Cousin Adam's Apple Pie

via my cousin Adam

INGREDIENTS:
1 bottle of Everclear
1 gallon of Apple Juice
1 gallon of Apple Cider
12 Cinnamon Sticks
6 Quart Mason Jars

DIRECTIONS:
Boil Apple Juice, Apple Cider, & 12 Cinnamon Sticks in a large pot for 45 minutes. Strain out cinnamon sticks. Add 4-6 shots of Everclear (depending on the potency you would like) per quart jar & add the boiled liquid, divided equally amongst each jar. Cap & lid jars, store at room temp or cooler, & enjoy! (pictured above is a double batch)

UPDATE:

So, I posted this, before I actually attempted making it. Now that I've made a batch, I've learned a few things...
I used pint mason jars, not quart jars, as the recipe above, and divided 1 bottle of Everclear equally (about 3 shots each) among 7 pint mason jars. It made for a potent, but amazing batch. Also, only 9 cinnamon sticks came in the package I bought, so I used 9, instead of the 12 the recipe calls for. (I don't think it made any difference in the end result) Once I filled up the 7 jars, I realized I had tons of the apple juice/cider liquid left. So, I ran back to the store & picked up a 2nd bottle of Everclear. I repeated the same process, dividing the 2nd bottle of Everclear equally amongst the new set of 7 mason jars. I ended up w/ 14 pint jars of goodness!

support local music & my bro: NW Ohio

Check out my brother on vocals & lead guitar! Click the link below & hear he & his band Endless Road covering Tony Rio's Freewheelin' on NYE 2010!!!

~Freewheelin by Endless Road~


Photo by Nichole Bohner Photography

For the Ohioans: Catch Endless Road live at Stella Blue in Archbold, OH on Sat. April 23rd at 9pm!

inspirations

via amy atlas

via apartment therapy

a giant frame housing tons of polaroids - i adore! via house love

via oncewed

'morning cover' 2010, phototgraphed by me

shoe love

I'm thinking about all the warm places I could wear these strappy, petal pink numbers while it's cold & crazy & wintery outside!

via christinlouboutin

I would like a life w/ some adventures...

I would like a happy life with some amazing adventures, real friendship, love (real & true), a place to make & share my art, a nice piece of land, & the chance to gather with family & share it all.

Inspired by: artequalshappy.typepad.com

Superbowl: Bloomin' Onion

In honor of the Superbowl, Amy & I tried our hand at making a deep fried Bloomin' Onion via this recipe from foodnetwork.com

ALMOST FAMOUS BLOOOMING ONION RECIPE
For the Dip:
• 2 tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 tablespoons sour cream
• 1 1/2 teaspoons ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 tablespoon* drained horseradish (*we used 1/2 a tablespoon)
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the Onion:
• 1 large sweet onion, such as Vidalia (about 1 pound)
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 1 gallon soy or corn oil
• Kosher salt

Combine all of the dip ingredients in a bowl, cover and refrigerate.

Slice the onion:
(Check out the illustrations here for some extra help: how to slice a Bloomin' Onion)

How to Slice a Bloomin' Onion
1. Cut off 1/2 inch from the pointy stem end of the onion, then peel.
2. Place the onion cut-side down. Starting 1/2 inch from the root, make a downward cut all the way through to the board.
3. Repeat to make four evenly spaced cuts around the onion.
4. Continue slicing between each section until you have 16 evenly spaced cuts.
5. Turn the onion over and use your fingers to gently separate the outer pieces.

Whisk the flour, cayenne, paprika, thyme, oregano, cumin and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in a bowl. In a small deep bowl, whisk the eggs, milk and 1 cup water.

Place the onion in a separate bowl, cut-side up, and pour all of the flour mixture on top. Cover the bowl with a plate, then shake back and forth to distribute the flour. Check to make sure the onion is fully coated, especially between the "petals." Lift the onion by the core, turn over and pat off the excess flour; reserve the bowl of flour.

Using a slotted spoon, fully submerge the onion in the egg mixture (spoon on top, if necessary). Remove and let the excess egg drip off, then repeat the flouring process. Refrigerate the onion while you heat the oil.


Heat the oil in a large deep pot over medium-high heat until a deep-fry thermometer registers 400 degrees. Pat off excess flour from the onion. Using a wire skimmer, carefully lower the onion into the oil, cut-side down. Adjust the heat so the oil temperature stays close to 350 degrees. Fry about 3 1/2 -4 minutes, then turn the onion over and cook until golden, about 3 1/2 -4 more minutes; drain on paper towels. Season with salt and serve with the dip.

sew simple: four petal flower

via martha

girl scout-style cookies: samoas

via instructables


Ingredients:
Basic Shortbread Recipe:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, room temperature
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
Topping:
• 3 cups) shredded unsweetened coconut, toasted
• 15-oz soft caramels
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp milk
• 8 oz. dark or semisweet chocolate

Directions:
1. Prepare Dough -
In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this to the butter mixture. At low speed, add in the milk and vanilla. Separate the dough into halves and wrap in plastic or store in tupperware. Refrigerate until the dough is as firm as a stick of butter.
2. Toast Coconut -
While the dough is refrigerating, preheat your oven to 350F. Toast the shredded coconut on a baking sheet for about 10-15 minutes, stirring frequently. Let cool while shaping and baking cookies.

3. Cut -
Ensure you've got the oven at 350F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone liners. Once your dough is firm enough to roll out without making a big mess, roll dough on lightly floured surface. (This dough is made to be soft enough to withstand the incorporation of more flour during this phase.) Once your dough is rolled to about 1/8" - 1/4" thickness, use a cookie cutter to cut out whatever shapes your heart desires. (For traditional-like Samoas, cut out a hole in the middle!) Re-roll the scraps and repeat.

4. Bake -
Bake your batches of cookies one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes, rotating the cookie sheet 180 degrees, halfway through baking. This ensures that all the cookies turn the same color instead of getting browner in the hotter parts of your oven. Cool your cookies on the sheet for about 5 minutes, and transfer to a wire rack. Let cookie sheets cool before putting new cookies to be baked on them.


5.Prepare the Topping -
Place your caramels, milk and salt in a microwaveable bowl and nuke for 1 minute at a time, stopping to stir, until nice and melty, about 3-4min. (If you're using homemade caramels, you can reduce the amount of milk and microwave time. If you are using hard caramels, increase the milk.) Stir the toasted coconut into the caramel mixture.

6. Top Cookies -
Using a knife, an offset spatula, or whatever device floats your boat, spread the caramel mixture on top of your cookies. Be generous.


7. Add the Chocolate -
Lay out a sheet of waxed paper. Chop up your chocolate and microwave it in 30 second bursts, stirring between each, until nice and melty. Dip the bottoms of your cookies into the chocolate and place on waxed paper.

Use the remaining melted chocolate to drizzle over top of the cookies once they're all dipped. A spoon works for this, but you could also use a piping bag or the corner snipped off a plastic baggie. Store in an air tight container for best results.