The Great (online) Cookie Exchange

It's been cold here, more so than usual.  So why not before you begin the baking task treat yourself to a little nip of something?  

Ok, perhaps before you start baking isn't the best time...but if you're entertaining a surly group of travel weary types suffering the ill-effects of shopping burn out, this might be just be what you're looking for.  

It does take a little time, but well worth the wait.  

Trust mouse.  

Traditional Tom and Jerry

12 egg(s)

1 cup sugar

1 bottle brandy (or bourbon)

Pinch of ground allspice

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of ground cloves

1 bottle dark rum

milk

nutmeg

Instructions:

Please remember the average shot glass holds roughly 1.5 or 2oz of liquid so if you're using a shot glass to measure your alcohol adjust the amounts accordingly. 

Separate the 12 eggs, whew.  Beat the whites until they're super stiff, like you can turn the whole bowl upside down...No don't do that.  Lift the beaters, and if the peaks don't bend much, you're good to go.  Usually mouse throws them into the stand mixer and just lets it go while she does the other stuff...

In another bowl take your 12 yolks and add 1 cup of sugar (you can also toss in your spices too, bit of allspice, cinnamon, ground cloves, or whatever you have -- but don't add nutmeg...that's for garnish.  

To that you'll want to add 4oz of brandy the egg yolks will look very thin and pale.  

Fold that into the stiff egg whites, slowly and carefully -- you're making a batter, a nice somewhat stiff batter here.  

You can store it a few hours in the fridge.  

Now to serve it:  

Heat milk on the stove top, do not boil just heat it, so it's good and hot and just about ready to boil.  

Add a tablespoon of the batter to a coffee mug, and to that add one ounce of brandy and one ounce of dark rum.  Stir constantly because you don't want to the batter to curdle.  Now, fill with the hot milk, stir more until frothy and dust with a bit of nutmeg.  

If you find it's too rich, you can cut it with half milk and half water (heated naturally).  Some people just add water, but mouse doesn't care for that.  

A word about eggs.  You'll notice the eggs aren't cooked, ah but they really are when you add the hot milk, the eggs will cook then if your milk is at at least 160 degrees any bacteria in the eggs is destroyed and probably safer than a real Caesar salad.  

Pro tip:  

You can certainly mix the whole thing ahead (with alcohol added) and keep warm in a heat proof bowl or even a thermos.

To future readers this blog was flagged by blogger for some sort of “community guideline violation” the only thing that could possibly be wrong was a problem with a link to a long defunct blog, as such are often usurped by porn sites.  

Other than that possibility we see nothing wrong with this post. 

Grown-up?

In a couple weeks we'll attend an annual super bowl party at a friend's home.  They do a pot-luck styled gathering, where everyone brings something.  It's wonderful because the people hosting divide up the guests by last name and assign each group an item to bring and there is no switching or bringing extra. If your "group" draws a main dish and you make a lovely appetizer, too bad.    It's so they're not overwhelmed with 20 dips and two bags of chips.  

It makes perfect sense to mouse.  This year we were assigned to bring a dessert for the kids and a main dish for grownups.  The main dish for grownups will be easy for mouse.  Just need to decide between enchiladas or a pasta dish (like baked zitti).  Children's dessert required more thought.  Of course cupcakes could be a standard.  So, mouse decided to make Mud.  Not Dirt, but mud; there's nothing wrong with Dirt but mouse prefers mud.  Dirt is more crumbly while Mud is...Muddy?  

It couldn't be easier, a couple metal pie plates, some chocolate wafer cookies (mouse doesn't like to use Oreos for it, but you certainly can), some gummy worms and chocolate pudding.  Now you can go all out and make your pudding and even the cookies (Martha Stewart would add whipped cream so it resembles more of a trifle for kids).  But no....Just break up the wafers, add the pudding so that it's good and muddy looking and dump into a pie dish.  You scoop out the mud with a small spoon or hand shovel if you're really clever...drop into a plastic cup...Yes that bit should be done by an adult or older child.  

