Category Archives: Food & Drink

Blackberry Basil Buttermilk Ice Cream

July 28, 2014

Well, what a week. We are finally headed home. We (mostly my brother Joash) worked for 6 straight days on Riley. It really was my dad, Lonnie, Joash and I on it for a good solid week. He’s not even cute yet, but he’s super strong and safe. As soon as it cools down in Bakersfield, I’ll start working on painting him.

We managed to do a little blackberry picking around my parent’s place in Eureka, CA. We made three batches of jam – classic blackberry, blackberry basil and blackberry mojito jam. We also made a big batch of blackberry curd and my mom made the BEST ice cream, Blackberry Basil Buttermilk. So, as promised, here’s the recipe for this creamy, fresh frozen treat.

Blackberry Basil Buttermilk Ice Cream

3 cups of heavy whipping cream
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
4 eggs
3/4 cup blackberries pureed (plus a couple extra berries)
6 basil leaves

In a blender or food processor blend the berries and basil together to make a puree. In a sauce pan over medium, heat cream, milk and sugar until sugar dissolves. Whisk the egg yolks in another bowl. Take 1 cup of the hot cream mixtures and whisk it into the eggs. Then pour the eggs into the cream mixture and whisk well. Cook over medium heat for 8 mins, stirring constantly. Do not let it boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the blackberry and basil puree. Mash up a handful of whole blackberries with the back of a spoon. Stir the berries into the prepared ice cream mixture. It’s nice to have just a few chunks of the berries throughout. Chill the mixture completely and then freeze according to your ice cream maker instructions.

etc. / Food & Drink

Ginger Mint Watermelon Sorbet

July 15, 2014

I’m finely back home for a couple of days. I’m so sorry that I’ve been so sporadic with posts lately. Traveling to Canada, single parenting, and doing homework left me little time to get the posts out that I wanted to. But, I’m home and it’s HOT here!

Are you needing a cool Summer treat? I’ve got a really refreshing dessert to beat the heat. Nothing taste more like Summer then watermelon. This frozen treat has a little kick with a hint of fresh ginger and mint. And it’s so easy to make.

Ginger Mint Watermelon Sorbet
1 small seedless watermelon (about 4 cups of watermelon pureed)
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
2 tbsp. fresh ginger grated
2 tbsp. finely chopped mintpinch of salt

Start by making a simple syrup. Place the sugar, water, ginger, mint and salt in a small sauce pan. Bring to a boil and boil for one minute. Pour into a glass jar and refrigerate till it is cold.

Remove all the watermelon from rind, place in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for a couple hours.

Drain the ginger and mint out of the simple syrup. Combine the syrup and watermelon puree, place in the bowl of an ice cream maker. Freeze according to the directions of your machine. Store in an airtight container in the freezer.

What’s your go-to Summer flavor?

P.S. Got these cute little milk glass glasses at the little Idaho vintage market I went to with my sis-in-law and mother-in-law. There were only 5 (perfect number for our family) but, I’ll be on the hunt for more.

Food & Drink

Lavender Lemonade

May 2, 2014

As promised, I’m back with the Lavender Lemonade recipe. I made a huge double batch of this for The Land of Nod Tour Bus stop at our place. I think everyone enjoyed it. It’s got a great earthy taste and is super refreshing.

Last summer, when I was at my parent’s place in Northern Cali, I had a glass of Lavender Lemonade on the Plaza in Arcata. Ever since I’ve been wanting to make some for myself. Having a party is always a good excuse to try something new. I’m so glad I’ve figured this out. This will be a Summer staple in our house.

Lavender Lemonade

5-6 lemons (enough to make 1 cup of lemon juice)

2 quarts of water

ice

lemon slices for each glass

Lavender Simple Syrup (this is enough to make two pitchers of lemonade)

2 cups sugar

1 cup water

2 tbsp. dried lavender

To start, you’ll need to make a lavender simple syrup. It’s best if you make it a day before.

