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I invite @deeanndmathews

Interestingly, according to Wikipedia, the word “mood” comes from the Old English mōd which meant military courage and quite honestly, I think that anyone who knows me would agree that “military courage” is what you’d need, by the bucket load, to put up with me when I’m in a black sulk.

I say a “black” mood because I really think that my temper or disposition is color-coded - red for anger, green or pink for happiness, blue for calm, while grey probably describes me when I’m down or in a state of lethargy.

Generally, when I’m in a bad mood, I’m better left alone, and usually get over it faster on my own. I’m not a nice person to know when my temper is rotten, so as a common courtesy, I try to stay away from people (not always possible, sadly, for my nearest and dearest, who should just “konk” me on the head with something solid until I cheer up.LoL.)

To revive my spirits, I often turn to engaging in something creative. It always uplifts my mood if I bake, sew, write, draw or make something. Obviously, this is only a solution if the pursuit turns out well, otherwise this situation can become challenging.

Sometimes the best medicine, though, can only be given spontaneously, especially if it comes from someone who knows you very well. Take, for instance, the morning I woke up to find the kitchen floor and counter partially flooded and the kettle broken due to a leaking tap. Clearly, I should have been totally concerned with getting the tap fixed and cleaning up, but all I could think about was that I wasn’t going to get my cup of morning coffee...I adore my coffee!

Irrationally, I decided to boil water on the stove top, for coffee, and try to improve my sour mood by baking cheese puffs. I know what you’re thinking - this woman is absolutely crazy, and that, of course, is exactly what my mom thought when she found me standing on a dry patch of floor, surrounded by pools of water, with my hands deep in a bowl of flour and grated cheese. My mom’s jaw hit the floor, she was way too flabbergasted to talk, but she tried yanking the offending mixing bowl from my greedy paws...I know that you've already worked out how this situation panned out...I didn’t let go, but she did!

Next thing I knew, I was flat on my rear, submerged in an inch of dirty water and covered head to toe in a cloud of flour and cheese. BTW flour turns to glue when mixed with water. However, all that starts badly doesn’t always end sadly...my mom took one look at me and burst out laughing, which set me off too. We were overcome with fits of giggling and the ugly mood was broken. Often, you just need someone to see the ridiculous to clear the air and it’s usually that person you rely on so much, without realizing their value.

Anyway, the recounting wouldn’t be complete without a recipe for the cheese puffs, which are so easy to make and absolutely delicious to devour in the morning with your coffee. Be sure to add lashings of butter for a truly decadent snack.

Cheese Puffs

Ingredients

2 cups of sharp cheese (Cheddar is good)
1 cup of all purpose flour
1 egg. Beaten
1 cup of milk
Handful of chopped fresh herbs, such as Italian parsley or coriander(optional)
½ teaspoon of garlic salt (optional)
Coarse salt and black pepper to taste
½ teaspoon chili flakes (optional)
1 ½ tablespoons of baking powder.

method

In a mixing bowl (LoL), combine the flour, cheese and other dry ingredients. Add the herbs. Combine the milk with the beaten eggs. Fold the egg mixture into the dry ingredients. Do not overmix.

Grease an oven tray, lightly. Drop generous spoonfuls of the mixture onto the tray. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius (moderate oven), for 12 to 15 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the puff comes out clean.

Enjoy!

The recipe has been handed down and adapted in my family for generations.