Margarita Beer Punch Recipe

Margarita Beer Punch

I've always wished I was a beer drinker. It looks so refreshing on those commercials being poured into a frosty glass. I've tried to make myself like the stuff so many times, but it does nothing for my taste buds. It's just so...blah!

Now Margarita Beer Punch recipe on the other hand!! Yes ma'am! Pass Me My Dress!! because this is my kinda beer! The name may not sound that appealing, epspecially if you are not a beer drinker or even if you are a beer drink, but believe me, this punch is delicious. It's sweet, crisp, with a bold lemon-lime taste and a hint of beer & tequila. The perfect punch to serve with appetizers!

You can easily tweak the amounts of ingredients to make the punch have a strong alcohol taste or one that is barely noticeable! Just be careful because it's easy to down these back to back and it will sneak up on ya!



INGREDIENTS (serves 5-6) All ingredients should be cold)
1 (12 oz) can frozen limeade
1  cup tequila
12 oz of beer (I use Corona)
2-4 cups of cold water or lemonlime soda, depending on how strong you want the alcohol taste to be.  (I use Seirra Mist or Vault)

*note* It will be a lot sweeter if you use soda. I like it sweet though, but you may want to test a little cup of it with water and a small cup of it with soda just to see which you prefer.

Step 1.) In a pitcher add in frozen limeade

Step 2.) Pour in beer & tequila

Step 3.) Pour in soda/water 

Step 4.) Stir until limeade is dissolved. Taste and adjust if needed. I usually put in more beer & tequilla (hey what can I say!) Let chill in the refrigerator or immediately pour over ice and serve.

Enjoy!

Hot Chicken Wings

Hot Buffalo Chicken Wings

This is one of my all-time favorite buffalo, hot chicken wings recipe. It's the one I make when I'm
cooking for a large crowd of adults and kids. I adapted it from Todd Wilbur's hooters buffalo wings recipe and just added in some my divaliciousness.  (I have a small crush on him by the way, don't ask.  It's just a teeny, tiny one that I can't explain so don't ask. I said DON'T ASK OK!)

Anyway, here's what I love about these wings: They aren't soggy, mess-free, & bursting with flavor! You know how some wings can taste like you're eatin just chicken and hot sauce? I hate that, but honey child these wings have depth and the perfect melody of hotness and spice. (I've been waiting so long to use the words "perfect melody")

When you bite into these babies you get that light crunch sound and your fingers are left virtually clean. The sauce mixture really absorbs into the skin without making it chewy.

This is the PERFECT hot chicken wings to take to a gathering and you know what's funny? If you sit and watch people eat them for the first time you'll see it kinda goes like this:

1.)They take one bite of the hot buffalo wing. 2.)They then look at the wing while chewing and nodding their heads. 3.) They proceed to say "these are some good wings!"

I hope that you enjoy these wings as much as me and my peeps do! Serve these babies HOT!!!

Watch me make these delicious hot chicken wings from start to finish!

INGREDIENTS

20 chicken wings

Flour Mixture

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon of paprika

1/2 teaspoon of cayenne pepper

1/2 teaspoon of seasoning salt + more to sprinkle on chicken

Sauce Mixture
1 stick of butter (unsalted)
1/2 cup of hot sauce (I use Franks)
2-3 dashes of black pepper
2-3 drop of garlic juice or garlic powder
1-2 teaspoons of dried celery flakes
1-2 teaspoons dried parsley
2-3 dashes of cajun seasoning (I use McCormick)

Vegetable oil (for frying. Enough to cover wings)




DIRECTIONS

Step 1.) Wash and dry chicken wings. Sprinkle chicken with seasoning salt.  Set aside.
Sep 2.)  In a bowl add flour, cayenne pepper, paprika & 1/2 teaspoon seasoning salt. Mix well to combine.
Step 3.) Place chicken in a large ziplock bag and pour in the flour mixture. Shake the bag well to coat the chicken.
Step 4.) Place coated chicken on a plate and cover with Saran wrap.


