Tasty Tuesday ~~ Bread Pudding with Special Sauce

Nom nom! Made this last night and served it straight from the oven.  


Bread Pudding with Special Sauce


Secret Sauce:
1/2 cup (1 stick) melted butter (I use Smart Balance)
1 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup Jack Daniels Tennessee Honey Whiskey
1 T. lemon juice


Bread Pudding:
1 day-old loaf French bread (I used my dad's homemade Italian loaf) 
1 quart milk
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 T. vanilla
1/2 cup each of Craisins and fresh blueberries
     (soak overnight in whiskey if possible) 
1/4 t cinnamon
3 T. butter, melted


Sauce: Melt butter in a saucepan. Add sugar and egg, whisking to blend. Cook on low, continuously stirring until thickened. (Don't simmer or it may curdle/separate.) Whisk in Jack Daniels and continue stirring until it's the consistency you want. Remove from stove and cover. Whisk again before spooning over pudding, making sure sauce is smooth. 


Pudding: Preheat oven to 375. Tear bread into small chunks and put into large bowl. Pour milk over the bread and press bread down to absorb. In a separate bowl, beat together eggs, sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon, then gently stir into bread/milk mixture. Gently stir in craisins and blueberries. 


Pour melted butter into a 9x13 glass baking pan, coating sides. Pour in pudding mix and bake for @40 minutes, or until edges begin to brown. Serve with a generous helping of sauce. Best eaten warm and fresh. (Serves 10-12.) 

Friday Funnies ~~ Cajun Lunch

Happy Friday. Hope your weekend gives you time to do whatever it is you love doing! 

Dat Cajun Lunch, Yeah!

Dem bess frands (best friends) Boudreaux an Thibodaux, dey (they) was working together down at da mill, and it was finally lunchtime. 

Boudreaux, him pull out his lunchbox and a long rounded container ting dat Thib ain't never seen before. Thib says, "Mais, Boo, what dat you got dere?" 

"Mah frand, dat's sometin new dey done come out wit called a Termis Bottle." 

Thib looks at the contraption and says, "A Termis Bottle? What dat do?" 

Boudreaux shakes his head at Thib, wondering how he can be so behind the times. "Mais, couyon, you put sometin' hot in dere, it keep it hot; you put sometin' cold in, and it keep it cold!" 

Thibodaux scratches his head and says, "Hoo, what dey gonna tink up nexx? Say, what you got in dat Termis Bottle, Boo?" 

Boo smiles and says, "Today I got a cup 'a soup and two popsicle, me." 




*Thermos image from http://www.artofgear.com

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Mexican Lasagna

Something different for you casserole lovers like me. We served this up at the men's shelter last month and it was a huge hit. 


 Mexican Lasagna

2 pounds lean ground beef (or mix of turkey, beef and/or ground  

  venison)

1 15-ounce can refried beans

1 14.5-ounce can of Rotel tomatoes

1 small can cream of mushroom soup

4 large flour tortillas (cut in 2” strips, and then halved)

12 oz. sour cream

1 cup shredded sharp cheese

1 cup shredded Mexican blend cheese 

1 ½ tsp. chili powder

1 16-ounce can of large black olives, drained & sliced

Preheat oven to 350. Brown meat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Drain off drippings. (Use a big pot so you can add the other ingredients in.)

Add chili powder, beans, Rotel, olives, sour cream, and soup together in a large bowl and mix well. Add to meat pot and heat thoroughly.

Line baking pan(s) with tortilla strips, making sure to cover the entire bottom of pan. Then spoon in half of the meat mixture and top with half the cheese. Repeat so you have a double layer of everything.

Bake covered for 30-40 minutes. Great with pico de gallo or salsa added. Ole’!

Friday Foibles ~~ Oh, Those Blondes!

Three blondes are in an elevator when it suddenly stops and all the lights go out. Their cell phones are out too, so they can't call for help. 


After a few hours of being stuck, one blondes says to the other two, "I think maybe the best way to get someone to help us is by yelling together. What do you think?" 


The other two think hard for a moment, then agree. They inhale deeply and begin to scream at the top of their lungs . . . 


"TOGETHER, TOGETHER, TOGETHER!" 


***If you need another dose of craziness, here's last Friday's post called Insurance Insanity, straight from the wonky workings of my brain. :D 

Have a wonderful weekend! 

Put the Coffee on...

I'm comin' by to visit! *grin* 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Primo Chicken Salad

This is one of my most favorite recipes. (Yep, it's easy, quick and delicious.) It always makes me think of my mom, as it was one of hers too. Once you try this winner, I bet it'll become one of yours. 


Primo Chicken Salad


1 roasted deli chicken (or 6 thighs you cook), skin removed & cut into chunks) 
     *I like to season & oven bake the thighs 
1 cup Craisins (or dried cranberries)
1 1/2 cups Duke's sugar free mayo
1 cup nuts of your choice (walnuts, pecans & almonds work well) 
     *Or a combo of different types 
2 cups green or red seedless grapes cut in half


Mix together all ingredients, and voila! You've got the best salad for sandwiches on hearty grain bread or a wonderful companion dish for green salad or quiche. 


Ca c'est bon! (It's good!) 


**The last time I made this from leftover baked chicken, I didn't have Craisins or nuts on hand, so threw in trail mix instead. Turned out great. :) 


What's your favorite go-to recipe? Inquiring, hungry minds wanna know! 

Monday Madness: My Newest Addiction

Like I need another one, right? But this is a good and creative one --- PHOTOGRAPHY! Yes, I've gone completely snap-happy and am loving looking at the world around me through the viewfinder. 


