This Stop Willoughby

I wasn't going to post about this topic. Really, I wasn't, but I can't get it off my mind. Turn on the TV or the radio, look at a newspaper, or spend a few minutes on the internet and you can't get away from it. You know what I'm talking about, The Swine Flu. My husband said the coverage of the swine flu outbreak made him think of Stephen King's The Stand (and said he was going to start blaring Blue Oyster Cult's Don't Fear The Reaper) . I'm a huge Stephen King fan, so I can't believe I didn't think of the connection myself. If you're not familiar with The Stand , it's about a super flu that wipes out the majority of the population and leaves the survivors to choose between good and evil. I've read the book and seen the mini-series countless times. It's one of my favorite works by Stephen King. I'm not going to say that I believe this flu will mirror the events in Stephen King's story (I don't really think he's...

The kids wanted milk shakes this evening, so I made some. While I had all the ingredients out, I made a few grown up shakes for Mr. Willoughby and myself. They were great enjoyed indoors on a cool day, but they would be fabulous on a sweltering summer day. This recipe yields two to three shakes, depending on how much milk you add. Cocomochachino Shake 1 pint vanilla ice cream, softened milk 3 tablespoons chocolate syrup 2 tablespoons instant coffee powder 1 ounce coconut rum 1 ounce Kahlua whipped cream Add vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, coffee powder, coconut rum and Kahlua to blender along with a small amount of milk. Blend on high speed for 30 seconds, check consistency. Add more milk if necessary and blend again. Repeat if a thinner consistency is desired. Pour into glasses. Top with whipped cream. Enjoy responsibly!

Tonight's drink is a classic, but not from the prohibition era. I believe it was created in the 1970's. This is one of Mr. Willoughby's favorites. Tequila Sunrise 2 oz. tequila 4 oz. orange juice 1 oz. grenadine Stir tequila and orange juice with ice and strain into a glass. Add ice cubes. Pour in grenadine slowly and allow to settle. Before drinking, stir to complete your Sunrise. Please enjoy your Tequila Sunrise responsibly! Happy Friday!

I am going to unapologetically, shamelessly brag about my son today. As I've mentioned before, he's a runner. He's been running track since he was in middle school. Way back then, we had no idea how fast he was and we were a little surprised when he said he wanted to join the track team. Even so, we encouraged him to go for it. We were nervous for him when we went to his first meet. He told us he was doing well in practice, but we had no idea what to expect. He placed (meaning he came in first, second or third) in each event he ran at that meet and at most of the meets for the remainder of the season. Last year, when he started high school, he wanted to join the track team again. We were behind his decision, but worried that he might be disappointed running against kids who were older and had more experience. This wasn't middle school anymore, these kids took their training seriously. He was determined to show that he could compete against the best of them and trained j...

......on this day twenty years ago? I do. I'll give you a hint... Did you guess it? On April 22, 1989, Mr. Willoughby and I were married. It's hard to believe that twenty years have passed. It was such a wonderful day. I remember being so worried about tripping on my dress as I walked up the aisle or forgetting Mr. Willoughby's ring. I worried about the photographer showing up on time, the cake being delivered intact, the food at the reception being good, the DJ having the right music, and a hundred other things. The only thing I didn't worry about was the man I was marrying. I wanted to put our wedding song on my player today, but I can't find the right version on Playlist. If you want to hear it, click on the video below. I don't usually share personal photos, but since this is a special occasion, I'm going to. With Mom and Dad before the wedding. With my Dad, hoping not to trip. "You may kiss the bride." Finally married! At the reception. Remo...

We're a little hesitant to say it's finally spring around here. According to the calendar it is spring (and has been for nearly a month), but Michigan weather rarely cares what the calendar shows. It was only two weeks ago that my son and daughter and I were parked on the shoulder of a snowy, icy road waiting for the tow truck to pull my son's car out the ditch he slid into. However, yesterday the weather was beautiful. It was sunny and the temperature was in the 70's. After six long months of waiting we were finally able to enjoy our back porch and do a bit of yard work. We also had my parents over for a nice dinner (recipes to follow). Before I begin today's story, I need to give you a little background about our yard. Our house is on a corner, so our backyard is open to the street that runs alongside it. We have a small garden fence and some hedges, but you can still see directly into our yard from the street. We get a lot of attention when we enjoy our favorite ...

