Cooking Light ALL DAY!

F'n Thanksgiving.  I got on the scales today.  I'm never celebrating this holiday again.  I'm just sayin.

So, because of the overindulgence of the past three days, Mr. B and I had "Cooking Light All Day" instead of "Cooking Light Tonight"  It actually turned into one meal, but considering what we've eaten for the past three days, one meal was all we needed.  It started with Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dip.  I know....that doesn't sound like a light dish.....but, I've always wanted to make my own potato chips and this was the perfect recipe to try.  One of my favorite restaurants in Birmingham is Bottega and my favorite appetizer there is their homemade chips with blue cheese dip.  So I was thinking this might me a great way to recreate that recipe in a much less fattening way!!

While the dip was not quite as rich and satisfying as Bottega's, it was still quite good....and, I'm sure, won't make my jeans quite as tight.  I will say that to make the chips as crisp as chips should be, you really need to have a mandoline in order to slice the potatoes thin enough....which is necessary for them to be crisp.   (I think a mandoline is a necessary kitchen tool anyway...if you can keep from slicing your finger tips off!)

Here's the recipe:

Potato Chips with Blue Cheese Dip

 

1/3 cup (1 1/2 ounces) finely crumbled blue cheese

1/3 cup fat free sour cream

2 tablespoons light mayonnaise

2 tablespoons skim milk

1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 pound russet potato, thinly sliced (about 1 large), divided

Cooking spray

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Place baking sheet in oven

Combine first 5 ingredients, stirring well.  Cover and chill

Place potato slices on paper towels; pat dry (dry slices are important).  Arrange half of potato slices in a single layer on preheated baking sheet coated with cooking spray.  Sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.  Turn potato slices over; bake an additional 5 minutes or until golden.  Repeat procedure with remaining potatoes and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt.  Serve immediately with blue cheese mixture.

Calories:  117

Fat:  3.7 g

Protein:  4.2

Carbohydrate:  16.8 g

Fiber:  1 g

I will absolutely serve this again as an appetizer....even if I don't make my own chips.....but I probably will.  I would make sure that I can time this to serve the chips within an hour of coming out of the oven.  Just make sure that all of your chips are fully cooked and golden brown.  Crispy homemade chips are much better than just barely crispy homemade chips!!

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The main course on Cooking Light All Day was Seafood Risotto and this was YUMMY!!  This is definitely a risotto house......Mr. B loves it so much he is willing to stir at least half of the 20-30 minutes it takes to make this creamy deliciousness!!  

And this was......creamy deliciousness!

Here's the recipe:

Seafood Risotto

2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth (I used 3 cups)

1 (8-ounce) bottle clam juice (I used 1/2 bottle)

2 teaspoons butter

1/4 cup chopped shallots

1/2 cup uncooked Arborio rice

1/8 teaspoon saffron threads

1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice

1/2 cup grape tomatoes, halved

4 ounces medium shrimp, peeled and deveined (I used 1/2 lb)

4 ounces bay scallops (I eliminated...Mr B hates scallops!)

2 tablespoons whipping cream (I inadvertently omitted this and it was delish without it!  Holla...less calories!!)

Chopped fresh parsley (I omitted this, also...sue me)

Bring broth and clam juice to a simmer in a medium saucepan (do not boil).  Keep warm over low heat.

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium heat.  Add shallots to pan; cook 2 minutes or until tender, stirring frequently.  Add rice and saffron to pan; cook 30 seconds, stirring constantly.  Add lemon juice to pan; cook 15 seconds, stirring constantly.  Stir in 1/2 cup of hot broth mixture; cook 2 minutes or until the liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring constantly.  Add remaining broth mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 20-30 minutes, total).

Stir in tomatoes; cook for 1 minute.  Stir in shrimp and scallops; cook for 4 minutes or until shrimp and scallops are done, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat; stir in cream.  Sprinkle with parsley, if desired.

Calories:  400

Fat:  10.1g

Protein:  30.2g

Carbohydrate:  49.1g

Fiber:  2.6g

This was a fabulous low-cal risotto.  This was just enough for two people so if you want to serve it to more (it would be a great dinner party recipe, served with a roasted vegetable and a salad) you need to multiply accordingly.

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The dessert on this low-cal night was Butterscotch Pudding.  Yeah...I said Butterscotch Pudding...light!!

I'll have to say that this didn't taste light...at all.  Really good.  Mr. B ate two servings just to negate the light factor.

Here's the recipe:

Butterscotch Pudding

1 cup packed dark brown sugar (all I had was light brown sugar, so I added a tablespoon of molasses)

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 cups 1% low-fat milk, divided (I used fat free)

1 large egg lightly beaten

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla

Combine first 3 ingredients in a suacepan.  Gradually add 2 cups milk; stir with a whisk until blended.  Cook mixture 180 degrees or until tiny bubbles form around edge (do not boil).

Combine remaining 1 cup milk, egg, and egg yolk in a bowl; stir with a whisk.

Gradually add 1 cup of hot milk mixture to egg mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk,  Add egg mixture to saucepan.  Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute or until thick, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat, stir in butter and vanilla.  Place pan in a large ice-filled bowl for 20 minutes or until mixture cools to room temperature; stir occasionally.  Cofer surface of pudding with plastic wrap.  Chill.  Serve with whipped topping.

Calories:  281

Fat:  6.3g

Protein:  5.5g

Carbohydrate:  51.5g

Fiber:  0.1g

This took about 15 minutes after boiling to thicken, which is not unusual for pudding for me.  I omitted the "ice-filled bowl" procedure and just let cool on the countertop for about 20 minutes and then put on the plastic wrap and put into the fridge.  It thickened up nicely.

I added packaged toffee chips to the mixture before I put it into the fridge and then sprinkled them on top before I served the pudding.  I didn't bother with the whipped topping....the pudding could stand on it's own.  

Quite good and I'd make it again!!

All-in-all not a bad "Cooking Light All Day" day.

I recommend all of them!

WTF

Can someone please explain to me when pre-pubescent screaming girls became the National Football League's target audience?????

