Recipes For Sex Challenge: Sex & Breakfast

How did you all do on last week's challenge? Did you make the Cobb Salad? Did you get laid? I hope you are all ready for another week of sexy foodtastic challenge because here we go!!!!!!!!!!!! This week it's about morning sex.

I love morning sex. It's the best because it's a great way to start my day and I like the sleepy foreplay. What some people might be surprised to know is that sometimes I plan my morning sex. It's true. You can totally set the intention to wake up in the morning and have sex and follow through... and sometimes I do.

One morning my husband looked at me and asked, "Will you make me pancakes?" He said it so sweetly it melted my heart. I laughed and said, "I don't have anything to make pancakes today babe." And there is a reason I don't: I have never made pancakes in the course of our entire relationship. (That's nearly ten years!) BUT because he asked so nicely, that day I went out and bought that pancake mix and prepared to make my first ever batch of pancakes for him.

The next morning, I woke up and said to him, "let's have sex and then I'll make you pancakes." *wink wink* Worked like a charm, and can I also say that it made for a really great morning. I think my husband fees special when I make him pancakes because he knows I'm just doing it for him. (I am not the biggest pancake fan.)

Obviously this week's challenge is about more than sex. This week's challenge is a bit multifaceted, actually. It's about listening to something that is about your partner, not necessarily you, and making them something that they enjoy. And it's about sex, too, and being close to one another. Weekends are a great time to engage in this challenge!

Your mission, should you choose to accept, is as follows:

1) Ask your partner about one of their favorite breakfast foods. If possible, make it something you don't normally make.
2) Get laid in the morning
3) Make them that awesome breakfast they crave.

So for me, that special breakfast food was pancakes. I did an okay job on the pancakes (I did an awesome job on the sex part, by the way!) I am happy to report that over the next couple of weeks, we "ate pancakes" four times. I hope you, too, eat a lot of pancakes or eggs benedict or bacon sandwiches or whatever breakfast food turns your partner on. And can I also add here that while I never so much cared for pancakes before, I kind of look forward to sex and pancakes together....the sex makes them taste better!

This week, follow your mission, get laid, cook food and report back in to me and let me know how you are doing in your Recipes For Sex Challenge. Check in with me by emailing me HERE or commenting in the comment section below! 

We Need To Talk: GMOs & Foods

A couple of years ago when GMOs came on my mom’s radar it was all she could talk about. I sort of rolled my eyes and went about my business, but in the last year, I have been paying attention more and rolling my eyes less. A couple of years ago when my mom was freaking out and telling me how bad GMOs were, I should have been listening a little more closely....because now they are practically everywhere and it’s scary.

What exactly is a GMO? It’s a genetically modified organism which has been modified using genetic engineering techniques. Translation: that shit ain’t natural. Why would someone want to genetically alter food? Well, the answer to that is simple....at the start.
Because at the start of anything the road is all paved in good intention, and we all know where the road to good intention leads....hell. HELL!

In the beginning GMO were created to make plants resistant to certain diseases and bugs, which on the surface sounds like a good thing. As things progress, though, and we go down this wonderful road of life, we realize that we need things like  bugs and that maybe creating a plant that when they eat it explodes their stomachs, might pose a sort of harm to our ecological system.

And let’s just marinate a second on something: if a bug eats a plant--say, a strawberry that has been genetically modified--and it’s tummy explodes and it then dies, do you think it’s safe for humans? Really?! Because I freaking don’t.

“They” say that these foods are no more harmful to humans than any other non-genetically modifies substance...but who are “they” and what are “they” talking about? If you are in the business of selling a product are you going to admit it might be bad for people? That would be bad for business, and if it’s one thing we know it’s that most corporations put their dollars above human interest. It’s just how they function.

So do I think we’re being lied to about the safety of GM foods? Yes, I do. Plain and simple.

Another concern that I have about the genetically modified organisms is that Monsanto wants to start patenting their seeds--they want to control what other people can have and grow with. This proposition scares the hell out of me...and I hate to go all 1985 on you guys, but if we can own the genetic makeup of a plant, can we own the genetic make up of animal? And if we can, then how long before we start genetically modifying people....and can you own the patents to the modifications on their genes? Can you then own the person? Slippery slope and I have no intention of going gently on this one.

Animals are already being altered genetically, and this has probably been going on longer than we would like to think. The same with plants. The bottom line? Nature really does know best. We don’t need to fool with a system that already works fine on its own...if it’s not broken, don’t fix it.

I just don’t like the idea of GM foods, and I am glad to see that people are joining together to speak out against them. There is a lot about food production that we just don’t know anymore...and I urge everyone to take a little more personal responsibility for the food they nourish their bodies with. I like to do my part by canning and freezing in season food and eating venison instead of beef. I try to make my own foods whenever possible, including pasta and bread. The easiest way that you can do begin your journey is to know what you eating by checking labels at the grocery store and educate yourself more and more about the quality of the foods you are eating.

