Happy Independence Day!

We're in our living room watching "A Capitol Fourth" with Sutton Foster, Christopher Jackson (of Hamilton), and others, and will later flip back and forth with the Macy's fireworks on NBC--our traditional July 4th activities!

We're not much for celebrating (being too cynical for most jingoistic patriotism--especially this election year!--and too averse to hot weather to for beaches and barbecue), but this year saw us do more than usual.  On Saturday, we attended a wonderful lakeside picnic at the summer home of one of Bud's kung fu buddies.  There was a lot of tasty food--pasta salad, baked ziti, roasted corn, my Tex-Mex chocolate sheet cake, lasagna, various catered Indian curries and dishes, a fresh fruit salad (complete with cored and halved cherries!), this great couscous salad with pine nuts and dried fruits (I hope to get this recipe later), etc etc etc--and we all had our fill.

I talked with various other guests--two women owned horses and compared notes with Sis, one couple had a new 10-week-old baby, others went to a private school that Mama and I have our eyes on, one dad had left our kung fu school a couple of years ago and had stories to tell.  A nice group.

Best of all, the kids got to hang out with some of the older kids (from 14-18 years old.)  They went swimming in the lake together, playing on the standing paddle boards and the water trampoline.  The kids were like fish!  And, while there were life jackets to be had, they didn't need them.  Mama and I sat on the dock in the shade watching them, the ducks (Mr. and Mrs. Mallard), the Canada geese, the Red-Shouldered hawk screeching overhead most of the day, the various birds flitting back and forth, and the sun glinting off of the green water while the trees swayed in the light breeze.  It was a beautiful day.  Later, the kids made music together inside, each showing off various piano pieces and singing karaoke together.  Then they hung out upstairs, exploring the nooks and crannies of the old house.

After the party, we stopped for ice cream at our favorite local place.  The lines were long, but it was worth the wait.  Black raspberry.  Coffee.  Cherry Vanilla.  Toasted Almond.  A chocolate milkshake. Mmmmmmm!

Then we went to play putt-putt!  It was a lovely little course surrounded by shrubs and a stream.  It wasn't kitschy, just some good old fun.  We were pretty wiped after that, grabbing some burgers on the way home that night.

On Sunday, Mama and the kids went to NYC for dim sum with the grandparents, while I went to lunch to celebrate the birthday of Mama Teacher.  Then, we spent the evening together watching "The Great British Bake-off."

Today, we celebrated Mama's birthday belatedly by going to see Finding Dory at the fancy theater with the reserved and big reclining seats.  It was a cute film--especially those otters and the two whales.

Which brings us full circle to the 4th of July tv shows right now, while real fireworks are going off in yards around town.

Happy Independence Day!

And may we continue to be the land of the free . . . . with freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom from want, and freedom from fear.


-=-=-=-=-
And so we finished more of our list in one weekend:

1. Putt-putt golf
2. Celebrate 4th of July--we've been invited to a picnic.
3. Celebrate Mama's birthday--we're doing it this coming weekend!

And let's add to the movie list 

    4.  See Finding Dory

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From “ Field of Greens” cookbook:

Couscous Salad with Apricots, Pine Nuts and Ginger

1 cup instant couscous

1/2 cup water

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/4 cup olive oil

2 Tablespoon vinegar (I usually use some kind of fruity vinegar, but basically anything works)

8 dried apricots thinly sliced

2 tablespoons dried raisin, cherries, currents, cranberries (whatever you have around)

2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger

Salt

1/2 cup finely diced red onion

2 Tablespoon pine nuts

Pour couscous into small mixing bowl.  Mix water, orange juice, olive oil and vinegar in saucepan and bring to boil.  Stir in dried fruit, ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; immediately pour over couscous and then cover bowl and let sit for 20 minutes.

Bring small pt of water to boil and drop in red onion for 15 seconds.  Drain.

When couscous is ready, fluff it with fork and then add pine nuts and onion.

A Fine Philly Weekend

After a hectic week of illness and appointments, we got away this weekend for about 30-hours in Philly.  Our dear friend was being ordained a United Church of Christ (UCC) minister so we took the opportunity to get away for a day.

We drove down on Saturday after kung fu and ice skating, one of our easiest forays on the Jersey turnpike.  We got to Philly, checked into the lovely historic Morris House Hotel in the Olde City, and headed straight for ice cream at Franklin Fountain, which we'd discovered two years ago.  In fact, I think we had mostly the same thing--Bud had Ladies' Choice which had peach ice cream in a raspberry soda; Sis had a chocolate milkshake; and I had a War Admiral, which was a soda with roses, ginger, and milk.  But Mama got something new:  a Dubliner Sundae, which had Irish whiskey ice cream, with a warm whisky cake, and a Guinness-caramel sauce, all so very good.  Yum!  The Irish theme went great with all the drunk college kids and 20-somethings on pub crawls all over the area around us.  One group would stumble out of the pub while another group would stumble off the crowded bus, with lots of loud laughter, shouts, and merriment.  The kiddos were a bit surprised, so we gave them a few pointers on navigating the sidewalks around drunk folks--mainly keep an eye on their weaving so you don't get in the way if they need to puke!   We also popped into the Shane Confectionery next door to grab some sweets for the road.

