Something for the Sweet Tooth: Caramel Kiss Brownie-Cakes

I've been working on a dessert that I can make for cookouts to which we get invited, and I think I finally came up with something great.

Caramel Kiss Brownie-Cakes!

They're super easy and awesomely delicious. Wanna know how to make 'em?

What you need:

• 1 Stick Butter
• 1 c. Sugar
• 1 tsp. Vanilla
• 2 Eggs
• 1/2 c. Flour
• 1/3 c. Cocoa 
• 1/4 tsp. Baking Powder
• 1/4 tsp. Salt
• 12 Caramel Hershey's Kisses

1. Heat oven to 350

2. Spray cupcake/muffin tin with Pam

3. Mix together butter, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl (I use a mixer)

4. Add eggs to mixture; stir this together with a spoon

5. Stir together in another bowl flour, cocoa, baking powder, and salt

6. Gradually add dry mixture to egg mixture, mixing until well blended

7. Drop batter evenly into cups in tin, filling each cup no more than 2/3 full

8. Bake 20 minutes, or until brownies begin to pull away from sides of cups

9. Immediately after pulling out of the oven, press a Caramel Kiss onto the top of each brownie-cake

10. Serving Suggestion: They're best with a scoop (or two) of Vanilla Bean ice cream!

In Dreams: Rachael Taylor and a Beagle at a Football Game

I should start posting these more often. Last night I beat the hell out of Rachael Taylor...I don't have the slightest clue why - she doesn't bother me.

She was a veterinarian. We were at a football game (I have no idea who was playing), and there were a bunch of people from where I used to work there. Along the sidelines was a sprinkler system of sorts, and somebody had brought their little beagle to the field. I heard a strange noise and turned my head to see that the beagle had its ear stuck in one of the sprinkler fixtures. I turned and started to run toward the dog to help him, and she blew past me. I knew she was a vet so I thought "OK she's got this" (like helping a dog out of a sprinkler fixture is something nobody but a vet can do adequately.) So she helps this dog out, he runs along on his merry little way and she walks past me going the other direction and says "I'll get a bill printed off and send it to you". We argue about it not being my dog, she says I was the first to respond, so I took responsibility. We go back and forth, it escalates, and I walk away - incredibly ticked off.  I went back to my group of friends and watched the game a for a little bit, and she walked up to me with a bill. Without even looking at it, I just started pummeling her. I don't know why - but I couldn't stop. I did wake up feeling very refreshed and relaxed though.

(For those of you who don't know who Rachael Taylor is...)

Fantasy Football tips I didn't know I had

After an entire off-season of refusal to join or create another NFL Fantasy Football team EVAR, I caved. Just call me Brett Favre....only, I didn't cave because I had a hard time letting go. I caved because my husband needed another manager for his league to round it out to an even number, so I guess that's acceptable, right? I've never "sucked" at FF - I actually have a couple of championships under my belt and several 2nd and 3rd place trophies. It just got old because:

• I refuse to draft players from my team (it's bad luck)
• I refuse to draft players from division rivals anymore. I used to, but I felt dirty rooting for them even though they weren't playing the Hawks. (I wouldn't have them for 3 out of the 17 weeks anyway - I won't use them when they play against my team and then the bye...)
• I refuse to draft players from teams that I despise. This means just Steelers, so that's no big deal, right? But let's face it...they're good, and at draft time this has on occasion left me having to choose a mediocre player in place of a much better one.

So anyway...I caved, and the draft was tonight. I noticed something while we were drafting. Not only do I use the aforementioned criteria when choosing my players, but I take a much more analytical approach than I realized.

1. I pick a QB first. 

I know - most people will recommend that you choose a RB first and foremost because they earn the highest points. However, in my experience, with the current 1-2 punch most teams are going with,  there are a lot more players available than there are elite quarterbacks. I want my QB first and I built the team around him...quarterbacks and kickers are generally the only players of which there are only one starter per team. Kickers don't get squat for points on a week to week basis, so I don't really worry too much about them until the draft is close to being finished. I usually pick up a defense after my main quarterback and a couple of running backs. They don't usually start going until the 5th round, so usually a projected high scoring one will always be available in round 3 or 4.

