French Onion Soup

Prime Rib is my entree of choice to prepare for Christmas dinner. It's delicious, easy and the side dishes are easy to prepare, too. (Shhh...don't tell anyone)

So, this is Christmas dinner -- Herb crusted
Prime Rib with horseradish sauce, twice baked potatoes, Caesar salad, steamed green beans sprinkled with Marc de Champagne vinegar, ginger carrots, rolls.

The Prime rib was a monstrous 8 pound piece of meat, so after enjoying leftovers, sandwiches, etc...you are left with the rib piece.

What to do, what to do?

Put it in the slow cooker, and add
Three large yellow onions, sliced
heaping tbsp of minced garlic
1/2 cup wine (red or white...they both work)
Two cartons of beef broth
Splash of Worchester Sauce
Let it cook for a while and then start your seasoning-
Add (to taste) Salt, pepper and rosemary. I like to add gradually as I cook and that way it turns out perfectly seasoned.
Cook for about 6 hours

Serve with a toasted piece of French bread sunk down in it, top with slices of Swiss Cheese and pop in oven set on broil for a couple of minutes until cheese is all melty and bubbly.

This is the rib piece that is tied to the bottom of the Prime Rib aka Standing Rib Roast

In the slow cooker, ready to go

Looks like this when it's done

This is the ulitmate Winter comfort food...
Happy New Year!!!

Chocolate Coconut Pecan Pie

Finished product

Ready to go in the oven

Okay, I don't make my own pie crust. Who cares?

Three words: Best. Pie. Ever. I always make this pie for Thanksgiving and Christmas.

1/2 cup butter (real butter, again..no fake crap in my house except blonde highlights in my hair)
1/2 cup chocolate chips
1 cup sugar
2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup shredded coconut
pinch of salt
1 unbaked pie shell (not deep dish, just regular)

Preheat oven to 350

In a saucepan over medium heat, melt chocolate chips and butter, stirring until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar, eggs, pecans, coconut and salt. Stir 'em up good and pour into prepared pie shell.

Bake for 35 minutes. Pie will be soft in the center. It's a gooey brownie kinda pie. Serve slightly warmed in the microwave with a generous dollop of fresh whipped cream. Again..real whipped cream. Enjoy...this is what heaven is like.

Happy New Year!!!

We said goodbye to 2008 and rang in 2009 surrounded by good friends. The party was lots of fun with food, wine and kids everywhere! At midnight we all drank champagne (the kids were allowed to have a half full tiny cordial glass, although most of them proclaimed it 'icky')and set off poppers in the front yard. The Divine Miss M 'Bubba' steals a drink of his sister's Coke The 'Desperate Housewives' of Brookside A crazy game of Pictionary--I think there was some cheating going on - you know who you are!!!! :) J and the twins came over and we had a blast with them. Look at that flirty smile! Mr. Wonderful is wrapped around someone's finger. After midnight everyone went home with a Party Favor bag containing a can of black eyed peas (it's a Southern thing...you eat them on New Years Day for good luck), a bottle of Tylenol and some candy. The girls all crashed in my living room at some point and are still there. Today will be spent cleaning up, taking down Christmas decorations and hanging out with the kids. I wish you all a prosperous, happy 2009 surrounded by good friends and family. And some travel. Salud!

Retro Shopping Night

Mr. Wonderful and I went out shopping a couple of weeks ago. It was really fun and I tried clothes on for him, as he sat in a plush chair and assumed the 'Sugar Daddy' role. It was like a trip back to the 60s and reminded me of when I was a child and my Dad would take my Mom out shopping. Back then, all women's boutiques had comfy chairs where the men would relax, while the ladies paraded around for them in the latest fashions. I worked in an upscale ladies clothing store back in the 80s in Tulsa called Aberson's, and we threw a 'special party' for husbands a few days prior to Christmas each year. We served champagne and snacks and because I was 17 years old at the time, I 'got' to model a few things, especially the fur coats. It was a brilliant marketing move and I'm certain that we helped make a lot of women happy on Christmas morning! Nowadays men rarely accompany women on shopping trips. We have our own money, don't need anyone to drive us, are generally more independent than women were in the 60s. I remember my mother used to sign her name as 'Mrs. Husband's First Name and Last Name'. I have never done that! However, I love it when a man opens a door for me and our 'Sugar Daddy Shopping Trip' was loads of fun.