Some like to place the gummy worms on top like the image shown here, but mouse prefers to stick them under the mud.  Like when we were kids playing in mud, you'd reach your hand down into it and find worms.   

Now this should be clarified somewhat it's not a Mud Pie which is totally different.  Mud is eaten with a spoon never a fork.  

It's not the first time mouse made Mud, the first time she mentioned it to Daddy was when we attended a Halloween party and had to bring a dessert.  He was appalled at the idea, but mouse rather insisted and it was a huge hit.  He thought there wasn't an adult in the place that would touch it, but grownups were once children.  

Every party we've attended where there has been a kid's table full of kid foods, the grownups couldn't resist sneaking a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a pig in a blanket.  It harkens back to a time when food was fun and not at all fussy.  Sure there are the parent types who bring a veggie platter or fruit salad, but when we do that aren't we saying this what we wish our kids preferred?  Sure, carrots and fruit are a staple here and part of a healthy diet, but even Princess given a clear choice isn't going for that, she'll snack down a pig-in-a-blanket over a carrot stick any day.  This isn't to suggest she won't grab a carrot stick..and mouse is always somewhat proud and completely surprised when it happens...

Of course, Daddy could play the "Master" card and overrule mouse's dessert choice but he won't because truth be told, he actually likes it too in all its wrong icky sweetness.  

Cocktail Parties and other things

There is something about this Image that mouse just giggled when she first saw it.  There was a great internal struggle that went through mouse if she should publish this here or over on our main blog The Power Exchange.  Still there was something about the message that said to mouse keep here on Mostly mouse.

We all know that mouse loves sucking dick...that part isn't a surprise.  But she does whip up an incredible sandwich from time to time too.  It wasn't until BabyGirl came bursting into our lives that sandwiches took on a whole new appeal for mouse.

Sandwiches are such easy things, bread some sort of cheese or meat sliced up.  It used to be years ago they were a staple at cocktail parties.  Why?  Because they're a bit filling (sure you can put away a lot of them due to their size) and soak up the alcohol.  And let's face it they're endless!

You can do watercress and cream cheese.  A hearty, grainy wheat bread with smoked turkey or gouda.  The possibilities are endless!  Anything can go between two slices of bread!

Way back in the 1970s another popular appetizer was simply cream cheese and bologna!  Cut of course into shapes and pierced with a toothpick.   There's got to be a way to update that classic...how about a nice herbed goat cheese and mortadella?  Or a nice salami from Molinari?   For our next cocktail party, coming up in a few weeks mouse will be test-driving these ideas and more with of course the help of friends and family.  With the Hors d'oeuvres straight from the 1960s all presented with a hopefully slight more modern twist.

While there will not be room though for JELL-O and the party will not specifically be themed either. Instead mouse hopes it will just give a rather informal nod to those days gone by.   Cocktails will be another topic....Of course we'll be serving classic martini's and a host of non-alcholic beverages for those who don't wish to imbibe.

Wine, of course and maybe beer.

After Party-Party

It was really stressful. Really, super stressful. But it went really well! Seriously mouse was having nightmares all Wednesday night. By Thursday morning mouse was all a bundle of nerves. Tuesday morning we nearly cancelled it all together. But also knew we were fully committed. Had we taken on more than we could handle? Good friends assured mouse we hadn't. Thanks so much to all who encouraged mouse! Daddy's faith never wavered. Not once!

Thursday morning mouse woke, exhausted. The day ahead seemed completely daunting. By the time she dropped the baby off at Lucy's, mouse too was ready to drop! No rest tho, ran home to start dinner and get everything ready. But when she came through the door, mouse looked at the pretty table she set...dunno suddenly the pressure felt lifted.

The meringue came out just lovely! The prime rib roast was very nearly perfect. The ends were a tad past well...but overall most excellent.

