The Cocktail Hour - Classic Margarita

Have a drink with us! (video)

After the week is over, the work week has finish, and the chores are done, we like to spend some time on Sunday afternoon to just relax with a drink on the patio while we watch for birds and wildlife in the hills behind our house...this is our "cocktail hour."

This will be a new feature on the blog, occasionally showing you what we're drinking this week and how to make it yourself.  We'll start off with one of the classics - the margarita.

There are a few stories of how the margarita was invented.  Myself, I like to think this is the true story...Rita Hayworth, who originally went by the name of Margarita Cansino, was drinking with friends down in Mexico at the Halfway House bar.  It is called the Halfway House because it is halfway between Tijuana and Ensenada.  She asked the bartender to make her something with tequila so she wouldn't have to put up with the harshness of the shot so he made up the drink with lime juice, triple sec, and tequila with salt on the rim of the glass and named the drink after her.  We used to have drinks at the Halfway House and hear the bartender tell us the story (another local invention is the Cesar Salad, created at the Hotel Cesar in Tijuana) but we haven't been there in over 25 years.  The restaurant dates back to the beginning of the 20th century and is still there, still serving margaritas and more.

Here is our version of this classic drink.  Note that we serve it on the rocks...as intended.   This is not the travesty that is a blended (or frozen) margarita.

CLASSIC MARGARITA RECIPE

Ingredients (for two drinks)

2 oz. Tequlia (get a good tequila that's labeled "100% puro de agave")

1 oz. Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or triple sec (the first two will have a very positive effect on the taste)

splash of brandy or cognac

1 lime

4-5 oz. sweet and sour mix (our two favorite brands are Tavern and Finest Call)

kosher salt.

Put salt in shallow bowl or spread out on plate.  Slice the lime into two halves.  Run the open lime around the rim of the glass so that there is a fine sheen of lime juice on it (use a margarita glass, a cocktail glass, or an old fashioned glass if you have nothing else).  Fill a cocktail shaker about 1/3 full with ice, crushed would be preferable.  We use half liter glass shaker.  Take one of the lime halves and squeeze the juice into the shaker.  Put in the rest of your liquid ingredients, putting in the sweet and sour last and filling to the top.  Put the lid on the shaker and shake.  Fill the glasses about 2/3 full with ice and strain the drink into them.

Cheers!

-Darryl

CEREBRAL PALSY STORIES: The Musick Family Sunday Day Of Rest-Enjoying The Great Indoors And Outdoors

Sundays at the Musick Household are usually known as The Day of Rest for all three of us as it gives us a chance to unwind from the daily grind of a busy stressful week Whether it's my Dad needing to unwind from a busy week at The Office or my Mom needing a break from her daily caregiving duties for my needs, Sundays are a time when we come hang up the virtual 'Do Not Disturb' sign, get together and relax to spend some quality time alone as a family and recharge our batteries.

The first part of that Sunday relaxation ritual consists of a leisurely walk and roll between me and my Mom.  I say walk and roll because while my Mom does the actual walking, I go out in my wheelchair to face the elements of a hot sunny day or a cold and windy one.

We are fortunate enough to live in an area that has a walking trail outside directly behind our backyard wall.  This way, we already know there is a great place for us to walk that is within walking distance from our house and we don't have to get into our van to drive to it.

Once my Mom and I make our way outside, we use this time to greet our other fellow joggers and friends on the trail.  We do have to be careful though when leaving our house that we don't get hit by any cars since we live on a busy street.  We also make sure that we are fully equipped with the appropriate pieces of clothing depending on what the weather is like when we get up in the morning. If it's a hot a sunny day, I usually have to put a hat on to protect my head and eyes from the bright sunshine.  On the cooler days and months, I usually have to wear a jacket and a pair of gloves to keep my hands warm.

The length of the walking trail is about one and three-quarters of a mile and starts at Buena Vista Street at one end of the trail and finishes at Royal Oaks Park at the other end. As I mentioned above, going out on the trail is a great opportunity for my Mom and I to go out and just simply get some exercise, socialize with the other people out there and enjoy some fresh air. My Dad also uses this time that my Mom and I spend on the walking trail to cook breakfast for both him and her and then to get my weekly lunch of chicken nuggets that he wrote about in a previous edition of Caregiver Chronicles.

After my Mom and I finish up our walk on Sundays and after we have our breakfast and lunch, the next part of our family's Day of Rest routine involves a usually smooth transition to our outdoor patio in our backyard. I say usually smooth because sometimes during the Fall and Winter months, we do get some rainy and stormy weather that pops up every now and then which forces us to enjoy our time and make the most of our Sundays from the comfort found inside our house in the den area known as the Family Room.

On those days when we do get to enjoy our Sunday family time outdoors, (which is most of the time), we have our fun by taking my iPod Classic for musical entertainment and background noise purposes. Fairly recently as well, my Dad and I have been taking a small collection of board and card games such as Sorry!, Checkers or Uno to keep the good times going and keep ourselves even more occupied and busy on a Sunday morning/afternoon.

