Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream

24 May

Some people say that inspiration is born of desperation, which is exactly what happens when it is cold and gloomy on a summer holiday and nothing sounds better than some coffee with Bailey’s.  Except that when the holiday lands on a Sunday and nobody thought of this ahead of time and you are in Minnesota, then you are out of luck because liquor stores are closed on Sundays.  It was on a day just like this that the recipe for Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream was born.  My thought was that a little scoop of the ice cream would be PERFECT in coffee, except that it was so tasty that it never quite made it that far.

Although this ice cream technically meets my criteria for low-calorie at 201 calories/serving, a half cup size serving is not huge.  So, watch the portion size when dishing up.  Compared to other premium ice creams, it has about 1/3 fewer calories.  Which seems shocking because it sure does not taste low in calories, even relatively speaking.

A few notes about ingredients:
- The first time I made this, I used 2% milk.  It was really tasty.  The second time, I used raw milk and I could definitely taste a creamier difference.  Because I believe that convenience sometimes trumps all, use whatever is easiest for you.
- As far as whiskeys go, I have become partial to 2GINGERS.  It is really tasty in cooking, baking, and in cocktails.  It is versatile and pretty smooth.  I would totally recommend it.
- Have you tried the Dutch cocoa powder from Penzeys?  It is AMAZING.  If you’re ordering some to give it a try, might as well get some Sandwich Sprinkle while you’re at it.  Not needed for this recipe of course, but good on every other thing in the world.

Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream
Serving size: 1/2 c.
Serves: 10

8 egg yolks, beaten
1 c. powdered sugar
3 c. whole milk
1/2 c. cocoa powder
2 t. vanilla
1 c. whiskey

In a large bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and powdered sugar until it is lighter in color (similar in color to butter) and texture.  Set aside.

In a double-boiler, heat the milk over medium heat.  Very slowly, add about 1/3 c. of warm milk to the egg mixture and keep mixing.  Adding the milk too quickly can result in cooked egg bits, so do it slowly and just keep the mixer moving.  Slowly mix in the cocoa powder and vanilla, mix until well blended.

Return the milk mixture to the double boiler and heat until thickened and coats the back of the spoon.  Stir the milk frequently to be sure it isn’t sticking to the bottom, and so that you can tell when it starts to thicken up.  If your double-boiler is small (like mine), do this step in two batches.

Remove from the heat and stir in whiskey.  Cover and refrigerate for a few hours.  When it is thoroughly cooled, churn in ice cream machine for about an hour.  Spoon into a container and freeze for a few hours.

Serve and enjoy.

Estimated calories:  201 cal/serving

Print it: Chocolate Whiskey Ice Cream

Notes:

  • You can substitute lower fat milk in this recipe, although it may change the texture a bit
  • I’ve also made this with chocolate chips instead of cocoa powder, and it was great.  In that case, omit the cocoa powder, and stir in the chocolate chips at the end, but before the whiskey.
  • Even after freezing, this ice cream has a texture similar to soft serve.

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Sriracha Shrimp with Steamed Coconut Rice

21 May

There are many nights when I sit, staring out the window and wish that somebody would drop off a bag of food.  It would be exactly what I didn’t know I wanted, from a restaurant that made excellent food and was conveniently located nearby.

On those nights, while I’m waiting for my food miracle to arrive, this might be my new go-to dish.  It is super easy, delicious, and practically cooks itself while I’m staring out the window.

Sriracha Shrimp with Steamed Coconut Rice

To prepare the rice part of this dish, I used a vegetable steamer with a rice insert.  I picked up an inexpensive one at Target this winter and I LOVE it (Model: Black and Decker).  To make the coconut rice, simply mix together the uncooked rice, water, light coconut milk and veggies, then add water, cover and leave alone until the timer goes off.  THAT’S IT.  The rice has a very mild flavor, isn’t sticky, and because it was cooked in the steamer it was easy to throw a few veggies in there and save myself a little effort.  With just a few minutes of prep and 35 minutes of doing something else, the rice and veggies are ready to eat.  AWESOME.