And remember: this is not a political issue. This our food supply--this is a human issue. There are so sides when it comes to the safety of our most basic and fundamental rights, one of which is the right to produce food that isn’t laced with poison...even if the start of the poison was originally laced with good intention. The road to hell is paved with good intention.

But I want to hear from you. What do you guys think about genetically modified foods? Do you think it's wrong, right, or are you largely indifferent? Leave it for me in the comments section below--let's talk about it!!!

Recipe for Sex Challenge: Cobb Salad

Welcome to the first week of the Recipes for Sex Challenge. Right off the bat I feel obligated to admit that I replaced the bacon in this classic salad with pickled beets. So go ahead and take a moment to get over it if you need to, it’s still an awesome [cobb] salad. This was my first recipe for sex in this whole food/sex experiment....so I was feeling a little nervous. Which I guess accounts for why I just totally spaced on the bleu cheese too....

Some of this had to do with the fact that I have not yet told my husband that I am doing this whole thing. I mean, I figured if people are going to take this challenge, their spouses/significant others/randoms they hook up with might not know either...so let’s keep it authentic, right?

Anyway, I made the dang salad, and we ate it for dinner. It was great, but not too filling. And then I became skeptical that the sex was going to happen....why? Because we had a fight. That’s right, a fight. We were yelling and hemming and hawing and all the usual fight flare. Then we retreated to our corners... my corner involved nursing a horrible chocolate stout that despite it’s horrid taste, I still drank.

And then he came into my corner. And then...we had sex. Like, really dirty sex. The type of dirty sex that we haven’t had in a while, complete with booty slapping and dirty words and my husband at the end of it saying something about being sore and me laughing at him. Now, I am not going to totally credit the salad for this awesome dirty sex that left one party sore, but what I am saying? It happened.

This is part intention, part luck and part salad. Let’s break it down....
1)I was not too full to have sex. This is an important part of after dinner sex.
2)We had a disagreement which left us both feeling....passionate. Though, this was not make up sex. I don’t do make up sex.
3)When I was making this dinner, the whole time I had sex on my mind. The intention was out there. I was, in a way, getting myself in the mood for the sex to come. Intention is everything.
4)I got lucky.

For all these reasons, I urge you: take the challenge! Make the salad, get laid. Hopefully you can skip the fight in between.

Recipe for Sex: Cobb Salad 

Time: 20 ish minutes | Serves 2 | Difficulty: Easy 

You Will Need:

Two hard boiled eggs

1 chicken breast, cooked and diced (you could also use leftover chicken) 

1 onion, sliced

crumbled bleu cheese (which I forgot, but hopefully you'll remember) 

lettuce, your choice

pickled beets (to replace the bacon)

tomato

cucumber

Method: 

Chop the lettuce to your liking (I mixed some homegrown bibb lettuce with arugula) and split it between two plates. 

If you haven't already cooked your chicken: Salt and pepper your chicken breast. In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook your chicken breast for 6-7 minutes on each side until done (or until the internal temp. reaches 160.) Set aside to cool. Once cool, chop into cubes. 

Build you salad: pile on top of your lettuce the bleu cheese, tomato, cucumber, onion, and beets. Add chicken. Peel and slice your eggs in half and add them to the salad as well. 

Serve with red wine vinegar and olive oil or the dressing of your choice.... then go get laid and tell me how it worked out? 

Porn Sex Vs. Real Sex...With Food!

So, since I made the big announcement of my Recipes For Sex Challenge (which starts TOMORROW!!!!!) I have gotten some great feedback. One of those came in the form of a YouTube video a friend of mine shared with me about the differences between porn sex and real sex, but told with food.

Brilliant! Two of my favorites things, once again, together.

So I figured, to get you guys in the mood for tomorrow's challenge debut, I would give you all the link to this video so that you can watch it, laugh about it, and hopefully learn something as well. The funny thing about this video is that there are some real differences between porn sex and real sex that I had never considered.

I have nothing against porn at all, in fact, I watch it! I even enjoy it. But I always have this feeling of it not being very authentic, and call me crazy, but sometimes I am bothered by that. I wish it looked more real. Not necessarily intimate or anything, just more real. Like in the 70s.

If you want, you can tell me what you think about porn in the comment section below. Either way, watch this awesome video and get ready for the Recipes For Sex Challenge tomorrow!!!

CLICK HERE to watch this totally awesome video!!! 

Beer & Bacon Grilled Chicken Recipe

I love to grill in the summer, and I have this amazing Webber poultry roaster that makes grilling a whole chicken a breeze. I often use the center portion for wine, but my husband and I came up with this beer and bacon chicken together and I wanted to share it with you all because it's awesome.

