Our DAMN Tweets!
@jodycakes @ruthiejsf I had the best French onion soup ever at Fruition last night. With shreddy short rib, whipped Gruyere/creme fraiche.25 seconds ago
@jodycakes thanks for the TAG tip. i'm in denver in a few weeks and can't wait to check out those dumplings!5 minutes ago
@alisoncook Try Colt & Gray, great brunch. Wynkoop Brewery is my old standby in LoDo - try Chili Beer, & defo TAG. All 3 w/in a few miles14 minutes ago
LOVE LOVE LOVE TAG. Had French Onion Soup Dumplings last time. Great cocktail program too. “@alisoncook: @ruthiejsf tell me about Tag.”17 minutes ago
my sweet ol Denver!!! Will be sunny and 65 tomorrow. “@alisoncook: It's snowing big fat flakes in Denver. Yesterday it was like spring.”18 minutes ago
Red Pepper “So Damn Good” Cheesecake Appetizer
Published November 27, 2009 | 
| I was watching the Today show on NBC one morning a few months ago and Giada came on and made this unique appetizer. As I watched them put all these together my mouth was instantly watering. Hubby and I hosted a small intimate dinner party and I decided this was a must on the menu. I will say it was a big hit. This is great appetizer and that was validated by the guests asking for the recipe. The serving below feeds 6 – 8 but this can easily be doubled to feed more “peoples”You can also get this from www.foodtv.com and search Red Pepper Cheesecake - GiadaDe Laurentiis. |
| 1/2 cup ricotta cheese (4 ounces) 1/2 cup cream cheese (4 ounces) 1/4 cup goat cheese (2 ounces) 1 tablespoon sugar 1 egg Pinch kosher salt 1/2 cup thin strips roasted red bell peppers 4 pitas 2 tablespoons olive oil Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper 1/4 cup apricot jam 1 to 2 teaspoons hot water Special equipment: 1 (4 1/2-inch diameter) springform (cheesecake) pan Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.Wrap the outside of the cheesecake pan with 2 layers of heavy-duty foil. Place the ricotta, cream cheese, and goat cheese in a food processor. Pulse to mix. Add the sugar, egg, and salt and pulse a few times until well mixed. Stir in the red pepper strips. Pour the cheese mixture into the cheesecake pan. Place the cheesecake pan in a roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in the roasting pan to come halfway up the sides of the cheesecake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is golden at the edges and the center of the cake moves slightly when the pan is gently shaken, about 45 minutes (the cake will become firm when it is cold.) Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Refrigerate until the cheesecake is cold, at least 3 hours and up to 2 days. To make the pita chips, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Cut the pitas into 8 triangles each (like a pie). Drizzle the pita with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake until crisp and golden, about 12 to 15 minutes. To serve, combine the jam and the water in a small bowl and stir until the jam is liquefied. Remove the cheesecake from the springform pan. Place on a serving plate. Drizzle the jam mixture over the top of the cheesecake. Serve with the pita chips alongside. |
Depeche Mode revisited
Published November 25, 2009 | I know, I know – I ALWAYS say that I’m stuck in the 80′s and well, fact of the matter is…I am.
Out of sheer chaos in my life, I have not had many chances to do much besides get backstage at U2 and see my fave band of all times, Depeche Mode, upclose and personal this year!!! So not too shabby for not being able to get out, unless food related. Even Tiesto came to Houston a few weeks ago – you know how much I love that Dutch Dreamboat, but cakes trump raves.
Anyhow, the DM show was held at the Cynthia Mitchell Woods Pavillion – beautiful night for it. Dave Gahan, Martin Gore and the rest of the band come onstage with a vengencence and a power to be reckoned with. It blew me away. I danced and sang, and for a split moment in my hectic life, I was 15, 16, 18, 19 all over again. Every single song brought me back. It was awesome.
