Puzzled Luxie

Puzzled Luxie

Jan 10, 2020 · 9 Comments

I hope everyone is continuing to have a lovely start to the year. I am already running super duper behind!

Having my husband retired has been a HUGE adjustment! I am a morning person, so I actually liked getting up at 6 am and working bright and early. Not only did I get an early start to the day, but there was no one to chat with or distract me (except for kitty cats) when he left for work.

We have compromised by getting up at 7 now. Losing that one hour during my most productive time of the time has had a big impact on my workflow. In addition to that, we've had a bunch of things happen...internet broke for a whole day, had to get his work phone transferred to our personal plan, internet broke again, had to do some stuff at our financial advisors office and so on and so on.

It's been one thing after another.

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The Classic New York Whiskey Sour

Jan 9, 2020 · 11 Comments

A classic whiskey sour becomes a New York Sour with a float of red wine! The combination of the red wine with the whiskey is amazing. It adds a fruitiness and richness to the sour! Whiskey, red wine, lemon juice and simple syrup are all you need to make this classic whiskey cocktail!

Classic Sour Cocktails

Last week, I posted a New England Sour and talked about sour cocktails in general. For the purposes of keeping it simple, a sour cocktail is usually made up of a liquor, a sour and a sweet.

With those three components, there is plenty of room for creativity and interpretation. In last week's New England Sour Cocktail - the liquor was vodka, the sour was grapefruit juice and the sweet was maple syrup!

Today, I am back with a New York Sour Cocktail. I have always thought it was a very pretty cocktail, but thought that the combination of red wine with whiskey sounded strange.

It's not. It's delicious!

This cocktail takes the classic whiskey sour and adds a pretty red wine float on the top!

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Harissa Chicken Thighs With Olives and Tomatoes

Jan 8, 2020 · 27 Comments

Harissa Chicken Thighs with Olives and Tomatoes is an easy baked chicken recipe that is filled with flavor and spice! Tender juicy chicken with a spicy harissa paste are baked with tomatoes and olives for a warm and comforting dish easy enough for a weeknight, but fancy enough for company!

What is Harissa Paste?

If you've read my blog for any length of time, you know that I love harissa paste! If you've never used harissa paste you are in for a treat.

Harissa paste is a spicy red chili paste used in North African and Middle Eastern Cuisine. You can kind of think of it as the sriracha sauce of that region.

It is made of a combination of hot chile peppers, garlic, oil, vinegar, tomatoes and spices. Some common spices used in it are cumin, coriander, caraway and mint. Rose petals are also found in a lot of the versions.

Each region can have a similar, but different recipe, so I like to try different varieties of harissa paste. Some are hotter and on some the spices are more prominent. They are all a little bit different and you might find that you like one a little more than another.

I used to order it from Amazon exclusively, but lately some of the regular grocery stores has started carrying it in the International food aisle.

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Easy and Delicious! Floridita Daiquiri Cocktail

Jan 6, 2020 · 13 Comments

The Floridita Daiquiri Cocktail is an easy and delicious daiquiri variation! Named after the historic bar in old Havana, this daiquiri will make you feel like you are sitting next to Hemingway enjoying a favorite tipple.

Daiquiri Cocktail Variations

There are as many daiquiri variations as there are stars in the sky.

Okay, not really, but it seems like it.

First of all - What is a Daiquiri? A simple daiquiri is made up of three ingredients: rum, lime and sugar. With only 3 ingredients, you can see why there is plenty of room to play with a daiquiri.

The Floridita or el Floridita is one of our favorite classic rum cocktails. It is similar to a Hemingway daiquiri, but Hemingway liked grapefruit juice in his. By the way, if you look up a Floridita cocktail in an old cocktail book, it is also called Daiquiri No. 1!

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Spicy Rosemary and Orange Marinated Olives

Jan 5, 2020 · 21 Comments

These Italian Marinated Olives are the easiest appetizer ever! Garlic, rosemary, orange and hot chili peppers turn olive oil into a spicy sweet marinade for olives! These are perfect for snacking and they are always a hit at parties!

Marinated Olives

Raise your hand if you love olives? My hand is most decidedly raised. I have loved olives ever since I was a little girl. Even back when you could only get about 3 different kinds of olives at the grocery store.

As a confirmed olive lover, the variety of olives now available at the store is a dream come true. Standing in front of the olive bar at Whole Foods, I am like a kid in a candy store.

While I am fine with olives just as they are, with a few minutes and a few ingredients, you can make them even more amazing, into a party worthy appetizer. If you haven't tried marinated olives, you are in for a real treat!

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Luxie Kitty Portraits

Jan 3, 2020 · 18 Comments

Luxie kitty is excited to be back for Caturday! The first kitty of 2020.

