Brownies

Alton Brown style.

The good thing about this recipe is that you probably have

everything it takes in your pantry. 

Oh, and they taste great, even if you forget the vanilla :o)

oops.

Now for my couple of points of interest.

I didn't see this episode so I don't know how he

managed to sift brown sugar.

My arms got a real workout. 

I would have liked to have known his reasoning for it ,

but, alas, I did not see the show.

The other little heads up, he has you baking them at

300 degrees.

It wasn't till I got to comment #300-something

that I noticed some people were having issues with 

the goofy things getting done.

That's when I cranked the oven to 350 for the last 15 minutes.

Oh, and I used Hershey's Special Dark cocoa.

Good choice.

Now to figure out what to do with a zucchini

the size of my dog!

Sweet Basil Cheesecake

I could have eaten the whole thing.

But I didn't.

Only because we had a couple other things with it.

This is one of my favorite kinds of dinner. 

I hate to tell you who this came from.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/sweet-basil-cheesecake-recipe/index.html

It's really good and not difficult to put together at all. 

Just a couple of points;

the cheese and eggs need to be at room temp before you mix it up

and about the 4 1/2 inch spring form pans,

I could only find a set of 4 inch pans at Walmart.

I was actually (actually) able to make 2 cheesecakes

from the one recipe.

So I shared one with my friend Nancy.

And some socks.

Prayers for Nancy please as she begins her battle.

Pfoetchen

Pfoetchen is back.

She's a former show dog.

I mean Dog, not Burlesque.

Can you tell?

She turned me into a dog lover.

Look at that face!

How could you not fall in love?

The Pfoetch has been on strict crate rest

for about a year.

She has a bad back 

(real bummer when you're a wiener dog)

and it went totally out.

We thought she was going to need wheels. 

But NO!

She's a wonder dog. 

She may even be a guest blogger. 

we'll see.

Bok Choy

Not a fan.

I have been on a quest the past year or so to find new vegetables

to add to my stable.

Kale was a winner. 

Parsnips were a winner.

Bok Choy was not. 

Any suggestions?

PSA

I would like to make a public service announcement:

None of my friends are allowed to get cancer 

ANYMORE!

Those of you currently battling it 

are Grandfathered-in. 

For the rest of you,

CUT IT OUT!!!

I would like to state for the record that I do not

personally give cancer much respect. 

I pretty much think it should go suck air.

My first real experience with it was when my mom

was diagnosed with breast cancer. 

26 years ago. 

She kicked it's butt. 

And that is as it should be. 

But not everybody has the amazing example of my mom

so most people tend to get scared. 

It's allowed. 

But not when it's my friends. 

I like my friends to be happy. 

In a bubble. 

So, cancer, 

GO SUCK AIR!!

And leave my friends alone. 

That is all. 

Beef Wellzones

Or, another reason to eat puff pastry.

Well, maybe "reason" isn't the right word. Really, does 

puff pastry need a reason or just an excuse?

Brian Boitano was making these this weekend over at 

The Food Network.

He served them with what looked to me to be a 

rather funky cheese sauce. 

This time I actually read the reviews before I 

made the recipe and determined I was probably right in my

 assumption, and so made a nice little pan gravy with 

the remnants of the mushroom concoction left in the pan

and a bit of my previously mentioned Demi-Glace.

I also made 4 instead of 6, and used a ribeye cut up 

for two of them and the tenderloin for the other two.

Just to see if it made that big a difference.

It did.

Use the tenderloin. 

Some of the reviews commented that it was a pretty

involved recipe. 

I didn't find it to be and actually put it all together after work.

It does have to chill out in the fridge for 

half an hour before you bake it. 

Worked out great to sit back, 

have a glass of wine, 

and watch Honey mow the lawn.

Oh yeah, I'm over that!

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/brian-boitano/wellzones-with-cheesy-side-sauce-recipe/index.html

A Picture Story

Nuff said.

Oh, but the nurses did appreciate the flowers.