Refrigerate for  60-90 minutes

Step 5.) When wings are chilled and set. Heat oil in deep fryer to 375. Use enough oil to completely cover the chicken.
Step 6.) Place the chicken into the fryer basket and fry for about 10-15 minutes or until golden brown. You may need to do this in  two batches.
Step 7.) While chicken in frying let's make the sauce! In a saucepan melt butter over medium heat. Reduce heat to low and add in hot sauce, black pepper, garlic juice, celery flakes, dried parsley,  & cajun seasoning. Stir well to combine all ingredients. Keep the sauce on low heat while the wings are finishing up to keep it hot.
Step 8) When all wings are done, let them drain for a few minutes on paper towels. Next place them in a nonporous dish and pour on the hot sauce! Stir the hot wings around to absorb up all the yummy sauce. Sprinkle on some more dried parsley if desired!

Serve HOT along with some bleu cheese or ranch dipping sauce and a few celery sticks!!!

Items used in this video recipe:

Click here to purchase these chili red measuring spoons and cups!

Homemade Microwaved Potato Chips

Homemade Potato Chips...From the Microwave!

Fast, fresh, crispy, crunchy, seasoned homemade potato chips.!!! These potato chips are waaaay to addictive and waaaay to easy! It sure beats waiting for the oven to preheat.  Thank God they are healthier than store bought chips! Making homemade potato chips takes me back to my girls scout days...ahh the creative things we use to do.

OK so I wasn't actually a girl scout..I just bummed all the creative crafts and recipes from the real girl scouts (yes, even at the ripe ol' age of nine I was a recipe whore) This recipe was one of my favorites (along with the homemade bubble gum!) As a child it just amazed me how I could put slices of raw potatoes in the microwave and have them come out tasting like Lays minus all the grease. It was like magic! I made these every single day for about 2 weeks until my mother calmly sat me down and explained to me that potatoes cost money and I was eating way too many of them. Then I went on to making microwaved apple chips and sweet potato chips : )

I'm back on the homemade, microwave potato chip kick yall!! I've been making them for three days straight. I've tried them with salt & pepper, ranch dressing powder, and seasoning salt. So far seasoning salt is my fav!

My toddler loves homemade potato chips so much and as soon as he see me whip out the potatoes and potato peeler he says "mommy, sips pwease!" : )

Give them a try, I'm pretty sure that you'll be just as addicted. Not unless you are one of the rare people who have potato chip willpower. And if you do, I'm completely jealous!

Ingredients

1 large russet potato (can also use yukon or red potatoes)

olive oil or cooking spray (to oil plate)

Seasoning salt (or any spices of your choice)

Step 1.) Start with a washed and peeled potato. With a peeler shave off thin slices of potato. (I cut off the rounded ends) They should be paper thin. Betcha can't get them to look perfect! After my third batch I finally managed to shave off a pretty decent one with no holes in it.

Step 2. ) Sprinkle on the seasoning salt. (you can also drizzle on a little oil if you want to)

Step 3.) Coat a microwave-safe plate generously with oil or cooking spray.
Please do not skip this step or will have hell trying to scrap these things off the plate.

Step 4.) Lay the potato slices in a single layer on the plate.

Step 5.) Microwave for 5-5 1/2 minutes or until the edges start to curl and the chips are starting to brown slightly & crisp. This will vary depending on your microwave & the kind of potato you use. Red potatoes take longer to crisp up in my microwave.

Step 6.) Use a spatula to remove from plate. Chips will get firmer as they  cool.  (if you find that your chips are sticking to the plate use more oil or parchment paper.

Continue until all chips are done!

ENJOY!!!!

*TIPS*
I've noticed that red potatoes take longer to cook in my microwave.
Be careful not to overdo it with the oil or they will need longer to nuke
Potatos should be paper thin, if not, the cooking time will need to be increased
Use parchment paper if you find the potatoes are still sticking badly to your plate after they are cooked.

Old Fashioned Homemade Peach Cobbler

Bubbling, Buttery, Sweet, Juicy Peach Cobbler.........My What A Blessing!!

I have had soooooo many request for me to list an old fashioned style canned peach cobbler. And I've been saying I would list one since the beginning of this blog *hangs head down in shame* I am just now getting around to listing a homemade peach cobbler recipe and I feel so ashamed. Go ahead, call me a bad-blogger- friend...person. I deserve it.