I love coming up with recipes with my husband. When we are able to work together in the name of cooking, it's just a crystal clear moment of relationship brilliance for me. First of all, I have issues with sharing my kitchen space, so any time I can open my kitchen to someone else, it means I am in a goooooooood place. Second, cooking with someone else takes teamwork. I love my husband and I as a team. We work together well.

So anyway, he's got this new method for grilling which is just fabulous. He uses indirect heat to grill and everything he indirectly grills comes out juicy and yumtastic. He gets the coals ready and then moves them to either side of the grill, and then cooks the meat in the middle of the grill with the top of the grill on. It takes a little longer, but it's worth the wait.

Pour the beer into the slot and the put the piece to hold the chicken in place back on top. 

Oops, I spilled a little, but it's no biggie. 

I have put my chicken in place on the roaster and I am ready to slather in bacon fat. Yep, that's right, I am using bacon fat not whole bacon. I love chicken this way. It's delicious and a good way to get your bacon fix on a budget. I save my fat for moments just like this! 

I like to shove a little lot of bacon fat into the cavity of the chicken. 

Salt and pepper it up. 

Take it outside while the live chickens aren't looking..... 

And then have your hubby add some fresh herbs from the garden! 

We added a little basil and sage. 

And my husband insisted on putting a bunch in the chicken pits! It made me laugh. 

Now put your chicken in the center of your grill, and grill that sucker over indirect heat for about 2 hours, rotating every 25 minutes or so. 

Now look at her! DELISH! 

This chicken was juicy, yummy, and fell off the bone!! 

Barely a cut needed on this bird! And there was LOTS of great juice to pour over, or make gravy with! 

Bacon fat + beer = chicken heaven! 

Beer & Bacon Grilled Chicken 

Time: 2 hours | Makes 1 Chicken | Difficulty: Medium

You Will Need:

1 whole chicken

Can of beer

Bacon fat 

Fresh basil

Fresh Sage

Salt and pepper 

Webber Poultry Roaster or other creative means of doing this thing. 

A charcoal grill 

Method: 

Prepare the charcoal and when it's ready, move the coals to either side of the grill so that you can cook the chicken over indirect heat. 

Meanwhile, rinse your chicken and pat it with paper towels to dry. Set aside.

Pour beer into the poultry roaster and then replace the piece that holds the chicken. Place the chicken on top of the poultry griller. 

Using your hands, get a big old dollop of bacon fat and slather the chicken in it. Put a little extra fat inside the chicken's cavity. 

Salt and pepper the chicken. Add some your fresh herbs, tearing them with your hands. 

Place the chicken in the center of the grill and allow it to cook for about 2 hours. Turn the chicken one quarter turn every 25 minutes or so. 

Enjoy with rice and a salad. 

Quick Fix: Naan Pizzas!

I love pizza any way that I can get it. If there is a way for me to eat pizza, I'm all for it. So, a few weeks back some naan was on sale in the bakery section of my grocery. I love naan. It's delicious, but it can be a little pricey, so I generally don't buy it.

When I brought the naan home, though, I was like you know what, this looks like a mini pizza crust to me! Ever since then, I am hooked on making naan pizzas. It's easy, it's super fast and let's just be honest here, it keeps my husband and I from making a giant pizza and eating the whole thing. The. Whole. Thing.

If you love naan, or if you love pizza, you will love this recipe. It's great in a pinch or not in a pinch. It's just great. And it's so simple that sometimes when I make it, I feel like my mind is blown like that guy from the AT&T commercials. *K-POW!*

Two pieces of naan bread, with flat part facing up.

And here's a tip from me to you: I like to use parchment paper to bake these on because then there is virtually no clean up. Anyone else feel like parchment paper changed their lives? 

Top with pizza sauce, about three tablespoons on each piece of naan. 

I felt extra naughty this day because I *gasp* bought pizza sauce at the store. For 99 cents. 

Mwahahaha. 

Then, I put two handfuls of cheese on each pizza. 

Bake these suckers in a 400 degree oven for 10-12 minutes.

I serve mine with a big ol' salad. 

Billie's Naan Pizza 

Time: 15 minutes | Serves 2 | Difficulty: Easy 

You Will Need:

2 piece of naan bread (I bought the garlic kind, but plain works too!)
pizza sauce (about 6 tablespoons)
Shredded mozzarella cheese (2 handfuls for each pizza)

Method:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Place your naan on a baking sheet (I like to line mine with parchment paper) with the flat side up.

Put your sauce on the naan and then top with cheese. If you like, you can put other toppings on as well.

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until the cheese is melted and done to your liking.

Serve with a salad and a smile! 

"We Three Canners" Film Our TV Debut!

It was great having this big camera in the kitchen!

