Saturday, May 30, 2009

Summer Snacks

by Jo Robertson

The other day I heard the ice cream man jangling his bell as his truck turned the corner near my house. No one ran after him as they did when I was a child -- lots of little kiddies racing down the street, pennies clutched in their hands.

But the sound of that bell had an almost Pavlovian effect on me. Suddenly I wanted a treat – preferable the banana popsicles of my youth. Where did all the banana popsicles go, anyway? Can you still find them in your area?


Summer snacks are the best kind. When the thermometer soars and it’s too hot to do anything outside except lie in the shaded hammock, all I want is a cool snack to ease the pain of sultry summer.

Here are some of my favorite summer snacks:

Homemade ice cream. Oh, you knew that was gonna top the list, right? I’ve shared my favorite ice cream recipe before, but I’ll repeat it below. Nothing's
much better on a summer's day than a delicious, very large bowl of light, homemade ice cream.

Peppermint patties. The large kind that you nibble on while drinking a tall glass of water and reading your favorite book. My brother and I used to crouch on the floor and draw with our colored pencils, each of us with a glass of ice water and a peppermint patty.


Ah, the good old days.

California Cuties. No, not the girls, but the small oranges that are so sweet and so perfectly sized for children's tiny fingers to peel. They're a cross between a sweet orange and a mandarin orange and are delicious! In fact, any fresh fruit is on my list of favorite snacks.


Right now strawberries are on in California and will continue to produce until October. Yummy. I love strawberries!

Soda. Your choice. Although I’m just saying that in my not-so-humble opinion, Pepsi outweighs Coke in the on-going Pepsi-Coke controversy. Lots of ice in a tall tumbler and hearing the fizz as the soda pours over the ice. Yum!


Now I know the experts say soda doesn’t quench thirst nearly as well as water, but in my world, they're just plain wrong.

Jello. No, no, not the yucky horribly-flavored kind you get in the hospital. I’m talking about the kind you bling up with lots of goodies. Apricot jello with crushed pineapple, bananas, and miniature marshmallows. Strawberry jello with Cool Whip and fresh strawberries.


And I'm definitely not talking about the lime jello with shredded carrots my mother used to make. Whoever thought that was a good combo?

Any dessert that doesn’t have to be baked.






Like my Chocolate Dessert.
· Break one angel food cake into pieces and spread in a 9x13 pan
· Melt a 6 ounce package of chocolate chips with 3 tablespoons of water. Cool
· Add 3 beaten egg yolks and 3 tablespoons of powered sugar.
· Fold in 3 beaten egg whites and 1 cup of Cool Whip.
· Pour mixture over cake and chill.
· Top with chopped nuts.

Any entrĂ©e that doesn’t have to be cooked. My advice – use the grill!


Jo’s Homemade Ice Cream

2 quarts of half and half
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups sugar
1 TB lemon extract
2 TB vanilla extract

Mix well with wire whip and pour into ice cream maker.

Okay, sharing time! What's your favorite summer snack? Sweet or salty? Dry or liquid? Got any favorite, non-labor intensive recipes for us?

89 comments:

PinkPeony said...

Hi Jo....I'm with you on the Pavlovian thing whenever I hear an ice cream truck!

One of my favorite desserts as a kid was Jello 1-2-3. They don't make it anymore! Homemade peach ice cream. Frozen Oreos. Nowadays, I eat lots of sugar free popsicles.

Enid Wilson said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Helen said...

Congrats PinkPeony

Great post Jo even though here in Sydney at the moment it is cold and raining and I have the heater on LOL.

Summer snacks yummy the ice-cream trucks around here are called Mr Whippy and they sell soft serve ice-cream and it is very nice we always used to get them for the kids when they were young they play Greensleves as they drive around. When I was young my Mum used to make milk ice blocks for us and all that is some milk a little sugar and some vanilla pour them into plastic ice block moulds freeze and very cooling.
I am with you on the pepsi Jo I drink pepsi max all the time.
Yes any fruit very nice on a hot day. We call jello jelly here in Oz and there are some great flavours you cant get and I love putting fresh fruit in it what ever I have and is in season.

