Breakfast

I can't help taking these pictures of Larry's breakfast. Besides the fact that the colors are so pretty, how he is able to find room to pour in the milk always amazes me.

Spicy Mulligatawny Soup

When I was talking to Laura today about a recipe she was going to make for a guy, it reminded me of the first meal I made for Larry after we met.  It was our first date after our meeting and I actually invited him over after I got out of work to:
1) take a walk
2) have dinner
3) watch the presidential debate with me

It was 2004 but I don't remember who was debating  (just looked it up - Bush vs Kerry).  Originally I wasn't even going to see him that night because I had on my calendar to watch the debate.  I remember it was a Wednesday.  Monday I had a Women for Winesense meeting, Tuesday I had to clean and cook so Wednesday was our first "real date."

When we met for the first time on Sunday, at a coffee shop near his house, Larry invited me back to his house right from there.  It really impressed me that he could invite me on the spot.  I would have to spend hours straightening up first.  I did go, although I could hear Laura in the background telling me I shouldn't and if I did I should definitely be driving my own car, which I didn't.

Getting back to the basics, this is the recipe I made, with a salad which obviously won his heart.  I got the recipe from Patsy but it is originally Ann's mother's recipe.  I need to make it again sometime soon.

Car Projects - Scarves

I was on a scarf making kick for my fall/winter car projects.  I made a scarf to go with my Missoni boots which helped to use a lot of the yarn I had laying around.

My next project was a scarf in grays and black and I just mailed it to Laura.

I used this pattern for the ripples in the multi color one and wanted to follow it for the gray one but I missed a bunch of rows by mistake so just winged it.  I really like the way it looks in the blues in the pattern.
http://www.craftyarncouncil.com/jan99_crochproj.html

My next projects are going to be mittens.  I have lots of yarn and need something to do while I watch TV.

Fudgy Pudding Cake

This recipe has almost the same ingredients as the Coffee & Cream Cake except it's made in a slow cooker.  Looks good enough to try.  I saw it on Facebook from Michelle B.

Fudgy Pudding Cake

Warm, gooey and chocolatey are the words that best describe this sensational dessert made in a slow cooker! Ice cream is a favorite topping, but the cake stands by itself just as well.

Photo by: Oxmoor House

• YIELD: Serves 8 to 10
• COURSE: Desserts

Ingredients

• 18 1/4-oz. pkg. devil’s food cake mix
• 3.9-oz. pkg. instant chocolate pudding mix
• 16-oz. container sour cream
• 3/4 cup oil
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup water
• 6-oz. pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Vanilla ice cream

Preparation

Beat first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric mixer 30 seconds or until blended. Beat at medium speed 2 minutes. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour into a lightly greased 4-quart round slow cooker.
Cover and cook on low setting 4 hours or until set around the edges but still soft in the center. Turn off slow cooker and let stand 20 to 30 minutes; do not lift lid until ready to serve. Serve with vanilla ice cream.

Carol McMillan, Catawba, VA, Gooseberry Patch Keepsake Cookbook, Gooseberry Patch
JANUARY 2012

Note from 12/19/13 - I did make this dessert for Patti's Superbowl party in 2012 and this is the picture I remembered to take when it was almost too late.  I happened to be looking at this post today and saw that I never posted the picture and I didn't want to forget that I DID make it.

Penguins

Tucker's having a birthday party this Saturday.  When I found out last Friday I thought I had time to make a penguin amigurami for him.  I wanted to do it for his Jan. 5 birthday after we got home from Christmas but just didn't have the time.
I got it made and it was delivered yesterday, 2 days early.

Snowy Owl

After seeing an article in the paper about snowy owls I posted this picture to the D&C site:

This is where it is on their site:  http://rocgalleries.democratandchronicle.com/galleries/birds/865

Can you see him on the roof?

Winter Arrived Today

Last Friday it was 48 degrees and sunny.  Today it is 25 and snowy.

Orange Kiss-Me Cake

I previously mentioned that I was on the Pillsbury site for something else, not the lime bread.  I was looking for a chocolate dessert to make to bring for New Year's Eve along with the Buttermilk Pie.  I was looking for the zillionth time at the Tunnel of Fudge cake recipe.  Then I found a recipe for Orange Kiss-Me Cake and I thought I still had the original recipe.  I knew exactly where to look and found the recipe that I must have saved from a bag of Pillbury flour.  This was the winner in 1950 and here is the link http://www.pillsbury.com/recipes/orange-kiss-me-cake/8815ee24-37ee-4646-a989-8c993d2cdac4/
on the site.  Not sure which is more updated, the one I have says that it is updated from the original and uses frozen OJ.  The one online uses a fresh orange.
Below is the recipe I have which was probably from the 60s or 70s. 

French Cosmo

A bunch of husbands went to play golf in Orlando so it was a week of Martinis on Midship.
We had Pomegranate Martinis, Orange Pomegranate Martinis, Raspberry Martinis, Chocolate Martinis and a French Cosmo.  I made the French Cosmo and couldn't remember the ingredients so I'm putting it here.  Can't believe it wasn't here already.  A lot lighter on the vodka than the Pomegranate martini.

French Cosmopolitan

1 oz Citron vodka
1/2 oz Grand Marnier® orange liqueur
1/2 oz sweet and sour mix
1/2 oz cranberry juice
1/4 oz lime juice

1 drop grenadine syrup

Pour all ingredients (except grenadine) into a shaker, shake well and strain into a chilled large martini glass. Pour a drop of grenadine into the middle of the glass and let it fall to bottom. (It will color the stem red.) Garnish with a slice of lime, and serve.

Winter??

I hope I'm not jinxing anything by saying this but:
It's January 6th, 7 PM, 48 degrees and no snow on the ground in Rochester, NY.
Love it!!!!!