There’s something you don’t realize until you are well into your adult years – you look around and see that the friends you know all have children, are moving far away or just evolving in a direction that is not as connected to you any more. Sure you can catch up from time to time, hang out on occasion and meet up for meals, but its not like when you were younger where you played with the same group of friends every day.

It’s also harder to meet people, between work and life where do you meet new friends if you are not all playing in the same sandbox? Lucky for Handsome and I we meet new people from time to time that are rad enough to keep around as friends.

Last summer we had the fortune of meeting a couple about our age, and doing what people our age like to do, drink. Ok, sometime’s we ate too and one of the desserts they introduced us to was from her native country of England, sticky toffee pudding.

Oh my god. This dessert may not look like much, but throw aside that fancy piping tip and serve these on Valentine’s day. Whatever you end goal is, you’re sure to get it.

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By the time you are reading this, I will be on my way to Dallas to hobnob with other comic retailers, distributors, vendors, and the guys who make the capes fly. To say traveling for work is fun would be a tab bit of a lie. Sure, I have a blast while I’m there, I get to meet great people and rock the comic business, but leaving my two cats, the dog and free snuggles behind really pulls at my heart strings. I know its only a short time, which is nothing compared to people who travel a lot for their job, but it still get’s to me.

I try to fill my head with the good thoughts, like just how handy Handsome can be. Have I mentioned to you all that he’s a general contractor? Which means he’s skilled at everything -  electric, plumbing, building and woodworking. His most recent love is creating beautiful wooden furniture and plans to be expanding that business soon. In the meantime, he has started planning a big change in our home.

Custom kitchen cabinets. Seriously. I know.

If you were to ever stop by for some grub, you would notice that the house has a really small kitchen with the standard cabinets that came with house 20 or so years ago. They are the same color as every other kitchen cabinet in the world 20 years ago. The counters are beginning to fall apart and the horrid wallpaper that someone at some point thought was a good idea, is peeling off. Oh, and let’s not talk about superficial things like the gold plate covers for the outlets. Who does that?

The idea of dark walnut cabinets and clean solid surface counters have me giddy with excitement. We already picked out the wood and purchased the material that will be the counter tops. I know it won’t be soon (after all, a contractors house comes last) but when it’s all said and done, we will have an amazing kitchen!

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So what did all that talk about custom cabinets have to do with you? No it wasn’t just a nah nah nah na nah dance. I said he was into wood working didn’t I? Another one of the benefits to that is beautiful wooden utensils. Scraps of beautiful pieces of wood used for other projects are not wasted, but turned into spoons, forks and handy tongs for me to use in my kitchen. And today we are giving away two sets of tongs.

These are hand made from Cherry wood with Brazillian Cherry accents and the pressure created when folded open for use makes a natural ‘spring loaded’ action. These are perfect tossing pasta, flipping bacon, and are safe to use on your non-stick surfaces. Because these are 100% natural wood, they are hand wash only, and you don’t want to soak them in water. They are finished in a natural food safe oil.

To enter to win a set of Cherry hand made kitchen tongs

Leave a comment here telling me what you would love to have built in you house.

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Entries accepted through February 12th at Midnight EST. Winner will be announced on 2/14/12.

If you were to have the impression that I cook a lot, you would be right. And through all most of my experiments, recipes, failures, and success, Handsome sits and eats without saying a word. I ask if it was good, and he  may nod, or say yes, but there is rarely any excitement in his voice. After a while, you just come to terms with it. He wouldn’t care if I fed him macaroni and cheese for weeks on end, he would nod and say it was good (which may be something I considered for a while just to see if I could ignite some sort of reaction from him).  I wasn’t even aware that my curried pot pies were one of his favorite meals until almost a year after I made them, when he asked for them again.  The closest thing I’ve gotten to a compliment, a request for a repeat.

The other night we were killing time and prepping for the weekend by having a few drinks, an appetizer and dessert out at some restaurants. After a fail at one place, we packed up our rodeo and headed over to one of our favorite spots. Another martini for me and a brownie for him.

A brownie.

A $10.50 plain chocolate old fashioned brownie. With a scoop of vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup and caramel.

“The best brownie ever,” he proclaimed

…

(Look at all that chocolatey awesomeness before baking)

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Really? The best brownie ever? It’s been sitting in a freezer for days waiting to be zapped in a microwave and handed to you. I make countless desserts and this is what you finally say is good??? One human hands didn’t even bake….

As you can imagine, I said no brownie would ever be created in my house again.

“But this one has caramel and chocolate sauce.” Because we don’t keep either in the house….

Ahem…

And then I had to show him up.

Karma? Him walking in from work an hour early, just as I washed the caramel and chocolate from the platter. And what.

