milkshakes

“Take what people give you. Drink their milkshakes.”
— Wally Lamb

Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter cup Milkshake

Summer ☀️is slowly fading and fall🍂 is coming to Seattle but that doesn't mean we can't have milkshakes as the sun still shines.  I know many of you who don't live in Seattle only know that it rains☔️ here all of the time and while that is the hype to keep the tourists at bay or at least keep them hanging out in Pike Place Market🐽🍇🍐☕️ our sunny days of summer are numerous and fantastic.  The autumn season brings cool evenings and mornings perfect sleeping weather.  Can you tell I wanted to sleep in this morning? Not happening yet as the daylight calls and the sun shines.

Not sure what happened to summer it seemed to come and be gone full of 

picnic planning 🐜, barbeques,

backpacking trips🎒🌲, outdoor movie nights 🎥,

and ice cream in a bowl 🍧 or on a cone.🍦

Therefore milkshakes before fall hits seemed like a good plan.  I tried a few flavors but I always come back around to something with chocolate.  Strawberry is out of my plan as it does not ever appeal to me.  Sorry to all of you strawberry milkshake lovers.🍓😖  I just don't understand you please convince me!

I don't eat ice cream in the cold months even if I have it in the freezer.  I am one of those rare people so I have heard that can let ice cream develop ice crystals if it sits in the winter at my house.  So it was important to use up any ice cream left in the freezer now before it gets too cold.  A good excuse to make a milkshake.

 Being that chocolate peanut butter ice cream is my favorite and I had dark chocolate peanut butter cups on hand (very dangerous) from Trader Joe's I decided upon the best of both worlds.  Vanilla ice cream and dark chocolate peanut butter.  

Can't go wrong with these flavors don't you agree?😋

Makes: 1 large shake or two small ones

Ingredients

  • 5-6 miniature dark chocolate peanut butter cups

  • 2 1/2 scoops vanilla ice cream

  • 1/4 cup milk

  • heavy cream for topping

Instructions

Step 1

Place a milkshake glass or two small glasses in the freezer one hour prior.

Step 2

Whip heavy cream until white peaks and using a kitchen aid and whisk or hand held balloon whisk.

Step 3

In a blender place peanut butter cups, vanilla ice cream and milk in that order. Blend until mixed well and thickened.  If you want it thinner add a tablespoon of milk at a time until thinness is achieved.

Step 4

Pour shake into frozen glass top with whip cream and a peanut butter cup or chopped pieces. 

Enjoy! Happy National Chocolate Shake Day!

 

Tips

  • Trader Joe's mini dark chocolate peanut butter cups are the best

  • Do not add ice as you will water down the milk shake if you want it thinner add milk little by little

  • Buy the best ice cream you can or make your own

  • Freezing the glasses keeps the milkshake cold even after it has been blended

 

 

 

Summer and S'mores

“If Facebook is Lucky Charms, Instagram is just the marshmallows.”
— Casey Neistat

I will be admit I am a bit addicted to parties, events,picnics, gatherings, dinner parties you name it.  I love planning them, seeing the smiling faces, watching people's eyes light up and most of all eating at them.  It is kind of funny considering after the planning, setup, food preparation, etc. I am pretty wiped and actually don't mind sitting back and just watching it all happen while silently sipping my drink, stabbing at my tomato or burning my marshmallow.

 The introvert in me likes the behind the scenes, get it all accomplished feeling and then observe from afar.  I think that is why I have fallen in love with photography.  I can have my eye behind the camera taking in all four corners of the little square and loving the moment. Sometimes the moment is captured just right and sometimes it is just fluff like a marshmallow.  But unlike a photograph where once captured you keep it, learn from it or edit it just the right way the marshmallow adapts to what we want from it.

A little burnt no problem it melts the chocolate.  A little gooey no worries now we will have great rice krispy treats. So when I knew I could not have a fire at our party for s'mores I asked the marshmallow "How do we adapt?"

