The One Where I Actually Cook

Yesterday was a fairly typical Sunday afternoon. It was cooler and drizzly, so no chance of going to the pool.

Instead, Eliza Grace played Wii 's Littlest Pet Shop so long that I had to pry the controller from her hands and warn her that if she did not stop her eyes would fall out.

"Ok, ok...and I know my eyes will not really fall out... right?"

Will was sent to the "no-no" couch at least twice, once for hitting Scott with a plastic baseball bat - not a good behavior day for Will.

This is Will writhing in pitiful angst during his torturous time on the couch....

...and then he realized I had my camera.

As for me, well I decided to try a Bread Pudding recipe billed as THE recipe for people who don't really like bread pudding. I was a little skeptical at first as I read through the instructions....until I came upon the Whiskey Cream Sauce that is supposed to be spooned on top.

Ok, seriously, I think I would eat just about anything with the following ingredients warmed and spooned
on to of it:

So I got to mixing, cut up my sour dough bread and poured the milk, egg, butter, sugar and (real Haitian) vanilla mixture all over it.

Here's a close up....already looks good and it is not even cooked it yet!

55 minutes later it was toasty brown and bubbly!

The verdict? Eliza Grace summed it up best when she said, "I like the flavor but I don't like the texture." I agree.

The pudding-er (made-up word, I know) parts under the crusty top had an oatmeal-ish texture and I really do not like oatmeal. And neither do my children. As infants they barely tolerated rice cereal and they both absolutely refused to eat oatmeal of any kind. I totally understand!

However, the crustier parts were really good, because, well, they were drenched in warm Whiskey Cream sauce, duh!

Now Scott and I are plotting what to pour the sauce on next...I say vanilla ice cream!

More fun with my camera

I have been enjoying my new camera. I do wish I could spend more time to really learn about the different features, but all in due time, I suppose.

Today Eliza Grace, Will and I went to "Henry Paloozza," an event to help raise money for a couple who is adopting their second child from China. It was fun, full of bounce houses, face & hair painting and the kids got to see their first hot air balloon up close and personal.

It took hearing the blast from the flame machine (or whatever you call it) at least 10 times before Will would stop running to hide behind my legs.

And where was Scott while we were having fun eating free cotton candy and listening to great live music? Well, he was working on his latest cooking contraption: a home made smoker.

What you see here is a ceramic flower pot sitting on a single electric burner. Inside is a cast iron skillet on the bottom with hard wood chunks in it and then a grill grate, upon which the food sits. It is all topped with a ceramic flower pot base. Scott drilled a hole in his "lid" in which he inserted the thermometer.

Alton Brown of the Food Network has had quite the effect on Scottie and I for one am THRILLED! Tonight, if all goes well, we will have some very yummy chicken created in his flower pot device. Things look quite promising at the half way point!