So, if you would like to impress your sweetie for Valentine’s day, or any day rather, skip the tireless work put into a fancy dessert, no need to bust out the ever faithful Kitchenaid, nope. One whisk, two bowls and a skillet. Prep, 5 minutes. Cook 40. Plop down some Ben and Jerry’s and there you have it. You can thank me later for the time you will save trying to come up with something spectacular, just make brownies.

This is one of those recipes I have been debating on whether or not I post for some time. I saw variations of lasagna soup on many sites and the idea most definitely caught my attention.

Making lasagna for two is rough. There is only so many days of lasagna for lunch and dinner that we can handle, and a large pan of lasagna is about three days more than we need. But soup. We can down some soup in this house. Could a quick soup really be as good as a serving of your grandmomas’s home made labor of love?

Well, as you make this, if you taste for seasoning as you go, or can’t just resist a sip here and there, you will be left worried. Sure, it will be soup, but will it be anything more than that?

Yes. Yes it will. Something magic happens between the moment you scoop that bit of ricotta into the bowl and enjoy your first real spoonful. Little lasagna ricotta fairies meet up and mingle in the bowl, creating a perfect harmony of texture, consistency and that perfect lasagna flavor.  It really is amazing.

So, why wouldn’t I share it, after all that’s what these food blogs are all about right? Because I like to think I’m the cool kid who doesn’t need to be in the club house. Then a few weeks later, I went and made this soup again, and that says a lot in a kitchen like mine that rarely sees a repeat meal out of a few staples we will never give up. I have a few magazines and several cookbooks devoted to soup recipes I want to try and share with you, so when I realized I was ‘wasting’ a perfectly good night to taste test a new one by making this again, I knew it would just be cruel not to.

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Go make that and try not sharing it with your friends. You’ll totally understand.

If you are still looking for some inspiration or last minute menus check out this round up of finger licking game day food:

Chive and Cheese Beer Bread

From BHG Special Interest: Tailgating

Ingredients:

• 3 cups AP flour
• 2 tbs sugar
• 1 tbs baking powder
• 2 tbs fresh chives, chopped
• 1 teas salt
• 3/4 teas baking soda
• 1/2 cup shredded chaddar cheese
• 1/2 cup shredded Monteray Jack cheese with jalapeno peppers
• 1 12-ounce can beer

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8×4 loaf pan; set aside.

In a large bowl whisk together the flour through the cheese. Slowly stir in the beer and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix. The batter will be very thick.

Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.

Bake 40-45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack in pan for 10 minutes. Remove from pan and cool completely.

Serve with a coarse mustard. Can be stored, tightly wrapped in aluminium foil for up to 2 days or frozen up to one month.

Three-Cheese Beer Soup

From BHG Special Interest: Tailgating

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar
• 1 1/2 cups shredded white cheddar
• 1/4 cup butter
• 1/3 cup finely chopped onion, 1 medium onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped carrot, 1 medium carrot
• 1/4 cup sliced scallions, about 2 whole scallions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup AP flour
• 1/2 teas dry mustard
• 5 cups chicken broth
• 1 12oz can beer
• 1 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 1/2 cups frozen diced hash brown potatoes
• 1 1/2 cup small broccoli florets, one head
• 10 slices bacon, crisp cooked, drained well and chopped
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (I knew you were doubting my three cheeses by now)
• A few dashes of botteled hot sauce
• 1/2 teas Worcestershire sauce

Preparation:

Allow the cheddar cheeses to sit at room temperature for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large Dutch oven, heat butter over medium heat until melted. Add onion, carrot, green onions and garlic. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally.

Stir in flour and dry mustard. The mixture will thicken. Slowly add in the broth, whisking while you pour. We’re going for no lumps from the flour here. Cook and stir occasionally until bubbling. Add beer, cream, potatoes and broccoli. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.

Gradually stir in the cheddar cheeses, stirring until cheese has melted into the soup. Stir in the bacon, Parmesan cheese, hot sauce, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for another five minutes before serving.

Because what’s dinner without dessert

Have a great weekend!

Tequila chicken sandwich. What about a name like that doesn’t make you want to shove a small child out of the way for a serving? Besides, it has tequila in it, a kid should clearly not be in that line. Gotta look out for the little guys, right? And if we are talking football food, which we have been, all week long (really, there’s a theme going and everything), this is got it going on.

Sweet and spicy peppers peppers, onions, quick pulled rotisserie chicken, melted gooey cheese, and liquor all on a soft bun. Grab a napkin, wrap it up and let yourself go bite after bite. When you are done the first sandwich, I won’t utter a word or even raise my eyebrows if you go back for seconds, because I’ll probably be right behind you.

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Hang in there because tomorrow we have one more Fat Kid Approved Super Bowl post before the big game!

