"VALENTINE: Every Hour is Happy With You" Cocktail Gift

Last Valentine's Day was pretty lame because I was on week 6 of a 16 week recovery of hand surgery.  I've mentioned in posts past that Mr. Devilish Dish and I passed the recuperation time by watching reruns of "Bar Rescue" and creating cocktails.  Aside from the excruciating pain, and frustration of only having one hand to blow dry my hair, I have to say those few weeks were time well spent with my husband.  He took great care of me and went to great effort to keep me comfortable, sane and entertained.  In addition, we learned a lot about the art of cocktail making and when Valentine's Day rolled around I knew I wanted to get him the handful of tools I realized we were missing in our bar set-up.  We needed a cocktail mixing glass, a cocktail strainer and he asked for sugar cubes.  I also found a company that sells the most unique cocktail mixers, bitters and more.  El Guapo is located in New Orleans, which is dear to our hearts because my brother-in-law is a chef there.  I had already ordered gifts for him from this company in years past, and I knew their LOVE POTION BITTERS would be the perfect addition to a cocktail themed Valentine basket.  I also added a bottle of their Cajun Grenadine which features the famous Ponchatoula strawberries.  And of course no Valentine is complete without some chocolates so I added some of his favorites in there too.  Considering I put the entire thing together with one hand, I was pretty impressed with this little gift.  Even if I wasn't able to tie a bow on it.  And the best part, is I do love a Valentine Pun, so I was able to add a little homemade card that said, "Valentine: Every Hour is Happy With You." Which turned out to be very true, because My Valentine is the one that helped me get through that mess of a surgery recovery. 

Valentine: Every Hour is Happy with You!

These bitters are so unique,
and fit with my theme perfectly.

I filled the cocktail mixing glass
with a variety of his favorite candy.
(And mine too.  I ate that Reese's.)

Did you know that traditional grenadine
is made from pomegranate? THIS certified
Cajun version features Louisiana strawberries. 

Here's the whole basket.  Good thing
it didn't need a bow, because I couldn't 
tie one with one hand.

Hope this gives you some Valentine inspo!

A Totally Awesome 1980s Party

 I am a true 80's kid.  You know...Generation X: Raised on hose water and neglect.  Literally.  Commercials came on right before the evening news and said, "It's 10 o'clock, do you know where your children are?" Television had to REMIND our parents to summon us home for bedtime.  It was truly a different time, and if you know you know.  We loved it.  Now I have my great nephews, the Littlest Devils making me kind of a pseudo grandmother.  A really cool Gen X grandmother.  You know Mr. Devilish Dish and I love live music.  In the last year we've seen Adam Ant, Psychedelic Furs, The Church, Duran Duran, Rick Springfield, The English Beat, Wang Chung, Paul Young, John Waite, Toto, Christopher Cross and Men at Work.  (Not including countless Red Dirt and other genres, but this is an 80's post!) Take me back!  Anyway, now that I am a cool Gen X G-ma, I saw these adorable personalized beaded bracelets.  I wanted them with the Littlest Devils names on them but they were kind of pricy.  You know I'm a crafty girl, so I landed upon the idea to make some custom bracelets (think those Swiftie style bangles) and it reminded me of the good 'ol days when we made friendship bracelets.  I remember in 10th Grade, I had a class with Mr. DD and he asked me to make a friendship bracelet for him.  Mind you he was NOT my boyfriend at the time.  He was just one of the cutest boys in the whole school and a very preppie golfer-type.  I remember spending hours at the craft store putting together the exact combination of embroidery threads to make him the ultimate preppie boy friendship bracelet.  Apparently it worked because we've been together over 30 years now.  Since I am still an 80s girl at heart, the night I decided to try my hand at creating the beaded bracelets, I invited over some crafty friends and decided to make a true 80's themed feast.  Not only did we create some totally awesome bracelets and have some good food and good laughs, we turned on YouTube and found some videos with assemblages of old 1980's commercials.  It was hilarious hearing, "Where's the Beef?" and "Mikey Likes It."  I hope this inspires your next get-together for some 80's themed fun!

