Not Your Ordinary Spring Vacation

My daughter, Emma, just completed a most unusual spring break.

While thousands of college students flock to the beaches to catch up on their tans or, worse, imbibe far too much alcohol, Emma flew home to Santa Maria.

She spent her week-long vacation campaigning for her father.

What a week! She had barely laid her head on the pillow after a middle-of-the-night reunion when we roused her, gave her a steaming cup of coffee and loaded her in the car for her first Freedom Rally.

Then we turned her loose -- solo -- at a campaign luncheon where she represented her father while he zipped off to a fundraiser.

And that was just the first 24 hours.


Her week raced from protest rallies to luncheons to Republican committee dinners. She dressed up for evening affairs, and dressed down for street marches; she met candidates pitching for votes and chatted with sitting politicians. Sadly, she ate more than one pre-fab chicken dinner.

But she was dazzling. And I'm not just saying that because I'm her mother.

The funny part was that we still squeezed in some good, old fashioned, girl-bonding. No, this vacation didn't give us time to watch reruns of goofy reality shows while we did our nails. But while we were driving from one function to the next, we talked. She told me about the bone-chilling Ohio winter, waist-high snow and endless grey skies. She fretted about her mid-terms and her steady diet of Top Ramen and boxed cereal.

I realized we've been so busy campaigning that I hadn't even sent her a care package. No ginger cookies, fuzzy socks, multi-packs of pens or smelly soap. Not even a Starbucks gift card.

But it's funny how your children, when they are away, seem to grow in leaps in bounds. There's a new maturity in her, a sense of self and purpose that gives me comfort. Yes, she would have enjoyed a box stuffed full of goodies from home, but she didn't require it.

I have a single regret now that she's back in Ohio, and it's pretty big. Before her break, Emma asked for just one thing: my special grilled salmon dinner. After months of dormitory food, she craved our favorite family meal.

Alas, life along the campaign trail prevented me from fixing it. As my culinary penance, we will now wait until Emma returns.

But what a reunion that will be! The campaign will be racing toward the primary finish line, the bitter Ohio winter part of weather history and all my children home.

Salmon, anyone?

Batter Up!

Ahhhh, baseball.

How we love the game that is America's national pastime. So many Stockdale memories are wrapped around the sport that it is hard to find just one, or two, or three stories to share. Like a respectable batting average, there must be hundreds of happy moments that we've had, thanks to baseball.

For me, baseball signals the end of winter, when the days are short and the weather chilly. With baseball comes spring and new life. Like the daffodils in our back yard, the new season means a fresh start, regardless of how disappointing last year's finish.

Frankly, it doesn't matter whether I'm watching the pros at the World Series or the neighborhood youngsters at Little League. It is the game that breeds excitement and all-American grit. I have had more than one ESPN moment sitting on the cold aluminum bleachers at our Santa Maria fields. There, I've whistled and prayed and paced, watching 10-year-olds play their hearts out. Tell any mother that Kurt Gibson's spectacular 1988 homerun was more special than her son (or daughter's) game-winning little league hit, and you may be pummeled with sunflower seeds.

In my family this year, the passion begins with tee-ball, but it doesn't end there.

Our Anthony is up to bat! At 5, he is the littlest player on his team. But he can hit a whiffle ball over the back fence and throw with amazing accuracy. Never mind he doesn't talk much. As you can see from the photo, his smile is major league.

James, at 12, has been promoted to farm team again this year. For the uninitiated, that means the games really count. You might have heard me yelling just last Saturday, when he scored the first run for his team at the opening day game.

Baseball. You gotta love it.

It's generational bonding, where fathers and grandfathers take their sons and daughters to watch the game. Nobody argues politics at baseball, though I've heard some pretty nasty comments exchanged when the Yankees play the Angels. We sing "God Bless America" and cheer for the troops at baseball games. Indeed, my kids probably learned the words to "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" before the "Star Spangled Banner," and they never met a Dodger Dog they didn't like.

Baseball means romance in my family, too. Dave and I met over baseball. Kathryn and Jared had an early getting-to-know-you date at a Dodger game.

Just this Saturday, as I stood on the Little League field and recited the Pledge of Allegiance at the boy's opening day ceremonies, I got goose bumps.

I didn't look, but I'm pretty sure they were red, white and blue.

And the Winners Are ...

Lately I've been helping out at the Republican booth at the San Luis Obispo Farmers' Market.

It's a great example of politics and pleasure overlapping. And sometimes, you just never know what might come of the conversation.

A few weeks ago I discovered that one of the volunteers, a handsome young Cuesta College student, is actually a self-described "closet chef." Our conversation quickly turned from politics to food prep. And before long, he admitted that he makes a pretty mean cheesecake.

