Tickle me pūwherowhero

One snow storm later and I'm still here. (Thankfully.) With a decidedly poor showing of snow in the Baltimore region, I've decided that this winter can't hold a candle to the Snowmageddon of 2010 (*knock on wood*). While I don't look forward to digging out my car/having BHE dig out my car in the mornings, I miss the occasional snow day. It's rare that I get to sleep in, clean house, and bake at random leisurely intervals during the day. Plus, I'm no longer in school, so it's not like I have to make up the class time during the summer.

So imagine my delight when the local meteorologist predicted a 5 - 10 inch snowfall over the course of a few hours. Granted, he skipped over the part where jagged chips of sleet the size and sharpness of thumb tacks would precede the event. Had I known, I might have taken up my boss's offer of a ride home, rather than taking the shuttle and then walking a mile while nature took it's anger out on my face. That shizz hurts!

Snow bully sleet. Not fun.

Anywho, BHE managed to pull into the driveway just as the snow began to fall in earnest and then turned on the tv and hunkered down for the night.

That is, we tried to turn on the tv. We have a satellite dish, which does not hold up well against the elements. So instead of watching normal prime time programming, we surfed the Hi-def channels our tv could pick up. The number of stations was pretty limited, but we did come across something called "Cool TV," which plays music videos and concert clips. Think MTV back when the "M" actually stood for something. That said, I think Cool TV plays a little fast an d loose with its definition of cool. When we first happened on the station, it was playing footage from a Journey concert-- the bassist was a big black dude with a mullet who was wearing tight black leather pants and playing a pink and white polka dotted guitar. The next time we flipped back to the station, we were greeted with this little gem:

Tears came to my eyes we were laughing so hard.

After picking ourselves off the floor, HBE and I bundled up and made our usual snow-storm trek to Fraisers, our fav dive bar in the city. It's not like we had to worry about making it to work the next day, afterall.

And now, your recipes...

The thundersnow (yes, there was thunder) got me thinking about one of my favorite snow time activities: keeping warm via booze. Not to sound like a complete alcoholic, but few things cheer me up on a snow day like a glass of something that warms you up from the inside out. Minus snowball fights and snow angels of course.

I got bored on the walk home from the bar. Apologies to my neighbor.

So imagine my delight when I came across the following during a recent visit to the wine and spirits shop:

WOOT!

Monteith's is brand of beer I used to enjoy when I lived in Wellington. And while I've seen Steinlager sold with growing frequency (usually during the USA Sevens Rugby Festival), this is the first time I've come across a beer that I actually drank while abroad. AND it's the Black brand! I heart the black brand! And it's just in time for the Investec Super Rugby campaign. Preseason games start tonight!! Which is actually tomorrow in NZ but whatevs! GO Canes! (And Highlanders - I love an underdog.)

Try it if you come across a bottle and send a thank you note accordingly. The games you'll have to catch online.

The other adult themed beverage I can rave about comes courtesy of one of my other favorite bars in the city. Bad Decisions is tucked away in the Fell's Point neighborhood. In addition to it's bacon-theme happy hour and prolific collection of in-house board games (seriously - have you ever been to a bar where you can play Axis and Allies should the mood strike?), the staff at BD can custom tailor a drink to fit your mood. I wanted something creamy and Ana (our lovely bartender) came up with this:

Serious yum.

I'm still not sure what the hell's in it, although I do know that the bottom dark half is made up of coffee-flavored tequilla. (Oh yeah.) The above-pictured beverage didn't have a name at the time of service, so I dubbed it the Businessman's Breakfast. I'm hoping it sticks.

I actually have scads of recipes to post. Turns out I should have added"be a more proficient blogger" to my list of New Years resolutions. Is it to late to call for a mulligan?

(Go Steelers!)

Post Birthday Round-up: Kick-butt Chili, The Windy City, and that Sandwich with Fries on It

So the only downside to a birthday week? Birthday week recovery. I plan to remain in recovery mode for a few more days, right up until my end-of-summer travel season kicks in. Said travel includes at least one more trip to Pittsburgh, a trip to Philly, a trip to London/Newcastle, a trip to New Jersey, and a trip to Rochester, NY.

I'm a little exhausted just thinking of it.

When faced with such a high-impact schedule, I find it's best to prepare big batches of food that can stay in the fridge or in little serving-sized portions in the freezer. Accessible leftovers are the key to easy living. Kind of.

Anyway, for this round of freezer-friendly goods, I decided to make use of some chuck roast that was getting too cozy in our fridge. The result: some extremely decent chili and equally tasty lentil soup. The chili - a recipe I snagged from the Neely's (whom I really recommend if you're ever in need of any sort of BBQ or grill related dish) - tasted even better the next day, which prompted me to place some in a pie pan (or a cast iron skillet if you have enough batter), cover it with corn bread batter, and then bake it in a 350 degree oven for roughly 15 minutes. It's a little slice of heaven.

