December 10, 2014 by Sassy Girl

Holiday Cookie Exchange – BALLS!

Toffee Cookie Balls

Dear Readers,

Wow do I have a treat for you today!

It’s time for a party! A cookie party! Yum. A bunch of sexy bloggers are kicking off the holiday season in style with a cookie exchange! Jz from A Reluctant Bitch encouraged us to post our favorite holiday cookie recipe today. Bless her heart and many thanks for pulling this together! So you can see cookies and other holiday treats all over this sexy corner of the blogosphere! And drool over something other than my cleavage today!

I adore cookies! Cookie Monster is my favorite Sesame Street puppet. 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! Last year, I shared Noreen’s easy recipe for Oreo Cookie Balls. There was even a video to make prep extra easy!

I know how to use the internet, so I searched for “holiday balls cookies” and up came this 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! You can lick them, roll them around in your mouth and bite them ever so gently! Yum!

Here’s the easy recipe.

from http://www.snackworks.com/recipe/toffee-cookie-balls-129512.aspx

Ingredients

• 4 oz. (1/2 of 8-oz. pkg.) brick cream cheese, softened

• 16 CHIPS AHOY! made with HEATH English Toffee, finely crushed (about 2 cups)

• 1/4 cup chopped chocolate-covered toffee bar [like Heath or Skor], divided

• 3 pkg. (4 oz. each) semi-sweet baking chocolate, melted

Instructions

• MIX cream cheese, cookie crumbs and 2 Tbsp chopped toffee bar until well blended.

• SHAPE into 30 (1-inch) balls; place in single layer in shallow pan. Freeze 10 min. Dip in chocolate; place in single layer in shallow waxed paper-lined pan. Lightly press remaining chopped toffee bar into tops of balls.

• REFRIGERATE 1 hour or until firm.

The link also includes tips to make prep easier and nutrition info.

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 cookies!

Bloggers Sharing Holiday Treats 2014

Little Monkey (private blog, so Jz is posting for her)

November 30, 2014 by Sassy Girl

An Arabic Meal

December 2013

Year 4 – Week 17

Sunday, December 1, 2013

6:34 pm

Hubby and I had a very special Arabic meal this afternoon in Watertown. A friend of his was doing a photo shoot at a restaurant to update their website, and needed folks to populate the place on a rainy Sunday afternoon. So we volunteered to eat and allow our images, mostly our hands, to be photographed.

Kareem’s Restaurant is a beautiful, zen place at 99 Common Street, a side street off Mt. Auburn very close to Watertown Square with a cheery yellow facade, big windows, classy dining room and open kitchen.

The chef, Ahmad Yasin, welcomes everyone. He is an affable fellow. With the open kitchen, we got to watch the entire process as he chops, blends and cooks the freshest ingredients. Nothing like dinner and a show!

We started with the house made Sharaab al Rawda -Pomegranate “drink of the garden” a tart, refreshing fruit beverage. It’s the kind of drink that makes you feel healthier as you sip it.

We shared two appetizers with Hubby’s friend – classic hummus and royal beet hummus. Both were incredibly smooth and flavorful. They were served with fresh pita bread.

We also got to try the Smoked Salmon Kibbeh – The chef’s specialty – with wheat, smoked salmon, spices, herbs, and extra virgin olive oil.

The entrees come with the Lemon-mint Drizzled Fatoosh Salad- The word Fatoosh derives from the Arabic root word “to crumble,” or small crunchy pieces of pita bread. It is a wonderful, healthy and refreshing salad with a light lemon-based dressing, romaine, tomatoes, cucumbers, radish, fennel and hint of fresh mint.

Hubby had the Kibbeh entree – an amazing square of ground lamb kneaded with bulgur wheat. The filling consists of ground lamb cooked with onions, spices and pine nuts. Served with homemade yogurt and grilled asparagus.

I had the best stuffed grape leaves I’ve ever tasted! A mixture of lamb, rice and spices rolled into the grape leaves cooked in fresh lemon juice. Served with homemade yogurt.

As a thank you for helping out with the photo shoot, the chef gave us dessert – Kanafa: A classic Arab dessert in which “jubnah hulwah,” sweet white cheese is baked between two layers of shredded filo pastry, pistachios and orange flavored syrup. Baked to golden color and served warm. It was very light and the flavors danced on my tongue in an amazing cheesy, nutty, crunchy, fruity treat.