Here's the full spread.  This was so much fun 
planning and putting together.

No 80s party is complete without some glow
necklaces and bracelets.

Remember the Sea Monkeys? My mom would NEVER
let me have those.  We enjoyed Shrimp Cocktail with
Mr. Devilish Dish's SPICY COCKTAIL SAUCE.

I made a small "charcuterie board" and cut a brie
cheese to look like Pac-Man.  I just added some salami,
crackers and fresh grapes.

The hardest part of the whole night was hollowing
out a cabbage for the "Cabbage Patch" relish tray.
Just ranch dip served in a cabbage with some
fresh veggies.

Remember hitting the mall for an Orange Julius?
Not only do I have a recipe for the DRINK HERE,
but I have a FRUIT DIP that tastes exactly like the
original drink.  We enjoyed that with fresh berries.

I added a bowl of candy and glow sticks.
Most of the candy I found at Dollar Tree.
Pop Rocks and Ring Pops were the thing
back then!

I hope you get some inspiration for your own 80s party.  This was kind of a spur of the moment event, but I know I will use these ideas in the future.  This could be the beginnings of a great costume or birthday party.  

Road Trip Snack Box Gift Idea

We have soooo many birthdays in the month of September.  My brother-in-law, father-in-law, Little Devil, Devilish Nephew, Mr. Devilish Dish, plus several close friends.  Now combine that with Christmas shopping a mere three months away and I'm always out of ideas.  I love a good theme gift like my fun "CHOCOLATE Lab" gift from years ago, or the PATRIOTIC BIRTHDAY BAGS I made for my mom and aunt and while back.  I made this gift for my father-in-law this past Father's Day, but the idea could be easily adapted for any occasion.  My in-laws are professional road trippers.  They have great friends in Arkansas that they visit several times a year.  We were struggling to come up with a good idea for his Father's Day gift when I stumbled upon these neat treat boxes at Hobby Lobby.  I sent Mr. Devilish Dish a screen shot and said, "Father's Day idea activated."  We went to our local Winco Grocery Store because they have an awesome bulk section of nuts, candies and other treats and bought all kinds of tasty treats to fill the separate chambers.  Of course the gift could have stopped there, but I'm extra and I need to zhuzh up everything I get my hands on.  I found a Hot Wheels car that is the same model as their car and made a couple of cute gift tags to tie on to complete Papa Bear's Road Trip Snack Box.  What little boy (even 77 year-old boys) don't love a race car? That way he had some tasty snack for his drive to Arkansas, and a neat box he can refill for future trips.  I know I will recycle this idea for future gifts, and I hope it inspires you for your gift giving occasions!

Here's the completed Road Trip Snack Box - 
it turned out so cute!

We added chocolate covered sea salt popcorn, 
limoncello almonds, macadamia nuts, M&Ms and more!
Thanks Winco!

Here's my supplies all gathered and ready to go.

I used double-sided tape to add the car to the 
little road strip tag.

Here it is all tied on and ready to roll!

ROAD TRIP SNACK BOX SUPPLIES:


One divided snack container with lid
Assorted snacks to fill the container
Hot Wheels Car
Gift tag or card
Scissors
Twine or ribbon
Hole Punch
Double-Sided Tape

 

PS: Here's the road strip I used to create the tag
for the Hot Wheels Car to drive on.  Right-click and 
save to your computer and print onto cardstock. 
Attach your car with double-sided tape.