Here is the set list – they did a great job and I would liked to have listened til the sun came up…
Set List
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In Chains
Wrong
Hole to Feed
Walking In My Shoes
It’s No Good
A Question of Time
Precious
Fly on the Windscreen
Little Soul
Home
Miles Away/The Truth Is
Policy of Truth
In Your Room
I Feel You
Enjoy the Silence
Never Let Me Down Again
Encore
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A Question of Lust
Stripped
Behind the Wheel
Personal Jesus
Waiting for the Night
How Hubunit uses The Force
Published November 24, 2009 | Last week, Monkey turned FIVE. It’s been a big deal at our house for weeks now. Oh, who am I kidding. It’s been months. The birthday WISH LIST started, oh, right after christmas last year. It included things like a real alien. A real robot. And Jello Lightsabers.
Now, last year, Hubunit set a very dangerous precedent. Monkey got it in his head that he was going to get a space shuttle cake. I don’t know where that idea came from, but once it took hold, it became fact in his little brain. I searched every cake website I could find. I called every bakery to no avail. So Hubunit offhandedly suggested that we should make it. Yeah, he’s lived with me for 19 years and yet, evidently, he has no idea who he’s married to.
But make it, he did. Surprisingly, I was absolutely no help. We put sparkler candles coming out of the engines and it was a huge hit among the four year old crowd.
This year, we were sure Monkey would want an R2D2 cake. It’s his favorite Starwars character, he has about seven of them in various sizes and shapes and colors and still wants more, he has created his own R2D2 language which sounds a little like this: poponeferteetee. So I researched how to make an R2D2 cake and of course, Hubunit picked out the hardest one, the one that was standing upright and about life sized, when we broached the subject with Monkey. That conversation went kinda like this:
Me: Monkey, it’s your birthday next month. Are you excited? What kind of party do you want?
Monkey: I’m SO excited! I want a Starwars birthday party. With Jello Lightsabers.
Me: WTF?
Hubunit: (with a knowing smile. not smug. no, no.) What kind of cake do think you’re gonna get this year? Remember, last year you got a space shuttle cake and that was pretty cool, huh?
Monkey: Yeah. This year I’m gonna get a Millenium Falcon cake. And Jello Lightsabers.
Us: Uh . . . Huh. (looking at each other with eyes that were sceaming - oh, shit.)
Hubunit: Really? Millenium Falcon? What about R2D2? I bet that would be a really cool cake. (admirably, he displayed none of his panic)
Monkey: Nope. Definitely a Millenium Falcon. And it’s gonna be awesome!
Back to the drawing board. Thankfully we had a toy millenium falcon for reference. Oh, and thankfully, Hubunit has a degree in ARCHITECTURE from USC.
Damned if he didn’t do it again:
My contribution? The electric knife.
And those Jello Lightsabers? Yeah. They didn’t happen because the company that I ordered the cookie mold from DIDN’T SHIP IT. I choose to believe that those evil people at the cookie mold store are really agents for the DARK SIDE.
In spite of those evil no-gooders trying to crush the rebellion, the party ROCKED. There were about 25 yelling, screaming, jumping, playing, blowup lightsaber waving, young Jedi warriors all over the house. It was happy.
And the cake? Yep. It saved the Universe.
Non Traditional Poke Recipe
Published November 21, 2009 | Karen got me started on Poke I had never tried it before she made this great appetizer for Jody’s going away party. WOW it was great. Out of respect for Karen I decided to try my hand at it only different. Here is my version. The inspiration came over the weekend when my Brother and Nephew came home from a deep sea fishing trip out of San Diego on a great boat called the El Dorado where they scored big time. In my fridge was a huge bag (one of many!!) of freshly filleted Albacore and it was screaming Poke Me Poke Me and who am I to refuse such a request.
So here is my Non Traditional Version
2 lbs Albacore or other sushi grade fish - Cubed
2 – Cucumbers – I peeled them both and used one in the actual recipe and the other to devour the Poke. The one for the recipe I just cut into small pieces. The other one I just cut into slices thick enough to hold the Poke.
