Travels in the South

Last November, mom/dad traveled to Chicago, Illinois.  Or should I say, mom planned a trip and told dad absolutely nothing about it until the car came and picked them up at the Hotel Thompson the morning of departure.  Mom had already packed everything for their adventure.  Why Chicago?  Well first up, my Aunt Tina lives there with my cousin Sherlock Bones.  Second up, daddy has *always* wanted to go to Ditka’s Chicago.  Are you asking yourself what is that?  Well Mike Ditka is a former football player, was an awesome coach and a television commentator.  He coached the Chicago Bears back in the day which was one of dad’s favorite teams.

In the next couple of weeks, we will be highlighting some of the food that everyone enjoyed during their trip to Ditka’s Chicago.

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Have you enjoyed these past couple of weeks my friends sharing in mom/dad’s adventure at Ditka’s Chicago?

Today we leave with the best picture of them all – dessert.

On the dessert menu, it was so hard to decide on something to share.

And we had to share – we had so much food!  We settled on peanut butter pie – licks lips.  It had whipped cream, peanut butter mousse, chocolate and caramel sauces.

By splitting this wonderful masterpiece, mom/dad said they all had split the calories too.  And they said it was wonderfully sinful!

And trust me, everyone had so much food!  Look at all of the leftover boxes that they went home with to eat later ❤

 

Travels in the South

If happiness had to be explained in a picture – well there you go.  This is one of mom’s all time favorite desserts.  I know – I know.  Has there ever been a dessert that mom has turned her back to?  Of course not.  But this one she said is exceptional.

Right now the current thing for deserts are those molten lava cakes.  This is one of those with a twist.  The inside of this cake is filled with caramel.  Then the topping is ice cream.  All of the dusting around the plate and on top – that would be salted caramel.  Go ahead.  I’ll give you a moment to ooh and aaw.

Mom says it’s very sweet but when you need something straight up with some extra special kick, go for this treat… the salted caramel lava cake.

 

Travels in the South

Sometimes the best treat can be the easiest treat.  Really it can.  Let’s look at this week’s edition of Travels in the South.  Mom/dad found something that even this oinker can wrap his piggy jowls around and enjoy fully.  Two words for you – strawberry shortcake.  Understand now?  Look at that deliciousness.  So simple yet so delicious.  Don’t let the bare basics fool you.

This pure awesomeness is made out of simple sliced pound cake covered with sliced strawberries, strawberry syrup and topped with whip cream.  How could you not want to lick the plate… and you do, don’t you?  I won’t tell anyone.

And this dessert is just wonderful for the heat outside.  A simple dessert to eat for dessert or like mom did, for dinner – snorts with piggy laughter.

Check back with me next week my friends for another edition of Travels in the South.

 

Travels in the South

Friends, this is a great one today.  I know – I know.  I say that every week on my Travels in the South.  But listen – every week I think there is absolutely no way that mom/dad can top the week’s prior Travels in the South.  And every week, this little oinker is wrong.  Right after mom’s accident (4 weeks ago today), she was feeling really icky and low.  So dad treated her to this masterpiece.  What is it you ask?

Daddy was speaking with the owner of a local restaurant that we go to a lot and was telling him that mom needed something to pick her up.  The manager sent over this creation on the house.  This is called Goo Goo Crunch pie.  It has layers of chocolate fudge, peanut butter mousse and a nougat cream topped with caramel, chocolate sauce, fresh whipped cream and oh yeah – chopped up Goo Goo Clusters.  Can you say insanely wicked good?! Daddy said that he could tell it was good.  Not by the smile on mom’s face.  Nope.  Daddy said he could tell by the groans coming from mom.  Oh my piggy heavens.  Watch out Billy Crystal and Meg Ryan.  Daddy said mom had you beat on this day – snorts with piggy laughter!