So lately things have been a little bit busy...it's the high canning season 'round these parts, as well as my high work season. 'Busy' has been the name of the game and it's been rather nice to keep up a certain pace. Well just as I was hitting my stride, guess who came a-knockin'??!!

Give up?

It was the local TV station!! They wanted to do a segment on our canning group, We Three Canners, for a segment on their show. So, we canners got ourselves together, called Parson's Produce, cleaned the heck out of our houses and prepared to make our television debut!

If there is one thing I love, it's cooking on television...seriously. It's just one of the best feelings for me because I love sharing all the great stuff I have learned with other people. Now, I have appeared on Delmarva Life before, which I did in the studio, and THAT, I tell you was a ball. This time, though, I got to do it with my mother-in-law and my mother, so it was extra special for me.

Lisa was a lot of fun!! 

We got to hang with Lisa Bryant, show her our canning and even put her to work a bit in the kitchen! I don't want to give up what we canned...because I want you to tune in September and watch it!

Our segment is going to air on WBOC, our local station, on Delmarva Life August 22nd. The show airs at 4pm, so make sure to mark your calendar and set your DVR so that you can see We Three Canners, canning up a storm, and generally just loving life.

So, let's play a little game in the meantime...what do you all think we canned on tv? Leave it for me in comment section below! 

Recipes for Sex CHALLENGE!!!

It's hump day and if there is anything my readers should know about me by now it's that I love to eat and I that I love to have sex. So, I have been brewing a little challenge over here and now it's time for the big unveil. First, a little backstory.....

...My husband and I are about to celebrate ten whopping years of togetherness in October. That is a ton of time together. Now, you all know that I am not shy when it comes to discussing sex, but this is a little embarrassing, even for me. Because when it comes to being a human, you always want to put out there like you and yours are doing it like rabbits, right? You don’t see people out there being like, “My husband and I never have sex and we are SO PROUD!” (If you do, ignore them.)

It’s not even close to my husband and I not having sex, but what I am admitting is this: I frequently overeat and I am rarely in the mood for sex after dinner because I am too full. Ray Charles said that “the nighttime is the right time” but I am pretty sure he should have added, “As long as you didn’t eat the fired chicken, the mashed potatoes, the green beans and dessert.” Because then the nighttime is coma-on-the-couch time.

 I know that overeating at dinner is totally within my control...logically. It’s just that FEEL powerless to stop it when something totally awesome is in front of me. It’s not like I am thinking to myself, “would I like to have sex after this?” I am more along the lines of, “How quickly can consume this so I can eat more of it?” 

Maybe I have a problem. 

BUT THEN, the other night, we had dinner and it was one of those nights where (magically) I didn’t overeat. This was mostly due to my portion size which was (miraculously) normal. And then we had sex. It wasn’t planned or anything-- imagine that.  [End of back story, in case you were wondering] 

So, the whole thing got me to thinking... what if I cooked for sex? Then I was thinking even more and I was like, "What if I challenge my readers to have more sex and cook great stuff with me?!!?!" 

GUYS, this is a cooking/sex challenge!!! The challenge will be two fold...sometimes there will be sex first and food second and other times there will be food first and sex second. Either way, this challenge is designed to help you eat great and have more sex. It's kind of like a recipe guide to getting laid!!! 

Let's face it, life is busy and it's easy to overlook making time for love or great food, but now we are going to be doing both! I want you all to participate by cooking the recipes, trying to get laid and then letting me know how it worked (either the cooking, the sex, or both!) Send me an email, leave me a comment, or send me messenger pigeon and let me know how it's going!!! You can tell your significant other--or you can just go for it and see how the sparks fly!!! 

Ready? The challenge starts next week ON HUMP DAY! So get ready for a little love and some great food...and share this with all your friends, so they can do it too!

How excited are you?! Are you going to participate? Let me know in the comments section below!

The Accidental Homesteader

Ten years ago, I could barely boil an egg. I couldn’t pair food with wine, or braise oxtails, or make jam, but I had a desire to nourish myself--body and soul. To learn, I painstakingly cooked my way through the Better Homes and Garden’s Cookbook, 75th Edition, a gift from my future mother-in-law. It took me six years.

In those years I learned the basics of cooking from times to temperatures to cuts of meat and soups and well beyond. When I got to the end of the cookbook, I looked around my kitchen, I was proud of what I accomplished, but ready for a new mission: finding my own culinary voice in the ingredients. Where did I stand in this new world of food and what did I want from it? That was when I began developing my own recipes, and savoring the art of cooking.

Then my mother-in-law came calling again, as she had so many years before when she had bestowed me the key to my culinary wisdom and that cookbook which taught me everything. This time, though, she wanted to know if I would come and help her can and preserve. It was nothing I had ever considered, but my interest was peaked.

