Three-hour Ketchup with an Unexpected Surprise

So this afternoon I decided to pull out my Michael Symon cookbook and attempt to make one of my favorite condiments.....Lola Ketchup aka Michael Symon's Spicy Ketchup.   I first had this wonderful concoction at Lola in Tremont, Ohio. (Tremont was the original location of Lola.  Lola was relocated to downtown Cleveland in 2005 and the Tremont location became Lolita.) It was love at first dip!  The texture is wonderful and the taste is amazing.  When I used to live in Cleveland, you could actual purchase this delicious concoction at Heinen's Super Markets.  However, when Pat and I moved to Orlando in 2004, my favorite condiment was no longer available to me.  Although I had occasionally purchased a few bottles upon return visits to Cleveland, there was a void in my condiment options.

You could only imagine my chagrin when I discovered that in Michael's cookbook was the uber delicious recipe for his Spicy Ketchup.  So, I did what I do best, I tied on the apron and went to work making one of the best condiments around.  Although I did not fully realize the recipe was a 3 hour labor of love, I dove in around 4:00 pm yesterday afternoon.  I decided to make buffalo burgers and sweet potato fries fro dinner in honor of the beloved condiment.  I must say, the meal was heavenly!

The best part of the process was the unexpected surprise.  At the end of the long slow simmer, once cooled, the ketchup is pureed in a blender and then strained before storing.  After straining, I realized that I had 4 cups of spicy tomato-infused water left!  I thought about the liquid while I enjoyed my delicious ketchup-coated meal, and decided that the liquid would make wonderful cocktails.  Vodka would be this liquids new best friend.  I remembered that I had a cocktail recipe for a BLTini.  (Bacon, Lettuce, and Tomato Martini)  The reparation for this Martini involved creating tomato water using tomatoes.  a long, drawn-out process.  One you have the tomato water, you mix with vodka, shake with ice, and pour into your favorite martini glass so it can be garnished with crispy bacon and julienne lettuce.  So here I am with 4 cups of delicious spicy tomato water that can be created into a even better drink, a SPICY BLTini!  Or, if you would like, you can freeze the liquid into ice cubes and use them later or as the ice for a mean bloody mary!

So, one might ask, why on earth would you spend three hours making ketchup?  Well, the answer is quite simple....it is so much more than just the best ketchup I have ever eaten.  It is also a miracle base for other sauces, such as BBQ, can be used on top of meatloaf instead of the standard plain ketchup, and of course the added surprise of a wonderful drink mix!

So why not give Michael's Spicy Ketchup recipe a whirl?  I attached a link to the recipe, should you feel the urge.  But beware, it is highly addicting!

P.S.  This is what Leo does while I cook.

Wet...I thought a life of leisure was supposed to be glamorous!

Wet is the best word to describe the weather in Orlando today.  Whoever said the life of a Lady of Leisure is all glitz and glam is definitely mistaken. 


It all started this morning upon waking.  I came downstairs to take care of the wonderful Leo, and noticed that it had already rained at some point.  Although not raining at the moment, Leo was able to eat his breakfast and run out back to go pee pee.  Per his normal routine, he quickly came back in so we could go out for his walk.  At least that is how things should have gone.  Instead, by the time we walked up to the front door, I put my shoes on, and dressed Leo in his Puppia harness and leash, it had started to rain sideways.  


I opened the door and stepped onto the porch.  Leo followed happily until he stopped dead in the center of the porch, turned around and quickly ran up to the door to go back inside.  I knew I was doomed at that point. (He still had not gone number 2 after all.)  I took off my shoes, undressed Leo and went back into the kitchen to try to enjoy my breakfast.  (The normal routine of Fage yogurt topped with granola and 2 cups of espresso to drink.)  By the time I finished my meal, the rain had seemed to let up a bit to a more steady heavy mist.  Leo rang his bell (he has a bell on the back door that he rings to indicate he has to go potty, wants to play outside, or go eat the fallen bird seed from under the feeder.)  I let him out and he quickly did his business and came back to the door to come back in and get hi usual reward, cookies!


I decided to surf the net a bit and then hopped in the shower.  The weather cleared enough to go out for lunch, but by the time I got back from lunch it had started to get darker out and pour.  And pour it did!  It has rained all afternoon.  so 2 loads of laundry and one ornery dog later, I am still sitting here, not so glamorously listening to, yup you guessed it, rain!  One bright note to the day, I was able to put my Burberry lace check rubber rain boots to use while I went to lunch.  I guess maybe even in the thick of pouring down rain, one can still be glam :)!  

When I grow up, I want to be.....

When I grow up, I want to be.......fill in the blank.  For many of us, we have been asked this question thousands of times, and still have no idea.






Here is a look at some of the answers I used to have when asked this question:

•  pediatrician
•  accountant
•  chemical engineer
•  lobbyist
•  chef
•  lady of leisure

After nearly 16 years of various jobs including:  part-time retail, book keeping, full-time retail, banking, customs clearance coding (what the heck was I thinking?), retail management, and nearly 10-years of sales and marketing in the automotive industry, I have finally graduated to one of the roles on my list.....Lady of Leisure.  The question now is will it last, and will it ultimately satisfy me.  I suppose only time will tell.  Please note that despite the fancy get up in the attached photo, dancer never made my list of what I wanted to be....funny how that works.

Stick around if you would like to find out more about me, and if I will be able to survive in my new role!

Welcome to my Blog!

I would like to welcome you to my Blog. I hope that the days ahead will be as fun and adventurous for you as they are for me. I wish to obtain some inner peace and consistency by using this Blog to share my experiences with anyone who chooses to follow it.

P.S. The good looking guy featured above is my wonderful French Bulldog, Leo. He has some wonderful tales of his own as well :)!