Hello,

I'm back. And I started on a couple of new adventures.

You know my love for a great garage sale or shopping at thrift stores.

Now I shop at auctions too. My brother's girlfriend's stepdad (did you get all of that?) started an auction house.

I got this there for $2

 

 

 

This is a vintage pink Little Lady's real working stove.

 

 

It's real fun, and I love seeing all the rare and unusual items.

Cubano Hash

I had this for the first time, months and months ago....


The second time around it tasted even better than I remembered. 


I love sausage and the mixture of the relish made of mustard and pickles compliments it so well. 


The really awesome part? It takes only a half of a bottle of beer. That means I got to drink the other half of George Killian's Irish Red. Hey, I didn't want to waste the bottle?

Ingredients

• 
  
• 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)
• 3/4 pound ground pork
• 1/3 pound (1/2 package) chorizo, peeled and chopped
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon cumin (1/3 palmful)
• 1/4 teaspoon allspice
• Salt and pepper
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1/2 bottle of beer
• 2 Portuguese rolls or 2 sandwich-size English muffins, split and toasted
• 4 dill pickles, chopped
• 2 tablespoons yellow mustard
• 4 deli-cut slices of Swiss cheese
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4 eggs

(I know, seems like alot but this comes together pretty quickly)

Pre-heat the oven to 400°F.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with the EVOO, one turn of the pan. Add pork and brown, 3-4 minutes. Add chorizo, onion and garlic and season mixture with cumin, allspice, salt and pepper and cook for 7-8 minutes. Stir in tomato paste, cook a minute longer, then add beer.

Arrange bread on baking sheet. Toast the split bread.

Coarsely chop the pickles and reserve.

Cover bread with yellow mustard, then top with mounds of hash and a slice of Swiss, folded in half. Melt the cheese in the oven, 2-3 minutes.

Melt butter in medium size nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add eggs to melted butter and fry to desired doneness.

Top the hash with fried eggs and pickles and serve.

This is a Rachael Ray recipe. You can find it here

Chef in Training Tuesday
Tempt My Tummy
Tuesdays at the Table

Pain Perdu (or as we Americans call it French Toast)

I'm baaaaaack!


And better than ever.


I got my personal life under control, I will be cohabitating with fellow foodie and cook and I will be blogging away!


One of the cuisines my sexyman (that's what I call him) loves is New Orleans food. Cajun or Creole. It doesn't matter, that stuff is gooood.


So this morning we made Pain Perdu, or french toast as it's more commonly called.


Pain Perdu translates from french as "lost bread". It was a way to use up day old french bread and turn it into something exquisite.


This recipe comes from "My New Orleans The Cookbook" by John Besh. 


French Toast


5 eggs
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup half and half
1/4 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 pinches ground nutmeg
2 pinches ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 pinch of salt
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier, optional
2 tbsp canola oil
12 slices day old, 1-inch thick french bread


Beat together the eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl until they are well mixed. Add the half and half, orange juice, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla, salt, and Grand Marnier, if you like, and mix well.


Heat the oil in a large skillet (we used cast iron skillet) over moderate heat. Working with 3-4 slices of bread at a time, dip the slices of bread into the egg mixture and submerge for a few moments. Remove the bread from the egg mixture and put into the skillet. 


Fry the bread, turning once, until golden brown on the both sides. Repeat with the remaining slices of bread. Serve the french toast hot with homemade preserves, warm syrup or powdered sugar.

I want Softlips under the mistletoe!

I love when companies have limited editions scents/flavors.


Softlips has a limited edition holiday season flavors.






Winter Mint


Sugar Cookie


Sugar and Spice


Sugar Plum Berry


What I love about Softlips is your lips are NOT greasy! You can apply this chapstick, have silky soft lips and then kiss under the mistletoe without your significant other feeling like they just kissed a greasy pig.

click the above video for style tips


What a great stocking stuffer!!!

www.softlips.com

www.facebook.com/softlips

www.twitter.com/ilovesoftlips

www.youtube.com/ilovesoftlips

Would you like to win the new flavors of Softlips products?


Like Softlips on facebook 
Like Softlips on twitter
like me on facebook
like me on twitter
follow my blog
add my button to your blog
add my blog to your blog roll
blog about this giveaway
tell me your favorite flavor


contest ends Dec. 27, 2011. Winner will be contacted via email, and will have 48 hours to respond or new winner will be chosen. 


I received Softlips products for review but was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Good luck!

Kushyfoot for a Kushy Christmas Season

 I was so lucky to receive Kushyfoot products for review. 


I love accessories and don't really by them for myself near enough. 


I was sent the Kushyfoot tights. These were very nicely made, thick and comfortable black tights with a diamond pattern. 


These tights are available in black, brown, grey, navy and purple. The ribbed tight is made in the same colors except for navy.


I never wear tights. I don't know why. I wear dresses and skirts alot in the summer with no pantyhose or tights but haven't really carried the skirts and dresses over into the fall and winter.


But these tights are soo cute, and I like the slimming look it gives me with a nice skirt and sweater. 


The other product I was sent to review were a pair of ZEBRA PRINT (anyone who knows me knows my signature is zebra print thank you very much) slippers that you can slip on when you are partying it up at holiday parties and your feet are killing you from your dress shoes and high heels. They are small and fold up to fit any purse or pocketbook. 


They are soft, flexible and yet still elegant. Recommended retail price of only $9.99, trust me your feet will thank you! Have you ever been stuck at an event with uncomfortable shoes? It really dampens your mood. 


Both these products would make great gifts for the holiday season. Especially for the fashion savvy friend or family member. It's hard to pick out clothes for someone, but alot easier to pick out accessories that they would enjoy!


Kushyfoot

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Sheet Cake

I found this recipe on pinterest. 

It's originally called Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Vanilla Sheet Cake but I didn't use vanilla pudding in the recipe. Instead I used Jello's seasonal flavor, Pumpkin Spice.

Cinnamon Roll Pumpkin Sheet Cake

1 box yellow cake mix

4 eggs

1/2 cup canola or vegetable oil

1/2 cup milk or buttermilk

3.4 ounce box Pumpkin Pie Spice Pudding Mix (or vanilla)

1/2 cup sour cream

15 ounce can pumpkin

1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3/4 cups powdered sugar

1/4-1/2 cup heavy cream (start w 1/4 cup and add a little more cream if needed)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. and spray a jelly roll pan with non stick cooking spray.

2. Place cake mix, eggs, oil, milk, pudding, sour cream and pumpkin into a stand or electric mixer, beating until well combined, about 1 1/2 minutes. Pour into prepared pan, spreading evenly.

3. Place butter into a microwave safe bowl and melt, about 30-40 seconds. Add brown sugar and cinnamon to bowl, mixing until combined. Drizzle mixture evenly over cake then take a knife and run it through to swirl.

4. Bake cake for 30-35 minutes, until cooked through and remove. Place powdered sugar and cream into a large bowl and mix until creamy and smooth. Drizzle over warm cake then let cool for 20 minutes before cutting into square

Friday Funnies