See, Nikki (my Christmas gift from Santa) lives under my feet and desk in my office, apparently just like Bandit the Boston Terrorist. Ah, isn't life grand? :)


Below are a few of my favorite recent shots. 


What new obsession are YOU currently enjoying?! See ya tomorrow with another recipe on Tasty Tuesday. xo

Friday Foibles ~~ Insurance Insanity

I know I'm crazy, but I have this recurring fantasy involving all those insurance agency mascots you see endlessly on TV. (Who says advertising doesn't work?) My fantasy goes like this ~~




Scene 1: The duck eats the gecko...

Scene 2: The caveman eats the duck...

Scene 3: Mayhem arrives and creates a little chaos:

Final Scene:  The handsome Allstate guy and cool chick Flo run away together and open  their own insurance agency called Progressive State. Think of the cool ads they'll make with the initials PS. ("PS -- We've got the best insurance for you!") 

Okay, now you know the depths of my insanity and the wonkiness that is my brain! :D  

I'll be back to "normal" next Friday and post a Boudreaux & Thibodaux or blonde joke. Have a great weekend! 

<3 

The Older I Get...

The stoopider I feel. The most recent cause for this condition is one of the technical difficulty kind. (If you remember the "stand by" notice from your old television set, you're a dinosaur like me.) :) Since returning from my blogging hiatus, my posted photos haven't been showing up. grrrrr

Anywho, I was informed via a message on my screen that the reason for the invisible pics might be because my browser no longer supports certain Blogger features. Hunh? Whut? 


Long story short, I downloaded Google Chrome this morning. (Yeah, late to the party again.) So we'll see if that fixes the problem. 

@@@

If you can see the photo below, leave a caption in a comment by midnight Friday. There just might be a prize involved. *grin* 

Tasty Tuesday ~~ Crazy Pancakes

If you're looking for a different sort of breakfast, this just might be it. This recipe evolved like most of mine do -- by accident and with a little good luck. :)

Crazy Pancakes

3 cups Krusteaz Buttermilk Pancake Mix
2 cups water
3 mashed ripe bananas
1/2 cup Craisins (or dried fruit of your choice)
1/2 cup nuts (I used sunflower seeds and sliced almonds)
6 strips cooked and crumbled turkey bacon

Whisk together the pancake mix and water until mostly lump-free. Add in other ingredients, stir well, and get to making these yummy flapcakes. I spread with Smart Balance butter and skip the syrup since they're already semi-sweet. (Makes 12 pancakes.) 

*Wouldn't these be cool for Thanksgiving since they contain turkey and cranberries?

What's the craziest thing you've ever done in the kitchen...recipe-wise? :D

Well, Hey There!

You know you've been absent from Blogland way too long when you've got to delete 145 spam comments! (Which reminds me, if you set your thingamajig to moderate all comments over two days old, it REALLY helps cut down the junk comments.)

Life, artistic pursuits (got a new big girl camera for Christmas), and Facebook have dominated my time lately, but I haven't forgotten about YOU (yeah, you!) faithfully posting away. I'm gonna be a better friend and check on you more frequently. Promise.

Okay, I've said a little about what's been occupying my time........now, WHAT ABOUT YOU?!

Hope your cups are overflowing with good stuff! xxo

Chart Rush for Jessica Bell's Book 11/11/11

Today is THE day to help Jessica Bell's debut, STRING BRIDGE, hit
the bestseller list on Amazon, and receive the all-original soundtrack, Melody Hill: On the Other Side, written and performed by the author herself, for free!


All you have to do is purchase the book today (paperback, or eBook), November 11th, and then email the receipt to:
jessica.carmen.bell(at)gmail(dot)com


She will
then email you a link to download the album at no extra cost!

To purchase the paperback:

Amazon USA 
Amazon UK

To purchase the eBook:

Amazon USA

Amazon UK

To listen to samples of the soundtrack, visit iTunes.

If you are
not familiar with String Bridge,
check out the book trailer:

Rave Reviews for String Bridge:

“Jessica Bell’s STRING BRIDGE strummed the fret of my veins, thrummed my blood into a mad rush, played me taut until the final page, yet with echoes still reverberating. A rhythmic debut with metrical tones of heavied dark, fleeting prisms of light, and finally, a burst of joy—just as with any good song, my hopeful heartbeat kept tempo with Bell’s narrative.” ~ Kathryn Magendie, author of Sweetie and Publishing Editor of Rose & Thorn Journal

“Poet and musician Jessica Bell's debut novel String Bridge is a rich exploration of desire, guilt, and the difficult balancing act of the modern woman. The writing is lyrical throughout, seamlessly integrating setting, character and plot in a musical structure that
allows the reader to identify with Melody's growing insecurity as her world begins to unravel … String Bridge is a powerful debut from a promising writer, full of music, metaphor, and just a hint of magic.” ~ Magdalena Ball, author of Repulsion
Thrust and Sleep Before Evening

“Jessica Bell is a brilliant writer of great skill and depth. She doesn't pull back from the difficult scenes, from conflict, pain, intensity. She puts it all out there, no holds
barred, no holding back. She knows how to craft a scene, how to develop character, how to create suspense. This is an absolutely brilliant debut novel. I look forward to reading her
next novel, and next and next.” ~ Karen Jones Gowen, author of Farm Girl, Uncut Diamonds and House of Diamonds

Connect with Jessica:


String Bridge: http://www.stringbridge.com/
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/jessica_bell
Website: http://www.jessicacbell.com/
Blog: http://thealliterativeallomorph.blogspot.com/
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/author.jessica.bell
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/MsBessieBell
Publisher: http://www.luckypress.com


Please TWEET and/or FACEBOOK this post using #StringBridge!