 

Shopping Around the World

This month my dear brother Phenny is hosting Shopping Around the World.  His suggestion this month was pie, dessert or anything sweet.  Since I can’t just post a picture of me for something sweet – snorts with piggy laughter, I”m going to let mom take care of this month.  Hope you enjoy my friends ❤

Now this month was hard.  Sweets – my favorites of any kind – is something I’m trying to stay away from here at the Hotel Thompson.  But there are times that the inner sweet monster comes from within and you just *have* to have something gooey and wonderful.  A long time favorite of ours here are Whoopie Pies.  Now if you don’t know what a Whoopie Pie is here, you are a sheltered person and need a fix ASAP!  You can fix them as elaborately as you want or in my case as simple as you want.  And you know me…. I’m all about simple 🙂 

So here is a picture of what a Whoopie Pie looks like.  (I didn’t take this picture.)  This is a simple way of seeing what a Whoopie Pie looks like.  They should be gooey and wonderful.  Most of them are made with a cake batter as the top and bottom.  But remember, I have a favorite ‘quick’ recipe.  Here you go:

◊ Store bought cookies (no lying).  Get a package of the soft cookies – you don’t want a hard one.  Or you can make your own.  Now remember to buy twice as many cookies because you will need two cookies for every Whoopie Pie.  I bought a package of 24 cookies from our local market for $3.29 – I bought Macadamia cookies.  Buy and make whatever kind of cookies you like.  24 cookies will make 12 Whoopie Pies.

◊ Here is the tricky part – what do you want for your center?  You have several options.  You can buy a container of Cool Whip.  You can buy those little containers of pre-made frosting.  Or, you can be lazy like me.  I asked the bakery department at my market to whip me up some butter cream frosting.  A huge container cost me $4.99 – and that is more than enough.  

Now the fun begins.  I take my 12 cookies and place them on a cookie sheet.  I then put my butter cream frosting in a pastry bag and start dabbing frosting on my cookies.  After all my cookies have full attention, I then place cookies on top of the frosting.  There you go – instant Whoopie Pies.  No, they are not like the ‘real’ Whoopie Pies but are your guests or family going to know the difference?  Of course not.  Heck, throw some flour on your face and around the kitchen and let them know you slaved in the kitchen for hours.  Who is going to know?  I’m not going to tell.  ❤ 

 

Travels in the South

Hello sweet friends.  How was your Valentine’s Day yesterday?  In honor of the sweetest day of the year, mom/dad shared a little love yesterday as well.  They went out to dinner and afterwards enjoyed this delicious concoction.  And hey, splitting a dessert means half of the calories, right?  But who’s counting calories on Valentine’s Day – snorts.

This lovely creation is called a Margarita Cheesecake which is seasonal special at a local steakhouse called Logan’s Roadhouse.  Now, it’s like other cheesecakes made with cream cheese but it has Logan’s signature margarita blend on the graham cracker crust.  And don’t forget about the sliced strawberries all over the place.  Mom said it was – what was the phrase she used – delightful to the fullest!

So, if you are near a Logan’s Roadhouse, make sure you check it out for this wonderful dessert.  You won’t be disappointed.

 

 

 

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another edition of Travels in the South.  This weeks find is something sinful.  It is something so delicious that you and your spouse will fight over the last bite.  Heck, you might even want to get your own slice of this heaven so you don’t have to share.

This week’s find is called Sogno Di Cioccolata –  translation “Chocolate Dream”  Now look at that picture.  Isn’t that the best way to describe it?  Chocolate Dream.  Are you asking yourself what is in this masterpiece?  It’s a rich fudge brownie covered with a chocolate mousse and topped with fresh whipped cream and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  Oh, did I mention that it’s also sitting in a puddle of rich chocolate?  Mom/dad always share one of these delicious creations because it is so rich and heavenly.  But they do fight over the last bite… or should I say they play paper – rock – scissors.  Snorts with piggy laughter.