The chocolate desert sounds ymummy as does the homemade ice-cream I have never made ice-cream.

Summer time here in Oz is BBQ time lots of steak and sausages and then lots of lovely salads I love fresh salads in summer and that is one of our favourite meals easy to make lovely to eat.

Have Fun
Helen

PinkPeony said...

Helen...I love the name "Mr. Whippy!" It's rare to see an ice cream truck in our neighborhood these days. (I'm a Coke girl..Diet Coke these days.)

Pissenlit said...

OMIGOSH! I'd forgotten about banana popsicles till you mentioned them! I wasn't a huge fan of them, though.

Mmmm...ice cream. And ice cream sandwiches. And popsicles. And fudgesicles. and Jell-O(either on its own or with one pineapple ring per cup). And chocolate pudding. And Coke(none of this Pepsi nonsense..heh heh heh). And iced tea(by Canada's definition, not sure what that would be elsewhere). And giant slushies(lime, coke or half grape/half orange). And iced coffee or other related beverages like Second Cup's Icepresso. And juice. Actually, pretty much any beverage with ice cubes. And ice cubes on their own(really, it doesn't take much to make me happy...ha!).

Pissenlit said...

Helen - Mum used to make milk ice blocks for us and all that is some milk a little sugar and some vanilla

Oh! We did that with milk and a bit of honey!

Oh, I thought of one more thing to add to my earlier loooong list of awesome summer stuffs! Ice. Cold. Beer. *happy sigh* :D

Helen said...

PinkPeony the Mr Whippy vans don't come around as much as they used too but we still get the occasional one here and there.

Pissenlit milk with honey ice blocks sound yummy as well and yes a nice cold beer I will have a Tooheys Extra Dry for all the Aussies yummo with some nuts of chips to go with it

Have Fun
Helen

PinkPeony said...

Helen..is this the Mr. Whippy?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRChGdJCVJY

Gillian Layne said...

I'm trying not to shake over the "Pepsi" comment...;) Coke, baby! I've been brainwashed really well.

I love those huge bombpops the ice cream truck sells. My girls love their lemon flavored ice. I grew up in the country and never had such joy as the sound of that truck coming so I always buy if I have change in the house.

Kirsten said...

Jo, with two young kids, I have a different reaction to the sound of that truck.

I HATE IT.

You see, it turns my otherwise pleasant children into whining, demanding little buggers who will do ANYTHING to get an ice cream.

So I am blocking all further memories of the ice cream truck, and instead thinking about STRAWBERRIES! YUM!! I have great memories of strawberry picking in the summer with my mom. We'd eat as much as we'd pick, load up our flats, and then we'd make strawberry shortcake, and cut up bushels for strawberry jam.

Thanks for the great memory!

(Oh, and definitely Pepsi.)

Joan said...

Congrats PinkP on the GR!!! Maybe he'll help you write some letters to the troops!

Along the line of popsicles (I only like the traditional fruit flavored POPSICLE BRAND ones) are snow cones. We have Hawaiian ice huts around here which have way more flavors to choose from than the standard orange, grape, cherry.

Ice cream definately, in any form though I don't know anyone who makes their own any more.

The ice cream trucks...yeah those bring back memories. We actually had a type called carosel ones when I was little. They were these round vehicles which rotated around as the guy drove it. Pretty cool. I remember the fudgesicles....ummmmm, um.

Then of course there is the first and true refresher...Diet. Coke.

You can actually make a slushie by pouring Diet Coke (or Orange Crush) into a thermal type plastic and putting it in the freezer.

Oh, and watermelon. Cool, sweet watermelon

Joan said...

Kirsten! Pepsi! You too!

Must be a West Coast thing. {shakes head}

I'll have to say that the ice cream truck "nowadays" {I hate that I use that term} is shifty at best. Seriously? Some of the people driving them? By their looks?

I wouldn't let my child near them.

Oh, and there would not be pennies in grubby hands..nowadays...but $5's and $10's

Strawberries...yummo. When I was in San Fran last year, my friend bought some at a farmer's market. The best I've ever eaten!

Louisa Cornell said...