2. I pick my Running Backs second and third.


3. I pick a Defense early.

4. Running Backs and Receivers Pick Philosophy

I don't necessarily always take the "best available" according to the site (Yahoo, NFL.com, whatever). Of course I take into consideration how they did last year, whether or not they're susceptible to injury, and most importantly; what's the quarterback situation on their team? This year left me with a lot more RB's and a lot fewer receivers to choose from, due to the QB mess we have in the NFL. I could quite possibly be wrong in using this approach but hey...at least I'm not choosing guys by popularity or how they look in their pants, right?

5. Defense Pick Philosophy

I don't care whether or not a defense has a Troy Polamalu or a Darrelle Revis somewhere. I take into consideration how many points the entire D allowed the season before, total forced fumbles, sacks, interceptions, and TDs. A lot of times a defense will rack up a lot more of these when they don't have a star player. Sometimes it works out to be one in the same, but a lot of times it doesn't.

6. Tight Ends Pick Philosophy

Is he more of a blocking or scoring tight end? And again - what's the QB situation like on his team? If it's a mess, I'm not sure I want him over a RB or D that's going to guarantee me more points.

7. I usually make sure I have a core group (one QB, 2 RB, 1 D, 2 WR and 1 TE) before I pick anything else.

Once I get my core group done, I like to pick up the best QB and D available for bench spots - those are my top dollar guys, so I want to make sure I'm stocked in that dept. just in case of injury or mis-picked defense and for bye week. My top scores will come from QB, RB, and D on a weekly basis - I need to make sure I'm not screwed on the one week I need to go without them.

8. Kickers Pick Philosophy

Obviously I look at their accuracy...but I also take into account how efficient their team has a tendency to be in the red zone. Are they a top scoring team? Do they have a difficult time getting the ball into the end zone? What's their running game like? Do they tend to air it out rather than use short passes or pounding it in on the ground? While great kickers have been born on teams like the New England Patriots, they haven't had to kick many long field goals. Remember Neil Rackers with a flailing Arizona team before Fitzgerald and Boldin came along? Money.

9. Bench Pick Philosphy

RBs, of course your extra QB and D, and Bye Weeks - make sure that you have a couple of extra RBs and make sure that the people you pick up as substitutes for your guys for their bye weeks don't have the same bye weeks...that's a no brainer.

I honestly had no idea that I do this until I was trying to concentrate tonight during the draft. Then I asked myself "why am I concentrating so hard? how difficult IS it?" - that's why. I know this doesn't/won't work for everyone, and I'm not saying you should take this and use it as your own Fantasy Football drafting method...I will say that I've done fairly well for myself this way. I just didn't know I was doing it, haha.

What's for Dinner? Baked Mahi Mahi with garlic butter vegetables

This is something I just threw together, so it's my very own recipe and I don't really have measurements. The seasoning of the fish was outstanding and incredibly simple. Here's how I did it:

• As many Mahi Mahi fillets as you wish
• Butter
• Minced garlic in oil (could use fresh as well; might want to roast it first)
• Fresh diced tomatoes
• Small sliced onion
• Lemon pepper
• Salt

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Brown 1 tbsp minced garlic in skillet

3. Add 1/2 stick of butter to skillet, melt with garlic, add a dash of salt

4. Brush about 1 tbsp garlic butter from skillet onto bottom of casserole baking dish

5. Lay fish in bottom of pan for garlic butter seasoning and flip over

6. Sprinkle just a dash of Lemon Pepper over each fillet of fish

7. Place over each fillet: small square pat of butter, onion slices, diced tomatoes

8. Sprinkle salt over fillets

9. Bake for 12-14 minutes (until fish flakes easily)

For vegetables:

1. Steam whatever kind of vegetables you'd like (don't let them get mushy)

2. Place in skillet with the rest of garlic butter over low heat; stir until vegetables are coated

Serve with rice or pasta, or nothing else, and enjoy!

(as you can see, my daughter already dug in!)

What's for Dinner? Red Chicken Enchiladas

So I can't really take credit for the amazingly awesome flavor I got from this by rolling together a bunch of different packaged type stuff, but I figured I'd share anyway, because what better way to give ideas than make them easy?

