Pale Ale Brined Eggs (Beer Pickled Eggs)

A hamburger and a french fry walk into a bar. The bartender says, "I'm sorry we don't serve food here.

Actually, that's pretty unlikely.  Most bars do have food available to the customers, in some form or another. Whether it be bowls of pretzels and nuts, or hot wings, or pickled eggs.

Bar food is usually inexpensive. It is often hot or salty or mouth puckery, and it is almost always some form of finger food.

Why?  Because they want  you to eat when you drink so that you don't get totally sh!t faced, so you can drink more.  And all that spicy, sour, salty food makes thirsty, so you will drink more.  And, if you're not distracted by cutlery like which fork to use for which whatever, you will drink more.

It's all about drinking more.  And I, for one, am all for that!

You may or may not have ever seen a big jar of pickled eggs sitting on the corner of a bar.  If you've been in a dive, you probably have.

Although, I've never eaten a pickled egg in a bar, I like them.  I just won't eat them if they're sitting there and I don't know how long they've been sitting there.

I've decided to bring the bar to the egg to make beer brined eggs. I must say they are surprisingly tasty and go great with a cold, frosty brew.

I used Denver Pale Ale, which is an English style pale ale, because it's a little sweeter and  not as bitter as American pale ales. Also, it's light in color.  I didn't want to use an intense flavored beer so to not overpower the eggs. Nor did I want to use a dark beer because it will discolor the

That being said, use whatever you like.  Pickles eggs made with an amber ale might be pretty; pretty tasty, too.





Pale Ale Brined Eggs (Beer Pickled Eggs)

24 Small Hard-Boiled Eggs
1 (12 Fluid Ounce) Bottle Beer
2 Cups Apple Cider Vinegar
2 Tbsp Pickling Spice
2 Tbsp Parsley Flakes
4 Tbsp Kosher Salt
2 Hot Peppers

Place eggs in a large, deep pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil over high heat.  Turn down to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes.

Drain and place in fresh cold water.  When the eggs are cool peel. Stab each egg with fork so that all that tasty brine can fully penetrate the egg.

(She said fully penetrate! Yes, yes I did)

Divide the eggs into two quart sized canning jars ( or other air tight glass container).

In each jar place, 1 tablespoon each of the pickling spice and parsley flakes plus 2 tablespoons of kosher salt and a hot pepper.  Use whatever kind of pepper you like or omit the pepper if you don't want spicy eggs.  You can use the pepper whole or seeded or whatever you like depending on level of spiciness you like.

Combine the beer and vinegar and pour over eggs until they are fully submerged. Add additional vinegar if you need more liquid to cover the eggs.

Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 week before using.

Enjoy with your favorite beer or as a snack or even chopped up on a salad.

Red Flannel Hash

Red flannel is a New England tradition.  Nor' Easterners are frugal folk and this dish is made up of mostly leftovers.   Red flannel is made with cooked potatoes, beets, and corned beef.  Red-flannel hash takes its name from the chopped beets that give it that deep red color.

Red Flannel Hash


6 Ounces Leftover Corned or Roast Beef
3/4 Cup Leftover Cooked Potatoes, Diced
1/2 Small Onion, Finely Diced
1/2 Cup Diced Pickled Beets
1 Tablespoons Rendered Bacon Fat
4 Large Eggs
Salt & Pepper or Seasoned Salt

In a bowl combine beef, potatoes, onions and beets.  Season to taste.  Toss to combine.



Melt the bacon fat in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the beef mixture, press down on the mixture with a spatula, forming a large pancake, and cook until well-browned on the bottom. Flip and cook for a minute or two more, again pressing down with the spatula. Remove from the heat and keep warm.

Cook eggs, as desired.  I like mine poached 3 minutes so that the whites are set and yolk is still runny.  

Divide the hash between two dishes and top each with two eggs. Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.

Scotch Eggs

I came across this recipe and I had to try it . . . it was simply too interesting to pass up.  And I'm glad I did . . . these little porky egg bombs ROCK!

