Monday, December 12, 2016

All Mixed Up Red Beans and Rice

Howdy!! 
When we visited New Orleans I tried a few different red bean and rice dishes and I loved them...minus the meat he he! They also went great with beignets. So I wanted to make my own and since it's been a while I went straight for my True Blood Cookbook! Oh True Blood how I miss you. I did make this before...but it had been a while! 
Check me out!
Here is an abridged Sam's Red Beans and Rice! YUM! 
First step, soak the beans in a pot with a few inches of water overnight. In the morning drain any left over water. 
Next cut up your onion, celery and bell pepper. Heat the bacon fat in a pot then add in the veggies, pepper and cayenne and stir until they are golden. 
Cut up the sausage and ham then add to your golden veggies. We opted to forgo the salt pork and added a pinch of salt to the mix. Stir until meat is slightly browned and then add in the red beans and water. 
Make sure to add enough water so that the mixture is covered. Let cook for a few hours, stirring occasionally. Of course Jack got a piece too...but what's new ha ha!  Next take a wooden spoon and mash half of the mix to one side, breaking up the beans a bit. While you wait, make your rice to add to the dish! We opted for brown rice this time around. Continue stirring for another 30 mins until beans are soft and then serve.
There you have it...red beans and rice! Delish!
Cheers! Bunny

Monday, December 5, 2016

Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge

Good Morning!! 
Last night I made some yummy Mint Fudge! 
They turned out great so I decided to bring them into work. Mint has always been a favorite of mine so when I saw this simple recipe for fudge I had to try it out. Plus who doesn't love mint chocolate chip....a crazy person that's who!
What you will need: 
3 1/4 cups of white chocolate chips
2 tablespoons of butter
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 to 3 teaspoons of mint extract, NOT peppermint
Green food coloring
and 3/4 cups of mini chocolate chips
First you need to line an 8x8 square plan with tinfoil and some cooking spray, next microwave the white chocolate chips and butter for 1 minute. Stir together and make sure that all chips are melted.
Mix in the condensed milk and mint. Add the green food coloring, about three drops. Once mixed completely let the mixture sit and cool off a bit, then fold in half of your mini chips!
Add the fudge to your pan and press evenly. Add the remaining mini chips to the top of the fudge. Refrigerate for about 2 hours then VOILA! 
Mint Chocolate Chip Fudge! Make sure to share he he!
Thanks! Bunny

Saturday, November 5, 2016

Halloween Fun!!!

Happy Halloween Everyone!
Here is a quick Joker inspired shot to get you in the mood for some Squad fun! We made a small change, from the video, and used a different vodka so the drink turned out green...to please the Joker.
I got the base recipe from http://allmommywants.com/suicide-squad-inspired-cocktail-joker-gone-wild/ called Joker Gone Wild. Thank you Carol! Totally YUM!! A little sour with a rim of sweet...a true Halloween treat!
Here are some clips from our Halloween in New Orleans! It was beyond fun! Of course Craig was my Joker and I love how he got into character. Love this guy!
Cheers!! -Bunny

Monday, October 24, 2016

Suicide Squad Cocktail

Happy Almost Halloween!! 
Cheers to drinks, candy and costumes!!
Playing off of a SSquad shot from http://allmommywants.com/cocktail-the-suicide-squad/ called the Purple Joker I decided to make my own with a blue twist. 
You will need: 
2 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Peach Schnapps
1/2 oz Rum
1/2 oz Cherry Vodka
1 tsp Grenadine
3 oz Ginger Ale
2 tbs sugar 
3 drops green food coloring
1 tbs Simple Syrup
Mix three drops of green food coloring with your sugar, make sure to crush it together evenly and set aside in a shallow plate. Add the simple syrup to another shallow plate.
Take each ingredient and pour into your bar shaker, ginger ale last. This will add a nice fizz to your cocktail. I always use a bar mixer with the measurements on the side (shhhh don't tell anyone)...might be cheating but I don't want to mess it up! Next, dip the rim of your glass/tumbler in the simple syrup then into the sugar. You can add as much sugar as you'd like he he!! Drop 3 to 4 cubes of ice into your glass and pour your mixture in and voila! A beautiful blue bubbly mix topped with a green rim of sugar! 
This fizzy mix has a kick but the sugar rim definitely softens the blow! Plus some cherry vodka doesn't hurt he he! The ratios were perfect and nothing was too overpowering! I will totally be adding this to my list of cocktails to make again. I think we need to start a bar list!
Cheers, Bunny

