Sour Cream Pumpkin Pie
Labels:
Art you eat,
events,
pie,
recipes
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Sour Cream Pumpkin PieArt you Eat #5 (Autumn Edition)
It was after the episode of the pumpkin cupcakes from TWD that I was hooked on using pumpkin as an ingredient in my bakes. Pumpkin, once roasted and pureed existed in such a wonderful form. Both rich and insanely moist. Combined with all the spice that usually accompanies it, it was destined for greatness. At least under my palate, given that I had such a knack for sugar and spice.
Also since I had a little bit of sour cream left in the fridge. I thought to myself why not? Pumpkin = moisture, combined with sour cream, it should yield the most beautiful product with a lucious texture. And holding that thought in mind, I scanned through my books for an apt recipe. And viola! oh no!!! not another Dorie Greenspan recipe again? I shouldn't have... oh.. whatever...
Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough
- makes enough for a 9-inch single crust -
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 sticks very cold (frozen is fine) unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon-size pieces
2 1/2 tablespoons very cold (frozen is even better) vegetable shortening (non-trans fat), cut into 2 pieces
About 1/4 cup ice water
Procedure
Put the flour, sugar and salt in a food processor fitted with a metal blade; pulse just to combine the ingredients. Drop in the butter and shortening and pulse only until the butter and shortening are cut into the flour. Don't overdo the mixing—what you're aiming for is to have pieces the size of fat green peas and others the size of barley. Pulsing the machine on and off, add 3 tablespoons of the water—add a little water and pulse once; add some more water and pulse again; and keep going that way. Then use a few long pulses to get the water into the flour. If after a dozen or so pulses, the dough doesn't look evenly moistened or form soft curds, pulse in as much of the remaining water, or even a few drops more, to get a dough that will stick together when pinched. If you've got big pieces of butter, that's fine. The dough is ready and should be scraped out of the work bowl and on to a smooth work surface.
Shape the dough into a disk and wrap it. Refrigerate the dough at least 1 hour before rolling. (If the ingredients were very cold and you worked very quickly, you might be able to roll the dough immediately—you'll know: the dough will be as cold as if it had just come out of the fridge.) The dough can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or frozen for up to 1 month.
Once the dough is fitted into the pie plate, refrigerate it again. If you don't have time for a longish chill, just keep the pie plate in the fridge while you preheat the oven.
To Partially Bake a Single Crust: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Butter the shiny side of a piece of aluminum foil (or use nonstick foil), fit the foil, buttered side down, tightly against the crust and fill with dried beans or rice. Put the pie plate on a baking sheet and bake the crust for 25 minutes. Carefully remove the foil and weights and, if the crust has puffed, press it down with the side of a spoon (or lightly prick the crust). Return the pie to the oven and bake for about 8 minutes more, or until the crust is very lightly colored. Transfer the pie plate to a rack and cool to room temperature before filling.
- makes 6 to 8 servings -Adapted from Baking: From My Home to Yours
Ingredients
1 9-inch single crust made with Good for Almost Everything Pie Dough (see recipe below), partially baked and cooled, or one 9-inch tart shell made with Sweet Tart Dough, partially baked and cooled
2 cups (canned) unsweetened pumpkin puree ( i used 1 cup homemade pumpkin puree)
3 large eggs, at room temperature (i used 2)
1 cup (packed) light brown sugar (i used 1/4 cup white sugar and 1/2 cup light brown sugar)
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and cooled
1 1/2 cups heavy cream ( i used 3/4 cups heavy cream)
1/3 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
Pinch of ground cloves
Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch of salt
3 tablespoons dark rum
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
Lightly sweetened lightly whipped cream, for topping
Procedure
Getting ready: Center a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 450°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone baking mat and put the pie plate (or tart pan) on it.
Put all of the filling ingredients in a food processor and process for 2 minutes, stopping to scrape down the sides of the bowl once or twice. Alternatively, you can whisk the ingredients together vigorously in a mixing bowl. Rap either the work bowl or mixing bowl against the counter to burst any surface bubbles, and pour the filling into the crust.
Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the oven temperature to 300°F and continue to bake for 35 to 45 minutes longer (20 to 25 minutes for a tart), or until a knife inserted close to the center comes out clean. (If you don't want to create a slash in your masterpiece, tap the pan gently—if the custard doesn't jiggle, or only jiggles a teensy bit in the very center, it's done.) Transfer the pie (or tart) to a rack and cool to room temperature.
Serving: Pumpkin pie and whipped cream are naturals and, if you've tested the pie's doneness with a knife, you might want to serve the whipped cream as a cover-up. I like this pie chilled, but others are fans of it at room temperature – decide for yourself.
Storing: Like most pies, this one is best served the day it is made. However, you can make the pie early in the day and keep it refrigerated until needed.
Verdict: I love the warmth of the pie combined with the crispy and flaky pie crust. The pumpkin and sour cream melded together to form a rich and velvety texture that I loved. Kudos! By the way, this is my entry for Art You Eat #5 : Autumn! Please stay tuned for the round-up to!
yellowpiehole
Labels:
blogshop
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Just a little special for my readers out there. Read carefully if you're suffering from some hardcore shopping cravings!
I've recently made purchases from Yellow Pie Hole . (do please check out their site.) Open their webpage and I'm sure the whimsical little carvings and pendants will put a smile on your face. Take for instance the little dinosaur pendant! my gosh.. how cute! Pair that off with a plain tee top and you're set the rock the town!
Another plus point is the incredibly patient owner who kindly attended to my requests when some minor mishaps occured during the course of delivery. Kudos to her!
photos courtesy of yellowpiehole.livejournal.comSo if you gurls out there are bored of the normal dangly earrings, then do go down to their website to purchase some lovelies and make a statement (literally.. with those speech bubble earrings). haha.
TWD: Chocolate Chocolate-Cupcakes
TWD: Chocolate Overdose!Chocolate... a word that first pops to mind when you step into a cake shop. Simple unadulterated glossy rich goodness, all in the form of moist cakes, crisp waffles laden with a generous slathering of chocolate spread, heavenly chocolate ice-creams and pudgey eclairs bursting in its seams with thick chocolate pastry cream.
Funny thing is that chocolate has the opposite effect to me as do bananas. I do much prefer them in its solid state ( a.k.a solid bars of good quality chocolate) as compared to their many variations when incorporated into desserts. In fact, place me in front of a pastry display case and I'll be sure to choose that pistachio and apricot gateux over that lovely chocolate tart or eclair anytime!
But, no one can deny the 'happy' effects that accompanies every chocolate treats. And every once in a while, I'll reach out for that bar of white chocolate ( silly me..) or dark chocolate bar for that extra special reward.
Thanks Clara for choosing this recipe. Pity I didn't manage to decorate them with the halloween theme. For more cupcakes, visit the TWD Blogroll!
A trip down to Hotel 1929
Labels:
birthdays,
desserts,
food,
restaurants,
tart
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Head feeling just a lil heavy
Two special occasions marked on my calender this very day. First, Dad's Birthday and secondly Mum and Daddy's 26th year wedding anniversary. Figured it out yet? These two remarkably on the same day to wipe out the inconvenience of having to remember two dates... how clever... Guess this failure to recall dates habit runs in the family. haha.
My choice for a dining place, Ember sitauted in Hotel 1929 along Keong Saik Street. Just to set the records straight, I do eat lots of chinese food. In fact, we eat the normal fare at home everyday and only splurge on such occasions. Point of information for the many who bear the impression that I live on 'ang moh' food day in and day out. What a thought too.. haha.
Upon setting foot into the dining area, I was at first struck by the size of the restaurant. It was small and crowded. However, I was also impressed by what they had managed to achieve with that small space. Reproducing a chic dining experience in that tiny space, surrounded by posh furniture and not to mention upmarket cutlery (steak knives especially!). I was a bit edgy about the heavy leather covered chairs as they were so bulky it made moving about a difficult task. Thank God they were comfortable though. Pardon my finicky comments.
