Mint Julep with a twist!

Today I am joined by a very special co-contributor; my lovely wife Jo. I was prepping the dinning room table for my picture of my new whiskey rocks, more on those later, when I was persuaded to help with a wonderful treat that my wife found the recipe for. Jingle Bam! The two elements went together like peas and carrots and this post was born.

 

Mint Julep phase one.

 

 

I was recently the lucky recipient of a set of 9 Whiskey rocks from Teroforma. If you have ever wondered where the expression "on the rocks" came from I am going to guess that these wonderful one inch cubes of soapstone are not far from its origin. As the name clearly points out these are Whiskey rocks, plain and simple rock cubes that stay cold long after you remove them from the freezer. You may ask what good are a bunch of rocks in my freezer when I have ice. Ice is the ruination of fine bourbon, it dilutes the complex flavors that the master distillers have spent their lives perfecting. Who are we to go screwing up a mans lifetime of work. The idea is simple, put the rocks in the freezer, put three rocks in your tumbler, and cover the rocks with your favorite libation and the magic happens. The lucky recipient enjoys his first glass of bourbon as it was intended to be drank and you get the joy of telling your friends you have his stones in a bag in your freezer. For $20 the man who has everything gets a unique gift idea that he will thank you for every time he takes an unspoiled sip of his favorite Kentucky bourbon. These rocks neither absorb or impart any taste or odor; soapstones are non-pourous. All that you have to do is rinse them off and let them air dry before putting them back into the freezer.

 

Mint Julep phase two.

 

 

Hello everybody! I am Jo and my husband has asked me to break the sacred Manday manliness. We make wonderful things out of happy accidents and this is one of the best. He was so happy with the results of this one he had to share it with his followers. He is a hillbilly at heart and likes his bourbon, but mint juleps are his favorite on a hot summer afternoon. Now he can have a touch of those summer evenings in the winter. I was making the most wonderful peppermint bark when he was taking pictures of his new whiskey rocks and after he was done being a shutterbug, he poured himself a dram of Wild Turkey and took a taste of my peppermint bark. It was like he fell in love with me all over again! The recipe is super easy, and when you think about how much designer peppermint bark costs, it is cheap. Here is a link to the recipe. As you can see from the picture that it makes a lovely display and a great gift too. He wanted me to share this with you and I hope that you enjoy it. One little tip; if you don't have space in the freezer the hood of your husbands jeep that is parked in the uninsulated garage will work just as well if it is freezing cold. LOL I love you baby.

 

It was such a great combo, you guys need to try it! Sip the whiskey, bite the bark and relax. It will keep you warm on these chilly nights. Remember the most wonderful things are created from love, so no matter how crazy life gets this holiday season, this is a time for spreading joy and happiness. If you are looking for gift ideas that cover both of those bases grab some whiskey rocks and cook up some peppermint bark, give them away and watch the joy. MERRY CHRISTMAS.

Deep Fried Turkey

Yes it is that time of year where the holidays come fast and furious and we need to start preparing for Thanksgiving.  At this point Thanksgiving is only 2 1/2 weeks away.  We need to get out and start getting some of our supplies and foods we will need for our Thanksgiving feast.  Last year we waited and found ourselves running around trying to find some of the classics everyone uses.  The biggest and best thing to start looking for is a Turkey.  You have to decide how many will be attending your dinner and what size Turkey to get.  Better yet, how will you prepare that Turkey.  Getting up at 3 am to start cooking the Turkey is not for me or anyone in my house.  The best way to cook one is to Deep Fry it.  Average cooking time is anywhere from 2 1/2 to 3 minutes per pound depending on the size of the Turkey.  So a 20 lb Turkey will cook in 1 hour.  You only need 3 things to do this.  The first is a deep fryer.  The prices have come down and one could be had for around $30.  The second thing you need is some Peanut oil.  Now be careful if someone has a peanut allergy but this is the best oil to use as it will not burn the Turkey (if you watch the temperature).  The last thing is the Turkey.  Make sure the Turkey is totally defrosted before putting it in the oil.  Many fires began where people put a frozen turkey into the hot oil.

