Month: February 2017

Things I’m Into This Week

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We are deep in the heart of Mardi Gras season, which means lots of crawfish, parades, and King Cakes. When I’m not overindulging, I’m enjoying time with family and friends, making memories and celebrating everything good about my neck of the woods.

In the meantime, here’s a round up of the things I’m into this week, which are clearly food related given my current climate:

Watching: A Chef’s Life. I guess I am late to this PBS gem, but I now binge watch it on the weekends. The combination of a character-driven documentary that still focuses on southern food culture is like crack for peeps like me. If you need some inspiration for your own garden, this show also delivers on that front. Bonus: It’s free to watch online via PBS.

Reading: Speaking of which, I’m reading Deep Run Roots by Vivian Howard, the chef in the aforementioned show. This cookbook is an opus, and I love every page. I found it after hearing about the documentary, and it’s one of the most well-executed cookbooks I’ve seen in a long time. However, I will give the disclaimer that it’s more of a 40/60 balance between recipes for home cooks and wannabe chef/foodies, so flip through it before you buy. I’m really particular about the cookbooks I will drop cash on (versus online spelunking for recipes), so I understand if this brick isn’t for everyone.

Listening: I’ve gone down the podcast rabbit hole, and I was probably last to know about The Sporkful. I come from a family that talks about our next meal while we are eating the current cuisine, so I appreciate a podcast that constantly looks at food and culture with the same obsessive eye that we do.

So there ya have it. A snippet of my indulgence for your foodie pleasure. Back to the kitchen, and that leftover piece of King Cake.

**Disclaimer–This post was not sponsored in any way, and none of these people know who I am. I’m not that cool, dude, just tunnel-vision afflicted.**

Finished Knit–Azel Pullover

azelI have been working on a sweater for my husband for months now. It’s this lovely, intricate, cabled pattern that I now refer to as “The Sweater of Doom.” Why? When I started the project, I forgot that he’s a tall man with extra-long, monkey-like arms. And no, I’m not being facetious. I have to special order his dress shirts and he can’t wear off-the-rack long-sleeved shirts because the sleeves end at his mid-forearm.  This sweater has become the opus I may never finish.

Anyway, as I trudge along, I occasionally have to take a break and knit something, ANYTHING else. This is a popular pattern that has been making the rounds, so I whipped one up for Bean, who, of course, never wants to wear it. She’s about to go on the banned knitting list if she doesn’t get with the program.

azel-2Pattern: Azel Pullover (available for purchase on Ravelry)

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky is Wine colorway

Needles: Size US 13

Notes: I made the 8/10 size and am glad I did. Bean is 4 years old and wears a size 6 in clothes. As you can see, it fits as intended, so if you are making this for a small human, I’d go up a size. Also, I typically stick to bargain, machine-washable yarns when I make anything for the kids. I save the good stuff for me.

Super Bowl Snack–Bourbon Meatballs That Will Make People Love You More

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Ya know, for the life of me, I do not understand why the Super Bowl is on a Sunday night. Rumor has it that many of us have work and school the next day, so staying up late, partying, and feasting would probably be an event best served by a Saturday timeslot. Alas, since we all do have to do that whole responsible work/school thing, we usually keep our festivities low-key. I make some snacks, maybe have a family member or two over (if that), and put on my fat pants. I love an excuse to have a menu consist entirely of appetizers, because I like variety…and not having to construct a singular meal that at least one picky eater is going to complain about.

Rather than the fancy Crab Mornay or Lamb Chops from holiday parties, the big game is all about hearty, easy-to-make (and eat) food. These Bourbon Meatballs are just that. Stir everything together, cook for a bit, then settle down and watch your attendees go bananas over them. You can transfer them to a slow cooker to keep warm, making them an easy, hot appetizer for any event. I even took them to a Mardi Gras parade last year. My husband thinks these are manna from heaven, and no one ever needs to know how freaking easy they are. It’ll be our secret, ok?

Bourbon Meatballs

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Prep Time 5 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 32-ounce package frozen Italian-style meatballs thawed
  • 2 cups good-quality barbecue sauce
  • 1 cup bourbon
  • 1 cup honey
  • 3/4 cup mustard
  • 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions
 

  • In a large pot, combine barbecue sauce, bourbon, honey, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Bring to a simmer over medium-high heat.
  • Add meatballs and reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Provide toothpicks to your hungry guests and give them death threats if they even think about double-dipping.  Oh, look, there some bourbon left in the bottle! Whatever shall we do?
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!