This bunny does ha ha ha! So I broke out my True Blood Cookbook and found a tasty cocktail to warm my day.
The Lovin' in the Coven includes lemon citrus vodka, lemon, egg white, simple syrup and a blood orange mixer. I adore blood orange mixes, they add such a pop of flavor to any drink, especially paired with vodka.
This cocktail was a bit like a lemony gin fizz thanks to the egg white. So yummy!
I couldn't quite get the blood orange to float on top but that did not hinder it's deliciousness.
The race for the throne is back this month and I couldn't be happier! To celebrate I made a Modern Blueberry Tart from the A Feast of Ice and Fire Cookbook! Perfect for those tense yet sweet moments GOT brings.
This tart was super easy but there is also an option to make a Medieval Tart which I will try in the future he he! I started by preheating the oven to 375 degrees and got out some pastry dough. The book recommends their Lemon Pastry Recipe from page 10. Yum! I pressed the dough into a tart tin evenly. Next, after rinsing them off I poured my blueberries into the tin, leaving a few for later.
Then I sprinkled the cinnamon sugar evenly over the top of the berries and popped them into the oven. After about an hour (or once the filing started bubbling) I took out the tart and topped it off with the remaining berries and some powdered sugar.
Once the tart cooled a bit it was ready to serve! This made for a very happy viewing party ha ha! Scrumptiously tart with a lightly sweet flavor. As the book suggests, it pairs well with some champagne! he he
This cocktail comes from the marvelously dramatic Lorena, where the smell of cherry brandy inspires memories of the carnage she and Bill created. They spent their nights partying and drinking blood until the sun came up. I wish the show would have dove a bit deeper into her past but from the small sampling of Lorena's hard yet deeply loving persona...this drink is a match. A bit of sweet royal blood and rough abrasive sand, mixed to perfection.
I was worried that the whiskey and vermouth would be too strong for me but I was pleasantly surprised, thank you orange juice! Blood and Sand had a delicate balance of tartness to sweet, with a smooth finish and curious undertone of cherry and oak. Creating the perfect cocktail to sip as the waves roll in. I loved that the color was sandy too, fitting it's name and looking a bit creepy, what else could a Truebie ask for!
I was missin True Blood somethin awful, plus I just got my new "Cake" dress in the mail so I thought how perfect!! Check out the link below to Amourdress. Now let's make a delicious cake to celebrate!
In the True Blood Eats Drinks and Bites Cookbook there is a recipe for an awesome vanilla cake with lemon filling...OMG it was just begging to be made! This is the cake that Maryann, Karl and Eggs surprise Tara with for her birthday! Now I have never really made a cake from scratch...so it was a long process but completely worth it.
To start I made the lemon filling by combining the sugar, cornstarch and salt in a medium pan. I gradually stirred, bringing it to a boil over medium heat. After about a minute I removed the pan and stirred in the butter and lemon zest and gradually whisked in the lemon juice. Then set it aside to cool. I found that one good sized lemon made just enough juice and zest! After it had cooled I had a small taste and it was just like a lemon square...one of my favorite desserts!
Quickly I made the berry topping by slicing up strawberries and raspberries and sprinkling them with sugar. For the cake mix, I first preheated the oven to 350 degrees and greased/flowered two round pans.
In my large mixing bowl I blended the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt then slowly added in the shortening, 2/3 cup of milk and vanilla.
After mixing for about 2 minutes I added the remaining 1/3 cup of milk and the egg whites. Making sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl I mixed for a few more minutes and then the batter was ready to go into the pans! Jack was so interested but don't worry I didn't let him have any he he!
After pouring in the batter and placing the pans in the oven (for 30 mins) I started on the frosting.
First I beat the egg whites until they formed soft peaks, then in a pan I heated up the sugar, corn syrup and water bringing it to a boil. Using a thermometer I made sure the mixture reached 242 degrees. Once it was ready I slowly poured it into the egg whites while the mixer was running. I kept mixing until the frosting held stiff peaks, then added in the vanilla! This frosting was probably the most difficult task in making this cake...we had some trouble with the sugar hardening but that's what this is for, to learn! I think I might have to try it again sometime he he.
