Are You Mentally Challenged?

There's been so much reactionary blogging going on these days that I felt compelled to jump on the bandwagon too. Sadly, until today I just couldn't manage to stimulate any controversy on my blog. Imagine my surprise when the one subject to finally provoke a rude comment was puff pastry!

You probably know about--and I've alluded to--the recent discussions--mostly good really--about subjects like the dumbing down of quilting. People sure got their panties in a bunch over that one, didn't they?

And last week, a long-time friend of mine, Pat, sent me a link to a book review on a blog that had gone viral due to the book author's comments in defense of her book. (Click HERE if you haven't heard about it and are interested in reading it.) Her numerous comments were riddled with typos and bad grammar--which was pretty much what the reviewer complained of when he reviewed her book. Insane!

I'm starting to think there are a lot of socially challenged people out there, sitting alone in front of their computers, feeling pretty darn grumpy, and they don't care who they dump on. Today one of those people--the ever famous "Anonymous," in fact--posted a comment to my puff pastry post:

"Are you mentally challenged? Opening 3 packages is not a 'recipe'."

Okay, I take exception to that comment. First, because I'm picky when it comes to typos, grammar, and punctuation, I have to point out that numbers ten and under should be spelled out, and the period belongs inside the quotation marks (i.e., "Opening three packages is not a 'recipe.'") But I guess we're all mentally challenged in one way or another.

Second, I looked back at my post and I never really DID say it was a recipe. That's a technicality, though, because when I talked about the puff pastry dessert idea near the end, I IMPLIED that the puff pastry/mustard/sausage idea was a recipe, so I only have a partial defense on that ground.

Third--and this is the big one--what I posted actually IS a recipe according to the definitions in most dictionaries. For example, Wikipedia defines "recipe" as "a set of instructions that describe how to prepare or make something, especially a culinary dish." (Check some of the other online dictionaries and I'm sure you'll find similar definitions.)

In any event, those of you who read my blog regularly know I've never held it out to be a food blog. Now and then I'll pass on a recipe or an idea that's worked for me. My most important criteria for good food is that it has to be reasonably fast (so I can get back to quilting quicker) and it has to taste pretty darn good. Of course, I don't know who "Anonymous" is, but I've got to believe he or she isn't someone who normally reads my blog since they didn't "get" that.

In any event, I can't help but think that if anyone's mentally challenged here, it's probably not me. I do have one question for Anonymous, though: "Are you socially challenged?" Oh, never mind. I already know the answer. And your mama obviously never told you that if you don't have something good to say, keep your mouth shut. And she dresses you funny too, so there!