Monday, October 17, 2016

Liquified Ghost

Morning, 
Playing off a cocktail mix from a cute site, SmartyhadaParty: http://blog.smartyhadaparty.com/halloween-cocktails/  
I made a yumtastic drink fit for Halloween! So you all must know by now that Autumn is one of my favorite times of the year. The gloomy weather fit for sweaters and cocoa, the Gothic decor and around every single corner, pumpkin spice! The perfect time of year for Halloween themed drinks.
Moving away from pumpkin, I made a truly yummy Liquified Ghost! It was very close to a White Russian and sometimes drinks with dairy don't sit well with me but the hint of sparkle and lime agreed with my tummy. For some reason it added a zest or bubble that took away the possible "urk" ha ha!
Here is what you need:
1 part vodka
1 part vanilla simple syrup
1 part cream
1 part lemon lime soda

black licorice wheel garnish (optional)...we had some cute little licorice pieces that we added but they didn't really impact the drink at all. If you are a black licorice fan I definitely recommend adding it to the cocktail, maybe even dipping some in or using it as a straw!
Go ahead and pour ingredients over an ice shaker, shake and strain into a martini glass (I need to get myself a true martini glass...Marshals here I come!) and add the licorice.
For a more devious cocktail, add a red ice skull for a Blood Ghost. We found cute ice cube molds and added food coloring! Spooky!
Ps. Super happy with how my DIY Nightmare Before Christmas Wreath turned out!! Perfect for Halloween!!
Cheers, Bunny

Monday, October 10, 2016

Happy Hippo Lien: Row- Row- Row Your Clog

Happy Hippo Lien: Row- Row- Row Your Clog: If you are following my blog, you already know that I love all the hippos handmade by the very talented artist Jen Robinson (see Posts: Hip...

Monday, October 3, 2016

Madeleines

Good Morning, 
So I lied! I ended up not making pie (yet) and went for some spongy-goodness in the form of madeleine! Besides their obvious yum factor I had been given a madeleine pan as a wedding gift (about time right!?) and every single morning my new boss comes into the office, sits down, and eats a madeleine. These were too perfect!
I found a simple recipe online and started putting my ingredients together. 
2/3 cup of flower
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fleur de sel (salt)
1/3 cup sugar
Finely grated lemon zest (1 lemon)
2 eggs
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted (leave a little unmelted for the pan)
2 tablespoons whole milk
____________________________________________
Alright! Onward to deliciousness!
In a small bowl mix together the flour, baking powder and salt, set aside. Place the sugar and lemon zest in a bowl, mix and rub together with your fingertips until sugar becomes moist. This created such a fresh lemon scent!  
For convenience, I went ahead and placed the sugar zest into my big mixing bowl and then added the eggs, giving me a lot more room! Whisk the mixture until it thickens a bit. Next add the honey and vanilla. Gently add the flour in (in three parts) and then the butter. Lastly, carefully stir in the milk. The batter will begin to look smooth and shinyCover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in the fridge for about an hour. 
While you wait, butter and flower the madeleine pan. After the batter has properly chilled out, he he! spoon it into the pan and then set in the fridge for another hour. The batter will set into the molds and give it the classic madeleine shell shape! Set the oven to 400 degrees and place a large baking sheet inside for the madeleine pan to sit on. This helps to preheat the pan/process. 
Next, remove from fridge and place the madeleine pan into the oven and set your timer for 13 mins. I found that it really did not take long for them to bake, so be sure to check on them and to not leave them in too long!
After they have turned a lovely golden color (note: wait until the bumps spring back when touched), quickly remove the madeleines from the oven and release them from the pan. After a short cool-off dive in!
The madeleines were fluffy with a slight crispness on the edges. The lemon flavor was there, but not overpowering and on top of being simple to create they had the perfect amount of sweetness. Craig was pleased as well he he! So...here is another dessert that is dangerous to make, just like those pesky French macaroons! So so so yummy!!! I think I had 4 of them he he! 
Thank you for reading and stay tuned for my next creation. 
-Bunny
Ps. I brought some in for my boss, cheers Mark!

