My Great Idea!

Source

This morning while dusting the ceiling fans, I was hit with a moment of brilliance.  It happened right when I changed the light bulb in the ceiling fan and the light shown over my head.  Additionally and oddly, inspirational music a.k.a. disco music played at the same exact moment.  That is when I received my message…”if you build it, he will come.”  I ignored that and looked at the Clorox Disinfecting Wipes crammed under my arm and the Swiffer that was held in my hand.  It was at that moment that I realized I must buy a sewing machine.   Without a sewing machine, I’d have no way of creating the next big As Seen On TV item…THE CLEANING HOLSTER!  You heard it here first and by that I mean you read it!   Can you imagine the ease of having Clorox Wipes and your Swiffer Duster ready for the quick draw?!  I’m off to get to work on this before the big holiday season spending spree!!

Spiked Cranberry Lemonade

Today = Yard work, Beyond Scared Straight marathon, football, beer and crescent roll appetizers!  Word Up!

The weather is just about perfect for cocktails around a pinion wood fire.  I think I’ll fix up a batch of this for fire time.

Spiked Cranberry Lemonade

Ingredients

1 (64 oz) bottle chilled cranberry juice cocktail

2 cups vodka

½ to ¾ cup chilled lemon-mint simple syrup (recipe follows)

Sliced lemon

Granulated sugar

Preparation

In a large pitcher, combine cranberry juice cocktail, vodka and lemon-mint simple syrup, stirring to combine.  Gently stir in ginger ale.  Add lemon slices.

On a small plate, pour a small amount of vodka.  On another small plate, place sugar.  Dip rim of each glass in vodka and then in sugar.  Add ice and cranberry mixture to glasses.  Serve immediately.

Lemon-Mint Simple Syrup

Ingredients

2 cups water

2 cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons lemon zest

2 (1 oz) packages of fresh mint

Preparation

In a medium saucepan, combine 2 cups water and sugar over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves.  Add lemon zest, and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes.  Cover and seep for 15 minutes.

Into an airtight container, pour mixture through a fine wire mesh strainer, discarding solids.  Cool completely.  Cover and chill for up to 2 weeks.

Freaky Friday Favorites

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Smoky Chicken Pasta - WTF and WOW Recipe Wednesday

Source

Source

Source

Smoky Chicken Pasta

Ingredients

8 oz. Farfalle pasta
1 - 1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream (I used half & half and 1 Tbsp of flour)
2 chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 c. butter (I used 3 Tbsp)
1/2 lb. bacon, crumpled
1/2 c. shredded Parmesan cheese
1/2 bottle (12 oz) Lawry’s mesquite marinade with lime juice

Preparation

Put chicken and marinade in the crock pot on low for 6 hours. Pull marinated chicken out of the juices, allow to cool a little bit, and shred. Set this aside. About a half-hour before serving, boil the pasta. In a small saucepan, melt butter (and flour), add garlic, whipping cream, basil, pepper, parmesan cheese, and crumpled bacon. Whisk together on low heat for 5-6 minutes. In a large bowl, pour over cooked, drained pasta, add chicken and stir through. Sprinkle a little bit more shredded parmesan cheese on top.

Recipe Source

Halloween Party Plan!!

The absolute best laid plans tend to happen over Bloody Marys at brunch.  My friend had the best idea ever…our annual Halloween party theme will be The Wild and Wonderful Whites of West Virginia.  My costume will be Jesco White and I do intend to tap dance on top of a wooden picnic table.  We'll be planning the decorations and menu soon.  I’m very excited and feel certain it can’t be that difficult to turn the back yard into Boone County.  If you don’t know who the Whites are…check it out.

 

 

 

Smoky Bacon Horseradish Pulled Pork Sandwich

There is this…

And this…I did a bit of recipe combining this week and came up with a pretty amazing open-faced sandwich.  I think you should try it immediately.  My ass will be on the couch, watching football and eating this sandwich.  

To make this sandwich, you just need to make this pork roast and this dip.  Get a loaf of Cuban bread or a baguette, lightly toast and build your sandwich!

Freaky Friday Favorites

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

I really enjoy a good soup.  I even enjoy the process and procedure that goes into making soup.  I enjoy it so much that one day I might make enough to fill the hot tub and spend a day soaking in and eating soup.  Something else that I really enjoy is a good red pepper.  Finding a way to combine these two things plus watching the temperature drop just makes me happy.  Therefore, this week’s Soupy Sunday will be this recipe.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Ingredients

8 red peppers, whole

3 tbsp olive oil

2 medium yellow onions, peeled and diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 large potatoes, peeled and diced

6 cups chicken stock

Sea salt to taste

Freshly ground black pepper

2 tbsp unsalted butter

Pinch of paprika

Preparation

Roasting fresh peppers (broiler):  line a large baking pan with aluminum foil.  Place the whole peppers on the foil and brush lightly with olive oil.  Broil, turning as needed, until blackened on all sides.  Once they are charred, place all the peppers in a large bowl and cover with plastic wrap.  Leave it for about 5 minutes; scrape off the skin with a knife or your hand.  Remove the top, seeds, cut away the membranes and coarsely chop the peppers.  Reserve any juices in the bottom of the bowl.

Heat the olive oil in a large pot; cook the onions with a big pinch of sugar.  Cook the mixture until soft and translucent.  Then mix in the garlic and cook for another minute.

Then add the potatoes and roasted peppers and continue to cook for about 2 to 3 minutes.  Add the reserved liquid and chicken stock to the mixture.  Bring it to a boil and simmer for about 15 to 20 minutes.  Allow the soup to cool slightly before you puree it with an immersion blender.  Bring the soup back to a boil, mix in the butter and season with salt and pepper.  Serve warm with a pinch of paprika.

Recipe Source

The Enema Bagpipe – “True” History Tuesday

The bagpipe was invented around 1512 by Sylis Dunderhead.  Slimper discovered something hanging in his friend’s, Dolus Blockagem, bathroom.  He noticed that the something had a bag, tube and nozzle.  Slimper discovered, with some simple modifications, that one could blow on the nozzle and produced sound especially if the bag contained air.  With the modifications, the bag formed an airtight reservoir for the air and could be regulated with pressure.  The bag remains inflated by blowing air into it through the nozzle.  This is what Slimper found in Blockagem’s bathroom.

If You Didn't Live During the 1980s...You Just Won't Understand

Let's pause for a moment to remember the 1980s in all their glory.  The source for all these photos is Internet K Hole.  Enjoy.