Scotch Eggs have been around since the early 1700's when travelers would take them along on long carriage journeys as a portable form of sustainable.

They've since become a part of southern  hunting, fishing and tailgating fare and are more recently being offered as bar food.

They are traditionally fried but I baked mine and they were really really yummy!  I wish I had one right this second.

Scotch Eggs


1 Pound Pork Sausage Meat
2 Teaspoons Worcestershire Sauce
4 Hard-Cooked Eggs, Peeled
1 Tablespoon All-Purpose Flour
1/8 Teaspoon Salt
1/8 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper
1 Egg, Beaten
2/3 Cup Dry Bread Crumbs



In a medium bowl, mix together the pork sausage and Worcestershire sauce. Combine the flour, salt and pepper; mix into the sausage.


Divide the sausage into four equal parts. Mold each part around one of the hard-cooked eggs, rolling between your hands to shape. 

Place the beaten egg and bread crumbs into separate dishes. 

Dip the balls into the egg, then roll in the bread crumbs until coated. Shake off any excess.

Bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 15-20 minutes until golden brown.

Scotch eggs are traditionally served cold or at room temperature.

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And the rocket's red glare . . .

I take the invention of matches for granted . . . fire on a stick to light other stuff on fire . . . like magic only hotter.


I recently read something the piqued my curiosity about these little flaming wonders . . . it was nothing more than the fact they were called 'congreves' before they were called matches and I wanted to know why and whatfor.


In 1669, phosphorous was discovered.  In 1680, an Irish physicist discovered that he could make fire by coating a small piece of paper with phosphorous and a small piece of wood with sulfur.   He didn't actually invent matches, though.






It wasn't until 1827 that an English chemist by the name of John Walker invented the first friction matches.  He coated the end of a stick with antimony sulfide, potassium chlorate, gum, and starch.  After these chemicals were allowed to dry, he discovered that he could start a fire by striking the stick anywhere.   He called his little fire sticks 'congreves'.




He named his invention after the congreve rocket; so named after its inventor Sir William Congreve.  It was an incendiary rocket that utilized black powder packed inside an iron case. The rocket was propelled by a 16-foot guide stick that allowed the rocket to travel an amazing distance of 9000 feet.  


The congreve rocket was used United States in the War of 1812.  This rocket not only inspired John Walker but also Francis Scott Key.  The line from the Star Spangled Banner "rocket's red glare" was a direct result of Key seeing the congreve rockets in action.



Spicy Deviled Eggs


7 Eggs (just in case one breaks)
1 Lemon Wedge
Mayonnaise
Hot Sauce (I use Frank's)
Salt
Crushed black pepper
12 Green Olives


Place eggs in pot and fill with enough cold water to immersed eggs entirely.  Gradually bring to a boil.  Using cold water or cold eggs allows the eggs to warm gradually and will be less likely to crack.


Boil for 15 minutes.  Drain the hot water and fill pot with cold water and allow eggs to cool.  When eggs are cooled, roll the egg on the counter top to break the shell and then gently peel off the egg.


Take a sharp knife and cut eggs in half lengthwise. Scoop the yolks out into a bowl.


Smoosh the yolks with the back of a fork.  Add a dash of salt, a dash of pepper, a squirt of lemon juice and a generous splash of hot sauce.  Gradually add a bit of mayonnaise until the yolks hold together but aren't too creamy.


Spoon yolk mixture into the egg halves.  Top with an olive.  


Try not to eat them all at once and make sure to share.


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I slept like a baby . . yeah, right!

There is one expression I simply do not understand . . . 'I slept like a baby'.  I know what it means, I get it .. . . I've lived it . . . it makes no sense.    


I remember when we brought him home from the hospital I would be up with him all night while he cried and cried and I cried.  That was me sleeping like a baby.


Leave him in his bed and let him cry himself to sleep they said.  Okay . . . well then he'd cry and cry in his crib and I'd lie in my bed and cry.  That was me sleeping like a baby.