Conversation, making rounds ok that part was exhausting for mouse. Daddy seemed tho to enjoy it and beamed proudly at mouse.

After we both collapsed on a sofa and drank a glass of wine, toasting a successful first formal gathering.

The first of many Daddy reminded mouse.

Cat's out of the Bag

Really don't know what exactly compelled mouse to share the link to this blog.  It's nothing exciting.  

The final push to the big formal party...the nerves are starting to make mouse unable to sleep.  

You want everything done today...but if everything is done too far in advance...well you'l freak out when you have to redo everything.   And ya we're still having a small gathering tonight.  Oh well, there's nothing that can be done about it all now.  

This week's plan: 

Monday is tine to give the house a thorough walk through and making note of things that need to be cleaned like baseboards (which actually aren't too bad) doors, light switches, check silver and polish if needed.  Wipe down kitchen cabinets and appliances.  Check the long lighter making sure it works/purchase new one.  Set up canopy outside in case of rain/snowfall -- check weather for outdoor heater or light firepit?  Might as well look around for chametz too while mouse is at it all.  Cleaning the inside of cabinets with damp cloth -- getting rid of all crumbs.  Put down new clean shelf paper

Tuesday is the running around shopping day.  Making sure we have everything we need for all the food, and ya mouse will be picking up the prime rib roast at the butcher shop.  Make place cards to avoid confusion.  Take Dogs to groomer. 

Wednesday is cleaning and prep day.  All the foods that can be prepped in advance (yes Daddy knows he'll be eating soup and salad for dinner).  

Cooking Prep: 

• Onions, carrots, celery pre chopped and ready to be dumped into the vessel.  
• Romaine for salad washed, bagged up for easy dumping
• Dressing made
• Croutons made
• Pie made and ready for meringue on Thursday morning. 
• Make up a few appetizers to serve with cocktails

Cleaning Prep

• Dust/polish dining room table, bring in extra chairs
• Check the flow around the rooms, moving furniture as needed
• Dust in corners, under and behind sofa...Using a fork to remove or lighten divits in the carpeting
• Set out the silver trays, tea/coffee etc arranging the after dinner table with cups, saucers, plates forks etc.  
• Iron all the linens
• Scrub, scrub scrub all the kitchen countertop surfaces and relocate the toaster 
• Place the linens on the table 
• Set the table
• Dust the TV
• Check the ipod for play list marked party (a smooth jazz mix with 5 hours of music) double check speakers
• Arrange Candles
• Sit in various chairs to make sure views aren't impeded by anything
• Make sure there are a couple ashtrays outside, for smokers/cigar smokers 
• Set up bar area, making certain glasses are cleaned 

Thursday is the big day

• Make Meringue
• Pick up bread, take butter out to soften 
• Drop off baby!!! Ya...
• Rib Roast must be in the oven no later than 3pm. 
• Arrange small trays with appetizer bites 
• Peel, wash potatoes, shred horseradish
• Take shower, fix hair and makeup
• Dress for party
• Open red wine and decant at appropriate time 
• Take out white wine to warm a tiny bit before guests arrive (never serve white wine too cold)
• Last minute tidy of the kitchen and floor areas 
• Last second tidy of the house
• Study mouse's mantra for the evening:  Enjoy the party and know you've planned as much as you could.  

Desserts

Please don't misunderstand in anyway by reading these pages that mouse is in anyway an accomplished chef or even cook (sometimes being a mother does feel rather like being a short order cook) but there's lots she hasn't a clue how to attempt.  For gatherings, formal or informal mouse tends to stick to things she knows and it's incredibly rare that she screws those up.  Even if she does it's easy for her to hide an error.   A bit more sauce or extra icing or whipped cream can cover most errors.  

Weeknight meals are extremely simple and rarely lavish, unless mouse is experimenting with flavors.  Occasionally she'll try something different.  But it's best with the baby around to keep the meals easier because it's so easy to loose her place in a long complicated recipe.  