We proceeded to ordering our foods soon after seating. The menu was an interesting mixture of fusion dishes showcasing bold pairings of flavors and meats. One thing that interests me the most was the relative size of the appetiser section to the mains. The former was almost as long as the latter!? oh well.. In the end, I had the pan seared scallops wrapped with parma with a side of citrus salad (appetisers), the Chilean Seabass, mushroom and smoked bacon ragout with truffle-yuzu butter sauce sauce (main) and finally the warm banana tart with homemade lavender ice cream (dessert). Whereas the others ( ZH, Mum, Dad and Weiquan) covered the various courses such as foie gras, pork belly, beef tenderloin, apple tartin, warm chocolate cake, wasabi soft shell crab. Whilst waiting, we were immediately served water, our wines and the compliementary bread; This deserves special mention as it was so good, it sent my brother on an eating frenzy. Laden with oregano and other herbs, the bread was irresistible when served warm with a generous slice of softened butter. An excellent start to the meal.
The foods were soon served and the entire dinner service a whirlwind romance with food and its arty-farty presentations yet holistic value. The verdict: This place was a gem.. serving up some of the best mains I've eaten ever.
The best of the lot and definitely the most memorable was the chilean sea bass. The truffle yuzu butter sauce serving as an excellent companion to the buttery flaky fish that perpetually melted once convened in the mouth. The carpet of bacon and mushroom ragout that the fish sat on was divine as well providing textural contrast to the entire composition. I was taken by the freshness of the fish, it's succulent flesh studded with tiny bits of crispy skin that had been perfectly scored prior to cooking for the effect. A MUST-HAVE! The others traded in for a fare score. my mum claims the foie gras here to be the best of the 3 eateries, Brown sugar, the universal bar and bistro and Ember. I guess with all her acquired taste 'experience' in the field, she was most apt to judge. However, i felt that Brown Sugar dealt better with the pork belly than Ember; producing a juicier feel, richer in flavor than Ember. The Pan seared sea scallops wrapped in parma got a thumbs up from me as well; however ZH felt that the addition of the wrapped bacon somehow stole a little of the characteristic flavor of the scallop. It's all subjective than again. The beef tenderloin was nothing out of the ordinary and definitely won't be trying that again on the next visit.
Desserts department, the apple tartin 
scored the highest followed by the much coveted warm banana tart with lavender ice-cream and last of all the warm chocolate cake which i suggest everyone not to have (Brown sugar does a much better rendition of this classic.. nothing lost here if you don't order it).
scored the highest followed by the much coveted warm banana tart with lavender ice-cream and last of all the warm chocolate cake which i suggest everyone not to have (Brown sugar does a much better rendition of this classic.. nothing lost here if you don't order it).Total damage done $417 for the 5 of us including corkage fees for 2 bottles of wine. (in case u might be wondering, the corkage fees are $20 per bottle (red/white) and $25 for champagne; note that the cheapest wine sold in house is at least $80 so do consider B.Y.O).
Ember, a place definitely to be seen and also a dining location worth the splurge. With spectacular cuisine and fresh and bold flavor combinations, it's hard just resisting the urge to pop your head into the kitchen to sneak a peek at the chefs in charge.
Finally, I would like to end off the post with a lovely dedication to my parents!
To the best parents in the world. May the both of you stay happy and united for the longest time!
Monthly Mingle: Coffee and Tea
Labels:
coffee,
creamcheese,
desserts,
events,
monthly mingle
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my very first mingle with the lovely crew from yet again another baking event The Monthly Mingle hosted by MeetaK over at What's for Lunch Honey? The theme for this round-up. Coffee and Tea! Boy am i ecstatic. Two of my must have drinks in the whole world combined in a galore of recipes housed under one roof. I can't wait for the round-up.