On the way back to the hotel, we passed the closed Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, so dark, quiet, and completely devoid of people.  We never wait in line to see the bell and so enjoyed an unobstructed view through the window.  One day we'll do the Independence Hall tour, but this time we settled for Bud rapping the opening song of Hamilton, even though Hamilton spent more time in NYC.

Dinner--I know, it was after dessert, but that's how the reservations worked--was at Jones Restaurant. It was comfort food at its finest--in a swanky setting reminiscent of the "Brady Bunch" with shag carpet,  formica-like tables, and wood detailing and lamps that look just like the Brady living room.  It was a great meal:  tater tots (off menu, suggested by Mama's coworker who suggested the restaurant), fried cheese curds, fried chicken and fries, grilled cheese and tomato soup, meatloaf and mashed potatoes, and Bud's tuna tacos, which weren't exactly old-fashioned comfort food but still very good.  We even had apple pie and Duncan Hines Chocolate Cake.  Mama also had this odd grape juice/lemonade/Sprite soda combo.  The house manager saw the kids looking at the open kitchen and invited them up to watch and introduced them to Chef Lisa.  They watched a few orders being prepared until our food came.  All in all, it was a great dinner.

That night, after some DS-playing and reading, we all slept with the urban noises around us--people emptying garbage in the alley, the subway breaks under the sidewalks, the people on the streets, even all the birds sining in the early morning.  Which we saw because it was the beginning of Daylight Savings Time.  UGH.  We'd bought 9:30 tickets to see the "Magic of Pixar" exhibition at the Franklin Institute, forgetting about DST, so we were up early.  And then, we got caught in St. Patrick's Day parade traffic, which we weren't expecting.  

But we made it to the museum in time and the exhibition was excellent!  The kids loved manipulating all the stations, which explored the story in art, modeling, rigging, surface reflections (I forget what this is called), rendering, sets, etc etc etc.  They created settings, grew grass to certain specifications, adjusted lighting, drew models in 3D, and so much more.  And I think Mama had more fun with it than they did.  We all posed with the various characters set up around the show--the Monsters, Dory, Wall-e, Buzz Lightyear, and such.  I wasn't as interested, though I had fun making the grass thick or thin, curvy or straight, clumpy or evenly distributed and I also liked playing with the simulations of water, hair, clothes, etc. in Brave.  We kept teasing the kids about how integral all the math was to the art, since they complain about math in school.  But it's fun when its CGI manipulation.  Mama thought she'd even try to see if there were programs where they can start playing with animation.  Despite all of the fun we had, I was, however, very disappointed that there were no Brave souvenirs in the shop--it was all Monsters and Cars, even though the exhibition had as many girls having fun.  Shame on Pixar and the Franklin Institute.  At the end of our visit, Sis even rode the Sky Bike above the lobby of the museum, back and forth over a net, so high up!

We headed to my favorite restaurant, City Tavern, for lunch.  And what a lunch!  Buttery mushroom toast, spicy pepperpot soup, the yummy bread basket (Sally Lunn, Anadama, and sweet potato bisucits), Franklin chicken with Lunn breading and wine reduction and mashed potatoes, chicken pot pie, seafood pasta, and a cured and roasted pork chop that looked like ham.  We finished it with creme brulee, a fig and oatmeal bread pudding with amaretto sauce, and a vanilla corn cake.  And of course, raspberry shrub!  We'll have to make our own again this summer.  There was a table near us of women in full 18th-century dress, though we weren't sure if they were re-enactors or actual museum interpreters.  And we even talked to Chef Staib again!  He'd given the kids a free DVD a few years ago and posed for pictures; he kindly said he remembered.  He's always nice to diners and the staff said he's also good to work for.

After lunch, we headed out to the 'burbs for our friend's ordination.  It was a long ceremony, much like a graduation--complete with processional of folks in robes--with lots of prayers and songs and even a sermon.   There was also communion--which the UCC seems to welcome all to participate in; we had to explain communion to the kids.  Mama and I participated, in the spirit of community, as did Sis; but Bud just wasn't sure.   It was more Jesus-centered talk than our kids have ever heard, being UU and all, almost more than I've heard (and, as a child, I spent dozens of Sundays in churches with friends, be they Southern Baptist, Catholic, Methodist, Presbyterian, Lutheran, no UCC though) but then it was an ordination welcoming our friend into ministry.  We saw her a bit before and talked to both her and her wife; they were so glad to see we'd come down.  I think it meant a lot to all of us that we were there.  We stayed for a bit of the light supper--baked ziti and Amish chicken!--but needed to head out soon after.  We did manage to see our friend afterwards and give her the stole I'd made.  She put it on right away and it fit and looked pretty good (which surprised me because I made up the pattern.)  Smiles all around.

And then we headed home, in the rain, on the turnpike, listening to Divergent the whole way home.  Whew.  What a weekend!  But though it was busy, it was a nice escape.  Maybe one day, we'll actually see the tour at Independence Hall!

