use real butter

Recipe: rum raisin ice cream

NaBlo-Freaking-WriMo day 21.

Okay, it’s not actually NaBlo-Freaking-WriMo, but that’s how I’m feeling about it. [Oh! Please don't forget to vote for my charity on the Good Bite/Quaker Oats video competition - clicky clicky on the linky linky. Look for Cherries Jubilee and help Farm to School win $10,000. Thank you!] Present Me wants to go back and smack Past Me upside the head for signing on because far too many things are falling into the neglect pile. Well, it’s time for a recipe so I’ll quit with the chit chat and git-a-goin’.

I don’t care what time of year it is, it is never too cold for ice cream. Boozy ice creams are particularly welcome during the winter holiday months. Cream and booze – so festive! I make a lot of ice cream because it is my favorite way to use up all of those egg yolks. I don’t tend to indulge much though… tummy aches. I serve the ice cream to dinner guests or I’ll assign Jeremy a couple of flavors to finish so I can clear the freezer for more ice cream. But there are a few flavors that I have a little love affair with: pralines and cream, butter pecan, and rum raisin.

that’s right, rum

four yolkie dokies

straining the custard

stirring in the cream

**Jump for more butter**

Recipe: mojitos

I thought we had escaped this year. We didn’t have a single hummingbird crash and burn on our deck (that we knew of) this spring. The frequency of accidents goes way up in May/June, but this year was accident-free… Then this week, we had 2 hummingbirds brain themselves on our windows within a 24 hour span. I hate to say this, but I am now rather practiced at reviving little birds – especially the hummingbirds. Yesterday’s hummingbird was the tiniest and worst off to date. I honestly didn’t think he’d make it.

not feeling so good

This little guy didn’t show many of the signs the other hummingbirds exhibit as they begin to recover. Usually they open their eyes after a little bit, start to open their beaks and taste the air with their tongues, sort their wings, look around. This guy just breathed rapidly with eyes shut and feathers in disarray for an hour. I mixed some sugar water (ratio: 1 part sugar to 4 parts water – and for the love of all that is good and sensible, DON’T feed them Splenda or any other fake sugar – hummingbirds need the real deal!) and held it up so his beak would dip into it. Ten minutes went by and nothing. Then I saw the feathers on his throat vibrate and noticed he was drinking! A few minutes after that he opened his eyes and watched me as he drank. Without any warning, he slowly levitated above the deck and zipped off to a nearby tree where he flitted from one branch to another until he flew away. Kinda made my heart fly too.

Now it is full steam ahead! Phases 2 and 3 of the upgrade will be complete this week. If I weren’t so busy, I’d be giddy.

i named them butter and sugar

huge ass L-plate

When last I hosted a stitch-n-bitch, Kitt offered to bring up mojito fixins. I had my first mojito just a few months ago and I’m not much of a boozer, but it sounds like the perfect summer cocktail to enjoy with friends, doesn’t it? Sure! Kitt’s mojitos were a total hit. I was so distracted hostessing that I completely forgot to actually try one. So when we had friends over this week, I hit Kitt up for her awesome recipe, which she ever so sweetly emailed to me.

basic greens: mint and lime

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Recipe: grilled tequila lime shrimp

The mountains are calling and so we must answer. Will tell them you said hello. According to several reports, it should be outstanding. I love taking road trips with Jeremy. Still have to pack my gear…

this time last year

Kaweah is going to Camp Crazy where the staff give her extra pats and belly rubs. They let her sprawl out in the kiddie pool in summer and curl up on the warm, fresh laundry in winter. Plus she gets to play with all of the other pups. It’s less stressful for all involved.

So while I need to finish some final prep, I thought I’d toss out a recipe that we tried last night for dinner. I’ve been in the mode of using up ingredients I have on hand – basically cleaning out the freezer, the pantry, and now, the booze cabinets. Don’t be fooled, we’re not heavy boozers. The cabinets I keep my booze in (mostly for desserts) are small, hence cabinets instead of cabinet.

where is this going… lime, shrimp, tequila, garlic, olive oil, spices

I have a nearly full bottle of tequila because we offered margaritas at a party a while back. We also offered gin and tonics. Everyone wanted a g&t. The plan was to make some manner of grilled shrimp with a lime juice marinade, but then I found recipes that called for tequila and lime juice. I quite love booze in my food.

mix it all in a ziploc bag

**Jump for more butter**