There is a skill she's never quite mastered, while most desserts turn out just fine for mouse there is one group that's just eluded her.  The Pie.  

Pies -- honestly mouse would rather do a crumble or just about anything other than a full on pie.  Now she has done a rustic pie, where you take the pie dough set it on parchment paper on a cookie sheet and just fill the center with fruit and pull the sides up.  It's appeal is that it's not supposed to look perfect.  

The second, albeit larger issue for mouse is the pie crust itself.  A funny aside, it seems to run in the family because when her grandmother passed away mouse found no fewer than 35 different pie crust recipes.  It's a very hit and miss process with mouse.  Sometimes it come off lovely and other times, gah wouldn't feed it to the dog.  

For our big formal shindig mouse wants the dessert to not only be kosher but kinda impressive too (after losing a whole weekend of possible research due to unfortunate events) and mouse was feeling the crush.  Most of her tried and true recipes aren't kosher and it wouldn't do for guests to have to wait several hours before dessert.  

Then Daddy mentioned he's fond of pie.  And yes he is.  He loves a good key lime or lemon meringue pie.  

So yesterday, mouse began experimenting just with the dough.   Unfortunately you can't make a small amount of dough (mouse has  a freezer full of dough balls with giant Xs on them).  One website recommended that all the ingredients be very cold when you begin including the flour.  Unfortunately that didn't work out too well.  The flour must have picked up moisture from the fridge after just a tablespoon of ice water it seemed to come together well enough, but it fell apart in the cooking process.  

There's also another issue, the rolling out process.  To watch people on those cooking shows you'd think it looks so simple.  Yet when mouse rolls out her dough, it just doesn't look like that at all.  It looks just terrible.  The times it did look lovely, the taste (overall) was horrible and it wasn't flakey at all. 

This must be why there are million different pie crust recipes.  Some insist if you want a flakey crust you must use lard.  Other's say vegetable shortening and still more say butter.  Honestly mouse must have been doing something wrong with each because NONE would come out right or the way mouse wanted.  

What makes a tough pie dough?  Apparently it's not just one thing, but could be several.  Over  mixing,  is common.  Over rolling.  Adding too much flour during rolling.  It's mind boggling.  Then exasperated, mouse sat down and thought about it.  

How did on earth did her Nona make pie crust without a food processor.  Truth was she didn't.  

So mouse began anew.  This time with a bowl and pastry cutter.  And learned what the dough should feel like.  The texture between her fingers.  And it worked.  Emboldened mouse did several more batches (yes we're using a lot of flour (nearly 10 pounds in this learning phase and let's not think about the other stuff).  It rolled out fine.  

So, mouse decided to further the experiment the following day.  Could she do it again?  Would her fingers remember the process?  Really she couldn't wait to get started.  After a trip to the market for more flour, shortening and the other pie ingredients like lemons -- eggs, etc.  mouse set to work again.  

The filling was easy  and came together quickly.  It was tasty.  But the meringue was an issue.  It wasn't tall enough...it didn't brown nicely....after just a short amount of time it seemed to weep and fall.  It took 4 tries (and yes mouse made four complete pies during that time) to get the meringue just right.  

At this point, honestly, mouse was rather mentally lost, the baby had been coloring and playing with her toys, running around but without mischief (yes mouse is counts her blessings on that).  But now it was nearly dinnertime and the baby was becoming very cranky.  

Pie for dinner?  No.  Daddy or mouse wouldn't approve of that.  Tentatively mouse picked up her cell and sent Daddy a text asking if he wouldn't mind picking up dinner.  He replied with a question...that depends will there be pie for dessert?  Really mouse laughed....and replied yes.  

True to his word he came home with food, a very nice spread in fact.  Think he must have gone to Whole Foods but really mouse was grateful because she couldn't stand the sight of another pie.  

