Friday Friend Recipe #201 -- The Best Daiquiri

Making my way thru my Friday Friend Cookbook, one recipe at a time.

What is the Friday Friend cookbook? I had about 50 of my closest friends and family on an e-mail forum which I called the Friday Friends (from all over the county). At first, most of them didn't know each other, (they knew me) but over the past 18 years, we've answered and shared silly--and serious---questions, exchanged Secret Santa Christmas gifts, had a dieting contest in which we paid a $1 a week and that money went to a scholarship fund for a Friday Friends son's memorial scholarship, and we went on a great vacation for my 52 birthday. (plus so much more....)

AND, we contributed recipes for a cookbook.

I was looking at the cookbook the other night and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog."
The Handyman--who knows me better than I know myself (this happened to be a question on the Friday Friend forum once---does your spouse/partner know you better than you know yourself?)--said,  "you'll never, EVER do that."
WELL---maybe I'll show him!  Maybe I will.

Which brings me to this... recipe #201

Meghan's Best Daiquiri 

I don't know if you can read this recipe from the photo, so here it is:

The Best Daiquiri 

Meghan Stone

Frozen strawberries (try to get sweetened)

Ripe banana

3/4 cup rum

3/4 cup sweet and sour mix

ice

Fill blender half way w/ice.  Top with berries till about 3/4 full.

Slice banana and add to blender.  Pour in rum and sweet & sour mix.  Blend until icee-smooth.

Meghan is one of my favorite sisters-in-law!

And she makes the BEST Daiquiri!  That's what the name says so it must be true.

This is a classic!  The drink that teetotalers usually love.  It's like drinking a strawberry flavored Slurpee, but with alcohol. 

Yummy!

The Handyman has a complicated family.

Complicated and yet so full of warmth and love and acceptance.

Sure, we all have our quirks--who doesn't? 

But for the most part lucky.  Very Lucky. 

Translated:  nobody hates anybody, everybody speaks to one another and whenever we get together, it's always a good time!

For the run down-- Rich's  (The Handyman's) mom and dad were married and had 5 kids.  They got divorced and each married someone with 3 kids and each had another child.

And each celebrated 50+ years with spouse #2.

The Handyman has 13 siblings (including him) and its' great!

Why did I need to mention this? 

Because--brotherly love maybe?

Handyman is the oldest 'boy' in the family,  Mike is the youngest 'boy' in the family.

Rich/Handyman was 12 when Mike was born.

What happens on the patio stays on the patio.

And I have no idea what was happenin' here.

It's probably just as well.

No Strawberry Daiquiri for me that night!

Only wine.

(and then I got a text from Meghan the next day:

two bugs in your cup all night.)

I don't  know what to say about that.

Thanks for letting me know?!?

Well--actually...

In a pervious blog post about one of Meghan's recipes I wrote this:

 I almost drank a fly.

Towards the end of the meal, we noticed a fly in my drink and I sat it down.   She offered more, but I declined, I was done, but then we sat around the table and visited and without thinking, I picked up my wine and took a drink!!

The fly was in my mouth!!

OMG!!

Do I spit?  Or do I swallow?

I spat!!

 

I'm such a cool dinner guest.

 

It's a good thing they love me.

Love my sisters-in-laws!

This is recipe #201 only 166 left to go!

Friday Friend Recipes #199 and #200 -- Hash Brown Casserole and Aunt Barbara's Fruit Salad

Come with me as I continue to countdown my Friday Friend Cookbook!

What is it, you may ask?

In a nutshell...
About 19 years ago, 50 of my closest friends and family, who had been on an e-mail forum with me, sent in recipes in different categories and we compiled a cookbook.
I decided to count those down!
Why?

Because  one night I was looking thru the cookbook and I said, "I should make every recipe in here for my blog"
The Handyman--who thinks he knows me better than I know myself, said,  "you'll never EVER do that."
Well,  maybe I will!  Maybe I'll show him!

Which brings me to recipes #199 and #200

Barb's Hash Brown Casserole and Aunt Barbara's Fruit Salad

You might notice that the hash browns are right beside my raspberry Jell-O from the previous blog post.  

When I go on a cooking bender--I do Friday Friend Countdown recipes!

I may not always cook, but when I do, I cook Friday Friend Food!

This is cheesy and delicious! With a little teeny crunch on top

 (this happens when it stays in the oven a bit longer than it should to accommodate other dishes that need to be baked)

Hash Brown Casserole

Barbara Brown

1 1/2 cup chopped onion

3 T. flour

1/2 t. dry mustard

1 1/2 cups milk

1/2 cups chicken broth

1 1/2 cups shredded cheddar

3/4 cup shredded swiss

1/2 t. pepper

1 cup sour cream

1 32oz pkg frozen hash browns (thawed)

paprika

Heat oven to 350.  Spray 9x13 dish with Pam.  Sauté onion in a little butter till tender.  Add flour, mustard and salt; cook 1 min.  Remove from heat. Gradually add milk and broth till blended. Cook till thickened, stirring constantly.  Remove from heat; add cheeses and pepper, stirring until melted. Stir in sour cream. Combine cheese mixture and potatoes. Stir well.  Spoon into baking dish. Cover with foil and bake for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake another 35 to 40 minutes.

And moving on to Aunt Barbara's Fruit Salad---I think maraschino cherries are so pretty, so I had to include this picture.

Lately I've been posting 2 of Barb's recipes together (because otherwise we'd be here forever!) but that doesn't mean that I've cooked them and served them at the same time.

The Hash Brown Casserole I made for a women's luncheon and this salad we just had at home for dinner one night.

Dinner or Supper? 

What is it for you?

That is the question.

I would consider this lovely salad a--dessert salad.

Which of course, so many were in the 70's and 80's.

And they were good!  

You just have to be very cautious when  someone offers to bring a 'salad' to dinner and you are expecting a green salad to go with the meal you planned and you get...  a lovely dessert salad instead.

(this has happened to me)

This is Barb's 49th time in the FF Cookbook countdown and her 3rd dessert or Jell-O Salad.

This one is one of the best!

This recipe here is...wait for it....

the

200th in the countdown!!

Two-Hundred!

I say YAY me for my stick-to-it-ness!

Are you a sports fan?

I love the idea of being a sports fan.  

The Brown family--seen below, except for that strange guy on the far left--are huge sports fans.

Here they are at the Arizona Diamond Backs game earlier this spring.

from left to right:

some random guy photo bombing the photo.

Barb's son-in-law, Garrett

Barb's husband Doug, who's sticking out his tongue for some reason

Barb

Barb's daughter Kim

Speaking of photo bombing--- in both photos, Barb is holding Doug's hand down.  Like she is afraid it would do what? 

We'll never know because Barb is not letting go! No way!

*when I asked Barb about Doug's hand--she said: you never know with Doug, better to be safe than sorry.

That's all I got!

Recipe #200 is done!

I'm a little more than halfway done.