 

To prepare the Turkey, there are many options.  We like to inject ours with some kind of Cajun seasoning.  These are found at every store and come with a needle for injecting.

 

To get started, set up your fryer away from the house.

 

Fill the pot with peanut oil about 1/3 of the way.  Another way to make sure you have the correct amount of oil is to put the Turkey (in the bag) in the pot and fill with water.  Take the Turkey out and notice where the water level is.  Empty the water, dry the pot and fill with oil to the level you observed prior with the water.

 

Start the flame and slowly bring the temperature up to 300 to 325 degrees.  When the temp reaches 325 degrees slowly lower the Turkey into the oil.  The temperature will fall but monitor it to ensure it returns to 325 degrees.

 

Start your timer when the Turkey is submerged and enjoy an adult beverage or two.

 

When the time is up, turn off the flame and remove the Turkey.  At this point it should be a beautiful golden brown.  Carve and enjoy!!

 

This is the most moist and flavorful way to cook a Turkey that I have ever found.  As the Turkey is submerged, the oil seals off the skin and allows the juices to stay inside and cook the Turkey. 

 

Whatever way you choice, I hope you get the chance to try some Deep Fried Turkey.  You will never go back to putting one in the oven.

 

Steve

Spooky Treats: Zombie Brains

Spookie Treats: Zombie Brains

 

The new season of The Walking Dead premiered last night I thought I would cook up some undead treats for my followers. These grusome snacks are sure to please your little ghouls, and the best part is that they can help.

 

What you will need.

Hot Dogs

Dry Pasta

Large kettle

 

 

Take your hot dogs and cut off the rounded ends, then cut them into 1 inch pieces. Each one in piece needs 10 pieces of dry pasta sticking out of it. Follow the cooking directions on the box of pasta to cook these pieces, and viola! Zombie Brains!

 

 

Add your favorite pasta sauce for a creepy blood sauce and enjoy. Have a Happy Halloween everybody.

Barry

Mom Caves

            Are you kidding me?  The first time I heard this term was about 2 weeks ago.  Mom caves are the new thing.  Funny thing is, the whole house is a mom cave.  Man caves seem to be slowly disappearing and come to think of it, mine is gone as well.  Now when I say the whole house is a mom cave, I mean more often than not, a mom designs and decorates the house.  She picks out paint colors and furniture and dad nods his head in approval.  How many guys have a floral print or some kind of paisley bed comforter?  This guy does and why?  Because, I want my wife to be happy.  If a man decorated a house, it would be dark and cold…..kind of like a MAN CAVE.  It’s one room where we want to put all of our hunting stuff and NASCAR items on display.  Usually the basement works perfectly for this.  I have been told the garage and shed are mine.  Great, an un-heated, un-air conditioned place where I store gas and fertilizers.  I’m sure I’d smell great sitting down for dinner.  When my basement was taken over by my son’s ridiculous amount of toys, I moved all my items into a 10’x10’ bedroom.  Cozy.  Well #2 came along and all of a sudden my items ended up in our crawl space.  Man cave gone.

        

Well, now there is a mom cave.  How did that happen?  I must have been sleeping.  The den has been taken over by a scrapbook table and crafting items.  There’s a nice couch to cozy up on and read a book as well.  I guess I never thought about it, but mom deserves a place as well. 

            Recently my wife and two sons tried to clear a place in the basement by moving the treadmill and shoveling the toys out of the way.  They cleared a nice 5’x8’ spot for me.  But, It’s just not the same trying to watch a race with a Tickle me Elmo staring at you.  I truly appreciate their efforts but it looks like it will be years before I can claim a cave again.  Until then I will proudly claim the garage and shed and all the aromas that come with them. 

            Just remember, if you are out to dinner and sit next to a guy that smells like gas, be sure to say hello, it’s probably me.

Steve ✈