Going Viral

Going viral….

            I am sure by now many of you have watched the video of the dad wearing a cowboy hat ceremoniously putting several bullets through his daughter’s laptop.  He did this because he was upset she shared her teenage angst on the Internet.  I personally don’t agree with his methods or his madness.  (Hmmmm…let’s teach my daughter not to share her every feeling on the Internet by sharing MY every feeling on the Internet.)  I do agree with taking away her laptop for improper use, but the bullets, in my opinion, were over the top.  But here’s a thought, why not give her a journal and tell her to feel free to write whatever she would like to get off her chest.  Being a writer I guarantee there were many, many pages of my teenage journal dedicated to my displeasure with my parents and the chores they expected me to do on a daily basis.  (It was my job to sweep or vacuum and do the dishes every other night, how cruel.) Here’s the difference thirty years can bring, she put her thoughts online for the entire world to see, and I wrote mine in my private journal.  No one would ever read it except me (and possibly my sneaking little brother.)   Some things should not “go viral”.

            I happen to LOVE the internet.  Especially Facebook and the “new-to me” website Pinterest.  I can see hundreds of crafting ideas; get fashion tip, home decorating ideas and best of all tons of recipes with just one click. (It’s right on my Bookmark Toolbar.)  Easy Peasy.  Everything has a picture and tutorial.  This week I have made pepperoni pizza casserole, chicken “inside” a biscuit and several paper hearts for valentine decorations.  I am gearing up to try a new hairstyle or two.  I pin things I like and then my friends and followers pin the things they like….it’s like looking at everyone’s “to do” scrapbook on one page.  By this time next year I should have completely redesigned my home, repurposed all my recyclables and put on about five pounds trying new recipes.  See the Internet can do good things when used the right way!

            I am sure the 16 year old girl whose laptop was destroyed by gunfire was sorry ten minutes after she posted the ranting and ravings about her parents.  I would have hoped that if my parents had ever read my journal would understand that they were the crazed writings of a hormonal teenager and not meant to hurt them in any way.     Unfortunately the Internet is a “can’t erase it or take it back” forum.  As Erica Albright told Mark Zuckerberg in the Social Network “The Internet's not written in pencil, Mark, it's written in ink. Permanent ink.”  In my case where I want to access new ideas, books and recipes, permanent viral documentation is a very good thing.  As long as I keep my complaints in a handwritten journal I shouldn’t have to worry about anyone putting a bullet through my laptop.  Peace, Sandy

“The trouble with quotes on the internet is that it’s difficult to discern

whether or not they are genuine.”  ~ Abraham Lincoln

Pepperoni Pizza Casserole

Ingredients

1 pound ground beef

1 (8 ounce) package uncooked egg noodles

1 (16 ounce) jar spaghetti sauce, or as needed

1 (8 ounce) package sliced pepperoni, one half coarsely chopped

20 ounces shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Cook the ground beef in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink, breaking the meat apart into crumbles as it cooks, about 10 minutes.
3. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a rolling boil. Cook the egg noodles in the boiling water until cooked through yet slightly firm, about 5 minutes; drain.
4. Mix the noodles with the spaghetti sauce, chopped pepperoni, and half the mozzarella cheese in a large mixing bowl; spoon the mixture into a 9x13-inch baking dish and top with remaining half of the mozzarella cheese and whole pepperoni slices. Cover the dish with foil.
5. Bake in the preheated oven until the casserole is bubbling, 30 to 45 minutes.

Chicken Inside a Biscuit

Ingredients

1 fully cooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped

3 ounces cream cheese

¼ teaspoon garlic powder

¼ teaspoon dried rosemary

Salt and pepper to taste

I package refrigerator biscuits

Directions

Mix chicken with softened cream cheese and spices.  (You can add sliced mushrooms also.)  Roll the biscuits into a flattened circle.  Place about 1 tablespoon of chicken mixture in the center of the biscuit and bring the sides up to make a “bundle”.  Placed in a greased muffin pan.  Repeat with all ten biscuits.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 to 15 minutes or until biscuits are done.

Maple-Bacon Kettle Corn


4-6 slices bacon (preferably maple flavored bacon), chopped
2 tablespoons maple syrup
1/2 cup corn kernels
1/4 cup cooking fat (use the reserved bacon fat and add extra canola or vegetable oil to make 1/4 cup of oil total)
4 tablespoons sugar
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons salt (or to taste)
In a large pot with a lid, cook the bacon over medium-low heat until brown and crisp. Remove the bacon bits with a slotted spoon, drain on a paper towel-lined plate. In a small bowl, toss the bacon with the maple syrup and set aside.
Carefully measure out the hot bacon grease (or eyeball it and estimate). Add some vegetable or canola oil to make 1/4 cup of oil for cooking the popcorn.
Reheat the pot to medium-high heat, and heat up the bacon fat and oil mixture. Add the corn kernels, sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and stir. Cover the pan with a tight fitting lid and wait for the popping to begin, shaking occasionally.
Once the popping begins, use two pot holders or kitchen towels to hold down the lid and shake the pot so the sugars don’t stick to the bottom of the pot and burn. Shake often throughout the popping process.
Once the popping slows, carefully remove the lid (watch out for the steam and flying popcorn) and season with 1/2 to 1 teaspoon salt. Pour the bacon and maple mixture over the popcorn and use a large spoon to stir it all together. Really good!