Welcome 2012--The Year of The Lizard

Oh 2011. I'd love to write all about the marvelous things that happened in 2011, but to be honest I pretty much just babied my way through it. Cried about this, cried about that. I did some pretty cool things that mostly turned to shit and I spent an insane amount of time dying on my living room sofa. BUT... if I can take away one measly little thing from 2011, it's this...

While I was in the hospital this summer (sorry guys, this sickness took up the majority of my year and you still have to hear about it), I had been in the ICU for a few days and was considering moving on to a big bad regular room. My favorite nurse, Monica, was trying to convince me to stay. Oh Monica, I loved her so. She listened to my drug-faced rambles and handed me toilet paper when I could barely move my shoulders. I think she was going to miss me ;) She told me that the regular rooms were basically the hog trough, you were fending for yourself, sister. Nobody was going to wait on me hand and foot or give a shit if I ate or not. I had decided to go ahead anyway, mostly due to the enormous cost of hanging out in an ICU bed. Monica was helping my emaciated ass to the transfer bed when she surprisingly said, "Wow! I didn't know you were that strong!" In my half-cognizant dillaudid-induced state, I looked at her and replied, "Monica, look at me. I'm young and resilient."
And yaknowwhat? I freaking am.

So this is my year. Yep, mine.
Happy New Year! I wish you all the blessings and happiness a year can hold.
Love,
The Lizard

Today I loaded up the boys and headed downtown for some Christmas fun. We got there a little bit early, which left us enough time to drink hot cocoa and listen to some live Christmas music. Mobile had Bienville Square set up for balloon animals, face painting, and Christmas karaoke. After all of that fun, there was a Christmas parade. The boys enjoyed it (until the balloon animals popped) and I loved every minute (until the balloon animals popped). Tonight I think we'll snuggle up with more hot cocoa and a movie. This might be my favorite day of the year. 

Thanksgiving Dessert

After watching the Bobby Flay/Ree Drummond showdown last year, I knew I had to try out that pumpkin bread pudding for Thanksgiving dessert. Let me tell you, it was delish! I really don't like pumpkin bread or bread pudding (I'm an alien), but this was fantastic. I actually made it over two days to allow the bread to cool and because I had a child with full blown I'm Two and I Rule the World Syndrome. I had to substitute a lot of things since I didn't have the proper ingredients and ended up completely dumping the Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce. It called for Apple Schnapps, I bought Apple Pucker. It needed star anise, I substituted Tazo tea (the wrong kind). Anyway, it just got lost in translation, so I nixed it. The dish was still fantastic with the bread pudding and vanilla anglaise. If you're a last minute Thanksgiving-er, like me, try this dessert to mix it up this year! It was a hit with family and friends. Everyone really enjoyed having a different type of pumpkin dessert. Yum yum!

So here's the recipe straight from Food Network:

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 6 large egg yolks
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 tablespoons pure maple syrup
• 1 cup pure canned pumpkin puree
• 2 tablespoons bourbon
• Pumpkin Bread, toasted and cubed, recipe follows
• Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise, recipe follows
• Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce, recipe follows
• Freshly whipped cream

Directions

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Combine the cream, milk, vanilla bean and seeds in a small saucepan over medium heat and bring to a simmer.

Whisk together the yolks, sugar, maple syrup, and pumpkin puree in a large bowl. Slowly whisk in the hot cream mixture until combined, remove the vanilla pod, and whisk in the bourbon. Strain the custard into a clean bowl.

Scatter the pumpkin bread cubes in a buttered 9 by 13-inch baking glass baking dish. Pour the custard over the bread, pressing down on the bread to totally submerge it in the custard. Let sit for 15 minutes to allow the bread to soak up some of the custard.

Place the pan in a larger roasting pan and pour hot tap water into the roasting pan until it comes half way up the sides of the glass dish. Bake until the sides are slightly puffed and the center jiggles slightly, about 1 hour.

Remove from the oven and water bath and cool on a baking rack for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Spoon some of the Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise into a shallow bowl, top with some of the bread pudding and drizzle with the Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce. Top with freshly whipped cream. Bread pudding is best served warm.

Pumpkin Bread:

• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus more for greasing
• 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 8 ounces (scant 1 cup) canned unsweetened pumpkin puree
• 2 large eggs
• 2/3 cup water

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter or lightly spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch loaf pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Whisk together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, allspice, cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves in a small bowl.

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 4 tablespoons softened butter, sugar, and oil at high speed until light and fluffy, about 1 minute, scraping down the sides and bottom of the bowl a few times.

Add the pumpkin puree and mix until combined. Add the eggs, one at a time, and mix until just incorporated. At low speed, slowly add the flour mixture and water and mix until just combined. Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 60 to 75 minutes. Let cool in the pan on a baking rack for 10 minutes. Remove from the pan and let cool completely.

Once the bread is cool, slice in half lengthwise, and then slice each half into 1/2-inch cubes. Spread the cubes on a large baking sheet and bake in a 325 degree oven until lightly toasted, turning once, about 20 minutes. Let cool.

Vanilla Bean Creme Anglaise:

• 2 cups half-and-half
• 1/2 vanilla bean, seeds scraped
• 5 large egg yolks
• 1/3 cup pure cane sugar

Bring the half-and-half and vanilla bean and seeds to a simmer in a medium saucepan.

Whisk together the yolks and sugar in a medium bowl until at the pale ribbon stage. Slowly whisk in the hot half-and-half, return the mixture to the pot, and cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. Strain into a bowl and set over an ice bath. Stir until chilled. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving.

Spicy Caramel Apple Sauce:

• 1 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup apple juice
• 1 star anise
• 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
• 4 whole cloves
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon apple schnapps

Combine the cream, apple juice, star anise, ginger, cloves, cinnamon sticks, and nutmeg in a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Remove from the heat and let steep for at least 20 minutes. Strain the mixture into a clean, small saucepan and place back over low heat while you make the caramel.

Combine the sugar, water and, vinegar in a medium saucepan over high heat and cook without stirring, until it's a deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Slowly whisk in the warm cream mixture a little at a time, and continue whisking until smooth. Add the apple schnapps and cook for 30 seconds longer. Transfer to a bowl and keep warm. The sauce can be made 2 days in advance and refrigerated. Reheat over low heat before serving.

Happy Thanksgiving! Don't forget to tell those special people how thankful you are for them!

What Kind Of Day Will You Have?

Saw this here and thought it would be great to pass along.

"I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight; I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important. My job is to choose what kind of day I'm going to have. Today I can complain because the weather is rainy, or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.

Today I an feel sad that I don't have more money, or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste. Today I can grumble about my health, or I can rejoice that I am alive. Today I can lament over all that my parents didn't give me when I was growing up, or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.

Today I can cry because roses have thorns, or I can celebrate that thorns have roses. Today I can mourn my lack of friends, or I can excitedly embark upon a quest to discover new relationships and rekindle old ones.

Today I can whine because I have to go to work, or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do. Today I can complain because I have to go to school, or I can eagerly open my mind and fill it with new tidbits of knowledge. Today I can murmur because I have to do housework, or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.

Today stretches ahead of me waiting to be shaped, and here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping. What today will be like is up to ME. I get to choose what kind of day I will have."

~Anonymous

It's Getting Creepy

This is the first year that Jordan wanted to be something scary for Halloween. 

He pulls it off.