1 – Onion – diced
3 Tablespoons – Picked Ginger (Minced)
1/4 to 1/2 cup – Soy Sauce
1 Tablespoon – Sesame oil
1/2 – Habanero chili – Minced
Juice of 1/2 Fresh Lemon
1 Teaspoon – Wasabi
Kosher Salt to taste
How you put it all together.
Cut Albacore into cubes and place in fridge
Combine all remaining ingredients and put in fridge for an hour.
Serve with cucumber slices or just a toothpick (for that matter a fork works great too!!)
I was cruising the internet as well and found a few other add on’s that you may want to consider:
Green onions
Macademia Nuts – Crushed
2 Tablespoons of Mayo for a creamier texture
Additional Serving option: Crackers
Posted in Feeding A Food Obsession | 
Albacore, appetizer, deep sea fishing, El Dorado, Macademia Nuts, Poke Recipe, San Diego, Tuna | 
6 CommentsHappy Birthday to my fave sister…
Published November 19, 2009 | Well, only sister…Robin.
She is the epitome of coolness and always has been.
Due to our age difference of 9 years, my sister and I have not always seen eye to eye…I guess basically when I came along, she was almost like a built in babysitter…and well, I was pretty much a terror.
I actually remember, at the age of about 5, sitting on huge, overstuffed bunny, behind my bedroom door at our house in the Keys – waiting to prey on her.
She also states that at this house, I stabbed her in the leg with a fork at the dinner table. Probably did, especially if it had ANYTHING to do with food on my plate. Just ask Michelle.
Also, I throw a huge hissy fit in that same house, because she was all gussied up to go to her Homecoming. What a brat, you’re probably thinking. Guess I kinda was. I was just a little jealous of how pretty she looked!!!
She saved me from myself many a time through the years…from keeping me from getting my ass kicked at the busstop after school to later dramas & traumas, breakups and heartaches…and for this, I am forever grateful.
My sister was always the coolest. When we were younger, she had bleach blonde hair and mirrored sunglasses. She wore short shorts and tight tops and drove a fast, souped up car (which she could take apart and fix herself). As we got older, and we both settled in to adulthood – I got to know her more than the image I had created in my head. She is smart, funny, whimsical, quirky, weird in a good way, one of the most well read people I know and a killer friend.
I love my sis more than anyone in the World.
Make it the best day EVER Rob…xxx
Moments in Time
Published November 18, 2009 | Life’s been pretty hectic lately (for almost everyone I know). Some of it good hectic and some not so good. I feel like Ron and I are working our butts off lately to make a $ just to “survive” another month. It’s getting a little better as RKN Studio picks up with more and more clients, but still … I HATE that feeling of waking up in the middle of the night and thinking … OMG … what are we going to do about THAT this month.
Apparently this year is the year of readjustment for us … the ebb and flow of life.
If you had told me that I would be creating a group to help women business owners grow (Think Tank), doing website/blog design, graphic work, hourly social networking and more for clients full time and doing My Little Pretty part time a year ago … I would have thought you were crazy. This time last year I was kicking butt at big trade shows and boutiques … this year … not so much.
My point is .. life happens and we do what we have to do to survive. We change, we bend we grow and we scale back … but one thing never changes … the moments in our life that make us try harder. The times we laugh with our family about something silly … the time our little one took their first steps … a pink tutu on the birthday girl … watching our son get better at basketball and becoming a leader. If you stop and think for a minute about the moments that make up our life story … more often than not, you will smile.
What are some of your MOMENTS that help get you through the tough times?
This video that I stumbled upon over at The Glamorous Life Association is a good reminder of moments … good and bad … a celebration of life’s moments! I thought I’d share it with you so that maybe it’d serve as a reminder to you too.