In watching two football games today I've had to endure the non-musical talents of Jesse McCartney, Demi Lovato (she could actually carry a tune) and now the Jonas Brothers (who have not be in tune for two entire songs....could be that their pants are so tight certain oxygen supplies are being compromised).....seriously, Roger Goodell, this is the best you could do????

And could you please NEVER again give the Detroit Lions the spotlight on Thanksgiving Day.  Actually, just go ahead and kick them out of the league entirely.  They're embarrassing.  Period.

Fabulous Salad

I've been obsessed with reading other peoples blogs lately (there is some serious undiscovered talent out there) so I was perusing some the other day is search of some inspiration.  I was having friends for dinner and needed a salad and Cathy at Noble Pig solved my problem with Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Goat Cheese and Fig Vinaigrette.

Cathy's pictures are far superior to anything I would post here, so click on the link above if you want some great pics.

Here's the recipe:

Mixed Greens Salad with Pears, Goat Cheese and Fig Vinaigrette

Adapted from Cooking Light

6 cups mixed salad greens

1 1/2 cups thinly sliced, cored Bosc pear

1/4 cup crumbled goat cheese

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar

5 dried Mission figs, stemmed and coarsely chopped

6 Tablespoons water

1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice

2 Tablespoons minced shallots

1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme

2 garlic cloves, crushed (I minced them)

1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt

Combine the balsamic vinegar and dried Mission figs (stemmed and chopped) in a small saucepan over high heat and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 5 minutes.

Combine the fig mixture, water and fresh lemon juice in a blender or use your immersion blender (I used my food processor.....my blender was not pureeing it as smoothly as I wanted) and process until smooth

In a small bowl, (or use a mason jar so you can just shake it up) add the blended fig mixture with shallots, fresh thyme, crushed garlic, extra-virgin olive oil and Kosher salt.  Stir or shake well to combine.  (I just put everything into the food processor to combine)

Thinly slice your Bosc pear, leaving the skin on.  Place 1 cup greens on each of six plates; topping each serving with 1/4 cup pear and t teaspoons goat cheese.  Drizzle vinaigrette over each serving.

This was D.E.L.I.S.H.  The combination of the pear, goat cheese and the sweet fig vinaigrette was pure bliss.  The next time you need a great salad...this is it.

Barefoot Bloggers

Today's Barefoot Blogger recipe is Mexican Chicken Soup chosen by Judy of Judy's Gross Eats.

I don't think anyone does soup better than Ina.....I've made several  -  her Corn Chowder is a staple around here.....and this was no exception.  I served this on the first night to my regular BB taste testers, Luke and Donna, and they loved it.  Mr. B loved it.  Charlotte's guy friends came over the next night and finished it off.....and they loved it!  So this was a hit all over!!

I have to admit that I made this a week ago, so the memory is a little fuzzy (shut up), but I don't think I made any changes to the original recipe.  Here it is:

Mexican Chicken Soup

(can also be found in Barefoot Contessa at Home)

4 split (2 whole) chicken breasts, bone in, skin on

Good olive oil

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 cups chopped onions (2 onions)

1 cup chopped celery (2 stalks)

2 cups chopped carrots (4 carrots)

4 large cloves garlic, chopped

2 1/2 quarts chicken stock, preferably homemade (I used Swanson)

1 (28 ounce) can whole tomatoes in puree, crushed (I used the fire-roasted ones...love them)

2 to 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced (I used 2)

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground coriander seed

1/4 to 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves, optional (WHAT?? Cilantro optional in a Mexican soup??  Ina...I don't think so.  I put in extra cilantro)

6 (6-inch) fresh white corn tortillas (I seriously considered leaving them out because I just couldn't fathom their purpose, but I added them and SO glad I did.  I functions as a sort of thickening agent and the soup would have been seriously lacking with out them.)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Place the chicken breasts skin side up on a sheet pan.  Rub with olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 35 to 40 minutes, until done.  When the chicken is cool enough to handle, discard the skin and bones, and shred the meat.  Cover and set aside.

Meanwhile, heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven.  Add the onions, celery, and carrots and cook over medium-low heat for 10 minutes, or until the onions start to brown.  Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.  Add the chicken stock, tomatoes with their puree, jalapenos, cumin, coriander, 1 tablespoon salt (depending on the saltiness of the chicken stock), 1 teaspoon pepper, and the cilantro, if using (you are!).  Cut the tortillas in 1/2, then cut them crosswise into 1/2-inch strips and add to the soup.  Bring the soup to a boil, then lower the heat and simmer for 25 minutes.  Add the shredded chicken and season to taste.  Serve the soup hot topped with sliced avacado, a dollop of sour cream, grated Cheddar cheese, and broken tortilla chips (and extra cilantro!!)

ENJOY!!

These are Charlotte's friends after finishing off the soup and having a great time trying on Luke's bullet-proof vests.  Boys!

Hunter, Dugan and Connally

Tuesdays (err...Thursdays) With Dorie

So many assignments, so little time to post!  Which brings us to Thursdays with Dorie....I took the liberty of changing the day to accommodate my schedule.....it's all about ME!!

So this weeks assignment was Thanksgiving Twofer Pie, chosen by Vibi of La Casserole Carree, and was basically a combination of Pumpkin and Pecan Pies....a perfect choice for Thanksgiving week.  Thanks, Vibi.  (You can get the recipe on Vibi's site)

This was really easy to put together and my only glitch was that my crust stuck to my pie plate, which didn't exactly make for a beautiful presentation, but it still tasted fine.  I will say that I'm not a huge "pie person" so the only time I'd make this again would be for Thanksgiving.  I served it last night with vanilla ice cream, which I think overpowered the pie, so tonight I'm making some whipped cream which I think will be perfect.

Since my disaster with the rice pudding last week, I read all of the comments from the other bakers before I started this one, and I have to agree with everyone else that the baking time stated in the recipe was not long enough.  I probably had mine in for an additional 10-15 minutes.

I was actually organized enough to take some pics this time.....yea, me!

The pumpkin filling went in first

The pecans get sprinkled on top of the pumpkin mixture

You then pour on the Pecan filling

Then you bake and this is what you get!!