BUT ALL GOOD THINGS ARE WORTH WAITING FOR AND HONEY BOO.......THIS PEACH COBBLER COULD ATONE THE MASSES! IT IS BANGINNNNNNNN!

 No one will ever believe that you made this here thing of beauty from scratch. Canned peaches works superb in this recipe but you could also use fresh peaches when in season.  So go ahead and make this homemade peach cobbler for your man, place it on the table and say" here you go boo, just a lil something I whipped up! You know how I do it!"

DISCLAIMER* If your man is a southern boy, this cobbler may result in a marriage proposal. So please be careful with who you present this pie to. (this comes from a true story)

Ok so I know what some folks are gonna say "if it has a pie crust style crust then it's a PEACH PIE & NOT A PEACH COBBLER!!" and my favorite line I hear "If you gotta use canned peaches you might as well not even make a peach cobbler! "Growing up in the south I can't even tell you how many times I've heard these debates! What do I think? I say just hush and eat! Who cares right!

This old fashioned peach cobbler recipe is so easy and downright HEAVENLY!!!! The crust....omg....the crust! PROMISE ME YOU WILL MAKE THIS PIE CRUST! EVEN IF YOU SUCK AT MAKING PIE CRUST YOU MUST MAKE THIS ONE.  It is SUPER buttery tasting, golden, flaky & crisp on the top with a lil sprinkling of brown sugar, cinnamon and sugar and the underside is soft from absorbing all of that juicy peachy goodness. The bottom crust is gooey and....oh those peaches!! Yes those hated-on canned peaches really up their game in this recipe. They are sweet and creamy and...PERFECTION!!!

Seriously, this is one of the best peach cobblers I have ever tasted. It is a combination of my uncles peach pie recipe, my grandmothers peach cobbler recipe and a lil bit of tweaking from yours truly. It has that signature old fashioned taste that I know will just make you feel like you are sitting out on the porch at your grandmothers house in the country, swatting flies from your face.

I hope that this peach cobbler will find it's way into your recipe collection and that you will enjoy it as much as I do.

Watch me make this peach cobbler from start to finish

Watch on Youtube!

INGREDIENTS

Buttery Deluxe Pie Crust: (make two pie crust)
2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 Tablespoons of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1 stick of COLD butter (chopped into pieces)
1/2 cup of COLD butter-flavored shortening
1/2 cup of ice cold water (if dough is still too dry, add in more cold water a tablespoon at a time)

Peach Filling
2 (26 oz cans) sliced peaches
3/4 cup of sugar
6 tablespoons of butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1  teaspoon of cinnamon
pinch of nutmeg

Sugary Topping (for top crust. Can also sprinkle & press some into the bottom crust)
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 Tablespoon brown sugar
1-2 teaspoons of cinnamon

Preheat oven to 375

(you will need a deep dish pie pan for this)

First let's make the crust!

Step 1.) In a bowl add flour, sugar & salt. Give it a whisk to combine.

Step 2.) Now cut in the butter & shortening until mixture resembles very large crumbs. (I use my hands for this. Don't overdue it. Just mix until combined)

Step 3.) Add in the ice cold water and stir just until combined.

Step 4.) Gather dough into a ball and flatten. Cover with saran wrap and refrigerate for 15-30 minutes or until cold.

Time to make the peach filling!

Step 1.) Pour 1 can of undrained peaches into a saucepan. Drain the other can and pour the peaches in. We only need one can of juice.

Step 2.) Add in butter, lemon juice, cinnamon, nutmeg and sugar.

Step 3.) Stir and heat over medium low heat just until sugar it dissolved and the liquid is syrupy. Set aside.

Now let's roll out the pie crust!!

Step 1.) Divide the chilled pie crust into 2 balls. One for the bottom crust and one for the top crust.

Step 2.) To make the bottom crust, roll out a ball on a flour surface until it is about 1/8 inch thick. Place it inside of a deep dish pie pan. Press to shape if needed. Sprinkle on some sugar mixture if desired and press it into the crust.

Step 3.) Spoon the peaches on top of the bottom crust. Pour on a little juice to your liking. 1/2 cup will do just fine for me.

