Spumoni Trifle (attempt no. 1)

My family and I created a recipe which was inspired by a banana trifle.  We eat fresh bananas, but that's where our love of the fruit ends, so we seriously tweaked the recipe.  It turned out quite delicious. So now I'm sharing it with you.

You will need:

1. Heavy Whipping Cream
2. Powdered Sugar
3. Milk
4. Two packages of Jello brand Chocolate Pudding
5. One package of Strawberry Cake Mix
6. Two jars of Maraschino Cherries
7. Grenadine
8. Rum
9. Eggs
10. Oil (vegetable/olive/grape)
11. Large bag of Pistachios
12. 9 in x 13 in Cake Pan
13. Wooden Spoon
14. Electric Mixer or Blender that can whip

This recipe is made in many stages, so start in the morning if you want it for dinner.  For less stress, I just made half one night, let it set in the fridge and finished it off the next day.

Put in mixing bowl the amount of eggs and oil required for the cake.  Then put two tablespoons of grenadine in your measuring cup.  Fill the cup to amount of water the mix calls for and mix it in with the eggs and oil.

Rough chop 12 oz (by weight), roughly one and a half jars, of the cherries.  Discard the corn syrup that they are stored in.

Mix the dry cake mix into the wet ingredients, only enough to get all the powder wet.  DO NOT OVER MIX. Then gently stir in the chopped cherries.

Cook cake in the 9 x 13 pan according to the directions on the box. When it is done, set in on a cooling rack to cool a little. It need not reach room temperature.

After 30 minutes poke holes in long rows all over the cake with the back of the wooden spoon.

Using the same technique as with the water for the cake pour two ounces of rum into a measuring cup.  Fill the rest of the way with the required amount of milk, boil and mix with pudding powder.  I used instant set pudding and it turned out fine, but I will use the regular next time so the flavors blend better.  I also believe that the chocolate might seep into the cake a little bit better that way.

Once the pudding is mixed, pour it over the cake, cover with foil and put it in the fridge to set.  Do not be impatient.  It is important that the pudding set firm.

When the pudding is set, you can place halved cherries across the pudding if you really like a lot of cherry flavor.

Mix one quart of heavy whipping cream with 1/4 cup of powdered sugar and whip until stiff peaks form.  You'll want an electric mixer for this.  It makes the job so much faster. Smooth the whipped cream on top of the pudding layer and generously sprinkle chopped pistachios over the top.  If you leave the trifle in the fridge for another couple of hours before serving, the cherry and pistachio flavors will seep into the whipped cream a little.  But feel free to serve right away.

This recipe makes a huge desert.  My family ate it for desert three days in a row and each had a treat on one day.  That makes 16 servings total, and for me, the servings were a little big.  But oh, it was so yummy.  I will be tweaking the recipe just a little next time.  If it comes out better or at least just as good.  I will share that info.

Everybody Poops

I work at my daughter's school so sometimes, I have to take a break in the little girls' room. Literally.  It's nothing special, I'm sure that everybody has to pee from time to time.  And, when you are responsible for keeping 500 children on schedule as they move from one place to the next, you need to stay hydrated. Hydration leads to urine.

Now, please tell me, was that first paragraph just more than you ever needed to know?  I feel that it was.  True or not, no one cares. That's how I feel about this book.

While squatting I couldn't help but notice this funny, if slightly disturbing, little sign hanging on the door.  Talk about blunt. The advice offered on this sign is good.  And kids from kindergarten up are using these toilets, so plumbing issues are bound to arise.  This sign is really just an extension of their education.


So I made the mistake of looking up the author.  Everyone Poops by Taro Gomi has the goal (I hope) of making children feel comfortable with their bodily functions by proving in gross detail that everyone, animal and human, that eats must have bowel movements as well.  This lesson may be helpful for those young children who are in the middle of potty training and are maybe having a hard time taking the next step.  The last page of the book however renders it trash and is too nasty for words.  Six illustrations of animal and human naked buttocks in the middle of pooping.

  YUCK!

Clean Hands = Healthy Body

I may be the only parent brave enough to admit this out loud, though I doubt I'm the only one who has ever had the thought.  My children are dirtier than I would like them to be. They aren't pigs, most of the time.  But they don't have the same appreciation that I do for things like freshly brushed hair and soft, neutral smelling feet.  My daughter whines every day when I tell her that it's time to take her shower.  "But I showered yesterday," is an argument she actually uses. Does that make sense to anyone as a justifiable excuse for being dirty today? If so, humor me, lie to me, what ever, just please don't tell me that seems right for you to stink today because you didn't yesterday.  I'd rather not know.