What you need:

• 4-6 boneless skinless chicken breasts
• 24 - small taco size tortillas (you can use either corn or flour; I prefer flour)
• 2 - 16oz jars red enchilada sauce 
• 1 can or pouch of black beans
• Spanish Rice (however much you want as filler...and I use the Lipton pouches)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• Taco seasoning
• Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
• Sour Cream for serving

1. Sprinkle taco seasoning on both sides of chicken breast, bake in 425 degree oven for 12 - 15 minutes (until cooked through)

2. While chicken is baking, mix together rice, heated black beans, onion, and 1/2 c shredded cheese in bowl

3. Shred or chop chicken (however you prefer it) and add to mixture; stir.

4. Warm enchilada sauce in large bowl

5. Dip tortillas into sauce, covering both sides

6. Lay tortilla in large rectangle or square casserole baking dish

7. Fill tortilla with mixture; roll

8. Repeat until pan is filled

9. Pour a little of the remaining sauce over enchiladas

10. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes

11. Remove from oven, sprinkle desired amount of cheese over top

12. Bake an additional 5 minutes

13. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top and ENJOY!

What's for Dinner? Garlic Cheddar Biscuits with Crock Pot Chili

With the chili, I'm super lazy. I work full time, so I don't have a lot of extra time to soak beans and chop veggies etc. etc. yadda yadda. I often use the McCormick slow cooker packets, and their chili is pretty spot on. Sometimes I do add some ingredients to their recipe (like chopped green pepper and onion), but even if I don't, it's great.

Tonight I added my garlic cheddar biscuits. It's not Red Lobster's recipe (I do have that, if you'd rather), but I would say it's better. Enjoy!

Biscuits:

• 3 c. Bisquick mix
• 1 c. milk
• 1 tsp. minced garlic (I use the stuff in a jar, minced in oil)
• 3/4 c. shredded cheese
• 1/8 tsp dried basil

1. Preheat oven to 450

2. Mix all ingredients until they form a soft dough

3. Drop by large spoonful onto baking sheet

4. Bake 9 minutes (or until golden around edges and peaks) 

Garlic Butter Glaze

• 1/2 stick melted butter (1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp. garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/8 tsp. onion powder
• 1/8 tsp. dried basil

While biscuits bake, blend garlic butter glaze in small mixing bowl. Brush baked biscuits with glaze and let cool.

Easy, and amazing. Enjoy!

What's for Dinner? Homemade Gnocchi w/ Garlic Butter Sauce, Parm, and Fresh Tomatoes

Again, this is a few different recipes I've found elsewhere, smushed, tweaked, and made my own. We had this for dinner tonight with pork chops and the gnocchi outshone the rest of the meal by a mile. Enjoy!

What you need:

Gnocchi:

• 1lb Russet Potatoes
• 1 c. all-purpose flour - keep it out for dusting and extra sprinkling
• 3 egg yolks
• 1/2 c. freshly grated parmesan (if you're lazy you can use the stuff in the plastic jar but I wouldn't recommend it)
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. pepper

Garlic Butter Sauce:

• 1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter
• 1 clove garlic, minced (I use way more than this - about 2 tablespoons minced in oil)
• 1 tsp. Italian seasoning (sage, oregano, etc.)
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/4 c. freshly grated parmesan (again...) - keep it out for sprinkling on top of finished product
• 1 fresh diced tomato

Gnocchi:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Overbake (about 45 minutes) ...Alternatively, you can peel and boil the potatoes - I do this when I need my oven for other parts of the meal.
3. Cut in half; scoop out of skin
4. Mash potatoes to smooth consistency 
5. Make mound of potatoes with a well in the middle. Add egg yolks, parmesan, salt, and pepper
6. Use hands to mix in with potatoes until well mixed
7. Sprinkle 1/2 cup flour onto potatoes. Using knuckles, press into potatoes
8. Fold the lump over, into itself, and press down again
9. Sprinkle more flour, little by little, folding - sprinkling - pressing, until dough holds together (be careful not to knead). The dough should be firm and yielding.
10. Start large pot of water with 1/2 tsp. salt boiling
11. Lightly flour workspace
12. Roll dough into 4 pieces
13. Roll each piece into rope about 1/2 - 3/4 inch diameter
14. Cut into 1/2 inch pieces
15. Lightly flour gnocchi squares or hands and then shape (roll into ball, then press lightly to leave finger top pocket)
16. Drop gnocchi into pot
17. Scoop gnocchi out of water when it floats to the top - keep in bowl until all gnocchi is ready for next step.