But then again, here's my penny's worth. My entry would be a Vanilla Cream Cheese Panna Cotta layered with coffee gelee and studded with Valrhona Crunchy Pearls!I made this as one of the trio of desserts i mentioned earlier for a family barbeque including the cappuccino chiffon cake (for cakeslice bakers), a french apple tart and this little baby here. To be honest, this dessert was backbreaking work. So don't try it unless you think you've got lots of time on your hands. I on the other hand was disillusionised to think that I had lots of time on mine. Wishful thinking. Halfway through the ardous night, I was left stranded like a beached whale in my kitchen just regretting my choice. *ouch*
Nonethless, it worked out to be a beautiful dessert. Looking extremely elegant in the individual glasses. The taste, was spot on, the cream cheese panna cotta layers carrying a creamy texture with a tiny bit of tang and the coffee gelee providing an excellent bittersweet contrast. The Valrhona pearls scattered over the tops added a bit of body and crunch to the entire package. All in all, a delightful dessert.
TWD: Pumpkin Muffins
so with the offset of the glorious autumm season, I can only sit at home and dream of the orange, red and yellow carpets of fallen leaves and the bare naked tree branches shivering in the early winter winds.
Perhaps it's just my silent yearning. It's always been a dream of mine, to be able to take in the seasonal weather phenomenons such as the auroras or northern lights, the blissful showers of sakuras in Japan and most of all the colorful shards of fall colors that pile up high every autumm. Scenes like that to change your life. Holding so much peace, so much composure in each and every angle. It just puts you at ease with life and the entiriety of the higher power.
This week, dearest Kelly of Sounding my Barbaric Gulp chose for all of us to do the Pumpkin Muffins. When i close my eyes and resonate the word pumpkin in my head, i imgaine an unadulterated world of warmth, comfort and joy of companionship and family. It's no wonder, with all that spices thrown in, I could perhaps get a little piece of the warmth involved...
After making the pumpkin puree from scratch ( had been on the hunt for the canned pumpkin puree for ages, then decided to do my own instead), which involved a simple slow baking for 1 hour to reduce the pumpkin to a soft mush and then putting it in the food processor. I added everything as per se in the recipe. Reason being, i was a little too lazy for modification. So i did add sliced almonds instead of pumpkin seeds over the top; a change which i loved since i absolutely adore the crispy bits sticking out of the rocky beds. Other than that, the recipe was a pleaser. THe muffins could use a spreading of marmalade too...
Looking forward to the chocolate-chocolate cupcakes next week!
i just noticed it's my 500th post! *beams*
twelve + one =?
Labels:
cakes,
restaurants
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Twelve + One
Patisserie. Bakery. Cafe
It all started with some careless flipping of the newspapers. Hmph.. Twelve + One @ Rochester Park? I contemplated for a while, weighed the pros and cons between the two choices, Laurent Bernard's Cafe and Chocolate Bar and Twelve + One. Since I were to be making the trip together with Fen and Evan, I thought it would be nice to try out the newly opened establishment at rochester instead since Fen had already visited Laurent's upon a few occasions. Aren't I sweet and thoughtful?
Honestly, the truth is that I've never had a penchant for chocolate pastries. I, to suffer from a chocolate overload was nothing that I desired at that moment.. haha.
The four of us, Fen, Yuan, Evan and I then ventured into rochester on a lovely saturday afternoon. The sweltering heat and harsh lighting somehow just made the experience a whole lot better as we retreated into the comforts of a cottage-like colonial bungalow.
As we took our first midget steps into the cafe, we were greeted by blasts of lovely pastel pink and white motifs. Shelfs of bottled homemade jams and other goodies lined the walls. Dainty pastries and packed biscuits sat in pretty little wicker baskets on the other side. And a centralised glass case showcasing the artfully tasty desserts of the day. It was certainly a sight for sore eyes. (For more photos please go to Evan's site!)
After a bout of snapping and trigger-happy moments, we settled down to our table at the corner of the elongated dining area. The table was certainly a work of art. With its wicker seated chair and its lace cloth lined table tops, it reminded me of a scene out of a Martha Stewert Home Decor Book. The natural light spilled in throught the window panes which were side-drapped with blue curtains. How quaint. Just seating within the premises gave me such a homely feel. I was immediately drawn to the harmony of the lush forested surroundings and the lovely secluded cottage style decor. Definitely fit for a queen! not that i think i'm the queen or anything... heh.