Chocolate Petite Syrah Port Ganache Recipe
Published November 16, 2009 | This is an amazing and simple recipe. You will absolutely impress your guests. Got this recipe while Wine Tasting at a Wihttp://www.wheresmydamnanswer.com/WP02/wp-admin/post.php?action=edit&post=3745#edit_timestampnery called “Granite Springs”
18 ounces – Semisweet Chocolate Chips (3 cups)
1 Cup – Heavy Cream
1/2 Cup – Petite Syrah (Sirah) Port (any port will work)
2 Tbsp – Butter (cut up)
1 Tsp – Vanilla Extract
In a 2 quart glass measure, combine chocolate chips and heavy cream. Heat in the microwave oven on high for about 3 minutes or until melted and smooth when stirred. Stir in butter and vanilla. Then add the Petite Syrah (Sirah) Port.
Cover and refrigerate for a couple hours or until the ganache holds it shape.
Serving suggestions: Roll into little balls and coat with coco powder or anything else you can think of that goes with chocolate. It can also be remelted over brownies / cake / bread pudding or ice cream. You can definatly experiment and use your imagination.
Posted in Feeding A Food Obsession | Granite Springs, Petite Syrah, Port Ganache, Port Wine | 3 Comments4 + years of tv to catch up on??
Published November 13, 2009 | First off I should say, Happy Friday the 13th!! I LOVE Friday the 13th because more often than not … AWESOME things happen in my life on them. I can’t remember one that I called a bad day … so I look forward to them and can’t wait to see what this day has in store for me. Oh … already I know one thing … Netflix should arrive today – woohoo!
What … you don’t get excited about Netflix delivery? Come on … I thought EVERYONE did!
It’s no secret that we are about 4 years behind in our house when it comes to tv series’ – haha. We’re busy and well … we just don’t get into them initially.
We started watching Lost last summer and cruised through all of the seasons except for the last (we’re anxiously awaiting that one on dvd) in record time. We also started watching Dexter and Heroes which we got caught up enough on to now watch it on DVR – although Ron hates the commercials (even though we fast forward … it’s still a pain).
So my friend Jeri told me that Ron and I should check out the Showtime series, “Weeds” a few months ago because it was:
- filmed in Stevenson Ranch (I live in Stevenson Ranch)
- funny – we LOVE the funny!
Two good reasons … that and I trust Jeri so I added it to our que on Netflix. It arrived a couple weeks ago and Ron and I didn’t find the time to check it out immediately. Last week we finally popped it into the dvd player. I was laughing my butt off and of course all the locations are in our back yard which is also pretty funny. I absolutely love the character Shane .. he’s awesome!! I already heard that the first two seasons are the best. Do you watch it … and if so, is that true?
I quickly put it back into the mail box so the next one will arrive from Netflix this weekend.
So what other great tv series shows are we missing out on? What’s your favorite?
Difference Between Cold, Seasonal Flu & H1N1
Published November 12, 2009 |
Ran across this today and thought it was good and useful information and I wanted to pass it along. I had a couple bouts with the flu and after reading this I am thinking I actually may have had the H1N1 after all. How I felt was just as what is described below. Hopefully it means that now that I have had it I am over it and done with it. I do not have time to be down again for another couple weeks. I am too adult ADD for that… hehehe
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DIFFERENCES BETWEEN COLD, SEASONAL FLU & H1N1 SYMPTOMS |
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SYMPTOM |
COLD |
SEASONAL FLU |
H1N1 |
| FEVER | Fever is rare with a cold. | Fever is common with the seasonal flu. | Fever is usually present with H1N1 in up to 80% of all flue cases. A temperature of 101° |
| COUGHING | A hacking, productive (mucus-producing) cough is often present with a cold. | A dry and hacking cough is often present with the seasonal flu. | A non-productive (non-mucus producing) cough is usually present with H1N1 (sometimes referred to as dry cough).* |
| ACHES | Slight body aches and pains can be part of a cold. | Moderate body aches are common with the seasonal flu. | Severe aches and pains are common with H1N1.* |
| STUFFY NOSE | Stuffy nose is commonly present with a cold and typically resolves spontaneously within a week. | A runny nose is commonly present with the seasonal flu. | Stuffy nose is not commonly present with H1N1. |
