Happy Holidays - See you next year!

Quote of the day

Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four essential food groups - alcohol, caffeine, sugar, and fat.

- Alex Levine

Irish Cream Liqueur

This week we saw temperatures so frigid that the only place in the world colder was Siberia, so I must say, now is really the time for something to warm the belly! My only wish would be that I was close enough to make it for my loved ones this holiday season. So lets make a double batch and toast to those too far away to wrap our arms around this year!

Irish Cream Liqueur

1 3/4 c Irish Whiskey
1 14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
1 c heavy cream
4 eggs
2 T chocolate syrup
2 T instant coffee
1 t vanilla extract
1/2 t almond extract

Combine all ingredients in blender until well blended and store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week. Stir before serving.

Serve in coffee, alone or with whatever pleases you!

Quote of the day

Dessert is probably the most important stage of the meal, since it will be the last thing your guests remember before they pass out all over the table.

- William Powell

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

Are you ready for a little bit of heaven? Oh these cookies make me crazy, I can't even keep them in the house for more than a day before they magically disappear, it must be those elves!

Cranberry Bliss Cookies

3/4 c butter at room temp
1 c brown sugar
1/2 c white sugar
1 egg at room temp
1 t vanilla
1/2 t almond
1 c flour
1 T orange zest
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 1/2 c oats
1 c white chocolate chunks
1 c dried cranberries

Preheat oven to 350 F, mix butter & sugar until light and fluffy, add egg, vanilla & almond, mix for 1 minute. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients except, white chocolate, cranberries and orange zest. Combine two mixtures only until incorporated, do not over-mix. Fold in remaining ingredients. Spoon onto cookie sheets and bake for 5-8 minutes. Great recipe to double batch and freeze some for later.

Serve with coffee, livelier African coffee's like Ethiopia Sidamo are particularly good with these cookies, or of course, whatever pleases you!

Quote of the day

My favorite time of day is to get up and eat leftovers from dinner, especially spicy food.

- David Byrne

Spicy 6 pepper Chili

It's -30 and your freezing inside and out, it might just be time for a big batch of spicy chili, it's what we had tonight and it's yet another winter favorite. There are a million variations, this one my favorite, but not one for those who can't take heat, so alter to your desired spice level!

Spicy 6 pepper Chili

1 lb kidney beans (soaked overnight & cooked until soft)
2 lbs ground beef (venison is also a great substitution)
2 lbs spicy Italian sausage sliced
2 yellow onions coarsely chopped
1 red onion coarsely chopped
1 bulb garlic finely chopped
6 jalapeno peppers finely chopped
2 bell peppers coarsely chopped
2 sweet red peppers coarsely chopped
1 bunch celery coarsely chopped
1 can chipotle peppers in adobo sauce finely chopped
2 large cans of stewed tomatoes coarsely chopped
1 can tomato paste
2 T ground cayenne pepper
1 T ground black pepper
5 T cumin powder
4 bay leaves
3 T dark brown sugar
6 c water
1/4 c cornmeal
3 T salt
2 T olive oil

In a large stock pot, heat olive oil on high for one minute, add onions, garlic, bay leaves, meat, sugar & salt, allow to brown well, add all peppers, allow to brown, add sugar, cumin & celery, allow to brown, add remaining ingredients except corn meal and simmer for 30 minutes covered. Add cornmeal & stir, taste and add more salt as desired, cover, turn heat off and allow to sit at least 30 minutes. This is a big batch and you'll have plenty to freeze.

Top with finely chopped onions, sour cream & cheese, serve with cornbread or whatever pleases you!

Reader Recipe (Arie's Lavender Whipped Shortbread)

Amidst the screaming and chaos of dozens of children most likely penetrated by the full moon, lie a plate of fragrant lavender butter pillows that closed me off from the rest of the world, if only for a moment. A poet I am not, but a food connoisseur, possibly and this week my brief encounter with the most beautiful tasting shortbread cookies I may have possibly ever tasted is owed to my fried Arie, who has been kind enough to share!

Arie's Lavender Whipped Shortbread

The fragrance from these is amazing, but the flavour is very subtle.

1 cup unsalted butter (at room temp)
2 cups unbleached white flour
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 tbsp organic lavender blossoms

Cream butter & sugar together, add flour & blend. Once the flour is mixed in, turn your mixer on high & whip the shortbread for 10 minutes. Add the lavender & mix just until it is dispersed in the dough.

Drop by the teaspoon onto cookie sheets; bake at 325 for 8-12 minutes until just set.

Happy Holidays from our family to yours



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