Wednesday, March 20, 2024

THE HITS JUST KEEP ON COMIN'

 My wife, the all-knowing SWMBO (She Who Must Be Obeyed), keeps telling me "Oh. give it a break, willya, your readers don't need to know about all the food that gets eaten in our house!"

But, although I usually obey her orders, on my food-blogging I tend to go my own way.

However, you can echo her if you like and tell me to stop.

But until you (all) do, here's the latest from the Taylor Family Bakery.




The recipe, from Genevieve Ko in the New York Times, says they're called Chunky Chocolate Cookies and incorporate chocolate chips and mini pretzels into an already rich chocolate dough.

I didn't have any mini pretzels so I chopped up some walnuts and substituted them.

And SWMBO can't keep her hands off of them.

They're rich, they're sweet, they're good.

Now to skew things slightly, I'm not sure I've ever explained where I came up with the name She Who Must Be Obeyed for my lovely wife.

It dates back a number of decades when we became fans of a British television series that was aired on our local PBS station in Arizona.

It was "Rumpole of the Bailey" and it featured the late actor Leo McKern as a blustering British barrister (attorney) named Horace Rumpole.




But at home, he was ruled by his wife, Hilda, played by the late actress Marion Mathie.




When she would get after him about one thing or another, Rumpole would mutter under his breath "She who must be obeyed."

We would both laugh but Judy never suspected that one day in the future I would brand her with that sobriquet.

So now you know where it came from and know also that it's used with loving kindness and a twinkle in my eye.

Sort of like Rumpole.

22 comments:

  1. I had forgotten about that series! I watch quite a bit of English series on PBS Masterpiece Mystery.

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  2. Please share with She Who must be obeyed that we enjoy your food blogging. These cookies look to die for. A chocolate lovers dream. (me) If you need my address to send some...

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  3. tc-Light-Breezes Those cookies look fabulous. We loved Rumpole of the Bailey...think I will try to find someplace where you can stream or watch the classic.

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    1. I found an episode on You Tube on my computer.

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  4. I knew the allusion although I have never seen a lot of Rumpole. I think she should become SWMBOWQ (without question).

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  5. I was wondering about the origin if it was positive.

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  6. My dad used to use that expression too so I knew it already. :) Anything with chocolate and walnut is my friend.

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  7. That last comment was me. I'm not sure why Blogger is being such an a-hole lately.

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  8. Lovely, term of endearment and respect . You are lucky to have her, and same to her.

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  9. We were Rumpole fans too, and I wouldn't mind being called SWMBO. Please don't hesitate to write about food, I enjoy it.

    PS The quote we remember most about Rumpole is, "Exercise is the short cut to the cemetery."

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  10. I'd say the walnuts are a far better addition than mini pretzels.

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  11. We watched a " Rumpole" on TV only the other evening....I didn't really think much of it......a bit dated! Used to watch it when it was " New".
    I'm sure those cookies were tasty, but they reminded me of stuff I put in to a small plastic bag when out with the dog.....sorry!!

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  12. Didn't Rumpole also have the line "her inside"?
    Or am I confusing that with another character?

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  13. The cookies look wonderful. Happy wife, happy life.

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  14. We used to watch Rumpole all the time and loved it.
    The cookies look great and walnuts seem nicer than pretzels to me.

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  15. I love knowing where the name SWMBO came from. I remember that there was a show named Rumpole, but I never watched it. I think I'll go see what it was all about now. (NewRobin13)

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  16. I'm sure the cookies were delicious, but...they reminded me of that old Smucker's commercial. I'd say, with a look like this, those cookies HAVE to be good!

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  17. I loved Rumpole, and immediately understood your reference and got a good idea of your relationship with your wife! Those cookies look great.

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  18. I never saw the show, but PBS used to send us a catalog and sold merchandise with the SWMBO logo. Your SWMBO looks as if she cracks her whip gently. She must be fond of you!

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  19. Yummy!

    I'm only familiar with Leo through a film called Ladyhawke.

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