Summer Fun: We Scream for Homemade

I think we might remember this as the summer of homemade ice cream.  We started with Strawberry Soda Ice Cream for 4th of July weekend.  As we were polishing it off, I realized that the base would work well with any fruit, just substitute the correct fruit-flavored soda or use cream soda.  So, yesterday we made Peaches and Cream Ice Cream.   MMMMMmmmmm!!!  Just as good.  And so easy (if you have an ice cream maker, that is.  Haven't tried it in a roly ball yet.)

A few tips:

• you can use an equal amount of fresh fruit;
• if using frozen, be sure to let it defrost fully, so it's juicy and tender--this helps spread the flavor;
• cut or mash fruit into tiny pieces both to spread around the flavor and to avoid hard frozen chunks (unless you like those);
• though the original recipe doesn't say to, I put the mixture back in the freezer for awhile to make it nice and cold--that way, it freezes faster and my ice cream maker doesn't work as hard.

And some ideas, beyond strawberry and peach:

• Pina colada:  small chunks of pineapple with coconut milk substituted for the half and half (or whipping cream--I'll have to try both!)
• Chocolate-cherry:  cherry soda, bits of cherries (frozen or fresh), and chocolate chips
• Mango-pineapple:  bits of mango (frozen or fresh), mango nectar to substitute for soda, coconut milk for the half and half (or whipping cream)
• Orange creamsicle:  orange soda and bits of mandarin oranges
• Melba:  cream soda, bits of peaches and raspberries, perhaps some Torani raspberry syrup
• Coke or Root Beer Float:  use Coke or Root beer for soda and just forget the fruit!
• really, the possibilities are endless, all with the same base recipe . . . .

So you can bet we'll be trying a batch regularly!

Mommy Hungry's Homemade Fruit-Soda Ice Cream

Adapted from the Strawberry Soda Ice Cream recipe by Laura Duckworth in Food Network Magazine.

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup fruit-flavored soda or cream soda
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup frozen or fresh fruit, defrosted and mashed (I use a very generous 1 cup)


Whisk the condensed milk, half-and-half, flavored soda, cream and fruit in a medium bowl.  Place in freezer for 30-60 minutes until mixture is chilled. Churn in ice cream maker, according to manufacturer's instructions.  Eat right away or freeze in airtight container until firm, at least 2 hours.

Another Great Fourth

As I sit here watching the FIFA Women's World Cup final, with the US up 4-1 against Japan right now, I'd say it was a pretty good 4th of July weekend.  We ate good food.  We had some good times.  We enjoyed our three-day weekend.

And with several of the SCOTUS rulings and change of heart about the Confederate flag, we're feeling a little better about the US (though Charleston and the burning of several black churches means we have a long way still to go.)  At least right now, until the mudslinging of the elections ramps up.

On Friday, which Mama had off, after a morning all together (the kids played video games with Mama while I finished my doodled prayer flags and hung them in the tree), I took the kids to a friend's house for the Friday Night Dance Party, which is a weekly gathering of families, many from our first church.  The kids played badminton, or as they called it "chaosminton" because they had more than one shuttlecock, and swam in the pool.  That is when they weren't eating.  There was a table full of tasty treats:  "kiddy crack," which is a butter-cinnamon-sugar mix spread on graham crackers; s'mores, some with regular chocolate and some with peanut butter cups, which were incredible; and lots of grapes, cherries, bell peppers, chips, pretzels, and dips.  I like hanging out with old friends and new; I like that the kids are making new friends.  We're hoping to go most Fridays.  We got home and spent the evening watching the new season of "How to Train Your Dragon" on Netflix.

Saturday was our big eating day:

• We tried our fermented raspberry shrub and it was lovely!  SO tangy and refreshing, but we did add some more sugar because it was too tart even for Mama.  But Bud said it was awesome, better even than what we've had at City Tavern.
• We had hot dogs for lunch.  We only have those about once a year.  With potato chips!
• Midday, Sis and I made a heavenly moist chocolate cake from the NYTimes.  A pretty easy cake with a tangy and not too sweet sour cream-melted chocolate chip frosting.
  
• We had muffalettas for dinner. Mmmmm!  

When we weren't cooking or eating, we watched Independence Day.  For a 20-something year-old movie, it held up pretty well in pacing and special effects.  While we watched, I finished crocheting the cowl I might wear for my "Outlander" cosplay at ComicCon.  I'd made a different one but wasn't totally pleased, so I started another which I like much better.

That evening we switched between the Macy's fireworks in NYC and the Capitol Fourth.  Neither was very good, or even good.  We liked maybe two songs--Kelly Clarkson's "Heartbeat Song" and the 1812 Overture and some of the other patriotic songs.    About halfway through the live broadcast, we went outside to watch all the crazy (illegal) fireworks being shot high overhead all around us.  We lit our own sparklers and waved them around.  Our neighbor Miss K and her kids, our yard boy and our babysitter, came over to get some chocolate cake and danced around with sparklers with us.  Miss K said that we made it feel like the 4th of July for her.  After they left, we watched the rest of the fireworks, which we'd recorded while we were outside.

Today was lazier, though we still ate well:  we had homemade strawberry soda ice cream, take-out Mexican food for lunch, and hamburgers for dinner.  YUM!  Otherwise, the kids learned some computer coding using MIT's Scratch program.  I made another crocheted mandala and starched it (well, stiffened it with glue and water.)  Now, Sis is reading her current favorite book series, 39 Clues, while I type this post.  We're all watching soccer.  The score in the 73rd minute is 5-2, still US.