Another staple of the Musick Family Sunday Day of Rest are the multiple round of drinks that my Mom and Dad have either from a selection of  one of our famous Cocktail Hour recipes or sometimes it's  simply just a glass or bottle of beer or wine. During the cool Fall or Winter months, my Dad will also use this time on the backyard patio to light a fire in our outdoor wood burning chimney to keep us all warm and toasty.

Finally the last part of the Day of Rest for us Musicks' involves my Dad continuing to take his weekly turn of being in charge cooking a dinner selection of some sort either on the grill outside in the backyard or the stove inside the kitchen of our house.

After we finish our Sunday dinner, we wind down the end our week with some very nice and well earned relaxation time in the Family Room watching TV from the comfort of our nice leather recliners we affectionately like to call "The Cloud." The only bad thing about enjoying our Day of Rest is knowing they all have to come to an end. That is until the next rolls around and we can begin to look forward to the next one and let the Sunday rest and relaxation cycle begin again.

Tim Musick
Copyright 2017
All Rights Reserved.

  

DINNER: Lasagna

We're making a lasagna for dinner this week. The lasagna itself is not a lot of work but the sauce is so be sure to do this ahead of time (recipes via the links in the recipe below).

Lasagna is basically just layers of whatever flavors and stuffings you like, stacked up between flat ribbons of pasta and baked.

As certain cartoon cats can attest, it's delicious!

INGREDIENTS
1 box lasagna pasta (we're using a diabetic friendly whole wheat version)
1/2 pound shredded ozzarella
1/2 grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon olive oil
24 oz. Sunday Sauce 
16 oz. spinach cream sauce
1 pound Italian sausage
1/cup ricotta cheese

In a sauce pan, cook the Italian sausage until cooked through and browned. Pour in the tomato sauce (Sunday Sauce) and mix thoroughly. Let boil for a couple of minutes.

In a square or rectangular baking pan, put in the olive oil. With a paper towel, wipe all interior surfaces with the oil so it is well coated.  Put in two lasagna noodles, side by side.

(NOTE: We're using a whole wheat version that does not need cooking ahead of time but many lasagna noodles do need to be boiled in water until al dente first)

Spoon in just enough of the tomato Sunday Sauce to cover the pasta completely. Put a handful of mozzarella over the sauce. 

Put two more noodle on top of that. Press down and try to make level and flat.  Sprinkle a layer of Parmesan, then a layer of the spinach cream sauce.

Two more pastas, and another layer of the tomato sauce with a layer of ricotta. Two more pastas and another layer of the Parmesan and spinach cream sauce.  Two more pastas, the rest of the mozzarella.

Cover and tent (with an air space between the top of the lasagna and foil) with foil.  

Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 20 minutes.

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Sunday Sauce

No, not the name of the blog but an actual Sunday sauce. It's a basic ingredient for many Italian dishes and is named because it takes an entire Sunday afternoon to cook before it's integrated into a satisfying Sunday dinner.

I'm not saying I'm an expert in Italian cooking, far from it, but I've been experimenting with these sauces for awhile and found that even a novice like me can make a sauce from scratch that's better than anything you can buy in a bottle.

You can too.

This is just one of many variations of a Sunday sauce you can make. Once you get rolling with it, you'll find your own way to put your own personal stamp on it.

INGREDIENTS
1/2 white onion, chopped.
3 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/4 sherry
1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 teaspoon oregano
1 tablespoon shredded parmesan
1 can (28oz.) peeled San Marzano tomatoes

In a medium sauce pan (I'm using a 4-quart pan for up to 6 people), heat up the oil on high heat and put in the onions and cook until translucent. Add the sherry and stir up to deglaze the pan.

Empty in the tomatoes. Rinse the sides of the can to clean it for disposal and dump that water in the pan, too. Add the garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. Bring to a boil for 10 minutes, stir occasionally.

Lower the heat to a low simmer and add the parmesan.  Cook, stirring occasionally, for around 3-4 hours. When reduced to a fairly thick consistency, almost a paste, you're done.

Be sure to taste at various points along the way and add ingredients to improve taste if it needs it.

The sauce can be used in a myriad of dishes, especially pasta, and can also be put in jars and frozen for future use.

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

This Week's Menu: Cajun Egg Scramble and Swedish Meatballs

Your Sunday menu relies on ground and chopped meat this week.  Dinner is an IKEA favorite, done homemade with brown rice instead of pasta. Breakfast is a hearty bayou inspired dish.

Recipes at the links below.

BREAKFAST: Cajun Egg Scramble

DINNER: Swedish Meatballs over Brown Rice

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

This Week's Sunday Menu: Chilaquiles and Pizza

Time for another Sunday of food. Today's recipes are a little more involved than our usual ones but they're still pretty easy.

Breakfast is one of my favorite Mexican dishes while dinner is something everyone loves. 

Recipes at the links below...

