Category Archives: recipe

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Beef stew

January 3, 2015 Saturday

I got things done at home today – laundry, writing thank you notes, going through the Christmas cards to follow up or put away, going through a box of stuff from Mom’s.


I desperately wanted to get out, go to dinner, but it starting snowing about 5 pm and was supposed to
make a nasty switch through sleet to rain, so I opted to stay in.  It seemed mean to make someone deliver dinner, so I cooked.  Believe it or not!  I made beef stew over egg noodles.  I started with a big can of Dinty Moore, then added canned corn, mushrooms and garlic, with some frozen onions, and covered it in shake cheese.  Yum.  The perfect comfort food for a snowy evening. 
I went to chat and helped a fella write a first message to a nice AM lady.  Fingers crossed for him!
My old flame #2 from high school pinged me.  He pops in now and then when he is having a bad day.  He’s had bronchitis for a week, while driving back and forth from the midwest to upstate NY to visit family.  He’s another guy whose wife locked him out years ago, right after their youngest child was conceived, so he sleeps on the couch “because he snores” she says.  I will admit to coaching him on how to hit on the nice lady.  Heh.  (Bad Sassy) They got to second base right before Christmas!  Yay!
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Holiday Cookies Doggy Style

A Charlie Brown Christmas
Snoopy Sugar Cookies
Dear Readers,
It’s time to share recipes for holiday treats!  Yum.  A bunch of sexy bloggers are kicking off the holiday season in style with the annual recipe exchange!  Jz from A Reluctant Bitch encouraged us to post a favorite holiday treat recipe today.  Bless her heart and many thanks for pulling this together! So you can see holiday treats all over this the blogosphere!  And drool over something other than my cleavage today!  
I adore cookies!  Cookie Monster is my favorite Sesame Street muppet.  Om nom nom.  I am not much of a baker, but I used to help my mom make hundreds of cookies for church events – from lebkuchen (that had to be started a month ahead of time), to sugar cookies, currant bars, icebox cookies, shortbreads, thumbprints with raspberry jam, molasses cookies, spritz, ginger bread men, and something she called “snowballs.”  See my cookie post from 2012 about those!  Ever since I’ve been hooked on eating balls of all kinds!  
In 2013, I shared Noreen’s easy recipe for Oreo Cookie Balls.  There was even a video to make prep extra easy!  Last year,  I posted an amazing recipe for toffee cookie balls from Snackworks!  With only four ingredients!  And three steps!  And NO BAKING!  I could do that!  More balls made of cookies! With chocolate and toffee!  
This year we’re going a little more exotic with doggy style cookies.  Don’t worry – they still have balls on them!
You have two options: 
1) Order the cookies

Melissa Vergel sells them at SweetFlanDeCoco on Etsy.  They’re pricy but will make a big impression at your holiday party!  I am not connected with her and it’s probably best if you don’t tell her where you heard about her!  You found her…. “online somewhere…”   Yeah… that’s the ticket.

They come in two sizes:

a. mini-cookies

https://www.etsy.com/listing/256862717/snoopy-christmas-decorated-mini-cookies?ref=related-1
b. regular size
https://www.etsy.com/listing/249210156/snoopy-christmas-decorated-cookies-a?ref=market
I am not a baker, so that’s what I’m going to do!  
2) Make them yourself
If you are more kitcheny and oveny than I am, here are some clues in four easy steps. 
First step

Get a plastic cookie cutter.  You want the one of Charlie Brown’s dog Snoopy lying on his dog house.  I found two online for about $7: 

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Snoopy-Christmas-Cookie-Cutter-3D-Printed/262135709701?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D34576%26meid%3D9ce7485620f64c9082f63c8c66ae6738%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D252029488299
OR 
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Snoopy-Christmas-Cookie-Cutter-3D-Printed/262135709701?_trksid=p2047675.c100011.m1850&_trkparms=aid%3D222007%26algo%3DSIC.MBE%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D34576%26meid%3D9ce7485620f64c9082f63c8c66ae6738%26pid%3D100011%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D10%26sd%3D252029488299
Second step