And then when he did sleep, he'd wake up every couple hours to be fed.  That was me sleeping like a baby.


As he grew older I told him he couldn't leave his bed unless he had to use the potty.  That if he needed something he had to call me.  Then it was mom, mommy, mom, mother? MOM!! . . . every couple hours.  That was me sleeping like a baby.


I don't think I got a decent night sleep until after he was five years old.

I'm not complaining . . . really I'm not . . . I'm just saying that whoever came up with saying couldn't possibly have been a parent because 'sleeping like a baby' is anything but.


If I had my choice between sleeping like a baby and sleeping like I log I'd much prefer making like wood and cuttin' some zzzzzzzzzz's.  Just sayin'.

Bacon and Egg Savory Cupcakes

16 Slices Bacon

1 Can (16.3 Oz) Pillsbury® Grands!® Homestyle Biscuits

1 Cup Shredded Cheddar Cheese

8 Eggs

Salt And Pepper, If Desired

Heat oven to 350°F. In 10-inch skillet, cook bacon over medium heat about 4 minutes or until cooked but not crisp, turning once. (It will continue to cook in the oven.) Set aside.

Spray 8 jumbo muffin cups or 8 (6-oz) glass custard cups with cooking spray. Separate dough into 8 biscuits. Place 1 biscuit in each muffin cup, pressing dough three-fourths of the way up sides of cups.

Place 2 bacon slices in each biscuit cup, add a pinch of cheese and crack an egg over each. Season with salt and pepper.

Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until egg clears are set. Run a small knife around cups to loosen. Serve immediately.

Makes 8 servings


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Sometimes you have to do what you have to do

I'm a horrible person and I'm probably going to Hell but sometimes you have to do what you have to do.  


There's this person in the office where I work who apparently doesn't have enough to do. He flits from door to door and desk to desk talking to anyone who happens to make random eye contact.  Not necessarily full eye contact either . . . once could be looking in his general direction and that would be enough to invite conversation.  I'm not talking once in a while that he does this . . . but every day several times a day.




Sometimes I get tangled in his talkative web and it might not be that bad if the conversations contained even the slenderest thread of coherent of thought process.  But it's usually random weirdness that doesn't have much to do with much of anything that is relevant.


And sometimes it seems as though he's speaking some Khoisan language as he walks by and starts making a weird clicking sound with his mouth and punctuates this with knuckle tapping on the partition of my cubicle.


Today he stopped at my cubicle with a couple clicks and knocks and with a great intake of breath began babbling a stream of nonsense.  I listened politely for as long as I could tolerate it without blood leaking out of my ears or my head exploding.  


Then as if my telephone suddenly began to ring (which it didn't) I lifted one finger in a hold-on-a-sec gesture, picked up the handset of my phone and began a non-existent conversation with no one.  He walked away and instant relief ensued.


You might say to yourself . . . how would I get away with such a ruse?  The man is clueless . . . what can I say.


I'm totally going to Hell.

Breakfast Galette

Crust:

1 1/4 Cup All-Purpose Flour

1/2 Teaspoon Kosher Salt

1 Stick Unsalted Butter, Cubed and Cold

1/4 Cup Water, Ice Cold

Toppings:

3 Tablespoons Ricotta Cheese

1/4 Cup Mozzarella, Shredded

2 Slices Bacon, Cooked and Cubed

1 Slice Ham, Cubed

3 Large Egg Yolks

Salt And Pepper

In a medium bowl, mix together all-purpose flour and salt. Place flour and unsalted butter in freezer for 5 minutes to chill.

Combine flour mixture and butter. Mix until you’re left with what resembles coarse meal, with pea size pieces of butter. Add ice water 1 Tbsp at a time, mixing until it just begins to clump together. If you pinch some of the crumbly dough and it holds together, it’s ready. If the dough doesn’t hold together, add a little more water and mix again.

