Sassy Black Friend

Sweets for my sweet

Okay, to be fair, she’s not that sweet. But I do love Little Mama (the artist formerly known as Little Sister), and show that love in the best way possible, by spending money on her. Of course, with her pregnancy, much of my spending has moved to the bun in her oven.

I think her baby shower will be a combination of both. Lots of stuff to pamper mommy, and even more wonderful things for the baby. After checking out some adorable and delicious baby shower edibles, I’m in full planning mode, even though the party isn’t until August.

Easter Menu

This year’s Easter dinner kind of came out of left field for me. I decided to cook last minute, and we only had four for dinner, so I wanted to keep things simple. Also, because it was so late, I couldn’t find good lamb for a reasonable price, so we had ham instead.

Everything was pretty basic and easy to make, and works well as leftovers. I managed to find an 8 pound ham which was a lifesaver, so we won’t be eating the damn thing for a month.

I thought about doing the asparagus on the grill since the weather turned out so nice, but it wasn’t worth the effort for just vegetables.

Easter Dinner Menu

Honey Mustard Glazed Ham
Lemon Garlic Roasted Asparagus
Au Gratin Potatoes
Romain Salad with Walnut Vinaigrette

Dessert was mixed berries with fresh whipped cream.

Cookware matters

For the longest time I refused to spend a lot of money on cookware. I figured as long as I knew what I was doing in the kitchen, I could use whatever my local Big Box store had to offer and still make good food. Fast forward a few years to me replacing everything in my kitchen for the second or third time, and I finally came to my senses.

Yes, it can be painful to shell out over a hundred bucks for a knife. But it will last forever, take sharpening well, and make the work you do with it faster and better.

And aside from being beautiful, cooking in le creuset makes the food taste better. I’ll never braise in cheap junk again.

Think about cookware like appliances. Investing in quality up front will more than pay for itself in quality and length of use.

What flavor? Cherry

I’m newly obsessed with everything cherry flavored. Cherry coke, cherry ginger ale, cherry cheesecake, cherry vanilla ice cream, cherry lip gloss, anything. I think it’s my body’s way of telling me it’s ready for summer when I actually buy cherries. I am out of control right now.

Preach it!

Word, kitten. Posted because I just rediscovered my love for Klondike bars.

Tonight’s menu as requested

SBF asked (ordered) me to post my menu for my St. Patrick’s day dinner tonight. We’re having corned beef, of course. I’m corning it myself (thank you Alton Brown). The rest of the menu is a mixture of classic ingredients and less than traditional preparations.

Braised Corned Beef
Sauteed Spicy Cabbage
Glazed Carrots
Colcannon (Simply Recipes version)
Whole Wheat Irish Soda Bread

… and something else for dessert that I haven’t decided on. Will probably just send Paul to the bakery to pick whatever looks good.