Daniel O'Connell's (awesome pub grub in alexandria)

http://www.danieloconnells.com/history.jsp


GET.
THE.
GUINESS.
BURGER.

!!!!!!!!!!

I swear to gawd  you will never want a cheeseburger any other way again.  EVER.

Pear Tree martini (two ways)

My new favorite drink, discovered at Matchbox Pizza in Washington DC!

Recipe as found at liquor.com, contributed by St. Germain Liqueur; Matchbox changes in [ ]:

INGREDIENTS:
1.5 oz Hanger One Spiced Pear Vodka (may substitute another pear vodka) [absolute pear]

1.5 oz St-Germain Liqueur
.75 oz Fresh lime juice
Dash Angostura Bitters [triple sec]

Garnish: Pear slice

Glass: Coup or martini

PREPARATION:Combine the ingredients in a shaker, add ice and shake. Strain into a chilled coup or martini glass. Garnish with a pear slice.

Mmmmmmmm . . . . I'll have another, garcon!

Chunky Hazelnut-Toffee Cookies

Chunky Hazelnut-Toffee Cookies
(aka: best freakin' chocolate chip cookies ever)

From Forrest Gump: My Favorite Chocolate Recipes
Oxmoor House, Inc publishing (1995)

Ingredients:
1 c. unsalted butter, softened
3/4 c. firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 c. sugar
2 large eggs
1 Tbsp vanilla extract
2 3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
4 (1.4 oz) English toffee-flavored candy bars, chopped
2 (10-oz) packages semisweet chocolate chunks
1 c. toasted, chopped hazelnuts or pecans

How to:
Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add sugars, beating well. Add eggs and vanilla, beating well.

Combine flour and next 3 ingredients, stirring well. Add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended. Stir in toffee candy, chocolate chunks, and nuts.

Drop dough by heaping tablespoonfuls 1 1/2 inches apart onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350° for 10 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool slightly on baking sheets; remove to wire racks to cool completely. Yield: 4 1/2 dozen.

"Note: For English toffee-flavored candy bars, Mama always used Heath bars."

Notes from Beth: 1) make sure you toast the hazelnuts!! It really boosts the flavor depth and gets rid of that bitter undercurrent of flavor in the nuts. 2) Don't buy the bags of toffee bits available now in stores--get the actual candy bars (preferably the bite-sized ones, if you can) and chop those up--they taste different, plus provide an added bonus of a little bit of milk chocolate. 3) Mama may have used Heath bars, but Beth suggests using Skor bars instead.

These cookies have been the family favorite since I first made them for xmas 2000 or 2001 and are always on the requested list of goodies. I don't think we've made a "regular" chocolate chip cookie for holidays since. . . enjoy!

Cajun Blast Seasoning!

I picked up a small shaker of this while I was in Louisiana a few weeks ago and brought it back to the office--it's kind of a tradition if you go anywhere for work travel to bring back a taste of the region.

Since I'd just been down there a few weeks earlier, we already had a bag of their favorite flavored coffee (French Market's Mardis Gras Pralines & Creme) and this was the first time I'd seen this variety of spice at the store. Seemed a mild blend, and, ironically, very close to the spice blend I make at home for whatever.

HUGE hit at the office. Requests for larger cans next time I go down, etc, etc. Not only great on grits and in chicken noodle soup, but apparently a massive success on microwave popcorn. Click the photo for a link to Cajun Heritage's website!

Stranded in Texas, Part 4 (yumminess)

Friday, May 15th.

Trying to leave Texas--again. This time I'm headed home . . . and this time the hold up is because of a leaky water bag on the plane--which they need to repair and while they're at it they'll change out the wet cushions from the leaky row.

So we deplaned and were given enough time to grab a quick bite before leaving again.

If you're ever in the Dallas/Ft. Worth airport and have the time and inclination, I highly recommend taking the tram to Terminal C at gate C21 -ish . . . grab a bite from Urban Taco--I had a carnita and if I hadn't already filled up on pretzel stix and soda I'd eat about 5 more. Pocket-sized goodness and better than any carnita I've ever had at some diner in Virginia (despite the local population being somewhere around 30% latin last I cared to look at the census figures).

Friends don't let friends eat Tex Mex.

Another WOO Moment (target brand sooooda!)

It's been 3 days since I bought (and drained) this new soda flavor I found over at Target this week: Pomegranite Strawberry italian soda. Since I learned to hold off on "Woo!" moments after my Diggs Dynamite post (haha), I'll spare you readers the essay on why I really like it--sorry. LOL!




I'm a southern kid--no summer is complete without at least one sip of strawberry soda--and this caught my eye while I was loading up on Life Water and thought I'd give it a go. Mmmmmmmm!!! New favorite!!