With a mortar and pestle, crush the lavender to release the oil. In a small sauce pan, bring to a boil all the ingredients. Let boil for 1 min. Remove from heat, pour into a glass container, cover and refrigerate over night. The next day, pour the simple syrup through a fine sift.

To make a 2 quart pitcher of lemonade, combine 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice with 1/2 of the simple syrup and enough water to make 2 quarts. You can adjust the sweetness of the lemonade by adding more or less syrup and lemon juice.

Happy Friday! It’s been in the 90F’s all week here, so we’re ready to cool off with a refreshing drink. I hope you have a great weekend. I’m going camping with my hubby’s Ecology Club in the Sequoias. Man, I need a weekend at home, too much fun and traveling lately.

Food & Drink

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

February 10, 2014

Our lemon tree is loaded right now. We actually have some of the branches propped up with sticks so they don’t break under the weight of the fruit. So, if life gives lemons, make Pink Lemonade Pound Cake! It’s the perfect sweet buttery, tender cake infused with lots of lemoney goodness. Since Valentine’s Day is almost here, I tinted this cake a little pink just for fun.

Pink Lemonade Pound Cake

1 cup butter

2 cups sugar

4 eggs

1/2 cup lemon juice

1/2 cup sour cream

3 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

zest of 2 lemons

Beat butter and sugar together well. Add eggs and mix. Add the lemon juice and and sour cream and mix until smooth. In a separate bowl, mix all dry ingredients together with a whisk. Add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, mix until combined.

Butter two loaf pans well. Pour 1/4 of the batter into each of the pans. Add a small amount of red dye to the remaining half of the batter to color it pink. Spoon tablespoons of the pink mixture on top of the prepared pans and white batter. Take a knife and swirl the two batter colors together. Bake in a 350 F oven for about 50 mins. or until a knife comes out clean. When the loaves are done, remove from the pans and cool on a wire rack for about 10 mins. Top with lemon glaze while the cake is still a little warm.

Makes 2 loaves.

Lemon Glaze

juice of one lemon

2 cups of powder sugar

Mix together with a whisk until smooth.

Adapted from the Lemon Loaf recipe from Company’s Coming Muffins and More Cookbook.

Food & Drink

Sausage and Cannellini Bean Soup

February 6, 2014

Do you need a quick dinner idea that can be made in about 20 minutes? This hearty and healthy soup is perfect for busy, cold weather days.

I love chicken sausage, I have a favorite one that I get at my local grocery store. It has spinach, feta and fennel in it. But, this recipe would work well with regular Italian sausage as well.

I also love cooked leafy greens. Spinach, kale, beat greens, or Swiss chard, I can’t get get enough of them. I’ve shared that I grew up in Papua New Guinea. They cook all kinds of greens there, even the leaves of pumpkins, which are kind of furry. So when I get a chance, I throw spinach into everything. Plus it’s sooo good for you. I really think that my body craves green veggies. I really feel better when I eat them.

Sausage and White Bean Soup

5-6 links of Chicken Sausage (or Italian Sausage of any kind)

1 onion finely chopped

3 cloves of garlic minced

3 cans of white cannellini beans (white kidney beans)

3 cups of chicken stock

1 cup of water or milk (for a creamier soup)

1 bag of washed baby spinach

1/2 tsp. red chili flakes (or as spicy as you’d like)

salt and pepper to taste

Remove the sausages from their casings. In a large saucepan, cook the sausage completely, breaking apart with a wooden spoon as it cooks. Add the onion and garlic and cook until the onion is translucent. Add the beans, stock and water. Bring to a boil, season to taste. Just before serving add the spinach and cook until it just wilts.

Serve with fresh grated Parmesan cheese.

Food & Drink

Three Easy Game Day Dips

January 27, 2014

This shop is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group and Rubbermaid and Sharpie, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #RubbermaidSharpie http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO

It’s that time of year, Football!!!! I’ll be honest, I do not understand or even watch football, but I do love football food. I love a good excuse to make yummy appetizers and host parties. So, this year for the big game day, I’m serving 3 make-ahead dips. Make these three dips in minutes and then store them in Rubbermaid containers till you’re ready to party.

