HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!!

Just passing through to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day.

I hope you are spending this Sunday with your special Valentine today.

XOXO

Happy Birthday and Happy Friday

Hi everyone, just a quick update. Tonight we are taking my mother-in-law (on the left in the hoodie) to a special family dinner for her 80th birthday. We are going to a steakhouse in Philadelphia called Butcher & Singer. Hopefully, we can get through all of the snow covered city streets. It should be a nice place. Never have been there, but heard many good things.
For the last few days I have been mending my tired, sore bones from shoveling for 2 days. I just can't believe the amount of snow we have gotten. Schools have been closed for 3 days now. That part was nice, no work! I cannot believe that they are calling for more snow Monday night. Oh well, I'm getting used to it now.
I promise I will get through to read your blogs this weekend. Right now I have to get ready to catch a train, and my hair is NOT cooperating!
I just wanted to say hi and Happy Friday, have a great weekend!

XOXO

Love Potion #9

I found this recipe here, and it not only sounds delicious and refreshing, but perfect for Valentines Day, fast approaching. I don't have any big plans, but I just might get the ingredients for this drink!

How about you, what are your plans?

Love Potion #9
Ingredients:
1 ½ oz strawberry vodka
¾ oz white crème de cacao
½ C of frozen strawberries
1 scoop vanilla bean ice cream
Splash of milk
½ C ice (crushed is best)
Strawberry garnish
Method:
~Place all ingredients except strawberry garnish in a blender and blend until smooth.
~Pour into a margarita glass and garnish with a strawberry.

XOXO

SNOWMAGEDDON

Well, that's what they are calling it, Snowmageddon for the East coast.

This is the 10/12 sq. foot pallet I personally shoveled out for Miss Stella every 4 hours for 24 hours.
If you don't keep up with it, it can overtake you! They say the total snowfall for this area was 26.7 inches. That is no chump change. We are only use to 2-4, or maybe 6 inches at a time. This picture was taken before it was all over.
Luckily, my wonderful son was with me to dig us out of this mess.

Here we are looking out the back door to the patio. This is my son's portable Weber. There has to be at least 18-20 inches so far. I don't like it one little bit either.

This is out the sliding door of the dining room. It is up to the floorboard.
I love the words the news people use....crippling. I guess it is true, when you are not use to a lot of snow. It is not crippling to me, I was prepared, I choose to be home for 2 days.

I do have to admit that it is very beautiful though! I have everything I need....family, plenty of food, and shelter to keep us warm.

Have a fun Superbowl Sunday if your partaking!

XOXO

SLOSHED!

1 1/2 oz. Cognac

1/2 oz. Rye Whiskey

1/2 oz. sugar + 1 oz. warm water

8-12 Leaves of fresh Spearmint

In a glass or julep cup, mix the sugar and water or add the simple syrup. Gently muddle the mint leaves with the sugar syrup—do not break them up or mash them into bits. You just want to bruise them. Add the whiskey and cognac and stir to combine. Fill the glass with crushed ice and stir again, until the glass begins to frost. Top off the glass with crushed ice to fill, garnish with fresh mint and serve with a straw.

The real name of this drink is "Prescription Julep." It is known for a cure all for those pesky viruses. I thought it looked like a good drink to help fight the cold winter blues!

Enjoy!

XOXO

Happy Monday and February!

I've got the bug to make cookies, and these are the ones I chose. I made a small trial batch this weekend and loved them! I did , however, add 1 egg to the recipe. It made them perfect! Give them a try, they are a lot easier that they look!

Mini Linzer Cookies


Serves:
36 cookies
Ingredients:

3/4 pound unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3 1/2 cups flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup good raspberry preserves
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together the butter and sugar until they are just combined. Add the vanilla. In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add them to the butter-and-sugar mixture. Mix on low speed until the dough starts to come together. Dump onto a surface dusted with flour and shape into a flat disk. Wrap in plastic and chill for 30 minutes.
Roll the dough 1/4-inch thick and cut 2 3/4-inch rounds with a plain or fluted cutter. With 1/2 of the rounds, cut a hole from the middle of each round with a heart or spade shaped cutter. Place all the cookies on an ungreased baking sheet and chill for 15 minutes.
Bake the cookies for 20 to 25 minutes, until the edges begin to brown. Allow to cool to room temperature. Spread raspberry preserves on the flat side of each solid cookie. Dust the top of the cut-out cookies with confectioners' sugar and press the flat sides together, with the raspberry preserves in the middle and the confectioners' sugar on the top.

~*Don't forget to add 1 egg to this batter. It was really dry and crumbly before the egg.

XOXO

Boxer Love

If anybody knows me, they know the love affair I have with Boxers. I was raised with them when I was growing up, and we had one while my kids were growing up. Her name was Baily. We had a wonderful life with her until she got cancer at 7 years old. My daughter is allergic to dogs, so I couldn't get another. (That is why we now have Stella, she is non-allergetic.)
A friend of mine has this beauty above, her name is Bella. She is so beautiful.
Meet Lucy, her baby. She is the cutest thing I have seen in a long, long time!

Nothing like a mother's love.

Lucy getting to know her new family. Bella is looking at him thinking, "you better be careful with my baby!"

Bath time! Isn't she ADORABLE?!!!!

Nap time.

Sleep time.
These two really make me miss Baily, they are so beautiful. Don't you think?

Happy Friday everyone, and have a wonderful weekend!!

XOXO