August is National Catfish Month - Here's an Old-Fashioned Oklahoma Fish Fry

I love fishing.  It's probably my main hobby with cooking coming in a close second.  I'm not a huge fan of eating fish.  Lake fish that is.  Take me to the coast and I'll put away some serious seafood.  The rest of my family are complete opposites.  They would eat fried fish every night.  So my fishing hobby and their eating hobby mesh up very well.  Yesterday we celebrated my Dad's 88th Birthday.  There was absolutely no question that the event would be a Fish Fry.  I really only had to decide what kinds of sides to make and what kind of birthday cake we would be having.  I know I talked about National Catfish Month, but what we ate yesterday was mainly Striper and Crappie.  Occasionally when we're fishing for a big mess of fish, we will catch a catfish and go ahead a fillet it as well.  The preparation is the same for all three species, and all taste equally delicious, although I think my family would unanimously agree the Crappie is the absolute best eating.  Mr. Devilish Dish has evolved his own fish fry method, inspired by his brother the chef in New Orleans and my family will also agree this method is the tastiest.  The running family joke is the preppy golfer I married over 30 years ago is now CATCHING, AND frying fish on the patio for all family occasions like my grandfathers and uncles did in the past.  If you enjoy fishing, then give this method a try.  And if you're ever at Lake Texoma or Lake Fork I will share the information for both our Striper Fishing Guide and Crappie Fishing Guide.  We've gotten to know these guys pretty well and if you want to catch a mess of fish and host your own family fish fry, I highly recommend the experience. Not only is it rewarding to catch your own meal, but they even fillet the fish for you!

A proper Oklahoma meal.  We even had Smoked
Bologna (which is hilariously known as Oklahoma Prime
Rib.  I plan on sharing the recipe for that soon!)

Place your fish fillets in a bowl and coat
them with hot sauce.  Just a light coating
to help the breading stick.

Place the breaded fillets in the deep fryer.

Fry away!

They will turn golden brown and float when 
they are done.

Drain those golden, crispy fillets on paper towels.

Enjoy with your family's favorite sides.

Mr. Devilish Dish's Fish Fry Technique:

-4 Parts Louisiana Fish Fry Breading Mix combined with 1 part Cajun Seasoning or Dry Cajun Boil Mix (He uses spicy breading mix and a secret dry Cajun boil mix that I do not have permission to share)

-Crystal's Hot Sauce (He uses this as a binder.  You do not taste that heat of the hot sauce.  It's just to help the breading stick.  I've seen old timers do this same technique with yellow mustard but I'm a fan of this Cajun flavor)

-Peanut oil for frying (We use an electric deep fryer.  You could totally do this in a big skillet but I love the ease of the deep fryer for this. It's honestly the only time we use it.  And I'm sure you could use an air fryer too, I've never tried it that way.  I'm just an Okie girl cooking fish the way my ancestors taught me.  

Pat your fish fillets dry with clean paper towels.  In a bowl toss together fish fillets with a small amount of hot sauce.  Combine the fish fry breading mix and the Cajun seasoning or dry Cajun boil mix.  

Toss the fillets in the breading mix, shaking off any excess.

Fry in peanut oil that has been heated to 350 degrees F. Depending upon the size of your fillets, you'll fry them anywhere from 2-4 minutes.  Basically until they are golden brown and start to float.

Immediately turn the fried fish pieces out on to a paper towel to drain any oil.  This will help keep them crispy.  We like ours with more Crystal's Hot Sauce, but if you like cocktail sauce or tartar sauce feel free.

NOTE: I didn't use specific amounts here, as I don't know if you'll be frying two fillets or 12 pounds of fillets.  This is just the technique and products we use and enjoy.

FISHING GUIDE INFORMATION:

Lake Texoma Striper Fishing Guide: Steve Ford 

Lake Fork Crappie Guide: BJ Shelton

National Charcuterie Day - Charcuterie Board Fun!