Step 4.) Now it's time to make the lattice top crust. Roll out the other ball of dough so that it is long enough to make strips that will reach from one end of the pie pan to the other. Cut out about 8-10 1-inch strips. (see my video to see what technique I used to do this)

Step 5.) Lay the strips criss-cross on top of the peaches and press the ends into the pie crust rim.

Step 6.) Drop a few pieces of butter on the pie and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture.

Step 7.) Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden.

LET COOL A BIT AND ENJOY!!!

How to Make Homemade Cleaning Wipes

There are two items in this world that I am OBSESSED with!! I'm talking pure crackhead-style obsession! I GOTTA HAVE IT!!! Those two things are lipgloss and cleaning wipes. Oh...My...GOD!! When thosee cleaning wipes  came on the market I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. What a fabulous idea!!! I love the way they feel, smell and the concept to just wipe and toss and have a sanitized surface! GENIUS!

I went through can after can before I finally said "ok Monique you have got to get ahold of yourself!"  I was spending money that could have been used to buy  makeup or  #5's at McDonalds. These things go for about $5-$6 for about 70-50 wipes (depending on the brand) I could easily go through multiple cans a week.

AND THEN IT HAPPENED!!! God sent an appointed angel into my life!

I was speaking with a daycare teacher and she told me they made their own homemade cleaning & disinfectant wipes and that it was really easy & saved money since they go through so many a week. Yall I wanted to cry!  I mean just imagine someone coming up to you and saying "I have the recipe for MAC lipglass and here it is"  That's the joy & relief I felt.

She told me how she did it & I immediately went home and made up several batches using different cleaning solutions like lysol, Clorox, Windex and my favorite, purple FABULOSO!! I can't believe I had never thought to make my own homemade cleaning wipes! They are so easy and much durable than the store-bought ones in my opinion.

Thank you so much Mrs. Debbie for telling me about this!! My love for you is IMMEASURABLE!!!  If you ever need a kidney holla at me! I will even go easy on the sodas just so it will be nice & healthy for you.

INGREDIENTS

1 roll of extra strong paper towels
2-3 cups of your favorite cleaner
storage container
1 knife
cutting board

DIRECTIONS

1.  Cut paper towel roll in half
2.) Place inside of the container
3.) Pour cleaning solution over paper towels
4.) Close container and shake it up a bit so that the cleaning solution is absorbed
5.) Remove the cardboard tube. (It should come out easily if the towels are wet enough)

They are ready to use!!

Store in an airtight container to keep towels moist. You could also tear them apart, lay them in a tupperware container & pour the solution on them. Whichever way works best for you!! You can also make your own green, natural, nontoxic cleaning solution with vinegar & water. (which is what I used for my sons nursery. The vinegar smell only last for a few minutes.)

Are You Obsessed With A Certain Household Product?

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp Recipe

Old Fashioned Apple Crisp

I LOVE apple crisp! I probably love it a lil bit too much and my gut can testify.  I prefer my apple crisp  to have a gooey, crispy yet chewy type topping but I have been getting sooooo many requests to do an apple crisp with a crispy type topping. Kinda like that old school kind that grandma use to make.

Since I don't normally make my apple crisps this way I had to use the power of Twitter. Twitter is like the God of the internet, you ask and you receive!! I asked around to see if anyone had a good old fashioned apple crisp recipe that was tried and true. Immediately I got a response back from lilTanti888 with this recipe! She said her southern grandmother who is 95 and lives in Cokesberry, SC made it all the time and it was bangin!  I have never heard of Cokesberry but doesn't it sound like a lil country town tucked deep in the south with dirt roads and full of grandmas? I didn't even have to think twice about whether or  not I was going to make it. I know how those deep southern grandmothers can throw down!

Well this recipe sums up old fashioned apple crisp beautifully!  The topping is crispy, buttery, sweet and the apples....the apples yall....are simply wonderful! The tartness of the granny smith with the cinnamon and sugar....you know the collaboration of flavors I'm talking about. It just says "comfort" and smells heavenly while baking. In my opinion this is the best ending to a meal.

However it is with a heavy heart filled with much guilt that I announce that I have just about finished up this whole pan in one night...... and you know what makes it even more terrible yall besides that fact that I had ice cream with it....  I HAD THE NERVE TO TOP THIS APPPLE CRISP WITH CRUSHED PECANS AND DRIZZLED ON SOME CARAMEL TOPPING!! WTH was I thinking???? Why do I always do this to myself???

