Randi Kreiss

Tense? Whip up an Anti-Trump Nut Cake

Posted

When the president of the United States appears to take Russia’s side on the seesaw of world events, what is a person to do?
As observers, readers and voters, our options, unfortunately, are limited. We rage and rant. So what? We process the news of the day and we commiserate with like-minded friends.
Still, we suffer because deep in our heart of hearts, we know that this president is a unicorn of the worst kind. No leader of the U.S. has ever consorted with our enemies the way Donald Trump does. No president has ever raised questions about his own loyalty to our country. No leader of the free world has ever lied to his countrymen as obsessively and consistently as this one has. No American president has ever attacked and undermined the common goals and security of our longtime allies the way Trump has.
We know something is very wrong; we just don’t know all the details yet, and we don’t know how to fix it. When a president goes rogue, who has the moral authority, the legal precedent and the courage to challenge his decisions?
We speak with our votes, and we must get out for the midterm election. We can encourage others to vote. Some of us have a bully pulpit, and we must keep resisting the Trumpian push toward authoritarianism.

But how to deal with the 4:00-in-the-morning fears that the bad guys could actually win this fight for America’s destiny? How to stay reasonably calm while summoning the confidence that this desperate and dysfunctional president can be stopped from stepping over a line or making a mistake that can’t be undone. He walks back his comments nearly every day, but he cannot un-push a red button or bring back to life soldiers who die in his service.
For people like me who worry about our direction and our integrity as a nation, there are coping mechanisms we can employ during this time of national angst. Some folks exercise, running off their anxiety. Some friends meet to talk endlessly about the tangled web of political intrigue. Others find themselves hyper-focused on TV news.
I have stepped up my cooking and baking, and I urge readers to do the same. It is basic, it is available to all of us and it is therapeutic. Just because it’s obvious doesn’t mean it isn’t viable.
There’s something about preparing food that comforts the heart and mind. It’s a perfect anxiety-reducing activity in that it requires focus and attention to detail and process, and there is a big payoff at the end — a delicious treat or meal or dessert.
I have been heavy into summer soups, room-temperature minestrone and spicy bean soups. I cook nearly every day, some meal that forces me to read a recipe, move about my kitchen and put together something that we will enjoy at dinner time.
Try it, even if you’re among the majority of readers who don’t cook on a regular basis. You have it all there in your house: the stove, the oven and the fridge. No expensive equipment or special clothing is necessary.
Choose a reasonably complex recipe that looks inviting to you, and go for it. Get lost in the butter and eggs. Knead some bread dough or whip up an interesting cake. It’s good good.
Want to try a foolproof recipe, which I have renamed for our moment in history? Have a go at Anti-Trump Nut Cake.
Ingredients
* 1½ pounds blanched whole almonds
* 1 pound Brazil nuts
* Half-pound walnut halves
* Half-pound pecan halves
* 1½ pounds pitted dates
* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 cup white sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking powder
* ¾ teaspoon salt
* 4 eggs
* 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
Directions
Preheat oven to 275 degrees. Line two 5 x 9-inch loaf pans with greased parchment paper. Combine the almonds, Brazil nuts, walnuts and pecans; mix well.
Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine with nut mixture and mix well. Beat eggs and vanilla, add to nut and flour mixture and mix well.
Press into two lined loaf pans and bake for 1½ to 2 hours. Set aside for five minutes and remove from pans. Completely cool on wire rack.

Copyright 2018 Randi Kreiss. Randi can be reached at randik3@aol.com.