Crackers, Politicians

I have never mentioned a habit I found most peculiar when I arrived some 30 odd years ago, and still do: filling your bowl of soup with Saltine crackers. Eating crackers with soup is, to me, normal, but putting in so many crackers that you are virtually eating a cracker pudding flavoured with whatever soup was served, is definitely odd. I never serve crackers when I serve soup, if anything I might serve crusty bread, but I would be very upset if I had gone to the trouble of making a delicious soup only to have someone load it up like that. Adding lots of condiments is bad enough, especially when people do so without tasting first. If you look at the picture, I can bet with certainty that those four crackers will end up in the soup itself.

Matt and I were having a discussion the other night about the stupidity of politicians who have serious aspirations to be state Governors or even President of the US, who are yet dumb enough to have a mistress (or mistresses) and even babies on the side and expect people to either not find out or to ignore it if they do. Its not just Caesar’s wife who must be beyond reproach. In France, they take such things in their stride, but if you are a North American politician you MUST know that North Americans do NOT so why be so damned stupid. Both Governors of North and South Carolina (to name a couple) have lost their credibility because of this.

Matt’s just pointed out to me that there is a group of people in the park outside our window with their dogs. He says they meet up every morning. I’ve never noticed them before. The dogs are having a fine old time gambolling around the place and the people are talking up a storm by the looks of it. I miss having a dog but neither of us could walk one properly any more plus we think it would be unfair to the dog in an apartment. Mind you there have been instances of people keeping pot bellied pigs in their apartments!!! I wonder how, or even if, you can house train them.

I am unlikely ever to bake these, but with Hallowe’en coming up I just had to post them because they look so cute. I love anything with meringue anyway especially when accompanied by really thick English cream.

Ghostly Brownies

Celebrate Halloween by baking a round pan of chocolate brownies, then topping them with piped meringue ghosts. Add chocolate chips for eyes and bake until meringue is lightly browned. Serve.

Ingredients

Brownies

1 ¼ cups Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

¾ cup butter

3 eggs

1 ¼ cups sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup Robin Hood® Nutri™ Flour Blend

¾ tsp baking powder

¼ cup Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Meringue

4 egg whites

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp Corn Starch

16-20 Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chips

Preparation

PREHEAT oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Grease a 9” (24 cm) spring form pan. Brownies MELT chocolate chips with butter. Reserve. WHISK eggs with sugar and vanilla in a large bowl. Beat in chocolate and butter mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. POUR mixture into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven 45-50 minutes. Remove from oven. Meringue ONCE brownies are made, beat egg whites using mixer at high speed until soft peaks form. Slowly beat in sugar, continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold in corn starch. Spoon 1 cup (250 mL) meringue over baked brownies. Place remaining meringue into piping bag with a ½” (2.5 cm) plain tip, or place in heavy plastic bag and cut a ½” (2.5 cm) hole in one corner. Pipe about 8-10 ghostly shapes over the prepared brownies. Add chocolate chips to the meringue for eyes. BAKE again in preheated oven 10-12 minutes or until meringue is lightly browned.