UPDATE:  USWNT won!!!  And we were all very happy here, especially for Abby Wambach.

Of This and That

Of Ice Cream and Kids' Books
Yesterday, we had the delightful opportunity to go to a presentation by children's authors Tui Sutherland (Wings of Fire series, Menagerie series, etc.) and Christine Taylor-Butler (numerous non-fiction and Lost Tribes series.)  The kids knew the former author very well from several of their favorite books--earlier, they'd both agreed that they liked her dragon stories more than Harry Potter!  We hadn't knowingly read any of the latter author's works (though we saw copies of a book on Pluto that I know we had) but were interested in her new series that involves lots of codes.

Sutherland intrigued the kids with stories on how she became an author (via publishing), how she works (late at night), and how she fleshes out an idea (sometimes with a character first, sometimes with the idea of a world, like Wings of Fire--draw a map, she advised!)  She showed lots of cover art, including book 8 in the dragon series, and generally encouraged the children's creativity.

Taylor-Butler, who is an MIT-trained engineer, also always wanted to be a writer but hadn't thought it was a paying "real" job until she was an adult.  She wrote close to 75 non-fiction books, often on contract with Scholastic, looking for what interested her in such subjects as American History, meteorology, etc.  Only later did someone ask her to turn a short children's book about a boy who thought his mother was an alien from Venus into a novel.  And now she's written a novel about codes, Lost Tribes.  She talked about existing codes--and kid's pages on the FBI, NSA, and CIA websties--and did a few scientific experiments (magnets and money, paper clips on water.)  She says she always bases science fiction on real science.  Our kids were fascinated.  Mama and I liked her, too, as she repeatedly said what a nerd she was . . . and proudly!!


We stood in short lines to meet both authors and take pictures, buying copies of Lost Tribes for the kids.  I teased Mama that she might need her own copy!

 Afterwards, we went to our favorite farm ice cream stand--we hadn't been in such a long time!  And it was as good as we remembered.  I couldn't decide and so got strawberry AND peaches & cream, sharing it all around.  Mama got Jersey cow (coffee ice cream with chocolate and caramel chunks); Bud, purple cow (raspberry ice cream and chocolate chunks); Sis, caramel swirl.  Delicious!!  They're planning all the flavors we can make this summer.

Of Slushies and Straight Swords
Bud had a local kung fu competition today, this time a mixed martial arts contest between teams at one of the local amusement parks.  Most of the other groups were karate--Bud said that there was a lot of breaking boards!--and some very young kids doing simple forms.  He did both his fist and straight sword forms as part of the large team performance.  And they came in second!  They were all very pleased.  Plus, there were slushies and fried dough and ice cream! And a rollercoaster that almost did Mama in.  A fun day out.  With a team trophy for langiappe.

Of Cake and Crochet
At home, Sis and I had our own fun today.  We started off with a trip to the craft store for supplies--my first drive out to the mall since my surgery (my longest drive yet!!)--and then picked up pasta at Sis's favorite Italian place (chicken fettucine alfredo for her, "pink" pasta with prosciutto for me.)  We watched a lot of "Doctor Who" and petted the cats.  Midday, we made Tex-Mex Chocolate sheet cake, which we shared with our neighbor who had been so kind to give us brisket yesterday (he's into smoking brisket these days--and we are the happy recipients of his experiments.  His sauce was better yesterday!)  Sis took some to his family and also to our friend Miss K, the teacher.   We watched more tv, with me finishing two un-edged crocheted afghans and Sis completing a thread art project.  Later, Sis told Mama that we had an awesome day!  Yay!


Of Pie and Puzzles
Well, not really pie but close . . . . Last week, we had a Cobbler-Off.  We made two kinds of cobbler:  pie-crust-topped mixed berry, based on my aunt's Dewberry Cobbler recipe, and a skillet peach cobbler from the Homesick Texan cookbook, with its more cake-like top.  Why?  One each for Bud and Sis!  And I was trying out the different types of crust.  I wasn't completely pleased with the peach, not fluffy or cakey enough.  I think I might still like the topping of Swedish Apple Pie best for cobbler.  Something worth playing with this summer.

Meanwhile, we started a new puzzle.  Mama is on a puzzle kick because she's been doing them with her team at work.  And so we've done a few here, including this multi-colored cupcake one which was challenging.  Mama and I like to do the border; Bud and Sis like to do the section they like the best, with or without the frame--this time they'd choose a color.  But some of the colors didn't vary enough to make it easy to put together.  But we like a challenging puzzle, made more so by the cats that kept sitting on them.  We finished it tonight, after a slow try-each-piece-in-each-spot approach for the last, most difficult cupcake.  I wonder what we'll do next?



