What's Cooking Home Skillet??

We had a real lazy weekend.  

We needed it.

But there was one thing that made it an over the top weekend.  Nope, not the Blackberry Sangria I sucked down at dinner on Saturday, (but it was a close call).  It was the successful dinner I put together for our St. Patrick's Day feast.  

St. Patrick's day is normally a corned beef and cabbage day.  This year I had been trolling the internet for new inspiration and guess what?  Sucess.  I found a recipe for a braised Kielbasa and sauerkraut recipe.  It included beer and brown sugar and simmering all day long in a crock pot.  It called to be served on hard rolls.

I loved the idea of these flavors but had to make it mine by making a couple of changes.  Isn't that the way it always is?

Here is the recipe as it came to fruition in my kitchen.

3 lbs of Conecuh Sausage.  
32 oz of sauerkraut
1 cup of brown sugar
12 oz beer (I used a dark Irish beer here.)
red pepper flakes
1 tbs of dijon mustard
salt to taste
cracked white pepper to taste

In a saucepan combine sugar, beer, red pepper flakes and dijon mustard.  Simmer on low until sugar is dissolved and thickened.  Set aside. Cut up the sausage into manageable chunks and add to the Crock-pot.  Add sauerkraut.  Pour sugar mixture over sauerkraut and sausage.  Add salt and pepper.  Cover and set on low to cook for four to five hours.

I used Conecuh sausage because I love this stuff.  If you can get your hands on this sausage try it.  Even if you don't make this recipe, this is some good stuff.  In fact this is one of our go to grillers for boating in the summer.

We chose not to serve this over rolls.  Instead we did a side dish of sauteed cabbage (a recipe for another day).  Everything turned out really well and dinner was an unqualified success.

So from my happy Irish family to yours...Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Friday Flick Day: The Host

I am in a book club that was started via twitter.  We call ourselves BookHungry.

Right after BookHungry became a thing one of the books we read and reviewed was The Host by Stephanie Meyer.  You can read my review here.

It was another YA novel that surprised me.  I totally dug it. 

They announced sometime back that they would be making it into a movie and I started to get excited.  Not exactly like I did for The Hunger Games.  But close.

Anyway, I just caught the trailer and wanted to share.

Enjoy.

Are you planning to see it?  Let me know.

Petfinder's Luckiest Pet Contest

I recently saw this on Facebook and had to share.  Even if you don't vote for this little beauty, go to the website and find a pet you can get behind. 

My heart hurt when I read this little girl's story and it made me realize how lucky my three furry little friends truly are.  They know they are loved.  

Here's Dottie's story as posted to Facebook.
 
Hi, folks! This is little Dottie. She was found in a parking lot, scavenging for food. Both her back feet had been cut off as well as her left ear. She has a loving home now with her mom, Monica. Dottie is in the Petfinder's Luckiest Pet of 2013 contest to win $5,000 for homeless pets and a $500 Petco gift card for herself. Can you take a minute to help this sweet little girl? She's been through an awful lot. You can vote once a day until March 18th. Thanks!
You can vote here. http://bit.ly/YpelBD

Green looks good

Yesterday my BookHungry sister Abby mentioned in passing that she was having a bad day.

This saddened me as Abby is one of the most upbead, happiest people I have ever had the pleasure to not meet.

I don't want her to have another one so I am posting this pic to remind her of her awesomeness.

Abby:  If you were on Facebook you would have already seen this and been reminded of your greatness.

You're welcome.

  


 

Costa Rica...Land of the Hummingbird

Last July the hubs and I got to go abroad.  Something we had not done in quite a while.  

We spent about four months planning this trip and let me tell you something...the planning paid off.  We had one of the most memorable, soul cleansing, friendship bonding experiences.  

We stayed in a Villa that had a built in pool off of one of the master suites.  Yes, you heard that right.  One of the master suites.  On our last day of the trip before we headed home to our own, more Americanized version of paradise we spent the day at Monte Verde.  Green Mountain.  

It was one of the most gorgeous places I have ever seen.  We got to walk through a rain forest.  There was a moment going over one of the many suspension bridges that I looked over to the Captain and said, "Were in a freaking jungle.  How cool is that?"  

We both took a moment to soak it in.  It was absolutely amazing.  I also got some great photos from the trip and wanted to share a couple with you.  One of the many attractions they offered was their hummingbird garden.  Since you are in the clouds anyway, rain was guaranteed.  But we didn't care, because we were so entertained by the vision of the hummingbirds.  Well, here just look for yourself.

Unauthorized my ass

While I was messing around on the blog this weekend trying to embed a slideshow I learned that my blog has been down to the public. Major fail on my part.

I am so sorry.  I have been posting, but you have not been seeing.  So here is a recap of the blogs I have written since I came out of my self-imposed black out. 

Send by Patty Blount 

Always and Forever by Karla Nellanbach

Anono-what?

Soup - it's good for you.

Sometimes it's the little things

Social Media - How do you keep it all straight

22 Year's Strong
We didn't get the tattoo's this weekend b/c of the Captain's insane work schedule but I have a promise that it will be either this week or over the weekend.  So excited.

Much Ado is a Must See


     

Much Ado is a Must See

I am a huge Joss Whedon/Nathan Fillion fan.  Or maybe that's a huge Nathan Fillion/Joss Whedon fan.  I need to think about that.  Have been since Firefly, which I think was brilliantly done and deserved a longer shelf life than just one season.  I swear TV would be such a better place if I was in charge.  Reality shows would not exist.  Watching the Big Bang Theory would be mandatory and Bon Jovi would have his own channel.  But I digress.

