Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

I’d hate to be the candidate who lost to this guy.

DeSantis transforming Florida into 1930s Germany with gators and theme parks.

Republicans: The threats are dire, but my tickets are non-refundable!

A democracy can’t function when people can’t distinguish facts from lies.

Dumb motherfuckers cannot understand a consequence that most 4 year olds have fully sorted out.

Their shamelessness is their super power.

There are no moderate republicans – only extremists and cowards.

Tide comes in. Tide goes out. You can’t explain that.

You can’t attract Republican voters. You can only out organize them.

Stop using mental illness to avoid talking about armed white supremacy.

Every decision we make has lots of baggage with it, known or unknown.

Books are my comfort food!

Come on, man.

The Supreme Court cannot be allowed to become the ultimate, unaccountable arbiter of everything.

Fuck these fucking interesting times.

Jack be nimble, jack be quick, hurry up and indict this prick.

Is it irresponsible to speculate? It is irresponsible not to.

When we show up, we win.

Quote tweet friends, screenshot enemies.

I did not have this on my fuck 2025 bingo card.

Imperialist aggressors must be defeated, or the whole world loses.

The gop is a fucking disgrace.

Cancel the cowardly Times and Post and set up an equivalent monthly donation to ProPublica.

Republicans don’t want a speaker to lead them; they want a hostage.

You are here: Home / Politics / Domestic Politics / My Kid Has a “Man Cold” (Also Recipe Bleg & Open Thread)

My Kid Has a “Man Cold” (Also Recipe Bleg & Open Thread)

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And that’s particularly unfair since she’s a girl. She’s hogging the sofa, monopolizing the television and demanding frequent infusions of soup and grilled cheese sandwiches. And even though she sent me to the grocery store for pudding, which required me to face the crowds of blizzard-sympathy shopping snowbirds, she has now requested that I make flan, a somewhat labor-intensive dessert. I have a fabulous recipe from an elderly Cuban lady who was a former neighbor’s grandma.

Speaking of recipes, a while back, I shared my crazy old great-grandma’s pound cake recipe. There’s another recipe from a now-deceased person that I really wish I could get my hands on, and I’ve tried, but to no avail. It was a pancake recipe.

pancakes a la mean old fart

The man who used to make these pancakes was the father of an ex-boyfriend, and he (the father) was one of the most hateful old coots I’ve ever had the misfortune to encounter. He was a verbally abusive husband and a terrifying tyrant of a father. He was also a sexist prick who would rattle the ice cubes in his empty tea glass at his wife to request a refill rather than asking politely or getting off his lazy ass and fetching his own tea.

The only thing he ever cooked were pancakes, and maybe part of their appeal was the very unlikelihood of their existence, from such an odious source. Since he was an unpleasant bastard, Mr. Fucknuckle naturally had the kitchen to himself while assembling a batch, so I have no idea how he made them.

I did praise them effusively one time and ask how he made them, but all he would say was that apple cider vinegar was the secret ingredient. I don’t believe he was telling the whole truth, but they were sweeter than average and perfectly light and fluffy. I don’t think he put anything gross in them — not because he would have hesitated to poison anyone else but because he always ate most of them himself.

Anyhoo, if you happen to have an exceptionally good pancake recipe, feel free to share in comments. I’ve tried dozens and can never make a batch that comes near the flapjacks produced by that nasty old fart.

Also, if any of y’all in the blizzard zone want to share photos and tales, feel free to email me using the contact drop-down menu at right, and I’ll share them at the next opportunity. Open thread!

Update:

Here’s a photo from faithful commenter Steeplejack’s Threadkill Lane location in Falls Church, Virginia:

threadkill lane

Stay warm, Steep!

Reader Interactions

102Comments

  1. 1.

    Mike J

    If you use baking powder instead of soda as your rising agent, you’ll need a source of acid to kick start it. In pancakes, this is typically delivered via buttermilk. A dash of apple cider vinegar could serve the same purpose and add a different flavor. Use regular milk rather than buttermilk for any liquid volume you need to make up.

  6. 6.

    scav

    @Mike J: Isn’t it common to add vinegar to regular milk as a buttermilk substitute? So that would utterly make sense, with the cider vinegar adding a bit of flavor.

  7. 7.