The place is open on Saturdays and Sundays 11 am – 8 pm by reservation only, and they only take cash or checks. There was easy parking on the wide street. He also caters, so I might be able to order for work sometime. My mouth has not been this happy in a long time!

9:25pm

Speaking of aging gracefully, did you see these folks? You look better than any of them kid!

http://djrioblog.com/2013/11/26/new-wave-artists-aging-gracefully-an-80s-world-gone-by/

New Wave artists aging gracefully. An 80’s world gone by…

11:17pm Phil
That’s cool! I did not have the benefit of drugs

November 28, 2014 by Sassy Girl

Think of me sucking

Friday, November 29, 2013

TEXT from Sassy to NH Man

Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 11:53 AM

Hiya handsome! How’s your Black Friday going? We’re off to get

lobster in Gloucester! Think of me sucking the meat out of each leg… Mwah!

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TEXT from NH Man to Sassy

Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 12:24 PM

Big grandpa day at the movies. I’m out shopping now

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TEXT from NH Man to Sassy

Fri, Nov 29, 2013 at 6:55 PM

So how was the lobstah? Where did you end up eating? It was a nice day for a ride. Not too cold.

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From: Sassy

To: NH Man

Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 7:05 PM

Subject: Gloucester Day

Hiya Tom! We went to Lobsta Land for lunch, then walked on Good Harbor Beach at sunset. Brutal cold but beautiful! Here’s a couple photos!

Hope you had a great Friday!

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

Lobster casserole

Good Harbor Beach

with Salt Island and the Twin Lights

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From: NH Man

To: Sassy

Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 7:08 PM

Subject: Re: Gloucester Day

I’ll bet you skipped walking out to the island today

Sent from my iPhone

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From: Sassy

To: NH Man

Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 7:42 PM

Subject: Gloucester Day

Ha ha! You’re right in that. I did walk to the water’s edge and nearly got frost bite! But the pinks and blues and sound of the waves were worth it!

Did you misbehave today?

-S

Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android

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From: NH Man

To: Sassy

Sent: Friday, November 29, 2013 7:44 PM

Subject: Re: Gloucester Day

I did. I ate lots of junk food at the movies with the kids. Also drank some of the devil’s brew

Sent from my iPhone

November 28, 2014 by Sassy Girl

Gloucester Day

Friday, November 29, 2013

3:50am

Happy Black Friday! I took a 4-hr nap after turkey, so I don’t feel like sleeping… Are you up early doing the silly shopping thing? I hope you don’t get trampled!

8:27am Phil
I’m out now picking some things up
No trampling

2:52pm
Lobsta Land lunch!

The salt marsh behind the restaurant. Such a gorgeous day!

Classic clam chowder

Crispy coconut shrimp

with thai cucumber salad and honey-ginger dressing

Scallops satay

with thai cucumber salad with spicy peanut chili vinaigrette

Lazy man lobster – Fresh picked lobster meat baked

with our seasoned cracker crumbs and lemon butter

Dessert! Key lim pie, chocolate mousse

and creme brulee

Good Harbor Beach in Gloucester

with the twin lights in the background at sunset

The ocean

That house on Good Harbor Beach

Nichols Candies Shop, Gloucester

3:15pm Phil

Looks wonderful!

5:29pm Phil

I had more basic food

[photo of a cheeseburger and fries]

5:29pm Phil

Cheers

[photo of him at a pub with a beer]

6:13pm

Yummy!
And the food looks tasty too.

6:32pm Phil

Sassy girl : )

November 27, 2014 by Sassy Girl

Holiday feast

Thursday, November 28, 2013 Thankgiving

9:30am

Happy Thanksgiving!
I’m very thankful for your sweet, sexy, smart-ass self in my life!
Hope you have a wonderful holiday!

Sis tried the “slow roasting” turkey recipe, so the bird is already done!
She just called in a panic to ask how early we can be there!

10:25am Phil
LOL, Happy Thanksgiving!

4:43 pm

Pre-dinner noshing

Thanksgiving feast!

Turkey, gravy, 2 stuffings, brussel sprouts, pear walnut spinach salad, rolls, green beans with almonds, beet salad, quinoa with veggies, and latkes with applesauce and sour cream!