So my friends, if you have a Carrabba’s Italian restaurant near you, make some plans to try this delicious creation.  It’s on their dessert menu ❤

 

 

Shopping Around the World and Bacon’s Show and Tell – Reminder

Hello sweet friends – 

Don’t forget about our important dates next week – after the holidays.  Keep these in mind while you enjoy your holiday 🙂 ❤

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Shopping Around the World

Shopping Around the World is hosted by us and our friend Fozziemom.  This month it is scheduled for November 30th – after the holiday so we can all make plans.  Since it is the Thanksgiving holidays here in the States, this month we will focus on Thanksgiving foods.  So, you can post appetizers, side dishes, salads, soups, main entrees or desserts.  What is something that you look forward to once a year at Thanksgiving.  I mean yes we can have it throughout the year but having it at Thanksgiving screams the holiday?  This gives you a wide variety of foods you can come up with.  Fix whatever your dish is, take pictures and post it with recipes and prices on November 30th on your blog.  Remember to link back to my blog posting so people can see yours.  This is a wonderful way to (1) meet new friends in blogville and (2) get some wonderful recipes.  And I’ll admit it.  This piggy has been known to visit on these days and lick the computer screen at some of your awesome dishes.  I’m just sayin’ – some of pictures look out of this world!!

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Bacon’s Show and Tell

To me, what better time of the year to share some embarrassing stories from Thanksgiving.  Did you gather as a family for dinner and someone do something hilarious?  Did you have a mishap and spill your plate or cut the turkey in a strange way?  Go ahead my friends, let’s talk about something funny our humans do or did during their Thanksgiving holidays.  I know these stories will be good!  Bacon’s Show and Tell is scheduled for November 29th due to the holiday.  Remember to do your blog and link back to my blog so we can all see what everyone shares.  Thanks my friend – can’t wait for some great stories.

 

Travels in the South

Welcome my friends to another edition of Travels in the South.  Today I want to introduce you to a dessert that is popular here in the south – pecan pie.  There are so many pecan orchards here in Georgia – and they are gorgeous.  But today’s pecan pie has a little twist.  This is chocolate pecan pie.  Yep, you heard it.  As if pecan pie was not sweet enough – let’s throw in some chocolate too with a side of vanilla bean ice cream.  This was a dessert that mom/dad shared over the weekend.   First off – awesome job of those two sharing a dessert.  But look at that pie.  The crust was awesome, the gooey pecan pie mixture was delicious and then the chocolate flavoring in between everything – as mom said, Oh my piggy heavens!

So there you go friends – this week’s Travel in the South find.  Hope you enjoyed it.  Have you ever tried pecan or chocolate pecan pie?

 

Shopping Around the World

Thanks to everyone for participating in this month’s edition of Shopping Around the World.  It’s so awesome to see the various prices around the world – and the pictures with recipes!

Me and my pal Fozzie are hosting this month highlighting items of Thanksgiving.  Appetizers, main courses, side dishes or desserts.

Most people will look at moms side dish and go no way in heck am I eating those. Dad was like that too. BUT I have to say don’t knock it until you try it. Now this is one of the side dishes that we all look forward to on Thanksgiving – or any time during the year for that matter. 

So let me present moms creation of fabulous Brussel sprouts. That’s right – yummy, buttery Brussel sprouts topped with fried pancetta. I got your attention now?  First up – excuse all piggies from the room which means it’s now time for mom to finish this posting. Take it away mom. 

Okay friends. This is a no place for my boy Bacon to be with this recipe. You will need the following for this recipe:

• Basket of delicious Brussel sprouts 
• Butter and/or olive oil
• Salt/pepper to taste
• Pancetta

Pancetta is an Italian style bacon that is salt cured and seasoned. You can usually get it from your butcher. I always keep some in our freezer here at the Hotel Thompson. Cube up about a 1/3 of a pound and put in a skillet on the stove medium heat. You are looking for a crispy consistency. 

While that is working, clean and cut your Brussel sprouts in half. Once pancetta is done, remove from skillet and put on a napkin to drain the grease. Leave the bacon grease in the skillet and add either a spoonful of butter or drizzle of olive oil. Add your Brussel sprouts, stir into your bacon drippings and season with salt and pepper. Note: go light on the salt because the pancetta is already salty. 

Once they have become softened, remove to a bowl and top with your crispy pancetta. Enjoy and then tell me if you like Brussel sprouts or not.