Of NYCats and Connecticats

There has been some progress on the cat front.  The basement boys, Mojo and Mr. P, are definitely more comfortable, in fact even prefer, being on the first floor with us.  P sits in the cat tree near the front window, next to where I am on the couch (hence all the photos of him--that and he's easier to photograph than a black cat.  He sits there so much that the cover is beginning to fray--it's an old cat tree--Sis and I bought new furry fabric today); Mojo likes being on the couch, also wandering around (he's even been climbing the refrigerator and kitchen cabinets.)  And even when Hermione approaches, they either hiss or just ignore her.  It's rare that they race straight downstairs.  In fact, at least once, we put our "old" cats in the basement while we let the "new" cats have the top two floors.  Mr. P even slept with us!  But Mama says that in the morning, Albus and Hermione were crying, "You accidentally locked the wrong cats in the basement!"  They'd even pulled part of the frame of the small cat door off.  They were all so exhausted afterwards, that the four cats went to their usual places and slept all day.  Last night, we didn't even separate anyone.   They all lived.  And came together again today without much hissing.  It's nice.  Or at least as nice as it has been so far.  (We're still aiming for no hissing.)

Summer Fun: Big Weekend

Marked lots of things off our list this weekend:

1. Celebrate July 4th--all weekend
2. Go to cultural festival--Scottish games
3. Make ice cream--today, from the NYTimes, a basic vanilla--soo good!!  Reminded me of Blue Bell Homemade Vanilla, my gold standard (sadly not available up here).  I also made the chocolate ganache
4. Have a barbecue--okay, campfire, but I'm counting it
5. See fireworks--from the car, driving through town
6. Have a dance party--Bud even danced the Sailor's Hornpipe
7. Make a favorite meal--well, not a meal, but Bud and Mama made Ma's Thai cucumber salad
8. Do a 1000 piece puzzle--does a 6,000 piece Nano-Neuschwanstein count?  They're not quite finished.
9. Visit with Miss S--who was so happy to see me; her memory is more noticeably diminished and she covers well, but we still had a great visit.

Not on our list but also accomplished:

• Water fight--twins against me, with hoses.  Their battle cry, "Minecraft!"  I surrendered
• Have a storybook night--we read several of our favorite storybooks from a long time ago

Whew.  Holidays are hard work.

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Vanilla Ice Cream a la NYTimes

• 2cups heavy cream
• 1cup whole milk
• ⅔cup sugar
• ⅛teaspoon fine sea salt
• 6large egg yolks
• 1 1/2-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. In a small pot, simmer cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves, about 5 minutes. Remove pot from heat. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisking constantly, slowly whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream. Return pot to medium-low heat and gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon (about 170 degrees on an instant-read thermometer).  Add vanilla extract.

2. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl. Cool mixture to room temperature. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

3. Churn in an ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve directly from the machine for soft serve, or store in freezer until needed.

Yield: About 1 1/2 pints

NYTimes (see link for alternate flavors)

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Chocolate Ganache

• 14 ounces semisweet or bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces
• 3 tablespoons espresso, strong coffee or water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup sugar (confectioners’, granulated or light brown)
• 3/4 cup heavy cream, preferably not ultrapasteurized
• 1 pinch coarse salt, more to taste

1.

In a heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients and melt together over very low heat, stirring. (Alternatively, combine in a bowl and microwave at low heat for 2 minutes. Stir. Continue cooking in 30-second blasts, stirring in-between.)

2.

Just before all the chocolate is melted, remove from heat and stir until chocolate melts and mixture comes together. It may appear curdled, but keep stirring or whisk vigorously; it will smooth out. If too thick to pour, whisk in hot water a tablespoon at a time. Taste for salt and adjust the seasoning.

YIELD

About 1 1/2 cups

NYTimes (see link for alternate uses, like truffles)

Memorial Day Memories

We did our annual pilgrimage to Philadelphia this weekend, both for sightseeing and Bud's kung fu tournament.  But it wasn't our usual trip--we didn't go to Ben Franklin's print shop or even the Visitor's Center.  And we never go to the Liberty Bell because the lines are too long.

Upon arrival, we did go to our favorite NPS Independence gift shop, which has moved but still has the soap I pick up every year.  Then we headed to our all-time favorite Philly eatery, and one of our favorites anywhere:  City Tavern, the real colonial American restaurant in the historic building run by Taste of History host Chef Walter Staib.  As usual, we loved it--raspberry shrub, sweet potato biscuits, anadama bread, Sally Lunn bread, pepperpot soup, salmagundi platter, chicken pot pie, lobster pot pie, mushroom toast.  YUM!!  And this year, our waitress was an historian and shared extra information about how the lobster pot pie was the most authentic period dish and was even served after the defeat of the Hessians at Trenton!

Better yet, we shared the meal and much of our afternoon with some longtime friends of ours from Philadelphia, whom we don't get to see often.  They met us at City Tavern and then strolled around downtown with us for awhile.  We visited two new-to-us locations--Shane Confectionery and Franklin Fountain, which I'd read about in the recent American Spirit magazine (thanks, Gommie!)  One is an old-fashioned candy store, with shelves of glistening, colored confections and jars of tasty offerings.  We chose chocolates, caramels, cherry sourballs, lychee candies, lavender lollipops, violet "mints," and teaberry gum.  Next door, and owned by the same people, is the old-fashioned soda fountain.  No ordinary historical remake of plain old milkshakes and sundaes, this place has homemade sodas syrups plus real phosphates and citric acids dispensed from droppers--you see the pharmacy connection right away.  We had black raspberry ice cream and then four fancy sodas:  a Ladies' Choice, with peach ice cream in raspberry soda, with cream; a War Admiral, with ginger, milk, and rose-flavorings (my favorite); the Japanese thirst killer, with Orgeat Almond syrup, grape soda, and angostura bitters (Bud and Mama's favorite); and finally, a fizzy Roman Punch, with lemon, orange, grapefruit, and bergamot.  Delicious!!  I know these will become permanent fixtures on our Philly tour.

