We will be celebrating with our loved ones in San Jose on New Year's Eve! Have fun. Be safe. Be gay. Be proud to you -- whoever and wherever you are. Happy New Year!
xoxoxo -- Scott and Ambrose
Share Me
Let's eat!
This month we cook a lot of dishes from Singapore and Malaysia. Singapore and Kuala Lumpur are a melting pot bubbling over with tourists, inhabitants and expatriates from all parts of the world, and these people naturally have diverse eating habits. Through the ages, the Chinese, Malay, Indians and the foreigners (westerners) have cast their influence on Singapore's food recipes and there is no doubt that Singapore is a food lovers' paradise. We are bringing the fantastic Singapore/Malay dishes to you and our friends who will be couchsurfing with us...Cheers! Tiger & Marlon
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Greetings from QueerGasm!
Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas, everyone! Whoever you are, wherever you are. Hope Christmas eve will find you where the love lights gleam. We are baking cookies tonightt. Scottie is starting his final christmas project -- baking cookies! To be honest, there's no aroma quite so inviting as that of cookies baking, whether ginger, chocolate or caramel...and there is no snack quite so satisfying as two or three fresh-from-the oven cookies with a cool glass of milk nor is there a gift quite so welcome as a lovingly wrapped package from home, brimming with cookies...we are filling our gift baskets with many different kind of cookies this Christmas....if u have truly been nice, let us know:) To quote the legendary Betty Crocker, "happy the home with the full cooky jar". We hope you'll bake for your loved ones this christmas. If you've been really nice this whole year, let us know...we'll send recipes your way:)
xoxo -- Ambrose
Thursday, December 17, 2009
The legendary Crabmeat Cakes With Mustard Sauce...
I got this super incredible recipe from Food Network Magazine recently and I've been meaning to cook this for Scottie and his friends. This is a legendary recipe -- this dish is still being served (yes to this very day) in the famed The Pool Room of the Four Seasons Restaurant in NYC. People like the presidents and their first ladies, famous people like Warren Beatty and Natalie Wood were pictured having the crabmeat cakes at the restaurant in 1962! Elegant, expensive, a sublime holiday treat -- I read about people sitting and enjoying the food in an extremely comfortable banquette facing the room, perfect for celebrity-gawking. The shimmer of metallic beaded curtains on the windows echo the gentle undulations of the waves in the pool, lulling and soothing the diner. I've seen The Pool Room but have never dined there. This room is absolutely magnificent - gorgeous lighting - a pool with fountains in the center. I can almost hear glasses of chardonnay and pinot noir clinking and livening the senses. This is where the world's perfect Crab Cakes, molded into atypical quasi-quenelle shapes, and accompanied by a salad of arugula and shaved fennel, is served. I heard it is light, seemingly devoid of filler, and rife with crab flavor. It sure sounds so divine! So queers, we have to cook this for our boy! You too straight guys/girls! Enjoy!
DISH: Crabmeat Cakes with Mustard Sauce
FOR THE CRAB CAKE:
6 slices of white bread, crusts removed
1 lb lump crabmeat (no shells please)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 tbsp unsalted butter (for frying only)
1 tbsp olive oil (for frying only)
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
Some Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Make the cake:
1)Pulse the bread in a food processor to make corse crumbs and spread out the crumbs on a sheet pan.
2) In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, crab, egg yolk, pickles, celery and form into 8 oval shape cakes. Coat each cake in the crumbs, coating them all over. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the sauce:
1) In a small saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter, stir in the flour, curry powder, paprika; cook until the flour and the spices lose their raw smell, about 2 mins.
2) Add the chic broth and milk, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 mins.
3) Stir in the mustard and mustard seeds, simmer to develop the flavor, for another 5 mins.
4) Whisk in the remaining 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and some pepper to taste.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
FRY THE CRAB CAKE:
1) Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet
2) Add the crab cakes and fry until evenly browned on all sides
3) To serve, drizzle the sauce over the cakes.
Four Seasons Restaurant
99 East 52nd St.
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: 212.754.9494
Fax: 212.754.1077
OVERVIEW
Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini preside over this classic entertaining spot, with its two main dining rooms—the pool room and the grill room—and three smaller private dining rooms. Of the private rooms, the pool room terrace seats 100 people using the restaurant’s chairs or 120 with rented chairs. Private dining room 2 holds 32 for receptions and has a constantly changing gallery of modern art. Private dining room 3 can hold 14 for receptions and opens to private dining room 2 through sliding doors. Private dining room 3 features starlight ceilings and shimmering chain curtains.
