Milo update

Just wanted to update those of you who know Milo.  He had us pretty scared last weekend.  He is currently doing fine.  He's eating again, which means he's pooping again and passing some of that gravel that's sitting in his small intestine.  (Sorry for poop-posting on a blog that's mostly about food.)  We'll probably take him in next week for another x-ray just to see how things are progressing.  As long as things are going in the front and coming out the back, we just wait and see.  He is in good spirits and is barking and getting in the way again.

Unfortunately, I had to come home early from the eGullet Chocolate Conference.  You can see more about what we did over on the eG thread.  I enjoyed the two days I was able to spend in Maryland.  The conference was super organized thanks to Steve.  Chocolate people are the best people!  There's been a passing mention of returning to Niagara next year.  I hope so.  I'm heading down to the Southside next weekend to see if I can get some chocolate in bulk since I don't really like what I've been using and would prefer not to order online if I can avoid it.  There's also a place near the airport I want to check out.

Fijis

Somehow I missed Girl Scout cookie season this year.  It's ok, really, because they aren't really that great anymore.  And they had some in the library, so I was able to snack on a couple, but no samoas.  When I was over on chow.com, I saw a recipe to make your own.  I bought Salerno butter cookies instead of making my own.  No way did I have the patience for that.  The Salerno cookies were a bit thicker than I wanted, but worked well enough.  Two burnt batches of caramel later, I ended up with a delicious batch of cookies.

When scrolling back through some old posts, I re-discovered this list of 100 Things to Drink Before You Die.  I can bold a few more on the list including orange bitters, absinthe, Pisco Sour, sherry, Jamaican coffee, Ramos Gin Fizz and Rye whisky. (Original post Nov. 2008)  I think that's pretty good for not really trying.



List of Drinks You Must Try Before You Expire

1. Manhattan Cocktail
2. Kopi Luwak (Weasle Coffee)
3. French / Swiss Absinthe
4. Rootbeer
5. Gin Martini
6. Sauternes
7. Whole Milk
8. Tequila (100% Agave)
9. XO Cognac
10. Espresso
11. Spring Water (directly from the spring)
12. Gin & Tonic
13. Mead
14. Westvleteren 12 (Yellow Cap) Trappist Ale
15. Chateau d’Yquem
16. Budweiser
17. Maraschino Liqueur
18. Mojito
19. Orgeat
20. Grand Marnier
21. Mai Tai (original)
22. Ice Wine (Canadian)
23. Red Bull
24. Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
25. Bubble Tea
26. Tokaji
27. Chicory
28. Islay Scotch
29. Pusser’s Navy Rum
30. Fernet Branca
31. Fresh Pressed Apple Cider
32. Bourbon
33. Australian Shiraz
34. Buckley’s Cough Syrup
35. Orange Bitters
36. Margarita (classic recipe)
37. Molasses & Milk
38. Chimay Blue
39. Wine of Pines (Tepache)
40. Green Tea
41. Daiginjo Sake
42. Chai Tea
43. Vodka (chilled, straight)
44. Coca-Cola
45. Zombie (Beachcomber recipe)
46. Barley Wine
47. Brewed Choclate (Xocolatl)
48. Pisco Sour
49. Lemonade
50. Speyside Single Malt
51. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
52. Champagne (Vintage)
53. Rosé (French)
54. Bellini
55. Caipirinha
56. White Zinfandel (Blush)
57. Coconut Water
58. Cerveza
59. Cafe au Lait
60. Ice Tea
61. Pedro Ximenez Sherry
62. Vintage Port
63. Hot Chocolate
64. German Riesling
65. Pina Colada
66. El Dorado 15 Year Rum
67. Chartreuse
68. Greek Wine
69. Negroni
70. Jägermeister
71. Chicha
72. Guiness
73. Rhum Agricole
74. Palm Wine
75. Soju
76. Ceylon Tea (High Grown)
77. Belgian Lambic
78. Mongolian Airag
79. Doogh, Lassi or Ayran
80. Sugarcane Juice
81. Ramos Gin Fizz
82. Singapore Sling
83. Mint Julep
84. Old Fashioned
85. Perique
86. Jenever (Holland Gin)
87. Chocolate Milkshake
88. Traditional Italian Barolo
89. Pulque
90. Natural Sparkling Water
91. Cuban Rum
92. Asti Spumante
93. Irish Whiskey
94. Château Margaux
95. Two Buck Chuck
96. Screech
97. Akvavit
98. Rye Whisky
99. German Weissbier
100. Daiquiri (classic)

Easter

We forgot to boil some eggs until late Saturday night. LBK said he would decorate them.  This is what we got:  one generic Easter egg for each of us.

His dad won the egg cracking game.  I think he always wins.  Is there a name for that game? 

Since LBK doesn't really like ham, we had lamb for Easter dinner.  I've been saving a boneless leg from Sam's and a bottle of wine I received as a Christmas gift, a Guenoc Victorian Claret.  I also made beans from Modern Greek by Andy Harris, grilled asparagus, and bread.  We had a store bought strawberry filled cake for dessert.

Gigantes Plaki
adapted from Modern Greek

1 lb lima beans, soaked overnight or two large cans butter beans, or frozen lima beans
3 T olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 carrots, diced or finely sliced
2 large tomatoes, diced
2 T parsley, chopped
1 T tomato paste dissolved in 1 c water
salt and pepper to taste

Cook the beans if using dried.  Saute onion and garlic in the oil until soft.  Add carrots and tomatoes and saute until soft.  Combine all ingredients and bake at 350° for approximately 90 minutes.

Bad Habits Die Hard

So, I have this habit, like many of my fellow quilters it seems, of starting new projects before the existing ones are finished.  But, I needed something I could work on in the family room, and I have had this Merry and Bright jelly roll for quite some time.  I finally picked a pattern: High Flying Geese from Layer Cake, Jelly Roll and Charm Quilts.  So Friday night while watching tv, I cut the jelly roll into rectangles.  Today, I made a quick trip to Joann's and got some Kona in Bone for the background.  It matches perfectly.  Next step: cut 40 strips 2.5" wide of the Kona.

Ratatouille

Lunch today was ratatouille:  eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, tomatoes, red pepper.

We also served a butter lettuce salad, the leftover focaccia from yesterday's veggie sandwiches, slightly warmed, and the leftover Riesling.