After saying goodbye to our friends, we headed for a self-guided tour of the US Mint, at Sis's request.  She has been increasingly interested in coins but only seemed mildly interested in how they were made; it didn't help that the factory wasn't in production, it being a holiday and weekend.  Still, she got some official sleeves for her coins and was happy about that.

Then we went to play putt-putt.  Yep, it's becoming a family thing.  This one was the course at Franklin Square, complete with mini-symbols of Philadelphia, including the Liberty Bell, Elfret's Alley, Independence Hall, the Ben Franklin Bridge, various sports teams, the art museum, the LOVE sculpture, and the Chinatown gate.  So cute.  The course itself was pretty predictable, with no moving parts, and VERY crowded.  Still, a nice time.  And we liked riding the carousel, too.

That evening we had Philly cheesesteaks from Tony Luke's, which several people recommended.  I'm not a huge cheesesteak fan, unsurprisingly, but it was a good bite of local color.  We finished the evening with a swim in the hotel pool.

The next day was kung fu competition, Bud' fourth, I believe.  He competed in three forms--staff, broadsword, and tong bei, a kind of hand form (we previously called it "slappy form" because he slaps his legs repeatedly.)  And he won gold in all three!  We were very proud of him, but it was a long day.  He waited almost five hours for his first event, which was supposed to be in the morning, and then it was at the exact same time as his afternoon event.  Literally, as he stepped on to the mat for his hand form, they called him up for his staff form.  He did two forms in five minutes, running in between!  I don't know how he did it, pure adrenaline.  A very exciting five minutes, after a very long wait.  He's broadsword was an hour or so later, icing on the cake at that point.

We all celebrated with dinner at Iron Hill brewery, our traditional post-competition dinner.  (Can you tell we are creatures of habit?)  French fries with garlic-rosemary mayonnaise, mushroom soup, Caesar salad, fish and chips, more French fries, mussels, seafood stew, hamburgers, chicken pot pie with mashed potatoes,  apple crisp, maple pecan bourbon ice cream, and oatmeal cake.  WHEW!  We left well-fortified for the long drive home, choosing to wake up in our own beds the next morning.  We made good time, saw a beautiful sunset over the rest area near the Meadowlands, and were greeted noisily by some happy cats.

Apples, Pumpkins, and Ice Cream--Oh, My!

What a weekend!  And I couldn't talk at all.  My laryngitis is just now easing up, after lots of tea and chicken soup.  So, it gave me the chance to teach the kids some of the sign language they've forgotten since they were toddlers.

And we even had company.  One of Mama's friends, who had been her mentor way back at AT&T Bell Labs, was in town with her own wife, who had a music conference to go to.  And so, while the one played her dulcimer all day, we hung out with the other, introducing her to some typical local fall activities.  Even though the weather was very warm for the season.

Sis picking her pumpkin

First, we went pumpkin picking, getting some large ones for decorations and some small squash--delicata and buttercup--for eating.  Sis and Bud also chose some gourds for decorations.  And we all tried some pumpkin cranberry cookies and apple cider.  It was fun to see the kids walk among the pumpkins; the first time we went to this farm, they were about the same height as the biggest pumpkin.  Still, they can't quite carry the big ones.

Next was the apple place, with lots of Mutsu to pick, and apple cider to drink.  We didn't pick apples last year, so it was fun to go this year.  Makes me want to host our old annual Applepalooza, which we haven't done in years (last in 2010, see also 2009, and a recipe but not party in 2011); the kids agreed. We'll see.

Finally, we went for ice cream, also on a farm (our third that day.)  Yum, pumpkin and caramel apple and strawberry.  All homemade right there.  A great way to end our fall-in-New-England day.

Summer Fun: Ice-Cream Mom

While we haven't made a lot of ice cream this summer--one batch of delicious Strawberry Soda Ice Cream and one ball of regular L.L. Bean vanilla.  But here are some of our other favorite ice creams:


For the Ice Cream Maker:

Chocolate Sorbet

¾ cup packed dark brown sugar

½ cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1 oz. bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract1 teaspoon instant espresso powder

            Combine 2 ½ cups water, the brown sugar, granulated sugar, and cocoa in a saucepan.  To make Mexican chocolate sorbet, add 1 ½ teaspoons ground cinnamon.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and cook, whisking occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.  Reduce heat to low; boil gently for 3 minutes.

            Prepare an ice-water bath; set aside.  Remove the syrup from the heat and add the chocolate, vanilla, and espresso powder; whisk until chocolate is melted and well incorporated.  Pour the mixture into a bowl set over the ice-water bath and stir occasionally until well chilled.  Transfer to an ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer’s insturctions.  Store in a plastic container in the freezer for up to 1 week.