 It was a Carnival-Circus theme Picnic so Pinterest being the party lifesaver of ideas, gave me the strong man barbell idea and my mallows adapted by becoming Strong Man S'mores.

 Having once attempted in the past to make my own marshmallows and failing miserably I decided to try again.  Success!

 Ina Garten did not fail me and her recipe and video for marshmallows gave me the courage to continue on with my idea.  If you decide you just want s'mores on a stick this will also work.  Until the next bonfire that is when the leftover marshmallows will get eaten.🔥😋

 

 

Marshmallows: Recipe credit Ina Garten

Ingredients

  • 3 packages unflavored gelatin

  • 1/2 cup cold water

  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

  • 1/2 cup water
    1 cup light corn syrup

  • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

  • 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

  • Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Chocolate and Grahams

8 oz of dark chocolate chopped

1 small package of crushed graham crackers 

Instructions:

Step 1

Combine the gelatin and 1/2 cup cold ice water into a small bowl and allow to sit for about 10 minutes while it gels.  Cold water is needed for the chemical reaction.

Step 2

In a small sauce pan combine the granulated sugar, water, light corn syrup, salt and 1/2 cup water and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Raise the heat to high and cook until on a candy thermometer the mixture registers 240 ° F  Remove from the heat.

Step 3

Place the dissolved gelatin mixture into your electric mixer's bowl and attach whisk.  On slow speed to prevent splashing of hot syrup  slowly add sugar syrup into the gelatin.  After combining increase speed to high and whip until the mixture is very thick about 15 minutes. (I set a timer) Add the vanilla and mix in until blended. Maybe 30 seconds.

Step 4

While whisking with your electric mixer, using a sieve dust an 8x12 pan non-metal pan with confectioners sugar aka: powdered sugar. Dust thoroughly. When marshmallow batter is done whisking pour the marshmallow mixture into the pan and then dust all over again with powdered sugar.  Allow to rest without covering overnight until it dries out.

FYI: This might me a little messy at this point and you will not be able to get all of the marshmallow out of the bowl.

Step 5:

Day two or 8-10 hours later; Cut around the pan with a knife and dump the marshmallows onto a cutting board.  I like to place the board over the pan and then holding both flip together.

Step 6:

Now comes the fun part!  Using the smallest biscuit cutting ring you have cut the round circles out of the marshmallow to make the dumbbell ends.  Do not throw away the leftover marshmallow cuttings! (See tips below)

Step 7

Using a straw that has been cut in half stick one marshmallow on either end. You are ready for the chocolate.

Step 8

Place crushed graham crackers in a bowl ready for dipping.

Step 9

Using a saute pan with high edges and a metal bowl that will sit inside fill the saute pan half full with water and place over medium heat.  Place chopped chocolate in the bowl and allow to melt.  Having your marshmallow dumbbells ready dip each bottom of the marshmallow then roll the dumbbell in the melted chocolate.

Step 10

Allow chocolate to drip off and then place ends of each marshmallow lightly into crushed graham crackers

Step 11

Allow bells to rest overnight or at least until chocolate hardens.  Cover and bring to your party!

Tips

  • Freeze leftover edges of marshmallow in a ziploc for later roasting or making small mini marshmallows for hot chocolate.

  • Crush graham crackers by placing in a ziploc bag and smashing with a mallet.

  • Trader Joe's Dark Belgian Chocolate is my favorite! Comes in a pound

  • Never underestimate the power of s'mores😋

Love hearing your s'mores stories and ideas.  How do you adapt s'mores if you can't have a fire?  Or what are your favorite gourmet s'mores?  Do you hate or love marshmallows?  Why?  Please share your stories, anecdotes or ideas with me in the comments below!