RECENT RELEVANT NEWS: The New York Observer
The Four Seasons Restaurant, modernist shrine of food and power, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday night (June 12 2009). It was cold for June, but fortunately the red carpet was made of always-in-season Astroturf. “The red carpet is green,” co-owner Julian Niccolini lamented. “Alex wanted it to be pink.” He was referring to co-owner Alex von Bidder, with whom he was holding court as the party began. “Look who is coming! Look who is coming!” Mr. Niccolini kept crowing.
The parade of notables included members of the power-lunch crowd as well as designers Erin Fetherston and Ralph Lauren. Model Jessica Hart—“Hart, H-A-R-T!” an assistant had to yell to photographers—set flashes on fire. She wore leather pants and shifted her weight constantly, throwing out knees and hips in lanky contrapposto as if freshly delighted by her surfeit of limb. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who arrived a few minutes later, was one of the very few who incited as much enthusiasm. The photographers did not, however, call him “sweetheart.”
Inside, behind the dining rooms’ famous metal curtains, a mixture of classic pop, big band and Motown was playing over the speakers. The restaurant held fast to its mid-century aesthetic, even where it could barely be seen—the bartenders poured Coke from small glass bottles.
Still, some things have changed. Overheard: “Every desperate banker is trying to write a book.”
Waiters roamed carrying sliders, sushi, spring rolls, oysters and tiny desserts.
The absence of seated dining was a source of concern to Candida Royalle. Ms. Royalle, a producer and director of female-friendly pornography, had gotten separated from the friend who brought her and was looking for someone—anyone—she knew.
Star Jones was perhaps the only woman who, on arrival, grabbed Mr. Niccolini more enthusiastically than the other way around. Perhaps she was feeling frisky thanks to the oysters, which she'd tried for the first time this evening.
“If you’re gonna do it,” she said, “you do it here.”
Author Salman Rushdie and his girlfriend, Pia Glenn, were not interested in talking to The Transom. “We’re sort of in party mode,” Ms. Glenn explained.
For Mr. Rushdie, this seemed to involve sitting quietly on a banquette at the back of the room. Author Jay McInerney, however, was at the center of activity. His favorite memory of the Four Seasons? “Watching a girl jump into the pool after taking her top off.” He paused. “It was a while ago,” he said, as the crowd sucked him back inexorably into the Pool Room. “It was good.”
DISH: Crabmeat Cakes with Mustard Sauce
FOR THE CRAB CAKE:
6 slices of white bread, crusts removed
1 lb lump crabmeat (no shells please)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 large egg yolk
1 stalk celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped dill pickles
1 tbsp unsalted butter (for frying only)
1 tbsp olive oil (for frying only)
FOR THE SAUCE:
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 cup milk
3 tbsp whole grain mustard
2 tbsp yellow mustard seeds
Some Kosher salt and fresh ground pepper
Make the cake:
1)Pulse the bread in a food processor to make corse crumbs and spread out the crumbs on a sheet pan.
2) In a bowl, mix mayonnaise, crab, egg yolk, pickles, celery and form into 8 oval shape cakes. Coat each cake in the crumbs, coating them all over. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
Make the sauce:
1) In a small saucepan, melt 1 tbsp butter, stir in the flour, curry powder, paprika; cook until the flour and the spices lose their raw smell, about 2 mins.
2) Add the chic broth and milk, bring to a simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened, about 5 mins.
3) Stir in the mustard and mustard seeds, simmer to develop the flavor, for another 5 mins.
4) Whisk in the remaining 1 tbsp butter, 1/2 tsp salt, and some pepper to taste.
Keep warm until ready to serve.
FRY THE CRAB CAKE:
1) Melt the butter and olive oil in a large skillet
2) Add the crab cakes and fry until evenly browned on all sides
3) To serve, drizzle the sauce over the cakes.
