The best laid plans
This morning I had a conversation with a friend about indulgences. The way right now, in our current political climate, everything that isn’t calling or protesting feels like an indulgence–a struggle between needing to step away and allow yourself to enjoy something and feeling guilty for doing (let alone enjoying) anything that isn’t directly related to learning everything possible about what’s going on; trying to sort out reality from scaremongering, hope from wishful thinking.
I’ve been eating too much (and way too large a percentage is comfort food), watching the news/Twitter feed/reading the news too much, not sleeping enough, worrying too much (maybe, it feels like there’s no such thing as too much worrying when our society is imploding and half the time my girl’s eyeballs look like they’re on fire; when an evening of fun results in a day of not feeling well and seizure watch while the GOP decides just how much health care she doesn’t deserve) and not writing much at all. Is there a point to working on the MIP (Mess In Progress) right now? It’s speculative, my usual magical realism with additional elements of near future dystopia. How’s that for a non-sensical mouthful? Not sure I’ve seen that shelf in Barnes & Noble. Eventually, if it ever gets completed, I’ll sort it out. I’ve read several excellent novels recently, a few of which have been smart, smart dystopians. Is what I’m saying really new/different/adding to the conversation? How exactly do I add to a word count when I’m bombarded by bills, laws, and declarations that my voice–as a woman of a certain age, as a mother, as someone in the wrong tax bracket, as someone who lives in New York–doesn’t count? Is there a point to blogging and bleating about subversive, unethical happenings in government that will harm us all when actual journalists are being blown off, attacked, jailed, and prevented from recording the daily propaganda statements?
Naturally, in the interest of keeping the few marbles I have left, this is where I stop thinking and get back to cooking.
Hmm, not quite right, is it?
I’ve been making this particular coffee cake for years. I think it was the first cake I ever made, my grandmother loved it. Not only have I been making it for years, I’ve been making it in the same dish. Today, I didn’t feel like climbing up to get that dish down from the top cabinet, and this other pan was already out. Years ago had I done this, I would have a) stopped at this point to get the correct baking dish down and transferred the batter before adding the apples and topping, b) made another batch to double the recipe/fill the pan, or, most likely c) scrapped it and begun again. Today I went with d) screw it, let’s see what happens.
Close enough, it still tastes good.
Comfort food, anyone?
mrsfringe 
I feel like the whole country has gone with option D, and it’s not working out so well, but your cake looks delish, so maybe there’s hope. ❤
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It definitely isn’t working out so well. I just wish everyone who will be/is being harmed would realize it. Sigh. *passes you cake*
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Yesterday, you wrote about cooking comfort food and I wrote about needing to laugh. Same difference, same reason: this absurdly virulent administration and its ruthlessly sanctimonious, Republican-held congress are burying us alive.
The senate’s clandestine health care bill, which yesterday’s Huffington Post called ‘an assault on the safety net’ http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/senate-health-care-bill-safety-net_us_594ac8f7e4b01cdedefff13c is an abomination. 45 and his minions are rending the moral fabric of this country–gleefully dismantling its very foundation–at an alarming rate. I get a knot in my belly every time I turn on the news or read the paper. . .
Hence, my silly post from yesterday; similarly, your delicious coffee cake. Both were attempts to salvage our sanity as yet another nail is hammered into the coffin and now I want to counter that dismal vision with one that would make me feel better.
I could go for a slice of your delicious coffee cake. Alas, right now, even that would be tough to swallow.
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Virulent is absolutely the right word. Much of what is so awful about these last months is realizing just how fragile our foundation is, how quickly all can be destroyed. 😦 You’re welcome to a slice (two left!) and I’ll take one of your smiles in return. ❤
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I like to indulge in things like chocolate and cake and ice cream which is why I am short and fat well nothing to do with me being short but fat yeah the over indulgence in yummy food is the reason I am fat but at least I am happy
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This is the first time in my life (outside of pregnancies) that I’m not thin. I find I don’t care enough to say no to the foods I love. We all have to take comfort where we can 🙂
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Some times call for comfort food. Really. Still better than too many drinks 🙂
Your comfort food seems yummy to me.
I don’t naturally go to food when things do go well. I’m the opposite in fact and need to be careful or I would lose weight. Which I don’t need. But if I turn to comfort food it will be sweets. Gummy bears, twizlers, this kind of sweet chewy things seem to be my “bad times” comfort.
Take care, Mrs. Fringe. Good always wins in the end. The road is long and tough. But we’ll get there.
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