Tonight's drink continues our classic cocktail theme, with a bit of a twist. We've added 7-Up to the basic cocktail recipe to make it a fizz. If you prefer a non-carbonated cocktail, feel free to leave out the 7-Up. Presenting....the Sidecar Fizz! Sidecar Fizz 1/4 oz. lemon juice 1/2 oz. triple sec 1 oz. brandy 2 oz. lemon/lime carbonated beverage (7-Up) Pour lemon juice, triple sec and brandy into ice filled cocktail shaker. Shake well. Pour into cocktail glass and top with 7-Up. Please enjoy responsibly! Happy Friday, everyone!!

I just wanted to take a few minutes to talk about yesterday's posts. On yesterday's "Anger Management" post - It came as quite a surprise to find that I am not the only one who has stopped visiting the Recipe Exchange. I don't know why, but I assumed that I was the only one stumbling upon the nasty comments, negative posts and condescending tone. It's a shame, because I used to look forward to logging in and catching up with other members, but for now, I have no desire to go back. I do still use the site to find recipes, but that's all. On yesterday's "Fun Kid Friendly Project" - Thank you to all of you who left such nice comments, it truly made my daughter's day to read them. She had so much fun and was so proud of her work, she loved hearing that others liked it, too. Polly, your comment made me laugh out loud! You're right, I've never seen an employee who looked like that in a pet shop!! I do encourage you to try this ...

The kids are home from school this week for spring break. The weather hasn't been very spring like so my daughter and I have been looking for things to do indoors. Today while we were playing with her Barbie dolls, we decided to make a story. We used the digital camera to photograph each part and then used Photoscape (free photo editing software) to add bubbles with text. Next time we'll be a little more creative and make the story a little longer. It was a lot of fun, I highly recommend this project!

Every now and then when I'm searching for something online, I'll run across a message board or a forum. Sometimes I'll read a few posts if the topic sounds interesting. More often than not, I'm amazed at how nasty some people can be and how willing they are to be offensive to complete strangers. Have you noticed this? I don't know what it is about the anonymity of sitting at the computer that seems to bring out the worst in some people. I can't say for sure that they don't behave this way in public, but my hunch is that they use a little more self control in face to face situations. Recently, I was on Internet Movie Database looking up some trivial information about a movie. I spent a little time reading posts on their message boards and I was shocked at how rude some of the comments were. Stating your opinion about a movie appears to be grounds for insults to your intelligence, politics, race, nationality and mental state. I can't imagine anyone making...

I hope you had a lovely Easter Sunday. We did. And as with any holiday, lots of good food was involved. Brunch If you didn't run right out and buy croissants the last time I mentioned them ( here ), you really need to. We made wonderful sandwiches by slicing them open and stuffing them with scrambled eggs (fried would be good, too) and cheese, and heating them in a 350 degree oven for 8 minutes. Served with Mr. Willoughby's trademark bacon on the grill, hash browns, coffee and assorted juices, it was a fast, easy and delicious brunch. It was so good, in fact, that I have no pictures because everything disappeared the minute it hit the table. We had dinner at my parents' house, so I didn't have to do any cooking, but the girls and I made some fabulous desserts to take along. Cupcakes Purple Hoodie Chick and I made filled cupcakes. The original plan was to make chocolate cupcakes, but I was out of cocoa. So as much as I hate to admit it, we got a little help from this gu...

We're continuing the classic cocktail theme with tonight's recipe. I did a little research and found there are quite a few variations of this drink. The one I am sharing tonight comes from our quirky, old bartender's guide. It's smooth and a little sweet. I hope you like it. Road Runner 1 oz. Vodka 1/2 oz. amaretto 1/2 oz. coconut cream 1/2 cup crushed ice Blend all ingredients in blender until smooth. Pour into a sugar rimmed martini glass. As always, please enjoy responsibly. Happy Saturday!

I couldn't decide what to post today. If you read my blog regularly, you know that I always share a drink recipe on Friday. We made drinks after dinner last night and I was going to share the recipe with you today, but I wasn't sure if I should, it being Good Friday. I gave it a great deal of consideration and decided to wait until tomorrow night to open the bar so that I wouldn't offend anyone. I really don't think it would (or should) be offensive, but I can wait until tomorrow to post it. For today, we will be cooking a main dish and a side dish. We will be using chicken, which I realize is also forbidden on Good Friday, but you can make this another day. Slow Cooked Chicken You've probably seen the recipe for salsa chicken before. I've made it many times, usually on the stove top. If you aren't familiar with it, it's basically cooking boneless chicken in salsa, either on the stove top or in the oven. This recipe has a twist to it. In addition to th...

