Happy Thirsty Thursday! This week it’s been kinda chilly for August; like windows open, long sleeves, kinda chilly. For this week I’m breaking out the Hot Chocolate and Kahlua Peppermint Mocha.
To make this you can take any hot chocolate you want. I’m gonna use Swiss Miss since it’s my all time favorite. (Side note: I use my milk frother and heat the milk instead of water and it just tastes so much richer. After the cocoa is made I pour in one shot of the Kahlua but you’re welcome to pour as much or as little as you want to make this drink more your own.
To make this drink more decadent you should add whip cream and chocolate shavings. Since this isn’t the drink I was planning to make but it sounded amazing I’m skipping this step…
All right. You should enjoy this all fall and winter. If you have any fun variations let me know. I’m happy to try to mix it up!
Happy Thirsty Thursday! Today I wanted something to make hanging in the back yard more fun without a ton of work (both prep and clean up lol!). So I decided to try taking my White Claw up a notch. The ingredients you will need are a Crystal Light packet of your choosing and a White Claw of your choosing.
I went with a Lime flavored Claw and a Strawberry Crystal Light. I mixed the two in my large tumble with ice and let me tell you it was heavenly!
Okay here is how I did it! I grabbed my tumbler and a reusable straw to start. The first thing I did was pour in my crystal light packet. Then I added ice in to my cup. After the ice I poured in my Claw! Then stirred until it was fully mixed in. After that step you are good to drink.
I will be keeping this on repeat all summer. It’s perfect for the warm sunny days!
This week we’re having a wine night! This one is a fruitscato from Barefoot. I originally had it at a friends house. She had the peach wine and it was amazing! She told me she bought it over at Kroger for under $10 a bottle.
This inspired Grant and I to go looking at Kroger for other variations. They have peach, strawberry and apple. They run about $7.99 a bottle but if you buy four you get a percentage off at Kroger. Currently the peach is on sale, 2 for $11.
We had the Apple fruitscato. It was crisp, and refreshing while still sweet. It’s the best summer wine and it’s perfect when chilled.
We got to sit back and relax on the patio while sipping our wine. Trust me if that sounds good to you then I highly recommend this! It felt like sipping on a cool fall evening in the middle of summer!
Okay welcome to the first ever thirsty Thursday over here! With Rona still out in full force Grant and I decided to get creative in the townhouse! We are going to pick something new or an old favorite to highlight (or enjoy) every Thursday night!
This week we needed something easy (or you know my bar tools need some serious tlc whatever….) So this for week one we grabbed something fun from the freezer!
At Costco I was left unsupervised. I’m the alcohol section and next thing you know I bought Popsicles that have vodka in them! They were less than twenty and a pack of 18. I was initially leery because Vodka doesn’t freeze easily but thought whatever even if it doesn’t freeze it’s basically a shot.
When I got home I threw a watermelon hibiscus, a strawberry freeze and a lime drop in the freezer and a few hours later I had a popsicle! (Be warned they melt fast but I did find it was actually frozen.) They were frozen enough to let me have a sword fight with grant then eat my popsicle.
So my favorite is the watermelon. It is sweet and doesn’t have an alcohol taste. The lime is too tart for me. I took one sip and my face felt like it was in a permanent pucker! The strawberry is really good but the watermelon is way better!
I’m in love and will be happily buying them again from Costco!
Alright, all you might wanna sit down for this one. It’s a completely semi homemade Monica meal. (I really liked this TV show on the Food Network when I was younger and Mom had it on. It was Semi Homemade With Sandra Lee. I’m not sure why that’s stuck with me all these years but it did. It’s kinda my inspiration when cooking, at least hard core for this recipe.) So for this recipe I took premade dough so it would save me time and energy when cooking. This recipe is easier in my opinion and holds up better than regular tacos. It doesn’t get soggy or have a limit on how many toppings you can put on the Taco. (Okay there is a limit if your plate overflows then the limit has been reached.) Alright, enough intro. Now for the ingredients. You will find them below but please realize the toppings are just that. They are what I wanted/had for my tacos. Your welcome to add more options, even onions, if you want.
Ingredients: Tacos: ◦ 1 pound ground beef (I usually get the more lean meat to just make it healthier and keep us eating less fat.) ◦ Taco Seasoning of Choice (I like the Old El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix in the Original Flavor. It isn’t too spicy and is packed with flavor. If you are using this you’ll want 2/3 cup of water for 1/4 cup of seasoning. ◦ 1 Container of Crescent Rolls (I prefer the Pillsbury Buttery Crescent Rolls) Toppings: ◦ Tomatoes ◦ Black Olives ◦ Sour Cream ◦ Avocado ◦ Mexican Blend Cheese ◦ Lettuce
Recipe: ◦ Preheat you’re oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. ◦ The first step is to brown the ground beef, once it is fully cooked drain the meat. ◦ From there you will add you’re taco seasoning and water into the ground beef. ◦ If you are using the Old El Paso Taco Mix then you will mix the seasoning into the ground beef bring it to a boil. Once it is boiling you will reduce the heat to a medium and let it simmer for 3-4 minutes letting it thicken up. (Most is the taco seasoning mixes will be the same). ◦ Once your meat is cooked you will open your crescent rolls and arrange them in a circle on the baking pan with the corners overlapping. (You’ll want to push the corners together to make them overlap.) ◦ Now you are going to put your taco seasoned meat into the base of the crescent rolls. You can stuff them as thin or as full as you like, personally I like to just evenly pour the meat into the crescent rolls. ◦ Then fold your crescent rolls back into shape. ◦ Now that your tacos are stuffed its time to toss them into the oven at 375 degrees for 11-13 minutes. When the timer goes off pull them out of the oven. ◦ Now its that time to cut your tacos into pieces. You will have eight tacos. I put two on a plate then fill it high with toppings. ◦ Last step stop and enjoy your tacos, you can thank me letter.