Remove dough from bowl and place in a mound on a clean surface. Gently shape into a discs, being sure to not over-knead. Wrap the disc in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. On a floured surface, roll dough to a 10-inch circle with a 1/4-inch thickness. It’s okay if the edges are shaggy and it’s not a perfect circle. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet.

Scoop ricotta onto the center of the dough, spreading out to make a large circle, stopping 1-inch from the edge of the dough. Sprinkle on grated mozzarella cheese. Fold edges of dough over the cheese. Transfer baking sheet to the refrigerator for 15 minutes.

Whisk together yolk and water. Brush dough with the egg wash. Bake until crust is lightly golden brown, 25-30 minutes. Take galette out of the oven and gently place yolks atop cheese. Arrange bacon bits and ham to your liking and place back in oven for 2-3 minutes, or until yolks set.

Garnish with salt and pepper.

The ultimate reason is "because."

I know I'm kinda of weird, but I think those stick family stickers that people are putting on the backs of their cars are really kind of cute.  Of course, I don't have any on my car . . . cuz, I don't want people to think I'm weird.  It's quite a paradox.



They're kind of fun . . . they come in all kinds of varieties that represent the families personalities . . . I especially like the zombie ones . . . too funny!


Braaaainnzzzzzz!




Of course, another good one is the divorced family . . . 






And the crazy cat lady one is a hoot, as well.










Then there's the one for people who don't give a sh!t about your family . . . stick figure or otherwise.


Yeah, I know, I got nothin' . . . not even a stick figure family to stick on my car . . . but hey, my blog can't be awesome every day!  

Bacon and Cheese Omelet

3 Slices Bacon, Cooked

3 Large Eggs, Lightly Beaten

1/4 Teaspoon Salt

1/4 Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

1 Tablespoon Butter

1/2 Slices American Cheese

In a small bowl, combine eggs, salt, and pepper; beat with fork. In a 10 inch nonstick skillet, melt butter over medium heat, rotating pan to coat bottom. Add egg mixture. Cover for a minute or two. 

As eggs start to set, gently lift edges with a spatula, and tilt pan so uncooked portion flows underneath. Top with cheese and bacon evenly onto omelet.  Cover for about a minute to allow cheese to melt.

Fold over and slide onto plate.  Serve immediately.

You are a sad strange little man . . . and you have my pity

When my son was a wee one he had a love affair with Buzz Lightyear.  He wasn't in love with Buzz per se . . . he was Buzz.

He would sit and watch Toy Story movies over and over again . . . getting the moves down and getting his inner Buzz on.

It was really cute . . . for a while.

He was in preschool at the time and they didn’t do anything to dissuade his alter ego.   In fact, they encouraged it . . . for a while.

It got to the point where you couldn’t tell him he wasn’t his super hero . . . er . . . hero.  He was Buzz Lightyear . . . “I’m not Eddie,” he would say.  “I am Buzz Lightyear.  To infinity and beyond!.”  

Like I said, it was cute . . . for a while.

During that time period Halloween came and wonder of wonders . . . he was Buzz Lightyear.  And this time he had the costume to prove it.

So, not only did he have the Buzz persona down pat but he had the look. 

Months, maybe even a year or more, this went on.  By now it’s getting old.

His preschool teachers told me it had to stop because it was disrupting the class and riling up the other kids.  I thought to myself, “you nutters encouraged the kid and now that it becomes a problem and I’m the one to have to put a stop to it.”

So the arguments began . . . you’d think it would be easy . . . you know how gullible kids can be.  Yeah right . . . the kid inherited his mother’s and his father’s stubbornness.  It wasn’t easy.

The deprogramming went something like this.  First off . . . no more Toy Story movies . . . .period.  Second . . . the costume mysteriously disappeared.  Then the sit down conversations . .  .

Me, “You’re not Buzz Lightyear.”

Him, “I am Buzz Lightyear.”

Me, “You’re not Buzz Lightyear.”

Him, “I am Buzz Lightyear.”

