Scenes from the Abode

Just some shots taken around the abode...

My aunt had my grandparents' Grandfather Clock restored for me.  I love the old/traditional mixed in with the more modern.  And I love the way the clock sounds when it dongs!

Lazy boys...

No, the camera is not at a weird angle.  That is George Washington napping UPSIDE DOWN.  Welcome to crazy town, folks.

My latest knitting project.

Guest Blogger: Liz's NC-Style BBQ

I'm so excited for my first ever guest blogger!  My friend Liz is cookin' up some yummy NC-style BBQ.  Enjoy!

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Greetings, aboders! It’s your friendly guest-blogger, Liz, here.

As some of you know, I hail from Eastern North Carolina, well-known for our vinegar-based, slow-cooked pork barbeque. For us, “BBQ” is a noun – never a verb!

I’m not gonna lie – if you’re not a fan of vinegar-based ‘cue, this recipe is not for you. And beware: your house is going to smell like vinegar while it’s cooking. But if you can get past that and you enjoy the B’s, Wilber’s, and Parker’s of the world, this will be right up your alley.

What you’ll need:

1 5lb pork shoulder/Boston butt

Salt

Black pepper

1 ½ cups apple cider vinegar

2 T brown sugar*

2 tsp cayenne pepper*

2 tsp crushed red pepper*

*All can be adjusted to your preferred heat/sweet.

What you do:

Start with a pork shoulder or Boston butt (they’re the same thing); about 5 lbs should be enough for 10 servings, or you can modify accordingly. I could only find 8-9 lb butts at the store, so I just asked the butcher to cut a smaller piece for me.

To help it cook evenly, my dad suggested cutting the meat into 3-4 pieces, and I’d definitely recommend doing that. Put your pork pieces into your crock pot and season with salt & pepper. Pour the vinegar over the pork – it won’t quite cover it, but that’s ok.

Set your crock pot on low, cover, and walk away. Seriously. Go see a movie or something. You’ve got 10-12 hours!

At around the 10 hour mark, check on your pork. If it’s bubbling and falling apart, it’s ready.

Place your pork on a cutting board and start pickin’, removing as much fat as you can. You can use a knife and folk, but I think the process is easier with your hands.

Save about 2 cups of the liquid from the crock pot (strained) and discard the rest. In the crock pot, mix your cayenne pepper, red pepper, and brown sugar into your liquid, along with your picked pork. Let the mixture warm back up for about 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot, either on soft buns (with cole slaw) or plated (green beans, mashed or boiled potatoes, and slaw are all good side dishes for ‘cue).

BBQ is a great way to feed a big group, but it’s also delicious reheated. And it freezes beautifully if you end up with a ton of leftovers.

Enjoy!

Faux Taxidermy Love

Still not over the antler craze and I'm totally loving these from Faux Taxidermy!  I love all of the metallics and fun, unexpected colors.  I also love that they have a bunch of animals that are unexpected - T Rex, Shark, Bear, etc.  I am totally wanting one (or some!) of these!

All items from White Faux Taxidermy.

Brunschwig and Fils Fabrics

I'm tired after a long day so I don't have a lot of words for you but I do have some pretty pictures of lovely, fun fabrics from Brunschwig and Fils. Enjoy!

All products found on the Brunschwig and Fils site here.

Rosemary Bourbon Apple Cider Cocktail

Apple cider and bourbon seem like a natural combo to me but the touch of rosemary was extra tasty!  I froze a little bit of fresh rosemary in the ice cubes to lightly infuse the flavor.

Add the bourbon - about a jigger full - more or less to your own taste.

Then add the apple cider and a sprig of fresh rosemary and enjoy!

Spicy Rosemary Chex Mix Snack

I love homemade Chex Mix.  I jazzed mine up this time with a little rosemary and cayenne pepper.  Can I just tell you how amazing my house smelled while this was baking in the oven?  Do it right before guests come over and you'll have them salivating!

What You Need:
1 stick unsalted butter
4 dashes of cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your heat tolerance)
3 cups rice Chex cereal
3 cups wheat Chex cereal
1 cup peanuts
1 cup pretzels
1 tablespoon garlic powder
2 large sprig (or 2 small) of fresh rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

What You Do:
Melt butter in microwave in a small bowl.  Chop the rosemary very finely.

Add both kinds of Chex, peanuts and pretzels to a large bowl.  Season the mixture with the seasonings - garlic powder, cayenne, salt, pepper and rosemary.  Pour the melted butter over the mixture and toss thoroughly.

Spread everything on a large baking sheet and bake for about 15-20 minutes until toasty and brown.  Just be careful not to burn!

Store in an airtight container for a few days after (but if you're really smart, you'll treat yourself while it is warm, toasty and just out of the oven!).

Baggie it up to share with friends and garnish with a sprig of fresh rosemary.

Chicken Kiev

When I lived in Scotland I used to eat Chicken Kiev all the time. I don't think I've had it since so tonight's dinner was especially yummy to me.  It was a little bit of work but worth the effort!  It's basically breaded chicken breasts stuffed with herbs and butter.  How could you go wrong with that combo?  

What You Need:

3-4 chicken breasts

2 cups of panko bread crumbs

2 eggs

2 cups flour

1 clove garlic, chopped

half stick of butter, cubed

handful of parsley, dill and chives, all chopped and mixed together

1 cup vegetable oil

What You Do:

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Pound the chicken breasts and season generously with salt and pepper.  Squirt the juice of half of a lemon on the chicken.

Chop the herbs up.

Cube the butter.

Roll the cubes of butter in the herbs.

Top the chicken breasts with the buttered herbs and sprinkle with chopped garlic.

Heat the oil in a frying pan.  Meanwhile, get three shallow dishes and fill one with flour, one with eggs (mix with a fork) and one with bread crumbs.  Roll up chicken and secure with tooth picks.  Dredge each piece of chicken in flour, then eggs, then bread crumbs.  Put in hot oil and brown all sides.  Put on a baking dish in the oven for about 20 minutes or until cooked through.

Serve with fresh spinach and rice pilaf.  I reserved a couple of pats of herb butter and a slice of lemon for garnish.