Sunday Morning Ritual

When I was a kid, I was a big fan of the Sunday comics. My parents would spend what seemed like hours sitting in their chairs each Sunday morning drinking coffee and reading the paper, but the quickly tossed the comics aside. My brother and I would fight to see who could get the comics first.

Today, the Sunday paper is the only one that I really read. I like to take a leisurely morning drinking coffee and reading the paper. I guess I am my parents son…..except I still read the comics first!

As you might expect, my taste in comics has evolved over the years. Here are my thoughts on a few:

Never Really Read them

• Mary Worth and other soap opera style strips – I just never got into these. I think you need to read them daily to really have any interest in them.

• Spiderman, Superman, Dick Tracy, Prince Valiant – Same as above. As the story lines are long, it just wasn’t my thing.

Used to like but have outgrown them

• Ziggy – Too much of the same. Time for Ziggy to go.

• Family Circus – I used to love the ones where you follow the path of the kids as they run all around. For the life of me, I can’t see why.

• Garfield – Like America, I loved Garfield and Odie, but while I evolved, they didn’t.

• Hagar, BC, Beetle Bailey – These were read only cause they were there, but like many in this category, too much of the same.

• Doonesbury – I liked this strip much more as a teenager but find it either preachy or boring now.

Decent but gone

• Bloom County – Opus…’nuff said.

• Foxtrot – I really liked this comic and over the years had even bought a few collections, but has been gone from my paper for some time.

Current favs

• Get Fuzzy – This is probably my current favorite. I like the interplay of the self-important and clueless cat, the good-hearted dog and the bewildered human.

• Dilbert – While starting to lose its shine, it still hits the mark on working life in cubeville.

• Zits – Having teenage boys, this speaks to me directly.

• Baby Blues – A good look at the life of a parent (which means just trying to figure it out).

• Frazz – The most philosophical one of the bunch, it brings deeper insight than you might expect.

• JumpStart – Another parenting one, this occasionally has one that I need to cut out for the Ranting Wife to see.

Best of all time

• Peanuts – My favorite as a kid. This would be the first comic I would read and I kept that up until Charles Schultz passed away. Once they started repeating old comics, I just couldn’t read it anymore.

• Far Side – Gary Larson got my humor perfectly. It was the comic that I most laughed out loud when seeing. I still can’t think of the words cat food without picturing the dog trying to lure a cat into the washer with a sign that said “Cat fud”.

• Calvin and Hobbes – Simply the best, ever. The imagination, humor, intelligence and most of all heart has made this a timeless classic. Bill Waterson – we miss Calvin!

Mustard Pecan Turkey Cutlets

This is a quick cooking dish, so take your time to finish your comics.

Only 5 ingredients.

Use a food processor to really grind the pecans or do it the old fashioned way and beat the heck out of them.

In the pan.

Crunchy and flavorful.

Mustard Pecan Turkey Cutlets

Servings: 3 | Difficulty: Easy

Ingredients:

1/2 cup shelled pecans 1 tbsp spicy brown or Dijon mustard 3 tbsp mayonnaise 3 turkey breast cutlets, about 4 ounces each 1 1/2 tbsp butter

Directions:

Place the pecans in your food processor and pulse until they’re ground medium fine.

Mix together the mustard and mayonnaise blending well.

Lay the turkey cutlets on a plate and spread half of the mustard mixture on one side. Sprinkle half of the ground pecans over the mustard and press lightly with the back of a spoon to help them stick.

Spray a large heavy skillet with cooking spray. Place over medium high heat. Melt the butter and add the cutlets, pecan side down. Sauté for about 4 minutes. With the cutlets still in the pan, spread the remaining mustard mixture and sprinkle the rest of the pecans, pressing with the back of a spoon. Flip the cutlets carefully. Sauté for another 5 minutes, and serve.