Mini Meltdowns, Bacon Apple Pie Redux and Beer Cocktails…what more do you need?

I’ve been struggling a bit lately, with lots of work and lots of emotion and the feeling that I’m just barely making it all happen.

And then last weekend I had a mini meltdown; the culmination of too much stress, a calendar jam-packed with deadlines, and a lot of change in the last six months. So I ranted and I cried. I went on and on, while Andy stood close by, knowing he couldn’t do anything at that moment. Then I sat on the living room table and cried…that ugly, slobbery kind of crying where you’re gasping for air and you feel like it’s never going to be okay. But Andy hugged me and things got better. And once he could get a word in, he helped some more, with a few little nuggets of advice that were spot on. I feel like I’m slowly getting back on track…

My blog has taken a bit of a back seat while I try to regain some sense of normalcy, but I have been busy in the kitchen for SheKnows. So I’m taking a little shortcut here and linking to some of my recent recipes.

I made Bacon Apple Pie again and it’s worth taking a peek at here. (You’ll find version #1 in miniature here.) The mini pies were a huge success and the latest full-size version is just as good.  Don’t doubt the salty/sweet combination…it’s incredible. Seriously.

And really, it wouldn’t be a complete post without cocktails, would it?? I made some beer cocktails for a Father’s Day post. Check out my recipes for a Chocolate Stout Martini, Spicy Jalapeno Beer Bloody Mary, and Beer Whiskey Sour here… I admit that they sound kind of weird, particularly the chocolate martini, but trust me, I tasted each and every one and they’re actually pretty darn good.