Teen-Time Chocolate Nut Bars

Or, in our case, Teen-Time Chocolate Bars, since I didn't have nuts.

Craving cookies, I found myself flipping through 1963's Betty Crocker's Cooky Book and there it was! Not only did I have most of the ingredients, how could I resist making something called Teen-Time Chocolate Nut Bars? It's straight out of "The Brady Bunch" - Alice probably served them after school! I'm pleased to report that they are yummy, whether or not you're a teen. And, as a bonus, grownups can enjoy them with a lovely libation! Cheers!

Crackerquariums!

The next time you're looking for an effortless appetizer that is nevertheless impressive looking, make Crackerquariums! All you do is combine cream cheese with your favorite spices (or use any premade white spread), add blue food color, spread on crackers, top with a goldfish cracker and coral and seagrass made from pimentos, yellow banana peppers and spinach leaves. They couldn't be easier to prepare and they're a real conversation starter!

Crackerquariums!

Drink 'Em While You Can

Among the many ways we've been enlightened by the news this week, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has recently announced that one drink a day for women is considered "excessive" (click here if you don't believe me). They even consider what most of us would call "one drink" more than one drink in some cases! Now, while I myself am against excessive drinking, my definition of such is a little different from theirs. If your lovely libations are negatively impacting your life or your health, that's excessive. If cocktails give you the urge to hop into the car and go for a ride, that's just a terrible idea, period. If a little drinkie (or five) makes you cranky or violent, by all means, put down the bottle! But let's stop vilifying one of life's little pleasures which, when enjoyed by responsible adults, can make a bad day better and make a celebration just a little more celebratory. Fun fact: We could all stop now and never touch a drop again and we're all goners, anyway. No one lives forever, so I want to enjoy my life while I still can.

Or, to quote a friend from the past, "Don't drink and drive - just drink!" It's later than you think.

They probably lived to be 80, unless mobsters got them first.

Corn And Black Beans: Is There Anything You Can't Do?

In much the same way that roasting a chicken and using it in dishes all week is a great way to save time and money, this easy combination of corn and black beans can serve as a base for dishes to last for days! All you do is combine one can of rinsed black beans and an equal amount of corn (I used frozen). Toss in some minced onion and salt, along with the juice of half a lime, and in about 30 seconds you're done!

This combination made its first appearance this week in an easy appetizer that is always popular at parties. Add a little spoonful each to Tostitos Scoops chips, top with hot sauce or salsa if you like. That's it! So simple and they disappear quickly!

Other uses for this magical mixture: combine with chicken or veggie broth (and a little beer or tequila if you're feeling frisky) and add a few tortilla chips for a delicious soup, add to your favorite chili recipe, tacos or melt with cheese in quesadillas, mix with eggs and milk for a fabulous frittata, toss with some olive oil and garlic and serve with pasta, blend with cream cheese or mashed avocado and spices for a yummy sandwich spread - the options are endless! Best of all, you'd be hard pressed to find a less expensive meal option. Pick up some corn and black beans the next time you're at the supermarket and don't worry about meals for a few days - you've got it covered!

Don't Settle For Boring: Customize Your Belongings!

The renovation of our powder room, which almost killed us in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, was largely completed before the holidays, but we're still putting on some finishing touches. Yesterday we added vintage shelf paper to the front of this boring, utilitarian cabinet from IKEA. We bought it knowing that we'd never leave it white. I found the paper on Etsy and we finally got around to affixing it with spray adhesive. Now I love it! You don't ever have to settle for leaving furniture (or clothing or shoes or anything else) the way you find it. Customize it! Find the right adhesive for your project, whether it's for fabric or rhinestones or food safe or heavy duty, and make it uniquely yours!

Customized cabinet - just add shelf paper!

It's Friday! Let's Catch Up Over Lovely Libations!

Are you as ready for happy hour this week as I am? Click here for this week's happy hour video, with a recipe for an easy highball that you can also enjoy for brunch!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9hKwrcRJq8

Today I've been wearing my costume designer hat and made this dress for the episode that will go online January 19:

It's a marshmallow world in the winter!

The test kitchen has been busy as well. We'll enjoy the experiments with our happy hour libations this evening!

There's lots more going on, which I'll be able to share soon! 2016 promises to be a crazy year, made crazier by my determination to push outside of my comfort zone as often as possible, personally and on behalf of the show. I'm ready for the challenges!

And, speaking of challenges, be sure to let us know, either here, on YouTube or your favorite social media platform, if you have an idea for a recipe or episode you'd like to see us tackle! We'd love to hear from you!  

Happy New Year!

I hope 2016 is treating you well so far!

I love the feeling of a clean slate that a new year brings. Resolutions aren't particularly my thing, although I do love to set goals! We have some pretty ambitious ones for the show this year, including producing three new music videos and getting our YouTube channel to 10,000 subscribers.  It's not just vanity on our parts. YouTube has an arcane algorithm which ranks channels on watch time and subscriber numbers. If they deem either of those numbers low, you fall in their rankings and it becomes that much harder for viewers to discover your channel. And when that happens it becomes a vicious cycle. Our watch time is excellent (a high percentage of viewers stick around to the end of our episodes), but our subscriber count could be higher. More subscribers means more opportunities for us to spread the love of kitsch and cocktails throughout the universe! So please subscribe to our channel if you haven't already. Click here to go to our channel - the "subscribe" button is red and on the right. And please share with anyone you know who loves cocktails, cooking, kitsch, retro culture or just laughing at the antics of a couple of goofballs. We're so grateful for your support!

Happy New Year to YOU!

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