BBQ Onion Grilled Cheese

My poor stomach lately, last weekend a panic attack set my gut into a frenzy and I could only keep down saltines and ginger ale, ain't anxiety swell? This weekend I had a nice little bout of food poisoning. It's been neat. Nothing like not being able to enjoy one of your favorite things and just eating crackers. Don't get me wrong a good saltine is great here or there or with a nice soup, but it gets quite bland after three days. So let's celebrate a little something that doesn't resemble anything close to a cracker. CHEESE!

(Makes 2 sandwiches)

Ingredients:

• Bread
• Cheddar Cheese, sliced
• 1/4 red onion sliced thinly
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil/or oil of your choice (probably not sesame though...)
• 4 tbsp your choice of BBQ sauce

I have been digging some Folky, Country goodness this morning while being slightly productive and finally getting this post out to your guys, I have a lot more I have to write up, so look forward to more om noms! Anyway, I love Emmy Lou serenading me on this fine morning and I hope you do too.

Directions:

1. Slice your onion in thin long strips. Then sauté them in your oil until soft.
2. Next place your cheese on a slice of bread, I do about three slices per sandwich. Add your onion on top of the cheese.
3. Place 2 tbsp of the BBQ on each sandwich, close the sandwich with another piece of bread.
4. I use a waffle iron to make grilled cheeses, because I find it pointless to have both a waffle iron AND a panini grill. So I melt my grilled cheese for about 4 minutes under the waffle iron. 
5. Voila! Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Easy Protein Balls

No matter how hard I seem to hope for the snow to go away it stays (sorry east coast). I've been productive today, four hours of homework out of the way, laundry done, dishes (almost done), and making this recipe for our breakfast this week and it's not even two o'clock yet. I think I'll stop to take a breather, stare listlessly at the snow and drink some tea. It's not like I have any right to complain, I know we need the moisture for our summers it's just that January through mid March is the worst, it's not Christmas, I don't need snow anymore. With each passing day the snow piles, melts away, piles up again and so on, snow is cruel and rude and I don't appreciate it. Anyway, here's to productivity, wanting rain and ignoring the white flakes of death falling outside my window.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup regular oats
• 1 cup white chocolate chips (or regular)
• 1/2 cup sweetened coconut flakes
• 1/2 cup flax seeds
• 1/3 cup honey
• 3/4 cup peanut butter
• 2 tbsp sunflower seeds
• 1 tbsp chia seeds

Hanging out with me while I make a mess in the kitchen are some dear old friends of mine, since I've been dancing all day to Prince, Tom Waits and Tina Turner it's only natural I progress onto Talking Heads. I am pretty sure they've made it on my blog before but they deserve extra appearances. Get them beats!

Directions:

1. Place all of your ingredients into a large bowl.
2. Using your hands, mix the ingredients and make balls about the size of cookie dough balls and place them in a container.
3. Place the container in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes if you plan to eat some right away, then keep refrigerated.

Happy Eatings Everyone!

BBQ Chicken Flatbread

You know that feeling of utter and complete relaxation? When your muscles are loose and your nerves have taken a vacation? Well that feeling hasn't payed me a visit in quite sometime. Basically if you live with anxiety that feeling never really comes until you have two or three days of absolutely no responsibility, living in a cave, netflix marathoning bliss. But who has that luxury? I love having alone time with my favorite shows, a great meal that I just made, a nice beer and snuggling with my cat. This is how I unwind, this is how I feel relaxed. Call it introverted, or socially awkward, or what have you. I honestly just don't care, I'm still coping with Bowie and Rickman dying.

Ingredients (for one pizza):

• 1 flatbread
• 4-5 tbsp your choice of BBQ sauce
• 1/2 cooked chicken, cut into strips
• a handful of shredded mozzarella 
• 1 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped
• 1/8 cup thinly sliced and sautéed red onion

I'm in the mood for some good 50's vocalists. June Christy is over looked a lot, probably because she lived amongst the Ella's and Judy's of the world, but the girl can hold her own. So here's one of my favorite Duke Ellington songs, performed by the lovely Mrs. Christy.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Spread BBQ sauce on flatbread
3. Add your chicken and onion evenly over the flatbread.
4. Sprinkle your cheese on top, then bake for 8-10 minutes or until flatbread is crispy.
5. When cooling, add your cilantro and slice the flatbread.
6. Serve!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Gin and Jam

I have been knee deep in prerequisites. That is, I have started school and it's been a tad overwhelming. It's been four years since I was a student and I am learning to be in a classroom again. All I know is that it's about time, my dreams of becoming a teacher are about to become a reality. In the meantime, I will try not to leave you dangling without delicious new things to try! I found this recipe and knew instantly that I did not have all the ingredients but that I wanted it right away. So I improvised and think I stumbled upon something just as good. Let's do this thing.