We ordered our drinks first. I had my cappuccino. And boy was it good.. had been craving for one since.. yesterday! hah. The onslaught of desserts followed. Alright now, so lets do a little introduction game.
This is Morgane ( $7), an entrement made of blackberry, cassis and champagne (as quoted from Evan's Blog because other than the blackberry's presence, I couldn't decipher the rest of the component layers). Well, let's just say this cake is a wolf in sheep's clothing. Pretty on the outside but empty on the inside. Other than the slight tangy kick i got from the blackberry jam layer, I didn't quite like the rest of it.
the petit fours sampler ($7 for 6) comprising of tartlets, macarons and mignardises. These i felt were again not up to standard. Should you be interested in little pastries such as this, please do give Caffe Cova a try, it may be a little pricey though. The most disappointing of the lot were the macarons. The pistachio macarons beared zilch flavor of any pistachios, the shell comprised of a large pocket of air that proceeded to a cracking shell soon after i laid my spoon through it. Furthermore, the pastel shade of green almost close to mint was very unappetising for me. haha. Never try to inject too much color into my diet. It just irks me...
And finally this is Mistral ($7), my pistachio baby. I really liked this one, the classic combination of apricots and pistachios revisted once. The cake was a delight to nibble at, every bite comprising of almond biscuit joconde layer, a divine pistachio creme and apricot preserves. This for me certainly was a luxury on the palate.
my gosh, just doing this post makes me want to head back there again! So craving for some afternoon tea yet? please head down to Twelve + One then. Be transported back to a different era with this truely vintage experience.
Thanks Fen, Yuan and Evan for the lovely afternoon! Let's do this again soon... Brad wanna join in?
Roasted Bananas!
When life gives you bananas...
you roast them and throw them into ice cream!!!
well that's exactly what i did here..
recipe taken from David Lebovitz 'The Perfect Scoop'
Roasted Banana Ice Cream
makes about 1 Liter
3 medium-sized bananas, peeled
1/3 cup (70g) packed light brown sugar
1 tblspoon butter, salted or unsalted, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups whole milk
2 tblspoon granulated sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 tsp coarse salt
- Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius
- Slice bananas into 1/2 inch thick slickes and toss them with brown sugar and butter in 2 liter baking dish. Bake for 40mins. Stirring just once during the process, until bananas are browned and cooked through.
- Scrape bananas and the thick syrup into a blender and add milk, granulated sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and salt and puree till smooth.
- Chill mixture thoroughly in the fridge then freeze in the icecream maker according to manufacturer's instructions.
the malt ice cream recipe looks pretty tempting.. hehe.
TWD rewind: Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops
cornmeal in biscotti? gosh.. *nudges thru empty wallet* groanz. Why can't cornmeal come at a cheaper price and smaller portions? Well.. I'll just have to give it a skip. Moreover, the promotional packet of maltesers beckons to me from the shelf. hehe. I've been eyeing this recipe for a long long time since i gave it a miss because of some time constraints that very week.
the Chocolate Malted Whopper Drops were chosen by Rachel of Confessions of Tangerine Tart (recipe here) and originally scheduled for the Sep 8th. Overall, a great recipe chosen by the lady. The whole experience being extremely enlightening. Especially the part where you get to chop the maltesers up. hehe. Sure sounds like i've some form of sadistic violent disorder don't I. haha. Nothing like that actually. Just that i love the pleasant crunch as the blade slides through the core of the honeycomb centre. It's the sound of music to my ears...
I greedily gobbled down two for breakfast. These little beauties are irresistable. incredibly chunky in appearance due to the additional chopped chocolate and maltesers that i sprinkled over the top before baking. my favourite part; the stickiness of the honeycomb in the parts where it melds with the cookie dough. *yum*. And since I used vanilla flavored malt powder as recommended by many other TWD bloggers. The end result, a cookie that wasn't over the top chocolately.. Just nice for me. hehe.
Still, the best cookie for my has got to be the Chunky Peanut Butter and Oatmeal Chipsters. Those were the ultimate cookies! What do you guys think?