Four Seasons Restaurant
99 East 52nd St.
New York, NY 10022
Telephone: 212.754.9494
Fax: 212.754.1077
OVERVIEW
Alex von Bidder and Julian Niccolini preside over this classic entertaining spot, with its two main dining rooms—the pool room and the grill room—and three smaller private dining rooms. Of the private rooms, the pool room terrace seats 100 people using the restaurant’s chairs or 120 with rented chairs. Private dining room 2 holds 32 for receptions and has a constantly changing gallery of modern art. Private dining room 3 can hold 14 for receptions and opens to private dining room 2 through sliding doors. Private dining room 3 features starlight ceilings and shimmering chain curtains.
RECENT RELEVANT NEWS: The New York Observer
The Four Seasons Restaurant, modernist shrine of food and power, celebrated its 50th anniversary on Thursday night (June 12 2009). It was cold for June, but fortunately the red carpet was made of always-in-season Astroturf. “The red carpet is green,” co-owner Julian Niccolini lamented. “Alex wanted it to be pink.” He was referring to co-owner Alex von Bidder, with whom he was holding court as the party began. “Look who is coming! Look who is coming!” Mr. Niccolini kept crowing.
The parade of notables included members of the power-lunch crowd as well as designers Erin Fetherston and Ralph Lauren. Model Jessica Hart—“Hart, H-A-R-T!” an assistant had to yell to photographers—set flashes on fire. She wore leather pants and shifted her weight constantly, throwing out knees and hips in lanky contrapposto as if freshly delighted by her surfeit of limb. Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, who arrived a few minutes later, was one of the very few who incited as much enthusiasm. The photographers did not, however, call him “sweetheart.”
Inside, behind the dining rooms’ famous metal curtains, a mixture of classic pop, big band and Motown was playing over the speakers. The restaurant held fast to its mid-century aesthetic, even where it could barely be seen—the bartenders poured Coke from small glass bottles.
Still, some things have changed. Overheard: “Every desperate banker is trying to write a book.”
Waiters roamed carrying sliders, sushi, spring rolls, oysters and tiny desserts.
The absence of seated dining was a source of concern to Candida Royalle. Ms. Royalle, a producer and director of female-friendly pornography, had gotten separated from the friend who brought her and was looking for someone—anyone—she knew.
Star Jones was perhaps the only woman who, on arrival, grabbed Mr. Niccolini more enthusiastically than the other way around. Perhaps she was feeling frisky thanks to the oysters, which she'd tried for the first time this evening.
“If you’re gonna do it,” she said, “you do it here.”
Author Salman Rushdie and his girlfriend, Pia Glenn, were not interested in talking to The Transom. “We’re sort of in party mode,” Ms. Glenn explained.
For Mr. Rushdie, this seemed to involve sitting quietly on a banquette at the back of the room. Author Jay McInerney, however, was at the center of activity. His favorite memory of the Four Seasons? “Watching a girl jump into the pool after taking her top off.” He paused. “It was a while ago,” he said, as the crowd sucked him back inexorably into the Pool Room. “It was good.”
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Pasta Pie recipe from Dayang Indrawana...thank you, girl!
Hi Ambrose,
I made this last weekend and it was a surprise "hit" for everyone who tasted it. I got scolded for not making enough! I just want to share the recipe with you.
Pasta Pie Doesn't that look just divine, queers? Try it.
Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella
Instructions:
1) In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
2) Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
3) Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
4) Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold. Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.
Dayang Indrawana
I made this last weekend and it was a surprise "hit" for everyone who tasted it. I got scolded for not making enough! I just want to share the recipe with you.
Pasta Pie Doesn't that look just divine, queers? Try it.
Ingredients:
1 pound rigatoni
2 Tablespoons olive oil, divided
1 pound ground beef (I used ground sirloin)
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 can (28 ounces) good quality crushed tomatoes
Butter, for pan
Salt
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
8 ounces coarsely grated mozzarella
Instructions:
1) In a large pot of salted boiling water, cook pasta until slightly underdone (I cooked mine for 12 minutes when the box indicated 14 minutes). One pound of pasta should be cooked in 6 quarts of water, make sure you are using a big enough pot so the pasta doesn't stick together. When done, rinse in cold water and drain again. Toss pasta with 1 Tablespoon olive oil to coat. Set aside.
2) Heat remaining 1 Tablespoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add ground beef. Cook, stirring occasionally until browned. Add garlic, 1 teaspoon salt and pepper. Cook 2 minutes more.
3) Add crushed tomatoes; simmer until thickened, about 20 minutes.
