Target targets my sense of smell

*I recently went to Target to buy some cleaning products. I could have used a consumer guide to help me make an educated decision about the cornucopia of products being offered.  Now, I know that Target has to offer an array of goods for the consumer, but the marketing of said products has just become so outrageous. The bunk, the gall! The ridiculousness of it all! 

I was in the detergent aisle and came across-

Mountain Breeze fragranced Gain detergent

(this is orginal fresh, whatever that means, the mountain breeze had I do believe, a blue color theme, because mountains are blue and those breezes that come over them are of course a paler shade of blue)

Okay, mountain breeze, as opposed to any breeze, say perhaps one that wafts down a stream? What about island breeze or icy, freezing cold, Arctic fresh breeze? How about dried out, dead field breeze? Parisian Dog doo breeze? Smoldering fire and ash? Guess those terms don't sound as pleasant in marketing terms, but come on….mountain breeze? Which mountain, what part of the country? Assuming it was North America. Was it the Alps? Nepal perhaps? Maybe the Smokies? Where exactly did this mountain breeze emanate from? I would like to know.

Then I saw the icy fresh breeze detergent, ever tempting my olfactory with a scent so pleasant it would turn laundry from a chore into an absolute delightful passing of my time. Did someone trek to the North or South Pole to determine exactly what an icy fresh breeze smells like? Wouldn’t your nose be frozen with snot, how would you smell this said icy, fresh breeze? How could you smell anything in that environment? Why so many breezes? Who said a breeze necessarily smelled pleasant? I have been to Elizabeth, New Jersey, trekking down the good ol', congested Interstate 95 South, and let me tell you, ain't nothing refreshing about that smell. If I had to take a gander, I would say, "hint of sulfer, mixed with smelt, cesspool, melted plastic and tar."

Or how about Fresh Rain fragrance? Would that be in opposition to acid rain? What the heck is that, do they mean the smell of dirt? And apple mango tango, now my fruit dances???? Why does every thing have to smell like apples? What happened to jack fruit or 

Could someone please inform me as to what marketing genius decided to make every fragrance a breeze, so that I can go beat them soundly? Or why everything from dish detergent, to fabric softener, to hair conditioners, shampoos and deodorants smell like fruit, or herbs, like lavender? I just want clean clothes. I don’t want fruits, breezes, herbs or flowers. I like to eat my fruit, be touched by a breeze, eat my herbs and smell my flowers, but I do not like my clothes to reek of the fragrance of them. I will take the unscented, thank you very much.

*Excerpted from an article, copyright 2007

Southern Corn Pudding

Southern Corn Pudding

Moving back to the south has inspired me to reinvent traditional dishes. I thought I'd try my hand at a corn pudding. When I first heard the words corn and pudding together, I was aghast. How could corn possibly be in a dish that for years I had construed to be a dessert? Well, welcome to the south, where regional cuisine reigns as the popular food culture.

For my personal taste, I like things with a twist, so a sweet corn pudding did not necessarily appeal. So,of course, coming from Oklahoma and Texas, I had to add a bit of spicy kick. I threw in a handful of chopped jalapenos and green chiles to add some sass. 

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees

1. 3 tbs. flour
2. 2 tsp. baking soda
3. 1 tsp. salt
4. 1 cup of sour cream
5. 3/4 cup of milk
6. 4 eggs
7. 1 tbs. sugar
8. 4 cups of corn (I used fresh white and yellow corn)
9. 1 small can of green chiles (drained)
10. 1 small chopped jalapeno
11. 5 ounces of grated pepper jack cheese (or cheddar jack)

In a blender or food processor, combine flour, salt and baking powder. Add eggs, milk, sugar, sour cream and 2 cups of corn and blend until almost smooth, depending upon your preference.

In a separate bowl combine the green chiles, chooped jalapeno, 2 cups of corn, and pepper jack cheese and add into the processed batter (it will be a bit runny, but that's okay). Pour into a 9 x 13 baking dish, prepared with butter on the bottom of the pan and bake for 40-45 minutes. The center should be a bit wobbly. Allow to cool for 10-15 minutes and serve immediately.

I served it up with some mesquite chicken; yeah, I know, sounds more like a Texas menu. Yee haw!