Make sugar cookies and icing

Here’s the easy recipe:
      from http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/
Vanilla-Almond Sugar Cookies
Ingredients:
   3 c unbleached, all-purpose flour
   2 tsp baking powder
   1 c sugar (I use sugar that I’ve stored vanilla beans in)
   2 sticks (salted) butter, cold & cut into chunks
   1 egg
   3/4 tsp pure vanilla extract
   1/2 tsp pure almond extract
Instructions:
Cookies:

Preheat oven to 350.
Combine the flour and baking powder, set aside. Cream the sugar and butter. Add the egg and extracts and mix. Gradually add the flour mixture and beat just until combined, scraping down the bowl, especially the bottom.  The dough will be crumbly, so knead it together with your hands as you scoop it out of the bowl for rolling. 
Roll on a floured surface to about 1/4″ to 3/8″ thick, and cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheets (I recommend freezing the cut out shape on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before baking) and bake for 10-12 minutes. Let sit a few minutes on the sheet, then transfer to a cooling rack.

Royal Icing

follow the recipe here 
http://bakeat350.blogspot.com/2010/01/royal-icing-102-or-201-or-whatever.html

When the icing is beginning to reach a stiff peak, add a drop or two of almond extract and beat until stiff peaks form.  Transfer icing to three separate containers and color (white, black and red – she likes AmeriColors. Press plastic wrap down onto the icing.

Third step
Decorate!

Spread on the red icing to cover the dog house.
Spread on the white icing to cover the dog. 
Let dry for at least an hour. 
Using a #2 decorating tip, pipe the dog’s feature and stripes and swags.  Then press little decorative balls to form the “lights” on the swags.  You can find them in many larger grocery stores or craft stores. 
Fourth step
Display elegantly on a plate or tray, serve and enjoy!
Happy Holidays Dear Readers!  Extra hugs with groping! 
-Sassy
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You can see other recipes on any of the blogs listed below!  Click for treats!
Bloggers Sharing Holiday Treats 2015
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Renegade lasagna

Wednesday, Jul 30, 2014
8:01am
Good morning kid!  Hope you have a grand day!

8:49am Phil 

Tired. Worked most of the night but in a good mood, looking forward to beer and oysters on the beach tonight. A good run and workout and then some down time. Still no idea what the hell last nite was but whatever it was, it was nice

Enjoy the day!

9:14am

Opened my desk drawer to get a pad to write a note.  There was a note on it from Kris telling me how sexy I am. *sigh

9:48am Phil 

Awwww, trust me I understand.

10:55am Phil 
Don’t know why it’s got to be so hard sometimes. Just is. I was sort of ok yesterday and now all twisted up again. Damn women are killing me.

11:00am 

Misery loves company but it’s no fun when you and I are in the same emo territory

11:51am
Did you see these different “lasagnas?”  They look great for you to make and share.  
http://www.thrillist.com/eat/nation/national-lasagna-day-chocolate-lasagna-taco-lasagna-pancake-lasagna-recipes
5 renegade lasagnas to make for National Lasagna Day

www.thrillist.com 

Ricotta and noodles are old news. Try these lasagna recipes instead.

  • Bacon cheeseburger lasagna
  • Taco Lasagna
  • Apple pie lasagna
  • Chocolate lasagna
  • Pancake lasagna

12:11pm Phil 

Oh cool. Gotta look.
Gonna sit a chair in the surf tonight with a cigar and scotch and just contemplate life.  just to relax in my favorite dive bar.

1:58pm

I am blowing off work and going somewhere!
2:09pm Phil 
Good plan. I neeeeed some time alone with my thoughts too.

8:13pm Phil 

Where did you end up going?  I just headed to the beach

8:17pm 
Jimmy’s Steer House… had fish.   See photos on my wall.

I forgot Hubby had plan tonight.

 Crispy coconut shrimp 
 Zucchini sticks
Baked stuffed scrod with spinach rice pilaf

8:43pm Phil 

Ahhhh

9:01pm 

I took that FB quiz…
http://www.zimbio.com/quiz/Bh0w6jQk_h9/Looney+Tunes+Character

I’m the Road Runner! Zooooom!

9:47pm Phil 
Ha! Pepe for me!

9:48pm
stinky

9:48pm Phil 

I prefer to think of the hot lover

10:13pm 

Oh… that makes much more sense!

10:14pm Phil 
: )