The lights are much brighter there.

    A power outage in downtown Lawrence forced me to come home early today. 'Seems the lights are always blinking off and on in my fair little city. Nobody knows why.
    As I was driving home, I hoped the power would come back by dinnertime, then started thinking about the "I Can't Believe It's Not Butter" toast contest I entered (see entry below) and how the judging will likely take place this weekend. Five finalists will be chosen to fly to New York for a "toast off" later this month in the Unilever kitchens. (The Food Network is involved....it's kind of a big deal.)

That started me thinking about how much I *heart* New York City at night. I'll never forget how that incredible skyline with all the lights came into view as I crossed the Brooklyn Bridge in a taxi for the first time in 1997.  And THAT started me thinking about this song from one of my favorite classic Broadway musicals:

AAADD: The Video

I've read lots of jokes along these lines, but have never seen the syndrome actually dramatized. The video is meant to be funny, but it's really quite charming, in a lovely British way. Maybe this explains why it always takes me two hours to get to work.

Speaking of dead rarebits, er, rabbits...

Mrs. Weiner is reportedly preggers. Oh, that poor woman.

Raise a toast to toast!

I was invited by the “I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter” folks to participate in a toast-themed recipe contest. (Little did they know, I mastered the art of cooking toast 50 years ago.) What follows is my entry. Wish me luck….

The ingredients

    Toast! Is there a more satisfying, instantly gratifying, totally tranquilizing comfort food on the planet? Forget chicken soup, friends. Toast is the cure for what ails you:

    Cough due to cold? Take toast with gobs of honey and call me in the morning. Touch of the tummy flu? A slice of lightly buttered toast will fix you right up. Jilted by the man of your dreams? I’ll be right over with plenty of toast, tea and sympathy.

     I savor toast in every form: French toast with cinnamon raisin bread, BLT’s on toasted sour dough, grilled cheese on, well, anything… even PBJ’s on toasted wheat. (I adore the way the warm toast melts the peanut butter into the jelly.)

     But, to a nostalgic baby boomer raised in the late 50s/early 60s, there is one dish that says toast like no other: Welsh Rarebit, the comfort food of my childhood and, arguably, the ultimate ode to toast.

     For years, I called it “Welsh Rabbit,” because no one bothered to set me straight (so much for “Parents as Teachers.”) The thought that I might be eating bunny meat (aka Thumper) gave me pause, but not enough to dissuade me from gobbling down the cheesy goodness at every opportunity.

     Of course, there’s no rabbit in rarebit. It’s simply toast smothered in a velvety, tangy sauce made from cheddar, dark beer, mustard powder and seasonings. Like fondue without the scary little pitchforks.

     My maternal grandmother introduced me to the dish. Weekends at Kiki’s would often feature luncheons of Welsh Rarebit and bottomless glasses of ice cold Pepsi-Cola (her weakness, along with Camel cigarettes.)

     Mom would occasionally make Welsh Rarebit for our family of seven as Sunday night supper, with a tossed salad or vegetable on the side. Her rarebit was the frozen kind, heated in the oven and served over toasted white bread. (Yes, children. Back in the day, we didn’t even know what whole grain was!)

     For some reason, Welsh Rarebit slipped off my culinary radar for decades. I am sad to report that my kids – now in their twenties – never had it for Saturday lunch or Sunday dinner.  I brought it back to my table – with a personal twist – after seeing a recipe in an old cookbook that was stored away during our recent kitchen remodel.

     The dish originated in Wales but, with apologies to Welshmen (especially you, Tom Jones), my version uses local ingredients from the Sunflower State. You can use cheese, beer and bread from wherever you live and it will be just as delicious. My recipe also includes an easy strawberry-rhubarb sauce on the side for a hint of sweetness and a surprisingly tasty complement to the sharp cheddar.

The finished product

Welsh Rarebit: Kansas style

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 to 8 slices Great Harvest Sunflower seed/whole grain bread

I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter, for spreading

8 strips applewood-smoked bacon (optional)

Cheese sauce:

2 T. flour

2 T. I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter

1 T. mustard powder

½ t. cayenne pepper powder

¾ c. Free State Brewing Co. Oatmeal Stout (or other dark, strong beer)

2 T. Worcestershire sauce

1 c. Alma sharp cheddar cheese, grated

Sauce on the side:

3 T. local strawberry-rhubarb jam (or plain strawberry jam)

1 T. balsamic vinegar (I used violet-infused balsamic)

Instructions:

    Fry bacon strips on griddle until moderately crisp. Drain on paper towels. Set aside.

    Mix strawberry-rhubarb jam with balsamic vinegar in a small bowl. Store covered in refrigerator until fifteen minutes before serving.

