Jumpin' From The Frying Pan Straight Into The Fire!

I warned y'all I was going to be mighty busy this month, but I guess I forgot to warn moi...imagine that!

Things have really been jumping at W&T's (and for that I am most grateful), but reloading my space...not once, but twice...has added to my burgeoning Ta Da list.  Not that I'm complaining mind ya...aw con-tra-ree mes amies...but I do feel as if I'm neglecting y'all.  To try and make up for it, I'm offering up my "tried and true" recipe for cooking up one hot mess.  Got your pen and paper handy?  All righty then...let's get cookin'...

Trash's secret party recipe for Squirrel Stew!

I guarantee it'll have 'em begging for seconds...and thirds! 

First you'll need to assemble all the necessary components for this concoction.  This may take a little time and patience to find just the right spices and secret ingredients hidden away in remote, hard-to-reach places...but oh so worth the effort!

Since I like to make  jumbo batches for party-sized crowds, feel free to increase/reduce the amounts to serve your needs.

Step One:

Take three (3) truck loads of junk quality merchandise and

add two (2) backseat loads of very cool, smallish items. 

Slowly stir in a tub of glassware, taking care not to break anything salable, but don't cry over spilt milk if you hear the sound of tinkling glass.  After all...you can't make an omelet without cracking some eggs.

Step Two:

Once you have all your dry ingredients assembled, place in a roasting backyard pan and baste with three (3) buckets of sweat. 

This step is very important and is the roux that holds all the ingredients together, forming a  pastiche of taste and style!

(FYI...While a chafing dish is not recommended...keeping a box of baking soda on hand is.  When working in this much heat, the  danger of underwear fires caused by excessive chafing is always present!)

Step Four:

At this point of preparation, you'll need to be thinking about garnishes.  Your own personal taste buds are instrumental for creating your own unique bouquet garni!

As Julia Child must of (had to of) said at some time or another..."A copy never tastes as wonderful as the original."...so make it full of the flavor of YOU!

Step Five:

For those who like their dishes sweet, sugar can be added at this point.  In fact, my mother always added a pinch of sugar to a recipe calling for salt...and vicey-versey...so with 3 buckets of sweat... I highly recommend more than a pinch or two!

  Bear Claws are always a welcome addition, but I prefer my sweetener in this kind of cute packaging.

( I stole, I mean borrowed this photo from Sherry who was in the fantastic group of ladies  from the Gilded Life I met at W&T's!)

Nothing artificial about this cotton-candy dish.  In fact...just the right amount of spun sugar to make ya wanta slap yore mama!  This La LuLu of a cupcake is so deliciously divine...she deserves her own post and I'll be serving one up this week.  Be prepared to fall in love...I did!

Step Five:

You will now begin to separate your olla podrida into equal parts depending on your serving needs.  I just happen to need it for three upcoming special occasions.

One for Paper Cowgirls Vendor Night...which I just participated in this past Saturday!

One for Winnie and Tulula's Junke And Disorderly Sale ...which just happens to be this upcoming weekend!

And of course...

One to grow on...for The Greatest Show On Dirt!

For the first batch, I allowed the mixture to simmer outside in the Texas heat while the temperature inside the trailer rose to hotterthanblueblazes.  We popped our Junque Jambalaya into the pre-heated truck, burned up the highway to Waxahachie and being careful not to scorch ourselves, removed and placed it all on a steamy, hot parking lot outside the Paper Cowgirl Playground!  Served warm, straight off the griddle, to a bunch of hot nuts who love all things spicy...it was delish!

This piping, hot melange was guaranteed to melt in your hand...not in your mouth as demonstrated above by one of the lovely taste testers! 

(Did I mention hot nuts?

Beth (Happy Birthday sweet girl) and Lisa made setting up look like fun.  These two were hotter than a pepper's sprout...all the while glistening in the shimmering sun!)

I made sure to set my timer ('cause time sure does fly when we're having fun) to have a second batch ready and waiting for vendor night at Paper Cowgirls...where girls really do just wanta have fun.  Once again the old adage of "git 'em while they're hot" rang true!  No oven mitts required...in fact...all gloves came off when it came time to getting the goodies!

(Thanks to Cindy for letting me try out my recipe on a lovely bunch of coconuts cowgirls!)

Now I've got to start preparing the sizzling batch for our big 2nd birthday bash in Athens this coming weekend.  No left-overs y'all...always freshly picked!

I hope y'all will think about joining us...I'll save you a plate!  Heck...I'll serve pheasant under glass if that's what it'll take to get you to come see me and the Cat!

In the meantime...I'll be watching you...and wishing you the sweet smell of success!