Hey, Pink! What summer treat are you going to give the GR. Not too much sugar and definitely NO eggs!!

Coke girl here, all the way, although I have been cutting back in anticipation of Nationals.

The little convenience store up the road has these strawberry shortcake ice creams on a stick. YUMMY !!

Chocolate chip mint ice cream with some thin mints crumbled into it when I am having a REALLY bad day!

And Milo's sweet iced tea!

pjpuppymom said...

Congrats PinkPeony! What treats are you sharing with the GR today?

Jo, I have the same response to the ice cream truck though I don't hear too many of them these days. They don't come to the area where I live. When we were kids the ice cream truck was driven by my minister's son and we all adored him...and the treats in his truck!

I love banana popsicles! Pet and Mayfield still make them and I have a supply in my freezer all year. Favorite summer treats are fudgesicles, fruit bars, smoothies, banana pops, frozen bananas and homemade chocolate chip ice cream bars. I make the frozen bananas and chocolate chip sandwiches.

Cut a banana in half, put on a stick, dip in melted chocolate and roll in chopped nuts. Place on waxed paper covered cookie sheet and freeze.

Make batch of oversized chocolate chip cookies. Soften ice cream and place a scoop on the flat side of a cookie then cover with a second cookie. Wrap in foil and freeze. Both treats are very yummy and great fun to make with kids.

Strawberries are in season here now and one of my fav fruits. Next comes blueberries then peaches. A favorite peach treat to make is peach trifle. I'll post the recipe in a separate post.
Peach ice cream is wonderful! I buy mine from the Ag students at Clemson. They make the best peach ice cream - soft vanilla ice cream with fresh local peaches! OMG good!

jo robertson said...

Yay, Pink Peony, on being the first poster!

Isn't it strange how sounds and smells will thrust us right back to childhood? I'm just surprised our ice cream man can make a living now, you know, where parents are leary of children approaching men in large vans. I'm just saying.

I remember Jello 1-2-3! Wasn't Bill Cosby the spokesperson for Jello?

Frozen Oreos?? That's new to me. But sounds delish!

jo robertson said...

Hi, Helen, even as I wrote the words I realized you'd already had your summer in Australia. Is it considered winter or fall now in the land of Oz?

Ah, you're the Pepsi sister of my heart, Helen LOL.

I'll have to try to milk blocks. Sounds like something the grands could make.

Funny about jello being called "jelly." If I said jelly, the kids would reach for the jam in the frig.

Gads, now I'm hungry!

jo robertson said...

Ooooh, Pissenlit, I forgot slushies. So refreshing on a hot day. My daughter bought me a hand-operated shaved ice maker. It's so easy to operate that even the kiddies can do it. I freeze blocks of juice, orange or grape, and they turn a surprisingly easy crank and make their own. So simple, so much fun on a hot day.

jo robertson said...

ROTFL, Pissenlit. You really ARE easy to please!

I love all iced drinks too; sometimes I even put ice in my milk! I can't even imagine what life was like before the convenience of easily-available ice.

jo robertson said...

Gillian, lemon-favored ice sounds yummy. In fact, anything with lemon is refreshing, I think.

And LOL, I think the Coke-Pepsi controversy will continue forever. Coke has higher sales than Pepsi, so most people must prefer it. You're in good company!

jo robertson said...

Helen and Pissenlit, I have to laugh at the beer comment. I tried beer once in Mexico with Aunty Cindy and as she says, it tastes like horse p*ss. But our husbands seemed to like it! Maybe it's an acquired taste?

jo robertson said...

ROTFLMAO, Kirsten! Yes, the ice cream truck takes on a whole new meaning when it's YOUR kids running after the danged thing! When I was a young mother, I used to pray the kids wouldn't hear it. Nope, not gonna happen.

Ah, my Pepsi-compadre! I'm making strawberry freezer jam next week, so delicious on toast. And it's relatively easy to whip up. Trouble is, I usually give most of it away.

jo robertson said...

It's a different world, isn't it, Joan? Children approaching large vans driven by men. Hmmm, you have to think twice about that.