Merry Christmas, My Deer

Each year, my boss and I decorate another boss's deer head for the holidays. There have been many themes, this year was an Island Christmas. Seriously, you cannot have something like that in your office and expect me not to mess with it. I try, but resistance is futile. It does creep me out to touch it, though. Around the house, I have put up three trees. The big one in the living room with all of the assorted ornaments and pics of the kids in little frame ornaments. The stockings were hung by the chimney with care. A friend's significant other made the gorgeous wreath for me. This is my little Texas tree in the foyer, complete with red pepper lights and Texas/cowboy themed ornaments. In the niche, we have the Isla tree, with shells and a starfish at the top. Yesterday we opened gifts and watched 'Elf' and 'The Office' with my parents and my niece. Today we are having our big Christmas feast. The Roast Beast is in the oven, the table is beautifully set, and the relatives are on their way. I hope y'all are having a lovely Christmas weekend!

Bitchmas!

Bitchmas was a fabulous affair, as always. I went to Tulsa to visit my parents and also to celebrate with my girlfriends. We found this lovely sign on the way in a truck stop in Atoka, OK. I love me a festive potty! We went out to breakfast Saturday morning with my parents at BBD. They have cinnamon rolls to die for! My Mom and C There was a Christmas run going on right outside the restaurant and there were dogs all dressed up in Christmas costumes! For me? How sweet! After breakfast we went over to Mr. Wonderful's brother's house for a visit. As we rounded the corner, an evil snowman tried to attack us! Ahhhh!!!!! C and cousin Bitchmas dinner was at the Celebrity Club. It used to be a private supper club back in the 60s and the decor is vintage. Big plush red booths, lush red walls and gold accents. The food is fabulous. Me and Scott Sharon and Laura Angela Laurie and Toni Laurie made wine with a Bitchmas label that is so cool! I made glasses! We returned to Toni's casa for more Bitchmas fun and I acquired the 'Tower O Booze' in the Dirty Santa Game. More friends showed up and there was much wine drinking and festiveness! Even Toni's dad enjoyed the party. (That's him...well, part of his ashes in the little silver urn in the kitchen window) Weird! Happy Bitchmas to everyone!

Where do you find your Christmas Spirit?

If there's one thing that has always gotten me in the Christmas spirit, it's my children's Christmas plays. When my oldest (now 17) was little and in Montessori, he was absolutely the cutest Christmas tree you've ever seen! (Sorry, I had to scan these from a scrapbook!) Last year, my daughter was still in After School Care at Montessori, and she had the lead in the play, as Martina the Moose. Her singing was fantastic! The play was a hit. In previous years, she was Audrey Hepburn (the Ghost of Christmas Past) and one year she was a little girl baking cookies with her Grandma. C had worked her way up in the ranks, so to speak, and has a beautiful singing voice. She's not afraid to get up in front of people to sing because she's been doing it since she was four years old. This year was C's first year out of Montessori and we were left with no Christmas play. How would I get into the spirit without cardboard gingerbread house sets, flubbed lines, toy soldiers and crying two year olds? We called the school and found out when their play was and went anyway! As we approached the door, a couple of ladies said to C, "Oh, you were the Moose last year! You were wonderful". (beam!) When we walked in, all of the teachers (including Ms. Alvarez, who had been J's teacher 15 years ago, gave C big hugs. The younger kids were delighted to see her and several parents commented that they missed her singing. Oh, behold! There were crying two year olds onstage, one who pulls her dress up, one who dances like a maniac, one who waves non stop to his parents. We had off key singing, darling red velvet dresses and tiny bow ties. And then, at the end of the show, the older kids got up to sing. I saw a beautiful angel with glittery white wings and... be still my heart....there was my son's Christmas Tree costume -- on a little boy, singing his heart out. (we had donated the costume to the school, as it was too cute not to use every year). It started at my toes and it worked it's way up my spine and exploded above my head as the kids onstage sang Adeste Fidelis. It was beautiful! Christmas spirit was here.