We took a little break from blogging over the holidays. Really just one week, but we missed two Caturdays!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday, that you got to spend time with friends, family and kitty cats!

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Tangy New England Vodka Sour

Jan 2, 2020 · 5 Comments

If you've never tried a New England Vodka Sour, you are in for a real treat. This vodka sour gets it's sour from grapefruit juice and it's sweet from maple syrup! Easy to make and easy to drink!

What is a Sour Cocktail?

One thing you soon learn when you get into making cocktails is that they frequently are built upon a basic building block. Take away or add ingredients to that basic formula and you have a different cocktail.

If you start out with liquor, a sweetener and bitters, you have an old fashioned. Replace the sweetener with sweet vermouth, you have a Manhattan. Add in a sour, like a citrus juice, you have a sour cocktail.

So the basic formula for a sour is a liquor, a sweetener and a sour. Play with that formula and you can make all kinds of sours! While most people think of whiskey sours, you can make a vodka sour, which is what I am sharing with you today.

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Rich and Hearty Sausage and Mushroom Ragu

Jan 1, 2020 · 10 Comments

This Sausage and Mushroom Ragu is rich and hearty and ready in about 45 minutes! Layers of flavor are built easily with mushrooms, Italian sausage, red wine and tomatoes. It's a restaurant quality pasta recipe that's easy enough for a weeknight, but perfect for a special occasion!

I admit growing up and through the first few years of marriage, I got my Ragu from a jar. You know what I'm talking about. I didn't even know what a ragu was - I thought it was the brand name.

Sad. I know.

It turns out a ragu is a sauce (not a company!) It usually consists of ground meat, onions, tomatoes and red wine. All the good things.

This ragu has all that and more. It's not difficult to make, takes about 45 minutes, and is quite possibly my most favorite pasta recipe ever!

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10 Mimosa Recipes to Make Right Now!

Dec 30, 2019 · 5 Comments

Whether you are making these for Mother's Day Cocktails or Brunch Cocktails or just to celebrate a weekend, you are going to love these 10 Mimosa Recipes to Make Right Now! Everything from Blood Orange Mimosa's to a Mimosa Tart, you're sure to find a new favorite mimosa recipe.

10 Mimosa Recipes to Make Right now!

I've gathered together these amazing mimosa recipes just in time for Mother's Day! However, these amazing Brunch Cocktails are good any time of the year! I've also included a mimosa tart recipe just for fun!

Mimosa cocktails are perfect for special occasions with their sparkling wine and fun fruity flavors! You're going to have to try all of these fun mimosa variations!

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One Pan Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

Dec 29, 2019 · 13 Comments

This easy Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli sheet pan dinner is going to become a family favorite! Shrimp stays so tender while roasting and broccoli gets golden and crisp tender! Tossed with parmesan cheese and the zest of an orange for a fresh and cheesy flavor! Serve with rice or pasta and you have a delicious weeknight dinner!

Roasted Shrimp and Broccoli

I first made this roasted shrimp and broccoli recipe back in 2009! Then I remade it in 2013 and here I am back again at the end of 2019.

The beauty of this easy recipe is that you can take it in so many different directions. You are basically creating a sheet pan dinner using shrimp and broccoli - both of rich roast up beautifully.

You can serve it with plain rice or a parmesan rice, toss it with pasta or even use it to top a salad. It's that versatile!

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Delicious Irish Coffee

Dec 19, 2019 · 6 Comments

Turn coffee into a delicious cocktail with an Irish Coffee! Warm coffee, sugar, Irish whiskey and whipped cream make a creamy and heavenly drink.

Whipped Cream Cocktails

The other day, I bought a carton of whipping cream for a recipe and then never got around to making the recipe. I needed to use the whipping cream and since I'm not a baker, my choices were limited.

Then I remembered an Irish Coffee! We have actually been to the Buena Vista Cafe and had their Irish coffee. It was so crowded, we stood at a table off to the side and didn't really get to sip and enjoy the coffee that much.

Making it at home is so easy and it allows plenty of time for sipping.

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Crispy Skillet Fried Potatoes

Dec 18, 2019 · 25 Comments

These Country Fried Potatoes are just like grandma used to make! Crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Cast iron skillet not required, but they do make the best skillet fried potatoes!

Grandma's Fried Potatoes

Growing up, I lived with my grandma. She was not an adventuresome cook, no Mastering the Art of French Cooking for her. It was pot roast, mac and cheese, pork chops and fried potatoes.

Oh, how I loved those fried potatoes. We had them all the time and I never grew tired of them. All the other side dishes were canned - green beans and corn, but those potatoes were fresh and hot and crazy delicious.

