Friday, August 27, 2010

Jimmy's Arms


Finally alone.
Nothing to say.
I never did have anything worth saying.
Blue-green eyes...
Why must I think of YOU
And remember everything I hate in MYSELF?
You never let down your arms.

Finally I'm lonely
And you can no longer do anything for me.
I just put my shoes on
And find comfort in my precious masochism
Alone
By myself.
You never let down your arms.

If January comes
And she comes
Alone,
By myself,
Then finally this box will be gone
After being dropped,
Then picked up.
After it rained,
And finally dried.
And after it was left,
And then remembered
Once you finally had a use for what's inside.
You never let down your arms.

Could you see me
All those nights I walked
And stood in the rain
With my arms open
Waiting for you,
Crying?
But you'd never know it.
The rain just washed my tears away
Finally landing at my shoes.
You never let down your arms.

Candy coated words.
Finally,
Dirtied kisses.
Beautiful flowers for Valentine's
That just got distracted
And forgotten like the box.
It's not the thought that counts
Anymore.
You never let down your arms.

If there's nothing I can do
Then why am I here?
Did I ask to be?
Tell me,
I forget,
Did you ask?
My shoes didn't walk me here,
But my feet hurt
From my new shoes.
You never let down your arms.

Can you hear my tapping red shoes when I play?
Watch my flying hands, Jimmy.
It's a rush like going down in an elevator
Except without that irritating music.
But eventually after I go up the stairs
And down the rushing elevator
I get sick and tired.
You never let down your arms.

When I was young,
My favorite ride was the merry-go-round.
All it does is turn you around and round.
Sometimes they pushed too fast
And I guess I fell down
I still can't seem to find my balance.
Why must my life be a masquerade?
I never used to like parties...
I guess things change, my dear.
You never let down your arms.

And that party.
That stupid Christmas party!
You remember her name, don't you?
Guess you weren't that messed up.
It seems your twin was the one
Standing in the rain
Holding my hand,
Right next to me.
Waiting.
Hey! What are best friends for?
Funny.
Mine seem to like Jimmy's bed.
You never let down your arms.

And what am I supposed to do?
Sit with my red shoes
And wait for you to call?
...You remember her face but not her number.
And now all you remember is her voice
And her breath,
But nothing she has said.
You never let down your arms.

I can't stay any longer.
I'm being dropped and rained on and forgotten.
And I'm lonely and crying
Finally, this time,
ALONE in the rain.
I'm sick of promises,
And elevators,
And this fair with my merry-go-round
And all that annoying circus music.
"Sorry ma'am. We seem to have lost your safety net."
Maybe you could've caught me.
You never let down your arms...
Guess you were waiting for something else to catch.
You missed me.
Somewhere, there,
In your parade
I mistook the ideas you spoon-fed me.
I guess I mistook the offing of your pants
For the offering of open arms.
I'll just put on my red shoes for playing,
Lay back and show MYSELF another way.
You never let down your arms.

Will you hold my shoes for a moment?
I'll try and remember I left
That box there
With the little red playing shoes on it.
I'll be back in a minute.
I have to go see if he's still out in the rain, waiting.
Oh! There he is.
This time I'll take his hand
And let our arms down.
Funny.
You never let down your arms.

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

GF Dark Chocolate Cake with Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting

GF Dark Chocolate Cake
1/2 cup Bob's Red Mill GF Pancake mix
1/2 cup tapioca flour
1/2 cup white rice flour
1 cup cocoa powder, sifted
2 teaspoons xanthan gum
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 sticks butter at room temperature
3/4 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
4 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups buttermilk (or sub 1 1/2 teaspoon white vinegar with 1 1/2 cups milk*)

*I used a whole large can (1 1/2+ cups) of evaporated milk.

Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch pan and set aside. If using milk and vinegar, pour milk in cup and add vinegar. Let rest until ready to use.
2.In a medium bowl, sift together the pancake mix, tapioca, and rice flours with the cocoa powder, xanthan gum, baking powder, and baking soda.
3.In a large mixer bowl, cream the butter until light and fluffy. Slowly beat in the brown and white sugars; whip until fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add the vanilla. On low speed, alternately combine the buttermilk with the flour mixture. Pour batter into prepared pan. Batter will be loose, like pudding. Let rest for 20-30 minutes and it will thicken. (This is an excellent time to mix the frosting!)
4.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool in pan.

Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
1 1/2 sticks butter
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1 stick butter, room temp
8 ounces cream cheese
coarse salt, such as himalayan sea salt

Directions:
1.In a sauce pan, melt 1 1/2 sticks butter, sugar and one tablespoon water and let caramelize over high heat, stirring constantly.
2.Remove from the heat and add cream cheese. Whisk until incoorporated. Beat with mixer until smooth. Add remaining 1 stick of butter 1 tablespoon at a time until thoroughly mixed. Let cool at room temperature and spread on cooled cake. Sprinkle coarse salt on top of frosted cake. Refrigerate.

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It fell in the middle a little, but you could shave it down to even it out or frost more heavily in the middle. ;) Or just roll with it like me!

For you non-gluten free folk, perhaps try 1 1/2-2 cups flour. Cake flour would be awesome!

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Unplugged at Norshor, Duluth, Minnesota












Gluten Free Baking Day

I've been perpetually hungry this past week. I also have several days of 5 kids in the house (along with a new kitten, until someone adopts her) which leaves me little time for food preparation. Yesterday, I cleaned the kitchen only to fill it with just about every last dish and utensil I own. I made GF broccoli cheese soup. Two strawberry rhubarb pies; one with fresh strawberries and green rhubarb from my garden and the other with the neighbors red rhubarb and strawberries from out CSA share. THEN I made a gluten free pizza crust topped with turkey pepperoni and sausage, mushrooms, black olives, onions and green pepper. YUMMO! I made two non-GF pizzas for the rest of the fam; one like mine for John and one with just cheese on half (for Victoria) and one with cheese and meats (for Isobelle.) Now the fridge is crammed with GF food to sustain me through the next crazy, kid filled days!

♥

Friday, June 18, 2010

First Cities Gig!

I will be solo-ing it at Acadia Cafe in MSP tonight June 18th at 9:30!

Friday, April 30, 2010

New Song: Skinny White Ass

Skinny White Ass

He gave me his number
And a wink shot bright to my face
Said I could use him anytime
How I pleased

Then he’s holding a tinny
And I’m holding my breath
First time I got rotten
Better find me a cigarette

Cause I want this like mad
Tell myself it goes to my head
Not gonna fall for another too fast
Not another skinny white ass

Clock’s whispering 1 a.m.
Thoughts climb ‘round in our heads
I’m relishing union
While he dreamt of Marianne

This lust I received like a
Swift kick in the teeth
They’ve gone flying rockets
So much for fidelity

Cause he wanted her like mad
Told myself she’ll go right to his head
Not gonna fall for another too fast
Not another skinny white ass

No worries
You’ve got this one, Ace
Now bugger off
No worries, Ace

Now I’m starting to wonder
Lost in his avocado chair
Does this boy get lonely?
Is that why I find myself here?

But he tasted just like sunshine
From that down under land
Seduced all good intentions with
His sweet sunburn hands

Cause I wanted him like mad
Tell myself he goes to my head
So I'm not gonna fall for another so fast
Not another skinny white ass
Skinny white ass

New Song: Nicotine

This song came alive because of the Beaners challenge, writing to a prompt: priorities.

Nicotine


I once met a guy
Up in a winters tree
Couldn’t make time for me
As far as I could see

Cause he had trapped a
Flying ballerina
In his icy bough cause he heard
She’d dance for a fee

But I wondered what if I became that woman somehow?
And I wondered what if I let the woman down?

But is she free if she’s addicted to nicotine?
But is she free is she’s a woman in need?

She waved hi to me
Pleading “Couldn’t you set me free
Cause I’m afraid I’m in danger of
Falling from his tree.”

So I punched the guy in the nose
Can’t believe that she chose
Running from the clutch of
His solid frame

And I wondered what if we knocked him to the ground?
Then I wondered what if we couldn‘t find a way out?

But is she free if she’s addicted to nicotine?
But is she free is she’s a woman in need?

So we ran hand in bloody hand
This broken window now where we stand
But looking in there was only
A reflection of me

Freezing cold, we sisters had ran
Addicted to a man, fast as we could
Then the mouth of our ghost spoke
“Hey, can I bum a smoke?”

How can she be free if she’s addicted to nicotine?
How can she be free is she’s a woman in need?
How can she be free if this is her priority?
How can she be free if she’s addicted to nicotine?