Uggghhh! Why do people invent recipes like this in the first place?! Completely shot one of my new years resolutions to hell!! But ya know what...tomorrow is a new day to get it right,....to start over...fresh....so I'll just put that lil pan in the sink and pretend it never even happened. Apple Crisp? What apple crisp? ; )

Watch me make this apple crisp from start to finish!

INGREDIENTS

5-6 Granny Smith apples
2 Tablesppon of sugar
2 Tablespoon of brown sugar
1-1/2 teaspoons of cinnamon
3 Tablespoons butter, melted

TOPPING
3/4 cup + 2 Tablespoons of flour
1/2 cup quick cooking oats (Not the instant Oats or the Old Fashioned Oats)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
12 Tablespoons butter, chopped

Preheat Oven to 375

Step 1.) Peel & slice apples.

Step 2.) Add the apples to a bowl and coat them with the brown sugar, cinnamon & white sugar.

Step 3.) Pour the apples in a medium casserole dish and let the apples sit for about 15 minutes. This will cause the sugars  to "syrup up" a little.

Step 4.) Let's make the topping! In a bowl add the flour, oatmeal, brown sugar, & white sugar. Mix it up until well combined.

Step 5.) Add the 12 Tablespoons of softned butter tot he topping mixture. Use a pastry cutter or fork to combine the butter until it crumbly.

Step 6.) Pour the 3 Tablespoons of melted butter over the apples.

Step 7.) Spoon the topping evenly over the apples.

Step 8.) Bake for 30-35 minutes or until golden.

Let cool for a few minutes and serve hot with a big old serving of ice cream!!!!

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Grocery Shopping: Save Time & Money

One of my many New Years Resolutions is to :  
Stop Over Spending & Manage My Time While Grocery Shopping!

This happens so easily when I go into the store without a grocery list or I start adding things on to the list that I know I don't need (But I mean is it my really my fault when Walmart tempts me with sale ads on my favorite mascara (Maybeline Full & Soft)?)

My goal is to get in and get out because I can easily spend 2 hours in that joint. It's crazy how fast time flies!

Well....tomorrow is grocery shopping day and I have created a system that I will be using to shop with.

Wanna here it? Here it go:

I've made a list of all the items I need to get for the next 7 days. (I planned out my menus & clipped a few coupons) then I arranged each item according to the store aisle.  So I simply go in, follow my little list, check out and LEAVE! No backtracking, forgetting items, adding items, putting back items. Simple right?  I will let you guys know how it works out.

Aisle-by-Aisle Grocery Shopping List Software

There is a program out called Aisle-by-Aisle Shopping. This grocery shopping software lets you make  lists and organizes each product in the aisle it goes in. It also lets you keep track of what items you have coupons for and a bunch of other features. I haven't tried it out yet, I figured I can just do it on my own since I pretty much know which product is located where, but I may look into getting the software. I can see how it would be beneficial, especially for when I send my husband to the store. He is always calling me asking where things are located.

Here's a free downloadable grocery aisle list that I used to help me make my list. You can get it at Ultimate Grocery Aisle List

Ok Here is My Grocery List For Tomorrow:


Produce Aisle 

• 2 Green Bell Pepper
• 1 White Onion
• 1 bag of Red Potatoes
• 1 bag of Granny Smith Apples
• 1 jar of minced garlic (c)
  
• 7 kiwis
  

Meat & Cheese Aisle

• 2 bags of frozen Tilapia
• 1 lb of ground turkey
• 1 pack of chicken breast
• 1 box of Sausage links
• 4 lunchable Jr's
• Honey Roasted BBQ Chicken Lunchmeat
• 2 bags of cheddar cheese

Baby

• Lil Crunchies
• Splashers Water (c)
  
• Cereal bars

Beauty

• Dove Soap (c)
  
• Protein Hair Gel
  

I must say, I'm feeling pretty darn confident that my goal to save money and time on grocery shopping this year will be a success. Just as long as that god forsaken snack aisle don't pull me in. I will be strong!

I Wanna Know: Do you make grocery lists ? What grocery store do you shop at the most?