Tuesday, September 13, 2016

Mental Health

Morning,
I wanted to take a second to again share this company/campaign that is bringing the much closeted topic of mental health to the forefront. 
As someone who has struggled with anxiety/depression, among other things, it is refreshing to see that others have some of the same issues. Varying degrees but still important and in need of help. I wrote about them in June (2015) and I am glad that they are still going strong!
Now they have new temporary tattoos! 
For so long I hid the chaos in my head but have finally learned that being upfront with myself greatly helped. I accepted my mental health and vowed to combat it. While I will always have my anxiety it will not consume me. 
Understanding and accepting these parts of yourself is the first step. It's okay to not be okay. No one is without flaw.
Thanks for listening, I will be making some new dishes soon...I've been in a slump as of late but cooking has always been cathartic! I see apple pie in the future!
-Bunny

Monday, September 5, 2016

Bon Temps

What happens when you get your hubby a Bonus Temps glass...he fills it with a Necromancer!! Yum!!!

Sunday, August 21, 2016

Fear the Rum

Howdy!
In honor of Fear the Walking Dead's return tonight, we made a yummy cocktail!! 
I call it Fear the Rum. 
Take 1 ounce black cherry rum, 1 ounce light rum, 1 ounce Pomegranate Liqueur and 4 ounces of POM (juice). Mix/shake then add 6 ounces of Pellegrino. Don't forget to garnish with a cherry! 
It's light and refreshing. Not too sweet! Perfect for fighting off some walkers in the hot sun!! 
Cheers! -Bunny

Monday, August 15, 2016

Scotch Eggs

Hi there, 
This Sunday I made Scotch Eggs! 
Something I let Craig pick from the Outlander Cookbook. I thought that they would be difficult, but in fact they were very simple. Plus he loved them!!! It was interesting to read that these were mostly used as travel snacks, full of protein. What a great idea!
Ingredients: 
7 large eggs
1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 1/2 cups of panko-style breadcrumbs
1 1/2 pounds of pork sausage and vegetable oil
To start you need to hard-boil 6 eggs, let cool and peel. Next set up three bowls, one with the flour, salt and cayenne pepper, one with an egg wash (use the 7th egg and a tsp of water and mix well) and last the flakes.
Next, take a good potion of the pork and flatten into your hand and wrap around one of the eggs. Roll in the flour, then egg wash, then flakes and set aside. The final step, before eating of course, is to take a large pan and add 3 inches of vegetable oil. Heat it up to 350 degrees and be careful not to splash. Place each ball into the oil and turn regularly. The flakes should begin to turn a nice golden color. 
Take your time and make sure that the insides are fully cooked. There were a few that once split, needed extra time and had to put back in for longer. Once cool enough to eat, take a bite and enjoy. Craig sure did, he finished off most of them! If you would prefer a spicier "ball" add some hot sauce. I don't think anything could ever be too spicy for that man!
Thanks, Bunny

Monday, July 25, 2016

Scotch Eggs Attempt

Morning!! 
Okay I asked Craig to pick out something from my Outlander Cookbook....and he picked Scotch Eggs. It looks a bit difficult but I am up for the challenge!! 
-Bunny

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Warm Almond Pastry w/ Father Anselm

Hi there,

Last night I took to my mixer and created the Outlander Kitchen Warm Almond Pastry w/ Father Anselm. It looked way to good to pass up! 