Garlic Butter Parm Sauce

1. Melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat
2. Stir in garlic and cook until the garlic has softened and begins to turn golden brown
3. Stir in Italian seasoning and salt 
4. Add cooked gnocchi to skillet and remove from heat
5. Coat gnocchi with sauce
6. Remove gnocchi from skillet and place in a large serving bowl
7. Toss gently with parmesan & pepper
8. Top with diced tomato
9. Serve 

Bon Appetit!

Goodbye, Uncle.

Please skip to another blog if you're looking for my usual bubbly self, because you're not going to get it here.

I wasn't going to post this, but I needed to get it out. It also might explain my recent reclusivess (if that's a word) and need to be left alone.

This loss has hit me harder than I imagined; while it was somewhat anticipated by some, it is still a shock to all. This is one that struck so many of us in the family, because he was such a large personality in the group..."the baby"...and is survived by all of his siblings and his mother. We are a very large but very close family, and I wish I could be there with all of my cousins, aunts, uncles, grandma, brother, and especially my mother right now.

Mom is one of 7 children, #5, and due to various family situations she grew up fast and took care of her younger siblings. My uncle John was #7 and of all of the siblings he and my mother were always the closest. I don't remember ever being far away from him for very long. He lived with us off and on while I was growing up, and even when he wasn't living with us he was always at the house. He was more like a big brother to me than an uncle. I grew up with him always around, always picking on me, always protecting me. His house was where I first laid eyes on my husband.

John suffered from severe RA...I'm talking extremely severe...to the point that he was always in pain; it controlled his life. Since he'd moved into his current apartment close to my mother, she was there for him. She drove him around to run errands. She brought him anything he needed, and she was there to chat with him when he needed company. She didn't do this out of obligation - she did this because she loved him, and because they were close. Unfortunately, to dull the pain in his joints and bones, John consumed a lot of alcohol. Several weeks ago he was taken to the hospital to flush his system and get some electrolytes into his body.  He'd been doing much better recently, and he wasn't drinking as much. He wanted to take better care of himself.

Yesterday, after several unanswered phone calls and then busy signals, my mother found him in his house, deceased from what appears to be a heart attack. I will miss John very much, as the entire family will. The void left by the youngest sibling of the family with such a big personality, so full of life, shocks us all. But above everything, my heart hurts so badly for my mother right now. How very terrible it must be to find somebody you were so close to, your younger sibling, somebody you loved so very much, someone for whom you'd do absolutely anything.

L-R: Aunt Judy, Mom, Uncle John

Goodbye my crazy, silly, interesting, fun, ornery, and awesome uncle. I will miss you.

Go your way to the land of the Ancestors,

where they wait for you with open arms,

there on the edge between this world and the next.

See; there they stand.

Ancestral spirits, welcome this one

to the place where we all must go.

Off your diet? How bout some Gooey Cinnamon Rolls?

Most of my recipes are simply out of a cookbook (usually Betty Crocker or another cookbook my mom gave me something like 20 years ago), and then smushed together with another recipe to make one big dish of deliciousness. I know, that sounds a little conceited...but if I didn't think it was delicious - and have confirmation from others - I wouldn't share it.

The following, I don't even know where I got the original cinnamon roll recipe but I will say it's not an original - it did come from somewhere else. Unfortunately, I don't have a picture. I'll post one the next time I make these...

Whatcha need:

• 1 tsp. white sugar
• 1 (.25oz) pk dry yeast
• 1/2 c. milk
• 1/4 c white sugar
• 1/4 c. butter
• 1 tsp. salt
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 4 c. all-purpose flour

and

• 3/4 c. butter
• 3/4 c brown sugar
• 3/4 c. brown sugar (it's there twice for a reason)
• 1 tbsp. ground cinnamon
• 1/4 c. melted butter

1.) In a small bowl, dissolve 1 tsp. sugar & yeast in warm water. Let stand until creamy (about 10 minutes).