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As I type this, I'm watching my Cowboys beat up on the Seahawks (and admiring the soon-to-be-mine Cowboy's endzone......still waiting on those donations, people) and it brought back memories of three years ago and sitting in a box at Texas Stadium on Thanksgiving Day with some great friends.

This is Mr. B (on the right) with one of our hosts, Hal.  Unfortunately, Hal passed away about a year after this was taken.  We miss you, Hal!  Thanks for a great memory.

Tuesdays with Dorie

I won't be making my TWD assignment  --  Thanksgiving Twofer Pie  --  until tomorrow, so if you're just here to drool over dessert photos, you'll have to come back later!!  I've been reading everyone's posts and it sounds delicious.....a combination of pumpkin and pecan pies.  That can't be bad, right??

So drag your buttocks back here tomorrow and I'll try to have something for you to see!

Welcome to the World Abby Gordon!!

This beautiful baby girl just became the lucky granddaughter of Mr Luke Gordon!!  Luke is the guy lucky enough to be my BFF Donna's BFF!!  Did you catch all that??  Anywho, this little sweetheart was born this morning in Mississippi.  Welcome to the world, baby girl....give your grandpa fits!!

Congrats, Luke!

Random thoughts

I SO hope you can see the Michigan player laying on the ground with dirt being kicked in his face because this is indicative of what the Buckeyes did to the pathetic Wolverines on Saturday.  That foot you see kicking the dirt is Beanie's....   The first half was "interesting" only because I think TP was trying a little too hard and needed to settle down (which he did beautifully in the second half) but the second half belonged to the Buckeyes.  

With the Penn State win over MSU we share the Big Ten crown and now have to wait on our fate with the BCS.  Anything can happen, but I think our best shot is an Oregon win this weekend over Oregon State.  It's a longshot, but it's our best shot.  GO DUCKS!!!

I also think that this was Beanie's swan song in the horseshoe.  He left with a sore hamstring (which will be fully healed by the time the bowl game rolls around) which is sad, but he still burned Fichigan for a 50yd touchdown run.  NICE!!  I'll miss you Beanie, but I understand if you leave for the $$$.  I would too!

So, I watch this weekend's games with a little interest.  The BCS is a clusterf*ck that dearly needs to be fixed and I, for one, would love to see a playoff.  I don't buy the college president's arguments.....it's all about the almighty $$.  Fix it.

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So, Mr. B and I are staying home ALONE this week for Thanksgiving.  In all of my 45 years, this is the first time I won't be having a family T-giving dinnner.  I just found out that Mr. B (inadvertently, I think, told the 'rents that we were staying home and that he didn't want to travel)  He had spent the past year and a half traveling back and forth between MI and AL, so I think on some level he meant that he wanted to stay home, but I also know that he would have gone to FL for T-giving.  Sorry, but next year he'll have to suck it up....I'm not happy about not being with the 'rents!!  I'm just sayin!

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The Game

Little Johnny was in his 4th grade class when the teacher asked the children what their fathers did for a living.  All the typical answers came up - fireman, policeman, salesman, etc....Johnny was being uncharacteristically quiet and so the teacher asked him about his father.

"My father's an exotic dancer in a gay cabaret and takes off all his clothes in front of other men.  Sometimes, if the offer's really good, he'll go out to the alley with some guy and have sex with him for money."

The teacher, obviously shaken by this statement, hurriedly set the other children to work on some coloring, and took Little Johnny aside to ask him, "Is that really true about your father?"

"No," said Johnny, "He's an assistant coach for the Michigan Wolverines, but I was too embarrassed to say so."

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Prediction:  Ohio State 31  Michigan 14

GO BUCKEYES!!!

Fight the Team Across the Field!!!!!

A recent graduate of Ohio State moved to Michigan after accepting a great job.  After becoming a citizen of Michigan she felt almost as if she betrayed her Ohio background and ancestry.  She had an apartment with a Michigan address and she winced whenever she looked at her Michigan driver's license.  When she registered her vehicle she had an idea.

When her personalized license plate arrived for her car she beamed while she affixed them to her car.  She was so proud, she sent an email message to her father right away.  He was a proud Ohio State alumnus as well.

She typed "Daddy, I got my new personalized plates for my car today.  They're University of Michigan plates."

"WHAT?" he replied, "You have to be joking?"

"Nope.  Here's a picture!"

GO BUCKS

Cookbook Challenge - Week 2

Woohoo.....I've kept my commitment for two whole weeks!!!  Yea me!

This week I picked my recipe from "The Illustrated Cooking Bible  -  1000 Family Recipes From Around the World".  I just picked this up from BN recently and I really like it....LOTS of pictures and great detailed, relatively simple recipes.  I will say, however, that this recipe fell a little short for me, but I think I know what went wrong and what I'd do different next time.....explanation coming!

The recipe was on page 343....Roast Lamb with White Beans.  Lamb is probably my favorite Fall dish (running a close race with Short Ribs) and I absolutely LOVE white beans, so I had high hopes for this.  Mr. B was actually going to be home on a Sunday night (yes, I cooked this on Sunday.....sue me) and so was Miss C....holla....family dinner!!

I remembered cooking a Bobby Flay lamb shank recipe last winter that was fabulous, so I dug it out and compared the two.  The main differences were that Bobby's recipe had a little more liquid and was cooked covered in the oven.  That's probably where I'd make some corrections with this new recipe.  The shanks were a little tough (could have just been the meat, though) but the white beans were fabulous.  That's really why I'd like to try this one again.....loved the beans!

Anyhoo....here's the recipe...

