Three for Wednesday

[lunabee34]

1. I watch a lot of Frasier in the mornings while Feefers and I are hanging out, and I am amused by the way the show handles the pregnancy of the actress who plays Daphne. They don't put her in these bizarre tent-like clothes or hide her behind potted plants or shoot her only from the waist up. They dress her and shoot her normally while making these cracks about the weight she's gaining; they send her off to the spa once she gets close to her due date, and Niles tells Roz that Daphne has had a fabulous time at the spa; she's lost 9 lbs 12 oz and will be home soon. What a wonderful bit of fourth wall breakage.

2. Gimme your fancy dinner party recipes. Appetizers, drinks, the works. Lorraine is entertaining this Christmas.

3. I am loving NCIS. I like that each episode has featured a female character with potential to fill Ziva's place on the team. lyrstzha and I both really liked Vera. I like that she was absolutely not attracted to Gibbs at all; I feel like the man gets more sexual interest than is warranted. I like that she and Tony did not hit it off, too. I was rooting for the officer from Coast Guard to join the team, but I really dig Bishop. I think she's going to fit in quite nicely, and I will immediately begin shipping her with Abby. I mean, y'all saw the sexual tension between them, yes? I also really like the change in Tony. He's the kind of character I can find endearing on television but who would piss me off in real life in about three seconds flat. Tony has shown many instances of depth and empathy over the run of the show, but he's also a Peter Pan, and I invariably lose patience with people who just cannot seem to grow up. I'm really glad that Ziva leaving has been a catalyst for change for him. He's 45 years old (or at least the actor who plays him is); it's about time.

Comments

[karmageddon]

I feel like there's a whole season of X-Files where Dana wears a coat. Which is still preferable to Cordy's demon-baby.

I will find my cranberry margarita recipe.

[lunabee34]

Ahahhahhahahaha yes.

Or in Voyager when they have B'Elanna wear that ridiculous coat over her uniform.

I would looooooooooooooove that drink recipe.

[executrix]

Hey, I remember what I forgot to say over on LJ. Craig Claiborne has a recipe for sweet potatoes mashed with tangerine juice and pieces of tangerine, which would be pretty great with baked ham. I'd add some nutmeg, I think.

They'll deny it like the Secretary in Mission Impossible, but people really like cocktail sausages in a barbecue or other sweet sauce, or as pigs in blankets.

[lunabee34]

I like those. My family does it in grape jelly which sounds weird but is gooooooooood. There may be other ingredients in the jelly IDK

We're definitely going to do cheese plate and olives with good bread, and if I can find the black or red caviar in a jar we'll do that too.

I also have this recipe for a fantastic breakfast casserole that I made a year or two ago with the bread and eggs and bacon in it. Very good.

[executrix]

Smitten Kitchen has a recipe for, basically, making bread pudding out of chunks of bagels with cream cheese and possibly lox. Really good bagels might be hard for you to source tho.

A really easy thing that people like a lot: roll chicken drumsticks in honey mixed with soy sauce, bake 1 hr at 350. The same idea as the sausages, which are usually grape jelly with mustard.

[lunabee34]

The wonderful thing about that is that I have no idea what good bagels might taste like and neither does anyone else around here. LOL

[executrix]

Sadface. Good bagels are amazing.

An easy and fun thing for after the cheese service: put out a big platter with tangerines, mixed nuts in their shells (and nutcrackers!), and some big bars of good chocolate just broken up into pieces. Pass a decanter of port.

[lunabee34]

These conversations are making me sooooooo hungry. LOL

That's a great idea. I already had port on the list and maybe a nice madeira so that'll be perfect.

I like the bagels I get at chain places like Panera bread but I know from watching Food Network that proper bagels are a Thing to which I do not have access. LOL

Eggnog recipe!

[executrix]

Difficulty: Easy | Total Time: 10 mins, plus at least 1 hr chilling time | Makes: About 4 1/2 cups, or 6 (6-ounce) servings





Instead of whisking the ingredients by hand or hauling out the heavy stand mixer, let the blender do all the work in this easy eggnog recipe. Blend eggs, egg yolks, and sugar together until the sugar has dissolved, then add milk, rum, and bourbon. Finish by blending in heavy cream, and then let the eggnog chill in the refrigerator for an hour so the flavors come together. Serve with ice and freshly grated nutmeg on top. Remember to save a glass for Santa to reward him for all his hard work.

Special equipment: Don’t use a commercial-grade blender for this recipe, as the powerful motors in these appliances can heat up the mixture and cook the eggs.
.
INGREDIENTS

•2 large eggs
•2 large egg yolks
•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1 1/3 cups whole milk
•1/3 cup aged rum
•1/3 cup bourbon
•2/3 cup heavy cream
•Ice
•Whole nutmeg, for grating

INSTRUCTIONS

Place the eggs and egg yolks in a blender and blend on the lowest speed until broken up. With the blender running, slowly add the sugar and blend until completely incorporated and the mixture has lightened in color, about 30 seconds.
Slowly pour in the milk, rum, and bourbon and continue blending until combined, about 1 minute total. Slowly add the cream and continue blending until frothy and combined, about 1 minute total.
Refrigerate in the blender pitcher for at least 1 hour and up to 4 hours. Just before serving, briefly blend on low speed to aerate and recombine. Serve over ice, topped with freshly grated nutmeg.

Re: Eggnog recipe!

[lunabee34]

OMG THAT SOUNDS AMAZING!

Thanks, Exec!