BREAKFAST: Chilaquiles con Huevos y Salsa Verde

DINNER: Pizza

Darryl
Copyright 2016 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

This Week's Sunday Menu: PrimeTri Tip Steak with Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Eggs

Meat and potatoes...delicious ones...for those of us on a low-sodium diet.

The entree for this week's dinner is some fantastic tri tip steak. USDA Prime that I found for $7.99 per pound. Great deal.

Breakfast uses our standard scrambled eggs recipe but we're cooking some delicious Danish bacon

Get the recipes below:

Breakfast: Scrambled Eggs and Bacon (for an added treat, cook the eggs in the bacon grease after you cook that).

Dinner: Tri Tip Steaks and Roasted Potatoes

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

Low Sodium Tri Tip Steak

We're returning to the barbecue this week for our Sunday entree. It's cloudy, cool, and rain is on the way but I think I have time to beat it.

Recently, just before Thanksgiving, I got the big "D" diagnosis...type 2 diabetes. Now, I have to be wary of what I eat and drink. Funny, though, since I've started monitoring my glucose, I've only exceeded the upper limit twice. Once when I had a cup of white rice with some peanut-sauce beef satay and the other when I had a flour-tortilla wrapped pork burrito.

Lesson learned: avoid white rice and flour tortillas. Rice is easy since I'm not such a fan anyway. I'll miss those flour tortillas, though (corn tortillas don't have the same effect at all on me, thank God).

Jan, the diabetes nurse at my doctor's office, has provided me with reams of flyers and sheets on how to eat better. One that really struck my fancy was what spices you can use to replace salt in different foods. That led to the rub used in the recipe below.

While I used literally just a pinch of salt, the meal came out delicious.  I had a little leftover rub that I put in the bag to spice up my usual roasted fingerling potato dish that I served on the side.

This meal also benefits from the hiqh quality of the meat...I found some exceptionally well-marbled USDA Prime tri tip steak on sale at Costco for only $7.99 a pound. Couldn't pass up that deal (although I can hear nurse Jan in my mind "LEAN meat, idiot!").

Quiet, Jan...it's Sunday.

INGREDIENTS

4 medium 1.5 inch thick tri tip steaks, about 8 ounces each
Worcester sauce (or pineapple juice, if you want to take the sodium content down further without sacrificing taste)

RUB:
1/2 teaspoon each of the following -
Mustard powder
Onion powder
Marjoram
Nutmeg
Paprika
Sage
Cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon each of black and white pepper

Put steaks into as small of a resealable bowl as you can find. Sprinkle each side with just a very small pinch of Kosher salt and a few drops of Worcester sauce. You can also replace the Worcester sauce with a generous splash of pineapple juice.

Rub the meat generously on both sides with the rub. Seal in bowl and let marinate 3-4 hours minimum (if you use pineapple juice, it's better to marinate for at least 8 hours).

On a barbecue, over hot coals, cook on each side for three minutes for a sear. Move to indirect heat and cook 5-6 minutes on each side for medium rare.

Remove on a platter and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes before serving.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

This Week's Sunday Menu: Maui Jim Pancakes and Pasta Parma Verde

It's a bit cool this week in Southern California so we're cooking indoors for this week's menu. Some nice, light pancakes from Maui Jim to a pasta dish I came up with after a visit for inspiration to our local Italian deli.

Click on the links below for the recipes.

Breakfast - Maui Jim Pancakes

Using cottage cheese and no baking powder, these pancakes are light, fluffy, and delicious.

Dinner - Pasta Parma Verde

A mental block haunted me when trying to come up for something for dinner.  A trip to Claro's, a local Italian deli, and their helpful and friendly counter people, convinced me to buy some Parma ham to come up with this tasty and satisfying pasta dish.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved

A Ribeye Steak, French Toast, and some Sunday Sauce

Welcome to the debut of the latest Musick Channel blog. This one is for food.

No, I'm not a professional chef or even that experienced of a cook. My wife, Letty, is the cook of the family but I am trying to do my part to pitch in.

I've had some successes, and some failures (ask my son about 'caramel beef' sometime) but I am seeing a gradual and steady increase in quality of my cooking.

I've also found out that cooking good food to be enjoyed by others is actually really fun.

The weekends have become mine in the kitchen. Letty cooks a couple of dinners during the week so I'll give her a break and cook on the weekends. What the means, logistically, is that I'm responsible for breakfast on Saturday and Sunday plus dinner on Sunday (we go out to eat Saturday night).

My plan here on the blog is to present my Sunday menu (hence the name of the blog), with recipes and cooking instructions, to document my journey and, hopefully, to inspire you to pick up a spatula and frying pan to join me. After all, home cooking is the best cooking of all.

Let's kick it off with our first menu...

Breakfast: French Toast

The best way to use up your stale bread and have an absolutely delicious meal.

Dinner: Barbecued ribeye steak

The king of steaks and a classic meat to cook on the grill. 

Served with roasted potatoes and corn on the cob.

Darryl
Copyright 2015 - Darryl Musick
All Rights Reserved