Toss pasta with Parmesan cheese. Butter a 9-inch springform pan. Tightly pack pasta into pan, standing each piece on end. Spread meat sauce on top of pasta.
Push the meat sauce into the pasta holes filling each one up. Stuffing the meat into the holes is a weirdly satisfying task. Enough said.
4) Place in a 400 degree oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle mozzarella cheese on top and bake another 10-15 minutes until cheese is golden. Remove from oven and let stand for 15 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and then unmold. Cut into wedges and serve with any remaining meat sauce you might have.
Dayang Indrawana
Toasted Coconut-Macadamia Cream Pie...divine!
Toasted Coconut Macadamia Cream Pie
I love this cream pie. CHOW in San Francisco has this dessert but as much as I love it, it is so expensive! So, the next best thing is to bake this myself and it tastes EVEN yummier! And cheaper! Merry Christmas ya'll and try it. Let us know. Follow us today and be a part of our online world.
Toasted Coconut-Macadamia Cream Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 pf a 15-oz pkg refrigerated unbaked piecrust (1 crust) or get a ready made one.
1/3 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3/4 cup cream of coconut
2 tbsp butter
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Baking Instructiions:
1) Unfold pie crust press half of macadamia nut into dough. Transfer to pie plate> Bake according to package directions; cool. Set aside.
2) Separate egg yolks from whites; set whites aside for meringue. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. Stir in milk and cream of coconut. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. In a small bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return all of the mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Stir in the 1 cup toasted coconut and 2 tps of the vanilla. Keep filling warm; prepare meringue
3) Preheat oven to 350'F. For meringue topping, in a mxing bowl beat egg whites, remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla, and the cream of tartar on medium speed on an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually ad remaining 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form
4) Pour warm filling into baked pastry shell. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling; seal to pastry edge. Sprinkle with remaining macadamia nuts and 1 tbsp flaked coconut. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. If desired, top with coconut shards. Chill for 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover and chill in the regfrigerator for longer storage. Makes 8 servings.
Enjoy! xoxo -- Ambrose
I love this cream pie. CHOW in San Francisco has this dessert but as much as I love it, it is so expensive! So, the next best thing is to bake this myself and it tastes EVEN yummier! And cheaper! Merry Christmas ya'll and try it. Let us know. Follow us today and be a part of our online world.
Toasted Coconut-Macadamia Cream Pie
Ingredients:
1/2 pf a 15-oz pkg refrigerated unbaked piecrust (1 crust) or get a ready made one.
1/3 cup finely chopped macadamia nuts
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups milk
3/4 cup cream of coconut
2 tbsp butter
1 cup flaked coconut, toasted
2 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp cream of tartar
Baking Instructiions:
1) Unfold pie crust press half of macadamia nut into dough. Transfer to pie plate> Bake according to package directions; cool. Set aside.
2) Separate egg yolks from whites; set whites aside for meringue. For filling, in a medium saucepan combine 1/3 cup of the sugar, the cornstarch, and salt. Stir in milk and cream of coconut. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. In a small bowl beat egg yolks slightly. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot milk mixture into the beaten egg yolks, stirring constantly. Return all of the mixture to saucepan. Cook and stir until bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in butter. Stir in the 1 cup toasted coconut and 2 tps of the vanilla. Keep filling warm; prepare meringue
3) Preheat oven to 350'F. For meringue topping, in a mxing bowl beat egg whites, remaining 1/2 tsp vanilla, and the cream of tartar on medium speed on an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Gradually ad remaining 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tbsp at a time, beating until stiff peaks form
4) Pour warm filling into baked pastry shell. Spread meringue evenly over hot filling; seal to pastry edge. Sprinkle with remaining macadamia nuts and 1 tbsp flaked coconut. Bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a rack for 1 hour. If desired, top with coconut shards. Chill for 3 to 6 hours before serving; cover and chill in the regfrigerator for longer storage. Makes 8 servings.
Enjoy! xoxo -- Ambrose
Monday, December 14, 2009
The Vienna Boys Choir singing "Little Drummer Boy" Enjoy!
The Vienna Boys Choir singing "Little Drummer Boy". Enjoy!
