Happy Birthday America – whatever is left of you
Toby Keith

“Don’t believe anything you hear and half of what you read, until you verify it yourself”
My Dad was the master of “words of wisdom” and as part of teaching his children critical thinking –

Long before the “interesting” theories presented as fact rampart on the Web – Imagine if he had lived to see what is out there today!

He often managed at least once a month or so to remind us

He did live long enough to see what the web has become, but when I “walked him through” Compuserve – he predicted it would become a hell hole of speculation – even he did not envision the world of speculation that would be based on less than factual information. His position was that expressed by Bernard Baruch in the mid-1940’s
“Every man has the right to an opinion but no man has a right to be wrong in his facts. “

So for the shared amusement of my long time friends and family –

The Internet can be quite fascinating. It has been recommended that from time to time one should google oneself. I don’t usually bother but recently a family member and a lifelong friends sent me a links I found quite fascinating.

Among the things I learned about myself, apparently:
I was not born the year it says on my birth certificate.

The name on my birth certificate is not really my name – legal or otherwise.

I have been married several times I know nothing about

I did not work for the Yonkers PD as my income tax records indicate, but did the NYC PD as a civilian dispatcher –

I do not live an at least 1/2 dozen locations cited in several different articles

I’ve also heard quite a bit about people I supposedly dated – only two of the several dozen claims appear in my personal diary (kept since I was 10 years old)

Given historical precedent, (in 1978 I was told by the then CEO of Gannett that even though my facts were correct – they did not fit the chain’s narrative so they (Gannett) would not publish in any way – not even as a letter to the editor.

After much thought and having decided likely not worth the effort to attempt to correct such a blatant lack of facts – however, it certainly might be useful for at least one of those “investigating me” in evaluating any of the information they also presented as facts.

Remember what Sam Said:
“Don’t believe anything you hear and half of what you read, until you verify it yourself”

Pantry Planning: Jiffy Corn Mix is one of those things worth having even if it does now include soy.
The almost ready to eat handiness of Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix variations is certainly worthy of it space InMySmallKitchen.

• Wisk 1/2 tsp Apple Pie Spice into dry ingredients.
• SUB 1/3 c Apple Sauce (replace Milk)
• Pour into well greased 9 in pie pan
• Let it rest for at least 3-4 minutes.
• Bake according to package directions until center is clean tooth pick done

WHY a pie pan? its a twofer = we like a bit of crispy edge and wedges look nice on the plate.
(I know cast iron is better if not always possible)

It is a toss up depending on freezer space. Jiffy Corn Muffins freeze well, or you can weigh and make only 1/2 box at time if you are

Shopping tiplet: Most stupid markets seem to have sale on individual or 6 packs on a regular basis. So a stock up every few months is easy to plan.

As part of planning your Pandemic Pantry – do check the “best by date” –
and yeah, sure I could make the mix up myself, but the shelf life would be much shorter,

Please join us on GAB to share your favorite variation in our group
Food Craft – Making and Methods
Shared 06-Jun-2021

Now that we have officially entered Summer Grilling season (but please don’t limit this wonderful ingredient to just a few months of the year) sometimes called “Butter Pesto” InMySmallKitchen. So skipping most of the usual food blog rhetoric – jumping straight into the “recipe and variations”

Beef Meat Compound Butter
1 Tbl Roasted Garlic Paste Fresh
…or 1 tsp Roasted Garlic Dried
1 tsp Pepper, Black Coarse Ground
1 Cup Butter, “Sweet Cream” (Salted)
Combine until evenly mixed then place in small bowl – Cover allow to “meld” several hours.

USE: Slather it on as soon as meat is removed from heat for resting so it will be absorbed into the crust as it rests.

Reminder Plain, Salted/Sweet Cream Butter will keep on the counter so make early in the day
Or, make ahead up to a week if all dried herbs or 2 days if fresh herbs. Store in Refrigerator until an hour or two ahead of use.

Tiplet: use a relatively neutral flavoured oil (Sunflower, Safflower, EVOO) to rehyrdrate dried herbs to create a paste to blend into the soft butter.

Tiplet: Variations – Sub/add other herbs & spices to make a compound butter to bring out the flavours of other Meat & Poultry

Beef: 1 Tbl Horseradish Fresh or 1 tsp Powder
Lamb: 1 TBL Rosemary Fresh Finely Minced (or 1 tsp Dried)
Pork: 1.5 tsp Mustard Seed, finely ground
Poultry: 1 tsp each Sage & Summer Savory (consider using it under the skin and to rub into breast cavity when preparing whole or pieces for roasting.

Tiplet: Brush onto breads either before or after toasting or even without toasting.

elements of this post were also shared at my GAB group
Food Craft – Making and Methods
https://gab.com/groups/1848
shared 2021-May-31

Memorial Day commemorates the men and women who died while in the military service of the United States of America particularly those who died in battle or as a result of wounds sustained in battle. In other words, the purpose of Memorial Day is to memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country. 
Established as May 30th in the years following the Civil War, it is celebrated on the last Monday of May
——-
God our Father, Giver of life,
we entrust these
United States of America
to Your loving care.

You are the rock on which this nation was founded.

You alone are the true source of our cherished rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.

Reclaim this land for Your glory and dwell among Your people.

Send Your Spirit to touch the hearts of our nation’s leaders.

Open their minds to the great worth of human life
and the responsibilities that accompany human freedom.

Remind Your people that true happiness is rooted in seeking and doing Your will.

Lead us into a new millennium of life. We ask this through Christ Our Lord.

Amen.

(author unknown, found on a Catholic prayer site)