Game on.

You see, I make a pretty tasty cheesecake myself.

So by the end of the night, the contest was set. Jayson would create his delectable blueberry-topped cheesecake, and I would submit my famous Irish Creme pie. The judges would be anyone who happened to stop by the booth the following week.

The results were delicious, even worth breaking my Lenten "no-dessert" rule! Jason's dessert was creamy and smooth and the blueberry topping was a real crowd-pleaser. Those who like liqueur-laced desserts swooned over my Irish Creme cheesecake.

The results? Even San Luis Obispo County Sheriff Candidate Mike Teixeira couldn't decide. Both, he declared in true non-partisan fashion, are worthy of eating.


So I'm going to let you decide for yourselves. Jayson was kind enough to pass along his recipe, a longtime family favorite, and mine is posted as well. When you've got some extra time -- plus a few pounds of cream cheese -- I recommend you make them both.

And for those who love liqueur-laced goodies as much as I do, I'm adding a bonus recipe. This one comes from Melody Brown, whose Grand Marniere Stuffed Dates were the hit of last Saturday's Republican fundraiser in Santa Maria.

Enjoy. Then pass along your own votes.

JAYSON'S BLUEBERRY-TOPPED CHEESECAKE

Jayson writes his cake has more complex flavors because he's scaled back on refined sugars. And while the blueberry topping can be omitted, it really sets the dish off. I couldn't agree more.

CRUST:
1 - Packet of Graham Crackers + a few more (12 whole crackers)
Crush in plastic bag or what ever you want to crush the crackers with.
1 - Cube melted butter.
2 - Tbsp. Sugar

Combine above ingredients in a small bowl, put in pyrex dish (I
use a dish that is a large pie dish, about 9 1/2 by 1 3/4 in.) Spray
dish with pam or butter to prevent crust from sticking. Pat
crumbs until even on the bottom and up on the sides of the dish, about
1 inch. Jayson says a rounded spoon works best.

FILLING:
1 - 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, room temperature
3/4 - cup Sugar
2 - Eggs
1 Tsp. Vanilla

Beat cream cheese well; add sugar, eggs, flavoring, and continue beating until smooth. Pour into unbaked crust and bake 25 min. at 350-degrees. Remove cake from oven and reset
temperature to 425-degrees.

TOPPING:
1/2 - Pint Sour Cream (1 cup)
1 - Tsp. Vanilla
2 - Tbsp. Sugar

Mix well and spread over cake. Return to oven for 4 minutes at 425
degrees. Remove from oven and place directly from oven to coldest
part of refrigerator. Let the cake set up for a minimum of 4 hours,
preferably overnight.


BLUEBERRY TOPPING:
16 oz blueberries (frozen works fine)
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup white sugar

Defrost blueberries. Reserve 1/3 of the fruit, take other 2/3 and
combine in sauce pan with vanilla and sugar. Cook on medium-high heat
for 7-9 minutes or until the sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.
Remove from heat and puree. Return pureed mix to the sauce pan and
mix in reserved fruit. Simmer for a minute to two minutes while
stirring.

(It should be noted that you can use this process with any fruit-
peaches, strawberries, blackberries, etc.)

JENNIFER'S IRISH CREAM CHEESECAKE

1 pkg. Ameretti cookies, crushed
1/4 cup melted butter
1/3 cup white choc. chips

Mix cookies and butter and press into bottom and 1" up sides of large spring form pan. Bake at 325 degrees, 7-10 min. Sprinkle choc. chips inside pan.

Filling:
2 1/4 packages cream cheese
6 eggs
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 Tbsp.
1 cup Bailey's Irish Cream
1/4 cup semi-sweet choc.

Whip all ingredients until smooth, being careful not to over smooth. Pour into crust and bake at 250 degrees in water bath for 90 min. until set.
Put in cool place and let sit 3 hrs. before releasing. Melt chocolate and garnish.

MELODY'S REPUBLICAN DATES

Medjool dates, pitted
White Stilton Cheese with dates and orange (found at Trader Joes)
Bacon cooked till crisp and crumbly
Grand Marniere Liqueur

Cut dates lengthwise. Open and lay them flat in enough Grand Marnier to cover the bottom of baking tin.
Blend the cheese and crumbled bacon in a mixer till mixed thoroughly. I use about a pkg and a half for each pound of dates and about 8-10 pieces of bacon.
Once the dates have marinated in the Grand Marniere for about 4 hours, fill them with the cheese and bacon mixture. Refrigerate till about 30 minutes before serving. Be sure to refrigerate left overs, although chances are you won't have any.