The shrimp part of this dish is SPICY.  Depending on your tastes, you could add more (to burn your face off) or reduce it.  Take note, there’s also a lot of garlic in here, which adds to the spice and also gives you pretty potent breath.  This might be good for the nights when you are sitting home, staring out the window BY YOURSELF.

The rice part of this dish would make an excellent side for all kinds of food.  The shrimp will be far too spicy for my kids, but I’d bet the rice will be popular.

Sriracha Shrimp with Steamed Coconut Rice
Serving size: 3 oz. shrimp + 1 c. rice
Serves: 4

1 c. Texmati rice
1/2 c. diced carrots
1/2 c. frozen peas
3/4 c. water
1/2 can light coconut milk
12 oz. shrimp (tails removed)
1/4 c. onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 T. olive oil
2 T. water
1 T. Sriracha
1 T. Worcestershire
Salt and pepper to taste

In a rice steamer, add rice, carrots, peas, water, and coconut milk.  Stir to mix.  Cover and steam for 35 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix together remaining ingredients and shake or stir to coat.  Let marinate while the rice mixture is cooking.  When the rice is done, add the shrimp mixture to a skillet over medium-high heat and cook for 2-3 minutes or until the shrimp is done.

Fluff the rice, then divide between four bowls, then divide the shrimp, placing it on top of the rice.  Serve extra Sriracha on the side.

Estimated calories:  360 cal/serving

Print it: Sriracha Shrimp and Steamed Coconut Rice

Notes:

  • If you don’t have Texmati rice, Basmati or any other long grain white rice would be a good substitute.
  • I used cooked, frozen shrimp because that is what I had on hand.  Fresh would be better.

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The Poolside Companion | 2012 Summer Reading List

15 May

A mild winter combined with 80′s in the forecast has me daydreaming about tattered paperbacks and sunscreen aromatherapy.  While Memorial Day will most likely mark my first sunburn of the season, I’m kicking off summer reading early.  This summer, my list includes old favorites, all books I haven’t read in ages, with a penchant for the slightly trashy.  These books are best in paperback, improve when splashed with chlorine or marked with sunscreen fingerprints.  And as long as you’re packing for the pool or beach, might as well load up the cooler with a drink that is book worthy.

The Poolside Companion: Trash, Tragedy, and Thirst

Valley of the Dolls | Jacqueline Susann
Published in 1966, this book follows a group of women over a twenty year time period marked by affairs, occasional fame, and pills (or DOLLS to you, 1966).
Drink Pairing: Vodka on the rocks

Rebecca | Daphne du Maurier
I first read this book in high school, having picked it up at a garage sale.  I remember nothing about the book, except thinking that it was a shockingly good for a garage sale find.  Love, mystery, and deception – the perfect poolside trifecta.
Drink Pairing: Port

Flowers in the Attic | V.C. Andrews
As a teenager, this was one of several books I read in secret, knowing that my mom would never allow it.  Hard to imagine how she could disapprove of children being locked in an attic, inappropriate relationships, and being called names like “the devil’s spawn.”
Drink Pairing: Wine Cooler

The Sixteen Pleasures | Robert Hellenga
Just after the waters of the Arno rose to flood the streets of Florence, book conservator Margot travels to offer her assistance in restoring works damaged by water and mud.  Art, books, and Florence, oh my.
Drink Pairing: Chianti

Prince of Tides | Pat Conroy
If you have never read anything by Pat Conroy, you are in for quite a treat.  A story filled with love, tragedy, and great characters, this book is beautifully written and will make you feel as though you’ve spent some time on the South Carolina coast.
Drink Pairing: Salty Dog (Highball with salted rim filled with ice + 2 oz gin + 4 oz grapefruit juice)

