Coffee Soda

A recipe for Coffee Soda

One fresh cup of strong coffee

Ice to fill tumbler

One tablespoon of vanilla sugar - stir into hot coffee

Some milk to lighten up coffee (optional)

Pour coffee and additions into tumbler until half full.

Add seltzer water and stir. 

Enjoy!

Hot August Days

Just a cool refreshing margarita to accompany some Malibu Chicken strips. A light summer lunch with some Malibu sauce, in the heart shaped container, to go with the chicken this time.

Two Lunches

One is fish and chips at the ocean, outdoor sitting, lovely day, view of the rock, and a Margarita.

The second one is udon noodle soup and tempura at the train station, indoor sitting, casual Japanese decor, and sake.

Jan 1st is National Bloody Mary Day!

Bloody Mary

I was perusing the LA Times food section and read a short ode to the Bloody Mary. The author implores his audience not to use the thin watery cheap bottle mix and offers a few suggestions of brands that are much better.

So when I went to the market, I looked for such brands and had no luck.

Well, I'm a "from scratch" kind of person. So here is my version (based on ideas from the article) of The Bloody Mary.

Start with:
5.5 oz Tomato Juice

Add to taste:
Horseradish sauce
Fresh ground black pepper
Worcestershire sauce

Stir in:
1 1/2 shots of vodka

Top with:
Fresh crumbled bacon strip
Juice of 1/4 of a lime

and garnish:
with a celery stick.

The Pouring Of Sake

A collection of nibbles and the pouring of sake for this latest edition of Sake Sunday, I present to you.

I bought a new toaster. One that automatically lowers. No manual pushing down of lever. So making toast is my new hobby. And putting things on toast is the corollary.

So roasted garlic (slightly burnt, I know they look like shiitakes), hummus, pickles (a palette freshener), double cream gouda (sigh), brie (double sigh), and some sliced pears (because I love the brie-pear combo).

Chai

Half milk and half Tazo Chai = buzzzzz

Fizzy Iced Tea

Rewards Day

Sat in the sun with Si, 45 minutes. Good I did this first, we now have only clouds.

Organized office papers, 1 hour. Serious bit of procrastination was overcame here.

So reward time! Phone call to friend, 1 1/2 hours. Oh, the day is still young.

Make bread. Leave to rise. Laundry, laundry, laundry. Clean out fridge - total bleck!

Reward time! A find in the bottom in the back - Boddingtons Pub Ale!

Vanilla Vodka

While the Skittles Vodka experiment wasn't nearly as successful as I hoped, the Vanilla Vodka has proven to be a wowzer.  Wowie!

No I'm not drunk. Hah! I tried a sip of a shot last Friday. Straight.

Yikes! I think my nose hairs burnt off.

So then I mixed that with two shots of Dr. Pepper. And drank it with a straw.

I caught a buzz. I was all Buzz.Buzz.Buzzy. I think the straw was the key.

And good for cooking too. Not the straw but the vanilla bean wodka. gurgle.

Skittles Vodka

This is an experiment. Separate the colors and add vodka and wait. The problem is the colors are so neon and artificial, that I'm afraid.

Ave (Bloody) Maria

Happy National Tequila Day!

Peachy Drink

Inspired by popsicles makers and luscious donut peaches, I decided to freeze diced peaches in a glass very much like this one. I mushed them all down to remove air pockets. Stuck the glass in the freezer overnight, and when I came in from the garden today looking for a cool drink, I slightly defrosted the smashed peaches and disked the log. Put them into a small glass and added club soda.

Ta Da! A peach cooler!

Thanks Alicia for the bag of donut peaches. We been feasting on them!

Hot Dog! It's Baseball Time Again!

I love my new plates - all two of them - with glorious yummy food on them, just like a good food snob should, right?

Hey, that isn't just any mustard on any dog. It's Dijon on a Nathan skinless. And that isn't tap water and tap water ice. Nosirree! Palomar Mountain water and Palomar Mountain ice sitting on, guess what? A real "made in France" French napkin!

Guest of Honor

Dude! Is that a bow on your head????

A bull's eye view

An awful lot talk about what to do where to go for the upcoming b'day (it's two months away) and how could I possibly leave Si?!

Nonsense! I'll take him with us.

No conclusions were made other than I must have this bull.

Iced Tea

Wild Raspberry Iced Tea!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Excellent fudge frosting chocolate cake with Haagan-Dazs vanilla ice cream!

Excellent Margarita!

Deep Fryer Madness

I know it's not PC. I know it's not good for me. I know it's the bane of modern life.
But I has me a deep fryer! It's my new purchase and I love it!

The first time I used it I was shakin' Hot oil is sooooooo dangerous. But now, after three tries, I'm an old pro. Well, sort of. I'm getting better anyway. Tempura shitakes tonight. (no pic, sorry I just forgot, maybe cuz of the SAKE!) 

Honestly if you are going to eat raw fish, I suggest Sake. If you are going eat deep fried thinly sliced veggies, Sake. And if you are going to eat seaweed in any form, I strongly recommend Sake! 

Two Cadillacs On The Rocks No Salt

Chips and salsa too. I love Mexican food, even the Americanized version, all cheesy and gooey. However I must say a good fish taco on a sunny day with warm white sand between my toes can make me twirl.