Two for the Price of One!

Hey All!

Again, I apologize for the long delay between posts, I was on vacation the week of 4th of July, and then this past week I was working on my Portfolio (I'm VERY close to finishing my Master's Degree, thank goodness) and all that kept me away from posting, but here I am! I've missed you all! And today, because you're all so awesome and patient, you're gonna get a double entry. One about a food excursion I went on whilst I was on vacation, and the other about a random kitchen adventure I embarked upon the other day:

Every year, my family goes to Lake George, NY in the Adirondack Mountains for our annual vacation. Lake George happens to be a only a short distance from the Vermont border. And, what totally cool ice-cream franchise originated in Vermont? (hint: It has to do with the pictures) That would be BEN AND JERRY'S! So, because of it's close proximity, Bolton Landing (the town where we stay) has a Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Shop! Or, as I like to call it, The Land of Goodness and Light. They sell all manner of treats there, sundaes, smoothies, milkshakes, etc, everything you'd expect to find in a scoop shop. They also have something called a Vermonster, which is their OHMYGODHUGE signature sundae that could feed an army. Although we have been going there basically since it opened, we had never gotten one, so this year, on a whim, my Mom, my boyfriend, my brother, my grandparents and I pooled our money (they cost about $40) and got one and split it between the six of us :)

This is what a Vermonster includes:

-20 scoops of ice cream (we got 4 scoops of Chocolate Therapy, 4 scoops of Cake Batter, 4 scoops of Chocolate Fudge Brownie, 4 scoops of Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, and 4 scoops of Phish Food)

-4 ladles of hot fudge

-3 cookies

-3 brownies

- choice of 4 toppings (we did M&M's, double Oreos, and bananas)

-Whipped Cream

Everyone else in the scoop shop was watching while they prepared this Sundae for us, and a lot of people commented on it and whether or not they thought we could finish it. Watching it be made was almost as fun as eating it....almost....IT WAS DELICIOUS! Ice-cream in general (and gelato in specific) is my favorite dessert, and devouring this huge sundae with my family was an absolute delight. I have to be honest and say that we did not finsish it one sitting, that first night the six of us got through about 70% of it, and then we finished it off intermittently over the next two days. This got me to thinking, how awesome would be it to have an ice-cream party with your friends? Everyone brings some ice cream and some toppings, put it all together in a huge bowl, and dig in! Sounds like a good time to me! If you live near a Ben and Jerry's or other ice cream shop that does one of those huge novelty sundaes, round up a bunch of friends and go for it, it was absolutely worth it in my opinion :)

And, blog #2

It's been a tight few weeks money-wise for this little girl, and the other day I was perusing my cupboards trying to figure out what to make for dinner out of things I had on hand, as an extra trip to the grocery store was not gonna happen. This is what I discovered:

-1 box Whole Wheat Couscous

-garlic

-White onion

- 1/2 bag of whole almonds

-1 can Northern White Beans

-1 package fresh/frozen lamb patties

- assorted spices

-apple cider vinegar

-vegetable broth

I mixed half broth and half water and put it on the stove to boil. I chopped the onion and garlic and put it in a saute pan with a little Extra Virgin Olive Oil. When the onion and garlic had gotten some good color I put the lamb patties into the pan. When the water boiled I added the couscous to it. When the couscous had absorbed all the water I added the beans. I fluffed the couscous with a fork and added salt, pepper, ginger, cinnamon and rosemary. Next, I added the onions and garlic to the couscous and let the lamb cook a few minutes more. When the lamb was done, I broke it up into bite-sized pieces with my spatula and added it (plus the pan drippings) to the couscous. I finished the couscous by adding the almonds and a splash of apple cider vinegar. It turned out really well if I do say so myself. It had a very...Turkish/Middle Eastern Flavor, smoky, deep, slightly sweet. When it comes to needing a blank canvas and/or getting something on the table fast and for not a lot of money, couscous is your friend (much like pasta). It will support any flavor that you give it, and it stretches a long way. I apologize for not having any pictures of it, I didn't have my camera at the time, but I'll be sure and take photos for my next kitchen adventure. I didn't include measurements for this one because, really, it was total improvisation, one of those "run around the kitchen and throw things in that would probably taste good together" kind of things. So, buy some couscous, mess around with flavorings, make something up,play with your food :)

Till Next Time :)

Lynn