Ingredients (makes one drink):

• 2 oz gin
• 4 oz tonic
• 1 tbsp blueberry jam
• 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

I have been listening to almost too much Motown lately, I say almost because there's no such thing as too much. Sing it Jackie! Love cooking/shakin' drinks to this. 

Directions:

1. In a martini shake, shake all of your ingredient together.
2. Strain drink of any jam bits that are in there.
3. Pour over ice.
4. Serve!

Happy and Safe Drinking Everyone!

Gingerbread Cheesecake Balls

Holy cow, it's been a whirlwind the past three weeks. Sinus infections, last minute gifts, power outages on Christmas, no heat, a crap ton of snow, ect. It's all been fun winter but can you give it a rest? If these events have reminded me of anything it's that sometimes things just don't go as planned or the way we wanted them to go. The holiday season is not something I take lightly and when you're forced to have christmas morning by candlelight because the power is out you just have to think 'se la vie', and enjoy the fact that you get to have yet another beautiful morning with the people you love.

Something sweet to keep us upbeat!

Christmas Morning :)

Ingredients:

• 8 oz cream cheese
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 cup cool whip
• 1 tbsp gingerbread coffee creamer
• 1 cup ginger snap cookies crushed into crumbs (set aside)
• wax paper

I just need some good old fashioned nitty gritty music to help ease the anxiousness:

Directions:

1. Line a 9X13 pan with wax paper.
2. Mix with an electric beater the cream cheese, sugar, cool whip and creamer. 
3. Pour into your lined pan. Freeze for 1 to 2 hours.
4. After freezing start scooping the mixture into little balls and roll them in the ginger snap crumbs.
5. Freeze them again or serve right away. Take them out 30 minutes before you want to serve if you're re-freezing. 
6. I also found that if you just wanted to skip the freezing and making them into bites, you could just mix everything together and serve as a dip with graham cracker!

Happy Eatings Everyone!

Spiked Hot Cocoa

It's a grand thing when you find a new way to serve alcohol, all it takes is a bit of curiosity and a little bravery. In this case it was more of a 'I bet that would taste good' moment, so I went for it. This drink is very much for curling up next to the fire watching a good flick and getting a bit sleepy with a sweetheart, be it your man, woman or pet. A couple nights have been spent like that here at the William's household and I have nothing to complain about, except maybe this dumb cough. Anyway, please enjoy responsibly, this wonderfully simple cup of cheer.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup dark hot chocolate (or one that is 'rich')
• 2 shots bird dog maple whiskey (I've also tried the cinnamon one and it was good)
• Marshmallows (if you're so inclined)

Watch these too drunkards we know as Martin and Sinatra, it'll get you in the right kind of mood for a  whiskey winter night:

Directions:

1. Prepare cocoa and directed.
2. Stir in whiskey.
3. Sip sip sip.

Happy and Safe Drinking Everyone!

Cheesy Brussel Sprout Gratin

It's been a while since my last post due to it being cold season and I was busy sleeping the past two weeks. Who doesn't absolutely abhor being sick? Not only do you fall behind on the things you need to do but you're constantly tired ALL THE TIME. This weekend I am sucking it up, popping those cough drops and having a good time dammit. Before I can let the 'I'm ignoring the amounts of mucus my body is producing' fun begin, I thought I'd leave a nice little treat for you. I prepped this dish for Thanksgiving and it was positively scrumptious, people who don't sprouts liked this simple recipe, I hope you enjoy it too.

Ingredients:

• 2lbs brussel sprouts washed and cut in half
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup milk
• 1 heaping cup + 1/4 set aside shredded parmesan cheese
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 1/2 tsp pepper

This weeks posting will not include music, but the beautiful and epic video of a man we have all come to love and hold dear to our hearts. Enjoy the silence, maybe try this at home, good for the soul and all that.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. In a large stock pot bring water to a boil and blanch your brussel sprouts. They should only take about 2 minutes to blanche correctly, too long and they become soft. Strain the sprouts.
3. In a large skillet, heat up your butter, quickly stir in your flour until the clumps are gone, then remove from heat.
4. Next add your milk, 1 cup warm, salt, mayo and pepper. Stir until the cheese has melted fully.
5. In a large bowl mix your cheese mixture in with your brussel sprouts and coat evenly. Pour into baking dish.
6. Sprinkle your 1/4 cup parmesan over the top and bake for roughly 45 minutes, or until browned on top.
7. Serve!

Happy Holidays Everyone and Happy Eatings!