Or if you just want to share this post please do so!  And don't forget to have a great summer!😎

Summer Vegetable Quiche

“Shall I not have intelligence with the earth?
Am I not partly leaves and vegetable mould myself.”
— Henry David Thoreau

Basil tickles the senses like no other herb that I know.  Ripe heirloom tomatoes🍅 with a bit of lemon flake sea salt 🍋 makes my mouth water thinking about it in our grey weather 🌁 today in Seattle.  Sizzling  zucchini fresh from the CSA box  burps and spits at me in the sauté pan. This quiche is about engaging your senses and using up those summer vegetables that are starting to overtake your garden or your fridge.

The taste of summer☀️ lingers with every bit of this quiche; whether the vegetables🍆🍅🌽 come from your garden or the farmer's market around the corner. You are going to want to make this over and over even though the last days of summer are upon us. I say that and AUGUST has just begun. So get started now!  Go out and pick those veggies or get on your bike and head over to the market. You won't regret making this delectable summer quiche. I am thinking your sweetie or your friends whoever you decide to share this quiche with will be pounding on your door soon asking if they can stay the night and eat breakfast at your table. 😉

Ingredients:

  • Quiche crust
  • 6-8 large eggs
  • 4 large tablespoons sour cream or creme fraiche
  • 2 zucchini
  • 1 yellow or striped squash
  • 2-3 ripe red or yellow tomatoes
  • 4 cloves of chopped garlic
  • 1/4 cup of chopped kalamata greek olives
  • 5-10 basil leaves chopped
  • 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano
  • 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
  • Kosher salt
  • Ground black pepper

Step 1:

Make quiche/tart crust or buy a premade from the store.

Step 2:

Slice zucchini and squash 1/8 inch thick and place on baking sheet. Toss kosher salt over each piece and let sit for 45 minutes. This allows the water to be removed from the vegetables.

Step 3:

Slice tomatoes 1/8 inch thick, place in colander and cover lightly with kosher salt for 30 minutes. This will season them up and allow for drainage of excess water.

Step 4:

While waiting for crust and vegetables, chop the garlic, olives and basil. Grate the parmigiano.

Step 5:

Preheat oven to 425 F/200 C. Then remove crust from refrigerator after one hour and prepare

Step 6:

While crust is cooking, rinse zucchini and squash of salt and pat thoroughly dry. This step is very important! After patting dry the zucchini and squash, heat a small amount 2 tablespoons of olive oil in pan and saute in batches if needed zucchini and squash. Do not overcrowd the pan with vegetables. Cooking only to allow vegetables to become slightly, but not completely tender. Be careful not to overcook them.

Step 7:

Blend eggs and sour cream until light yellow in color. Do not add salt or pepper to mixture at this time.

Step 8:

After removing pre-baked crust from oven. Begin layering process with vegetables into the crust. Place zucchini alternating with squash one layer on the bottom of the crust. Next place drained tomatoes over layer of zucchini/squash. Then sprinkle a layer of chopped garlic,olives and basil over tomatoes. Sprinkle parmigiano over this layer. Continue this pattern until all vegetables have been used.

Step 9:

Next pour egg mixture to cover all of vegetables and reaches the peak of the crust. If not enough egg mixture do to the size of the pan; mix another egg and sour cream until crust is filled with mixture. Cover egg mixture with the parmigiano making sure it is completely covered with cheese.

Step 10:

Place in oven for 25-30 minutes or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Bon Appétit!

Tips:

  • Purchasing parmigiano pre-grated can decrease time in the kitchen but make sure to avoid the finely grated, powdery stuff.
  • Please DON'T put Tomatoes in your refrigerator- it is sacrilege and the ruins the flavor!
  • Trader Joe's carries kalamata olives for a reasonable price.
  • Think local and find your vegetables in your area.
  • CSA box way to use up veggies
  • You might want to buy a few extra tomatoes if using heirlooms as they will probably get eaten before you have a chance to put them in your quiche.
  • Basil grows like a weed; think about planting your own.
  • Want a complete meal? Add a green salad with a homemade vinaigrette like the French.

Pairing:

A nice glass of chilled Prosecco pairs nicely with this summer quiche. Not savvy to Prosecco? Check out this site.