margaritas!

with the warm weather 

i have margaritas on my mind!

premixed margaritas are so very fattening,

full of sugar...

this is the recipe i like to use...

2 oz tequila (blanco)
1 oz fresh lime juice
½ tsp fructose or sugar

1 oz triple sec

(not as strong as grand marnier but much prettier in the glass)

shake vigorously

and pour over rocks

with a salted rim...

now for the rim, 

rub lime juice around the rim

then i like to use gourmet

sea salts like himalayan pink, grey sea salt, 

fleur de sel or bolivian rose salt. 

for something really different try finding vanilla fleur de sel 

or bali coconut and lime smoked sea salt.

these salts look so pretty on the rim 

and taste great, especially when mixed

with a touch of sugar...

Cheers everybody!

 today is friday lets all go have a margarita!!

happy weekend!

whats for dinner???!!!

time is ticking...

what am i going to have for dinner????

well i can always turn to martha stewart for some

amazing ideas!

i think this sounds yummy ....

Serves 12

• 1/2 cup honey
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 1/2 cups pecans
• 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 3/4 teaspoon coarse salt
• 1/2 cup walnut oil
• 2 pounds string beans, trimmed
• 3/4 cup dried cranberries
• 2 heads Belgian endive, trimmed and sliced lengthwise
• Freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Place honey and cayenne in a small saucepan; heat until warm. Stir in nuts. Line a baking pan with a Silpat (a French nonstick baking mat). Pour mixture onto Silpat. Bake until dark-golden brown, about 25 minutes. Set aside to cool.
2. In a small bowl, whisk together vinegar, mustard, and salt. Slowly drizzle in walnut oil, whisking constantly, until mixture is emulsified. Set aside.
3. Fill a large bowl with ice water; set aside. Bring a medium stockpot of water to a boil. Add string beans; cook just until tender, about 2 minutes. Drain immediately; immerse in ice water. Remove, pat dry; place in a large bowl. Toss with reserved dressing. Add reserved nuts, dried cranberries, and sliced endive. Add pepper to taste; toss gently. Serve immediately.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Crunchy Green Bean Salad - Martha Stewart Recipes 

oh, and it is also vegan for my vegan guests....

i will probably use maple syrup

or agave nectar instead of honey...

back home and busy.......

ok, so i am back home

and am VERY busy getting ready for my annual

zombie, pumpkin carving party!!

months ago i came across an adorable

idea for dessert...

how cute is this?? 

of course it's martha stewart!!

i am going to use the orange Oreo cookies!

yum! yum! 

oh and even better Oreos are vegan so they can

be enjoyed by my vegan guest.

MMUUAAAAAAHHHHH!!!!!! it's that time of year again!!!!! EEEEKKKKK!!!!

HALLOWEEN!

every year i throw a fabulous zombie

dinner party!

          

i have this party the week before halloween and everyone brings

a pumpkin to carve!

  

having everyone dress like a zombie

just adds to the fun of the evening!

it makes a dramatic

statement!!

     

a fog machine adds to every halloween party!!!

creepy food is so much fun and can really be gross yet yummy!

Stuffed Intestines Recipe


Irresistible Chickpea Crust

• 1 c. cooked chickpeas (also called garbanzo beans)
• 3 c. flour
• 2 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. cumin
• 2/3 c. vegetable shortening or margarine
• 6 Tbsp. water
• Red/Blue food coloring for painting veins (this step comes much later)

In a blender or food processor, puree the chickpeas and set aside. In a large bowl, sift together the flour, salt, and cumin. Add the chickpeas, shortening, and water. Mix together until a dough forms. Knead the dough on a lightly floured surface for 3-5 minutes. Cut dough into 4 pieces and use a rolling pin to roll each one into a long strip about 1/8″ thick. With your first strip of dough, experiment with the width since you will need to to leave enough room for filling and “seams” where you press together both sides. This size will vary depending on how long/thin you want the intestines and how big your pan is. (And no, this crust doesn’t taste like beans. The chickpeas mostly add texture and an amazing rich/crumbly mouth-feel. This stuff is SO GOOD.)
Green Guts Filling

• 16 oz. bag of frozen peas (canned won’t give the right color)
• 1 1/2 c. non-dairy milk (soy, rice, almond, etc.)
• spices to taste (we used an Italian spice mix and nutritional yeast)

this is a roasted local beet and arugula salad

with a sherry vinaigrette

and if you look hard you can see

the bloody body parts mixed in.....

mashed potatoes with 

eyeballs!!

the main course was a roasted pork

loin with a cherry 

port demi glaze.

  

to drink i served black vodka served with a splash of cherry juice and i froze flies and roaches in the ice.

i also made a white sangria

• 5 lady apples
• 1 bunch (about 8 ounces) green seedless grapes
• 1 bunch (about 8 ounces) red seedless grapes
• 2 bottles dry white wine, chilled
• 2 cups sparkling apple cider, chilled
• 6 tablespoons poire William (pear-flavored eau-de-vie)

lanterns and spider webs really give

a scary effect. tomb stones in the yard with your guest names on them

are fun and VERY eerie....

i have been giving this party for the past 10 years...

these pictures are from the past 5 years... every year gets better and better

i look forward to getting started on this year!

i hope this has gotten you in the HALLOWEEN

mood!

  BOO!