Yet Another Holiday Cocktail

By now, you probably think the only way I can make it through the holidays is if I'm plastered.  You'd be sorta correct.   Anywho, I have another drink to share with y'all.  I'm sipping on one right now, unwinding after a visit to the ol' homestead.

It doesn't really have a name yet.

1 cup cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

Warm over low heat, whisking to combine ingredients.  Keep the temperature nice and low.

Then:

1 ounce each dark rum and Kahlua

Add the rum and Kahlua to your cup.  Add 1-2 tablespoons of the cream.  Top with hot water, stir, and enjoy.

What would you call this?

Oh! I forgot:  Use 1 cup full-fat coconut milk if you don't want to use dairy cream.

Holiday Bitchin'

I just cannot get into the holiday spirit anymore.  I haven't been able to for years.   I think it's time to stop trying.  It just isn't meant to be.

Depression is kicking my ass, I have to work til the 20th, I'm broke...ffffffuuuuuuuuucccckkkk this.

Oh, and then there is the whole unsure about the existence of the Divine thing.

Sure, I'm happy that the light will return on the solstice.  I hate the darkness of this time of year.  In addition to good ol' depression, I suffer from SAD.  It's a lovely combination.

I still plan to do some baking for my friends and family for the holidays. I fully intend to go through the motions this year, but what about next year?  And the year after that?

Part of me is ready for a new year to begin, but the rest of me knows it won't make a damned bit of difference.  SSDD, my friends. SSDD.

Oh, and that food drive I wanted to organize at work?   Chica in charge totally forgot about it.  Nice.  Sorry you have to go hungry this holiday, kids!  

I will try to scrape together a donation once I get paid and get more bills taken care of, I suppose.

/bitching

Pretzel Rolls

Now you see why I never post pictures! *LOL*

Still, this recipe is so good I have to share.   I luuuuuv Alton Brown, and this is his soft pretzel recipe, doubled and formed into small sub rolls.  They were requested by a friend of mine, and I was more than happy to deliver.

Here is the link to the original recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/alton-brown/homemade-soft-pretzels-recipe/index.html

I doubled the recipe and ended up with 12 rolls.  Don't forget to slash the tops.  I baked them for 18 minutes, 6 at a time.  This is *the* pretzel recipe. I absolutely love it.

Making Traditions...and Pizza

I started making homemade pizza on Sunday nights.  It's the Aussie's first day of work for the week, and the night before my first day of work for the week.  It's also the night our favorite shows come on - Bob's Burgers and The Walking Dead.

We have a few traditions in my family that are related to food:  Mom's Sunday lunches, chestnut stuffing at Thanksgiving, seafood at Christmas, pork and cabbage at the New Year celebration.   Since I don't live at home anymore, I'm unable to participate in those traditions, but I can make my own.  I love to bake and knead dough, so I thought pizza would be nice.  It's a comfort food, and there are endless possibilities for toppings.

This weekend, I decided to experiment a bit more and do a crust that wasn't a yeast crust.  Yes, I know - the tradition is a couple of months old, and I'm already fucking with it!   Still, it's pizza, sort of.  

I made taco pizza tonight, with a cornmeal crust, and I have to tell you it was deeeeeelicious.  Oh. Yes.  It was very, very good. I only have one photo of the finished product, and it's truly terrible, of course, but I might as well go ahead and post it along with the crust recipe.

Cornmeal Crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1/2 tsp. salt
4 tablespoons each cold butter and cold shortening
4-5 tablespoons ice water

I used my food processor to put this recipe together. I usually use it for crusts, as it keeps my hands out of the dough and keeps the temperature of the fat down.   It's really easy, too - just dump, whirr, and turn it out onto a piece of plastic wrap.  Form it into a ball, and chill it for at least 30 minutes.

You can roll it out, or you can press it into the pan.  I just pressed it in with my fingers.   I used my 10-inch pizza pan.

To top it, I heated 2 cups of Quorn meatless crumbles in my skillet with a little water.  I let the water evaporate some and then added a packet of taco seasoning (I'm lazy).  

Spread on 4-5 tablespoons of diced tomatoes and chilies, add the "meat", and top it with cheese.  I used 1 1/2 cups of grated Cheddar.

Bake at 450 for 17 minutes, and voila!  I topped it with some green onions and served it with a salad.  Simple and delicious for a Sunday night, especially a Sunday night on which I am supposed to be grading papers.   Speaking of which, I should get back to those.

Here's an ugly picture of a delicious pizza!

In Remembrance...

...Of all of those who have lost the fight with AIDS, and for those who are still living with it.   Fight AIDS - NOT people with AIDS.