After the cakes were done baking and had cooled I took one layer, flipped it, and spread the lemon filling on, almost to the outer edge. I placed the second layer, right-side up, on top of the filling. I took the frosting and started with the sides of the cake and moved to the top, evenly covering the cake. Once the frosting was on I added the yummy berries, letting their juices flow down the sides of the cake.
The frosting was a bit melty he he! but it tasted so good! The cake itself was hardy and rich and definitely tasted home-made. The lemon filling was really tasty...the bit of tart helped to cut the sugary frosting, complimenting it. Absolutely the most perfect birthday cake...very much a good old-fashioned strawberry shortcake! I had to make myself stop eating it he he! SO GOOD!
It's a brand new year so I wanted to start it off right with a new cocktail and my favorite thing ever True Blood! Here is the Stake House Special out of True Blood Drinks and Bites.
To start I pitted 4 cherries and added them to 1/4 ounce simple syrup (I used raw sugar in case you were wondering about the color). Mashed up the cherries as best as I could then added 1 1/2 ounces of Moonshine, 1 1/2 Tsp of lemon juice and ice cubes. Next, I shook the mixture and poured (unstained) into a glass. Garnished with a lemon twist and voila! Delicious!
The Stake House Special is a bit strong, for me, but I liked the natural cherry flavoring. I went ahead and added some more simple syrup he he! Love my sweet drinks!
Howdy!! Yesterday I made some Red Beans and Rice which turned out great. Thanks Sam!
The recipe is similar to the Jambalaya with the biggest difference being that the rice is cooked separately. That turned out to be helpful for me because the broth gets a tad spicy...i'm a wimp!
First you soak the beans overnight then rinse and sort the next day. I found that if you are in a time crunch a can of kidney beans works well too. To start, cook the bacon fat on medium heat and add in the onion, celery, bell pepper and cayenne pepper. Sprinkle the salt and pepper as well.
After the veggies are browning/golden add in the bay leaves, salt pork, ham and sausage.
Let the meat cook until pieces are beginning to brown and tender, then add in the beans. Stir and add in water so veggies and meat are submerged, about 1 inch.
Let cook, stirring intermittently for about an hour. The book says to cook for 2 hours but it really didn't need that long. Add more water if it become too dry/thick.
*I added some black beans to make the dish more complex and yummy...plus who doesn't like black beans?!
Next, take a wooden spoon and mash half of the dish to one side of the pot and continue stirring until the mixture is creamy and beans are soft. About 35-40 mins. The dish should begin to thicken into more of a soup (not watery)...completely enveloping each piece with flavor.
Remove the bay leaves and serve with rice and garnish with green onion and parsley.
Voila! Dinner for the next few days!!
I am so happy with how this turned out. It was nice to make something so hardy and flavorful. The beans and veggies were delicious with the rice. Great combo!
I knew I did good when I caught Craig eating some out of the fridge (left-over container). He gave it a "Sublime"!
The Game of Thrones finale is almost here! Yikes! I feel like it just started....so I wanted to celebrate this wondrous show with a nod to Dorne in all its sun-drenched glory.
So beautiful! From the Game of Thrones Cookbook here is breakfast from Dorne!
To start I chopped up the peppers and minced half to make about three tablespoons. Same with the onions. *I was asked to not saute too many peppers/onions
Then put 4 to 5 tbls of olive oil in a pan on med. heat.
Cook chopped peppers and onions until soft. Add 1 ice cube and cover. This helps steam the veggies. After about 5 mins set veggies aside (in another container) but keep warm.
Next saute the minced peppers and onions in the pan for about 1 min. Add in the 6 eggs, do not stir.
Sprinkle the cheese over eggs while they cook then sprinkle salt and pepper. *I used some salt from our Try The World box! Next scramble the eggs until whites are no longer runny. Once this happens, remove from heat and serve. Place the chopped veggies on the side.
Craig really liked this dish and not only was this Dorne breakfast yummy but it was also colorful! he he
It was fun to put an old world twist on a familiar breakfast.
Now we wait for GOT and make some Lemonsweet he he! Thanks for reading!