The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook

Chocolate Sorbet

2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened (or Dutch process) cocoa powder

            Combine the water and sugar in a heavy saucepan and place over medium heat.  Stir until the sugar dissolves.  Whisk in the cocoa and bring the mixture to a simmer.  Simmer for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.

            Remove from the heat and pour through a fine strainer into a bowl.  Chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.  Stir the cool mixture, then freeze in your ice cream maker.  When finished, the sorbet will be soft but ready to eat.  For firmer sorbet, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

Earl Grey Ice Cream

This one is my favorite so far—the color of coffee with a more complicated flavor.  Mmmmm, very good.

1 cup milk

3 heaping tablespoons loose Earl Grey tea or 5-6 Earl Grey tea bags

¾ cup sugar

6 large egg yolks

2 teaspoons all-purpose flour

¼ teaspoon salt

1 cup half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

            Bring the milk to a boil in a heavy medium saucepan.  Remove from the heat.  Stir in the tea leaves or bags, cover, and set aside to steep for 15 minutes.

            Meanwhile, in a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the egg yolks until thickened and pale yellow.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Set aside.

            Strain the milk to remove the tea leaves, or simply remove the tea bags.  Add the half-and-half and return to a simmer over low heat.  Slowly beat the hot milk and half-and-half into the egg yolks and sugar.  Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.  Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly.  Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot tea custard through a strainer into a larger, clean bowl.  Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the cream.  Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight. 

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions. When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat.  For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours (it’s better the next day, when frozen solid).

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

           

Pineapple-Coconut Ice Cream

1-16 oz can unsweetened pineapple chunks, drained

½ teaspoon salt

1 cup sugar

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3 large egg yolks

1 cup heavy cream

½ teaspoon vanilla extract

½ cup toasted coconut

            Preheat oven to 400°F degrees.  Spread the coconut in a thin layer on a baking sheet or aluminum foil.  Bake 5-10 minutes, then remove from the oven when light golden brown.  Allow them to cool before using.

Place the pineapple chunks and salt in a food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute.  Set aside.

            Combine the sugar and coconut milk in a heavy medium saucepan.  Place over low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved and the milk comes to a boil.  Beat the hot coconut milk into the egg yolks in a bowl.  Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.  Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly.  Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard though a strainer in to a large, clean bowl.  Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the pineapple puree, cream, and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight.

            Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1 or 2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer’s instructions.  When partially frozen, add ½ cup toasted, sweetened coconut.  When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat.  For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

Joan’s Port Alto Ice Cream

4 eggs, well beaten

2 ½ cups sugar

6 cup milk

4 cup heavy cream

1 ½ tablespoons vanilla

1 teaspoon salt

            Add sugar to eggs, beating well.  When very stiff, add remaining ingredients.  Mix thoroughly.  Pour into gallon ice cream freezer.

Gommie Hungry

Strawberry Sorbet 

2 cups water

1 cup sugar (could probably use only 3/4 cup)

1 quart strawberries, hulled

1 ½ teaspoon lemon juice

            In heavy saucepan boil water and sugar for 5 minutes; do not stir.  Add strawberries; cook 5 minutes more.  Stir in lemon juice.  Cool.  Puree.  Refrigerate until chilled.  Pour into ice cream maker and freeze for approximately 25 minutes.

internet recipe

 Honey Lemon Yogurt Ice Cream

1-32 oz. container plain yogurt

¼ cup sugar

½ cup honey

½ cup fresh lemon juice from 5-6 large lemons

¼ cup candied lemon zest (recipe follows)

1 cup light cream

            Soak a large cheesecloth or plain white paper towel in cold water.  Squeeze out the water and line a colander or sieve with the wet cloth.  Spoon the yogurt into the colander and set it into a large bowl to catch the liquid that drains from the yogurt.  Place in the refrigerator and let drain for 2-3 hours.  Approximately 1 ½ cups liquid will drain out.

            Spoon the thickened yogurt into a large mixing bowl and whisk in the sugar, honey, lemon juice, and lemon zest.  Stir until sugar is completely dissolved.  Stir in the cream.  Freeze in your ice cream machine according to manufacturer’s directions.  When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat.  For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe container and freeze at least 2 hours.

Candied Lemon Zest

1 large lemon

½ cup sugar

            Use a sharp paring knife to cut the zest off the lemon.  Cut only the yellow part, leaving the bitter white pith behind.  Slice the zest into very thin strips, then place in a small saucepan and cover with water.  Bring to a boil and immediately remove from the heat.  Drain and repeat the boiling process 3 times.  This will help soften the zest and remove any bitterness.

            Return the zest to the pan with ½ cup water and the sugar.  Stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved.  Bring to a simmer and cook until the zest is translucent, about 5 minutes.  Remove the zest with a slotted spoon and use immediately or allow to cool in the syrup, then refrigerate until ready to use.  Candied lemon zest can be stored in its syrup in the refrigerator for 2 weeks.

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

Fresh Ice Cream

1 bag frozen fruit
1/2 C yogurt (plain)or vanilla
1/4 C sugar
3 TBsp water

Blend all ingredients in mixer until smooth and enjoy.

