Pineapples and Hula

I finally hosted my "bitches getting drunk" party.  I went with a Tiki theme, mostly because I really wanted to make tropical drinks with umbrellas, but also because I had the perfect dress.  I found this late 50s Hawaiian themed dress at the thrift store last Halloween.  It has a gorgeous black and gold print of islanders in boats, pineapples, hula girls, palm trees, etc.

Outfit Details: 

1950s Red Hawaiian themed dress: thrifted

Vintage gold basket weave box purse: antique mall

1950s gold charm bracelet: Ebay

Red flower fascinator: Ebay

Embroidered flower wedges: Nine West

 

I collected several different drink recipes from vintage sources, but we got stuck on Mai Tais, which are so very delicious.  

Mai Tais:

pour over ice

one shot white rum

one shot dark rum

1/2 shot coconut rum

1/2 shot apricot brandy

mix with orange pineapple juice

for added effect I served them in vintage Siesta Ware with pineapple novelty straws, colored drink umbrellas, and DRY ICE!

SiestaWare

I also made Pina Colada cupcakes & Tikis on horseback among lots of other food.

I had a fabulous time and now I am ready to plan for the next event.  Got any good theme ideas?

Cold weather cooking

Today when I woke up, I intended to do a regular Sunday outfit post, but it was snowing.  In Colorado, the weather can change within the hour, so I went to the grocery store hoping that by the time I was finished, it may have turned sunny.  My mistake!  When I came out of the store, the snow was coming down in big, heavy, wet clumps that felt like spit balls hitting you in the face.  It was hard to see and my hair and clothing were wet and matted within minutes.  I changed my mind about the photos, and instead spent the day cooking and relaxing with my family.  I made one of my favorite cold weather meals, Tom Ka Gai.  It's super fast and easy, and has quickly become one my favorite meals to make.

   My recipe for Thai Coconut Soup (Tom Ka Gai):
Take 2 frozen chicken breasts, cut up into bite size pieces and boil them in 4 cups of chicken broth for 10 minutes.
Add 1 can of coconut milk, 2 squeezed limes, 1 chopped red bell pepper, 1 package of washed and sliced shiitake mushrooms, 2 minced garlic cloves, 3 Tb of fish sauce, 1/2 tsp to 2 tsp of red chili paste, 1 tsp of sugar, and 1 inch of peeled and grated fresh ginger
let boil for another 10 minutes, then serve!

It couldn't be more simple...and delicious!

Enjoy

Chicken Korma NOM NOM NOM

One of my goals for the new year, was to master making Indian chicken korma, preferably in the crock pot.  I've tried about six recipes now, all of them tasty, but none of them perfect.  It's amazing how many variations there are for the same dish on the interwebs.  I finally found one that fits the bill!  
   Indian Chicken Korma recipe:

step 1. Combine the following ingredients into the slow cooker, and cook for 4 hrs:

4 chicken thighs ( I recommend skinless and boneless; as picking out skin and bones from the sauce is one of the most repellent tasks!)

1 large potato, peeled and cut into chunks

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 (14.5-ounce) can stewed tomatoes and juice

1 garlic clove, minced

1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1 teaspoon salt

1 cinnamon stick

When it is finished cooking, remove and discard the cinnamon stick! Remove chicken thighs and potatoes with a slotted spoon and set aside on cutting board.  Pour contents of the crock pot into a blender with 1 can of coconut milk, blend.  (Hold the lid of the blender down when you begin blending, because the heat of the sauce can cause the lid to "pop"!)

Slice chicken into bite size pieces.

Add chicken and potatoes back into the blended sauce.

 Top with chopped cilantro (optional)

Serve over cooked rice & (optional, but highly recommended) naan bread!

This was absolutely delicious!  My bff actually tasted it, and told me I'm a genius.  I think that means this recipe was a success.  Let me know if you try this out and what you think of it.

xox, Hannah