Blue Jeans Hostess

This is Nacho Brother's Fast Food...

2009-03-21T11:15:00.003-04:00

True Confession #1: Sometimes, I NEED nachos.True Confession #2: Sometimes, I NEED nachos and go through the drive-thru to get them.Okay, I feel better now. Thanks for letting me get that off my chest.Yes, I sometimes succumb to my addiction of drive-thru loaded nachos. Why? Nacho cheese sauce.I know that "processed" and "prefabricated" nacho cheese sauce doesn't usually--okay, almost NEVER-

Having a T-Party

2009-03-18T21:26:00.006-04:00

I love going to antiques malls and looking for items that I could use in my kitchen. I especially love the vintage items that could have been in my Nana's kitchen--treasures such as Pyrex, Decoware, old kitchen gadgets, tablecloths, and tea towels.However, it has been almost a year since I went antiquing. I was unemployed for a bit and then when I obtained employment, it turned out to be a

My Chili Secrets--Updated!

2009-03-12T17:30:00.002-04:00

NOTE: This post has been updated with my recipe at the end of the post. Hope you like it. :)Love, BJHChili.Whether you make it with or without beans, Texas- or Cincinnati-style, or somewhere in between...Chili is a beautiful thing.It is economical, hearty, and easy on cleanup. Plus, with all of the variations out there, you have a plethora of possible concoctions.Now, I know there are some of

Much Ado about...Spring!

2009-03-10T17:56:00.003-04:00

Spring is here!I was planning on posting a new recipe today, but as you can see this is not it. With what's going on tonight--which goes on every Tuesday night (more on that in another post)--I don't have enough time to put together a photo recipe post. Well, at least one that this recovering perfectionist would be comfortable claiming as her own.So instead I thought you might want to see what

Grandmas Know Best...

2009-03-05T22:17:00.005-05:00

Sometimes, you don't need much to show hospitality.While in the midst of an "economic crisis" (I don't dare call it anything else or the Dow will drop 100 points overnight), we feel the need to cinch our belts and do without certain things.However, don't let the art of hospitality fall to the wayside. Clara, the hostess of DepressionCooking on YouTube, shows us how to keep things simple but

You can make this steak. Yes, YOU.

2009-02-25T19:06:00.004-05:00

Confession: I struggle with cooking a good steak. And it bothers me.I can make tender, flaky pie crust, melt-in-your-mouth chocolate truffles, savory risotto, even moist pork chops...but a STEAK? Fuhgeddaboutit.And what bugs me is that it's soooo much cheaper to make a steak dinner for TWO at home than one early bird special at the local steakhouse.Twenty-odd years of cooking experience, and

Hospitality--Diner Style!

2009-02-23T13:04:00.004-05:00

Just a little taste of hospitality--Connecticut diner style.Enjoy! bjh

Part 3: Making Chicken Salad

2009-02-14T15:36:00.020-05:00

So, six weeks ago, after I wrote about poaching the chicken for my chicken salad, I made chicken salad.Now I don't know what your chicken salad experience has been like; you may like the IDEA of chicken salad--chicken, delicious mayo dressing, crunchy bits of celery--but the REALITY of your experience may have fallen short.Because, face it, sometimes chicken salad is...BLAH.I'm hoping to remedy

A Relapse...

2009-02-14T15:23:00.004-05:00

Ummm...Hi. Remember me?Yes, it's been over a month since my last post. No, I haven't been without internet or electricity for that long. I've been...well...recovering from a relapse in...PERFECTIONISM.My photos for this post did not include a picture of a finished chicken salad sandwich, one I could use to introduce the post. So...I decided to wait a bit until I made chicken salad again and

"Unplugged"

2009-01-10T14:55:00.002-05:00

To my readers,Since this past Wednesday, I have been officially "unplugged" from the digital world when a icy branch interrupted my broadband internet service. I hope to finish my Chicken Salad Part 3 post at home and upload them on Monday at my local library.Hope you are all safe and warm! bjh

Chicken Salad Part 2: Poaching the Chicken

2009-01-02T21:12:00.012-05:00

How do you cook chicken for chicken salad? Most people make chicken salad when they have leftover chicken from a previous meal. PROBLEM #1: I don't have leftover chicken. PROBLEM #2: I have skinless, boneless chicken breasts, naked and vulnerable. Many cooking methods will make it tough and crusty on the outside and add an unwelcome chewy texture to my chicken salad. SOLUTION? I will

Chicken Salad Part 1: Brining makes it BETTER

2009-01-01T20:47:00.009-05:00

Got brine?Then you have the potential for moist, flavorful chicken salad. And that takes chicken salad from a potential "meh" to a definite "yum."Before we get started, I need to clarify a few things.First, brining meat is not pickling, per se. Although the liquid used for pickling foods is rightly called a "brine," it is a different kind of brine. Also, how something is pickled and how long

New Year's Tea Lunch--Making Tea

2008-12-31T13:15:00.006-05:00

There is nothing quite like a good cup of tea on a day like THIS:Which is what Northern Connecticut is looking like AT THIS VERY MINUTE. Snowfall predictions are 5 to 9 inches.I'm so glad that I don't have to go anywhere today.For those of you who DISLIKE tea...For those of you who have made tea with only hot water and a teabag from a box...PLEASE DON'T LEAVE UNTIL YOU HAVE TRIED MY TEA!Are you

Say Happy New Year with a Lunch Tea!

2008-12-29T18:34:00.005-05:00

Christmas is officially three days past. If your plans for a Christmas gathering never came to pass--like mine, there is still time for a holiday celebration.This coming Saturday, I'm having a New Year "girls only" family celebration. My mom, aunt, and grandmother will be coming to relax, have lunch, and witness the snowman "invasion." (There will be more on that in a future post--stay tuned!)

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T10:15:00.002-05:00

I wish you all a very merry Christmas. May you experience true joy and peace today!

Christmas Breakfast Tea...for One

2008-12-20T12:16:00.009-05:00

Alas, the winter magic has postponed my tea. With the snowfall rate predicted to be an inch per hour, I had a feeling yesterday that I wouldn't have a large turnout. So I asked everyone to let me know their thoughts on having the tea--and we decided to reschedule. It won't be a Christmas tea perhaps--but it will be a winter-themed event in January. My snowmen and snowflakes don't leave my

Winter Magic...

2008-12-20T11:47:00.015-05:00

Yesterday, we experienced some winter magic.It snowed.Here are some pictures I took this morning to capture some magic of my own.Branches covered with glittering, marshmallow-like icing...Decorated just in time for Christmas!Pure white snow makes the natural beauty of tree branches stand out...The contrast can be seen without using black and white film.Overgrown trees and shrubs add their own

Christmas Breakfast Tea Recipes: Quick breads

2008-12-09T16:10:00.015-05:00

Homemade: Banana Walnut Bread, originally uploaded by FoodieJP When was the last time your soul restored? When were you the recipient of true

Celebrating with the Birthday Girls

2008-03-10T12:20:00.000-04:00

Burning Birthday Candles, originally uploaded by khoitoanvn. I LOVE birthday parties! The cake, the decorations, the presents—even when it’s not for me. I just love to celebrate anything, actually. How can you go wrong with food and friends? Growing up, most of my birthdays were celebrated with family—more economical that way for two

Spring is on its way

2008-03-09T12:19:00.001-04:00

Spring is on its way!, originally uploaded by elinornicole. In southern New England, spring is finally starting to awaken! With the sun melting the last of the snow and the air starting to warm up, my thoughts turn from hibernating to doing, from observing to participating. For those of us who experience long, cold winters, spring is a welcome promise of renewed life. We eagerly await the