I showed up, apron in hand, not knowing what to expect and left with strawberry jam. I was blown away by how easy the process was; how one could take strawberries, macerate them, toss them in a pot with sugar, pectin and lemon juice and emerge the recipient of one’s own hard work, jam in hand, was a miracle to me. I was hooked.

Over the next few years, we brought my own mother into the canning fold, and developed a relationship with a local farmer. We canned everything from beets to bruschetta to nectars. Before I knew it, I had completely cut out store bought canned foods from my diet. This was when I truly started my inquiry into the ingredients themselves, where they were coming from, and their overall quality. From BPA in cans to pesticides on fruits and vegetables, the American food supply can begin to look a little scary.

Next step? Realize a previously unknown dream to produce my own eggs. To these ends, I enlisted my husband to build me a fox-proof chicken pen. He toiled for weeks on that pen, pouring over every aspect as if it were a carefully worded love note to me--which it was. We welcomed our happy flock of ten Rhode Island Red-hybrid chickens, and within a couple weeks? Eggs. Both of brimmed with delight at these eggs, bragging to anyone who would listen about the cute brown eggs that our chickens laid as if it had never in history been done.

As my husband and I fried up our first eggs and enjoyed them with our homemade jam, he leaned over to me and said, “Now if we had a pig or two, breakfast would be practically free.” It was then I began to see all my efforts in a new light. After all, I had just planted an orchard the week before as part of my project to cultivate more fruit to feed my canning and preserving habit.

Over the years, my journey of food had led, quite unexpectedly, to homesteading. As I make my way to the community garden space at my friends’ down the road, as I tend my chickens, as I grow my orchard, I now realize I am participating in something other than simply eating well....though I never meant it to be that way. The experience of wanting high quality foods on a tight budget has made me into an accidental homesteader.

Being a foodie and craving ingredients that are superior, less processed, and generally pesticide-free has given me little other choice but to produce my own. Had any of that occurred to me so many years ago when I was just learning to cook, the thought would have been overwhelming. In hindsight, I see it was within me all along. My journey with food has taken me to places I had always hoped I might be capable of, but never dreamed could be my reality.

With each passing year, I go a little deeper into my journey with food. I learn something new, and I build upon the skill set I didn’t even know I was constructing. I love food so passionately, and as a result, my journey to healthier food is natural--accidental--and joyful. I am simply: an accidental homesteader, and I am loving every minute of it.

So tell me, what have you accidentally become and loved? Would the thought of it previously overwhelmed you?? Share it with me in the comment section below!!!

Quick Fix: Vodka Infused Cherries

Last weekend we hosted all of my husband's cousins for a "Cousin's Weekend." It was awesome, and I totally recommend it. While all that family bonding was happening, I also had the chance to taste a little pineapple vodka that my husband's cousin Claire's husband Matt brought (I know it's a bit to explain, right?). He made it by soaking the pineapples in vodka for a couple of weeks...well heck yea, that's so great!

So, when I found myself with a bushel of cherries the other day, I said to my mother-in-law, "Let's combine these with vodka!" So, using Matt's pineapple vodka for inspiration, I've done just that. Let me also say that having an abundance of cherries from my farmer is something that I could really get used to. We got to make stuff with cherries this year that we would never have been able to make otherwise...like cherry infused vodka. 

I don't know if you would call these vodka infused cherries or cherry infused vodka. Let's just say that they are pretty equal in that department. Let's also say that while this IS a "quick fix" there is also patience involved because you have to wait two weeks to reap the benefits of this "quick fix." 

Que Sera. What will be will be. 

And you know what it will be? Delicious! 

So start by filling two pint jars with pitted cherries. 

And now, you will fill those jars with vodka. What type of vodka is totally your choice. I had this bottle lying around from a party, someone left it at my house...so I am using it up. 

Glug glug glug glug glug. *hiccup*

Dems some dunk cherries! 

Now, put your lid on and and stick them in your refrigerator. Leave them there for two weeks and then pull them out and enjoy. I am going to probably come up with a drink we can all make together. But you'll have to wait a couple weeks!!!! 

Also, can we please take a moment to appreciate that the lids on these (which are reused) say "pickled beets?" because these actually could pass to the unaware consumer for pickled beets....which is why I told my husband "don't eat those 'pickled beets' in the fridge--they are vodka cherries." 

Mwahahahaha

 [that was my cherries disguised as beets laugh!]

Waste of Space: Bread Slicer Thingy

I'm a gadget gal. I love my little gadgets and I tend to buy a lot of them. I use them, too, unlike some people who purchase them for the novelty and then can't seem to get on board with putting them to good use.

I'm usually pretty positive....but lately I have been cleaning out my house and trying to reorganize a bit. That has me finding a lot of things that just aren't that great. These items are a waste of my space, and I want to take a few moments to tell you about how much they suck. You know, so you don't waste your time buying them and your space storing them.