Me, “You’re not Buzz Lightyear.”

Him, “I AM Buzz Lightyear.”

You get the point.  One day he was Buzz and the next day he wasn’t.  Personally, I don’t think I did or said anything to convince him he wasn’t weird shaped spaceman.  I think he just grew out of it.

And, then suddenly he was Luke Skywalker.

Ah  . . . the joys of parenthood.

Quick Fried Cabbage With Egg


1/2 Small Cabbage
1 Medium Onion
1 Tablespoon Butter
3 Slices Bacon, Crumbled
2 Eggs
2 Tablespoons
Salt, Pepper or Seasoned Salt

Finely slice the cabbage and onion. Heat the butter in a pan and fry the onion until soft. Add the cabbage.  Cover and reduce heat to low and fry for a further 10 minutes. Remove cover add bacon and fry for 3 minutes. Beat the eggs pour them over the cabbage. Stir until the eggs have set.  Stir in the cream cheese and serve.

After all, a girl is... well, a girl. It's nice to be told you're successful at it.

Hubby and I went to a social gathering this weekend for bloggers in my region.  Most of them are men, most them blog about guns, politics and the like.





I'm not opposed to any of those things . . . I just choose not to blog about them.  During the course of dinner, beer and conversation, our "social director" commented that I have a "chick" blog.  Wha . . . what?? Me?  A girlie blog?



Sure, I'm a girl  . . . but still . . . 

I hadn't ever considered it.  But now that he mentioned it, it's kind of bothering me.  I ain't no girlie-girl.  I didn't think I was writing about womanly thingie-doodles or even feminine what-cha-ma-call-its.


What's my blog about?  Stuff . . . by me . . . a chick.  Sure, I almost always include a recipe or some sort of crafty thing or something, but I just write about stuff.  I don't consider it girl stuff . . . I kind of think it's gender neutral.  If I wanted to write about girl stuff I'd be writing about stuff like this or even this (proceed to links if you're man enough).


Why is it bothering me?  I don't know.  I just . . . don't . . .  know.


Chocolate will make me feel better!


That is all.

Chocolate Mousse

4 1/2 Ounces Bittersweet Chocolate, Finely Chopped

2 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Diced

2 Tablespoons Espresso or Very Strong Coffee 

1 Cup Cold Heavy Cream

3 Large Eggs, Separated

1 Tablespoon Sugar

Whip the cream to soft peaks, then refrigerate.

Combine the chocolate, butter, and espresso in the top of a double boiler over hot, but not simmering, water, stirring frequently until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool until the chocolate is just slightly warmer than body temperature. To test, dab some chocolate on your bottom lip. It should feel warm. If it is too cool, the mixture will seize when the other ingredients are added.

Once the melted chocolate has cooled slightly, whip the egg whites in a medium bowl until they are foamy and beginning to hold a shape. Sprinkle in the sugar and beat until soft peaks form.

When the chocolate has reached the proper temperature, stir in the yolks. Gently stir in about one-third of the whipped cream. Fold in half the whites just until incorporated, then fold in the remaining whites, and finally the remaining whipped cream.

Spoon or pipe the mousse into a serving bowl or individual dishes. If you wish, layer in fresh raspberries and whipped cream. Refrigerate for at least 8 hours. (The mousse can be refrigerated for up to a day.)

Serves 5-8, depending on the size of the servings.

After all, a girl is... well, a girl. It's nice to be told you're successful at it.


Rita Hayworth

A mind all logic is like a knife all blade. It makes the hand bleed that uses it.

Generally speaking, I’m level headed and have a fair share of common sense. However, there have been times in my life when I’ve moments of seriously impaired judgment . . . one of those was on October 5, 1990 . . . there was a voice in my head yelling . . . nay screaming . . . run away, run away . . . why oh why didn’t I listen. . .


Rule #1 . . . always listen to your intuition.

There was a time way before that when I was merely a child . . . a child apparently lacking in rational thought . . . that did something monumentally brainless.