Hey, hey, hey, Joan, you know me and I make my own ice cream. It's more trouble than store bought, and what with the ice and rock salt, more expensive, but I've trained Dr. Big into making it, so he'll often have a surprise treat for me when I get home from an outing.

jo robertson said...

Aren't all the Coke factories on the east coast, Joanie?

When we traveled to the Middle East, I remember that we could only get Coke too. We stayed at this opulent hotel in Cairo and I remember thinking, if only I had a Pepsi LOL.

This was in the 70's, so maybe it's changed.

jo robertson said...

Louisa, I am so all over that strawberry shortcake ice creams on a stick! But I haven't seen them out here.

I like to make my own shortcake biscuits, but when it's hot, I go for the bought pound cake when I make my strawberry shortcakes.

jo robertson said...

PJ, thanks for the tip on tracking down the banana popsicles. Honestly those and the lime ones are the only ones I like. I save the others for the kiddies. I've never heard of Pet and Mayfield, though. Is that an east coast brand?

jo robertson said...

Thanks for the great-sounding recipes, PJ. I'll definitely try the banana/chocolate/nuts one. I like simple so it's a good treat for the kiddies to make.

Don't forget to post the peach trifle recipe. I love peaches too. Ben and Jerry's or maybe Hagen Daas makes a seasonal peach cobbler ice cream that's quite good too.

pjpuppymom said...

I've never heard of Pet and Mayfield, though. Is that an east coast brand?Mayfield is a Georgia company. They only distribute in the southeast. I thought Pet Dairy products had a wider distribution but I checked their website and they are southeast also. At least you'll know what to look for if you visit my part of the country! :)

pjpuppymom said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
pjpuppymom said...

PEACHES AND CREAM TRIFLE


3 Tbsp. granulated sugar
7 ripe peaches, peeled & sliced (4 cups)
1 (12 oz) tub Cool Whip, thawed
1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 (3 oz) pkg. instant vanilla pudding mix
1-3/4 cups milk
1 (16 oz) frozen pound cake loaf
1/2 cup amaretto (or orange juice)
1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted.

Place sliced peaches in a bowl. Sprinkle with granulated sugar; toss gently and let stand 20 minutes or until juicy.

Combine pudding mix and milk. Whisk until mixture thickens.

Combine thawed Cool Whip and 1/4 cup powdered sugar in a chilled mixing bowl. Beat at medium speed with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Fold half of this mixture into the vanilla pudding.

Cut pound cake into 1-inch cubes until you have 6 cups. Place half of the cake cubes in a 3-quart serving bowl. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup amaretto (or orange juice). Top with half of the Cool Whip/pudding mixture and half of the peaches. Repeat layers until all ingredients have been used.

Spread the remaining Cool Whip on the top of the trifle. Cover and chill at least 8 hours.

Sprinkle with toasted almonds before serving.

Yield: 12 servings

May 30, 2009 11:47 AM
Delete

jo robertson said...

PJ, thanks for sharing the Peach Trifle recipe. It's remarkably close to my mom's recipe, only she cuts the pound cake into 3 layers and sprinkles the orange juice on them before cutting into cubes. She also uses canned peacheds, but fresh is so much better.

jo robertson said...

Thanks for the info on the Pet and Mayfield companies, PJ. I hate when something I love is only distributed in one part of the country. And it's not MY part! LOL

jo robertson said...

Keep those recipes coming, Bandita Buddies. I'm printing them out and saving them!

Here's one of my mum's. She calls it Apricot Salad but it's more like a dessert. Don't forget the topping. That's the best part.

Appricot Salad

2 small pkg apricot jello
2 cups hot water
2 cups cold water
2 large bananas, mashed
1 lge can crushed pineapple, drained (save the juice)
2 cups miniature marshmallows

Mix all together and set to jell.

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
3 TB flour
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1 egg

Cook over low heat until thickened. Cool completely. Add 1 8 oz pkg cream cheese and fold in 1 8 oz tub of Cool Whip. Spread over salad and sprink with coconut if desired.

Tawny said...

Mmmm, homemade ice cream.