Hi ya’ll. Thanks for sticking with me as I tried to make my mom’s (okay the internet’s I believe she got it from the Kitchn Website.) pumpkin bread recipe. This time only the spot that touched the heating coil directly got burnt. Everything else was perfect. Below you will see the list of ingredients as well as the steps to make it. I promise the recipe is good. I just got it too close to the edge to bake. The bread tastes really amazing especially if you put a hint of butter with brown sugar and cinnamon.
Ingredients List: ◦ Cooking Spray ◦ 2 Cups of Granulated Sugar ◦ 1 (15 ounce) can of Pumpkin Purée ◦ 1/2 Cup of Vegtable or Canola Oil ◦ 3 Large Eggs ◦ 1 Tablespoon of Pumpkin Pie Spice ◦ 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons of Baking Powder ◦ 3/4 Teaspoon of Baking Soda ◦ 1/2 Teaspoon of Salt ◦ 2 1/4 Cups of All Purpose Flour ◦ 1/4 Cup of Roasted. Salted Pumpkin Seeds (I don’t like nuts at all so I leave these out when I make the recipe.)
How To Cook The Bread: ◦ Preheat your over to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat your a 9 by 5 loaf pan with cooking spray. ◦ In a large bowl mix the pumpkin purée, sugar, oil, and eggs then whisk them all together until it is smooth. (Or if you’re me throw it all in the stand mixer and begin letting it mix smoothly.) ◦ Next add in the pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Then continue to whisk them together until smooth. ◦ Now slowly add in the flour (seriously mix it in nice and slow to prevent it from getting everywhere.) folding it in with a rubber spatula until it is all combined. ◦ Then it’s time to pour the amazing smelling goodness into your pan in even lawyers. ◦ Once you have it in add your pumpkin seeds on top gently pushing them in so that they stick in the batter. ◦ Finally it’s time to bake the bread. I cook mine at 350 degrees and for 60 minutes then put an aluminum foil tent over the bread to keep it from getting to brown on top, then cooking it for an additional 20 minutes. ◦ To tell if you need to cook your bread another five minutes stick a tooth pick in at different spots. If the tooth pick comes out clean you are good to eat it. If the tooth pick doesn’t come out cleanly bake another five minutes and repeat this step.
Is there anything better than a topical getaway in the middle of winter? I don’t think so. However, that’s not the story here… Instead, Karen, Sarah and I headed over to Hazel Ravines in Downtown for the crab trap.
The drinks were tropical and make you just wanna wear your sun dress and nap in the sun. So I got the Niki Tiki which consisted of rum, chambers and coconut. Sarah grabbed a sonza beaches which is basically tequila and juice. Karen grabbed the equivalent of an orange creamsicle which was whipped vodka and Sunkist. They also were served in fun festive glasses. It was just the best of a tropical vacation in the middle of Birmingham.
After we managed to order drinks came the impossible task of deciding on an appetizer. It shouldn’t be that hard but oh my lanta we couldn’t decide what to try! We finally decided on a sampler. This had coconut shrimp, peel and eat shrimp, French fries, hush puppies, grouper bites and alligator bites. It was pretty clear to Karen and Sarah when the waitress came close with our food as my mouth dropped open. I’m not gonna lie. I passed on the alligator but really enjoyed everything else. I love the texture that coconut adds to shrimp. It makes it extra crunchy and flavorful! Plus the hush puppies were crunch, savory and filling. We might’ve loaded up on the appetizers but it was delicious so no regrets.
After we started munching on the appetizer we did manage to order dinner. Sarah grabbed a sandwich it looked really good, however Karen and I kept our eyes on the prize and ordered crab! Karen got the stone crab while I got the king crab. After we ordered we munched on our appetizer and chatted the evening away.
After a bit our waitress came walking over with two crabs and a sandwich. It was so much food! I really love warm crab with butter and that is exactly what they delivered! The crab literally melted in my mouth with that butter was rich and delightful. The crab also came with two sides; Mac and Cheese and chowder fries. I’m a total baby when it comes to spicy food. The chowder on my fries was spicy! I had to add in sour cream to make it more mellow and not burn my mouth. I ate a bit of my fries, but I barely ate my mac because my tummy was too full.
Thank god for the waitress. She came at the perfect moment and boxed up my food for me. I’m not even sure how I would’ve boxed that up! I’m still not sure how in the world she managed it! I have a wonderful lunch planned for later. (If anyone has a good recommendation for a cracker for the crab legs I’m all ears.)
