need to start early in the morning if you want to serve it with dinner that night, or just make it the day before.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

2 Tablespoons sugar
1½ sticks butter, melted
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup sugar
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
8 ounces Cool Whip, thawed
6 ounce box strawberry gelatin (or two, 3 ounces boxes)
2 cups boiling water
20 ounces strawberries, sliced (may use 10 ounce pkg frozen berries)

Pretzel layer:
Combine 2 Tablespoons sugar, melted butter and crushed pretzels, mixing well. Press into the bottom of a buttered 9×13 pan. Bake at 375°F (191°C) for 10 minutes. Let cool 1 hour.

Cream cheese layer:
Beat 1 cup sugar and cream cheese until smooth. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread evenly over cooled pretzel layer. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, or until set.

Strawberry layer:
Mix gelatin into boiling water, stirring until dissolved. Fold in sliced strawberries. Let cool and spoon evenly over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate overnight or until set.

Hints:
• Recycle… don’t immediately throw away the wax paper covering the butter. Use the butter-coated side to rubbed down the inside of the baking pan.
• A heavy-duty ziplock bag and a meat tenderizing mallet makes for fun pretzel smashing, and is an amusing stress reliever.
• To save a little more prep time, after washing and capping, use a mushroom slicer  to cut up the strawberries.
• If you insist on being healthy, or at least healthier, you can substitute sugar-free,  fat-free, or reduced fat  ingredients for any of the ‘full-on, bad for you’ ingredients.

Prompt #7: Share a favorite holiday recipe

*From the Vault of IMSO; originally published Jan. 25, 2010. Edited and updated.