Roast Lamb with White Beans

makes four servings

prep time 15 minutes

cook time 1 hour 15 minutes

3lb leg of lamb or shanks (recommend the leg)

2-3 sprigs rosemary

1 tbsp olive oil

salt and freshly ground black pepper

two 15oz cans flageolet or white Northern beans, drained (don't rinse)

4 plum tomatoes, cut in halves lengthwise

4 garlic cloves, coarsely chopped

2/3 cup white wine

1 tbsp tomato paste

Prepare ahead  The lamb can be prepared through step 1 and refrigerated up to 1 day ahead

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  With a small, sharp knife, make several deep cuts into the fresh of the lamb.  Strip the leaves from 1 rosemary sprig, and push a few rosemary leaves into each cut.  Place the lamb in a roasting pan, withe the oil, and season with salt and pepper

Bake for 1 hour.  Combine the beans, tomatoes, garlic and remaining rosemary.  Remove the lamb from the oven and spoon the bean mixture around it.  Mix the wine and tomato paste together and pour over the beans.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil, then continue baking, stirring the beans after 15 minutes, for about 30 minutes, until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the lamb reads 130 degrees.  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

I think the next time I make this, I'll definitely use a leg of lamb, and sear it on the stove top and keep it covered the entire time in the oven not just the last 30 minutes. 

Here's the link for the Bobby Flay recipe which I served to a dinner party of 8 people that got RAVE reviews!

 

Just a Thought

Because I've been married to Mr. B for the past 20 years I've been exposed to the inner workings of the auto industry (he's no longer in the business, but was for over 25 years and I also worked for Honda for 10 years).......during the "profitable" years and during the downturn.  I am, by no means, and expert, but I did live in Detroit and watched how the CEO's of the Big Three operate vs. how the CEO's of Honda/Toyota operated and formed a few opinions over the years....namely regarding a culture of "excess" vs a culture of "lean".

I have been reading the reports of the Big Three's request for a Congressional bailout with interest, but a little snippet in one of today's articles REALLY struck me.

All three CEO's from GM, Chrysler and Ford each travelled to Washington today SEPARATELY, each on their own PRIVATE JET....probably all taking off from the same airport at the same time!!!  Dudes.....seriously???

Gee.....you think giving them more money is going to help??  I just don't think they "get it."

The first thing Mr. B does whenever he takes over a company is SELL THE JET.

I'm just sayin......

Three Days!!

An Ann Arbor area mortician had a new apprentice who was learning the embalming ropes.  He walked into the embalming room where a cadaver was lying on the table.  Thinking he knew enough now to begin the procedure without his boss, he began examing the body.  He rolled it over and to his amazement there was a cork in it's rear end.  Mystified, he pulled it out, and immediately heard the Michigan Wolverine fight song come out of the guy's ass.

Startled by what had happened, he shoved the cork back into the cadaver and ran up the stairs to find his mentor.  "Sir, you've got to come down and help me, I've just seen something I can't believe."

Annoyed by the naivete' of his assistant, he said OK and followed him downstairs.  "There, look at the cork in the rear end of that body.  I couldn't imagine what it was doing there, so I pulled it out.  Please, you do it."

The mortician was a big surprised to see the cork, too, so he walked to the table and removed the cork.  Then the Michigan fight song started playing.  Exasperated, he replaced the cork in it's appointed position, turned to his assistant and said. "What's so surprising about that?  I've heard thousands of ass-holes sing that song."

GO BUCKEYES!!!!!

Look Who's Back!!

My psycho Cardinal has returned!!  He's been at my bedroom window all day just beating his little red head against the window......and driving Rafter nuts in the process.  I finally had to close the bedroom door.....which did not make King Raffie happy.  My bed is his favorite nap spot.

That's Raf's big ole' paw tearing up the window casing trying to get at him.  The bird's not even scared of him anymore!  OK....which one of them is the stupid one???

This is his "pissed-off" look, when I made him get away from the window!

He finally gave up!!

Cooking Light Tonight!

Well this week's Cooking Light recipe didn't exactly count as dinner (although Charlotte would have liked it served as dinner).

As I've told y'all before, Miss C likes her some banana bread, so I try to make a loaf every couple of weeks to keep her happy.  She's a little spoiled!!  :)  I have to say that this week's effort is my personal favorite so far.  It's absolutely the moistest (er....most moist?) and for a "light" recipe this was somewhat surprising.  Could have been the chocolate, but whatever it was, this one's a keeper.

This is a recipe I pulled out of the magazine at some point, which is something I do quite often.  I have this huge stack of magazine pages in my office of recipes I'm yet to make.  Somewhat like my cookbook dilemma....oh well.

Marbled-Chocolate Banana Bread

Chocolate and bananas are a natural pair.  Toast and top with a spoonful of peanut butter for breakfast.

2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 1/2 cups mashed ripe banana (about 3 bananas)

1/2 cup egg substitute

1/3 cup plain low-fat yogurt

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Cooking Spray

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cup and level with a knife.  Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Place sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended (about 1 minute).  Add banana, egg substitute, and yogurt; beat until blended.  Add flour mixture; beat at low speed just until moist.

Place chocolate chips in a medium microwave-safe bowl, and microwave at HIGH 1 minute or until almost melted, stirring until smooth.  Cool slightly.  Add 1 cup batter to chocolate, stirring until well combined.  Spoon chocolate batter alternately with plain batter into an 8 1/2 x 4 1/2 inch loaf pan coated with cooking spray.  Swirl batters together using a knife.  Bake at 350 for 1 hour and 15 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean.  Cool 10 minutes in pan on a wire rack; remove from pan.  Cool completely on wire rack.  Yield:  1 loaf, 16 slices (serving size:  1 slice)

CALORIES:  183

FAT:  4.7g

PROTEIN:  3.1g

CARB:  33g

FIBER:  1.3g

CHOL:  8mg

SODIUM:  180mg

Y'all need to make this one.....it's delish.

GO Bucks!!

Twas the night before game time,

And all round the shoe,

Not a creature was sleeping,

They were screaming Beat Blue.

The banners were hung by the lamp posts with care

In hopes that St. Pryor would find Robo through the air.

Drunken and crazy and burning their beds,

While visions of kick off danced through their heads.

When all of the sudden there arose such a clatter,

I sprang from the keg to see what was the matter.

When there in the sky, in a Coupe DeVille sleigh,

Was Woody Hayes decked out in scarlet and gray.

He looked on the crowd that was gathered around,

And said that he heard that a game was in town.

"I came here to watch it, and wish you good luck.

Though it's not like you need it, cause MICHIGAN SUCKS!!"

GO BUCKS!!!!!!!  BEAT MICHIGAN!!!!!!!!

