You are currently browsing the archives for July 2016.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 entries.

Pain, pain, go away….

  • Posted on July 29, 2016 at 2:22 pm

No need to come back any other day! Or place. I’m just done with this crap. (Rant continues….)

Ice cream, ice cream….

  • Posted on July 27, 2016 at 6:20 pm

It used to be that every once in a while I would go on a bender for a little bit. No, not a drinking bender- a baking or dessert bender, where I would make several different versions of a recipe or several different things in like a couple of days. It seems now that I’m on an ice cream binge. In less than two weeks, I’ve made orange popsicle, watermelon sorbetto, mint chocolate chip, maple and blueberry. I’ve got berries put away to make another batch of blueberry ice cream or perhaps pie. As soon as the chocolate flake I ordered arrives, I’ll make some more mint, with the chocolate mint on my deck. You know you have a problem when you need to buy more tupperware to contain your habit. (And ok, fine, maybe I’m also considering buying a second freezer bowl so I don’t have to wait 24 hours in between batches. I’m not ashamed to admit I might have a problem.) I’m thinking egg nog and rum raisin will be next. Make the rum raisin with local maple rum.

I also have to start working on a non-dairy chocolate mousse recipe, especially one that can be made a day or two ahead and will stay stable. I’m helping friends with a dessert reception they are having that must be all non-dairy and prepared in their home as they keep kosher. So it will be interesting working in someone else’s kitchen without my tools. First up on that list is my mother’s tried and true fruit cake with local blueberries. It’s seasonal and local, easy to make, and freezes like a dream plus we can do them with almost any fruit, so do a couple a week with whatever is in market. Then I have gluten free lemon bars and maple apple squares on the list to try!

Next injection, Day 1

  • Posted on July 19, 2016 at 1:53 pm

Health and medical crud to follow, read at your own risk….

Taking the Win

  • Posted on July 17, 2016 at 3:42 pm

Some days I have lofty ambitions (some days getting out of the house is a lofty ambition!). Especially when I have company coming, as we do this weekend. One of our guests is from out of the country, and instead of going out for dinner, chose to have a BBQ/grill here at the house. To go along with that theme, I was going to make ice creams for dessert. I made an (outstanding!) orange cream one, and did not have the spoons to make the white chocolate one I had planned. I did also make candied cherries (pitted by hand since I couldn’t find either of my damn pitters), which did not come out quite as candied as I had thought, but I’m not sure that’s a bad thing. I’ll bake brownies from a box tomorrow and that’s going to have to do. Well with the home made stuff, anyways.

For dinner we’ll have salmon burgers and chicken breasts. I also got some coleslaw, potato salad, Israeli couscous with veggies, wheat-berries with fruits and nuts, and I think there’s one or two more salads, plus I’ll go to the farm stand in the morning and get fresh veggies for salad as well as what should be some beautiful raspberries! And giant marshmallows to roast, should we be so inclined. I meant to get a melon, but didn’t want the fussing. I’ll put together a local cheese plate, I’ve got a big bag of grapes (note to self, throw some in freezer). I have crackers and chips and veggies (maybe make dip?). No one will go hungry.

So I’m going to stop myself with what I’ve got and be good with what I’ve done. The Husband has been cleaning the house for what feels like days (I’ve helped a little where I can) so this is all just going to have to do.

 

Updated with post event notes: Our guests brought a lovely home made almond cake which had an orange glaze and went great with the orange ice cream, which was declared a resounding hit! There was more than enough food (big surprise there!).

Getting My Groove Back

  • Posted on July 11, 2016 at 4:51 pm

I was going to title this “How Betty Got Her Groove Back” but I haven’t quite got it back yet. I’m working on it. Things have been….rough for pretty much the last year or so, even before I lost my job, but that certainly didn’t help things any. I’m trying hard right now to acknowledge that I haven’t been at my best, and working on doing things to improve my state of being. BUT, I may actually be able to get my Demented Betty groove back, even if it’s just for a little while.

Our neighbors and friends are celebrating the Bat Mitzva of their youngest daughter on the Monday of Labor Day weekend. They are self-catering a dessert reception and have asked me to help them out, with both setting the menu and the actual baking. All the baking has to be done at their house and with their equipment, as it is kosher. I wonder how much work it would be to kasher a Kitchen-Aid stand mixer? So I’ve started to think about different things we can do, keeping in mind that this is to be dairy free and mostly gluten free. I think we’re going to try to go with French macaroons for the centerpiece/main dessert. She’s not really a sweets kind of kid, so it’ll be fun to see what else we settle on. I’ll also have the pleasure of working with her older sister to get this all done, and she is already an amazing baker as a teenager!

We’re having some friends over this weekend and I’ve decided to make some ice cream for us, and candied cherries to go with them. I should probably make some chocolate sauce too and maybe some whipped cream. (Oy. This is where the demented comes from. I get going down that slope, and just keep going…..) Add that to the brownies I’ll make just before they come, and I think I have desserts handled. I’m making a white chocolate ice cream and also an orange creamcicle one. I love being able to keep my ice cream bowl in the freezer! I’ve made the orange one before, and I’m really looking forward to the white chocolate with the cherries. Hopefully the weather will be conducive to grilling, and we’ll get some beef burgers and salmon burgers going. On Thursday and Saturday I’ll go to the farmer’s market and stand and get fixin’s for a farmer’s market salad, with a local maple balsamic dressing. I’ll get some cheese and crackers to nosh on, and I think I’m good to go.

Health and etc wise, things are a mixed bag. I still don’t have a job. I still have issues with my health impacting my day to day life. But I’m trying to manage and do the things I need to, even through the pain.

For the more detailed version….