First things first, I set the oven to 375 degrees and started to mix the almond meal and flour in a small bowl. Then in my awesome pink mixer, on medium, I mixed together the butter and sugar until fluffy, then added the egg and vanilla. Once combined I slowed the mixer down and added in the flour and almond meal, creating a delicious paste/filling. 
It took everything I had not to consume the whole bowl of almond filling! I kept reminding myself that I had to share..so when Craig came home from work last night, the first thing I said to him was,"Do you want to know what heaven tastes like?" I handed him a small spatula with a bit of almond mix on the end. His eyes lit up and he said that it was probably dangerous to keep in the house ha ha!
Next I took my pastry dough (I went ahead and bought the pre-made dough, as I was not that confident in my skills) and cut it into a large rectangular shape. I scored two lines to help guide the dough and cut sections off the top and bottom of the pastry dough sides. These "flaps" would then be folded over the almond filling. I cut diagonal lines on each side, to interlace. Once I added the almond to the center of the dough, leaving some space on the top and bottom sections I folded over the "flaps" and began to weave together the rest of the dough. It was so cute and delicate looking.
Next, I lightly brushed on egg and a little bit of sugar onto each pastry. After topping it off with sliced almonds, it went into the oven for about 25 mins or until turning into a nice golden brown color. 
I did not want any of this masterpiece to be wasted so I used some of my extra almond filling and dough scraps to make little delicious pastries. Plus then I could try it before serving the main Almond Pastry.
Our apartment quickly filled with a sweet aroma as it began to bake...so delicious and mouth watering. I waited patiently as the dough rose and began to brown. They were perfect! After removing from the oven, I let them cool for a bit and plated the smaller pastries to try. So scrumptious! Thank you again OK!
To my surprise the almond pastry was not too sweet, it was perfectly balanced and a bit hearty. The almond slivers were a nice touch as well. The flaky dough paired well with the almond filling creating a wonderful balance between sweet and savory. Once again I had to try and control myself...it's a bit funny how something to little could be the highlight of our taste-bud's night ha ha!
I will, without doubt, be making this again! Thanks for reading, cheers 
- Bunny

Monday, July 11, 2016

Laoghaire's Whisky Sour

Morning Outlander Fans!
Saturday night I watched the finale (of Outlander) and it still sits heavy with me today. Such a beautiful episode. My eyes filled with tears at Claire's memories and their dance toward the stones. I could see the emotion and love as they were forced to part. Sam and Caitriona did a wonderful job! I still can't believe the season is already over BUT I do have the cookbook to keep me company. Thank you Theresa he he!

Feeling a bit sour about the end, I thought it perfect to start with Laoghaire's Whisky Sour, it just sounded yummy and I was correct! 
Start by stirring together 2 tablespoons of hot water with 2 tablespoons of honey until it's dissolved, then add 2 oz of whiskey and 2 tablespoons of lemon, freshly squeezed. In the OK cookbook it says to use bourbon...but online it says whiskey...unsure about what to use, we chose one of Craig's favorites, Green Spot Irish Whiskey(I hope Theresa won't mind). Then I add crushed ice and a lemon curl and there you have it! A slightly sweet and rich Whiskey Sour. Craig liked it very much and said it was better than any Whiskey Sour he has ordered at a bar. The lemon and honey were perfect! 
As Theresa Carle-Sanders adds: "The perfectly naturally sweet, lightly sour whisky cocktail for a hot summer's evening, whether you shot someone that day or not." he he!
Cheers! Thanks for reading...next, a lovely almond cream pastry!-Bunny

Sunday, July 3, 2016

Sex on Safari

Tarzan is here! 
The movie surprised me...I liked it a lot more than I thought I would! Plus who doesn't love them some sexy Skarsgård! Margot Robbie was a great Jane and Christoph Waltz always plays the perfect villain
I was so excited to see the movie that it only seemed right to pair it with a new cocktail! So as Tarzan (John) belongs to the Jungle I also loved the way the movie chose to highlight the safari and the other creatures and tribes he loved and belonged to. 

Playing off of a recipe for Sex in the Jungle I used:
1 1/2 oz. Vodka
1 oz Rum
1 oz Midori
1 oz Lime Juice
3 oz Orange Juice
3 oz Pineapple Juice
This mix was sweet, thanks to the pineapple and a tad sour. I really liked how the different juices added some depth to this zesty cocktail. So refreshing!
For a Sex on Safari Sunrise add in 1 oz of grenadine and top with cherries! Such a perfect gradation of colors. Nice and sweet too. Yum!!
Ok...one more ab pic!! he he
Love, Bunny

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