For my wedding I got a bread maker, which I use all the time and totally love...one problem: I was haing trouble slicing bread sandwich style. On a trip to the thrift store, I foudn this gem...it's a bread slicer thingy. Yep, techincal. 

You are supposed ot put the bread in the thing and then, you guessed it, slice away. But the slices are kind of thick and honestly, my problem wasn't really the fact that I couldn't slice bread right--it was that I didn't have the right knife. 

Once I updated my knife, well, this little bread slicer thingy became obsolete. 

Since then, this thing has been collecting dust and not slicing bread. Oh, AND, just in case this thing isn't obnoxious enough, it has a detachable part of it that never wants to stay attached. So while you are trying to slice the bread you've made and making it a mangled mess, the little section to support the bread is coming off and making a big, crummy mess.

So in case you were wondering if you should get a bread slicer like this, DON'T. It's a waste of space. Instead, perhaps try a better knife. Practice makes perfect, of course.

Tell me, what is the biggest waste of space you have ever encountered? Leave it for me in the comments section below. 

Coconut Egg Custard Recipe

A while back, I made my first ever egg custard and fell in love. After all, I do have a lot of eggs around these parts. While I thought that the egg custard was a terrific, one of my readers suggested I add coconut, and well, that got my to thinking...and we all know what happens when I get to thinking! I get to doing!

I started to work on a new custard recipe that included coconut!!!

Now, I didn't just want to throw coconut into the custard because, while that might be good, I wanted to step it up a notch. So, I used coconut milk in place of milk! I also got rid of the crust because I enjoy a crustless custard. It's more of an old-fashioned version of the custard, and since I am an old-fashioned kind of gal, this was the perfect custard for me.

I fell in love in a new way. I hope you do, too.

This is a great, coconutty custard. And? It's easy! Now what could be better than a great tasting, easy custard?

The ingredients are simple--even with the coconut addition. 

I am starting here with 4 eggs, 1/2 cup of sugar, a teaspoon on vanilla and a pinch of salt.

Now whisk it...whisk it real good. And sing while you do it because it helps the eggs get extra whisky.  

Now add your coconut milk and almond milk. The can of coconut milk about 1 3/4 cups, so it seemed impractical to open another can of the stuff. So I supplemented with almond milk. You can, of course, use regular milk in place of the almond milk, but I don't do cows milk so I never have it in the house. 

Now some coconut flakes to make it extra coconutty! 

Mix it up. 

And pour it into a baking pan. Wanna know why I used a square one?????

...'Cause it was the only one that fit into this other one! 

And the bottom one has to have water in it to help the custard be all custardy. 

Now you get to pop this thing in the oven and be a whole step closer to wonderful egg custard! 

Aw heck! I totally spaced on the nutmeg! 

No worries, I hadn't even shut the oven yet, so I just gave it healthy sprinkle. 

Then I cooked that sucker. 

Heck to the yea! 

This is one bad custard-shut-yo-mouth!!!!! 

Actually, open it....and fill it with custard! 

Coconut Egg Custard

Time: Prep 5 min, bake 45 min. | Makes 1 Delish Custard | Difficult: Easy 

You Will Need: 

4 eggs

1/2 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon vanilla 

pinch of salt

1 can of coconut milk (1 3/4 cups)

1/4 cup almond milk

1/2 cup flaked coconut 

Nutmeg, to sprinkle 

Method: 

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 

In a mixing bowl combine eggs, sugar, salt and vanilla. Whisk it. Whisk it reaaaalllll good. 

Add coconut and almond milk. Whisk it again. Stir in coconut flakes. 

Pour into a baking dish. Sprinkle with nutmeg 

Carefully set the baking dish with the custard into a larger baking dish and add enough water to come up the sides halfway. 

Place carefully into the oven and bake on 325 for 45 minutes or until custard is set (and a knife comes out clean.) 

Enjoy hot or serve cold. It's great both ways!!! 

Having Great Sex Starts With Body Confidence

Women can be very self conscious when it comes to their bodies. Many of us have spent a lot of time feeling bad about our love handles, or our breasts, or our stomachs, or whatever. This has all kinds of effects on our romantic relationships, but what I want to talk about in terms of the effects it can have in our romantic relationships and that is sex. That's right, I am getting up on my sexy, body image centered soap box. Happy Tuesday.

Women will go to all kinds of trouble to hide what they don’t like. Whether that means having sex exclusively with the lights off, or leaving a shirt on, women seem hellbent on hiding out when they feel uncomfortable. For your love partner, though, when it comes to you being uncomfortable during sex, especially with your body, the worst part of it all are your negative emotion, not your imperfections.

If it sounds like I am telling you to “get over it” then I am hitting the right note. Because the objective is not to love your vision of your perfect body that you wish you had, it’s to love the body you have right now in this moment. Simple truth? Bodies don’t change overnight. Another truth? Every body is different and that is OKAY!