I'm really not an ice cream kind of gal except in the summer. The rest of my family will eat it at Christmas if they could *g* But I like homemade best and definitely am going to try your recipe, Jo! I also have a Ben & Jerry's recipe book. Yum, Heath Bar Crunch.

Other treats? Veggies from the grill. Melon, fruit of all kinds, cold dinnner salads.

I have one recipe from my gramma that is incredible for summer BBQs or potlucks. Take an angel food cake and break it into squares. Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and cool whip. Layer cake, cream cheese, toasted almond slivers and cherry pie filling 3 times, then top with straight cool whip. OMG delish. Light as air, and so yummy.

Susan Sey said...

Oh, Jo! The homemade ice cream recipe! I'd just weaned myself, too. :-)

Seriously, though, I tried that ice cream recipe last time you posted it--last summer maybe?--and I swear I ate the whole thing by myself. Not that my family didn't try to get it away from me, I just got obsessed. It was SO GOOD.

I encourage everybody to try it, certainly. But be careful. It's like sugary sweet crack for ice cream hounds.

My very favorite, hands-down, can't-beat-it dessert just happens to be very low-tech:

Step 1: Take one big bowl of vanillla ice cream.

Step 2: Take a whole bunch of frozen solid chocolate chip cookies.

Step 3: Eat them like chips & salsa.

Mmmmmmm....

When I'm trying to get my sugar habit under control? A big ol' icy glass of Diet Coke. It doesn't chew but it sure is satisfying on a hot summer night when I want to read a book & have something sweet. Or maybe I should say "sweet." Put a slice of lime in there & it's pretty good.

Not ice cream good, but good. :-)

Susan Sey said...

Pissenlit wrote: Ice. Cold. Beer. *happy sigh* :D
Amen, sister. :-)

Minna said...

Here's easy one (sorry, I haven't converted the deciliters):
2 deciliters cream
2 eggs
about 1 deciliter sugar (the amount depends on the sweetnes or sournes of other ingrediants)
(1 tsp vanilla sugar)
berries, jam, chocolate, fruits...

Add part of the sugar to cream and the rest to eggs. Whip cream and eggs in separate bowls. Combine whipped cream, eggs and other ingrediants. Put in the freezer.

Cheaper than buying ice cream, especially when the jam is homemade and berries are picked from the forest by me or one of my sisters.

Minna said...

Next time I'll try it with coconut cream (if I manage to find it here), a bit of vanilla sugar and dark chocolate. It would be lovely with Twinings tea, which is also flavored with coconut, vanilla and chocolate.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Great post, Jo!

My mama's macaroni salad:

1lb cooked macaroni, chilled
1 large cucumber, diced in 1/2 inch pieces...(I remove the seeds as they don't like me anymore)
1 bunch of green onions diced
2-3 tomatos, depending on the size and your preference, diced, seeds removed.
1/2-1 cup mayonnaise, or Miracle Whip Light.

Mix thoroughly, salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate at least an hour before serving.

Wouldn't be summer without it. I make a huge batch and have it for lunch eveyday instead of something hot.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Joanie, you got it right, Diet. Coke.

Nuff said.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Frozen Reese's mini cups.

Caution....very addictive.

Pop bag of reese's mini cups in the freezer for at least an hour. Oh. My. God!

Suzanne Ferrell said...

Italian Lemon Ice.

So very refreshing on a hot 100+ day by the pool, or IN the pool. I have some in the freezer as we speak, right near the bag of Reese's mini cups.

Suzanne Ferrell said...

OKay, one last one....cobblers.

Peach or blackberry are my favorite, but apple is good in the fall.

Hot cobbler and cold vanilla ice cream. sooooooooo summery

Tawny said...

Suz said:
Pop bag of reese's mini cups in the freezer for at least an hour. Oh. My. God!
Oh yeah, baby!!!

My all time, I'm not cheating favorite!!!

Gillian Layne said...

Ok, I am now craving frozen chocolate SO BAD! :)

My favorite summer-only ice cream recipe: Chocolate Raspberry Yum

Get an 8 by 8 inch pan. Smash two dozen Oreo cookies in a plastic bag and then smush them on the bottom of the sprayed pan--freeze. After 1/2 an hour spread a good layer of thawed vanilla ice cream. (I'm sorry, I didn't learn to cook with measurements). Then push a thick layer of raspberries into the ice cream. Freeze again. Then pour a nice thick layer of fudge topping over the berries. Then top with a bunch of fluffy whipped cream. Then freeze.

