Friday, April 23, 2010

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.

Sunday, April 11, 2010

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.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

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)

Monday, April 5, 2010

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.

Sunday, April 4, 2010

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.

Saturday, April 3, 2010

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.