Hot Buttered Spiced Cider (by Paula Deen)
I've never tried but it sounds and looks yummy! Just knowing there's butter in this hot beverage, thrills me. Try it. We will. Scottie bought a few bottles of Apple Cider recently and the weather is calling for something warm and rich...So I thought this hot buttered spiced cider is perfect for you and your loved one. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 cups of apple cider
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Bourbon, rye or whiskey (optional)
Cinnamon candy sticks for garnish (optional)
1) Combine the cider, citrus juices, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat, about 20 mins, do not boil.
2) Ladle the cider into mugs, leaving the spice in the pot, and add about 1/2 teaspoon butter to each mug.
Spike the adult's drinks with a shot of bourbon and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired. I want to make this for my Scottie next weekend. I am sure he'll love it.
Enjoy!
Xoxo -- Ambrose
Ingredients:
8 cups of apple cider
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
3 cinnamon sticks
4 whole cloves
1 tbsp unsalted butter
Bourbon, rye or whiskey (optional)
Cinnamon candy sticks for garnish (optional)
1) Combine the cider, citrus juices, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a large pot. Simmer over medium heat, about 20 mins, do not boil.
2) Ladle the cider into mugs, leaving the spice in the pot, and add about 1/2 teaspoon butter to each mug.
Spike the adult's drinks with a shot of bourbon and garnish with cinnamon sticks, if desired. I want to make this for my Scottie next weekend. I am sure he'll love it.
Enjoy!
Xoxo -- Ambrose
Bananas Flambe...my most favorite Xmas dessert on xmas morning...
Here's something I want to share with you and your boyfriend/girlfriend/lover this year -- my favorite xmas dessert. Don't be afraid. It is light, yummy and easy to make. It takes only 20 min of your time in the morning...so! let's surprise your lover with my Bananas Flambe dessert this christmas.
Ingredients:
1 orange
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange liqueur or brandy
Kosher salt
3 ripe bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup dark rum
Whipped cream, for serving
1) Remove 4 strips orange zest with a veg peeler. Squeeze the orange and strain the juice.
2 Melt the butter with the sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the liqueur, orange juice and a pinch of salt.
3) Return the skillet to medium heat, add the bananas, cut-side down, and cook until glazed and golden, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and divide among bowls.
4) Add the rum to the pan and return to medium heat. Warm for a few seconds with stirring. then carefully titlt the pan so the rum ignites (if using an electric stove, hold a lit match near the sauce to ignite it). Spoon the flaming sauce over the bananas. Garnish with whipped cream and the glazed orange zest.
Enjoy it! And share it with your special one and friends. Merry Christmas, queers.
Ho! Ho! Ho! - Ambrose
Ingredients:
1 orange
2 tbsp unsalted butter
3 tbsp packed light brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3/4 cup orange liqueur or brandy
Kosher salt
3 ripe bananas, peeled and halved lengthwise
1/2 cup dark rum
Whipped cream, for serving
1) Remove 4 strips orange zest with a veg peeler. Squeeze the orange and strain the juice.
2 Melt the butter with the sugar, orange zest and vanilla extract in a skillet over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until the sugar caramelizes, about 5 mins. Remove from the heat and stir in the liqueur, orange juice and a pinch of salt.
3) Return the skillet to medium heat, add the bananas, cut-side down, and cook until glazed and golden, 1-2 minutes. Remove from the heat and divide among bowls.
4) Add the rum to the pan and return to medium heat. Warm for a few seconds with stirring. then carefully titlt the pan so the rum ignites (if using an electric stove, hold a lit match near the sauce to ignite it). Spoon the flaming sauce over the bananas. Garnish with whipped cream and the glazed orange zest.
Enjoy it! And share it with your special one and friends. Merry Christmas, queers.
Ho! Ho! Ho! - Ambrose
Give away lovely and elegant home made hanging photo frames this Christmas!
We are giving hanging photo frames to our loved ones this year. What a fun gift idea...so fun to make and so cheap yet so elegant and classy...Merry Christmas!
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Are you ready for Christmas? Be frugal. Less is more...
Scottie relaxing under our tree...
Are you mentally, physically and emotionally ready for Christmas? Are the presents all wrapped up under the tree? We just finished wrapping ours. It took us almost a day and a night to wrap all the presents. They are all under the tree now, waiting to be given away on boxing day.
Presents under our tree...