Because I’m an awesome planner (or maybe I am just a freak about my magazines), I ripped out a page in Rachael Ray October 2011 – and wrote the date on it – to share with you. As I mentioned yesterday, I know nothing about football, but RR was kind enough to have an entire page summing up the game for me. The article covers everything from the quarterback being the person who throws the ball, to the value of the touchdowns. That being said I still have no clue what an H-back is, or who the why the linebacker is watching the center if it’s the rushers job to pick on the quarterback, but hey, baby steps.

Actually, the whole darned article was about hosting you own football game. Now, I may know nothing about sports, but even I think this sounds fun. Do you and your friends still gather around outside, get dirty and play games? I love playing outside, from volley ball in the mud, mountain biking, to wiffle ball – I don’t need a clear explanation of the rules, I just like to play! I need to find some friends who aren’t to tired at the end of the day to get out and play too. Handsome and I can ride our bikes together, but it takes more than two to have an awesome game of volley ball and I’m just not the badminton type.

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Next weekend is the Super Bowl, where even people like myself who know little about sports, and less about football, gather around the television and are suddenly avid fans. Every year I pick a team, usually based on colors, ‘outfits’, hairstyles (I like the dudes with big bushy long hair that poofs out of the helmet), or something else as equally meaningless, and I root for them, until I get distracted and forget football is even on. Usually socializing or jamming more food in my pie hole, because the other great part to the Super Bowl, besides the commercials, is the food.

Super Bowl food is glorious, melty, gooey, so bad for you you have to eat lettuce with chopsticks for the next month and half. And yet, every year, I over indulge. From dips to wings, bites to bars and cheese, standing in its own power category ruling as the supreme binder of football food overlord. Lot’s and lots of cheese.

Our entire menu this week for PtS is based on football foods, tailgating, and partying hard with my inner fat kid. So let’s kick things off right with these super quick and all ages approved pizza nachos.

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Let’s talk Pinterest. I know I am late to the game with this post, but I am running on empty and Pinterest is an easy topic. Before I was addicted to it, pinning delicious meals and treats that peeked my eye, but recently I discovered all the other wonderful uses of Pinterest.

Like getting dressed. Pinterest makes this handicapable girl get dressed in moments by showing me color organized outfits. Now I don’t have to walk into my comic shop filled with guys and ask if I look like a tool. Clearly if someone planned it, wore it and pinned it first, I’m safe. Right? >.> Otherwise, I would have never known plaid went with that green cardigan and my spiffy boots. And all the shoes on Pinterest… oh, the shoes. (Which is also good because it is a guilt free virtual retail therapy outlet)

And decorating inspiration. Oh I am loving that. I have been determined to make our bedroom more than just a bed and where we store our clothes. It started there, and not I’ll be damned if I don’t have tid bits of inspiration for the entire house. But first, I will conquer that bed room. (Etsy has been pretty handy for that as well).

The best thing though, is the inspiration from other bloggers. Organization for the house, tips on storing things, the blogs I discover when I click around. I am addicted to Pinterest. Why didn’t someone think of this sooner? Google, you’re slacking.

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Today I am bringing you some Lashgasim mascara. Two Faced is one of the only brands I know as far as the fancy make up goes. Fancy being anything you can’t buy one get one 50% off at the local drug store. I love Two Face’s make up primer and ration a tiny bit here and there as if it is the last make up primer I will ever be able to purchase. (Don’t ask, years of conditioning).

I’ve been itching to play with matcha since those cupcakes I made last year. This cake came out wonderfully except for my lack of marbling skills. I found the flavors to be wonderful and not overly sweet. Perfect sliced for breakfast or as a snack without being overly sweet.

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Matcha and Chocolate Marble Cake

Discovered on Life’s a Feast, adapted from Chef Marcy Goldman, Food & Wine.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups AP flour
• 2 teas baking powder
• 1/4 teas salt
• 12 tbs unsalted butter, softened to room temperature + 3 tbs unsalted butter, melted
• 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 teas vanilla
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
• 1 1/2 teas Matcha tea powder

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F and grease an 8×4 loaf pan.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a mixer, beat the 12 tbs butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, scraping down the sides as needed. Mix in the vanilla.

Slowly mix in the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk until blended.

In another small bowl, whisk the melted butter into the cocoa powder in a small bowl until completely blended and smooth. Remove one cup of the batter from the mixing bowl and stir into the chocolate mixture until well blended.

Stir the Matcha tea powder into the remaining batter in the mixing bowl. When mixed, spoon half of the matcha batter into the prepared loaf pan, making sure to smooth out to all corners and tap down any lumps. With a spoon or spatula, plop the chocolate batter onto the matcha batter ( I did not need to use all of my chocolate batter). Then cover the chocolate layer with the remaining matcha batter, using the back of a spoon, or spatula to smooth out while trying to mix the chocolate layer. With a butter knife, create a few swirls in the batter.

Bake for 25 minutes then reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Ten with aluminum foil to prevent any further browning and bake for  10 to 15 minutes  more or until just set in the center and a toothpick comes out clean with a few moist crumbs.