But she melted every time they kissed.
No time to bake? You can still treat yourself and your guests to homemade cookies thanks to one of our favorite recipes from Food.com. My friend Bev, one of the best cooks I know besides my Mom, turned me on to these speedy delights!
When the weather outside is frightful, what could be more delightful than a steaming hot bowl of chili?
I have a long-standing belief that if I live long enough, everything I once thought was "Hip" will come back around - wide ties, bell bottoms, psychedelic music...my old Ford Pinto. Well, with the exception of the Pinto, I'm actually right. Old IS new, especially when you're talking music.
...or DOES it?
Hemingway once said life's most exhilarating experience was to be shot at - and MISSED. I kinda know what the famous writer was talking about with one small exception. It's also pretty damn exhilarating to be shot at and HIT.
Lemme 'splain.
Prostate cancer HIT me almost 10 years ago. The reason I bring this up is because in a few weeks I'll reach a major milestone in my prostate cancer battle. I'll take a blood test that'll determine if I'm a 10-year survivor **MISSED**or if there's a sign it's coming back **HIT**.
My money's on MISSED, but as we've already learned in blog class, the universe is totally f***ing random. Or as my own philosophy sums it up: Shit happens. Sometimes shit happens to you.
We covered this on the mid-term. Jeez, try and keep up.
I'm not pessimistic (although we ALL know pessimists are seldom disappointed). But, that doesn't stop me from being anxious. It also doesn't stop me from having a little fun. Quirky. Uncomfortable. Fun. You know, the stuff I do.
When I had my annual checkup last year, I reminded Dr. Lee of my our ten year anniversary. I told him I expected a gift if I got another clean report. Something small...like a BMW 7 series...Rolex Submariner...hovercraft with lasers and a bitchin' sound system...a trinket to commemorate the occasion.
Charlotte and I looove appetizers (you have seen our bean dip recipe, right?). Back in the bad-old-days we'd sometimes make a meal out of our two favorites: mozzarella sticks and potato skins. These days we try and eat healthier (we still indulge sometimes) so we keep away from most appetizers.
When fall comes we have to count the leaves all over again.
Bob, our son Cole and I love our holiday traditions. We spend Thanksgiving at the beach in Alabama where it's usually just the three of us; Christmas at home in Texas with the rest of the family. But, wherever we are, you can count on lunch at 1 p.m. starring turkey and dressing.
Since he's all about the main event, Bob takes charge of the turkey, cooking it slow and easy until we have a wonderfully moist and flavorful bird. Meanwhile, I focus on dressing, sides and desserts. I like serving a variety of vegetables and sweets so everyone can point to a favorite. Only problem is, I have to do quite a dance popping things in and out of the oven since space is limited.
That's why I was thrilled to discover this delicious dressing a few years ago. You can bake the cornbread one or two days ahead of time. Then cook this comforting creation in a large crockpot leaving the oven free for scalloped potatoes, spinach casserole, sweet potatoes and other goodies.
It's a well-documented fact that I am not the handiest of handymen excuse me, I mean handyperson). I did fall off a 12-foot ladder and there was that time I tried to change the oil in my car and...let's just forget all that nastiness with the tow truck and oil slick that even had BP executives shaking their heads and saying, "Jeez, would you look at THAT!"
This cake was never supposed to happen. I was goofing around one day in the kitchen with some ripe bananas and impulsively added a packet of dry pudding mix to the batter. I didn't realize until after the cake cooled and I had a bite that I had created my favorite banana cake of all time.
This is a dense cake, similar to banana bread in cake form. The pudding and sour cream help the cake stay incredibly moist and the glaze is heaven sent--rich, buttery, intensely caramel-flavored--and takes an already stellar cake to the next level. This is one of my favorite recipes in my Peanut Butter Comfort cookbook (Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., June 2013, $17.95).
Some say you're never completely dressed without a smile. While that's important, a girl's also gotta have a killer bag, plenty of bling and some sassy, feet-friendly shoes (5-inch heels are out when you do more than sit!).
Just another reason to leave the beans OUT of the chili!
I'm the first to admit I draw light duty with the holiday cooking. Charlotte's the real chef in our house and she always does a fantastic job - from stuffing and side dishes, to wonderful desserts.
I gained 20 pounds just writing this sentence.
Me? Turkey's my game and I cook one every year.
My kitchen mantra comes (with apologies) from Jackson Browne: "Make It Easy." My dirty little secret is that about 20 years ago I perfected a way to cook a great turkey and make it so incredibly easy that even I can't screw it up.
With Christmas around the corner, I've been looking for special dessert ideas.
Life by Keith Richards is an amazing tell-all by the man who saw it all, lived it all (barely) and wrote it all down. The 576-page celebrity memoir is a compelling behind-the-scenes look at Richards - his lives (he's had more than a 100 cats,) loves (ditto) and of course, The Rolling Stones.
fork you!