Net Neutrality - It's a very big deal

If you're here reading this I have to assume you enjoy Meanderings and Muses.

Probably along with a few other blogs you check out from time to time.

Sadly, all our blog browsing could change.


Drastically.


Some days I love Facebook. 

Most days, actually. 

Some days it makes me sad and pissy. 

I "want" to know what stupid and dangerous thing the orange asshole has done. It doesn't mean the anxiety I feel while reading it decreases. 

I "want" to know what powerful man has lost his job, his self-respect and that of his children (I'm guessing the wife probably already knew). It doesn't mean I find any joy in it. 

I don't really care that some people are upset that Meghan Markle may or may not have left one dog behind in the US and took another with her to Great Britain. Maybe the dog said he didn't want to go. I don't really care that Meghan Markle may have said "lay" instead of "lie." What's worse - the person who may have made a grammatical error or the person who publicly corrects them? (And yes - I have had it happen to me, and no I probably won't forgive or forget - tha's just the bitch I am). 

So. 

Today Facebook has made me pissy. 

I know, I know - many of you hate my political posts. Maybe you're sick to death of pictures of Annabelle. Or my new obsession with Paris. Maybe you're uninterested in art.  Maybe you hate poetry.  This is why you have a scroll button and a delete button.  But remember - there "are" some people who are interested in these things.


You know - we're all kind of stuck with one another to some extent through the good and bad and I'm happy to have Facebook, even on the bad days. For as long as that might be - knowing full well that the internet as we know it today could be gone before long. 

Have you done your part to have your voice heard? More than 807,000 people have. And it only took them about two minutes. 

If you're not one of those 807,000 + people, think about going here and typing 17-108 in the "proceedings" box. - https://www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings . 

Easy Peasy. 'cause otherwise, we may not have Facebook, or our favorite blogs, to complain on, or about, for a whole lot longer.

Sad.

It's beginning to look a little like Christmas

We may be small, but we'll try to never be boring

Everything you love about the internet could soon change - Act Now!

HOW TO COMMENT ON NET NEUTRALITY

DO THIS:

INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE FCC SITE: 

Restoring Internet Freedom (17-108) 

If you wish to file comments regarding the FCC's Restoring Internet Freedom proceeding, you may submit a public comment by going to www.fcc.gov/ecfs/filings/express. 

Enter the number 17-108 in the first field, which is called Proceeding. 

On the same screen, you can type your comment and submit it to the FCC. Your comment will be part of the FCC's official record in this proceeding."


CARE ABOUT THIS ISSUE? ACT!!!

Happy Birthday, Annabelle!

Thanksgiving Dinner

In the past, Thanksgiving has always been a dinner that my mom and I would share responsibilities for.

She would cook the turkey and dressing at her place.  Donald would pick her up and bring her to our place where I'd be putting together the side dishes.

It worked like clock work for years and years.


Then.  All of a sudden Thanksgiving rolled around and my mom wasn't here any longer.


So, Donald and I went out for dinner on Thanksgiving Day.  


Of course it wasn't the same.  


Not only was my mom not with us, but the dressing was cornbread dressing.


Not to throw shade on cornbread dressing, but that's just not what Donald and I grew up with and we've never acquired the taste for it that enables us to appreciate it like a lot of people in the south do.


One year when we went to Cracker Barrel for Thanksgiving, I ended up ordering breakfast instead of their turkey dinner which included cornbread dressing.


It was good - -  but . . . 


And the leftovers.  We missed having that open faced turkey sandwich with gravy the next day.

Sooooo good, plus all the work had already been done and it was an easy peasy meal.  Delish!



So.


This year I'm cooking Thanksgiving Dinner.

Thanks to Facebook.

I ran across this recipe and was immediately intrigued.

Slow Cooker Maple Herb Butter Turkey Breast with Apple Cider Glaze.

Oh.  My.


Maple - Yay!

Herb Butter - Yay!

Apple Cider Glaze - Yay!

and in a slow cooker?!  - Yay!!

Gotta try it.