Once we were finished with our food we might’ve decided to get a coconut cream pie to share with each other. This pie was different than most I’ve had before. Normally the pie has the crust, then coconut custard then whip cream with coconut shavings on top. This one had the custard and the whip cream mixed together so it was a heavier consistency but it was light and not over filling. It tasted heavenly! I would happily recommend it and I’m happy to go with any of you who wanna try it! The dessert wasn’t too heavy which I really loved since I would’ve never been able to eat it all if it had been.
After dessert came the bill and the conversation never stopped. We laughed, we cried and Sarah took embarrassing pictures of me. Thanks Sarah 😝 who doesn’t love those silly pics! After we paid we all piled into Karen’s SUV for the ride home.
Oh my. Priya text me a bit ago about a soup bowl happening over in Royal Oak So of course Grant, Sasha and I had to go with her. I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting but it wasn’t this!
When we got there we checked in and they had booths everywhere from restaurants with soup to bakeries and even merchandise shops. It was great. The only downside is there is construction so it’s a little hard to park at the farmers market.
The first stop Grant and I made was to hit Lockhart. We grabbed the samples they had. I got the chili. It was chunky and flavorful; everything a good chili should be. They also had a seafood gumbo that Grant got. I would’ve had more but it had some heat and I’m a solid chicken when it comes to spicy food, I just pass. (Side note Lockhart’s BBQ actually won best soup with their gumbo.)
The next restaurant we tried had a line but you know it has to be good when there is a line for soup samples! This place actually won people’s choice award for best soup. The Ideal Bite is located over in Farmington and the next time I go into the office I’m stopping over. I actually didn’t finish all my soups and took a Cheddar Chicken Chowder home with me to eat the next day. Omg that chowder melted in my mouth it was perfect and creamy. It was rich and flavorful. I couldn’t recommend it enough. I also tried their Seafood gumbo it wasn’t spicy at all. It was really a rich and savory soup. I was already getting full after two soups and I had five tickets left for the night…
The next soup I tried was over at the Sedona Tap House. Mind you this is no ordinary soup. It won the best chowder. It is really good and creamy. It kinda tasted like getting up from the sand at the beach and walking over to a restaurant right on the ocean where it’s completely open and you can feel the salt on your face. It tasted incredible. I wouldn’t have guessed it was from a restaurant in Michigan.
I was getting really full and thought well why not try a lighter soup like some chicken and dumplings. I tried JI Concessions Chicken and Dumplings. Okay I’m probably biased. It is a very polish restaurant so maybe it’s supposed to be more like chicken noodle soup but in my world Its always a creamy soup with no noodles, lots of chicken and dumplings. This one was basically chicken noodle soup with dumplings. It was good but it was just that; chicken noodle soup with dumplings.
Grant had a much better soup choice this round. He grabbed soup from Blu VI. He had Tuscan chicken soup. I got to sample it and really enjoyed the spices in the soup. It had a really good broth with rich Italian herbs. It also had chicken. It was really good. I would definitely have that soup again.
The last soup that Grant had was from Davison. He grabbed the Chicken chili since he was craving a chili. The chili was really really good. It had a rich flavor without any real spice. The last place I grabbed was Czapski’s kitchen and catering. They had homemade chicken noodle soup with actual homemade noodles. It was fantastic. I loved the broth. It was a bit of a salt and warm flavor. I actually ate the remainder the next day when I had a hint of a sore throat. It was like a miracle worker; hot, savory and just makes you feel better.
I might’ve grabbed dessert from White Wolf Japanese patisserie. We had this seventeen layer cake with crepes and strawberry whipped cream between each layer. It was really good. It’s what dreams are made of.
Here is a screenshot of the actual judges choice awards. I think I agree with most of their choices but Ideal Bite should’ve won best soup, just sayin…
Okay I’m in a food coma! I went out to lunch with a friend and we decided to try lobster fest at this cute restaurant in Birmingham. To start off we parked in the garage (Garages need to have attendants. The poor person two cars ahead of us couldn’t get the card reader to work. It got to the point where the car in front of us, the guy driving, got out to help them…. Just as he got out the car was able to enter the garage.) Then when we got parked we took a short stroll downtown and wow! I want an apartment down there. It’s beautiful and always picture perfect but the rent might be a bit too crazy!
Once we got to the restaurant and we’re seated we looked over the menu and shared an appetizer. OMG it was clams, lobster toast, then shrimp. Talk about heavenly! Plus I had this really good lemonade with tequila and while I’m a vodka girl I could be converted!
The food was fantastic and the appetizer was amazing. Then to make it better we decided to just go full on food baby and did the Connecticut Lobster Rolls. They were warm and buttery with a hint of fresh lemon. OMG I’m drooling again just writing about it. It was absolutely wonderful.
To make this even better I got to enjoy just relaxing and having lunch with a friend. We had excellent conversations, and amazing food. I ask you what could be better! I’m so glad to have amazing people in my life and get the opportunities to spend time with them enjoying unbelievably delectable food.
The Real Elle Woodz 