    Mike J

    @TaMara (BHF): I like the beaten egg whites and have even done it once or twice. The problem is that pancakes are usually thought of as breakfast food, and breakfast comes in the morning. That is not the time of day to ask me to separate eggs and whip egg whites.

  8. 8.

    Felonius Monk

    the flapjacks produced by that nasty old fart.

    That’s funny. It’s usually the nasty farts produced by those old flapjacks.

  9. 9.

    Ben Cisco

    Ventured across state lines for a supply run this morning (easy pickins as there were a couple of inches of snow on the ground, which kept the amateurs at home). Notice there has been an explosion of Ben Carson (and iCarly) signage amongst our neighbors to the south. I find this surprising as I’ve found this particular area of SC to be hospitable and from my interactions with the locals, practically loon-free. Wonders never cease.

  10. 10.

    Brachiator

    Some staffers brought in electric griddles and fixings and did up a batch of waffles in the break room for all of us who have to work today.

    Nice bit of serendipity in relation to this thread.

  11. 11.

    Steeplejack

    @debbie:

    I ain’t goin’ nowhere!

    My car is parked behind a building down the street. At least I’m avoiding the snow plow repeatedly pushing an ever higher mound of snow against the side of the car, as with the ones across the street in the picture at #2 above.

  12. 12.

    Gin & Tonic

    Hooray, comment numbers are back. Saves us the trouble of rolling our own.

    Here in what’s called southern New England, the snow started an hour or so ago. I have probably half an inch in my yard, so the photos won’t be all dramatic and shit.

  13. 13.

    JGabriel

    Betty Cracker:

    Mr. Fucknuckle

    I now have a new word in my vocabulary. Thank you for this joyous gift, Betty.

    (Oh, man, I’m laughing so hard at that phrase that the back of my head is hurting.)

  17. 17.

    Corner Stone

    @Gin & Tonic:

    Hooray, comment numbers are back.

    After two+ months of relative stable usability, we’re now getting fucked with again in odd ways seemingly at random. The tabs are back to all being named Balloon Juice, for example. Glad the meta info has been reformatted and a Comments link added back to the bottom of a post. Still wish clicking on comments link took you to actual comments and not the top of the OP.

  18. 18.

    ThresherK (GPad)

    @scav: Yep, about 1 or 1 1/2 T of vinegar to enough milk to make 1 C volume, said 5 minutes. I’m lazy and forgetful enough to depend on it for any pancake now.

    No idea if it works as well in biscuits though.

  20. 20.

    Mike J

    @Corner Stone: All the improvements Alain rolled into the crummy theme were undone by updating the theme. The fact that he needed to download a full site backup to get back to where we were is disturbing.

  21. 21.

    Face

    Wait…its snowing in wintertime? For reals? I hope the media picks up on this and lets everyone know of this weather rarity.

  24. 24.

    Germy

    @Face:

    As much as 30 inches of snow is now forecast for much of New York City, making it one of the top five snowstorms in the city’s history.

    Scores of motorists have been stranded on interstates in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia. The storm has knocked out power for more than 200,000 people, including 130,000 in North Carolina and 90,000 in New Jersey. Some parts of the coast have also experienced serious coastal flooding, in some places even worse than Hurricane Sandy, according to Slate meteorologist Eric Holthaus.

    At least 50 people had to be evacuated from their homes in Atlantic City, and record flooding is also possible along the southern Jersey shore.

    At least eight people have been killed in traffic accidents as a result of the storm so far, all in the mid-Atlantic region.

    Newsworthy.
    http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/01/blizzard-pummels-east-coast.html#

  27. 27.

    Ben Cisco

    @Face: No worries – a quick scan of the morning “newz” shows indicates that they’re all on the case.

    Also, I’d like to note that this newfangled fad of naming winter storms is goofy as all get out. About as productive as naming farts.

    /get off my lawn

  29. 29.

    Steeplejack

    @Corner Stone:

    [. . .] Thousandaire Playboy Hundredaire Shut-In Lifestyle [. . .].

    Fix’d for accuracy.

    ETA: I’m beginning to rethink whether I was prepared for the white-hot glare of Balloon Juice celebrity.

  31. 31.

    WaterGirl

    @Mike J: Do you ever email Alain directly? Alain asked me to ask you to email him directly. Do you have his email address?

  34. 34.