| CHILLS | Chills are uncommon with a cold. | Chills are mild to moderate with the seasonal flu. | 60% of people who have H1N1 experience chills. |
| TIREDNESS | Tiredness is fairly mild with a cold. | Tiredness is moderate and more likely referred to as a lack of energy with the seasonal flu. | Tiredness is moderate to severe with H1N1.* |
| SNEEZING | Sneezing is commonly present with a cold | Sneezing is common present with the seasonal flu. | Sneezing is not common with H1N1. |
| SUDDEN SYMPTOMS | Cold symptoms tend to develop over a few days. | Symptoms tend to develop over a few days and include flushed face, loss of appetite, dizziness and/or vomiting/nausea. Symptoms usually last 4-7 days, depending on the individual. Diarrhea is common. | H1N1 has a rapid onset within 3-6 hours. H1N1 hits hard and includes sudden symptoms like high fever, aches and pains. Symptoms usually last 4-7 days, depending on the individual. Diarrhea is common. |
| HEADACHE | A headache is fairly uncommon with a cold. | A headache is fairly common with the seasonal flu. | A headache is very common with H1N1 and present in 80% of cases.* |
| SORE THROAT | Sore throat is commonly present with a cold. | Sore throat is commonly present with the seasonal flu. | Sore throat is not commonly present with H1N1. |
| CHEST DISCOMFORT | Chest discomfort is mild to moderate with a cold. | Chest discomfort is moderate with the seasonal flu. If it turns severe seek medical attention immediately! | Chest discomfort is often severe with H1N1. |
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PREVENTION TIPS: |
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| ücough & sneeze into your elbow | |||
| üwash hands with soap and warm water for a minimum of 15 -20 seconds. | |||
| üuse hand sanitizer when soap & water are not available | |||
| üavoid touching eyes, nose or mouth without washing or using hand sanitizer first | |||
Posted in Check This Out, No clue where this fits | Flu Prevention Tips, H1N1, Seasonal Flu, Swine | 3 CommentsWake Up Washington – Way to Support the Troops (NOT)
Published November 10, 2009 | US Government Army Barracks are a total Disgrace
I was reading an article in US News and World report about the inexcusable and deteriorating conditions of many US Army Barracks located in various parts of the country. After reading this article I found my blood pressure going up and my face getting red with utter disgust. Maybe I am somewhat more sensitive to this issue being married to a Marine - I will accept that. Never the less the poor physical conditions are in-excusable. These service members who are subjected to living in squallier are “USA Heroes” – They return from Iraq or Afghanistan to this S*IT – can you not do better than this.
The conditions these guys come back to is as follows: Mold taking over the showers (and no doubt finding its way into walls), peeling paint, rusted stairwells, broken toilets, overall plumbing problems, frequent flooding and temperature control problems.
I understand many of these buildings are old but that is not cause for neglect. These Men and Woman who serve our country put asses on the line for us everyday and they deserve clean and safe living conditions as they train for service or when they return from deployment. The crazy part is that our Government has no problem pissing away millions if not billions of dollars on useless crap. So why then can they not invest in one of our most precious resources our Military Men and Woman??? What kind of back ass thinking is that. This is not a new story (remember the Walter Reed Hospital Scandal??) and these conditions have obviously been deteriorating for years. OK so, Enough lip smacking Washington get off your happy ass and fix these Barracks and fast. Our soldiers deserve so much support that when I read or hear something like this it makes my skin crawl – making sure they are comfortable and safely housed should be a ”GIVEN” not something that needs to be assigned a task force and money allocation evaluated……Stop diverting the funds that have already been allocated to “other more important places”…. Would it not be a nice change to see our tax dollars allocated responsibly and respectfully or at least with the same regard that these Men and Woman serve us and our Country. Democracy at it’s finest. White House Way to support the Troops
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