Hatfeilds, McCoys and the Inbread

I sat through all 6 hours of the "Hatfileds and McCoys" mini-series on the History Channel. It was actually pretty interesting. My favorite part was how you really couldn't choose sides. Both sides had good and terrible people. I'd also like to go on record saying that Jenna Malone's character, while a total whore, was also quite the bad ass. She was honestly the only woman that actually gathered information and got things done rather than sitting around dying and crying and having sick babies and crap. 

Yes, I'm talking about you, really ugly pale girl with the misshapen face. You were so anticlimactic. "I'm going to do the dishes." Plop. Dead. 

Also, were me and my family the only ones waiting for the special guy to die since the first installment? It's not that we wanted him to die, it's just that you could feel his death coming throughout the whole series. It reminded me of this 1955 documentary that I saw once called Age 13: The Inner Life of an "At Risk" Teenager. Throughout that entire short film you expect things to be molested. I say "things" because it wasn't just the boy or a little girl towards the end. At one point you honestly expect a cat to be molested as well. I swear to God, you think the uncle is going to go to town on a cat. It's not that you want it to happen, it's just that it seems like it's going to and you cringe and brace yourself for the horror that's going to happen and then suddenly the movie is over and it's both a relief and a "disappointment" for lack of a better word. Not disappointment because a traumatic event didn't happen, but disappointment because you prepared for something horrible and you feel lame for having done so when literally nothing happens. I think he runs away on a train or something really 1950's bad teenager-like. "Dick! Little Bobby's fallen off the wagon now. I caught him listening to some of that devil music and now he's run away to join the circus!"

It's no secret that I'm obsessed with the eras between 1940 to the early 60's. I think this was the most amazing time to live in and everything about it makes me wish I'd been born decades ahead of my time. I would have hated to be alive during the early days of America though. There was nothing glamorous or fun about those times. I'll take an era where I can poop indoors and cook without having to chop and burn wood first. Plus, I'm a big fan of personal hygiene. 

Speaking of cooking, dinner tonight was nothing really special. It's a few days before the next pay period so I went really cheap and simple with tonight's dinner. I made lemon pepper baked leg quarters with roasted bell pepper and onion potatoes that roasted in the dripping from the chicken. Yummy and a huge comfort food, but not exactly something I think requires a recipe. It's literally "chop all the veggies, season that and the chicken, throw in the oven and take out when everything is cooked."

That being said, instead of posting a recipe tonight I'll be taking the cat breading craze to the next level and posting a picture of Moses, my Yorkie, in a tortilla. Ole!

It's Not Burned, It's Rustic

But If it Were Burned I Would Blame it on the Fire From My Burning Hatred for Your Annoying Facebook Posts

Like most people these days, I have a slight Facebook addiction. As a matter of fact, most of you are here because you're from my Facebook page. I'll post a recipe, I promise, but can we talk about annoying Facebook people first?

I have been in a serious relationship with my boyfriend for nearly three years now. We live together, have been through things together, but we pulled through. Everything that real relationships should be. What Really makes me annoyed are the people that constantly post about their significant others and not in normal ways. In "I'm a virgin and quite possibly in middle school" ways.

"_______ is the cutest in the world." 

"<3 <3 <3 <3 My heart belongs to _____"

"_______, you're myyy world, babii."

What am I, 12? I thought being 25 would mean not having to read that sappy crap.Focus that energy on actually telling your partner how much they mean to you and grow some balls. 

Also, another annoying thing is when girlfriends hijack their boyfriends pages and post really clingy and annoying things. Ladies, that's not what Fraping is for. The proper lady knows that it's for posting pictures of your bf posing with J. Bieb t-shirts with captions about how he can't stop his Bieber fever, changing his favorite quotes to RuPaul quotes and joining groups announcing his love of black cock. Yes, there is a group for that. Yes, I have done all of the above.

Of course, after a Frape that bad it's always best to get back into the kitchen and make something other than the usual sandwich. Something hearty with meat and potatoes. Something like Shepherd's Pie. 

Nice segue, huh? 

Colcannon Topped Shepherd's Pie

Colcannon

• 8 medium russet potatoes, peeled and sliced
• half a head of cabbage
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 1/2 c butter
• 1 c milk or cream
• salt and pepper to taste

Place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water. In a separate pot place the garlic, onion and cabbage, also covered in water. Let both boil until potatoes are fork tender and cabbage is soft.
Once boiled, drain potatoes and mash with butter and milk as if making mashed potatoes.

Drain the cabbage mixture and stir into the mashed potatoes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Meat mixture

• 2 lbs ground beef
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 bell pepper, diced
• 1 bag of frozen mixed vegetables
• 1 (8 oz) can of tomato sauce
• 2 tbs Red Wine Vinegar
• 1/2 c Worcestershire sauce
• garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 2 c shredded Cheddar

Saute bell pepper and onion in a large pan with olive oil until soft.

Set vegetables to the side and in the same pan brown ground beef.

Drain the grease and add in cooked onion and bell pepper along with the frozen veggies (I usually don't thaw them before hand.)

Mix in tomato sauce, Worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar.

Heat until vegetables are no longer frozen.

Season with garlic powder, salt and pepper to taste. 

If mixture is too tangy feel free to add a little bit of sugar.
Pour meat mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.

Top with the colcannon recipe.

Top that with cheddar cheese.

Place under the broiler for about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and bubbly. 

If by chance you leave it under the broiler for a little too long like I did, pretend you did it on purpose and call it rustic. They'll never even doubt you.