    Steeplejack

    @Corner Stone, @Mike J:

    I hope that at the end of this update process we can have a “truth and reconciliation” thread to go over the meta-issues and “what we learned,” with an eye toward improving the process next time around. This pass has not been an unqualified success. I guess I’ll leave it there.

  37. 37.

    rikyrah

    CPS Layoffs Revealed; ‘These Cuts Are Painful,’ Claypool Says

    By Ted Cox | January 22, 2016 9:45am |
    Updated on January 22, 2016 7:18pm
    @tedcoxchicago

    THE LOOP — Chicago Public Schools officials Friday announced extensive layoffs in the district’s central offices, saying they were trying to keep necessary cuts out of classrooms.

    The district said it was cutting 433 administrative positions, including laying off 227 employees Friday. Some 180 vacant positions were to be eliminated, and the district claimed a net reduction of 61 positions in the second half of last year.

    “We are prioritizing the immediate needs of our schools and moving forward with painful layoffs to the Central Office and administrative staff,” CPS Chief Executive Officer Forrest Claypool said in a statement.

    “There’s no doubt these cuts are painful,” he said.

    I would like to see the demographics of those fired.

  38. 38.

    p.a.

    Bit different, but I love Dutch pancakes (pancake really as 1 is plenty.) Alton Brown recipe. And the only topping needed is a light dusting of powdered sugar and a squeeze of lemon.

    This snow reminded me of the neighborhood kids going sledding together and going to one of our moms’ kitchen for piles of pancakes and gallons of milk afterwards. (Usually Aunt Jemima or Bisquik mix).

  39. 39.

    Peter VE

    I make mine from the Joy of Cooking recipe, with the added kick of some lemon zest. I think the zest increases the action of the baking powder, plus adds to the flavor.

  40. 40.

    Josie

    @Mike J: Isn’t it baking soda that needs the acid to make it work? You use yogurt or buttermilk (or vinegar) with baking soda and regular milk with baking powder.

  41. 41.

    gogol's wife

    @Gin & Tonic:

    We have about 3 inches so far. Our forecast went from 3-6 to 6-15 overnight.

    Do I wear an onion on my belt, or were the forecasts more reliable before computers? Now they have so many different computer models they stumble over each other, and no one has any good old horse sense about what’s most likely to happen. Or is it climate change that does that?

  45. 45.

    Germy

    @gogol’s wife: I’m so old I remember Tex Antoine:

    Antoine’s nightly weather report “was a wonderful mix of weather, cartoon art, and storytelling. He would start his weather segment standing next to an easel covered by blank papers, and he would proceed to draw the weather systems that were pertinent to the nation and the area. As his hands drew in the lows, highs, and fronts, his voice would narrate their past and expected movements, and what their effects would be. As he filled page after page of the easel, building the map as he described each feature, he engaged his audience. He instructed the viewers about their weather, rather than just informing them of a forecast.”

    Antoine also entertained viewers during each report by writing the temperature in large numerals on his big blank pad, then embellishing with the marker as his weather narrative proceeded until the numeral had finally become part of a whimsical cartoon illustrating some facet of the day’s weather or forecast.

  48. 48.

    Poopyman

    Well, I sent BC some pics in an email, but I’m not sure it got there OK. I think the snow is fucking with my wifi.

  49. 49.

    rikyrah

    Steinberg: Rauner does the impossible

    WRITTEN BY NEIL STEINBERG

    POSTED: 01/21/2016, 04:21PM

    Sure, anyone paying attention to Illinois is compelled to believe that Bruce Rauner has accomplished nothing in his first year in office except shred programs for children, the disabled and the poor.

    Not only did Rauner fail to make tangible progress, but he didn’t even tread water properly. The normal operation of the state, such as passing an annual budget, failed to occur, sacrificed on the altar of the governor’s hunger for term limits, union enfeeblement and other unrelated pet causes. He’s like an office manager getting himself hired by promising to expand a business who then promptly fails to pay the electric bill, as a point of principle against the electric company monopoly, so they turn the lights off. Now we’re sitting in the dark, listening to him explain.

    The temptation is to conclude Illinois would do better with no governor at all, than this one who can’t seem to manage basic human interactions. On Thursday, Rauner announced his support for Illinois Senate President John Cullerton’s pension-reform plan, only to have Cullerton immediately cringe away, shivering, from the governor’s embrace. “It’s not my plan,” Cullerton said, explaining that Rauner had twisted his idea.

    But give credit where due: Rauner has accomplished something real, something that I would have thought impossible:

    He makes Rod Blagojevich look good.

  50. 50.

    gogol's wife

    @Germy:

    That’s what I want. We have this jerk who’s just into his twitter feed. And he acts as if he didn’t spend all yesterday swearing by 3-6 inches.

  51. 51.

    Just Some Fuckhead

    @Steeplejack:

    I’m beginning to rethink whether I was prepared for the white-hot glare of Balloon Juice celebrity.

    It’s like trying to ride a hobby horse with all the other toddlers trying to drag you down off of it.

  52. 52.

    Blondie

    My secret ingredient has always been … beer! My dad taught me that trick; he said hunters out for a long weekend came up with the idea, and he learned it when beer first came out in cans. You won’t get any beer taste, but the carbonation makes the pancakes light and fluffy.

  56. 56.

    Matt McIrvin

    @gogol’s wife:

    Do I wear an onion on my belt, or were the forecasts more reliable before computers?

    No, they were not. The thing is, the predictions rise to their level of incompetence. In those days nobody even tried to project more than a couple of days out, except for silly things like the Old Farmer’s Almanac. There were warnings of this storm a week ago.

    Predicting snow levels from a storm like this is really hard because it depends on the precise track. We’re used to knowing about how many inches are going to come down, but if you’re on the edge of the affected area there’s a sensitive dependence on conditions.

    Here in northern Mass. we haven’t seen any snow yet. The predictions dropped to “no accumulation expected” and then rose back to saying we could get “less than an inch” today and an inch overnight. Minor, in any event. We’ll see how it goes.

  58. 58.

    Botsplainer

    On a happy note, I seem to have won grand prize in a bar foundation raffle. Four days, three nights lodging in NOLA, airfare for two on Southwest and a $500 Visa Card to spend. Dunno what hotel.

  59. 59.

    jake the antisoshul soshulist

    Mapped out legal career. Does Failgunner Ted have ambition to the Supreme Court? USSC Justice Cruz is even more frightening than President Cruz. I don’t think we can afford to wait for the meteor. We should convene among the stones on Sentinel Hill and open the way for Yog-Sothoth.

  60. 60.

    rikyrah

    uh huh

    uh huh
    Stop acting like women don’t know what’s best for them and their lives.
    ……………………………

    Mitchell: Are black women being singled out on abortions?
    WRITTEN BY MARY MITCHELL
    POSTED: 01/18/2016, 06:19PM

    ………………………………….

    People who support abortion rights, on the other hand, rarely raise their voices.

    A few years ago, however, abortion-rights activists confronted the shocking “Endangered Species” anti-abortion ad campaign that targeted the African-American community.

    In 2011 the Texas-based Life Always anti-abortion group put up billboards in several cities, including Chicago, with text that included: “The most dangerous place for African-Americans is in the womb.”

    A lot of black women considered the campaign offensive and an attempt to shame the black community.

    ………………………………………….
    Unfortunately, the “shaming” theme popped up again on Sunday when thousands of anti-abortion activists braved the extreme cold to participate in the March for Life Chicago rally downtown.

    The Rev. Corey Brooks, pastor of the New Beginnings Church in Woodlawn and an early supporter of Gov. Bruce Rauner, called on the activists to take their fight to the black community.

    “No longer will we stand on the sideline and let these abortions happen in our community and be silent while babies go unborn,” he said.

    According to Brooks, even though the black community makes up 12.6 percent of the population, it participated in 30 percent of the abortions.

  61. 61.

    Germy

    @eemom: I used to watch channel 7 news with Tex Antoine, Roger Grimsby and the rest of them. “Ron Burgundy” just scratched the surface. It was a weird time for local tv news stations.

  64. 64.

    Baud

    I didn’t realize that the campaigns had addressed this (ThinkProgress).

    But now both frontrunners for the Democratic presidential nomination have come out against it, calling for it to be repealed. Hillary Clinton has repeatedly called for a reversal of Hyde, and now Bernie Sanders has followed suit.

  65. 65.

    rikyrah

    Uh huh
    Uh huh

    …………….

    Brown: Nothing Rauner would like more than CPS takeover
    WRITTEN BY MARK BROWN
    POSTED: 01/20/2016, 04:32PM

    The governor sent forth the state’s two top Republican legislators Wednesday as his advance team to tout a proposal they characterized as offering a “lifeline” for Chicago.

    But their proposal looked a lot more like the hostile takeover of CPS that Rauner has wanted to engineer even before he entered the race for governor.

    Back then Rauner was an informal adviser to Mayor Rahm Emanuel on education issues, just another rich guy with the mayor’s ear, which he filled with his anti-union views. Now he’s acting like a guy with a firm grip on one of the mayor’s other body parts.

    The question before us Wednesday was whether the governor is serious about his plan to allow the Illinois Board of Education to take control of Chicago’s school system and allow it to file for bankruptcy, or whether it is just another bargaining maneuver intended to ratchet up pressure on city Democrats to make a deal with Rauner on his Springfield agenda.

    The answer may be both.

  66. 66.

    Botsplainer

    @Iowa Old Lady:

    I want to do one super meal while there. I’m thinking that going during my birthday in April will be great.

    I’m leaning toward Emeril’s Delmonico.

  68. 68.

    rikyrah

    all the Latinos that GENUINELY are from that area…

    and, the best they can do is some carpetbagger?

    I can’t stand Madigan, but..

    PHUCK.OUTTA.HERE.

    ………………………….

    Brown: The man who wants to replace Mike Madigan

    WRITTEN BY MARK BROWN

    POSTED: 01/16/2016, 10:59PM

    Jason Gonzales, who expects to mount the first serious election challenge to House Speaker Michael J. Madigan in maybe forever, has no sign on his storefront campaign office.

    Gonzales, a 41-year-old business consultant who spent his last three years picking up master’s degrees from both MIT and Harvard, says the low profile is by design.

    …………………………………………..

    But that was before state Republicans led by Gov. Bruce Rauner focused the blame on Madigan as the central cause of everything wrong with Illinois.

    Removing Madigan from power has since become a rallying cry for many voters around the state.

    Into that opportunity steps Gonzales, a political newcomer. He didn’t live in Madigan’s 22ndHouse district before deciding to explore a campaign against him in 2014 and makes no bones about expecting to receive much of his financial support from Republicans and Rauner supporters. They’ve already supplied the bulk of the $45,840 he’s reported so far.

    …………………………………..

    Gonzales, born in Elgin, grew up in Carpentersville and said he dropped out of Barrington High School at 16.

    He later returned to high school and finally graduated at age 21. Gonzales then attended community college before making the leap to Duke University.

    Gonzales’ campaign materials gloss over his suburban origins, suggesting he was a neighborhood kid who “spent his early years” on the Southwest Side in South Lawndale, “where my family owned a home.”

    When questioned, Gonzales allowed it was his grandmother’s home and that the closest he came to spending his early years there (a considerable distance from Madigan’s Midway Airport legislative district) was visiting her on weekends.

  70. 70.

    Betty Cracker

    @Poopyman: I got them, and they’re lovely. Will use them and photos from other commenters in an open thread at some point later. Thanks!

  71. 71.

    Mike J

    Trump spokesperson:

    Katrina Pierson@KatrinaPierson
    Just saw a commercial from Catholic Church stating that Catholic Church was started by Jesus. I bet they believe that too. #sad

  72. 72.

    rikyrah

    Nope.

    Not one frigging one.

    ……………..

    Brown: Can you name one of Rauner’s accomplishments?

    WRITTEN BY MARK BROWN

    POSTED: 01/12/2016, 06:19PM

    Bruce Rauner has been Illinois’ governor for one year now, and I would defy you to name one thing off the top of your head that he has accomplished during that time.

    There actually are a few things, I would hasten to add, but I’ll bet most of you couldn’t name them because Rauner has made his hallmark what he hasn’t been able to accomplish — which is most everything he named as a priority.

    …………………..

    Would he be a pragmatic businessman eager to cut deals with Democrats to put his imprimatur on an Illinois economic recovery, or would he be a confrontational ideologue looking to leverage the state’s extensive problems to promote his political vision?

    We now know it’s the latter, and I realize a lot of Illinois voters who share his vision are fine with that, although I’m also sure they are fewer in number than when he was elected.

    When Rauner won, I feared for the worst and hoped for the best, because to root against Rauner is to root against Illinois, whose problems are undeniable.

    Unfortunately, Rauner has turned out to be a far greater disaster as governor than I’d even imagined.

  73. 73.

    a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)

    @Botsplainer: For my birthday present to myself – Mr. Q took me for a lovely dinner (its own amusing story), I’m getting tickets to see my favorite guitar player and his band at the Brown Theatre in the Peoples’ Islamofascist Kenyan Sharia Republic of Louisville in April. Tickets go on sale 10 am Thursday, so I’m forced to make the purchase a week after the actual birthday.

  74. 74.

    Elizabelle

    Heh heh. K-Thug Paul Krugman had the same reaction as a lot of us. His blog.

    How To Make Donald Trump President
    Bloomberg is on it

    Step 1: Democrats nominate Bernie Sanders. I don’t think Sanders is unelectable, but when you look at polling, remember that Hillary Clinton’s numbers reflect her standing after more than two decades of constant character assassination, whereas Republicans haven’t even begun to go after him.

    Step 2: Michael Bloomberg decides to save the country by entering the race as a supposed alternative to the two extremes (hey, centrist pundits have been urging him to do that forever, even when Barack Obama was in reality pursuing all the policies they wanted).

    Step 3: Some Democrats defect to Bloomberg, because they actually listen to those centrist pundits. Hardly any Republicans do — remember, two-thirds of them currently support Trump, Cruz, or Carson, and anyway they’ve never heard of Bloomberg. Also, New York values.

    Step 4: Trump wins a yuuuuge victory.

    I think some of those embarrassed to be Republicans, who voted for Obama in 2008 because Bush-Cheney disgraced the party beyond belief, could conceivably vote for Bloomberg. The totebag set, who have not yet caught on to that nice David Brooks’ fatuousness. Because Bobo seems so reasonable.

    But what a debacle a Bloomberg entry into the race could be. Can’t you just see “Bloomberg-Huntsman” — east coast meets west. Gah.

  75. 75.

    Randy P

    @Betty:

    flan, a somewhat labor-intensive dessert.

    Maybe the Cubans do it differently, but the Mexican recipe I follow is pretty simple and not labor-intensive at all. OK, the part where you melt sugar and coat your baking dish with it is a little tricky, but that only takes a couple of minutes.

    The rest of it is: throw ingredients (eggs, egg yolk, milk, sweetened condensed milk) into food processor, blend for a couple of seconds, then pour into the baking dish and cook. The end.

    The baking is done in a warm water bath, but that’s not a huge effort. The rest is just time: about 1-1/2 hrs of cooking and about 4 hrs in the fridge.

  76. 76.

    Germy

    @Elizabelle: I saw this comment on LGM:

    Dr. Ronnie James, DO says:
    January 23, 2016 at 12:38 pm

    As a former Bloomberg employee (NYC gov’t, in public safety and human services agencies), I got a secondhand perspective on the M.O. of Bloomberg and his inner circle: we would get our marching orders from his deputy mayors -who would likely all become White House bigwigs in a Bloomberg administration-, and many of the Commisioners/ Deputy Commissioners’ sole qualification seemed to be that they were from the same Manhattan socialite circles as Bloomberg and his longtime partner Diana Taylor. The perspective of “protect and serve the ‘tax base’ i.e. anyone wealthy enough to own property in Manhattan or the tonier East River-adjacent BK & QN), and punish/ screw anyone middle- class & below in the *outer* Outer Boroughs” was unceasingly reiterated in unmistakable, crystal-clear fashion from the top.

    To paint the picture, our entire shop would have to drop everything because (to name but a few examples):

    A) some deputy read an article in the Atlantic and got a fakachkte policy idea from it

    B) some trust funder buddy’s driveway was impeded,

    or C) an aide’s weekend commute to the Hamptons was inconvenienced by some tangentially civic issue we had no power to address.

    I wish I was joking.

    Luckily, it doesn’t matter because Bloomberg has literally no constituency capable of electing him. He’s incredibly unpopular in NYC, and it’s inconceivable he could win a single state (OK maybe Connecticut).

  77. 77.

    PsiFighter37

    It is snowing crazy here in Manhattan. Went out this morning to grab groceries and it was manageable, but it looks like it is snowing even harder – and the wind is blowing even harder – than it was then.

  79. 79.