Here's the link:  
https://www.a-kitchen-addiction.com/slow-cooker-maple-herb-butter-turkey-breast/

SLOW COOKER MAPLE HERB BUTTER TURKEY BREAST WITH APPLE CIDER GLAZE

PRINT

Author: A Kitchen Addiction

Serves: 5-7

INGREDIENTS

For the Turkey

• 1 (5-7 lb) bone-in turkey breast, thawed and patted dry with paper towels
• ¼ C butter, softened
• 2 tbsp maple syrup
• 1 tsp maple extract
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1 tsp basil
• 1 tsp sage
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp pepper
• 1 C chicken broth
• ½ C onion, sliced
• 3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 3 ribs celery, rinsed and cut into 2 inch pieces
• 2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

For the Glaze

• 2 C apple cider
• 3 tbsp brown sugar
• ⅛ tsp salt
• ⅛ tsp ground black pepper

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a small saucepan, combine apple cider and brown sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat, reduce to medium-low and allow to simmer until reduced to about ¾ cup or a little less than half. Remove from heat, stir in salt and pepper, and set aside.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together garlic powder, thyme, basil, sage, salt, and pepper.
3. In a separate small bowl, stir together softened butter, maple syrup, maple extract, and half of herb mixture.
4. Spread herb butter underneath the skin of turkey breast. (You can use a spoon to get to the edges and spread it around with your hand on the top of the skin.) Sprinkle remaining herb mixture over the top.
5. Pour chicken broth into a 6 quart slow cooker. Add onion, carrots, celery, and garlic cloves. Place turkey breast on top.
6. Cook for 6-8 hours on low or until internal temperature at the thickest part of the breast reaches 165 degrees F. Two hours before the turkey is done, brush the apple glaze over the top and sides of the turkey breast every 30 minutes. You can check the temperature of the meat at 4 hours to see if the turkey breast will be done at 6 hours or closer to 8 hours. (If you find that your glaze has gotten too sticky, just put the glaze back on over low heat and stir in some more apple cider until it becomes runny enough to brush over the turkey again.)
7. Allow to rest for 20 minutes before slicing into pieces and serving.

NOTES

Optional: Place the turkey breast in a broiler-safe dish and broil for 5-7 minutes to brown the skin.

This recipe is made possible by the Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. As always, all opinions are my own. Thanks for supporting brands that make A Kitchen Addiction possible!



Turkey's in the crockpot.

As it gets closer to being done I'll start glazing it every so often with the apple cider and brown sugar.

Fingers crossed!  I'll let you know how it goes!


And - there will be dressing.  Old fashioned sage dressing like my mama used to make.


And mashed potatoes.

And gravy.


And yeast rolls.

And a couple of side dishes.  But only a couple since it's only Don and I.  No big ol' casseroles this year.

And a pecan pie.  Don Barley loves pecan pie.  Me?  not so much . . .

But there's always ice cream.  Yay!

Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!  

Whether you're spending the day with a houseful, or at a table for one, I wish you warm wishes and good health.

I love Winnie the Pooh, and Piglet too

What day Is it?! Where is my dog?!

Life is so confusing when you're retired.

You - okay, I will change this to "I" - I never know what day it is for one thing.

Take today for instance.

It's Friday, right?

Then WHERE is Annabelle?

I have gotten up and walked through the house, opened the back door and yelled "Annabelle!" a half a dozen times today.



She's at Woof Pack for play day.



She usually goes on Tuesdays, so that's the day I usually get up and walk through the house and open the back door and yell "Annabelle!" a half a dozen times.

So today's been a doubly confusing day.  It's Friday, not Tuesday, but I still can't find my dog.

But.

Thank Goodness!  It's time to go pick her up.  Tonight will be a whole lot less stressful than today.  I may not know what day it is, but at least I'll know where my dog is . . . 

Georgia O'Keeffe Living Modern Exhibit, Reynolda House, Winston-Salem,NC

I loved everything about this Georgia O'Keeffe Living Modern exhibit. 

It was brilliant, and more than I expected. 

More about the woman. 

Her art being, of course, a huge part of who Georgia O'Keeffe was, but she was so much more. 

Much more than the huge floral paintings that she's best known for. 

Take a break from the news and enjoy the life and works of a remarkable woman. 

There are lessons to be learned from Georgia O'Keeffe and other strong women like her.