Tuesdays With Dorie

Well this was a disaster.  Thank God, I didn't take any pictures of my soup/fudge....that was supposed to be rice pudding.  Eeek.  This was FUBAR from the get-go.  

I'm going to preface this by saying that I did learn a valuable lesson in just my second TWD event.....read the comments section before you start cooking.  If I had done this I could have saved myself some time and frustration.

So here's what happened.....In my first attempt, I followed the directions to the letter (because I'm not a good enough baker to attempt any improv) and it turned out just as Dorie said it would.....

"The pudding won't be thick - that's ok (it will thicken in the refrigerator)."

So mine definitely wasn't thick.....it wasn't even a little thick....but I proceeded to put my chocolate in and divide it up in to individual ramekins (I was having friends.....operative word, friends....over after dinner for dessert), put it in the fridge for the six required hours and went out to dinner thinking I had this shizzle covered.  Ummm, not so much.  Good thing these "friends" liked me, because I served them chocolate soup with rice coagulated in the bottom for dessert.  Uh....yum....I'm sure they'll be back soon.  The one person brave enough to actually try it said that it "tasted good, but was a little thin".  Ya think?  I just gave them more wine.

So, I put all my ramekins back in the fridge and decide to check on them again in the morning to see if things had thickend up.  Nope.  So my stubborn side (which is actually three of my sides) kicked in and I decided to try again.  Sent Mr. B to the store to get more whole milk, (because who drinks whole milk anymore??) and proceeded to try again.  After I got the rice on to boil, I decided I'd check on-line to see if anyone else had had this problem....and it seems EVERYONE (close) had produced rice soup.  Lo and behold, there's a post from Dorie herself saying that there was a fatal error in the printing of the book and that the rice should boil for 50-60 minutes instead of the published 30.....well hot damn, that might make a difference.

There was also someone who said that she just put her original attempt back on the stove for a while and it thickened right up.  So I did that.....for obviously too long.....the consistency was fine while it was still hot, but after a few hours in the fridge, it turned to fudge.  Shit.  I threw it out.

That's my last attempt at rice pudding.  It's not my favorite thing anyway....just don't like the texture.....I like my pudding smooth.  But, I'm glad I tried. 

I'll be perusing the web site comments in the future before I set foot in the kitchen.

Thanks to Isabelle for choosing this recipe.  I'd tell you all to visit Isabelle's blog, but it's in French and I know the only French my readers speak usually needs to be pardoned.

It's OSU - Michigan, People

A highly recruited high-school football player is visiting schools.  His first stop is Alabama.  When he gets there, Nick Saban immediately picks up a golden telephone.  After talking for several minutes, he says, "Thank you, God" and hangs up.  The young man is shocked.  He asks the coach what is so special about the golden phone.  "Well, this phone is a direct link to God," the coach explains.  "God tells us whether new recruits will be stars at our University."  The athlete asks if he can use the phone to ask God what college he should pick.  "Sure you can," the coach says.  "But it will cost you $1,000.  Calling Heaven ain't cheap."  The young man says he doesn't have that kind of money and moves along.

His next stop is Michigan.  He walks into Rich Rodriguiz's office and Dick-Rod immediately picks up a golden telephone.  After talking for several minutes, the coach says, "Thank you, God." and hangs up.  The recruit says, "Hey, I've seen those phones before.  Can I use yours to ask God what college I should pick?"  D-Rod says, "Sure, but it's going to cost you $750.  Calling Heaven ain't cheap."  Again, the young man explains that he doesn't have the money and leaves.

His las stop is Columbus, Ohio.  Jim Tressel picks up a golden telephone, says, Thanks" and hangs up.  The young man asks: "Coach, I really need to use that golden telephone so I can call God and ask him which college I should choose.  Alabama said it was going to cost me $1,000.  Michigan wanted $750.  How much will it cost me to call Heaven from Columbus?"  Tressel smiles and says, "Nothing, son.  It's a local call."

GO BUCKS!!!  MUCK FICHIGAN!!!

Miscellaneous Shizzle

This is the time of year that I get a pile of catalogs everyday in the mail.  A few of them are worthwhile.....very few.

One of my favorite is Fetch Dog.  Besides the uber cute puppy that is always on the front cover, they have some of the best dog paraphernalia around....all of the best toys and the absolute best dog beds anywhere.....ones that you're not embarrassed to put where company can see them.  Two things I'm ordering out of this months catalog for the Raffinator are the "Personalized Pet Mat" for his food and water dish and also the "Pill Pockets" (which happen to be the best pet invention EVAH!!)  If you have a FurKid of the dog persuasion....check them out.

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Yes, that's me about four years ago on Thanksgiving Day living a dream.....to see the Cowboys play in Texas.  Mr. B had been spending most of his time that year in Texas defending his company in a big lawsuit case, which they won....BIG....by the way, thanks to a fabulous Dallas law firm.  That firm was kind enough to invite us to share their box at Texas Stadium for the Thanksgiving Day game.  I was BEYOND excited, to say the least.  Thoroughly enjoyed my day there....great food, great wine, great friends...can't even tell you if the Cowboys won that day.  I know, not a good fan.  Whatev.

My point of this little post is this....everyone knows about the Christmas edition of the Neiman Marcus catalog....big presents, bigger money.

Check out my picture and check out the end-zone behind me....Yes, my friends, that's for sale....as is everything where Jerry Jones is concerned.  Here's the description of the "gift"

"Dallas Cowboys Texas Stadium End Zone".  The new digs will be state-of-the-art, of course, but Texas Stadium is where America's Team paid its dues....and grew it's heart.  It's where a dynasty was built and where the Boys fought their way into seven NFL Championships.  To honor battles won and heroes lost over 38 glorious years, you can put 530 square yards (holy mutha) of sporting history into your own backyard:  An entire Cowboys Texas Stadium end zone.  Our exclusive package also includes the VIP treatment for the last regular season Cowboys game in Texas Stadium.  Your crew gets pre-game photos in your zone with Jerry Jones, a luxury suite for the game, and a once-in-a lifetime post-game tailgate party on your soon-to-be new backyard (with the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders, (well, of course)  no less).  There's also autographed memorabilia from Cowboy legends (if Troy Aikman's there....I'm there) , and a VIP package to attend the opening of the new stadium in 2009.  Better yet, the Jerry Jones family and the Cowboys organization will generously donate the entire purchase price to The Salvation Army.  (well, by all means...I need a tax write-off)"

All of that for the "blue-light special" price of $500,000

I've asked Mr. B to get this for me for Christmas.  He said if all of the people that read my blog donated, he'd consider it.....so.....I'm asking all four of you to donate $125,000 a piece and I can have my life's dream.   Thank you and I'll invite all of you over to party in the end-zone!!!

