Snow, Pigs In Blankets -- and Thinking About the Elections

It's snowing again. 

    We may actually get a foot or so this time...provided it gets really cold. No matter. We're snug in the fifth-wheel, though the Brick does have to turn off the water at night to keep the pipes from freezing.

    A hot shower. The best coffee. Tostito's chili verde tortilla chips... and a good book. (I recently finished Douglas Adam's Last Chance to See, about extinction-threatened species. It was recommended by Daughter #1. Absolutely terrific.) Life couldn't get much better this snowy night. 

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    One of my favorite meals to serve on evenings like this are "pigs in blankets." I got the recipe from my aunt, who managed a high school kitchen. The students there scarfed these down -- and they are good.

     They're not hard to make. The difference is the soft roll dough used to wrap the hot dogs; it's lightly chewy, and absorbs the juice from the meat. You can also add a strip of cheese or some green chilies before baking -- but my family likes them plain, served with barbecue sauce. 

     Little baby sausages or bratwurst are good served this way, too. And it definitely stretches the meat, especially if you include a vegetable tray, and perhaps a cup of soup. Most people only want one "pig;" that means you can serve 10 people easily, including seconds, with just two packages of hot dogs!

Go here for the recipe.   P.S.  Roll out any leftover dough. Top it with butter, brown sugar and cinnamon, re-roll and cut into slices for cinnamon rolls. 

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I just filled out my ballot. The Brick will take it with him next week, when he goes to Boulder County to act as an 'observer.' 

(Sounds strangely like the "Observers," bald guys with bad suits and briefcases, who appear whenever anything unusual happens. None of which describe the Brick, by the way, although he likes jalapenos and other spicy peppers. Fans of Fringe will know what I mean.)

However possible, YOU NEED TO VOTE.

I cannot emphasize how important this is. Your vote, added to others, sends a very clear message to The Powers That Be in your state -- and Washington.

*Have you had trouble paying for groceries and gas? Express that in your vote. 

*Do you agree with how your state responded to Covid? Another way to express your opinion. 

*Do you appreciate how your state deals with the abortion issue? I have a very strong opinion about that, considering that Colorado allows abortion right up to the moment of birth. (Our girlies would have been goners -- they were both born three weeks early.) Needless to say, the male parent has no say in this. Nor, of course, does the baby. 

*Is your state a better place to live in now, thanks to your current Congress representatives? How about your governor? 

*Do you like how our current Congress has handled this year's emergencies and issues, including illegal migrants and the Ukraine invasion? Do you appreciate our revered President's speeches and executive orders on everything from shutting down the pipeline to forgiving student loans? How about both Congress' and President Biden's wonderful 'debt relief plan,' that's virtually stopped inflation and rising prices? (Or so they say. That's right -- we're not experiencing inflation or a recession right now. I forgot.)

 Here's a terrific way to tell them what you think.

It's not too late -- in Colorado, you can register as late as Election Day, if you are a U.S. citizen. I believe you can do this in all fifty states. 

Mark yourself as a proud American who cares about their country. 

Don't hesitate -- JUST VOTE. 

You could even take a "pig" with you -- they're portable!