Still Woman Enough | Loretta Lynn
I love Loretta Lynn.  Love, love, love her.  This book is what I imagine is exactly what it would be like to sit at the kitchen table and have a long conversation together.
Drink Pairing: Shot of Whiskey

Blue Dahlia | Nora Roberts
Love, ghosts, and a little gardening.  Not usually one to choose a romance novel, I whipped through this book in no time.  And the next two in the series just a few days later.
Drink Pairing: Baby Blue (Highball filled with ice + 1-1/2 oz Blue Curacao + Diet Ginger Ale)

Skinny Legs and All | Tom Robbins
If you have never read anything by Tom Robbins let me start by saying this – his books are weird.  Weird, and awesome, and interesting, and filled with well-written sentences (unlike this one).
Drink Pairing: Skinny Ginger (Highball filled with ice + 1-1/2 oz 2GINGERS Whiskey + Diet Ginger Ale)

Prayer for Owen Meany | John Irving
The first book by John Irving I ever read, this book became a fast favorite.  It was over this book that I found a lifelong friend and developed a fondness for armadillos.
Drink Pairing: BOOZY ICED COFFEE (Lowball filled with ice + 2 oz iced coffee + 1/2 oz bourbon + 1/2 oz Baileys)

Kitchen Confidential | Anthony Bourdain
If you’ve ever spent any time working in a restaurant, this book will make you feel nostalgic for days filled with fast-paced work and late-nights spent drinking and smoking.
Drink Pairing: Six pack of beer

Too hard to remember all of these things?  It is summer, baby, but don’t break a sweat thinking about it.  I’ve made you a handy bookmark-sized reading and cocktail list.  Tuck it in your book and head to the liquor store, it’s time for summer to begin.

Print it: The Poolside Companion Bookmark

 

P.S. Are you using Goodreads?  If so, join our summer reading group “The Poolside Companion“.  All of the books on this list have been added to the group bookshelf.  From there, you can add any of the books to your own bookshelf, start a discussion, or suggest other pool-worthy books.

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Skinny Margarita

4 May

Like many other holidays with which I have no personal affiliation, I love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo. And by celebrate, I mean planning elaborate, home-made ethnic meals and then getting too tired to make them, requiring me to run out and pick up some take out that loosely relates to the holiday.  And because it happens so regularly, it is pretty much a set-in-stone tradition.

This year, we’re mixing it up from the usual six-pack of tacos and picking up a Taco Grande Pizza from Papa Murphy’s.  We tried it, and dude, it tastes exactly like a taco.  Martin preferred it as a cold leftover for breakfast, and then again later as a cold leftover for lunch and dinner.  The guy liked it cold, what can I say.

Whether you are picking up take out or whipping up a batch of homemade tortillas on which to serve the pulled pork and pico you made this afternoon (please invite me over), I would highly recommend making a batch of these.

Skinny Margaritas

Margaritas always sound like such a good idea until you’ve consumed two, have a stomach ache, and realize you’ve just consumed about 1,500 calories.  And that doesn’t even count the chips and guac that you may or may not have eaten while knocking back the margaritas.  This recipe cuts WAY back on the calories, is light and refreshing, and does not require pulling out the blender (although you certainly could).

 

Skinny Margarita
Serving size: 5.5 oz.
Serves: 2

 

3 oz. tequila
0.11 oz packet sugar-free lime margarita drink mix
8 oz. club soda
2 lime slices
Ice

Combine  tequila and lime margarita drink mix.  Add club soda and stir.  Divide between two glasses filled with ice.  Add a slice of lime to each, and serve.

Estimated calories:  111 cal/serving

Print it: Skinny Margarita

Notes:
- There might be many brands of lime margarita drink mix, I picked mine up at Target.