Mass media bombards us with messages that we should all look the same...and it’s always unrealistic. We can’t all look the same because we aren’t all built the same. No matter how hard I try, I will always be under five feet tall. I will never, ever be tall and skinny. I am a big-legged woman. And I like it!

You know who else likes it? My husband.

I want to let everyone in a on a little secret about men and sex: by the time they are getting you to bed, the last thing they care about are the details of your body. Their main concern? That you are having a great time having sex and feeling good. That’s it.

They don’t see your cellulite or your dimples or your little stomach you swear you have but can’t get rid of. What they see is you....your expression, your enjoyment, your smile (your "o" face). When we become self conscious, it works against us because it sticks out like a sore thumb and works completely against our enjoyment of the actual deed: the sex itself.

I urge women out there to let go of their insecurities surrounding sex which stem from being too body conscious. Sure, you may still have things here or there that you don’t like....but in the bedroom is not the appropriate time to let those out. When you are getting down to business the person you love, there is no need of being self conscious or scared of what they will see...the bedroom is the place to let all of that go and just exist in the body you have now.

And if you can let go there, you can let go other places too.

If I had my way, women everywhere would learn to love their bodies as they are. If you want make improvements, that’s okay. Being healthy is always a great goal...but self loathing, being unhappy with your body, and hiding your body are NOT in any way healthy. Unless you can break free of those bad body feelings you have, you won’t be able to change...because change always starts on the inside.

I believe that women ruin a lot of good sex for themselves because they are just too worried about how they are being viewed. The view, though, always starts with yourself. If you think you are beautiful, so will others. Love your body, and celebrate and honor your body by truly enjoying sexual experiences. Let others see you fully and be proud.

So tell me, are you a little self conscious of your body when it comes to sex or do you let it all hang out? What are ways you boost your self confidence?! Share it with me in the comments section below--don't be shy!

Update On My New Chickens [+Name Reveal!]

These pesky bitties won't ever let me get a
picture of all three of them.... 

So, few weeks back we added three, new "slightly used" chickens to our flock. We weren't sure how it was going to go with integrating them into our already established flock. Some people told us it was going to be impossibly hard. Still, we held fast to our optimism and proceeded.

At first, we tried to quarantine them from our others chickens. That lasted about four days. Maybe. Once our Chickens of Downton Abbey sussed out our newbies, they wouldn't leave them alone. So, we moved them into side by side cage living a week early.

They lived side by side like that for just under two weeks. In those two weeks, we got our new gals used to be handled. They were pretty afraid of us at first and they are still a bit shy, but they are really getting the hang of our farm life. I'll admit, I had my doubts. When they came to us they were in pretty shape...but  the feathers have grown back and as they have, their attitudes have improved as well.

Last week, we took the big plunge by integrating them. So it's official, we've got a unified flock! But I bet you are wondering what we named them. I got a lot of good suggestions on names for my new hens. One of my personal favorites was cutlet, parm, and tender, but since we aren't really going to eat them, it didn't seem to fit.

The winning name suggestion came from my mother-in-law. Together, the three of them are our "Bitties!"  Their individual names have to do with how many feathers they were missing when we got them. There is "Lotta Bit," "Lil Bit" and "Justa Bit." Cute right?!

Still, my husband and I tend to refer to them as "The Amrocks" more than anything else. I am sure that will change with time.

For you chicken enthusiasts out there, I wanted to say how I got my chickens to integrate. When I searched online there wasn't a lot of information on how to properly integrate new chickens into an established flock that wasn't overly negative or just plain out there. So, here's how we did it. It was a lot easier than we thought it would be.

This one is loving life and lounging in the sun...wing out style! 

How to get your old flock to accept new chickens:

First we put them all in the cage together in ten minute intervals (supervised, of course) about twice a day for two days. Then, we let them have a whole half hour together (still supervised). After their half hour, we let them all out of the cage together to roam the yard.

We gave them two days of yard roaming together (unsupervised) to sort out their differences and then we decided it was time to make it official: they were going to sleep together! Now, our newbies wouldn't just go into the house and roost, so we had to physically pick them up and put them on the roost. Our girls were happy to make space.

So now they are all together, and it's going really well. The integration system worked really well and now they are one big, happy [henny] family! My favorite part is having the different kinds of chickens. It's just cool. 

BIW Vs. New FDA Chicken Regulations [VLOG!]

When I heard about the new regulations that the FDA wants to put on organic farmers, well, it made me mad not only as a consumer, but as a chicken owner!!! Hear what I have to say by watching the video below and then join the conversation!!! 

Mobile users, CLICK HERE to watch the video on You Tube. 

