It’s Not Rolling, But I Did Leap for Joy

It’s Sunday, and with Hubby home, that means the re-establishing of a family tradition. One that will make my hips whimper, but I don’t care.

SHIPLEY DO-NUTS!!!

Yes, that’s the proper way to spell it. While he was gone we seldom got the chance to get doughnuts for breakfast. It was something we did with him, so we fell out of the habit of going for doughnuts. But now, it is time to get back into the groove of things, and rejoice!!

It’s not a perfect circle, true. But it is a perfect combination of sugar and fats!! Ironically, I prefer Dunkin’ Donuts™ coffee to Shipley’s. But then again, I don’t go there for coffee. I go there for the sugary goodness that screams a symphony in my head as I partake of it.

And now, if y’all will excuse me? I have to go walk off the 20,000 calories I just ingested 😉

The Cake is a Lie

Sorry for not posting any dribble yesterday. I was running errands with Hubby, and by the time we arrived at home, it was time to play Taxi for the kidlets, and figure out what to make for dinner, which was a feeble attempt at Salisbury steak. Live, and learn.

Anyway, yesterday Hubby and I decided to have a sit-down lunch instead of drive-thru fare. My thrifty side was feeling a wee bit guilty, but it was his idea, and who am I to stop him from being happy, right? RIGHT?? It also gives us a chance to talk and not feel rushed about anything, so that was nice. And then it was time for dessert.

I do love Tiramisu, almost as much as I love Crème Brulee. The name translates to “pick me up”, which might be a reference to the caffeine in the espresso coffee and the cocoa powder.

But it was all a lie!!!

Looking at the picture I could feel the happiness radiating from it. “Go ahead and get some,” my Aggie Devil said. “It’s just one tiny, itty bitty dessert…” she kept whispering. And I was ctlhoisse* to getting it. But the Aggie Angel showed up. “Don’t do it. It’s a lie! The cake will make you feel good at first, and then you’ll want more, and more, until you can no longer fit in your clothes!!”

I hate it when she’s logical. In the end I skipped it, knowing I didn’t need it and being full as I was would have made me feel even worse, physically at least. I can find balance between need and want.

I just have to remember to order dessert first next time 😉

* “this close” jumbled up to emphasize just how close I really was to ordering it!!

The Heart of Cooking

Sometimes my titles are a bit misleading. Actually, most of the time. But this one is pretty literal.This is one of my favorite pots, a gift from Hubby for Valentine’s Day long ago.

I love my Le Creuset™ pots. I own only three, but use them regularly. Just last night I made beer-braised beef in my 5 quart Dutch oven. This one I use for small casseroles and rice dishes. And of course, the 3 quart is for everything. I’m finding that I prefer cooking in porcelain cast iron far more than non-stick. And let’s face it: the color is far prettier than the dull charcoal of most non-stick pots and pans. It makes me happy to cook in a pretty pot, and if Momma is happy, she tends not to burn anything 😉

Almost There…

In just a few days, it will be Easter, and I shall be enjoying these:

There is nothing sweeter than biting the head off one of these, and enjoying the satisfying crunch of the sugar crystals as the marshmallow melts on your tongue.

Cry Havoc!! And let slip the Peeps of War!!!

Yeah, I am feeling the strain of sugar deprivation. Why do you ask?? 😉

A Trick and a Treat

I know, I know… wrong day, wrong month, wrong season. But this isn’t about Halloween.

I saw this photo today on a social site, and as my tummy was growling, I was reading the comments on it.

First of all, ZOMGYUMMY!!!! But secondly, just how is it done?

Well, most of my foodie friends have figured it out. But not the commenters at the photo. They kept asking if one presses the uncooked bacon in a muffin pan and bake. Close, but using this is much simpler:

Invert the custard cup upside down, and wrap the bacon around it. Then bake until done, and you have a beautiful little bacon bowl. You can do this with pie crust and phyllo pastry, too. And it makes you look like some big time gourmet!

Can this Sith cook, or can’t she??

Gag Worthy

Be advised: pictures are forthcoming!

There are some foods that, by the pure loving grace of my Creator, I will never, ever ingest. Don’t get me wrong. I have eaten some pretty weird things, like muk tuk, but even the anthropologist in me has her limits.

First, there is Balut. Considered a delicacy in some Asian countries, it is a cooked fertilized duck egg. Yes, fertilized as in embryo.

Just add a dash of salt and some lemon juice, and you are good to go.

To the bathroom to hurl, that is.

Next up we have Haggis. Haggis is nothing more than a sausage, really. A sausage composed of sheep’s liver, heart, and lungs, seasoned and then stuffed into a sheep’s stomach, and then boiled for a few hours.

Hubby has partaken of this while deployed during a celebration. He said it wasn’t bad at all.

I don’t care to find out.

And finally, I come to a heartbreaker, Sardinian Marzu. I love cheese. I really do. I even partake of Limburger. But this…. I just could never, ever eat. Marzu is a goat’s milk cheese to which maggots are added.

Now, after “fermentation”, you are supposed to remove the maggots carefully, and eat the cheese. But some people leave the maggots, because they add an additional rich flavor to the cheese.

I don’t know about y’all, but I can do without ever knowing what cheese-infested maggots taste like.

As a reminder, it’s only a week until Easter, which means I do get to partake of some serious chocolate. That should make up for this post 😉

Good News in Time For Easter!

Guess what I just found out???

I CAN EAT CHOCOLATE AND STAY THIN!!!!

Now, the article does emphasize that one shouldn’t gorge on chocolate, but it does stress that chocolate is full of the antioxidants that help to promote weight loss. And it also states that bitter chocolate helps to suppress appetite better than sweet chocolate.

All I know is, I am going to start nibbling on bittersweet chocolate twice a week. For health reasons, you know.

But that will happen after I gorge on Easter chocolate. Cadbury eggs are awesome!!! 😉

Eighteen to Life

It’s a funny title, because it’s our anniversary today!!!

And he was sweet enough to send me this:

Yep, and Edible Bouquet! I’ve never received one before, so it was quite a novelty. And Hubby was considerate enough to call them and ask that they NOT cover the strawberries in chocolate…

….but there was a slight miscommunication, and most of the strawberries were covered in chocolate, which made the girls ecstatic, but at least I got the plain fruit, so it was all good.

Eighteen years, going on eighty. This past year has been hard, but soon enough it will be over, and then we can both eat chocolate covered strawberries while sitting on the couch, watching some really awful movie on SyFy™ and laughing at the carnage.

What can I say? We enjoy the little things in life 😀

One Fish, Two Fish

Possibly redfish, but no blue fish!

Here at Casa de Aggie, we have fish for dinner on Fridays during Lent. But fish every Friday can be boring. So, I have decided to make it into a gourmet holiday for the kids, making sure to serve different kinds, and involving them in the preparations. Eldest really likes to bake, and Son has gotten into sautéing. Little One is still in the “just eating it” stage. But I have hopes for her.

This evening’s offering will be salmon. Now, I prefer salmon raw, but I hear cooked it’s pretty good, too. I will make sautéed grape tomatoes with basil and mozzarella, steamed green beans, and homemade rolls. And if the kids were good today, I may be persuaded to make dessert. Perhaps a cherry pie to celebrate the beginning of Spring Break!

And the beginning of my descent into madness 😉

How to Have a Successful Wine Party

First, you add WINE!!

NOT the wine consumed...

Then you add FOOD!!

There was more. Trust me.

And then you stir that with a lot of love and FRIENDS!!

And we are older, but just as cute. Trust me.

And all that leads to lots of talking and laughing and forgetting about the time.

Wine Parties…there should be a law 😉