With all the focus on roasting potatoes or smashing potatoes in the past few years, I had forgotten about her fried potatoes.

I pulled out her old cast iron skillet and whipped up a batch. They were everything I remembered. I upped the game a bit by adding some fresh rosemary, but honestly they didn't even need it.

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Shaker & Spoon Review!

Dec 16, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Shaker and Spoon Subscription Box is a delicious and fun way to try new cocktails! They send you everything you need to make 12 cocktails, all you supply is the booze!

Review of Shaker & Spoon

First of all, I want to make it clear that this is not a sponsored post. I started subscribing to the Shaker & Spoon Cocktail Subscription Box several months ago and love it so much, that I wanted to share a review with you all.

Now that that's out of the way, let's get busy with a review!

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Cheesy Baked Provolone and Sausage Frittata

Dec 15, 2019 · 33 Comments

Filled with red bell peppers, sausage and melty gooey cheese this Easy Baked Sausage Frittata is perfect for breakfast, lunch or dinner. Serve it with a green salad and you have a delicious meal!

Why I Love Frittatas!

I make no secret of my love for frittatas. They are probably the one easy dinner recipe that I make more than any other.

Why?

They are so easy. They are perfect for cleaning out the refrigerator. Just mix some eggs, some cheese and leftover vegetables and you have dinner. Serve with a green salad and you are good to go.

Sometimes though, I like to start with recipe. I found this cheesy frittata recipe back in 2014 in Giada's At Home cookbook. It's been a favorite ever since. I've modified it a bit through the years.

It's really easy to modify and come up all sorts of tasty variations.

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Afternoon with Luxie

Dec 13, 2019 · 9 Comments

Luxie absolutely loves her little tree and the canvas runner that I have draped over the table. Today as I was walking through the house, I saw her laying on it with the early afternoon sun streaming in.

A quick trip to the dining room to pick up my camera, I was able to snap a few quick pics of her.

We still don't have our tree up, hope to get it up this weekend. We actually bought it Thanksgiving weekend and it's been sitting outside on our covered patio with it's trunk in a big bucket of water.

We've found that if we buy it early, but leave it outside drinking water until we are ready to put it up, it doesn't dry out so quickly.

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Easy 2 Ingredient! Greyhound Cocktail

Dec 12, 2019 · 7 Comments

It doesn't get much easier or tastier than a Greyhound Cocktail! With only two ingredients, vodka and grapefruit juice, you can have this refreshing cocktail any time you want!

Grapefruit Juice Cocktails

I purchased some grapefruit to use in the dressing for a salad I wanted to make. Then it turned out that they didn't have the ingredients that I needed to make the salad.

Forgetting to take the grapefruit out of the cart, I brought it home with no idea what to do with it.

It sounded like the perfect juice for some cocktails, right?

We were already tired and grumpy and needed something easy. A quick browsing of grapefruit juice cocktails brought us to a Greyhound Cocktail and the New England Sour.

We started with the Greyhound because it only needed two ingredients! Grapefruit juice and either vodka or gin. I love two ingredient cocktails, so we were definitely giving this one a try.

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Crispy Parmesan Baked Oven Fries

Dec 11, 2019 · 28 Comments

This Oven Fries Recipe is going to become your go to baked fries! Potatoes roast up crispy on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside. Finished off with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese and parsley, they are so yummy!

Tyler's Ultimate Oven Fries

I first made this recipe back in 2009, when a few of us food bloggers would choose a chef and cook from their recipes for a couple of months. We also had something called Tyler Florence Fridays.

So, I have a lot of very old Tyler Florence recipes on my blog. I am working my way through them, making the recipe again, and updating the posts.

I originally found this recipe in Tyler's Ultimate Cookbook, which turned out to be one of my favorites, even though I really loved them all.

Speaking of loving, you're going to love these fries! Seriously the best oven baked fries!

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Boozy Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Dec 9, 2019 · 7 Comments

Take the delicious sweet drink that is Vietnamese Iced Coffee and turn it into a boozy treat with some homemade coffee liqueur (or Kahlua.) Creamy and divine, it's the perfect way to have your coffee, cocktail and dessert!

Spiked Vietnamese Iced Coffee

Even when I was little, coffee candy was one of my favorite candies. I also loved to sneak sips of my Aunt's coffee, she loved it laced with plenty of sugar and cream. Yum.

I usually drink my coffee black, but I can still appreciate a Vietnamese Iced Coffee every now and then.

Whenever I have a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, I make Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream, if I have just some in a can to use up, I make iced coffee.

When I found myself with quite a bit left in a can the other day, I started to make an iced coffee. Then, I paused and remembered my homemade Kahlua (coffee liqueur.)