For Scottie, next is to bake the cookies and fill up the gift baskets. That'll keep him pretty busy next weekend. He will be filling them with cookies, christmas CDs, little presents, candies and candles, etc. My project is done. What a great gift idea! I have created a truly personalized decoration for our home and for the homes of our loved ones. Wall hanging shows off glossy old frames that feature our very own photos and theirs. I think that photo frames create an exciting way to display lots of those special photos. If you like, it is not too late to do this since Christmas is more than 10 days away. Surprise your loved ones and friends this christmas with this gift idea. They'll appreciate it. But first, you have to have their pictures ready. Next, simply select the number of frames you'd like and upload/print your photos. Use two or three frames and hang them with ribbons. Make sure the ribbons are strong enough. And use only super glue. The hanging frames make memories fresh while bringing color to your room. Merry Christmas! -- Ambrose
Below, Toni Braxton singing "The Christmas Song"...one of our favorites. Enjoy!
Want to really enjoy the Holidays this year instead of being lost in a frenzy of preparation that strips all the joy away from the activities you are involved in? Some of these tips can help! Get Organized. Make a list of everyone you want to buy gifts for (use a spreadsheet if you need to). Write down any gift ideas you have for each person. We did that. And thrift stores are the best place to find gifts for your loved ones. Write down the anticipated expense of each item
Now for the hard part: trim names from the list reduce the budgeted amounts until you get a figure you can actually afford!
Christmas Ornaments
Again find them in thrift stores! Need I say more?
Start Making Gifts
Begin making gifts-some easy, affordable and desirable gifts include: gift baskets and like ours, christmas CDs and photo frames.
Decorating
Buy smaller Christmas tree if you haven't already. Get your used tree stand, lights and decorations from the thrift stores. Organized ahead of time so you don't have to run out at the last minute. Begin making your Holiday decorations at this time too-wreaths, ornaments, table arrangements, etc. We used the lower branches of our tree for wreath. We added ornaments and ribbons to it. Looks really nice and FREE.
Holiday Baking
Once the season is in full swing, set aside a weekend to bake all your cookies, much less of a mess! And during a hectic season, who doesn't appreciate a little less work now and then. Decide which cookies you will bake, create a grocery list and begin to stock up on those expensive items (like butter, nuts and candied fruits) NOW! Make sure you set aside that evening to eat of few of your cookies with those you love best. Relax, enjoy a cup of eggnog or mulled wine while the kids down the hot cocoa.
Not many of us like wrapping gifts and would gladly just staple the top of a brown paper bag shut and write your name on it in crayon, but these do not look as pretty under the Christmas tree! Spend more time wrapping your presents. Even the cheapest wrapping papers look good when they are matched with ribbons. See pics. But remember: less is more.
Are you mentally, physically and emotionally ready for Christmas? Are the presents all wrapped up under the tree? We just finished wrapping ours. It took us almost a day and a night to wrap all the presents. They are all under the tree now, waiting to be given away on boxing day.
Presents under our tree...
For Scottie, next is to bake the cookies and fill up the gift baskets. That'll keep him pretty busy next weekend. He will be filling them with cookies, christmas CDs, little presents, candies and candles, etc. My project is done. What a great gift idea! I have created a truly personalized decoration for our home and for the homes of our loved ones. Wall hanging shows off glossy old frames that feature our very own photos and theirs. I think that photo frames create an exciting way to display lots of those special photos. If you like, it is not too late to do this since Christmas is more than 10 days away. Surprise your loved ones and friends this christmas with this gift idea. They'll appreciate it. But first, you have to have their pictures ready. Next, simply select the number of frames you'd like and upload/print your photos. Use two or three frames and hang them with ribbons. Make sure the ribbons are strong enough. And use only super glue. The hanging frames make memories fresh while bringing color to your room. Merry Christmas! -- Ambrose
Below, Toni Braxton singing "The Christmas Song"...one of our favorites. Enjoy!
Want to really enjoy the Holidays this year instead of being lost in a frenzy of preparation that strips all the joy away from the activities you are involved in? Some of these tips can help! Get Organized. Make a list of everyone you want to buy gifts for (use a spreadsheet if you need to). Write down any gift ideas you have for each person. We did that. And thrift stores are the best place to find gifts for your loved ones. Write down the anticipated expense of each item
Now for the hard part: trim names from the list reduce the budgeted amounts until you get a figure you can actually afford!
Christmas Ornaments
Again find them in thrift stores! Need I say more?