Quick Fix: Tomato & Bleu Cheese Salad

This summer I have just been loving the tomatoes. I don't know what in the heck it is, but I just can't get enough of them. Now, normally, I really like a tomato caprese salad with the mozzarella and the basil and the tomato all stacked high and looking purdy. BUT, this year, I had another idea: let's swap that mozz out for some bleu cheese and see how it tastes.  

Holy tomatoes it's my new favorite!!! I have been eating the ever-loving bajeezus out of this salad. So of course I had to share it with you all because I know you will just love it as much as I do. It'll probably be your new favorite before too long. 

Also? It's as simple as it is delicious. And that's a win-win situation! So, get yer 'maters ready--it's time to eat! 

One tomato, and ten leaves of basil. 

Guess what? We aren't even going to worry about slicing up that basil. We are gonna year it with our hands. Yep. That's right. 

But first things first: slicing up that tomato. As you can see I cut it into wedges. They aren't super thick, but they aren't thin either. They are medium wedges. You can wedge it any way you like. But wedges, for presentation purposes, are the best. 

Now, tear your basil on top of your tomatoes. See how easy that was? And now your hands smell good, too. You're welcome! 

I also like to salt and pepper my tomato at this point. You with me? 

Now, on how much bleu cheese to add, this is a preference thing. I feel like I always say this, "It's a preference thing" but you know what, sometimes you gotta calls it like you sees it. And that is how I sees it. 

I take a big old bunch of bleu and bleu it up. You might like a little less cheese. You might even want more cheese. Cheese like you likes it!!!! 

Now you are going to drizzle with olive oil and balsamic glaze. 

I love the balsamic glaze on this because it's just delightful as heck and really sticks to this dish properly. If you haven't got balsamic reduction or glaze hanging around in your cabinet, that's okay, you can use balsamic vinegar too. But seriously do yourself a favor and get the glaze. It's divine. 

This is what my bottle of glaze looks like. It has truffle oil in it too, just to give it an extra POWY! 

It was a Christmas gift. I have been hoarding it. 

Here is another glorious look at this wonderful dish! 

I serve it as a side dish, OR when I am alone, I make this and just plain eat it. Why? Because I can!!! 

Another tip: this is great over arugula OR with cucumbers added in! 

Tomato & Bleu Cheese Salad 

Time: 5 minutes | Serves 2 | Difficulty: EASY

You Will Need:

1 ripe tomato
10 basil leaves (fresh)
"some" bleu cheese, crumbled because "it's a preference thing"
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic glaze or balsamic vinegar, your choice
Salt and pepper

Method:

Slice tomato into wedges and lay them in a circle on a pretty plate.

Tear the basil leaves in half with your hands because when it comes to chopping this basil, "Ain't nobody got time for that!"

Give your tomatoes a little salt and pepper loving. (sprinkled love.)

Add your bleu cheese crumbles over the whole thing. Like a lot of bleu cheese? Add a bunch! Not so much? Add a little less. This, as I have said before, is a preference thing.

Drizzle your extra virgin olive oil over the whole thing by going once around.

Hit it with some balsamic reduction.

Rejoice at this awesome salad. Do a little happy dance. Eat.

Bossy Italian Book Review: One Pink Line by Dina Silver

I randomly downloaded this book from one of the ads on my Kindle. I love those ads because sometimes they are spot on. I figured, heck, why not give this book a read? The cover art was good and it intrigued me. Turned out, One Pink Line by Dina Silver was actually a good book and hit relatively close to home.

The book is about Sydney and her daughter Grace. It's a bit more about Sydney, but it toggles between their perspectives. When Sydney finds herself pregnant after college, she is faced with a ton of uncertainty. That pink line of the pregnancy test changes everything.

When Sydney decides to keep the baby with the full knowledge that she will receive no help from the father, she is determined and brave. From there the stories of Grace and Sydney unfold.

What I loved about this book was the simplicity of it. So many books these days involve complicated plots, complicated characters, and twists and turns and yada yada--but not One Pink Line. This is a book that is not only simple, but beautiful in its simplicity. It's a story of what makes a father, but also a story of love.

For me, this book hit home in some unexpected ways. I was raised by a man who is not my biological father, and so I have often times grappled with society's version of "what is a father?" However, I never let that define for me what I thought of my dad. One Pink Line reminded me that there are lots of women and girls who go through all the same things I went through. It's a never ending journey, really, but at the end of the day, I am also reminded that women like me, who were raised by a non-bio dad they loved, get a glimpse of something truly special about humanity.

Love is transcendent in this way...it doesn't matter if you are tied by love or by blood because both bonds are equally strong. This book is the story of realizing that fact of life and love, while simultaneously showing the journey of what so many mothers go through--an experience I have not had.

Well written, and simple, this book drew me in and held my attention. I fell in love with the characters and enjoyed the heartstrings this book sounded.