Cookie Monster's Valentine

Since Cookie Monster is, well, a Cookie Monster, I made this Valentine's Day gift for him. I think it was apropos. Also, if I do say so myself, it was pretty fucking cute.

These are his favorite cookies, Oatmeal Scotchies, cut into heart shapes. All I did was make a whole batch of cookie dough and bake it flat on a sheet pan instead of shaping the dough into cookies. Then I used a heart-shaped cookie cutter to make these adorable cookies.

Isn't that so cute?

I paired a plate of the cookies with his present, a pair of Valentine's themed boxers. All together.

And yes, he agreed to be my Valentine. Cookies always help.

SuperBowl XLIV

Neither Cookie Monster nor I cared about the football game, but we felt it was our patriotic duty to watch the SuperBowl. Naturally, I had to make football food. So I bought a loin of pork at Trader Joe's and pulled out my trusty Crockpot. Into the pot it went, along with mustard, worchestershire sauce, barbeque sauce, ketchup, molasses, hot sauce and water. 10 hours later, it was a glorious mess of pulled pork. Mmm... see the greasy, porky goodness?

 I took the pork out and shredded it with a fork.

 

Then I reduced the sauce by about half, thus making a homemade barbeque sauce to complement the pig.

For Cookie Monster, I piled two Arnold Sandwich Thins (the closest thing we had to a bun) high with the pulled pork and homemade sauce.

For myself, I made a fun tasting plate centered around my vegetarian buffalo wings. Yes, I realize this is an oxymoron, but I don't care. They were good. I baked them in the toaster oven until crispy, then doused them with hot sauce. To go alongside, I made a bleu cheese dip out of plain Greek yogurt, parsley, crumbled bleu cheese, hot sauce, S&P and a little milk to thin it to a more dressing-like consistency. 

The "wings" were quite tasty. They didn't taste anything like chicken, which is fine with me. They tasted almost like a mozzarella cheese stick and they definitely had the same type of consistency.

Also on my tasting plate were celery sticks to complement the buffalo wing theme, slices of sharp white cheddar cheese, a few pita crackers, three candied pecans and some apple slices. I also had a bit of Cookie Monster's pork, and it was actually pretty tasty.

Go football!

Snowpocalypse 2010 II: The Sequel

More snow. Lots of snow.

Check out the crazy icicles.

I swear, there's a car under there somewhere. . .

 

And here's a good thing to survive Snowpocalypse 2010 II: The Sequel:

French Toast Breakfast

We had a loaf of bread in the fridge that was on its last leg. Enter: French toast. I simply combined an egg, milk, a bit of ground flax seed for some Omega-3s, cinnamon sugar, cinnamon, pumpkin pie spice and cardamom and beat it all together into a batter. Soak the bread until it all absorbs the batter, then pan-fry until golden brown.

This was for Cookie Monster.So I also made some bacon (AKA meat candy), and, to get a little fruit into him, half a banana and blueberries. And naturally, the French toast was doused in real maple syrup. That's how he rolls.

French Toast: Are you ready for your close-up?

I think that was a yes.

Mediterranean Dinner

I made a Mediterranean feast a few nights ago, all based around my homemade baba ghanoush. I roasted an eggplant, and with that I combined tahini (the magic ingredient), parsley, lemon juice,  garlic and S&P, with a little chicken stock to thin it into a dip-like consistency. 

For Cookie Monster, I made sort of a mock souvlaki, which was ground beef, parsley, turmeric, cumin, curry powder, garlic and hot sauce, all combined with an egg to keep the meat moist. I skewered the meatballs and baked in the oven until they were done.

For myself, I made a mock falafel patty, which combined the same things (parsley, turmeric, curry powder, cumin, garlic and hot sauce) with mashed chickpeas, all squished together into patties, and then pan-fried. 

Additionally, I threw some vegetables in the oven while the meatballs were cooking, and sprinkled feta cheese on top when they were done.

Here is Cookie Monster's plate. I know the baba ghanoush looks like poo, but it was really tasty! :)

And my plate:

I added some hummus to my plate (Cookie Monster thinks hummus tastes like dirt, but I love it). I also tried one of his meatballs, and it was pretty damn good.

All in all, it was a very tasty and unique meal.

Snowpocalypse 2010

So, we did get some snow. Just a little.

See?

 

  

  

  

 

The Best Snowcones, Ever

When Cookie Monster and I were living in Portland and it was snowy one day, I had a stroke of genius. 

That stroke of genius: alcoholic snow cones! Scoop snow, cover with booze, consume, enjoy. I think at that time we made Chambord and Kahlua snow cones. 

Since it recently snowed (and we're waiting for more!), we replicated adult beverages out of snow, but we had a pretty well-stocked liquor cabinet and wanted to sample a lot, so we just filled shot glasses instead of coffee mugs. Enter: the best snowcones ever!

We had Irish creme, Kahlua, butterscotch schnapps, cherry heering, root beer schnapps, Frangelico  and a nip of Chambord.

Just like your snowcones of yore, but with an adult twist. My favorites were the Frangelico and root beer.

Try one today! (Or next time it snows, whichever comes first.)

Incidentally, this is also a good use for snow:

Snowy, Wintry Charm City

Cookie Monster and I went for a walk in our 'hood last weekend after our latest dusting of snow. We are, currently, as I'm typing right now, waiting for Snowpocalypse 2010, wherein 16-20 inches of snow are predicted within the next 48 hours. No signs of precipitation yet, but we're assured they're coming. I have to say that East Coast meteorologists have been pretty spot-on so far, so take note, Dave Salesky: These people seem to know their shit.

Anyhoo, Cookie Monster and I ventured out for a walk last weekend after we got about 3-4 inches of snow. By this time, most of it had been plowed away on city streets and sidewalks were completely navigable. It was a very pleasant walk; it wasn't even that cold. 

The good thing about the East Coast is that when it snows, people generally know what to do. Salt trucks and plows come by, making getting around so much easier. Again, Portland: Take notes. The bad thing about this is that your car gets completely fucked by the snow/ice/salt. Exhibit A:

Down by the water, the snow against the river was really beautiful, especially with the sun shining.

Snow-covered docks:

And in parts of the river, where water didn't have much movement, it was frozen. Not very far down, but it was still frozen.

There were several ducks on the water, just hanging out and quacking. They must know that I'm a big Duck fan! Cookie Monster threw a snowball into the water near them, and they came to investigate. Before you knew it, all the nearby ducks were congregating near the spot; they thought it was food! It was actually pretty funny.

So, we shall see if severely snowy conditions are to be repeated. Waiting...