I love dishes, pottery and unique serving pieces, but sometimes they aren’t the easiest to store and transport food in. Rubbermaid makes a huge variety of practical food storage pieces. But, to give these containers a more table top appearance, I decided to add some simple patterns with black Sharpies (both available at Target). You know, I love geometric shapes and tribal patterns, so ta-da, that’s what I drew. The airtight lids keep the distinct flavors locked in, but pop them off and you’re ready to serve right from these custom decorated pieces.

So here’s 3 dips to please everyone’s tastes. One sweet, one spicy and one creamy.

Caramel Apple Dip
1 8oz. package cream cheese
1 cup brown sugar
1 tub of caramel dip (from the produce section)
4 Skor or Heath candy bars (crushed)

With mixer, blend together the cream cheese and brown sugar until smooth. Spread the mixture into the bottom of the dish. Top with the caramel dip and then sprinkle with candy bars. Keep refrigerated until you are ready to serve.

Serve with pretzels and sliced apples.

This recipe will fill two of these Rubbermaid containers. This is a rich treat. So serve one now and one later in the week.

A former student’s mom gave me this recipe, and I kind of regret ever trying it, because it’s SOOOO good. You’ll want to eat the whole thing yourself. (Thanks Stephanie for the yummy dip recipe.)

Mango Salsa
2 ripe mangoes chopped
1-3 tbsp. of jalapenos finely chopped (depending how spicy you like things)
1/2 cup red bell pepper chopped
1/4 cup red onion chopped juice of one lime
1/2 tsp. salt a couple dashes of hot sauce

Mix all the ingredients in bowl and store in an airtight container in the fridge. It’s best if it has time to marinade for a couple hours. Serve with white corn chips.

Roasted Garlic White Bean Dip
1 can cannelloni bean (white kidney beans)
2 bulbs of garlic
2 tbsp. olive oil (plus more for roasting the garlic)
1/2 tsp. dried parsley
1/4 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese
juice of 1/2 a lemon
coarse salt and pepper to taste

To start, you are going to roast the garlic. Cut off the tops of the bulbs of garlic, just to expose the flesh of the garlic. Drizzle with olive oil. Then wrap the garlic in parchment paper and then foil. Bake in a 350F oven for about 45 mins or until the garlic is tender and aromatic. Let the garlic cool for a few minutes and then squeeze out the garlic cloves.

In a food processor, place the drained beans and all the remaining ingredients. Blend until a smooth consistency is achieved. Place in container and serve cold, room temp or warm in the oven for a few minutes. Serve with pita chips or a simple baguette sliced then.

Like you or I need an excuse to head to Target, but from now till February 8th, you can text COUPONS to TARGET on your cell phone to get $1 off both Rubbermaid food storage and a Sharpie 4 pack or larger.

etc. / Food & Drink

Easy Summer Entertaining with Outshine Fruit Bars

August 13, 2013

This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group™
and Outshine Fruit Bars, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #SnackBrighter http://cmp.ly/3/8vNxcO.”

I love to entertain and in the Summer that means throwing something on the grill. It gets really hot here and turning on the oven is the last thing I want to do. But, any good get together has to end in a yummy sweet treat. I say, keep it cool and serve something icy cold. When it comes to enjoying a refreshing treat, Outshine Fruit Bars are the only way to go.

I can’t get enough of these fantastically fresh fruit bars. They come in lots of really great flavors, my favorite is probably the creamy coconut. All the bars are packed with real fruit and made with simple and honest ingredients. And did I mention that some of the bars have as little as 70 calories! They are totally a no guilt treat.

I’m serving creamy coconut, peach, strawberry, and pineapple. The colors all look fabulous together and served on a tray of ice, everyone’s treat stays cool.