Way back when I was a kid, I lived on top of mountain in the middle of East Bumblef^ck. There wasn’t a great selection of playmates. So, one day I wandered down the road to play with some boys who weren’t the best kids on the mountaintop but it was someone to play with. They were chucking knives at a tree. Okay, that could maybe be fun . . . uh, huh, until one of the boys threw a knife at me and . . . wait, here’s where it gets good . . . I tried to catch it. yeah, not one of my brighter moments but definitely one of my bloodier ones . . . 

I ran all the way home screaming with blood dripping down my arm from the gaping wound in my finger. I still bear the scar of my dim-witted-ness.


Rule #2 . . . don’t be stupid.


So, you think I’d learn from my lesson and not play with sharp objects. Mmm, you’d think.

Fast forward a few years when I was in junior high school. I had bought a novelty switchblade comb. No sooner had I gotten it home that I replace the comb with a long box cutter razor blade. Why? I don’t know . . . kids do stupid stuff . . . its some sort of imperative.

So, I threw my brandy-spankin’ new switchblade in my book bag and off to school I went. I was in study hall and reached into my bag for something or other and came out with a bloody finger with a flap of skin hanging off . . . at some point the blade had popped open. Of course, I couldn’t say anything to the teacher . . . could you imagine being caught at school with a switchblade . . . even way back then?? Yeah, not too bright. Somehow, I managed to get a hall pass to the bathroom without raising suspicion and got myself cleaned up.


Rule #3 . . . see Rule #2

Flash forward 10 years . . . I’m a newlywed (see the first paragraph) and I’m diligently doing my wifely chores by washing dishes. All the pans and plates are drying in the rack . . . that’s right, no dishwasher . . . unless you count me. I started to was the glasses . . . 

I must have been fairly aggressive about it because I was shoving . . . er . . . gently pressing the sponge around the inside of the glass and it shattered. A decent size chunk of glass impaled my hand. It didn’t look to bad, it wasn’t bleeding . . . that is until I removed said shard of glass. Yeah . . . then it bled. I had a gaping maw of a wound . . . not pretty. A few stitches fixed me up all purdy like, but I still have the reminder on my hand to NOT be so forceful while cleaning glasses.


Rule #4 . . . glass IS fragile. (Fragile (fra•jee•lee) is Italian for breakable)

Flash forward another ten years . . . I’m newly divorced (see the first paragraph) and fixing up my new home. I painted, replaced the carpeting and changed some light fixtures. I also decided to change doorknobs and strike plates on all the doors. I had to carve out some of the door and doorframes to get the hardware to fit properly. Can you see where I’m going with this? Yeah, as I’m shaving off some excess wood, my tool slips and I almost shaved off half my finger . . .


Rule #5 . . . tools that shave things are sharp!


Okay, so I’ve flash forwarded almost another ten years . . . I’m thinking I should be avoiding sharp objects.  I should also follow rule #2 more often.


Just sayin’.

_________________________________

Zucchini Breakfast Casserole


2 Cups Cooked Meat, diced, I used leftover roast beef
1 Zucchini, peeled using your Julienne Peeler
1 Red Onion, Diced
4 Cloves of Garlic, minced
1 Cup of Sharp Cheddar Cheese
8 Eggs
2 Tbsp Basil
Salt and Pepper to Taste
4-6 Pieces of Bacon

Preheat oven to 350 Degrees Fahrenheit


Sauté onions and garlic until the onions start to caramelize and then turn off the heat.

In the mixing bowl, combine eggs, cheese, cooked meat, shredded zucchini, basil, and salt and pepper and mix well.  Then add the sautéed onions and garlic and mix well.

Pour your mixture into a greased 9x13 baking dish. Baking for 30 minutes or until cooked through.


While the casserole is baking, cook the bacon until crispy.

Cut casserole and serve with a slice of bacon on top. I topped that with hot sauce . . . because everything is better with hot sauce.


Enjoy