Start Making Gifts
Begin making gifts-some easy, affordable and desirable gifts include: gift baskets and like ours, christmas CDs and photo frames.
Decorating
Buy smaller Christmas tree if you haven't already. Get your used tree stand, lights and decorations from the thrift stores. Organized ahead of time so you don't have to run out at the last minute. Begin making your Holiday decorations at this time too-wreaths, ornaments, table arrangements, etc. We used the lower branches of our tree for wreath. We added ornaments and ribbons to it. Looks really nice and FREE.
Holiday Baking
Once the season is in full swing, set aside a weekend to bake all your cookies, much less of a mess! And during a hectic season, who doesn't appreciate a little less work now and then. Decide which cookies you will bake, create a grocery list and begin to stock up on those expensive items (like butter, nuts and candied fruits) NOW! Make sure you set aside that evening to eat of few of your cookies with those you love best. Relax, enjoy a cup of eggnog or mulled wine while the kids down the hot cocoa.
Not many of us like wrapping gifts and would gladly just staple the top of a brown paper bag shut and write your name on it in crayon, but these do not look as pretty under the Christmas tree! Spend more time wrapping your presents. Even the cheapest wrapping papers look good when they are matched with ribbons. See pics. But remember: less is more.
Ho Ho Ho! This is the most wonderful time of the year...
This is us taking a breather from our christmas project this weekend...this year we picked old classic ornaments to don our tree. Some of the most delicate ones are from thrift stores for less than $3 for a box of six! They are beautiful, old and elegant ornaments by Victoria Classics...today we think of those homeless people who have nothing to live for this christmas and the only thing we can do, other than to give them food and sweaters, is to pray that christmas eve will find them where the love lights gleam...and that God will be with them.
One of the old classic ornaments we found at a thrift store in San Jose this weekend.
Our Christmas Tree...
One of the old classic ornaments we found at a thrift store in San Jose this weekend.
Our Christmas Tree...
If I Hear That Damn Song One More Time.........
Good morning Queers and Happy Holidays! Now that Thanksgiving is over, the Christmas season is in full swing. There are 18 days until Christmas and you are going to be bombarded with Christmas carols every single one of them. As much as we love Christmas carols...it gets to be a bit too much sometimes. And we each have one particular song that strikes our very last nerve every time we hear it. For me it is "The Little Drummer Boy"; for Ambrose it's "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus"
Just in case you feel like you might go postal the next time you hear "Jingle Bell Rock," I decided that we better provide some reprieve with something a bit more light and decidedly non-holiday.
We all know that homophobia and gay-bashing absolutely suck, but isn't it great to be Gay! Everything we do is done in a grand Gay fashion with impeccable style. And the manner in which we deal with discrimination is no exception, as the following video demonstrates. The next time someone gives you that look that says "I don't want to get too close because I'm afraid I might catch the Gay from you," just smile and think of this song. Enjoy Queers! Thanks for stopping by and visit us often. Ho Ho Ho!
Just in case you feel like you might go postal the next time you hear "Jingle Bell Rock," I decided that we better provide some reprieve with something a bit more light and decidedly non-holiday.
We all know that homophobia and gay-bashing absolutely suck, but isn't it great to be Gay! Everything we do is done in a grand Gay fashion with impeccable style. And the manner in which we deal with discrimination is no exception, as the following video demonstrates. The next time someone gives you that look that says "I don't want to get too close because I'm afraid I might catch the Gay from you," just smile and think of this song. Enjoy Queers! Thanks for stopping by and visit us often. Ho Ho Ho!
Thursday, December 3, 2009
Start a holiday tradition...
If you are celebrating your first christmas together as a couple, start a new holiday tradition...like create a family tradition or friend tradition your loved ones will look forward to every year...Throw a dinner the night before christmas, a slumber party complete with sleeping bags, cozy jammies and classic christmas cookies, egg nogs and carols...sleepovers are more fun than clubbing the night before christmas...you can all snuggle up with thick comforters, pillows, throws...fluffy furry fuzzy night slippers...in the morning, they can't wait to discover what santa's left for breakfast...We will have friends over for dinner the night before christmas...
Ave Maria by David Archuleta...it feels a lot like Christmas!
Hope you'll enjoy this. David's version of Ave Maria is one of the best for us. Watch!
Live version...
Studio version...
Live version...
Studio version...
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