Yo Ho, Yo Ho, A Prate's Life for Me! - I'm Back!

Ahoy & Happy New Year's to the lot of you!

    After taking some much needed time off, I'm back & I have a recipe for you.  While it may be new to you all, I have been using it for the past couple of years & it dates back to the 18th Century.  

    I speak of course of Kitchen Pepper!  This is not the first spice blend to be created and used in the world and likely not even in Jolly Olde England.  However, it may have been one of the first standardized forms of spice blends on record.

    Kitchen Pepper is a mix of salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon, nutmeg, & cloves.  It was used in all types of cuisine; with a focus on stews, soups, & roasts.  This unique blend of spices also give the food an unmistakable Autumnal flavor.

    Personally, I like to use this primarily on meat dishes such as baked chicken, pork chops, & as a rub for slow cooker pulled pork.  I also enjoy using it on potatoes and vegetables & even on popcorn on occasion.

    In fact, my next post will be for a simple slow cooker pulled pork using this as the basic rub so stayed tuned mates!

Kitchen Pepper

Author Unknown

Ingredients:

2 Tbls Salt

1 Tsp Ground Ginger

1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Ground Cinnamon

1/2 Tsp Ground Cloves

1/2 Part Ground Nutmeg

Directions:

1) In a small bowl, mix all ingredient until well blended.

2) Store in an airtight container, keep dry, & use as needed.

Talk Like A Pirate Day!

 Avast me hearties! I know it be a long time since I've posted, this scurvy plague has had me quite down the past few months.  I have been feeling more like me self  & have some things I plan to post recipes for.  So keep yer eye on the horizon for me to start back up with postings!

As far as today, it be Talk Like a Pirate Day so throw on yer garb (or something piratey), pour some rum, & have a blast!  May yer bellies be full, yer tankards not go dry, & the rum be smooth as silk!

Memorial Day

So today we celebrate one of the more somber holidays of the year. While we should honor those that have served are serving every day, today we show honor to those who never got to take off their uniform one last time.

While everyone that served has made sacrifices for our country, on Memorial Day, we honor the memories of those that gave their all for our rights & freedoms.

Happy Easter!

A happy Easter to all of you that celebrate it! 

May you have a happy and safe holiday in these trying times!

Pirate Tools

     Ahoy all!  So recently, I ordered a pirate-themed bottle opener from Picaroon Tools on Etsy.  Why, you may ask? Well, simply put, a good bottle opener is always a good thing to have on hand & he makes some great tools.

     I was quite surprised to see that he sent me 2 more bottle openers after I asked if he would mind if I reviewed them!  Now, to be clear, I bought the main one & only asked if he minded if I did a review on it.  

     The tool I ordered was the One-Legged Pirate bottle opener in brass with a patina finish.  

     There's a few aspects of this tool that I like.  First, the look is awesome!  I love the antiqued look of it, like an old pirate coin, haha!  Now about the actual functions of this little guy. Now about the actual functions of this tool.  The hole at the very top of the hat is a lanyard hole that allows for one way of this to be carried. The left eye is a 10mm hex wrench & the right eye is a 8mm hex wrench, which can also hold a screw bit.  That piece sticking down on the left is the pocket clip and allows for this to be carried in the corner of the pocket, making it very easy to carry without getting in the way.  On it's right side is a bottle opener that made quick work of bottle cap.  The left leg is a flat head screwdriver & prybar that works well to pry up pulltabs on cans.  The right leg, while it's not mentioned as having any specific purpose, makes a wonderful little tack/stapled puller.

     The first of the extra bottle openers that I was ssent is the Cracked Skull in stainless steel w/ a standard finish.

     I like this one so much that it now has a permanent home on my keychain.  The stainless steel makes for a sharp looking tool indeed.  You can see in the picture that it has a lanyard hole on the left, which works well to add a keyring to as well, and the bottle opener is on the right.  Both of the eyes are hex wrenches, but so is the bottom of the bone on the right.  The left eye is 3/16", the right eye is 5/16", and the bottom of the right bone is 1/4". The bottom left bone ends in a flat head screwdriver.  This worked really well on bottle caps as well, the crossbones on it made it really easy to use.

     The second extra bottle opener he sent me is the Parrot Head bottle opener in stainless steel with a standard finish.

     This bottle opener is much simpler but still works really well with the bottle opener on one end & a lanyard hole on the other end.  It was easy to use & the contour of it made it comfortable in the hands & to use.

     All in all, these tools are very well made and work really well to take off bottle caps & for some other uses as well.  As I mentioned before, the Cracked Skull bottle opener is now on my keychain & is with me whenever I go out.  The One-Legged Pirate bottle opener sits on a bag that I carry whenever I go to work or travel so it's usually not to far from me.  The Parrot Head bottle opener is in a drawer for now, I'm planning on making a lanyard for it to accentuate the parrot features of it.

     Go check out his store by clicking on Picaroon Tools & see what all the tools he sells are, please be aware that it might take a little while to get them as he's based out of Varna, Bulgaria.  I might even order another one or two down the line myself, haha!

German-Inspired Cabbage & Bacon Slaw

Morning all, I know it's been awhile since I posted a new recipe so I have one for you today.  This is inspired by German potato salad, which is a hot potato salad with a vinegar kick. The nice thing about this is that there's no need to add salt because of the bacon & bacon fat.

German Cabbage & Bacon Slaw

by

The Pirate Chef

Ingredients:

      1/2 Head of Cabbage, shredded

      1/2 Lb of Bacon, chopped

      1 Medium Onion, chopped

      2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped

      1 1/2 Tbls Cider Vinegar

      3 Tbls Ground Black Pepper

Directions:

1. Cook the bacon in a frying pan over medium heat, until crispy, in 2 batches.
2.  Drain the bacon on paper towels & save the bacon fat.
3. In a large pan or wok, put 2 tbls of bacon hat and heat to medium.
4. Add onion & garlic & saute until slightly brown.
5. Add cabbage and saute until it starts to wilt, then add bacon.
6. Stir in bacon, black pepper, & cider vinegar.
7. Keep stirring to make sure everything is evenly distributed & cook for another 2-3 minutes.
8. Serve hot & enjoy.

Happy Holidays!

Good morning ye bunch of scurvy dogs!

As we wake this morning, may there be laughter and smiles in your homes!

I be enjoying my traditional Christmas breakfast of quiche, hot cocoa, & A Christmas Carol!

So I wish you all a Merry Christmas, a Blessed Yule, a Happy Hanukkah, and/or a Happy Kwanzaa!

May your hunger be sated, your thirst be quenched, and your hearts be filled with love!