Knowing this about my kids makes me all the more a proud mama when I realize that I spend a good portion of our grocery money on liquid hand soap.  I have to refill that sucker every other week in the kitchen and every ten days at most in the bathroom. At least I know that they believed me when I taught them that you should wash your hands every time you pass a sink.  The dirt and sweat may cling to their arms and legs, but the fingers that they eat with are sanitary.  I have taken steps to make this blessing a little more affordable, convenient, and enjoyable for all.  Maybe you can make use of theses little tips for your family.

1. Buy two separate soap dispensers for each sink.  Keep one full under the sink so that when someone can't squirt any soap out anymore they can just reach under and grab the new one rather than skip washing.

2. Hang a hand towel hook by your sinks so kids/hubbies won't re-dirty their hands by drying them on their t-shirt or jeans.

3. Refill individual dispensers with a bulk sized bottle.  

4. Soap washes away germs.  Don't spend extra money on anti-bacterial soaps that may contain harsh and dangerous chemicals.  The FDA has issued official statements regarding Triclosan saying that we are still unsure of whether this chemical is even useful in hand soap, let alone benign.  

***As always, do your own research.***

5. Do use liquid rather than bar, for convenience.  It is easier for your kids to pump than lather, so they will be more likely to do it.  It is also a real pain to wipe up the sink when the soap dish has a wet bar of soap sitting in it.

6. Add a few squirts of cocoa butter to each refill and shake well.  This will make washing your hands repeatedly throughout the day easier on skin.

7. Add one or two drops, no more, of an essential oil or extract, like vanilla or lavender to make washing hands just a little more of a splurge than a duty.

Read Before You Watch

Orson Scott Card amazed me with his science-fiction novel Ender's Game.  It's harsh look at the impact the universe can have on the hearts and minds of children would have made Lois Lowry proud.  The true testament to the book's power, however, is that fact that I already had such high expectations.  Mario (hubby) read four books in the series more than five years ago and praised them highly.  When I read a book on Mario's recommendation, I expect near perfection in both creativity and process. Ender's Game surpassed those expectations.

I dread stating that the plot line is a bit predictable. However, not in the banal interpretation usually implied by the term, "predictable." The characters are all written so well that readers who have been exposed to gifted children or referred to as gifted themselves are easily able to interpret motivations as if these characters were real people. Understanding motivations then makes it easier to foresee actions. Becoming acquainted with one character leads to more familiarity with another. So one person's actions only naturally lead to another's reactions and so forth.

I in no way mean to imply that you shouldn't immerse yourself fully from beginning to end.  The journey is like no other.  And, I am wholly convinced that there is absolutely no way a movie will be able to do this story justice. So I plead with you, "Please read the book."  That said, having loved the book I am anxiously awaiting the movie.  I personally cannot wait to see the Battle Room.

Ender's Game Official Trailer #2

No Tasing Six Year Olds or their Mothers

My new catch phrase is, "Never give me a taser." There are just too many stupid people in the world.  How else do you explain shows like, "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo?"  And I don't have enough patience.

Let us focus for a minute on her greedy mom.  Here's a woman who gave her infant a stripper name at birth, the poor girl never stood a chance.  Then she capitalizes on her child by parading this ugly toddler around in front of every willing photographer on the planet, knowing that the world is pointing and laughing.

I have a daughter.  She's a real human being, and I would hate to think that random people like me, were writing stuff like this about her.  My job as a mother is part education and part protection.  But all June Shannon sees is the $20,000 per episode paycheck, attached to her little girl's curls.

I really cannot say what irritates me more, the fact that this woman has been called a good mother for her exploitative ways or that there are people out there who invest real time in watching the show.

Use Facebook as...

DesertButterfly took one more step along the road of branding today.  She created a Facebook page.  Even as Evelyn, I don't use FB as much as your average person, so I'm hardly an expert.  But I remember it being much easier to create a profile on a social networking page.  I had to call Dannie to help me just to get past the add for add placement. I still can't like other pages or add artists as friends.

There is an option to, "use Facebook as DesertButterfly."  What does that mean?  Who else would I use it as?  That's who created the account.  That's who signed into the account.  I clicked it, hoping that it would make it easier to peruse and like and add a little easier.  But nothing seems to have changed.

I need to hire a teenager to come and teach me how to use my FB.  How sad is that?

The Daylight Project

This video makes me happy. 

 Thank you Maroon 5.

