A Fork In Each Hand

Maple-Bourbon Sour

I gotta tell you, after spending this week enduring Hurricane Sandy-turned Nor’Easter-turned nightmare and the ensuing loss of power for days, I was just ready to go home, sleep in my own bed and make some food. But I was tired. And by tired, I mean tuckered-out tired. My good friend Jodi put up with my sorry self since Sunday while I waited for the power to be restored in my freezing cold house. Finally, the power came back last night and it really is such a relief to flip on a lightswitch and get light. Plus, there really is nothing better than sleeping in your own cozy bed. Because I anticipated losing power this week, I figured it was a great opportunity to bring you something that doesn’t require the use of electricity and helps that lonely time go by faster: Maple-Bourbon Sour.

Bourbon is mixed with nothing but maple syrup and lemon juice. Sounds kind of crazy but the sweetness of the syrup and sourness of the lemon balance each other out while the smoky maple complements bourbon perfectly. When I got home last night, I really didn’t have the patience to make one of these but instead poured myself a red wine and tucked myself into bed while I watched tv. In the dark. Yes, after complaining about losing power, I barely turned a light on when I got it back. All I really wanted was my tv. I’m a loser. After seeing what happened to the New Jersey coast this week, I’m grateful that my biggest problem was a loss of power. I have to say that this week has been an emotional and heartbreaking time for those of us in New Jersey. I didn’t grow up here but I’ve been here long enough to know just how special and important the Jersey shore is to the people who live here (and yes, it’s really called the “shore” here, not the “beach”). It’s not just a stupid tv show (which I refuse to watch), it’s a way of life and a piece of the people here. It’s their heart and soul. And it will recover.

The ingredients:

Combine bourbon, maple syrup, and fresh lemon juice, stirring well.

Pour mixture into a cocktail shaker filled with 1/2 cup ice. Cover and shake.

Strain mixture; divide evenly between two glasses. Serve over ice, if desired.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Love It

Source: Cooking Light Magazine

Scarecrow Crunch

Need a little snack to get you through the marathon of scary movies on TV tonight? Or maybe just something to snack on in between rings of the doorbell as you hand out candy to the ghosts and goblins at your door? Check out this Scarecrow Crunch.

Oatmeal squares cereal, pretzels, candy corn mix, Reese’s pieces, chocolate grahams, and caramel corn are mixed together to make for a sweet and salty snack perfect for autumn. Put some of this into baggies for your kids or just take it to work for people who need an afternoon pick me up. This made a big batch so you’ll have plenty to share. My friends and I noshed on handfuls of this while we were hunkered down during the hurricane. And leftovers should last for a while if you keep them in an airtight container. Turn off the outside light, hunker down in the dark with a blanket, light a candle to cast eerie shadows, and munch on a bowl of this for tonight’s Halloween marathon on AMC. If you have power, that is. If you don’t, try not to get freaked out by the fact that you have to spend every second of Halloween in the dark.

The ingredients:

Combine all ingredients into a large bowl.

Additions: None

Omissions: None

Substitutions: None

Overall Rating: Like It

Source: Just Make Stuff

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

As I’m sure you’ve heard, the northeast is getting pummeled by Hurricane Sandy right now. This is the second hurricane that has hit the Philadelphia area in a little more than a year and for those of us not used to it, it is two too many. As I write this, I still have power but considering I lost power for days last year with Hurricane Irene, I’m fully expecting to lose power again. I’m a little more prepared this year though: I’ve loaded my kitchen table with my emergency necessities (which you can see here – and yes, that includes bourbon) and I have a flashlight this time which will prevent me from using my iPhone to see in the dark (and hopefully reduce my risk of dropping said iPhone into the toilet à la last year). Because losing power is inevitable, I had to make food this past weekend that wouldn’t require refrigeration. Which means I’ll be eating these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins for days.

Canned pumpkin and mini chocolate chips are mixed into a simple muffin batter to create a moist, light, flavorful treat. These muffins have a lot of butter and sugar so they are not low-fat but given my circumstances of enduring the hurricane, I’ve got more to worry about right now than calories. The recipe calls for 3 to 4 cups of flour but I only used 3 cups and it was plenty. This batter is thick and makes puffy muffins like the kind you see in bakeries – yum. I used mini chocolate chips which I’ve come to love more than regular chocolate chips. These muffins are really, really good. I just hope I’m not sick of them by Wednesday.

The ingredients:

Blend the pumpkin, brown sugar, butter, and eggs in a large bowl mix until creamy.

In a separate bowl, combine the dry ingredients (flour through nutmeg). Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until combined when batter is moist and thick.