For more about Outshine Fruit Bars, you can follow them on Facebook.

Food & Drink

Pineapple Chicken Rice Salad

August 7, 2013

I am on a pineapple kick lately. So get ready for some topical goodness this week. Being in Maui, reminded me of how much a love this fruit. Just looking at a pineapple makes me happy, it’s such a fun and unique shape. And it reminds my of my childhood, growing up in the South Pacific.

I’ve got a yummy, cool summer dish for you. There is no cooking necessary for this one, so don’t bother turning on the oven at all. We’re having days in the high 90s and even into the 100s. The last thing I want to do is cook over a hot stove.

This is a recipe that dates back to my childhood. More mom made this beautiful dish when we lived in Papua New Guinea with sweet ripe pineapples from the market. But, over the years I’ve come up with my own version. I’ve added rice to make at a full meal deal and red peppers for color and crunch.

Pineapple Chicken Rice Salad

1 rotisserie chicken (remove all the meat from the bones and skin)
2 ripe pineapples
3 stalks of celery
1 red bell pepper
3 cups of cooked brown rice
1/2 cup of sliced almonds (lightly toasted)

1 1/2 cups light mayo
4 tbsp. white vinegar
3 tbsp. milk
3 tbsp. curry powder
1/2 tsp. onion powder
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup shredded coconut (optional)

Cut the pineapples in half length ways and remove all the fruit from them. Chop the pineapple into tidbit size pieces. Shred or chop the chicken into bite size pieces, place in a large bowl with the pineapple, chopped celery and red pepper, rice almonds and coconut (optional).

In a bowl whisk together the mayo, vinegar, milk, curry, onion powder, salt and pepper. Then pour over the chopped ingredients and mix well. Place the salad back into the hollowed out pineapples. Cover with plastic wrap and chill until you are ready to serve.

Serves 6-8

Food & Drink

Pina Colada Frozen Yogurt

July 29, 2013

I’m still in the mood for some tropical, Maui flavors since our trip. Pineapple and Coconut are the perfect flavor combination. I put the taste of a Pina Colada into a light, cool, super easy dessert.

Pina Colada Frozen Yogurt

16 oz. container of vanilla greek yogurt
1 cup of crushed pineapple (drained)
1 cup of sweetened coconut (toasted)
optional 1-2 tsp. coconut essence or flavoring

Drain the liquid off a can of crushed pineapple. Spread out the coconut on a cookie sheet and put in an oven at 350 F for about 5 mins or until the coconut is just golden brown. In a bowl combine all the ingredients, then place in an ice cream machine and freeze according to the direction of your machine. Serve right away. You can place it in the freezer for later, but it will be very hard to scoop.

We just finished VBS at my parent’s church in Northern Cal yesterday. It’s been a long week of painting sets, decorating, bible story telling and kids, kids, kids! I’m pooped. Today I’m hoping for some peace and quiet and maybe I’ll get to pick some blackberries or visit a thrift store or two.

Food & Drink

Banana Muffins with White Chocolate and Macadamia Nuts

July 12, 2013

I kind of enjoy baking while on vacation, especially when I have access to some fun tropical ingredients. It’s easy to be inspired by the local produce produce. Last time we were in Maui, I made Lemon Coconut Scones and Maui Mango Ginger Granita. These were a great breakfast treat and the macadamia nuts added a nice crunch to each bite.

I took these shots down at the beach in front of where we are staying. This little crab totally posed for my pictures.

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

3 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

1 bag of white chocolate chips

1/2 cup chopped macadamia nuts (or more)

2 egg

2 tsp. vanilla

1/2 cup oil

1/2 cup greek yogurt

2 cups mashed banana

Mix the dry ingredients together. Mash the ripe bananas add the egg, oil, vanilla and yogurt. Make a well in the dry ingredients and pour the wet ingredients in. Mix until just moistened. Fill 2 dozen paper lined muffin cups. Bake at 400F for 20 to 25 mins.