Battle Royale

Suzanne Collins has been accused of ripping off the Japanese movie Battle Royale for her hit series Hunger Games, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.  I just watched it.  It could have been her inspiration, but Hunger Games is in no way a rip off of that twisted, sick creation.

That movie is the hunger games, and those who enjoy watching it it are much like the citizens of the capitol. I can see how it may have inspired a trilogy of revolution stories.

I just want to publicly rebuke those who call the two stories the same.  Rather than reading a three sentence synopsis and passing judgement, read the book, or don't and just keep your mouth shut.  Either way works for me.

Bucket List

Here's a list of places I want to go before I die.  
Yes, a cruise ship does count as somewhere to go.

1. The Crater of Life 
     

2. Mt. St. Helens
          Mt. St. Helens erupted the day I was born.  It was the big eruption in 1980 that caused devastation and and sickness from breathing the ash far and wide.  I don't have some otherworldly beliefs or strange earth worship plans.  I've just always been curious about the volcano and the area around it.  The coincidence made me aware of the area and so I think of it often.  I would like to have memories in my mind of what the giant looks and smells like.

3. Anasazi Pit Villages

3. Disney Cruise
          I have always wanted to take a cruise.  But now as a married mother of two I don't want to have that experience alone or with a few girlfriends.  I've checked out a lot of lines and the Disney Cruise Line seems to be the perfect fit for a family.  There are so many things that I want my children to experience and this ship would let me experience and adult cruise while they had the time of their lives.

4. Gibraltar

What should I add?

There are easier ways.

I'm sure you are familiar with the phrase, "you catch more flies with honey than you do with vinegar."  I have the greatest story that proves why we should all live by that wisdom.  This really happened, but some *fake names have thrown in to protect business reputations and grumpy old men.

A local sewer and drain guy, Stewart*, got a call out to a fourplex apartment building the other day to deal with a simple sewer and drain issue.  It made sense to him, to back into the extra parking spot in front of the building, just in case he needed to carry tools in from the back of his truck or whatever sewer and drain guys do.  Also, considering the extremely low temperatures last week Stewart left the engine on his work truck running.

Not the Actual Building

Imagine you live in the second floor apartment and your living room window is open.  The exhaust would get into your window and stink up your apartment which would inspire you to get up and shut the window, right?  I guess that line of common sense reasoning doesn't come naturally to grumpy old men.  Instead Al*, the grumpy old man, left his window open and stormed down the stairs yelling profanities at Stewart and demanding that he turn his vehicle off.  Al insisted that the exhaust from the van was going to give him carbon monoxide poisoning. Stewart respectfully refused, explaining the the heat needed to remain on in order to keep certain mechanical tools from freezing and becoming to stiff to use.

Al then took his profanities and demands, quite loudly to the apartment manager, Bob*, who agreed to try to work something out with Stewart.  When Bob spoke to Stewart he found that Stewart had a very reasonable demeanor and was quite happy to compromise.  He pulled his truck around to the front of the parking lot, closest to the street and parked with the rear of the van toward the street.  That was not good enough for Al.

Al called the police.  He informed the police that the serviceman was trying to poison him with CO1.  The police of course, were obligated to respond.  Since Al insisted that his health was in immediate danger, the police had no choice but to alert the necessary authorities.  The fun part is this, because he mentioned CO1, the fire department had no choice but to come out and clear the building.  Not to mention, the paramedics were also required be present in order to treat any victims of said poisoning. So the cavalry was dispatched, all the while the unsuspecting super and serviceman were carrying on with the repairs on the ground floor.

First up was the fire department. When they arrived, they blocked off the entire parking lot, because they weren't able to come all the way in.  Cars as well as the service truck were filling the area.  Then they went upstairs to check the CO1 levels in Al's apartment.  Al, grumpy turd that he was, refused to let the nice fireman in.  The fireman argued with him for a good ten minutes, making no headway at all.  Eventually, out of ideas, the fireman turned to the police officers for help.  They had hatchets of their own, and yes, they used them.  Al's front door was reduced to a pile of splinters.

Of course, Al was greatly exaggerating the danger and all of the CO1 levels were within safe parameters.  Al's behavior however was not.  He had moved his hissy fit to the parking lot where he was now acting belligerent and combative toward the police men.  His reward for all of his effort was being strapped to a gurney by the paramedics for transportation to the psychiatric ER where he could rest and calm down for a few days.

The punchline: Stewart had finished up his work a few minutes after emergency crews started to arrive, but he was unable to leave as they were blocking the drive.  So he ended up sticking around with his work truck running and releasing exhaust for an extra hour as a result of Al's 911 call.