It's National Charcuterie Day - A day set aside annually on August 26th to celebrate the art of all things charcuterie.  It's a day dedicated to appreciating and enjoying the creativity and work that goes into a creating a charcuterie board.  In French, "charcuterie" translates literally "pork butcher's shop" or "cooked flesh" and historically the boards were initially made from pork products.  As the art of charcuterie evolved, the boards have expanded to include other types of meats, and in modern times the boards often don't even include meat at all.  Most traditional boards feature a variety of cured meat, cheeses, fruits, nuts and often some kind of honey, mustard, or traditionally: quince paste.  While these are all delicious, and I am a sucker for a "grown-up Lunchable" - I have never been known to copy the norm.  A couple of years ago I purchased a large, but inexpensive board from Amazon, for one event and find myself using it quite often.  Not only do I use it for tailgates, taking to holiday parties and more - I've even used it a few times here at the house just for serving Mr. Devilish Dish and I.  I guess what I am saying is there are no rules when it comes to creating a charcuterie board.  It may not be a true "charcuterie" board by the strict definition, but it is guaranteed to be a hit at your next event.  I thought I'd share some boards I've done in the past, some of them are from so long ago, I only have pictures.  So I'm not including an actual list of ingredients.  I'm just sharing to celebrate the day and hoping I inspire you on some boards of your own!

I called this one a Sweet & Savory Dinner Board
for Mr. DD and I - half was meats, cheeses,
olives, crackers, shrimp cocktail and veggies while
the other half had fruits, sweet dips, cookies and more.  

I can't remember the occasion but I think it was 
some kind of holiday or birthday because I spied a
Prosecco bottle in the background.

I've seen boards like this called "BBQ Grazing Boards"
or "Memphis Grazing Boards" Mr. Devilish Dish
grilled and sliced up several types of smoked sausages,
and we included crackers, cheese, pimento cheese
spread, along with mustards, pickles and pickled
okra.  I've made this board a couple of times for both
a Super Bowl Party, and tailgating. 

I created this board for a dinner party at our house.
I used a combination of store-bought frozen Asian
items like egg rolls and crab rangoons, and then made
my own fresh rolls and dipping sauces.  Fresh
veggies and edamame helped fill in the gaps and add color.

This was so colorful and tasty!

I've made this board more than once for the
4th of July.  In addition to my Fruit & Brownie
Skewers, I added Little Debbie Snack Cakes,
and any kind of red, white or blue candy 
I could find!

I made this board for a breakfast tailgate
that just happened to fall on Halloween. 
It was a hit with all of the kids 
(and grown-ups too)

A Walking Taco Board - Seasoned taco meat in the 
pot in the middle, bowls of onions, salsa, sour cream
cheese, tomatoes etc.. All nestled on a bed of shredded
lettuce and cheese surrounded by small bags of 
chips.

My All-Time Favorite:
For our friend Noah's White Trash Bash Birthday Party!
Mr. Devilish Dish smoked a whole bologna and
diced it up.  (If you're from Oklahoma then you know this is
traditionally a Christmas treat) and I added Easy Cheese
and Crackers, Moon Pies, Fritos and Frito Lay Bean Dip, 
Swiss Cake Rolls, Twinkies, Honey Buns and Pigs in a Blanket.
I am not even joking when I say I came home with a completely empty
board after this party!

I hoped you enjoyed looking at some of my favorites. Leave me a comment if you are inspired to make your own board, or drop a pic on one of my social media accounts.  

Happy National Charcuterie Day,

National Pina Colada Day - The Chi Chi in the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker

It's National Pina Colada Day!  If you haven't tried a Chi Chi, then you are in for a treat.  It is Pina Colada's little sister.  Where a Pina Colada is made with rum, a Chi Chi features vodka.  We were in Palm Beach, Florida a couple of weeks ago and it is safe to say we enjoyed our fair share of Pina Coladas and Miami Vices.  Now that we're back to the Oklahoma heat (minus the beach view) I wanted to re-create the flavors of our vacation using our Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  Last week I shared a Frozen version of one of our favorite cocktails: The Oklahoma Club Special. We have had so much fun with our Slushi Maker, I have been determined to adapt some of our most revered cocktail recipes for the Ninja.  After several trial runs over the July 4th weekend, we finally achieved success with the Chi Chi!  And I think I might even like it better than a traditional Pina Colada because I may or may not have had too many Rum & Cokes back in my college days.  Run, don't walk and get yourself a Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker so you can cool off with a Chi Chi.

The Chi Chi - Pina Colada's delicious
little sister.

Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry
if desired.  Delicious but not necessary.