The following day I turned to Giada De Laurentis (she of the ample cleavage and comparably-sized forehead) for some guidance on lentil soup prep. I've only ever made red lentils at home before, and they're a decidedly different creature than their green cousins, so I wasn't sure what all would be involved in the preparation and recipe execution.

Overall, it was a pretty decent dish, but it's definitely not my favorite. I'll keep the recipe on hand in case we're ever snowed in again this winter, but otherwise I'll attempt other soup-based challenges first. Like, Pho...

Anyway, my birthday celebrating went splendidly. I received a lovely new mountain bike from Tony, so now I can start tackling my next endurance event: a triathlon. I also basked in some friendly adoration at The Brewer's Art, where my very excellent friends joined me for some brews and several, several plates of the BA's AMAZING garlic-rosemary french fries. I would have taken a photo, but most of the plates were emptied of their contents within mere moments of reaching our table.

A few days later and I found myself in Pittsburgh to attend a Pirate's game, where our nephew's Cub Scout troop presented the flags during the national anthem. Too cute!

But before that, there was beer. If you ever find yourself in the Steel City, I highly recommend visiting the Church Brew Works in Lawrenceville. Talk about re-purposing a building: The former home of St. John the Baptist Church now serves a wide selection of local and specialty brews, as well as some kick ass pizza and desserts. While meeting up with some 'burgh-based peeps, I enjoyed a Coconut Stout followed by a Lavender Summer Ale, with a creme brulee chaser. (You read that right the first time.)

Sunday's game turned out to be enjoyable. The team lost, of course, but that's still no reason not to enjoy PNC Park, which is by far one of the best ball stadiums in the country. The view alone is worth the price of admission.

But I'm not here to wax poetic about the Pirate's losing franchise. (At least not when I live 15minutes away from the Oriole's home turf.) I'm all about the food, which PNC has in friggin' spades. I had my choice of Quaker Steak wings and Manny Sanguillen's BBQ, but for my money, you can't go wrong with Primanti Bros.

Yes, it's the sandwich with the fries in it (add a fried egg for an extra $1). And the coleslaw. And the tomatoes and meat. People ask me about them all the time. Why? Because they're awesome, that's why. A ball park staple and a deli-slice of heaven when you've had one too many, you just can't go wrong with one of these with a pickle on the side.

Oh! It makes my mouth water just looking at it!

Pittsburgh was followed by a trip to Chicago, where I had a chance to help my best friend clean her for her house warming party. - I mean, hang out.

Just kidding! Well, not about the cleaning - that part was true, but I did get to spend some QT with Kristin, her other half Colin, her sister Kayce, and several hundred of their friends and family (most of whom I know and also love). We ate unhealthy amounts of pulled pork sandwiches, macaroni and cheese, queso & chips, and drunken sausage. Colin bought a keg. I made my hallmark Redneck Margaritas. I think there might have been some crudites in the mix.

I either case I was so full after the 10 hour food fest that I lacked room to dig into my latest birthday treat...

Kristin's mom picked it up, which was so touching that I really didn't care that my name was misspelled. I never did snag a piece of the cake, but I heard it was delicious.

On Sunday, we decided to recharge our batteries with a late brunch and movie. (Dinner for Schmucks. I'd suggest waiting for it to come out on DVD or to go ahead and watch the original French version instead.) In between, we indulged in some Shark Week and Oberwies Dairy treats. Total. Ice cream. Heaven. Apparently, Oberwies specializes in milk, as well as cakes, malts, and burgers. You can even have ice cream or milk delivered. Plus, there are chess tables in the shop for your entertainment. I suck at chess, and even I enjoyed a game.

I had a chocolate peanut butter waffle bowl, and promptly spoiled my dinner. We ended up snacking instead of eating for the rest of the night while my hosts taught me how to play Texas Hold 'em. Turns out, I'm not a bad player. Vegas, here I come.


On my last day we made it into the actual city of Chicago for a few hours. Even though I was born just outside the city, I've never really explored it as an adult. Kristin and Colin took me to Millennium Park, where we splashed around the Crown Fountain probably more than any rational adults should, and then I was dutifully taken to Cloud Gate (aka, "The Bean") where we stood underneath and next to one of the oddest but most original pieces of work I've seen in a long time. The view of the skyline in the reflection is crazy.

We had lunch at the nearby Gage on Michigan Street. We had lots o' beer and a giant bowl of muscles. Then I stupidly ordered my own sandwich, a crisp pork belly concoction that was too big to photograph. Well, not really, but it really was huge. I ate well too much of it and felt a little ill after.

We decided to walk it off by heading to the Sear's Tower, where you can take an elevator to the new Sky Deck and take in a view of not only the city, but of the three surrounding states bordering Illinois. At least, we thought you only had to take an elevator. It turns out that you have to wait in line to get to the top of the Sears Tower. A lot of line. There's the line to the elevator, which leads to the line for security, which leads to another line to the actual ticket office. When we finally got to a window with a real live person behind it, I asked how long it would be before we actually got to the tower and was crushed to find out that it was at least another 30minutes.