2.) Warm milk in small saucepan until it bubbles, then remove from heat.

3.) Mix into milk 1/4 c. sugar, 1/4 c. butter, and salt. Stir until melted. Let cool until lukewarm.

4.) In a large bowl, combine the yeast mixture, milk mixture, eggs, and 1 1/2 c. flour; stir well to combine. Stir in remaining flour, 1/2 c. at a time, beating well after each addition. When the dough has pulled together, turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic.

5.) Lightly oil a large bowl, place the dough in the bowl and turn in bowl to coat with oil. Cover with a damp cloth and let rise in warm room until doubled in volume (about an hour).

6.) While dough is rising, melt 3/4 c. butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir in 3/4 c. brown sugar, whisking until smooth. Pour into greased 9/13 inch baking pan. Set aside.

7.) Melt remaining butter, set aside.

8.) Combine remaining 3/4 c. brown sugar and cinnamon. Set aside.

9.) Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface and roll into an 18x14 inch rectangle. Brush with 2 tbsp melted butter, leaving 1/2 inch border uncovered. Sprinkle with brown sugar/cinnamon mixture. Starting at long side, tightly roll up, pinching seam to seal. Brush with remaining 2 tbsp. melted butter.

10.) With serrated knife, cut into 15 pieces. Place cut side down in prepared pan. Cover and let rise for 1 hour or until doubled in volume.

11.) Preheat oven to 375.

12.) Bake for 25 - 30 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool for 3 minutes, and invert pan onto serving platter. Scrape remaining filling from pan and drizzle onto rolls.

13.) Give them to somebody or take them to an office somewhere. Otherwise, they will scream your name until you devour the entire pan.

Sea-Doo Project: Volume I

Recently my husband and I decided to purchase a couple of Sea-Doo jet skis. I owned a little 1997 Kawasaki 750 ZXI several years ago, and have kicked myself every summer since selling it. The move to southern Florida has resulted in a lot of kicking.

Fortunately, since we're not picky and my husband is a boat mechanic (as are many of his friends) always looking for a project, we decided to buy used for an excellent price. We found 2 skis on a 4-ski trailer (which we'll sell and replace with a double trailer) that need minimal work mechanically, and the hulls are in great shape. Between my husband and his friends, the plan is to have them registered and in the water before the end of summer. Well...before the end of everybody else's summer. If not for the work schedule and the boys being underway the entire month of July, it would be much sooner.

While the boys are in charge of mechanical improvements, I'm in charge of cosmetics - and boy, do I have some awesome ideas!

I decided to blog the progress - and in doing so, I'm providing pictures from beginning to end!



This little yellow GTI will likely be mine because it's the smaller of the two. I can't even attempt to tell you what it needs mechanically, though Trever has listed a few things over and over to me. It goes right over my head; all I know is that the engine itself is in good shape, and whatever it needs won't dent the pocketbook. Cosmetically I plan to either replace the deflector or sand it down and gel-coat it. I'll also either replace the handlebar pad or Trev said there's some stuff you can use to scrub the weather and water-wear off of it. I already have a seat cover custom designed and ready to order. I'm also planning to remove all of the graphics/decals and go crazy with others of colors of my choosing. When I'm through with this ski it will be unrecognizable and most likely a royal blue and black accenting the yellow (if I decide to keep the yellow, that is...the entire ski is white so there's still a possibility that might not happen). I've also picked out some sweet diamond plated royal blue traction mats. Gorgeous!

This one is a GTX and is actually pretty much ready for the water. Trever still has a few things he wants to do with it (and I definitely want to get my hands on it and make it look better) but it's basically mechanically ready to go. It needs a seat cover ASAP, which we've already designed and it's ready to order as well. I'd also like to either replace the handlebar pad or remove it altogether. Trever would rather simply remove it so it looks "simple & badass", but I'm not sure if we'll do that or not. Obviously the deflector is in excellent shape, so I won't be touching that. I will, however, be replacing the traction mat and I also would like to go carbon fiber blacks and dark greys with the decals. Maybe something with dragons...

OK, folks...here we go!!