Apparently in Florida the correct garnish
is a fresh flower!

A beach, a book and a Miami Vice...

THE CHI CHI (Adapted for the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker)

9 ounces Pineapple Juice
6 ounces Coco Lopez Cream of Coconut

2 ounces Vodka (Rum if you want a traditional Pina Colada)
6 ounces water

In a measuring cup whisk together pineapple juice, cream of coconut and vodka.  Pour into your Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  Add 6 ounces of water to the measuring cup and kind of rinse it out, adding to the drink maker.  Select the Spiked Slush setting and the highest setting (10 bars)

Enjoy once it is frozen! (Garnish with whipped cream and a cherry if desired - or if you're in Florida, apparently a fresh flower!)

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding #LeftoversChallenge

We're big fans of Binging With Babish here at The Devilish Dish.  His videos are informative and entertaining and hilarious at the same time.  He's also a big supporter of the restaurant industry and so are we!  My brother-in-law just took a chef gig at a restaurant in New Orleans.  But of course sadly, he along with so many others in the industry aren't working right now.   In his latest Binging with Babish video, Andrew Rea (aka Oliver Babish) along with other chefs, encourages viewers to support their local restaurants by ordering take out and to show support:  create a recipe using the hashtag #LeftoversChallenge.  We had just enjoyed an Easter Feast from our favorite local Italian restaurant, Benvenuti's.  We had ham, scalloped potatoes, carrots, snap peas, salad, Italian mac and cheese, carrot cake and lots of homemade rolls with butter.  By the time the family feasted for a couple of days all we really had leftover was ham and rolls and after watching the #LeftoversChallenge Episode, my quarantine creative wheels started turning.  Leftover ham and rolls have lots of potential.  Ham sandwiches, Ham Salad sandwiches, Ham and cheese sandwiches.  Never one to go with the obvious I thought about a variation on Eggs Benedict.  Which got me thinking about my Benedict Strata breakfast casserole.  Which then got me thinking about Monte Cristo Sandwiches,  and I decided I would blend the two ideas and Monte Cristo Bread Pudding was born.  We had everything on hand for a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich (which consists of ham, turkey, Swiss cheese and Dijon mustard, on bread, then dipped and griddled in a slightly sweet French Toast-like batter and served with powdered sugar and jam for dipping.) We were lacking the turkey and Swiss cheese so I improvised with A LOT of ham, and a combination of grated Cheddar, Mozzarella and a little Gruyere.  Hey it's quarantine, get creative with what you have!  I also tried to be fancy ala Babish and make mine in large souffle-style dishes. In hindsight I should have baked it in a shallow baking dish or smaller ramekins to allow the bread cubes to get extra toasty, but I was going for a fancy presentation.  It actually turned out quite lovely, and we had a brand new jar of raspberry jam in our pantry that we warmed up to pour on top.  A terrific brunch treat.  I encourage you to support your local restaurants during this time.  Grab some carry out and cocktails and if you happen to have leftovers, get creative and share your ideas in the comments! #LeftoversChallenge.

We took the Binging with Babish #LeftoversChallenge!
Monte Cristo Bread Pudding 

Everything you need for a Monte Cristo
(with a little quarantine creativity)
Ham and Rolls from Benvenuti's. 

We didn't have turkey or the traditional Swiss cheese
on hand so we used our quarantine creativity.
Cheddar, mozzarella and a little Gruyere.

It's not a Monte Cristo without
Dijon mustard, and a little sweetness from
vanilla and raspberry jam.

Combine the custard mixture, cubed leftover rolls,
chopped leftover ham and cheeses.  Allow to rest
on the counter for 15-20 minutes before baking.

Garnish with powdered sugar and serve with
warmed raspberry jam.
Just like a traditional Monte Cristo Sandwich.

Bake until the mixture is puffed,
the custard has set and you have a lovely
golden brown top.

Monte Cristo Bread Pudding
Quarantine Creativity
#LeftoversChallenge

Serve with warmed raspberry jam.
Support your local restaurants!
(Tip Generously)