Last Friday of the Month---Recipe Friday

Crockpot Cocktail Weiners


1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon chili powder
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbecue sauce
1 dash Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 package (12 oz) lil' smokies/weiners
5-6 slices of bacon


Heat the crockpot on low.  When warm, layer the bottom of the crock with the bacon strips and cover.  Combine all other ingredients and toss into the crock. Cover and cook about 3.5 hours on low.  Stir about every hour. 
I haven't made this recipe yet.  I have been researching a yummy, new weiner recipe for an upcoming fiesta.  Per usual, I viewed several ideas on line and then spiced it up a bit.  Will let ya know how delish they turn out. 
One of the many clever ideas I came across was using mini pretzel sticks instead of tooth picks, to pick up the mini delights.  Hmm. 

Thanksgiving Haiku

Fab brunch by hubby
Southern ribs and turkey breast
Our new tradition

Town Spa, 02072

The other afternoon, some cool girlfriends of mine and I headed out to one of my favorite pizza joints in the world.  The Town Spa in Stoughton has been in business for over 50 years and I can vouch for 30 something of them.  Oh!  Like I am going to tell ya my real age.  NOT! 

The food is always reliable and the pizza is the bomb.  Since I was a little girl, I have been enjoying the deliciousness of their perfect sized pizzas.  The best is that everyone, no matter what age, can order their very own pizza pie!  And no worries, they have every topping you can imagine.  Among others, linguica and onion is definitely on the top of my list. 

The pizza sauce is flavorful and they spread it on just right.  The ooey gooey cheese and other toppings together create scrumptousness on the thin, crispy crusted delight.  I LOVE it.  The menu also offers soups, salads, appetizers, cocktails, sandwiches and burgers.  I stick to the pizza and apps every time but I have been told by the hubs and others that the burgers are tasty.  But I do know for a fact that the wings are super delish. 

As soon as we sat down and ordered our beers and because I was famished, I put an order in for their phenomenal crinkle fries.  YUMMO!  The beer order was Bud Lights and a seasonal brew called Shock Top Pumpkin Wheat served with caramel and cinnamon on the rim. One of my buddies was seriously making out with the glass.  It was that yummy.  Too funny!  Our waitress was cool, friendly, and attentive but the woman who sat us was less than happy.  After we all shared the fries, we ordered some fresh Greek salads, thick cut onion rings, and some mozzarella sticks which they served with COLD marinara sauce.  Weird but true.  Don't get me wrong, the mozzies were good but they would have been way better with some warm dipping sauce.  Oh well. 

Soon after we devoured the salads and apps, our pizzas and burger were delivered.  Everything was so piping hot that I had to wait a good five minutes to take my first nibble of heaven.  The wait was well worth it.  My pepperoni pizza, sprinkled with salt and pepper and a healthy amount of grated cheese, was superb. 

The restaurant has a good sized bar and several tables/booths surrounding it.  And there is another dining area on the other side of the building with tons more seating.  There is a function room downstairs for parties.  There is also a take out area which has freezers full of pizza, (I bought four) you can purchase and cook at your leisure in the comfort of your home.  Best idea ever.  People come form all over the country for these pizzas and I think the Spa has some sort of pizza by mail dealio.  Don't mark my words though. 

After getting our fill, we chilled in the bar area which was way more lively.  Our lunch/dinner was a fun time.  We ate, drank, laughed, and chit chatted.  Some of us even extended our outing and headed out for some early evening shenanigans.  Good times.

Mother/Daughter Weekend 2011

Looking back at my blog, I can't believe it has been over a week since my last entry.  Well.  What can I say?  Tis' the busy life of a happy housewife.  HA!  So much eating has gone on since 'My Best Lasagna Yet' post.

On Thursday evening which also happened to be the Marine Corp Birthday, the hubs and I met up with some pretty cool friends of ours.  We shared a delicious dinner and vino at Delfino in Roslindale and then a drink at Birch Street Bistro.  Good times!  And scrumptious. 

