I've Been Slacking

I'm embarrassed to see (and honestly can't believe) I haven't written since LAST NOVEMBER.  Shameful!  This is supposed to be my fun hobby.  Guess I haven't been having any fun.  Ha ha, thankfully that's not true!  I suppose my extra-curricular fun times have been distracting me from the blog....?  Maybe?  Anyway, whatever the reason, I'm happy to be back posting something... especially something so perfect for the hot weather this summer.

Icebox Cake!  The name alone cools me down.  Have you ever had one?  I hadn't grown up with these but am excited to discover them now.  (What I've been reading about icebox cakes makes them sound retro-30s style, so perhaps a grandmother would have made this sort of dessert...?)  I remember seeing a recipe for this delicacy last summer and never getting around to making one.  Since strawberries were on sale last week at Whole Wallet, I bought a quart of them, specifically for my first go at icebox cake.

My first attempt

So, if you're not familiar, an icebox cake is a cake you make in your fridge.  It works like this: whip up some whipped cream with your electric mixer, spread it between layers of crispy graham crackers and sliced up strawberries, then let it magically turn into cake-y goodness in the fridge after a few hours.  The graham crackers will soak up some of the moisture from the whipped cream and berries, and turn cake-like - all soft and spongy (not soggy!)

You can use any sort of stone fruit or berry, add flavoring to the whipped cream, chocolate sauce on top, or my favorite - lemon curd - between the layers of graham as well, for some added zing.  I used this awesome recipe as a starting point.  The graham crackers I used were "all natural" from the same place I bought the strawberries.  They were thicker, smaller & more substantial than the typical, Honey Grahams you get at Stop & Shop.  I did add some lemon zest to the whipped cream - and some lemon curd on two layers of the graham crackers.  OMG - yum!

Attempt #2

I made two versions because of all the berries I bought - and the back-up container of whipping cream.  The first version had more compact layers due to the whipped cream not whipping properly.  I only used strawberries in this one.  The second version had both strawberries and blueberries, as well as very fluffy whipped cream. Unfortunately I spread the whipped cream on too thickly.  I'm going to take another stab at it next week and see if I can perfect it.  Fluffy whipped cream, but less of it with more berries - and lemon curd.  My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Thankfully the lemon-scented whipped cream of cake #1 didn't taste like scrambled eggs.

Layers of graham-y, creamy, lemony, strawberry goodness.

The fluffy, creamy layers of cake #2.  Note the blueberries.

The cake I make next week will certainly incorporate these berry and citrus flavors again, but I can't help but wonder about other flavor combinations.  Raspberries with chocolate grahams?  Peaches with blueberry jam on the graham crackers?  Or peaches with ginger-scented whipped cream?  I bet mangoes could even work in some way...?   If only whipped cream & graham crackers had no calories or fat... hmmm...

Yes, it's almost gone at the time of this posting.

Regardless, I hope you're now thoroughly inspired to try your own version of an icebox cake.  Let me know what sort of flavor combinations you try!

Home-made Iced Tea Recipe

choose your favorite flavorful tea

boil some water

let the tea steep for a few minutes more than what the box recommends

pour into your favorite glass bottle or carafe; to sweeten mine, I like to add 1/4 inch-worth of amber agave nectar; stir or shake to dissolve

after the tea has cooled a bit, refrigerate & enjoy!

First Attempt: Frozen Yogurt

It's August.  How did that happen?  Where did July go?  Time seems to have flown by so quickly I never even wrote anything here.  I've got lots of catching up to do.

Since it's been real summer weather in Boston lately, I'm going to share with you my first attempt at making frozen yogurt.  It was a project my mother and I had planned to do together, since I had given her an ice cream maker for Mother's Day.  She and I are both huge fans of ice cream and frozen yogurt, a trait we inherited from her father.  We had agreed on trying frozen yogurt since that seemed healthier and less fattening.  I went to her house one night after work - after barely eating anything all day, due to my excitement about making our own frozen yogurt!  Having had day-dreams about opening my own "healthy" ice cream shop, I was so looking forward to actually giving this a go.  Could I even make palatable frozen yogurt?

We used a mango frozen yogurt recipe that came with the ice cream maker.  At the time, I was on a big white peach kick, so we substituted the mangoes with white peaches.  Unfortunately we hadn't taken into consideration the fact that mangoes are larger than peaches.  Next time we'll need to use more peaches.  We also used Greek yogurt instead of regular plain yogurt.  Because of Greek yogurt's extra tangy-ness, I'll add extra honey in my next attempt.  I think I'll also use some ground cinnamon - that could be yummy.