    Melt ICBINB in a saucepan over medium heat. As it melts, stir in flour. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, 3 to 5 minutes. Stir in mustard and cayenne, then whisk in beer and Worcestershire sauce until smooth.
    When combined and heated through, turn heat to the lowest setting and gradually add cheese, again, stirring until smooth, about 5 to 15 minutes, depending on stove. (Do not get impatient and turn up heat or cheese will curdle....believe me.) Remove from heat.
     Toast bread at medium to medium-high setting in toaster. Lightly smear with I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter.  Pour warm mixture over 1 or 2 slices of toast. Top with bacon strips and add dollop of strawberry-rhubard sauce on the side.  Serve immediately with vegetable, fruit or green salad. 

    Bon appetit!

Orazyme: The cure for cotton mouth?

    Dry mouth is a common byproduct of middle age, caused by a variety of medications, dehydration, diabetes, smoking, snoring and other contributing factors. It's the reason I wake up coughing in the night, in my air-conditioned room with ceiling fan running at full speed. (I'm a mouth-breather. Unattractive, but true.)
   Orazyme is a mouth wash developed to combat dry mouth. According to company literature, it "moistens the mouth on contact....soothes irritated oral tissue and promotes healing of cracks and sores due to dry mouth conditions. Its unique moisturizing film-forming capabilities coupled with 7 bio-active enzymes help restore moisture and create healthy microflora for long-lasting relief."
    I've tried Orazyme twice a day for about a week now. It has a filmy, slightly-oily texture, which bothered my sensitive palate in the beginning. But, the taste is pleasant and I have gotten relief from 2 a.m. cotton mouth. The best part is, after using it at bedtime, you'll wake up minus that dreaded morning breath. Now, if only I could convince my husband to give it a try. Recommended.

    This product was sent to me free of charge, with no monetary compensation or incentive to offer a favorable review. Results may vary from person to person.

At least, my feet feel good. Thanks, Aetrex!

It's hot and the BG is cranky. In fact, I'm hardly fit for human interaction. But, my tootsies are comfy and cool thanks to these new Aetrex "Sandalistas" I bought over the weekend. After a few weeks of running around in my flip-flops, my arches started screaming for support. "Do something! We're falling fast!" they cried. "Didn't your foot tour around Italy teach you anything?!?" So, after an exhaustive search, I plopped down a bunch of money on these orthopedic-shoes-pretending-to-be-fashion-sandals and - voila! - no more complaints from my tired dogs. Worth every penny. Highly recommended.

BoomerGirl: Water warrior!

Photo courtesy Aqua Jogger (and you thought it was me, didn't you?)

    My first 6:30 am "Water Warriors" class is officially in the books.  It wasn't half as bad as I thought. 'Just rolled out of bed, threw on my swim suit, chugged a cup of coffee and off I went to the outdoor pool, five minutes away. Fortunately, the Aqua Jogger company had sent me some equipment, like the set shown above, to review a couple weeks ago. It was exactly what I needed for my deep water aerobics class. The belt kept me upright with my head out of water (most of the time) and the shoes provided some extra resistance during the underwater running parts. (Now, if I could just master standing up on the dreaded water noodle.)
    Water exercise is ideal for anyone who has been injured (like me after my tragic hip adductor machine mishap) since it's no-impact and - huge bonus for menopausal gals - you never break a sweat. Still, I can tell my muscles have definitely been worked out and the cardio effect is significant, too.
   Splish splash!!
   The fine, italicized print: I do not receive any monetary compensation for the reviews I write. This review is of a product sent to me free of charge, with no incentive to offer a favorable review. The only compensation is the product that was being reviewed. I offer my readers objective reviews of boomer-related products, so you can make an informed decision before buying. Thanks.

How could I hate him? Easily.

My column today was therapeutic to write. I am, however, worried my readers will take my rabbit rage seriously. What am I talking about? It IS serious!

Lock up your Xanax

It's a hard pill to swallow (sorry), but some of our precious little angels do drugs. In fact, a new study surveyed 2,500 high schoolers and reported that one in four admitted to abusing Rx drugs. (I'm guessing that number's a little low.) If you plan to spend more time with your kids or grandkids this summer, the National Family Partnership urges you to safeguard your medicines by monitoring quantities and controlling access.  They say 70% of teens who abuse Rx drugs get them from family and friends. 68% of households do not properly secure their Rx medications. For more information, see NFP's website.

Must-see TV: The Bee

I won a classroom spelling bee in elementary school once. It was in second or third grade, before anyone became seriously multi-syllabic. I've always fancied myself a good speller. But, not compared to these kids. The final round of the Scripps National Spelling Bee is tonight on ESPN. I will be glued to the set, holding my breath, Merriam-Webster in hand, thanking God I'm not one of the young brainiacs' parents.

Hats off to The Vatican!

Matt Lauer and the Today show are in Rome today. It's been fun reliving the papal blessing in St. Peter's Square and soon I'll get to see inside the Sistine Chapel (something we, unfortunately, missed on our trip). The best part was seeing Matt and Archbishop Dolan in Italian hats just like the one BoomerBoy bought in Monterroso: