Sweet Potato Biscuits, Oh Captain my Captain greatness, Would ya rather? words of choice and strength
Hello savvy readers and Daymaker friends on this last Wednesday of October 2023.
It’s been raining here – off and on – for the past couple days. It’s awesome! You? Getting a little wet to water your yard via mother nature?
Great line up for today beginning with:
Leslie Elman’s question regarding who was Walt Whitman referring to in the line, “O Captain! my Captain?”
If my son, Hunter, were to tell you, he’d say — “It reminds me of Mom and I (when I was a kid) watching ‘DEAD POET’S SOCIETY’ via VCR tape thing more than 5 or 6 or 20 times at home together … ”
He’d absolutely share – “Oh, yeah, that happened. ha!”
And then Hunter would also tell you, ” When I got a little older, I gave Mom a CD copy of Dead Poet’s Society for Christmas one year so she’ll always have it to play on her television.”
I am a fan of this Abraham Lincoln – reference to – woven into the story of Dead Poet’s Society.
Hands down my favorite movie EVER.
It certainly has a less than go-out-and-check-it-out- title – but the heavy hitter producers, money behind it to make it beautiful, and those who wrote the script, outstanding top-notch photography, director, and the heartfelt acting is powerful.
If you haven’t seen it or just wanna be reminded to see it again — here’s the trailer ((click here))
Moving on…
Words have power when you say them — whether they’re meant to uplift or tear down — Equal
NEXT UP:
Would I rather swim in the ocean at night thinking there might be a shark around — OR — spend a night in a house that I believed was haunted.
Answer quick for me on that one –
Haunted house! You?
SWEET POTATO BISCUITS
were something that we made at Hippie Cowboy years ago with our Grab-n-Go Dinners. Wasn’t on the menu – just s0mething we added to a Grab-n-Go Dinner thing we had going on.
I still see people on the street around here and they say, “those sweet potato biscuits” …
Well, I loved researching and finding cool stuff and the idea of Sweet Potato Biscuits came from the menu at Foster’s Farm Market outta one of the Carolinas.
Anyway, the recipe is tried and true (figured this one out for myself) and good with everything as in comfort food sides, soups, chili, salad or slider sandwiches.
TRACY BECKERMAN’S column – she’s a trip! in a really great way.
We are so super grateful for you, friends, sliding by and giving us a read, sharing, caring and commenting.
Catch ya on Friday!
POP QUIZ
- TO WHOM WAS WALT WHITMAN REFERRING IN THE LINE “O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN! OUR FEARFUL TRIP IS DONE!”
a) His dog
b) His father
c) Ralph Waldo Emerson
d) Abraham Lincoln - WHICH BANDLEADER WAS KNOWN FOR PLAYING THE ACCORDION?
a) Tex Beneke
b) Cab Calloway
c) Kay Kyser
d) Lawrence Welk - WHAT’S THE TRADITIONAL FILLING INSIDE THE MERINGUE SHELL OF A BAKED ALASKA?
a) Chocolate
b) Fruit
c) Ice cream
d) Peanut butter
WORDS HAVE POWER WHEN YOU MEAN THEM
POP QUIZ ANSWERS
- Walt Whitman’s poem with the line “O Captain! our fearful trip is done!” refers to the death of Abraham Lincoln.
- Lawrence Welk was always known for playing the accordion.
- Baked Alaska has ice cream inside its meringue shell.
~ Trivia Bits
COPYRIGHT 2023 LESLIE ELMAN
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
NURSING HOME TEST
During a visit to my doctor, I asked him, “How do you determine whether or not an older person should be put in a Care Home?”
“Well,” he said, “we fill up a bathtub, then offer a teaspoon, a teacup and a bucket to empty the bathtub.”
“Oh, I understand,” said I. “A ‘normal’ person would use the bucket because it’s bigger than the spoon or teacup.”
“No,” he said, ” A ‘normal’ person would pull the plug. Do you want a bed by the window?”
~ Courtesy and with permission
poeticexpressions.co.uk
Thanks! Mike and the Team
WOULD YOU RATHER
SWIM IN THE OCEAN AT NIGHT KNOWING THERE COULD BE A SHARK CLOSE BY OR SPEND THE NIGHT IN A HOUSE YOU BELIEVE IS HAUNTED?
(( Starve the landfills. Recycle.))
RIDDLE ME THIS
WHAT CAN GO THROUGH GLASS WITHOUT BREAKING IT?
SWEET POTATO BISCUITS
These biscuits are outstanding – whether as a side kick to a main dish like meatloaf, roasted chicken or sliced brisket. OR as a side kick to a bowl of soup, chili or giant salad. They’re also fabulous sliced vertical in half as in one for top and one for bottom for burger sliders and/or sandwich combo of your choice!
HERE’S HOW WE MAKE THEM:
1 – 23 ounce canned sweet potatoes
1/2 cup sugar
5 1/2 cups Bisquick
IN A LARGE BOWL:
Crack open the can of sweet potatoes and dump the entire can in the bowl.
Then you gotta either mash/squish them with your clean hands OR use your grandma’s mashed potato tool. Either works just as well.
Me, I just go for it with clean hands.
STIR IN OR SQUISH TOGETHER UNTIL WELL COMBINED WITH:
1/2 cup sugar
5 1/2 cups Bisquick (yes! Bisquick)
Again – choose to use your clean hands or preferred wooden spoon. Pretty sure you know what I do.
ONCE WELL COMBINED COVER YOUR SWEET POTATO DOUGH WITH A LITTLE SARAN WRAP AND PUT IN THE ‘FRIDGE FOR ABOUT AN HOUR (getting it cold helps with the rolling out process).
45 MINUTES LATER …
PREHEAT OVEN TO 400*
PREPARE A COOKIE SHEET LINED WITH FOIL
WHEN YOU’RE READY TO ROLL OUT SOME DOUGH – FLOUR A SMALL SURFACE ON YOUR COUNTER TOP AND BREAK OUT A CHUNK OF DOUGH. ROLL IT WITH A ROLLING PIN UNTIL IT’S ABOUT A 1/2″ THICK.
GET READY TO CUT YOUR ROLLED OUT DOUGH WITH A 4″ ROUND COOKIE CUTTER ((OR USE A REPURPOSED LARGE TUNA CAN – THAT’S BEEN CUT OUT ON BOTH TOP AND BOTTOM – SO THE CAN VESSEL IS NOW WIDE OPEN – TO BE YOUR ROUND COOKIE CUTTER)). That’s what I’ve always used – works like a charm!
ONE BY ONE – PLACE THEM ON YOUR PREPARED FOIL LINED COOKIE SHEET. DON’T CROWD THEM. GIVE THEM ROOM TO BE ABLE TO BAKE THEIR MAGIC.
PLACE IN PREHEATED OVEN AND BAKE FOR 20 MINUTES – MIGHT BE A COUPLE MINUTES LONGER DEPENDING ON YOUR OVEN.
CAUTION – WHATEVER YOU DO – DO NOT OVER BAKE. THEY’LL BE LESS THAN STELLAR.
REMOVE FROM OVEN. LET BISCUITS SET ON THE COUNTER FOR A FEW MINUTES.
SERVE WITH WHATEVER YOU HAVE GOING ON FOR LUNCH OR DINNER! TA-DAH!
((Pro Tip – you don’t have to bake all the sweet potato dough in one day – the dough keeps for 2-3 days in the fridge – when ready, fire up the oven – roll out the dough, cut into 4″ rounds and bake according to this recipe instructions)). Enjoy!
~ Hippie Cowboy recipe box
RIDDLE ANSWER
LIGHT
LOST IN SUBURBIA
MY THEORY OF EVERYTHING
BY TRACY BECKERMAN
Any armchair theoretical physicist knows that Stephen Hawking had pursued a lifelong quest to come up with the Theory of Everything. This all-encompassing theory would tie together general relativity (large-scale and high-mass galaxies, stars, etc.), quantum theory (quantum mechanics, quarks, atoms, subatomic particles) and Newtonian physics (gravity on small bodies, gas laws, electromagnetism) to solve the greatest mysteries of the universe.
I, however, am not an armchair theoretical physicist. In fact, the closest I get to understanding physics is watching “The Big Bang Theory” on television. My scientific education ended with chemistry, so while I can make my own playdough, I probably won’t solve the mystery of the black holes or figure out how to manipulate time travel.
Fortunately, life experience has helped me to achieve a certain amount of everyday physics knowledge that focuses on the things that really matter. These little-known laws and theories affect everything I do in my life and are much more relevant to me than, say, the law of gravity, which is flawed: It explains what a pizza will fall om the floor when you drop it, but doesn’t explain why it always falls cheese-side down.
So, in an effort to help you make sense of your world, here are my Top Ten Mother of All Theories:
No. 1: The Law of Mascara
The day you go out without any makeup is the day you’ll run into everybody you know.
No. 2: Conservation of Fat
There is a finite amount of fat in the universe and if someone loses some, then someone else has to gain it.
No. 3: The Law of Thermo-hysterics
The temperature you prefer in the house (76) is the direct inverse of the temperature your husband prefers (67).
No. 4: The Relative law of Relativity
An extended family member who comes to stay with you will always stay two times longer than the amount of your patience your husband has for house guests.
No. 5: The TP Approximation
The amount of toilet paper left on the roll (one sheet) times the number of days before someone changes it.
No. 6: Conservation of Teenage Energy
The total energy of a teenager is constant and cannot be created or destroyed, unless he is sleeping, in which case it is put on hold indefinitely.
No. 7: Law of Teenage Entropy
The gradual decline of a teenager’s bedroom into general disorder or chaos.
No. 8: A Nanocluster Fluctuation
The number of women at a department store on a sale cay versus the number of items on sale that you actually want.
No. 9: The Dirty Dog Effect
A dirty dog will stay dirty until he is cleaned but will then immediately find a way to return to an even dirtier state.
No. 10: The Vengeance Formulation
The amount of time it takes for a woman to develop righteous indignation after her husband forgets their anniversary, the doctor suggests that she could lose a few pound, the cosmetic company discontinues her favorite lipstick, her Pinterest accounts gets suspended or she is defriended by someone on Facebook.
~ Tracy Beckerman is the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Barking at the Moon: A Story of Life, Love, and Kibble.”
COPYRIGHT 2023 CREATORS
FASCINATING STUFF
FASCINATING STUFF
- Moles have pore eyesight, but they’re not blind. Their little eyes are hidden by fur to protect them while they are underground, where they spend most of their time. Yet even the Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis), whose eyelids are naturally fused shut, can distinguish light from dark and knows day from night when it comes to the surface from below ground.
- Working at the Radium Institute in Paris in 1939, chemist Marguerite Perey isolated a new radioactive element, which she name francium (for France). Extremely rare, francium is the last naturally occurring element to be discovered; since then have been created in labs. At the time of her discovery, Perey was working under the direction of Marie Curie, discoverer of two chemical elements: polonium (for Poland, where she was born) and radium (for its radioactive properties).
- Mexico and Luxembourg might be thousands of miles apart, but there’s a distinction that they alone share. They’re the only countries in the world whose names contain the letter X. Luxembourg is also the only country in the world that ends with the letter G. Bangladesh, Denmark and Iraq round out the list of world nations whose names have unique final letters.
- The model for the Heisman Trophy stiff-armed ballcarrier was Ed Smith, a fullback for New York University from 1933 to 1935. When sculptor Frank Eliscu was commissioned to design the trophy in 1934, he asked his high school friend Smith to pose for him. Smith agreed, reportedly without knowing that he was about to be immortalized on college football’s most famous trophy. Ed Smith never won a Heisman, although he received an honorary trophy in the 1980s. NYU hasn’t fielded a varsity football team since 1953.
- In 1904, Gus Mager started drawing a syndicated comic strip called “Jungle Society,” featuring characters he called Monks. There was Knocko the Monk, Tightwaddo the Honk, Henpecko, Braggp. Groucho – yes, Groucho. In fact, the inspiration for the Marx Brothers’ nicknames came from Gus Mager’s Monks. The nicknames themselves — Chico, Harpo, Groucho, Zeppo and Gummo — were bestowed on the brothers by a friend during a poker game in 1918, according to Harpo’s recollection.
~ COPYRIGHT LESLIE ELMAN
DISTRIBUTED BY CREATORS.COM
I am so making the sweet potato biscuits for Thanksgiving! Do I have to roll out the dough or can I just form then with my hands to the size of a tuna can and 1/2 inch thick?
Hey Stacy – what a brilliant idea! I think that’s gonna be my new technique. Way more streamlined! Thank you for giving us that trick dough in the kitchen idea. Have a grand Wednesday, Daymaker!
Today’s Daymaker comment, “WORDS HAVE POWER WHEN YOU MEAN THEM” brought proof to my mind. I choose positive words. When I’m walking my little dog and find a child shooting hoops I generally say something like, “You look like a champion shooter to me!” And that’s a similar path I follow day to day.
You see, I was heartbroken by an unkind sentence a college professor said to me back in the day and from that pain and tears a bonus seemed to surface, “Oh, be careful little mouth what you say …”
As to the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me.” I have one word for that statement — BOLOGNA!
Hi Marty –
Big fat boo on that college professor! Love it that you have turned it for good in your day to day by being an encourager with your words. Kind reminds me of that story of the little kid digging through a pile of manure and exclaiming, “There’s gotta be a pony in here somewhere.”
Thanks for your thoughts. Much appreciated!
Like Stacy, I’m definitely trying the sweet potato biscuits for Thanksgiving. Can’t wait!!!
Tracy had me laughing out loud. I can so relate to her Mother Theories.
Think I’d rather stay in a haunted house too. Would rather be frightened to death than a shark’s dinner.
And, yes, words DO matter.
Thanks, Cheryl!!!
Carol – hi! Delighted that you enjoyed. Thrilled that you read us – as in every episode. And grateful for your thoughts via feedback and sharing in comments.
Thank you!!! Have a great day!