With a nod to an Irish coffee, I created this boozy spiked Vietnamese iced coffee. So good!

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The Best Sauteed Apples

Dec 8, 2019 · 8 Comments

My favorite part of Cracker Barrel's breakfast is the fried apples! These easy skillet sauteed apples can be made anytime! Serve as a simple side dish or top with with ice cream for dessert!

Skillet filled with fried apples.

Easy Skillet Sauteed Apples

My favorite thing to eat at Cracker Barrel is the fried apples. They are meltingly delicious and magical. I don't know why I never thought to make them at home.

It just so happened that I had a whole bag of granny smith apples in the fridge. I had bought them to make an apple crisp, but ended up making a pear crisp.

If you have about 30 minutes of time and a bag of apples, you can have one the most delicious and homey apple treats.

Click here to pin this now!

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Even More Luxie and Her Tree

Dec 6, 2019 · 9 Comments

Did you miss our kitty cat posts?

We've been so crazy busy for weeks, that it was all we could do to keep the cocktails and food coming - which with it being around Thanksgiving and Christmas, must go out!

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The Vieux Carré Cocktail

Dec 5, 2019 · 7 Comments

The Vieux Carré Cocktail is a rich cocktail named after the famous French Quarter.

Cognac, rye whiskey, sweet vermouth, Bénédictine, Peychaud's and angostura bitters create a complex and amazing drink!

Deep orange cocktail garnished with a cherry.

You know what I love about cocktails? There are a million of them. Every day I find a new one that I had never heard of before.

I was looking for cognac cocktail recipes and came across the Vieux Carré Cocktail. It was created in the 1930's by Walter Bergeron of the historic Hotel Monteleone in the French Quarter in New Orleans.

Thanks to my ever expanding liquor cabinet, I had everything I needed to make this classic cocktail.

This is a cocktail that we absolutely loved!

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One Pan Roasted Salmon with Potatoes and Mushrooms

Dec 4, 2019 · 26 Comments

Whether you call this a tray-baked salmon or a sheet pan salmon, you definitely need to call it dinner tonight!

Juicy salmon, crisp potatoes, and golden mushrooms all roast together in one pan. For serving they are drizzled with a tangy red wine vinaigrette that just pulls it all together!

Two plates of roasted salmon with potatoes and mushrooms with a vinaigrette drizzled on top.

When it comes to dinner, I am all about easy. I admit it, I am not one of those cooks who likes to putter around the kitchen doing recipes with multiple steps and fussy this and fussy that.

If I can put all of dinner in one pan (in this case a sheet pan) and have it taste amazing, that is a total win on all fronts for me.

Like this one pan-roasted salmon dinner.

What I love about this besides the fact that it's a tray bake salmon, super simple and tastes amazing is that it pairs salmon with mushrooms and potatoes. While I love salmon paired with all sorts of veggies, I really love the earthiness of the potatoes and mushrooms.

It makes the salmon feel a little more substantial. We are all about feeling more substantial around here.

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Dreamy and Delicious Peppermint Martini

Dec 2, 2019 · 7 Comments

This pretty pink peppermint martini is so delightful! It's bursting with divine peppermint flavor and so easy to make!

Pretty pink cocktail in a martini glass garnished with a candy cane.

I'm not going to tell you how long I debated with myself whether to call this a candy cane martini or a peppermint martini.

Candy cane martini sounds like something you only make at Christmas. Peppermint martini sounds like something you could make year round. So, I want with peppermint because this peppermint drink is too good to only drink during the holiday season!

That being said, I did make this with my Candy Cane Vodka. You could make the vodka with peppermints and call it peppermint vodka, so it's all good!

Whatever you call this dreamy martini, you need to make it!

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Slow Cooker Dijon Chicken Stew with Potatoes and Kale

Dec 1, 2019 · 10 Comments

Slow Cooker Dijon Chicken Stew is pure comfort food!

Slow-cooked chicken thighs fall apart tender with chunks of potatoes and perfectly cooked kale all in a hearty broth!

Bowl of slow cooker chicken stew with a small salad.

There is something about chicken stews that cook all day in the slow cooker. Besides the fact that your house smells amazing, it is so nice to know that you have a big bowl of comfort waiting for you at the end of the day.

One slurp of this stew and you'll know it's something special. It's easy and simple, with no browning required, but it gets a lot of flavor from the wine and the Dijon mustard. Gives it something a little extra.

Also I am calling this a stew, but it's actually a bit more of a soup. Not quite as thick as a traditional stew. So whether you call this chicken stew or chicken soup, you need to call it dinner tonight!

Another stew that we love is this Chicken and Stout Stew. Chicken braises all day in a broth made even richer with bacon, mushrooms, and a dark stout!

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