The final pie, wasn't cut.  The meringue peaks were nearly perfect.  It was a pretty pie mouse would be proud to serve.  The other pies revealed a good crust, the pie filling was incredibly tasty those meringues tho did leave a bit to be desired and the reason mouse made so many.  The final one remained uncut because mouse was curious to know how long it could last in the fridge.  24 hours is optimum.  It was rather nerve wracking for mouse.  

Really must have looked at the thing in the fridge a hundred times, half expecting it to be completely deflated.  

By morning tho...um...not a pretty sight at all.  It was quite soft looking.  

Back to the drawing board.  

This time, mouse remade the pie without the meringue topping and left that to sit in the fridge over night.  Then in morning,  right after breakfast, mouse made the meringue.  It came out nice...looked good...Actually a bit better than before.  Nicely browned.  

After dinner mouse cut it and finally we had a taste.  Daddy approved very much.  He said it was the best pie mouse has ever made.   Still very nervous but plan on making another pie this coming weekend...

Really don't know if lemon meringue pie will still be Daddy's favorite by the time the dinner party arrives.

Just so you know the pie pictured above is not the one mouse baked.  Very similar tho. 

Brunch adventures

As mouse has mentioned in a post on planning (here), it's really important to try a recipe a few times before you do it for friends, family or more important people. For years now mouse has been completely obsessed with poached eggs. Many times she's tried...even using one of those little inserting things in a pan (they got stuck) so mouse decided to teach herself to poach eggs in a pan of simmering water.

So mouse watched several YouTube videos on the subject. The water was simmering vinegar was added...the water swirled...egg gently added...

And mouse watched in complete horror as it dissolved in the water! Around a dozen eggs later mouse has four perfectly cooked poached eggs. Daddy, well aware of mouse's experimenting arrived home at the appointed time, and mouse served him two of the eggs over a hash made from left-over corned beef snd potatoes.

Suspiciously Daddy eyed the plate, complimenting mouse on its appearance then broke the yoke...it was truly a thing of beauty seeing it. The whites were fluffy, the yoke not terribly runny...we'll say runny in a good way.

Daddy smiled at mouse, asking if she followed a recipe for the hash...yep she had...and the eggs too she beamed proudly..

"Tell me mouse are the eggs supposed to be cold?" Daddy asked, with a cockeyed grin.

Not missing a beat, mouse replied, "As a matter of fact they are."

Later after a little more reasearch, mouse learned to keep the poached eggs warmed in a water bath.

The brunch went well tho, when mouse tried it out for friends a few weeks later.

Nervous

This is a companion place to The Power Exchange blog we maintain. It's a place for mouse to freely discuss party ideas and other obligations of her slavery, mothering, and being a wife.

It's a way for mouse to address her fears...of people. It's weirdly convoluted. But mouse is afraid deeply so of being an embarrassment to Daddy. It should be noted for the official record that he hasn't any such fears. He dislikes entertaining because he finds it rather taxing on his nerves. He prefers to stay aloof than to be at the center of anything. However, it's a requirement more or less for his job.

It's an obligation he's graciously been shirking for sometime and it just cannot be ignored any longer. For some reason, while people seem to not mind the occasional restaurant gathering, it's not acceptable really to invite people out. It's awkward when the check comes (even if the server is prewarned NOT to deliver it to the table). It seems most people prefer to be entertained at someone's home,

We're invited out each month it seems twice, but only recently did we actually begin accepting the invites. Well, Daddy began accepting them -- truthfully it was something mouse was in the dark about. Little bit of peer pressure -- colleagues wondering why he refuses.

He enjoys very much his coworkers, and they do understand how intensely guarded and private he is.

Not very concerned about the cooking part....it's more about being scared about everything else one must do. And this will be happening much more frequently. At least once per month Daddy explained. These dinners could actually affect his career! No pressure there!

So, we're hosting our first really important meal next month! 8 couples and none of them "friends" but people Daddy is quite aquatinted with. Perhaps they will become friends? Really mouse can only hope. Two couples have been to our before...they seem very nice...but the others...just no clue.

Let the countdown begin....