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Papa Murphy’s: The Mini Murph

26 Apr

Mini Murph. So cute to say, even cuter in the box.  Last night we picked up a few of the take-and-bake pizza kits from Papa Murphy’s.  Designed for kids, each kit is filled with everything they need to build their very own pizza including crust, sauce, cheese, pepperoni (optional), and a temporary tattoo.  Because nothing says “I’m a chef” like a tattoo.  The crust and sauce at Papa Murphy’s are non-dairy, so the kit is perfect for our house because it means that just by adding a little non-dairy cheese of our own, Sophie can have THE SAME as everybody else.  And when you’re seven, sometimes THE SAME is a big deal.

The kids took charge of the assembly, carefully reading the instructions.

Armed with rice mozzarella shreds, Sophie topped her pizza, stealing a few slices of pepperoni from Martin’s kit.  Martin consented, only because Sophie gave him the cheese from her kit and agreed that he could have FIVE slices of pepperoni to her FOUR.  If I had let her, I think she would have used a protractor and a scalpel to EXACTLY AND EVENLY divide that extra slice of pepperoni.  If left to their own devices, kids would use pepperoni as currency.

While the pizzas baked, the kids made some art.  I think its super important that kids learn to express themselves visually, so we do this every night before dinner.  KIDDING.  I tricked them into thinking that it was a required part of the Mini Murph’s that you do some drawing and writing while the pizza bakes.  I figure this will be good for maybe one or two more times before the jig is up.

Martin’s Mini Murph practically DARES you to eat him.

Sophie has a very big interest in title pages, therefore her title content makes up half of her story.  I know, a kid who likes title pages.  I wish that she’d been around when the card catalog was still a big piece of furniture filled with long drawers and tons of cards.  She’d have loved that old-fashioned thing.

Back to the pizza.  By the time they were done writing and drawing, the pizzas were ready.  They loved them.  I don’t know this for sure, but I think there may be a dash of MIRACLES in the ingredient list because the kids ate the whole thing – including the crust.  Which has never happened before.  EVER.

We loved the Mini Murph’s, and we’ll definitely have them again.  Thanks to Papa Murphy’s for the gift cards and for suggesting we give them a try!  We’re hooked.

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Honey Baked Chicken Tenders

19 Apr

When it comes to meat, there are very few options that Sophie is interested in eating.  Given a choice, she would eat primarily salami, pepperoni, sausage, summer sausage, and chicken nuggets.  All delicious in moderation, but not the healthiest choices on the block.  So when I suggested that we could make our own chicken nuggets, she said that I was sort of missing the point.  And while I was probably missing her point, my point was this – there has to be an option that would be both healthier AND something we’d all like to eat.

And of course, there is.

These chicken tenders were super easy to make, definitely healthier, and decidedly tastier than their processed-out-of-a-bag counterparts.  Without much prep and a little time in the oven, the chicken tenders were done in no time.  Made a bit crispy from an egg/flour coating and a little sweet with the addition of honey, they were delicious.  And everyone ate them – WITHOUT COMPLAINT.

Honey Baked Chicken Tenders
Serving size: 3 oz.
Serves: 4

Olive oil cooking spray
12 oz. chicken breast, cut into 16 pieces
1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. kosher salt
1/2 t. garlic salt
10 turns freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
2 T. soy milk
1 T. honey

Preheat oven to 375° F.  Spray baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine flour, salt, garlic salt, and pepper.  Stir to combine.

In another bowl, mix together a lightly beaten egg, soy milk, and honey.   Add chicken and stir until all of the chicken is coated in the egg mixture.

Remove each piece of chicken and dredge it in the flour mixture.  Place on baking sheet so that none of the pieces touch.  Spray all of the chicken with olive oil cooking spray.

Bake in oven for 15 minutes, turning chicken every five minutes and spraying again with olive oil cooking spray.  When chicken is lightly browned and a bit crispy, remove from oven and serve.

