Horchata- a little slice (or glass) of heaven

My boyfriend is Mexican, and thanks to him my stomach has been opened up to a whole new culture of gastric delights. Horchata is an amazing drink that tastes basically like liquid rice pudding. It is so good. Then I tried it with rum...even better. This is so easy to make, just takes a little while (Lots of soaking involved). We first made this on Saturday for the Cinco de Mayo party, but we never took any pictures. Today I made more...now I have almost too much...except there is no such thing as too much horchata lol.  I got the recipe from here.

As a side note, when it is combined with rum it is extremely dangerous. the wonderful flavor of the horchata hides the taste of alcohol almost too well. So, if you do decide to make this and add rum, please be safe :).

Making the rice paste^

 The ingredients of the rice paste^

 Rice paste in the water, taking a nice long soak

 The tedious process of straining all of the liquid.

QOTP- What if your favorite drink/cocktail?

Happy eating,

Smashley

Pierogi Fest 2012!!!!!!!!

Where do I begin?!?!?! My friend/mom's co-worker DB had this brilliant idea to have a pierogi party. She has a family recipe from her husband's grandma...which I am now also in possession of MUWAHAHAHAHAHA insert evil pierogi loving laugh here). This was a very labor intensive process. There was supposed to be enough doe to make 150, but we made ours a little thick..trial by fire. Honestly the best pierogis I have ever eaten. If you have the time, homemade is the way to go. 

DB made the traditional potato and onion filling and my mom made both prune and a sweet cheese filling. All three were wonderful and fab. 

Helpful hints if you were to have your own pierogi fest that we learned the hard way:

1- Bring plenty of friends who are willing to do work.

2- Make stations!! such as dough rolling, dough cutting, filling, crimping, boiling, and if desired a   

frying station. It makes a difference!!

3- If you think the dough is thin enough, best to go a little thinner...that is why we had no where near 150.

 Rick-ford the supervisor...he got a little inappropriate later that evening.

 Filled with potato filling

 The filler- adding the potato filling

 The roller who took over after me

 Potato filling

 Below the cheese and prune filling

 

 

 Boiling them

 Cooling bath

But seriously....BEST. PIEROGIS. EVER!!!!

QOTP-

What fillings would you put into your pierogi??? / How do you spell pierogi because apparently there are tons of ways to spell pierogi.

Next post-
Tonight I will be attending a Cinco De Mayo fiesta/ 18th B-day party for my friend's younger brother (kinda my friend too). MY Mexican and I made Horchata to add rum to to make Rum Chata. We already made the horchata, not to shabby for a white girl if you ask me.

Happy eating,

Ashley Klakoski

Honey butter grilled chicken

ZOMG! So I found this recipe online Wednesday after my dad asked me to make something for dinner. I found the recipe from this website and the actual recipe from this link here. The recipe for the butter alone is worth taking a look. SOOO good and I was so mad when I realized I didn't put any aside when I started to baste the chicken and spread the germs because I couldn't use it for anything else :( I was so sad. The chicken turned out fab though. Def a keeper recipe.

With the chicken I concocted a Vidalia onions, carrots, a little EVOO, fresh rosemary, coarse sea salt. This was grilled on foil over low heat along with the chicken. I considered it done when the carrots were tender-crisp. I thought it was ok, but my mom loved them. 

The salad was a traditional salad in my family. My grandma got the recipe from a friend of hers at church. It is lettuce, canola/ veggie oil, and onion salt. Sounds weird, but it super easy and super tasty.

QOTP (Question of the post)

What is your favorite way to cook chicken?

Happy eating,

Smashley