Pineapple!! The definition of tropical, pineapple is sweet, tart, juicy, refreshing, it is amazing. High in vitamin C and antioxidants, pineapple also aids in digestion. Eat it on its own, grilled, or cooked into something, however you do it have some pineapple!
An ice cream cake, I think, is like the ultimate celebration. Like something really amazing happened or maybe it is just a Tuesday. Recently I got one to celebrate my grandparents getting back safe and sound. It is great to see them again and they were thrilled with the cake.
(I originally was thinking a Fudgy the Whale cake, it seems like it has become the iconic ice cream cake, but the closest Carvel was an hour away.)
Peaches & cream. This will always be my first thought when I think peaches & cream. I think this was a 90s kid staple. Between early mornings for school and camping trips I had many a pack of instant oatmeal. I remember getting the brown sugar variety pack more often, but sometimes we got this one. The peaches & cream was the best, hands down.
Vanilla Milkshakes. Thick, cold, creamy, vanilla-y perfection. Nothing compares to a good vanilla milkshake. The milkshakes I am thinking of all start with ice cream and milk, but that has not always been the case. When the term ‘milkshake’ was first printed in 1885, it was describing a true breakfast of champions; an eggnog like beverage of milk, eggs, and whiskey.
In 1922, Ivan “Pop” Coulson invented the milkshakes we know and love today. Coulson worked as a soda jerk at Walgreens starting in 1914. One day while adding the milk, chocolate, and malt to make a milkshake, Coulson decided to add some of Walgreens house made ice cream. Game changer.
As time marched on, syrups, sauces, and inclusions of all kinds have been added to make an infinite number of milkshake combinations. After a long, hot day, a milkshake is like a reward. Maybe you have been busting your hump getting work done today, and maybe you deserve a cold, refreshing treat. Celebrate!
In the name of research, I wanted to try the areas best vanilla milkshakes, so sayeth the Yelp, and see what I thought. It was a grueling task, but someone had to do it. I have only made it through four so far. Which is your favorite?
Below is I assume the recipe card for the original milkshake. Walgreens has this posted on their site with the information about Ivan “Pop” Coulson.
Old Fashioned Chocolate Malted Milk
International Sushi Day. I do not think I have the proper words to describe the yum of sushi. I love sushi. A Japanese dish which is actually more about the rice than it is the fish or seafood. Sushi comes from a Japanese word meaning ‘sour rice.’ Sushi rice is a thicker, stickier rice. It is cooked with vinegar, salt, sugar, and other ingredients.
Peanut butter cookies. This salty, sweet, nutty, buttery treat is a classic. I used to think of the homemade peanut butter cookies; always a little oily but oh so delicious. Second I used to think of Nutter Butters; peanut-shaped peanut butter cookies w a peanut butter cream filling.
Since getting Jesse Szewczyk’s book Cookies: The New Classics, the only peanut butter cookies for me are the PB&J Crème Pies. These are out of this world amazing: the soft texture of a crème pie with all the nostalgia of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. I can not recommend this book enough! Everything I have made so far is delicious.
Eggs. I love eggs, from my head down to my legs, the incredible edible egg. Julia Roberts had to figure out what style of eggs she liked and I have just embraced that I love eggs. Scramble with cheese, fried over easy, poached, soft boiled, omelet, frittata, eggs are delicious. When I make time to prep, I love to make these egg bites.
Crack ’em: start by cracking a bunch of eggs into a bowl.
Beat ’em: add most of a small container of ricotta cheese, salt, and cracked pepper. Beat it all together until well combined.
Veggie ’em: add a healthy amount of spinach, a can of diced tomatoes, and a diced green onion.
Cheese ’em: add a healthy amount of cheddar cheese.
Pour ’em: pour them into a well greased cupcake tin.
Bake ’em: bake them for 18 min
I mostly follow The Spruce Eats recipe for Easy Oven Egg Bites but I swap the half and half for ricotta. You can find the full recipe here https://www.thespruceeats.com/easy-oven-egg-bite-recipe-5214233. These are super tasty. I freeze them and microwave a couple at a time. They taste just as fresh reheated, it is amazing.
Rotisserie chickens. Succulent, golden, juicy, meaty, and you can taste the “this has been cooking for almost two hours” deliciousness. You can taste it, and you cannot rush it. These have become a staple in most grocery stores and are so easy to enjoy and repurpose.
I like to get a rotisserie chicken, break it down into one pound portions, and freeze it until I am ready to use it. It stays just as succulent and will absorb any flavor you add to it. I will make tacos or add some barbecue sauce or any other number of things.
After I break down the carcass, I like to make a stock. In this case I added an onion, two bulbs of garlic, about three thumbs of ginger, and about five carrots.
Macarooooons!! Like eating a big, thick, chewy cloud of coconutty goodness. I do not remember the first time I had a macaroon, but they have always been near to my heart. They are my mom’s favorite. I remember there was almost always package of them at the house. I think we made them once or twice even.
I wanted to celebrate by making some from scratch. I followed Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons Recipe. Super easy and if you like coconut, highly recommend making some of these. I was so excited to make these I did not take a picture of the ingredients. You will need shredded coconut, condensed milk, vanilla, three eggs, and salt.
Combine most of your ingredients: combine the coconut, condensed milk, and vanilla.
Beat it: beat eggs and salt until you get medium-firm peaks.
Fold it: fold the egg whites into the coconut.
Scoop it: use grandma’s melon baller to make them cookie size.
Bake it: bake until golden, cool, and enjoy!
I followed Ina Garten’s Coconut Macaroons Recipe over on https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/coconut-macaroons-recipe3-1916155. I did substitute half of the coconut for unsweetened. There are simply sublime.
Grape Popsicles? A simple equation of liquid, cold, and time. Popsicles were invented in San Francisco in 1905 by an 11 year old boy named Frank Epperson. One hot summer day Frank mixed some powdery sugar soda mix with water and accidentally left it out overnight, straw and all. Well it froze in the night and Frank went back the next day to find the first ever Popsicle.
Frank changed the straw to a wooden stick, called it an Epsicle, and started selling them around the neighborhood. In 1923, Frank expanded to selling them at the near by Neptune Beach. Seen as the “West Coast Coney Island,” Neptune Beach included a roller coaster and an Olympic size pool among its offerings. Visitors loved the Epsicle.
1923 was also the year Frank Epperson applied and received a patent for Popsicles. His children referring to them as, Pop’s ‘Sicles, encouraged him to change the name and call them what they called them. Upon receiving the patent, popsicles became a trademarked name. The unofficial name for them are ice pops or ice lollies.
Whatever you call them, let’s make some. I decided to make them in these cute little jelly jars.
I am just going to fill them up a good bit, wrap them w plastic wrap, and stick the stick through the top. Pop them in the freeze and wait until the next day.
How cute are these! And just like that you’ve made some grape popsicles. Celebrate!
Enriching the Community * Harvesting Home Ownership 