Here's a photo play-by-play of our fro yo adventure....

mixing the plain yogurt with sugar

measuring out one cup

adding 1 cup sweetened yogurt to 2 chopped peaches

the peach blended yogurt is mixed back into the bowl of sweetened yogurt. the ice cream maker parts are lined up in the foreground. 

all of the yogurt is slowly poured into the ice cream maker

after mixing in the ice cream maker for 30 minutes, we had a somewhat icy, a little on the soft side, peach frozen yogurt!  with the recipe tweaks our next batch will be even better when topped with delicious berries...mmmmm...

I could really go for some frozen yogurt right now.  I may need to make a trip to Berryline.

On a Roll....

OK, now that I've been quasi-obsessively looking for stand-out accessories in my favorite Etsy shops, I can't stop... here are a few more summer accessories you might enjoy...

Harvest Bubble Shawl by Clarice for those cool summer nights

Sunny yellow obi belt by Simone's Rose

Chunky coral necklace from La Marquise des Anges

Summer shrug from ileaiye

Eco-friendly tie-dye bracelets by Under a New Light

I can't get enough of this scarf trend that's going on. I love this lightweight, linen version from frenchfelt

Whimsical Starlette Sparkler hair pin by Giant Dwarf

Wedge sandals by Elena's Designs

Gorgeous robin's egg blue bag by MimsMaine

In honor of the Bruins winning last night's Stanley Cup... by tru.che

Summer Accessories

This past winter, during the endless days of snow and cold, I spent a lot of my free time scouring Etsy for unique handmade items and vintage finds.  Jewelry, pillows, ceramics, furniture... so much fantastic stuff to sort through. 

Since I've been busy working on my pottery this spring, I haven't perused my favorite shops in a while.  This self-inflicted hiatus is a great excuse to go back for a late Spring/early Summer update.  Here's my round-up of awesome accessories you can sport this summer for a swank and sassy look.

Wicker Handbag from Miss Farfalla

Silver hoop earrings by Laurel's Bench

Striped scarf from Bath Style

Clip-in Feather Extension by Hover

Country Fried Leggings by Bayou Salvage

Copper ring by AG Ambroult

Summer thongs by mohop

Sequined weekend bag by Independent Reign

Fossil necklace by Laurel's Bench

Crochet scarf by Ayca

Linen jacket by 13 threads

I don't want to get too carried away but I've found a lot of great items... I will definitely have to do a part 2 - very shortly! 

Smell-o-Rama

When I had expressed interest in learning more about Indian cooking - vegetarian, specifically - my pan-Asian chef friend Ram was up for the task.  The first recipe he sent me was my first foray into Indian cooking at home.  I can't say I would have won an award for that dish (I added too much turmeric), but it was definitely a great start.  This next recipe he sent me back in March.  I made it back in March, too, but embarrassingly am only posting about it now.  Since it uses a lot of fresh veggies, it could be a great dish to make on a cool summer night with some selections from your garden or favorite farmer's market.

So, this dish is two recipes in one.  First, there is the amazing Cilantro Paste.  Once the paste is compiled, you then incorporate the chopped mixed vegetables into it, which Ram explains so eloquently below.

Simply Ram’s Cilantro Paste
Required equipment:
Food Processor or Blender

1 bunch of Cilantro
1 whole clove of garlic peeled
- 17-20+ pieces
1 medium size tomato
3-4 jalapenos or 1 medium green pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste

The following can be combined or else used singularly (except the Curry Powder)
- 1 tablespoon Turmeric
- 1 tablespoon Cumin
- 1 tablespoon Curry Powder

This is so easy to prep! Put all ingredients into the food processor/blender and grind carefully into a puree type of paste. Done!

When you cook with this paste it is very important to heat 10” nonstick pot first and then add oil. The paste needs to be lightly browned first before adding any other items.

Ram’s Cilantro Potato & Carrots (Onions)

½ to 1 cup of Simply Ram’s Cilantro Paste
- I have a heavy hand to 1 cup for me!
5-6 Medium sized potatoes
4-5 Medium sized carrots
1 Onion (optional)
Salt & Pepper to taste
Chili flakes (optional)

Dice both potatoes and carrots (smaller makes cooking time faster). Dice onion. After having prepared the paste add potatoes, carrots and (onions). Stir to coat all the vegetables then turn down fire to low. Add about a cup of water and then simmer it to fork tender. You can always add more water, so sometime I find less is more. Serve with Jasmine rice (preferred). Welcome to smell-a-vision!

This dish came out wonderfully, I'm happy to report.  It was so warm, delicious and flavorful.  I'll be making this one again, for sure (and I do still want to try to master Ram's Sai Bhaji – Sindhi Saag, too.)  Since I'm also trying to stick to a somewhat gluten-free diet, this dish is perfect in meeting that requirement, too.  Of course, I can't have a food post without some action photos.

I had an orange pepper on hand, so I used that instead of a green one

chopped ingredients into the blender

the completed cilantro paste before added to the hot oil in the pan

everything simmering together

viola! served atop some quinoa for extra protein - YUM!

Thanks, Ram, for another awesomely amazing recipe!  What's next?