Estimated calories:  234 cal/serving

Print it: Honey Baked Chicken Tenders

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Tiny, Wearable Art

18 Apr

If you have young kids, it’s a pretty safe bet that you have a LOT of artwork around the house.  At our house the space on the Refrigerator Gallery as at a premium, particularly great stuff is framed and on the walls, we’ve scanned it in and made cards, and there are STILL more stacks of special work all over the place.  We are LONG on art, which is exactly how I like it.  But, it seems like a shame not to share more of it.  So, with Mother’s Day in mind, consider turning some of that art into fine jewelry that any Grandmother would be proud to wear (at least in the presence of the artist).

Tiny, Wearable Art

Turning original artwork into an art pendant is super easy.  The artwork starts out at regular size (making the production/artistic process so much easier) and then with magic less dramatic than Honey I Shrunk the Kids (i.e. your computer and/or scanner), the artwork is brought down to a tiny size – perfect for art you can wear.  In this example, each of the kids created one drawing on letter-sized paper.  I scanned them in, shrunk them to size, and stacked them so that both drawings would fit in a single pendant.  You could create one pendant per person or string several pendants from different artists on a single chain.  It’s up to you and the art crew.

Items you will need:

  • Metal Pendant: found in the jewelry section of craft stores, there are tons of styles and shapes, be sure to pick one that has a raised edge so that it can be filled
  • 3D Crystal Lacquer: often found at craft stores, but also available online
  • Scanner and printer
  • Scissors
  • Rubber cement or spray adhesive
  • Toothpicks
  • Chain, ribbon, or necklace for stringing the pendant

Get to work:

  1. Select the best artwork ever, or have your artist create some new work designed with the recipient in mind
  2. Take a photo of the artwork or scan it so that you have a digital version
  3. Shrink the image to the match the size of the pendant. Depending on your computer skills, you could do this with photo editing software or use your printer to scan and reduce the size until it will fit.
  4. Using a scissors, cut out the artwork so that it will fit in the pendant. I had the best luck by creating a template with scrap paper so that I knew it would fit in the pendant, then placed it over the tiny artwork, traced it, then cut it out.  This way, all the fine tuning is done with scrap paper and not the art copy.
  5. Using rubber cement or spray adhesive, apply a fine layer to the back of the cut out artwork.  Let it dry (no one ever wants to do this, but it will work better if you do).
  6. When the adhesive is dry, apply it to the inside of the pendant and smooth it flat.
  7. Fill the pendant with the lacquer, careful not to overfill.  If the paper buckles or ripples in the first minute or so, use a toothpick to poke it back into place.
  8. Set the pendant somewhere out of reach where you will not be tempted to touch it to see if it is dry.  Let sit for 24 hours to fully dry.

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Roasted Lamb with Sweet Potatoes

16 Apr

Considering that we’re just coming out of winter (today’s puny snowflakes notwithstanding), I really didn’t make very many traditional comfort foods this winter.  Sophie’s lack of interest in red meat has put a damper on the slow-roasted recipes I often make in the wintertime.  But yesterday, when it was sort of gloomy and gusty, it felt like the kind of day that called for something slow-roasted and aromatic in the oven.  Digging through the freezer, I uncovered a lamb shoulder roast, and set it out to thaw.  Channeling my inner Lynne Rossetto-Kasper, I whipped up a marinade using ingredients I had on hand and let the roast sit for a few hours in the refrigerator, flipping it every now and then while daydreaming about how awesome it was going to taste later.

And I was right.  This low effort meal was as delicious and flavorful as I had expected.  After letting the roast marinate for a few hours, I stuck it in the oven, left it alone, added sweet potatoes, left it alone again, and then served it up.  Everything was perfectly done and delicious.  To me.  However, if you were my kids, the review would have been slightly different.

Sophie’s Report: The lamb was fine.  For someone else to eat.
Martin’s Report: The lamb was really good, the potatoes were tasty, but he could have used a tweezers to remove every piece of rosemary from the plate.  Rosemary is INEDIBLE.

Unless you’re having them over for dinner, I’d highly recommend it.