Nuts to that!

We were short on time anyway (I was flying out that evening and we needed to get back to O'Hare) so we simply turned around and left. Colin was a tad cranky about the experience. That said, the Sears Tower has a very lovely basement.

So now I'm back in B'more, re-adjusting to office life and preparing for a second sojourn to Pittsburgh for Tony's family reunion/picnic. Lots of Italians. Lots of food. Good times to be had, I'm sure. There's rumor that those of us of age may hit the newly built casino for a few giggles.

Time to put those poker skills of mine to good use...

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Redneck Margaritas
(Courtesy of the The Sweet Potato Queens)

12 oz frozen limeade
12 oz tequila
1 12oz bottle of Corona
12 oz of 7-Up

1. Just mix the whole mess together and serve over ice. If you want a frozen version, blend the ice with the limeade and tequila first and then add the remaining ingredients. Otherwise you'll find yourself a sticky, soda and beer-covered mess.

2. Hand over your car keys to a designated driver and then sit down and relax. These libations are deceptively easy to throw back and you will find yourself wondering where you are and just how the hell you got there if you're not careful.

Enjoy!

Garlic and Herb Poached Chicken and Chocolate Martinis: Quick Eats between Dim Sum and Lebanese Tapas

Man, this cooking thing is tricky to keep up! Don't get me wrong, I love to bake, and I'm learning to love to cook, but it's just too tempting at times when your husband has a per diem where he can bring home dinner at no cost to you.

That said, I've somehow managed to expand my cooking (a little) and made another stab at semi-vegan cuisine. This time I just threw together some quinoa pasta, feta cheese, dill, red pepper flakes, oregano and olive oil along with some Gardein 7-grain Crispy Tenders.

As I mentioned in my last post, Holly from The Healthy Everythingtarian first brought these to my attention. Bless her little heart. These things are PHENOMENAL. They're vegan, but they taste more like chicken than some of the junk I've had from other establishments. Thank you, Holly!

Anywho, throw it all together and you've got yourself an easy meal for one. >

Of course, you need something to wash this little entrée down. Might I recommend a Chocolate Martini?

Just be careful - these things pack quite a wallop.

I also managed to throw together one other dish: Garlic and Herb Poached Children.

Now I don't have much in the way of directions (it was a lot of throwing this n' that together), but I've put a recipe that summarizes the gist of it at the end of this post.

Now, it's not all about chicken and pasta. Tony and I finally made it to our favorite dim sum spot in Silver Spring.

Love of my life. :)

Oriental East is nestled away in a little shopping plaza in Silver Spring, Md. Sunday brunch starts at 11am, which means you need to be in line by 10:30am. If you're not, you're in for one hell of a wait. Granted, it's worth the wait - bbq pork buns, sesame rolls, shrimp and veggie purses - Oh, it's worth the wait.

This week has been pretty laid back. In honor of St. Patrick's Day, Tony and I met up with some friends and drank Check beer and Italian Prosecco. Then, in keeping with our theme, we all headed to Mezze for some Lebanese/Mediterranean tapas. Mezze is in the Fell's Point section of Baltimore and though the service left a little to be desired, the food more than made up for it. I enjoyed an aromatic orzo with roasted tomatoes and a lentil and sausage dish. This was followed by a mouth watering - and HUGE - serving of baklava.

From there we just headed home (no need to be out on the roads with the St. Patty's Day revelers leaving the bar), and did some much needed couch searching. Nothing beats a holiday like some QT with your significant other and one of two needy cats.

Say hello to Lina.

Happy belated holidays, y'all! And happy first day of Spring!!

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Crystal Clear Chocolate Martinis

5 oz good quality vodka
2 oz Crème de Cocao

Chocolate to garnish

Simpy mix the ingredients (minus the garnish) together over ice. Strain and pour into a tall martini glass. Garnish with chocolate shavings, straws, or chunks.

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Garlic and Herb Poached Chicken

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts

2 tbsp butter

3 - 4 tbsp all purpose flour

1 cup + 2 tbsp chicken stock or water

(The rest of these are rough estimates, so feel free to tweak the amounts to suit your taste:)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/4 tsp sugar

(I also threw in a dash of thyme and basil, but nothing much)

STEP 1: Pat dry the chicken breasts. Season each with salt and pepper.
Dredge the breasts in the flour, being sure to shake off any excess.

STEP 2: Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over med high heat.
Once the butter has melted and has started to bubble, add both breasts to the pan.

Brown the chicken (about 3 minutes on each side).

STEP 3: Add the herbs and seasonings to the chicken broth. After browning
the 2nd side of the chicken, add the broth to the pan. Reduce the heat to a simmer
and cover. Cook for about 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

Enjoy!

fter turn