We like music around here. A lot. Except for my daughter, we like it loud, too. She likes Sara (Starship) and All The Same (Sick Puppies) loud, but that's about it. When we're driving somewhere, she complains if I turn up the volume. When I have the opportunity to drive solo, I crank up the music and sing along. I usually stop singing if there is a car directly next to me or if I'm stopped at light, though. And in the warmer weather I try not to sing loudly if I have the windows down. I can't carry a tune in a bucket. No one needs to hear me belting out my off key version of The Pretender (Foo Fighters) or Black Days (Soundgarden). That would be cruel. In addition to singing badly, I get the words to the songs wrong sometimes. Some lyrics are especially hard to understand so I fill in the words I don't know with some nonsense that doesn't sound like English or I sing what I think I'm hearing. You know what I'm talking about because you do it too! Have...

I'm kicking myself for not knowing about it sooner. One of my favorite bands was in town over the weekend. Staind, along with some other bands, performed at a free concert on the Detroit waterfront on Sunday afternoon. We found out about it just before the concert started. Since we live about an hour from Detroit, there was no way we were going to be able to get there in time to park and get seated before they took the stage (it's an outdoor venue and you have to bring your own seats). I can console myself with the fact that it was only in the 40's on Sunday and the wind coming off the Detroit River probably held the windchill around 30. Still....Staind would have been worth risking a little frostbite. If we had know about it an hour earlier we would have gone. It proves, once again, that timing can make all the difference. Sometimes for the better and sometimes not. Think about how many times you've passed an accident scene on the road and wondered what would have happ...

Mother Nature pulled a good one on us overnight. The local forecasters said we could be in for another blast of winter, and they were right. What was green yesterday is white today. That's right, last week's near 60 degree temperatures have given way to the low 30's and the grass and trees are covered with snow. The sidewalk and street in front of my house. Yesterday there were robins singing in these trees. School is cancelled today, too. The snow isn't deep but the roads are slushy in some spots and slippery in others. It's a good thing I got the windows washed and the screens in place, eh? Pretty sneaky, Mother Nature! Reminiscing I'm sick of looking at the snow sticking to my freshly washed window screens, so I'm going to reminisce about sun filled carefree days of times past.... Years ago, around the time we were married, our closest friends were Kevin and Karen. Kevin lived in the apartment next to ours, and Karen was a good friend of his. We spent man...

I do most of the cooking around here, but Mr. Willoughby is the grill master and breakfast chef. A while back he decided to combine the two and make bacon on the grill. It's fantastic! We don't make bacon very often, but when we make it in the oven or on the cooktop, the house smells like it for hours afterward. Plus, who wants to clean up the greasy mess? The grill method also works well if you need to make a large amount of bacon at one time. Here's what Mr. Willoughby does: Preheat your gas grill to high. Tear off two 24 inch sheets of aluminum foil and stack one on top of the other. Fold the edges up to contain the grease. Lay bacon on the foil in a single layer and place on the grill. Close the top and let the bacon cook for 5-10 minutes. Check to see if it's done to desired crispness. If not, continue to cook for several more minutes, opening the lid and checking frequently. When the bacon is done, turn off grill and remove strips to serving platter. Enjoy your ba...

Mr. Willoughby and I wanted to have a drink this evening, but we were looking for something a little different from the drinks we have been featuring. The Caribbean Mudslide fit the bill. This would be a fabulous after dinner drink. Caribbean Mudslide 1 oz. Irish Cream 1 oz. Kahlua 1 oz. Coconut Rum Add all ingredients to a cocktail shaker and shake well. Serve in an on the rocks glass over ice. Although we didn't try it, I think this would be great added to coffee and served as a hot drink. Enjoy responsibly, please. Happy Saturday!

I have all sorts of recipes, stories and projects that I've been meaning to share with you lately, but I've been really busy. Tonight, though, is Friday night and the bar is open! We got this recipe from an old bartender's guide. There are some old and quirky, fun recipes in this book and we had a hard time choosing. This one is quite a bit like the Tom Collins we made last week, but sweeter and pink! If you follow the recipe you will get two drinks. Floradora Cooler Juice of one lime 1 tablespoon powdered sugar 1 tablespoon raspberry syrup or grenadine 2 oz. carbonated water lemon/lime carbonated beverage (7-Up) ice Place lime juice, powdered sugar, raspberry syrup or grenadine (we used grenadine), and carbonated water. Stir well, do not shake. Pour into ice filled glasses and add lemon/lime beverage to top of glass. Stir gently. As always, please enjoy responsibly. Happy Friday!