I guess I can't get to upset that Firefly went off the air.  If it hadn't we might not have Castle and I personally cannot live without a weekly Castle fix.

So guess how excited I was when I heard Joss Whedon was doing Shakespeare?  Very.  I have been waiting with bated breath for the trailer and here it is.

You're welcome.



Will you go see it?

22 Years Strong

Today me and the Captain celebrate a milestone.  

22 years of happily ever after.

In honor of this grand number we have decided to get matching tattoo's.  Silly?  Maybe.  We met while we were in the Navy and since boating is still very much apart of our lives we are going with this one.

Were shooting for this weekend to get them done, and I promise to post a pic once completed.  

I heard a celebrity on TV who was recently asked how she and her husband had survived 25 years married being in show business.  I thought her answer was brilliant.  "You survive by knowing there all not going to be great years."

I have to tell you I loved her honesty because I don't think many people would be willing to put it out there like that.  Why?  Mainly because it's true and mainly because it doesn't jive with the whole philosophy of never going to bed mad at your spouse.  Can I just tell you this, we have gone to bed mad at each other plenty of times. 

What we don't do is stop talking.  Ever.  You can still be mad and say goodnight and I love you.  

So in honor of this auspicious occasion I just wanted to take a moment to wish my wonderful husband a Happy Anniversary.  

22 years ago today, together we took a leap of faith.  Oh, don't get me wrong, we loved each other.  Desperately.  We still do, but our love today is  different.  It's deeper, richer, and more substantial with 22 years of living, loving and fighting behind us.  Life truly is a journey and I have been blessed to be on this journey with one of the funniest, sexiest (he's going to bust me for making sexy second in this list) most honorable man I've ever known.  Thank you for the last 22 years together and I look forward to the next set!

Social Media...how do you keep it all straight?

I don’t know if you noticed, but the blog has undergone a little bit of a transformation in the year I took off from blogging.  You missed me?  Aww.

Well good news, I’m not done.  Currently I am working on a building a website.  Why?  Because I can.

If you look at the new blog there are social media badges, a new twitter feed where you can be dazzled by my wit 24 – 7.  You’re welcome.  I have also added a Pinterest widget, cuz let’s face it your curiosity knows no bounds when it comes to what I am pinning right?

I haven’t added my Instagram badge yet because I haven’t used Instagram yet.  I have it on my phone, but quite frankly I am a little overwhelmed.  Instagram, Picasa, Flikr.  Then you have the different platforms for storage.  SkyDrive, Google drive, and my favorite Drop Box.  I just can’t keep them all straight.  In the coming months I am going to share some of my insights with you as I navigate my way through this new labyrinth of things that suck my time, but hey someone has to do it so it may as well be me.

What cool things do you have on your blog or website, tell me so I can check it out.

 

Sometimes it's the little things

Yesterday I got home and had a letter in the mail.  

Normally I hate mail.  Nothing ever any good comes to me that way anymore.

But this one was a good one. 

My niece Kylie, whom I adore, send me this picture that she colored for me.  We live many miles apart so it means a lot to me that her mom goes out of her way to make me feel like a part of her growing up experience and I just wanted to share.  

Yes, she is a genius and someday her works will be exhibited in the Louvre and I will be able to say I knew her when.  

   

Soup...it's good for you

This weekend we got a cold snap.

Thank you Mother Nature.  Winter has been kind to us here in the warm state of Florida, but sometimes a girl just wants to make some soup.  

This is for all of you who asked for it.
 
Angie's Loaded Baked Potato Soup

Ingredients
1 pound of bacon, chopped
1 large yellow onion, diced
3 large carrots peeled and diced
1 whole batch of celery, diced
6 large russet potato's, diced.(I used large baking potato's here so you may need more.)
8 medium red potato's, diced.    
4 cups chicken broth
4 cups heavy cream.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Garnishes
Green onions, reserved bacon bits, sour cream, cheddar cheese, croutons, and whatever else you may like on your baked potato.

Directions
1.  In a 6 - 8 quart stockpot fry bacon until crisp over medium heat.
2.  Remove bacon to paper towels to drain and add onions, carrots and celery to bacon drippings season and cook until onions are translucent. 
3. Add potatoes and cook for 4 - 5 minutes stirring occasionally.
4.  Add stock and lower heat to simmer until potatoes are soft about 25 minutes.  
4.  Add cream.  You can mash some of the potatoes to make it creamier.  If it is too think add water to thin it out.

Season to taste and garnish with your choice of topping.  Enjoy.  

Kelly's Cooking Tip:  This soup is more delish the second day, but don't be put off.  It's fantastic anytime.

If you decide to try it; let me know how it turns out.  
    

Anono-what?

I love to blog and I love to read blogs.  That being said when I leave you a comment I do it in my own name.  

Sharing information is what social media is about. It has celebritized some because they have used it well while it has also introduced us to some of the cray cray.

Don't get me wrong, I think a little crazy is good.  But I want to be able to look that crazy in the eye.  You, know? 

I don't condone and vehemently disagree with the idea of being negative all in the name of Anonymous.  To me this is not an example of freedom of speech.  

If you leave a comment on my blog under the name Anonymous it will NOT be published.  If you send me an email under the name Anonymous I will not respond.  

I enjoy conversing with people I don't know as seen by my twitter feed.  I love a good debate.  What I absolutely disagree with is the idea that if you have something negative to say it's okay as long as you do it anonymously.  

I'm here to set the record straight. 

No, it's not.  

If you're going to man-up (or women-up as I am equal opportunity when it comes to the cowardly and delusional) and make a statement, do it under the guise of your true identity or just keep your thoughts to yourself.