ION

In Other News--

The chocolate chip muffins are baking now. I'm making 18 (theres enough batter left for one, possibly two more). I hope that we're giving six each to three neighbors, but I'm leaving that up to my wife. She can do whatever she likes with them (memories of the motorcycle joke come to mind). I also mixed up the dough for some bread, though this is not destined to become bread, per se -- it will become frozen chunks to be used in the future for fried dough -- which is actually not bad stuff.

Finally got through the New York Times Magazine of last week and their annual summary of Great Ideas. As usual, about a third were Hmm, thats nice, a third were What, Are You Kidding Me, and a third were actually quite interesting.

My wife informs me that she's likely to have a meltdown this week - a combination of the ongoing stress of work (when will I get fired), the death of my cousin (still a little hard to accept), the general economic malaise, and, perhaps most significantly, her family (or part of it) is coming here for Christmas. We're having turkey. We never have turkey -- but her family does, so we are. I keep singing We're having..pizza..for Christmas!, but it doesn't seem to be doing much good. At the end of the week, the daughteroid is going on a class trip up to New York City (am I paranoid? Does the Pope have a serious wardrobe issue?), and we're going down to Georgetown for an overnight trip, weather permitting. If I were a good doobie, I'd go up to New York for my cousin's funeral, but four hours plus up, four hours plus back, for a funeral seems a bit much. I suppose that makes me a bit of a creep?

I see where Barack's gone to Hawaii for a vacation. Good idea. He's already done more than the currently resident President has done, lately. I used to get irritated when Bush would take yet another vacation, and perhaps I'll grow to feel that way about Obama, but right now: Charge Up, Man -- as much as you possibly can.

I keep leafing through the book by the White House chef. I can bake a number of things, and he's a pretty easy going writer (none of this The butter, which has been chilled for 18 hours at twenty-six point two degrees Fahrenheit, must be warmed on a metal bowl over a bowl of gently simmering water and stirred with the horn of a unicorn...), but still: I'm envious. I'd like to be able to bake one or two things to his standard. Not the Oh, My God ones, just the ordinary ones, like the cookies and pies. It'd be fun, I think.

And thats it for the mo. Oh, and here's the muffin recipe.

Chocolate Chip Muffins
40 minute prep time Makes 18 - 20

2 1/2 CUPS FLOUR
2 1/4 TSP BAKING POWDER
1/2 TSP SALT
2/3 CUP BUTTER
2/3 CUP SUGAR
3 EGGS
2/3 CUP BUTTERMILK (OR, 3TBLSPOONS DRY BUTTERMILK AND 3/4CUP WATER)
2/3 CUP CHOCOLATE CHIPS
2/3 CUP GOLDEN RAISINS


PREHEAT OVEN TO 375.
GREASE MUFFIN PANS.
IN MEDIUM BOWL, COMBINE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, AND SALT.
IN ELECTIC MIXER BOWL, CREAM BUTTER AND SUGAR.
ADD EGGS TO MIXER AND BEAT UNTIL SMOOTH
GRADUALLY ADD DRY INGREDIENTS AND BUTTERMILK.
BLEND WELL.
ADD CHIPS AND RAISINS.
DIVIDE BATTER EVENTLY INTO MUFFIN CUPS. FILL EACH CUP HALFWAY OR LESS. (An ice cream scoop works quite well for this)
BAKE 30 MINUTES.
COOL IN PAN 5 MINUTES BEFORE REMOVING.