Whiskey Glazed Carrots

Have I really been gone a month?
Seriously?

Sigh.

Thank you to you all who have stuck with me thru my absence!
Not that it is any excuse, but working two, soon to be three jobs plus trying to keep up with everything at home is kicking my butt.
(not to mention life happening in the meantime. Too many doctor appts, too many people in the hospital, too much of too much)
I am backed up with blog posts, and if you read my week in review sessions, I haven't exactly been cooking so much as of late.

Not to mention, gas workers down the street cut lines! We had no phone or internet for over a week. Scary!

I am going to try to be better...I promise!

Ingredients:

1 Stick butter

2 Lbs carrots (bite sized chunks)

½ Cup whiskey

¾ Cup Brown sugar

½ Tsp salt

Pepper

Directions:

1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in large skillet

2. Add carrots, cooking for a couple minutes. Remove from skillet.

3. Pour in whiskey and allow to evaporate for 30 seconds

4. Reduce heat to medium and add remaining butter

5. When butter melts, sprinkle brown sugar

6. Stir, then add carrots back to skillet

7. Cover and continue to cook for 5 minutes

8. Remove lid and add salt and pepper

9. Continue cooking until carrots are done and glaze is thick

Print

Adapted from Tasty Kitchen

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Three Cheese and Beer Quick Bread

Cheese?
Beer?
Bread?
SOLD!

Hubby plays "old man volleyball". Every week, pre-game, all the men folk gather round the picnic table to eat and drink and talk manly things.
This has been going on for 20+ years, and as cute as I think it is...it means I need to make an extra something during the week for him to bring.

As we are a small family, two loaves are a bit much. Normally I would freeze some, but I recently did a bunch of freezer cooking...and had no room to spare.

Lightbulb flashes!

I cut up an entire loaf and sent it to volleyball with my grown man-child.
From what I understand, it was a HIT!

There was none left when he came home.
So very glad I kept some for us!

Ingredients:

6 ½ Cups all purpose flour

2 Tbsp baking powder

1 Tsp salt

2 Tsp dry mustard

1 Tbsp dried Italian herbs

1 ½ Cups sour cream

2 Cups beer (room temperature)

½ Cup tomato juice

1 Tbsp worcestershire sauce

2 Eggs (beaten)

6 oz Shredded gruyere cheese

1 Cup parmesan cheese

6 oz Shredded white cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350

2. Grease two loaf pans

3. In large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, dried mustard, and Italian herbs

4. Remove ½ cup gruyere and ¼ cup parmesan, set aside

5. Add remaining cheeses to flour mixture. Mix with fingers so all cheese is coated.

6. In a separate bowl, whisk together the beer, sour cream, tomato juice, eggs, and worcestershire

7. Add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until just mixed.

8. Divide batter between the two pans.

9. Sprinkle top of each loaf with reserved cheese

10. Bake for 50-55 minutes

Print

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker

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TGI Friday's Original Jack Daniel's Sauce

Let me up-front and honest.
I didn't think this tasted like Friday's sauce, AT ALL.

That being said, I thought it was delicious.

I had some steak that I cut up into tips. Used some of this to marinate them for a day, and then brushed more over them as they were cooking.
We all agreed, 3 thumbs up!

Ingredients:

1 Tbsp onion powder

1 Tbsp garlic powder

1 Tbsp tobasco sauce

1 Cup pineapple juice

½ Cup whiskey

2 Cups brown sugar

2 Bouillon cubes

4 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan

2. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes

3. Allow to cool and use as a sauce

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Hubby drank the rest of the pineapple juice without telling me. I improvised by using the juice from a can of pineapple.

Stir it up and simmer!

Mmmm...steak tips!

This recipe was shared at Flour Me with Love, Uncommon Designs, This Gal Cooks, Inside Bru Crew Life, Chef in Training, Pint Sized Baker, Mandy's Recipe Box, and Make Ahead Meals for Busy Moms

Recipe adapted from here

Cheddar Ale Spread

We were having friends over just for a quick visit, like a drop in on their way to an anniversary dinner.

My mother raised me to always have something. I cannot have people come over, or go somewhere without food in hand!

Knowing they were going out to eat shortly after leaving our house, I didn't want anything too heavy. Something they could just nibble at and still leave room for dinner.

This recipe had been floating around my mountain sized pile of "to make" recipes for quite some time, and this was the time to use it.

So easy, and made with foods I already had on hand, it was made in no time flat!
I served this with pretzels and celery...both were the perfect taste match.

Ingredients:
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 Tsp dijon mustard
2 ½ Cups shredded extra-sharp cheddar cheese
2 Tbsp heavy cream
¼ Tsp salt
¼ Cup beer (anything but a light beer)
2 Tbsp fresh or 2 Tsp dried parsley

Directions:
1. Combine everything except the beer. Process in food processor for 30 seconds.
2. Add the beer and continue processing until very smooth.
3. Pulse in the parsley until just dispersed.
4. Serve immediately. Or take out of the refrigerator an hour before serving.

Print

Ingredients: And yes, it is very important not to use a "light" beer, it will mess with the deep flavor

You know you want to reach over and dig right in!

Heaven and Hell

Hubby dearest came up with these for one of the many, many Patriots parties we have had.
Not sure which of the friends named them, it could have been a combination of people...but they say it's a little bite of Heaven (chocolate) and a little bite of hell (cherry).

He starts with a jar of marachino cherries, and drains the liquid out.
He then fills the jar with 151 rum.
*Note: Get cherries with no stem and no pits

After the third day of soaking, he drains the juice (reserved in another jar to make 151 cherry cokes) and fills it again with 151. Soak for another 2 days.
*Note: for less of a bite, you only soak them the once

Once you are done soaking, dry the cherries with a paper towel.
Skewer each cherry on a toothpick
Using dipping chocolate, dip each cherry.

Place in a container, on wax paper, and put in the fridge to set.

Serve (adults only!) and enjoy!

This was shared at this party