Doncha wish your Monkey Bread was HOT like mine? Doncha?

Now when Chris woke up to find me in the kitchen pulling this out of the oven he says,

"That is a one sweet hot piece of Love...." with a growl in his voice and a look in his eyes.....

......and here I thought he was talking about me.

Gung Hay Fat Choy

"Gung Hay Fat Choy means: Best wishes and Congratulations. Have a prosperous and good year.

Chinese New Year marks the end of winter and the beginning of spring. (Can a hear an AMEN!!!) It is a time for family reunions, for honoring ancestors and for thanking the Gods for their blessings. (of which we have many)

Families make great preparations for this special celebration. Before the New Year, families settle debts and buy new clothes. (Well, the taxes are done, does this count???) The house is cleaned and food is prepared. (Got the food covered the house could pass muster I guess....) Homes are filled with flowers and fruit. (Got a couple of bananas...but flowers....hummm.... could I be so lucky as to get flowers today? Anybody? Anybody? ~silence~ that would be a no.)"

Any way you want to look at it I guess. I see it as another chance to have a new start.... or in our case: just another reason to have a special meal. Yes, surprise, surprise, one of the ways I show just how very much I love you is by feeding you.

And I'm gonna love me some family tonight! Broccoli Beef, Fried Rice, Kung Pow Chicken, Egg Rolls... all eaten with chop sticks and even fortune cookies...... all that will be missing is my red silk kimono. Go ahead, close your eyes and picture it. The mental image is good for a laugh, I promise. You know if I had one, I would be dressed to the nines!!!

Happy Thanksgiving

My Turkey and His Turkey!

Gobble Gobble!

A'hoy There Mateys

Dread Pirate Joe is (still) into pirates, but not as much as he was.... I rarely find him dressed in full pirate garb which includes: the eye patch (that on occasion made him walk funny), the frilly white silk shirt (smallest shirt in women's from Goodwill), the knee high women's boots with a heel (the MIL bought for him to REALLY feel like a pirate) and of course the ridiculously expensive tri-corn hat (he had to have from the Pirate Festival)! Because whilst looking for material to build ye boat ye should look the part of a swash-buckling mate come to plunder! Ah good times, good times! Its been awhile (a few months maybe?) since he was obsessed with building the perfect pirate ship dressed to the nines. But come to think of it, he didn't travel too far off the path with his latest obsession: The Titanic.

Anyway, I can digress..... so in honor of "Talk Like Pirate Day" I, being the good Mom that I am (still holding out for the Mother of the Year Award), scoured the web for some sort of Pirate Food to make for dinner. Because, well, I am always all about a theme. So here's what I came up with:

Captain Morgan's Treasure

2	garlic cloves, chopped
2	inches piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
1	medium shallot, chopped
1/4	cup oil
1/4	cupbutter
6	boneless skinless chicken breasts
	salt and pepper
1	mango, peeled and chopped
1	papaya, peeled and chopped
1	jamaican hot pepper, chopped (remove seeds unless you like it really spicy)
1/2	cup Captain Morgan's Spiced Rum
2	cups chicken broth
1/2-3/4	cup heavy cream

1. Heat butter and oil in dutch oven, add garlic, ginger and shallot, saute until shallot is soft, 2-3 minutes.
2. Season chicken with salt and pepper, add to pan and brown, turning frequently.
3. Add rum, chicken broth, mango, papaya and pepper, bring to boil, cover and reduce heat, simmer for 20 minutes.
4. Remove cover and simmer until sauce is reduced ( I let it go to half) and add cream, heat through but don't boil.
5. Serve over steamed rice.

**UPDATE**
So it was a hit. No one got scurvy from eating it, anyway! In fact the whole crew scarfed it down like it was the first hot meal after a month at sea! Arrr! (Yeah, ok corny, I know.)

I couldn't find the Jamaican pepper, and since the kidlets don't enjoy Chris and I's penchant for spicy foods, I left it off. I had to buy way more rum than I needed (they don't just sell half a cup of anything in that store), because (gasp!) it is the one type of alcohol not included in the so far unopened stash of booze in the liquor cabinet.

Dread Pirate Joe overheard me telling Chris the recipe that I had picked for this occasion, and said, "You are putting rum in my food?"

Me, "Yeah, it what all pirates love...."

Him, "Do you have to put rum in my food?"

Me, "Joe, it's ok the alcohol cooks off and just leaves the rum flavor."

Him, "Oh.... so why do you have to put it in there then?"

Me, "Yeah good point, lets just drink it with dinner then!!!"

Just kidding! If you know me, you know that Rum and I don't get along (hence why it wasn't in the liquor cabinet to begin with). But a shot in Joe's Grog (eh, rootbeer) might be fun to watch and help him fall asleep sooner since I had so much left.....

Who me? NEVER!!! That wouldn't get me any points in the Mother of the Year contest, now would it! ;)