Roasted Lamb with Sweet Potatoes
Serving size: Lamb + Sweet Potatoes
Serves: 4

1/2 c. lamb stock (beef or vegetable stock if lamb stock not available)
2 T. olive oil
2 T. onion, minced
1 T. brown sugar
1 T. cider vinegar
1 T. Dijon mustard
1 t. dried rosemary
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 t. kosher salt
10 turns freshly ground black pepper
1-1/2 lbs shoulder of lamb roast
1-1/2 lbs sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

In a large ziptop bag mix together stock through salt and pepper.  Close the top, shake well to mix thoroughly.  Add lamb and refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 325°F.  In a casserole dish, add the lamb and marinade.  Cover, and cook for 1 hour.  Add sweet potatoes, stir to mix in with the marinade, cover again and cook for an additional 30 minutes.  Remove from oven and let sit, covered, for 10 minutes.

Slice lamb across the grain and divide between plates.  Remove sweet potatoes from liquid and divide between plates.  Drizzle lamb and potatoes with cooked the juices from the pan.  Serve.

Estimated calories:  729 cal/serving

Print it: Roasted Lamb with Sweet Potatoes


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Watermelon Lemon Fizz

11 Apr

At the end of last summer, we walked to a Farmers Market a few blocks from our house.  Spying a table filled with watermelons, the kids BEGGED to have one.  Looking at their hot and sweaty faces, I agreed to buy one.  AND HAULED IT THE SEVERAL BLOCKS BACK TO OUR HOUSE.  We immediately sat down and cut off a few big slabs.  I handed them over, they took a bite, and declared it GROSS.  Certain they were exaggerating, I took a bite, and had to admit that while it wasn’t inedible, it wasn’t a very good watermelon.  Sort of mealy and somewhat flavorless; no one wanted to eat it.  A large, unwieldy watermelon that I CARRIED FOR BLOCKS that NO ONE WANTED TO EAT.

Determined not to waste it, I chopped it up into chunks, pureed the whole thing in the blender, set it over a fine mesh strainer to collect the juice.  I divided the juice into 2 c. portions and froze it.  And promptly forgot about it until I recently cleaned out the freezer and discovered several containers of frozen watermelon juice.

Watermelon juice on its own is mild and not very sweet.  Drinking it on its own, it feels a little bit bland.  It is refreshing and light, but still, no one really wanted to have more than a taste until we boosted it up.  In a large pitcher, we mixed together a can of frozen lemonade concentrate to add the sweet & sour that the watermelon lacked, and fizzed it up with some club soda.  The resulting punch was perfectly sweet and tart.  So easy to make, and a great way to use up watermelon should you find yourself with any overripe or not-that-tasty watermelon on hand.

Side note: To my adult and booze-lovin’ friends – consider this a base for your new summertime cocktail.  Add some rum or vodka for a light and refreshing drink.  Also, it would be delicious with champagne for a Bellini-like cocktail.

Watermelon Lemon Fizz
Serving size: 8 oz.
Serves: 8

5 c. ripe watermelon, cubed
12 oz can lemonade concentrate, thawed
1 liter club soda

Puree watermelon in blender.  Place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl, and pour puree into the strainer.  As the liquid drips through, press the watermelon with the back of a spoon to remove as much liquid as possible.   Let sit until most of the liquid has been removed, then discard remaining solids.

In a large pitcher, mix together watermelon juice and lemonade concentrate, and stir well to combine.  Add club soda and stir gently to mix.

Serve over ice.  Stir as needed to keep well-mixed.

Estimated calories:  139 cal/serving

Print it: Watermelon Lemon Fizz

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From the Archives: Peeps

3 Apr

Digging through the archives today I unearthed one of my favorite videos of all time.  Enjoy.

P.S. I have GOT to start taking more videos.  I bet in another four years, I’ll feel just as nostalgic watching videos from 2012 as I do today, looking back at 2008.

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