Friday began what we in my family refer to as mother/daughter weekend.  It is an annual event which occurs on Veteran's Day weekend that we have been enjoying for over 25 years.  The roster consists of most of the females on my madre's side of the family.  Aunts and cousins, etc.  Imagine about 20 women give or take a few, ages ranging from 15 to 71 in the SAME house for a whole weekend?   
Awesomeness and drama llama are the words.  We LOVE it.  Most of the fam live in and around the Boston area now so we rotate the settings each year.  One family does have to travel from Florida.  But it's all good.  We wouldn't miss it for the world. 

The weekend originated way back when so all of us could get together once a year and start our Christmas Shopping.  Over the years, there is much less shopping and way more hanging out and catching up.  And while we sit and reminisce and chat, we EAT.  We seriously start consuming food from the moment we step into the house.  It is like Heaven on earth. 

The first night we indulged in some munchies and some meatball, ham and cheese, and Italian calzones, wing dings, and pizza from a local joint in Dorchester.  YUM!  We drank beer, wine, and champagne and had a good old time playing card games and being crazy. 

Saturday was the feast day.  Most of the chicks went shopping downtown in the afternoon and some of us chilled and did local errands.  I did end up scoring a cute black and white ruffly sweater from my aunt and a new Townies gray zip up from my uncle (http://www.towniesportswear.com).  Word.  For lunch, dinner, and dessert, we had everything.  From my awesome kielbasa to stuffed shrooms, tasty chili, chips and dip, guacamole and homemade salsa, candy galore, brownies, muffins, cookies, veggies and dip, juicy ham, scalloped potatoes, my mother's homemade meatballs and sauce, fresh rolls, sour and dill pickles, and macaroni salad.  Not necessarily in that order and I am sure I am forgetting something but we all sure did get our fill.  And we were/are nice enough to allow the men of our family to come over and join us for the big comida.  The meatballs made by the General are a definite staple at any function our family is hosting.  The sauce is to die for and the meatballs melt in your mouth.  People honestly stand in line around the crockpot until they are given the green light.  They are that good. 

This year we even had family visiting on holiday from Ireland.  It was quite lovely.  Besides looking forward to visiting with my cousins, aunts and their families, you all know I totally look forward to the selection of food.  There is always something new to try each year and there's always the essentials which are a must.  All of us girls have a great time socializing, making fun of each other, laughing, at times, crying, joking, and mocking.  We are truly blessed.  Especially to have such great cooks in our familia! 

My Best Lasagna Yet!

For a couple of weeks now, I've had a hankering for some tasty lasagna.  The other night, I whipped up my masterpiece.  Word to the wise.  Use the no boil lasagna noodles.  It makes the billion step process so much easier and you can not tell the difference.  Trust me on this. 

The ingredient list consisted of no boil lasagna noodles, 2 jars of tomato sauce of your choice, 2 cups of ricotta cheese, one egg, 2 cups of shredded mozzarella cheese, oregano, basil, garlic, one chopped onion, minced garlic, one pound of burger, and a box of frozen spinach (heated and drained well).  My special and secret ingredient is one layer of sliced pepperoni.  Freaking delish. 

After layering the ungreased pan with the uncooked noodles, creamy ricotta mixture, and sauce, spinach, and cooked meat blend, the concoction seriously weighed over 5 LB's.  The recipes I browsed called for cook times of 30-45 minutes in a 350 degree oven.  Since my little treasure was ginormous, I covered it and cooked it at 350 for about an hour then uncovered for 20 minutes so the cheese could get all gooey and bubbly. 

Served with fresh scalla bread, this four food group in one dish, dinner was fantastic.  At first mention of this specific supper, the hubs turned up his nose.  But after indulging in a heaping portion and then seconds, his opinion on boring old lasagna changed dramatically.  That man has some good taste.  Obviously.  HA! The end result WAS scrumptious and there was so much left over, I was able to share with my neighbors and family and that makes me happy.  :)