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One of my favorite Christmas gifts is giving my friends some great wine from the cellar so I'm always looking for great "wine packaging" ideas.  I get tired of the usual wine bags so I really liked this idea from the Sundance catalog.  Aren't these just the cutest???

Air Beanie

So....did you see Superman fly????  I "know" that "shon" started the trend, but the Beanster took it to a whole new height on Saturday against the Illini.  Check out the video if you weren't lucky enough to witness it first hand (make sure you watch it in "high quality").

So it sets up the final showdown with that smell up North.....Meeeeeshigan.  Whatever.  I'd like to say I'm 100% confident, but it's Meeeeeshigan.....and anything can happen.  I will say that I'm 80% confident and that I'm also a BIG Michigan State fan on Saturday.  If they pull off the win in Happy Valley, then the Bucks win the Big 10 and are off to the Rose Bowl....if not, we're at the mercy of the BCS hoping for an at-large bid.  And anything can happen.  So, go Sparty!!

Barefoot Bloggers

In the spirit of full disclosure, I have to admit that I screwed up and made this dish last week thinking that's when it was due.  Nope, it was due this week.  Oh well.  

So this weeks assignment was "Herb-Roasted Onions".  Now, I like onions as much as the next gal, but mostly as a flavor enhancer.....not as the feature presentation.  In this dish, the onions are the star and while I didn't hate it....I didn't love it.  My BFF's and official taste testers liked them more than I did.  Donna said they were sweet and pretty good.  Luke and Charlotte each ate them, but didn't really have much to say.  So, all in all, I think you REALLY have to like onions to appreciate this one.  The one person I think would really like this is my father.....it's right up his alley.

Just one other point I'll make about this dish is that you should definitely have some candles handy, cuz this really stinks up the house!!

Here's the recipe:

Herb-Roasted Onions

2 red onions

1 yellow onion

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon minced garlic

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh thyme leaves

3/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup live oil

1/2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley leaves

Preheat the oven to 400 F

Remove the stem end of each onion and carefully slice off the brown part of the root end, leaving the root intact.  Peel the onion.  Stand each onion root end up on a cutting board and cut the onion in wedges through the root.

Place the wedges in a bowl.

For the dressing, combine the lemon juice, mustard, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper in a large bowl.  Slowly whisk in the oilive oil.  Pour the dressing over the onions and toss well. 

With a slotted spoon transfer the onions to a sheet pan, reserving the vinaigrette that remains in the bowl.  Bake the onions for 30-45 minutes, until tender and browned.  Toss the onions once during cooking.  Remove from the oven, and drizzle with the reserved dressing.  Sprinkle with parsley, season to taste and serve warm or at room temperature.

OK, Pop....this one's for you!!

So, I make the thrice weekly telephone call to The Villages...home of a thousand activities per day...to talk to the 'rents, only to have my male 'rent call me out for lack of blog posts.  Damn, Pop.  Do I need to sign you up for a woodworking/pinochle/backgammon class to add to your pickle ball/tennis/golf/swimming/bike riding/wine tasting activities to keep you busy????  He said the little "car flag rant" didn't really count as a viable post.  Hmmmm. Everyone's a critic.....even your father!

So, Pop, park yourself in that big old recliner and read this shizzle.......

First of all...check out this handsome fella.  He finally got groomed today and actually resembles the beautiful Giant Schnauzer he is. 

He's so proud of himself!!!  No more mangy mutt!

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Cooking Light Tonight

It's a two-fer Wednesday!!  Or it's a cheater's Wednesday....depends on your perspective!!  I said earlier this week that I was going to cook at least one recipe from one of my 159 cookbooks per week and this week I combined my "Cooking Light Tonight" event and this other little project.  Since one of my cookbooks is "Cooking Light Annual Recipes 2000" I took advantage!!  Make your own judgements.

I chose the recipe for Potato Frittata on page 307 and it was quite yummy.  I love Frittata's and this one was quite good for a "light" recipe.  A little drier than one that included butter and cream, but still quite good and I'd definitely make it again.  I only took a few minor liberties with this one....one adding no additional calories and one that probably did!  Oh well.

Here's the recipe....

Potato Frittata

3/4 pound baking potatoes, peeled, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

Cooking Spray

1 1/2 cups vertically sliced red onion

1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/4 teaspoon paprika (I used sweet pimenton..see note at end)

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

4 large egg whites

3 large eggs

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 cup (2 ounces) shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese (I used regular pepper jack cheese for an extra kick!)

Place potato in a saucepan, and cover with water; bring to a boil.  Reduce heat, and simmer 8 minutes or until tender; drain and set aside.

Place a nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat.   Add onion, and cook 20 minutes or until deep golden brown, stirring frequently.  Remove onion from pan, and recoat pan with cooking spray.  Return onion to pan; stir in potato and 1/4 teaspoon salt.

Preheat broiler.

Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, parsley, and next 5 ingredients in a bowl, stirring well with a whisk.  Pour over onion mixture; sprinkle with cheese.  Cook over medium heat 2 minutes or until slightly set.  Wrap handle of skillet with foil; broil 3 minutes or until eggs are set and cheese melts.  Gently slide frittata onto a platter, and cut into 8 wedges.  Yield 4 servings (2 wedges)

Calories:  213 (30% from fat)

Fat:  7.1 g

Protein:  14.7 g

Carb:  22.2 g

Fiber:  2.2g

Chol:  175mg

Iron:  1.3mg

Note:  Pimenton is smoked paprika and comes in a hot, sweet and bitter-sweet formula and this is definitely something you should have in your spice cabinet.  I got mine at latienda.com.  Check it out.