Whisk:Bakery & Cafe
Labels:
cakes,
food,
restaurants
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Sweet fix: Whisk: Bakery & Cafe
and so my sweet tooth led me to this place...
Okay, returning back to the point of me..no.. i reviewing whisk. Yes.. situated in the less popular crown centre along Bukit Timah road, the little bakery and cafe seemed to recieve little attention despite the many 'full houses' in the resturants nearby. With it's alarmingly red 'finger' cushion chairs and subtle black outlinings, it proved to be a cosy place for a cup of coffee and a dainty pastry to go along. Having passed by here before, i distinctly remember the 3-D Gucci Bag modelled cake in the display window the last time. That was enough to make me come back again, even if to appease my curiousity with regards to the quality of cakes they served up in the tiny eatery.
During my 2nd visit, the cake was gone. However, the other desserts in the were alluring enough with their fanciful chocolate decorations, fans, ruffles, transfer patterns, gold sprinkles and all. The lady staff, whom i reckon could have been one of the operating managers approached us and gave a thorough explanation of the components of the cakes available. In the end, after some tough brain wrecking, my bf and I ordered the autumn passion ( a combination of chocolate and coffee) , a cappuccino and a watermelon juice.
We then proceeded to the sofa seats and settled down with the accompaniment of a fine selection of magazines provided by the cafe. The orders soon arrived. ahh.. coffee.. i relented. The watermelon juice was excellent and very fresh as reviewed by the boyfried. And the cake.. hmph.. how should i put it.. *pondering*..
It was excellent. The deep dark flavor of chocolate in the mousse was heightened by the addition of coffee. Tiny details such as the gold-powdered coffee beans helped to provide an insight to the dessert, the tempered chocolate ball that topped the dessert together with the honey-combed like chocolate biscuit that crowned the cake provided excellent textural contrast to the gentle mousse. The best thing happened when we hit the middle of the cake. What was that? we had struck liquid gold!!! Dark chocolate sauce flavored with hints of coffee liquor encased in a chocolate shell dangling in mid-mousse heaven. How ingenious! and boy was it good.
Now i'm just contemplating going down again soon to try the rest of their creations.. *chuckles*
Whisk: Bakery & Cafe
557 Bukit Timah Road, #01-12/13
Crown Centre
Singapore 269694
Tel: 6465 0438
Website: http://www.whiskcake.com/
Opening hours: 9am - 3am
dilemma
Labels:
orders
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Just a personalised fondant topped cupcake design that i was working on for a customer of mine.
Guess I'll be offering this service more in the future...
the customisation thingy kills me sometimes though. All the brainstorming... argh.
Love/hate relationship with baking.
Meantime, as Sihan struggles to stay afloat in the torential flow of fierce currents downstream, she still goes places...
Cupcakes at the mercy of the judgement of Pastry Chef at Shangri-la? 8/10 rating.. not too bad huh?
Food tasting session @ ThaiPan on thursday sponsered by Hungrygowhere. Benefits of having a highly viewed profile. *shrugs*.. who could turn down a free meal?
Craving for Amedei Coffee Crunch Ice-cream. *swoons*
Cupcake Hero: Baker's Choice
Labels:
Cupcake Hero,
cupcakes,
events
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Cupcake Hero: Baker's ChoiceAfter a long hiatus from the Cupcake Hero.. hmph. no exact reason why but somehow things just didn't work out with every season come and go. However, with the Cupcake hero's new website and big birthday.. i knew i had to make an exception for this occasion!
And to top the whole thing off, i swaggered a nice finish of italian meringue buttercream on the top.. and of course flavored heavily with MORE rum!!! With a dusting of lemon rimming sugar. This lovely cocktail cupcake was ready to go!!! the verdict... mum said it was nicer than my usual oreo cupcakes. That's a good sign, and the rum flavor was superb in the cake itself.. surprisingly... YAY! to be honest. I have only tried mojito as a cocktail once.. and that was eons again. Perhaps I should get myself a drink.. hmph...
Just for Laughs
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With all the animousity in the air...
here's one just for laughs!!!
(click on the picture to be linked to the video site!)
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