(Note: Rees and James love it! We've had strawberry, mango, pineapple and blueberry. Can't wait to try more. Trying to find coconut. If you see it, let me know!

D.S.

Brown Sugar Ice Cream

2 cups cream (we used heavy whipping)

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine and put in ice cream ball. Follow directions. Yum! Though it didn't harden much (we were impatient), it tasted a lot like my favorite flavor, sweet cream

Mommy Hungry

Vanilla Ice Cream #1 (Pure and Simple)

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

2 tablespoons flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 2/3 cups milk

1 cup heavy cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

In a medium mixing bowl, beat the sugar into the eggs until thickened and pale yellow.  Beat in the flour and salt.  Set aside.

Bring the milk to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan.  Slowly beat the hot milk into the eggs and sugar.  Pour the entire mixture back into the pan and place over low heat.  Stir constantly with a whisk or wooden spoon until the custard thickens slightly.  Be careful not to let the mixture boil or the eggs will scramble.  Remove from the heat and pour the hot custard through a strainer into a large, clean bowl.  Allow the custard to cool slightly, then stir in the cream and vanilla.  Cover and refrigerate until cold or overnight (my note:  don't forget to put the core of your ice cream maker in a plastic bag in the freezer, if that's the kind you have).

Stir the chilled custard, then freeze in 1-2 batches in your ice cream machine according to the manufacturer's directions (ours takes about 20-30 minutes).  When finished, the ice cream will be soft but ready to eat.  For firmer ice cream, transfer to a freezer-safe contanier and freeze at least 2 hours.

(Final note:  I think my Penzey's vanilla extract overpowered this recipe, which was probably designed with your average vanilla in mind.  I almost think this would be good as a sweet cream recipe, no vanilla, since the book must have come out before that was a trendy flavor, and one of my favorites).

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book (one of our favorites!)

Maple-Apple Cider Sorbet

3 cups fresh apple cider (or apple juice)
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup
juice of 1 lemon

Bring cider to a simmer.  Add sugar and syrup and dissolve.  Refrigerate overnight.

Add lemon juice and freeze in ice cream machine according to directions.  It will be soft but ready to eat or it can be frozen for 2 hours for a firmer treat.

(Option:  Instead of maple syrup, use 1 1/2 cups sugar and add 1 teaspoon orange zest and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon with the sugar for Spiced Cider Sorbet.)

Bruce Weinstein, The Ultimate Ice Cream Book

Camp Vanilla Ice Cream

2 cups sugar
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
6 cups half and half
2 cups whipping cream

Mix in ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

Girl Scout Camp

Strawberry Soda Ice Cream

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3/4 cup red cream soda (Big Red!) or regular cream soda
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup frozen strawberries, thawed and mashed

Whisk the condensed milk, half-and-half, cream soda, cream and strawberries in a medium bowl.  Churn in ice cream maker.  Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 2 hours.

Laura Duckworth, Food Network Magazine


For the Roly Ball

From L.L. Bean:

Note: Most of these recipes call for half-and-half. You can substitute cream for a richer, creamier dessert. Using whole or lowfat milk (or part milk and part half-and-half) produces a lighter, lower-fat ice cream, but takes longer to freeze.

Vanilla
1 quart half-and-half
1 T vanilla
3/4 c plus 2 T sugar

Campsite Cocoa 
1 quart half-and-half
3-5 packets instant cocoa mix

Mix ingredients thoroughly in a separate container before adding to the Ice Cream Ball.

S'mores
1 quart half-and-half
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c chopped marshmallows (or mini marshmallows)
1/2 c chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars

Serve with graham crackers for dipping.

Wild Maine Blueberry 
3 c cream*
2 c wild blueberries
2 tsp vanilla
2/3 c sugar

* Because of the high liquid content in the berries, we recommend using cream instead of half-and-half.

L.L. Bear's Frozen Yogurt
4 c plain yogurt
2/3 c honey
2/3 c trail mix

Maine Needham
1 quart half-and-half
1/2 tsp almond extract
2/3 c sugar
1/2 c sweetened coconut
1/2 c chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars

New England Maple Syrup
1 quart cream*
2/3 c maple syrup

* Because of the added liquid in this recipe, we recommend using cream instead of half-and-half.

Chocolate Chip
1 quart half-and-half
1 T vanilla
3/4 c sugar
2/3 c chocolate chips or chopped chocolate bars

Gingerbread
1 quart half-and-half
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c plus 2 T sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/8 tsp allspice
1/8 tsp cloves

Coffee
1 quart half-and-half
2 tsp vanilla
1 c sugar
3 T instant coffee, dissolved in a small amount of hot water

Coconut
1 pint half-and-half
2 c coconut milk
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c sugar

Cookies & Cream
1 quart half-and-half
1 T vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1 c crushed chocolate sandwich cookies

Fruit Sorbet
3 c fruit juice
1 c crushed berries
sugar to taste

Peach
1 quart half-and-half
2 tsp vanilla
3/4 c sugar
1 large ripe peach, sliced and pared

Add peaches after 15 minutes of mixing.