My favorite taste tester just weighed in on this one and Miss Charlotte says "loved it...it wasn't dry at all Aunt Dilla..."  So there you go....an expert's opinion.

I have to get this off my chest

If I see one more freakin flag flying from the window of another Alabama car, I'm gonna poke my eyes out.  And I'm not just seeing this on pick-up trucks.....they're on frickin Mercedes.  People.  Seriously??

Hey, I get that you like your football team and that you FINALLY have something to cheer about (and rather loudly, I might add) but, c'mon.  Lose.  The. Tacky. Flags.

I feel better.

Cookbooks, cookbooks, and more cookbooks....

As I told you a couple of weeks ago, I've been trying to organize the many, many books I own and have been cataloging them on librarything.com.  This weekend was dedicated to the cookbooks......192 of them to be exact.....of which I kept 159.  The rest went into my "donate" pile.

The problem is how to make sure I use them.  I LOVE to read them and look at the pictures, but I need to actually cook something from them.  Isn't that the point?  So, I'm thinking that I need to make some sort of commitment here....and to be totally honest, I'm not the commitment type.....except to Mr. B.  Everytime I decide to make a commitment to DO something, then I start feeling the presure to HAVE to DO it, and my rebellious side kicks in and I just, well, rebel.  So, I'm a little leary here.

My original thought is to commit (eeek) to cooking one recipe a week from each one of the books.  Now my math computes that to a three year commitment (double eeek).  I know that means I'll have all of these books that I've only cooked one recipe from which, even to me, sounds kind of lame, but I don't think I am willing to do more than that.

Does that even make sense to anyone??  As I read it, it seems a little confusing...

Anyway, that's what I'm gonna try to do.  I'll start this week and keep you posted.  I'll post the book and the recipe when it happens.  Wish me luck and kick me the blog when I don't get it done!!

Click on the librarything.com link to see my collection of cookbooks.

It's almost over!

This weekend may be the last of the warm Fall weather, although my Yankee relatives may argue "warm" with me.  We had a beautiful week of temps in the high 70's and it's only supposed to be in the 50's this week.  Come January, that will be warm to the snow bunnies up North, but it down here that's "cold" weather!  Love it.

So I snapped some photo's of the few colorful leaves that were left on some of the trees in our yard.

While I was outside taking pics, this mangy mutt was out there with me.  He used to actually look like a Giant Schnauzer but since he had that little shedding incident this summer, not so much.   Mr. B strongly urged me to get him groomed this week.  I don't know, I kind of like the 80's rock band look.  Whatcha think?

Weekend Wrap-up

Where to start?  Football?  OK.  Well, I thought TP had his freshman "coming-out" party for the Buckeyes yesterday.  He responded well to the disappointing loss to PSU (where he blamed himself) and came out yesterday with something to prove.  It also looked like maybe Tress loosened some of the strings and gave him a little more room to do what it is he does.....which yesterday, was make plays.  And can I just say that the run by Beanie in the second quarter which he finished with a wicked stiff arm to get into the end zone was Heisman material.  

What could have been if he had remained healthy.....we'll never know.

And then we witnessed Penn State's debacle.  All they had to do was beat Iowa.  Couldn't get it done.  Who know's how long Paterno will stick around now.  It does open the door for the Bucks to win the Big 10, or at least a share, but it puts our chances of the Rose Bowl at risk.  We'll just have to see how it all plays out.

I don't have much to say about Mr. B's team.  How much longer can Charlie Weis keep his job???  With no Tom Brady to make you look good.....I'm just sayin.

And how good was Texas Tech?  I thought they may have trouble with back to back big games, but they silenced any doubts.  They have Oklahoma up next and if they can pull that off.....again, just sayin.

This will piss off all of my Alabama friends, but frankly, I'm still not on this bandwagon.  If LSU had something other than a high-school quarterback, that game would have been over early.

And, the last time I checked, Florida's QB is pretty good.  If Bama beats the Gators in Atlanta, I might (??) believe.  Until then, I'm still skeptical.

Looks to me like the title game will be the winner of the SEC championship game and the winner of the Big 12 Championship game (whoever comes out of the South).  I think USC with their one loss, will be left out (hopefully to meet us in Pasadena!!).  But, hey, everyone who reads this knows I'm always wrong!!

My new favorite waste of time

We all know that I'm a regular peruser (word??) of perezhilton.com, but my new favorite way to pass some time is Realestalker.com.

If you love looking at houses and how other people live (i.e., celebrities), check this out.

Let's talk some FOOTBALL

Enough of all this food shizzle....let's talk some football.  Seems like it's been forevah.  With the Bucks off last weekend, I didn't have much to discuss....especially after the loss to PSU.  There were a couple of good games last weekend though....did you see the finish of that Texas-Texas Tech game???  And Mr. B's team lost a heartbreaker in FOUR overtimes.  Poor Notre Dame.

So let's get to this week.  The Buckeyes travel to Northwestern for what used to be a walkover....but no more.  We should win this one but we haven't historically been stellar after a bye week.  Hopefully the Senator will have them ready to go.

Then we have the big game of the day....Bama travels to LSU for Satan's...oops Saban's return to Baton Rouge.  Think things will be hostile there Saturday night???  Especially after Mr. Miles called Mr. Saban "the devil".  Oops.  The Bama faithful think this will be a blowout.....me....not so sure.

After Texas Tech's big win last weekend, do they have what it takes to beat Oklahoma State this week?  I kind of doubt it.

And then there's Penn State.  Poor Penn State.  JoePa's gonna win out and then be able to sit back and watch two one-loss teams play in the National Championship.  Gonna suck, but that's what I see happening....all because of Ohio State.

Enjoy your football Saturday....hope your team wins (well, maybe not!!)

TWD

I'm bringing you along for another ride on the "recipe blogging" train....if this is just too much for you, jump.  Now.

I decided to join the "Tuesdays with Dorie" group.  It's a baking group.  And I'm not much of a baker, so I'm stepping out of the box on this one.  I think I need to learn how to bake something besides Tollhouse Chocolate Chip cookies....although those damn things are pretty good.  I'm just sayin.

