Weekend Plans

It's Friday! I have a really fun weekend to look forward to and I'm finding it very difficult to focus at work. Instead, I'm writing this blog post and pinning recipes like crazy.

Matt and I are having a party/get-together/pachanga tomorrow to say goodbye to our friends here in Austin. It's funny because most of the people coming are people we will definitely be seeing again. So, it's really just an excuse to eat and drink with everyone. I'm making lots of food including crab spinach artichoke dip, fried cauliflower, stuffed jalapenos, shrimp kabobs, and some other goodies. I'm also soaking watermelon in tequila and making blueberry infused vodka lemonade. Oh, and we're barbecuing. We really know how to throw a party.

Since I don't have any outfit photos for you today, I'll leave you with my trusty margarita recipe to get your weekend started. It takes a lot longer than using a margarita mix, but totally worth it.

INGREDIENTS

tequila blanco

orange flavored brandy liquor 

simple syrup

limes

ice

kosher salt

cocktail shaker

1. Prepare the simple syrup ahead of time. Bring 1 cup of water to boil in a saucepan. Add 1 cup of sugar once boiling and stir to help it dissolve. Boil for about five minutes or until the sugar has completely dissolved. Let it cool in the fridge (or freezer, if you're like me and always forget to do this ahead of time.)

2. Start squeezing those limes. If you have a juicer, you're lucky. I squeeze two limes to get about 1 shot of juice. 

3. Mix 2 parts tequila blanco (Don Julio is the best, but I usually settle for Jose Cuervo Tradicional), 1 part orange flavored brandy liquor (I use Gran Gala, a cheaper version of Grand Marnier), 1 part simple syrup, 1 part lime juice, and ice in a cocktail shaker. Now, shake!

4. Pour your delicious margarita into a glass with a salted rim and enjoy.

Recipe: Chocolate Covered Strawberry Pie

When I say I like to bake, I really mean that I like baking things that don't require a lot of effort. I like recipes that making it seem like I put in a lot more time than I really did.

My Texas cake is a good example.

I'll tell you more about how I make my Texas cake another day. For now, I'll let y'all in on my secret to making delicious pudding pies. The options are endless because there are so many different flavors of pudding. For my latest pie, I decided to make a pie reminiscent of chocolate covered strawberries.

You'll need a pre-made graham cracker pie crust, a package of instant pudding in the flavor of your choice (chocolate, white chocolate, or vanilla works best with this particular recipe), fresh strawberries, hardening chocolate, and milk.

Pudding box usually have a recipe for pudding pie, but I suggest reducing the milk to 1.5 cups per package. Every time I follow the recipe on the box, the pudding comes out too watery. I generally use one and a half packages of pudding because it always seems too low in the pie shell with just one. This means I use two and a quarter cups milk when I use one and a half packages of pudding. In other words, ignore what the box says!

After you make the pudding, pour it into the pie shell. It should look creamy and delicious. Avoid hitting the graham cracker crust because it breaks easily. Observe the crumbs in the gooey goodness for proof.

Let the pie sit in the fridge for at least an hour to harden. Cut slices of fresh strawberries to top the pie when it's ready. Cover as much space of the pie with strawberries as you can.

Melt your hardening chocolate in the microwave according the the package's instructions. While it's heating up, prepare a baggie with a hole cut at the corner tip for drizzling.

When the chocolate is ready, pour or scoop it into the baggie and start drizzling. You can be as neat or messy as you want. Don't forget to eat the left over chocolate!

Let the chocolate harden and enjoy!

As you can see, this pie is so easy a baby could make it. But you probably wouldn't want your baby around warm melted chocolate or knives. I plan on trying a banana cream pie, soon. I'll be sure to let y'all know how that goes.