    NotMax

    @Germy

    Yes, remember him and his Uncle Wetherbee.

    Also remember when and why he suddenly and unceremoniously disappeared from the TV screen.

    @Blondie

    Along the same lines, was going to offer up adding a splash of seltzer (or club soda), which does the same thing. Cut back any salt in the recipe to compensate.

    (Also the secret ingredient for making matzo balls light and fluffy.)

    Troika of common no-nos when making pancakes are (1) overmixing the batter (lump-free is not necessarily a good thing when it comes to pancake batter), (2) making the batter too early or letting it sit too long before using (if making a large batch of pancakes, make successive small batches of batter as you are cooking) and (3) using a pan with a thin bottom (griddles are thicker than pans for a reason).

  80. 80.

    Brachiator

    @Germy:

    Barbara Bush: I’m Reasonably Certain That Jeb Would Be The Best President

    Only “reasonably” certain? Who’s her Number 2 choice? It would be funny as shit if it were Trump.

  82. 82.

    NotMax

    True story.

    Friend was involved in designing and building a do-hickey for the local CBS station in NYC. This was in the mid-1970s, so was fairly cutting edge.

    Idea was to build a device small enough to fit in a pedestal in the weatherperson’s tiny section of the studio which he could use to write on with a special pen and have that writing show up on the weather map inserted on the blue screen behind him.

    Turns out it was used but one night and then scrapped.

    Because the weatherman’s handwriting consisted entirely of illegible scrawls.

  86. 86.

    bemused senior

    Favorite pancakes for my husband, from Jesse Cool “Breakfast in Bed” cookbook (also eaten at her Flea Street Cafe):

    Makes 2 generous or 4 moderate servings.

    1c flour
    1T sugar
    .5t salt
    1t baking powder
    4 eggs
    1c ricotta cheese
    1c cottage cheese (small curd)
    .75c milk
    1t vanilla extract
    Vegetable oil

    Combine dry ingredients.
    Beat eggs into wet ingredients.
    Gradually stir wet into dry, not over mixing.
    Cook quarter cup blobs on a hot griddle in vegetable oil. Great with maple syrup.

  92. 92.

    Mnemosyne

    It’s 2:30 pm and I have to start getting ready for a work-related party. Have to be there by 5:30 pm with dinner around 8:00-ish. At least it’s lots of free food and drink.

  93. 93.

    Adam L Silverman

    Do the side effects of a man cold in a female include facial hair and episodes of testosterone induced rage?

  94. 94.

    Sandia Blanca

    Our favorite pancakes happen to be low-sodium and delicious.

    1-1/2 c. flour
    1 Tbsp. baking powder
    1 Tbsp. sugar
    1/4 tsp. cinnamon
    1 egg, beaten
    1/4 c. oil
    1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
    1-1/2 c. milk
    1 c. chopped pecans

    1. Mix together dry ingredients in medium bowl.
    2. Add oil, vanilla, and milk to beaten egg.
    3. Make a well in the dry ingredients and stir in the liquids.
    4. Mix just until blended.
    5. Fold in pecans.
    6. Let stand at least 5 minutes before cooking on the griddle (preferably in coconut oil).

  95. 95.

    The Golux

    The best damn pancakes ever are from Marion Cunningham’s “The Breakfast Book”

    However, all of you who just go to the link and get the pancake recipe are fools, because you should buy the book, for the muffin recipes alone. (Bridge Creek Ginger Muffins; The Last Word In Nutmeg Muffins, etc., etc.). Not to mention the raised (as in yeast-powered) waffles.

    As a (relatively recent) diabetic, I am condemned to enjoy these only from memory, but if I’m ever in hospice care, they will be on the menu.

  97. 97.

    Citizen Scientist

    Really glad I went out during the middle of snowpacalypse 2016 to shovel my walks. It’s still coming down here in southern PA, and it’s nearing 28″. I hope the rest of you are warm and safe. I am off to raid the booze supply.

  98. 98.

    Citizen Scientist

    @Botsplainer: That’s great dude! Have fun in NOLA. Probably my favorite city (although, if you like food, booze, and music, you’re pretty much guaranteed to enjoy it).

  101. 101.

    Glaukopis

    @knittingbull: Discovered sazeracs there. Very good. I think I had shrimp etouffee and asked if it came with vegetables. Waitress said, well it comes with rice…

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