So this is my first week and we started with Rugalach....aaach.  I used to see these when we lived in Germany, but they didn't really look like something I'd like for dessert.....no chocolate.  Then, lo and behold, I read the recipe and there's some choc in there.....holla!!  So I made them.  

I gotta say if all recipes that called for dough were this easy to make, I might bake more often.  This was seriously easy to put together....love the food processor!!  I divided the dough in two like the recipe said, but I did put half of it into the freezer.  I made eight cookies, which will be enough for the two of us to sample.

I didn't follow the filling suggestions exactly.  I substituted cherry preserves for the marmalade and used white chocolate chips and toasted almonds.  I do think I rolled the dough too thin because my fillings were popping out.  Lesson learned for the other half of the dough!

These puppies just came out of the oven and I immediately scarfed down two of them.  MUCH better than I anticipated....the dough is flaky, the preserves make them just sweet enough and the almonds give them a nice crunch.  In the words of Gomer Pyle... "surprise, surprise, surprise"!!    It didn't even matter that they were so ugly that I was embarrassed to take pictures!  I can't wait to  make the other batch....should I use the same fillings, or should I experiment?????

This group has some rules, most of which are ok with me, but there is one that I don't particularly like.....I'm not allowed to post the recipe.  Huh?  I do get the part about wanting people to actually buy the book, but c'mon....I can't post it for the four people that read my blog?  

You can head over to Piggy at Piggy's Cooking Journal to get the recipe and see what the rugalach are supposed to look like.....that's not what mine looked like.  Don't care...they were delish!

If you're interested, the book we're cooking from is "Baking - from my home to yours" by Dorie Greenspan.  It's big and it's good.

Cooking Light Night

I gotta come clean right off the bat and say that this is not an original idea....again.  I stole it from Clara at "I heart food 4 thought".  Clara is a fellow Barefoot Blogger and she's a lot more talented and creative than I am, so I stole her idea....."Cooking Light Night".

I, like Clara, subscribe to Cooking Light magazine (and, oh, so maaaaany more) but don't often attempt many of their recipes.  I don't know why.....they usually sound pretty good.  And heaven knows the reduction in calories certainly can't hurt.....might even mean a few less miles on the treadmill.  Anywho, I decided to try at least one recipe a week out of some of the hundreds of past magazines I have laying around.

So I started tonight with "Snapper Tacos with Chipotle Cream".  I need to be eating more fish but don't find a lot of recipes that sound great to me.....I'd much rather have BEEF tacos.  But, these were really good and took about 30 minutes to make.....do I hear Rachel Ray?????

Here's the recipe (I forgot to take any pics....sorry)

Snapper Tacos with Chipotle Cream

from The Best of Cooking Light 4

The fish cooks on top of the vegetables in the same skillet.  Break the fish into chunks to finish the filling.

1/2 cup fat-free sour cream (I have to confess that I used low fat....Whole Foods didn't have fat free, plus I think fat free tastes like cardboard)

1/8 tsp salt

1 canned chipotle chile in adobo sauce, seeded and minced (I like it spicy, so I didn't seed it)

1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided

1 1/2 cups chopped tomato, divided

2 tbsp butter

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 garlic cloves, minced

3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

1 pound red snapper fillets, skinned (the fish monger at Whole Foods did this for me)

1 tsp grated lime zest

2 tbsp fresh lime juice (1 lime)

4 (8 inch) fat free flour tortillas (I used whole wheat)

Combine sour cream, 1/8 teaspoon salt and chile, and set aside.  Combine 1/2 cup onion and 1/2 cup tomato, and set aside.

Melt butter in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat.  Add 1 cup onion, 1 cup tomato, cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, cinnamon, and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring frequently.  Stir in cilantro.  Arrange fish over onion mixture in pan, cover and cook 3 minutes.  Turn fish; cover and cook 2 minutes.  Break fish into chunks.  Stir in zest and juice; cook 2 minutes.  Remove from heat.

Warm tortillas according to package directions.  Fill each tortilla with 1/2 cup fish mixture and 1/4 cup reserved onion/tomato mixture; top each serving with 2 tablespoons reserved chipotle cream.  Fold in half or roll up.  Yield: 4 servings (1 taco)

Calories 340 (21% from fat)

Fat 7.8 g

Protein 28.1 g

Carb 38.1 g

Fiber 3.3 g

Chol 56 mg

Iron 2mg

Sodium 896 mg

So I think my first Cooking Light Night was a success, but I was the only one here to judge.  I think Charlotte will try it....she loves fish.....we'll see.  I do know that Mr. B would scarf this down.....he loves anything Mexican.

Stay tuned for more CLN's and thanks again to Clara for the idea!  If you have a free minute check out her blog....she has the most adorable bunnies I've ever seen....bigger than most dogs!!  CUTE!

**UPDATE**  Charlotte loved them....woohoo!!

Fun in Nashville

Mr. B and I headed to Nashville this weekend (actually just Saturday) to spend some long overdue time with the MIL and to see my friend, Jenny.  Mr. B has been so busy in the past year that it was nice to finally find a free day to spend some time with his mother and take her to lunch.

We then headed downtown to the Hermitage hotel....nice!  This is a Nashville landmark that has recently gone through an $18 million renovation.  We had a nice big room with a great view of the State Capitol.

Next was dinner with Jenny, who moved to Nashville about a year ago (wow, time flies!!) with her uber talented chef husband, Dean, to open a few new restaurants.

We started with dinner at miro district.....

That's Jenny..

and this lethal concoction is Dean's homemade lemoncello and I'll guarantee you it's better than anything Danny DeVito and George Clooney are drinking!!  Dean, I'll come and wash dishes if you'll give me the recipe (well, maybe not, but I still want the recipe!)

We then headed a few blocks over to his other fabulous restaurant, Watermark, for coffee (or a chocolate martini) and dessert.  OMG.  I won't be eating the rest of the week.

Thanks, Jenny and Dean, for a fun and delicious introduction to Nashville.  I can certainly see why y'all love it there!

If you're ever there, make sure you check out Watermark and miro district.