Eat and enjoy! The raspberries make it healthy, you know. ;)

Anna Campbell said...

Hey, Jen, you're pretty slick with that Rooster! Congratulations!

Jo, what a great post! Can't stomach jello/jelly - takes me back to too many boarding school dinners! Although I must say I still like rice pudding which was another staple. Anything cheap and filling, basically! I've never had homemade ice-cream either.

Helen, we had a Mr Whippy truck through here the other day. Haven't heard one for ages. Suspect he didn't get a lot of takers, sadly.

Down here it's autumn and I love it because it means the mandarin season has started. I eat them by the truckload. In fact, every morning I look in the mirror and I'm surprised I haven't turned orange! Juicy, sweet little suckers, yum!!!!

Joan said...

Aren't all the Coke factories on the east coast, Joanie?...

They're everywhere but a lot in the South. Atlanta IS where it was invented. (God Bless that pharmacist)

And Suz, here's my Mom's macaroni salad (which I COULD eat by the gallon....in one sitting)

Macaroni, cooked (Very versitile, this receipe)
Kraft singles, broken or pulled into pieces
Pickle relish
1 small onion, chopped
1 small jar pimentos
Miracle Whip.

To cooled macaroni, add cheese pieces until "it looks right"
Add chopped onion
Add pickle relish by spoonfuls until it...er, looks right.
Add chopped pimentos
Add Miracle Whip until nice and moist.

Eat like a pig.

jo robertson said...

Thanks for sharing, Tawny. That angel food cake recipe from your granma sounds wonderful. Why is it that any vegetable grilled tastes better? Have you ever grilled corn on the cob in its husks?

jo robertson said...

Ooops, so sorry, Susan. I know what you mean about it being addictive though! And I never seem to fill up on it, very easy to eat the whole container yourself. Fortunately Dr. Big loves it as much as I do, so it can go to HIS hips instead of mine.

Except, you know, the weight never seems to go to men's hips. That's just so wrong.

jo robertson said...

Minna, that dessert sounds so easy and delicious. I'm mathmatically challenged, though.

Two deciliters of cream is about 7 ounces, I think. And one deciliter of sugar would be 2/5 cup. I'm sure we could eyeball the ingredients.

Tawny said...

Jo said: Thanks for sharing, Tawny. That angel food cake recipe from your granma sounds wonderful. Why is it that any vegetable grilled tastes better? Have you ever grilled corn on the cob in its husks? YES!!! Oh man, isn't it delicious that way? I do admit to cheating on average weeknight barbeques. I'll peel back the husks and clean the silk away, microwave the ears for about 10 minutes for 6, then wrap the husks back on and toss on the grill. Faster *g* and sooooo deliciously sweet.

jo robertson said...

Suz, your macaroni salad sounds so refreshing. I hate heating up my oven on a hot day, so that's perfect!

And yum on the cobblers. Sometimes I'm so eager for hot cobbler in the winter that I'll make it with canned peaches and Bisquick topping!

jo robertson said...

Okay, Suz and Tawny's frozen chocolate ideas have blown any hope of a diet all the way to Hades and back!

Good tip on those bbq corn on the cobs, Tawny. I never thought of that. The silks are the worst part of c on the c.

jo robertson said...

Gillian, the Choclate Raspberry Yum sounds to die for! And of course it's healthy! You got the fresh fruit, the milk product in the ice cream . . . okay, adding this to my diet LOL.

jo robertson said...

Anna, I'm impressed with your healthy mandarin snacks! Autumn in Oz must be beautiful, isn't it?

I wonder if homemade ice cream is an American staple? Everyone I know from coast to coast makes it. At least we no longer have to hand crank it, though, what with the fast electric ones. We run through an electric ice cream maker about every two years.

jo robertson said...

Here's another no-oven dessert from my SIL Steve.

Peanut Butter Candy

3 cups sugar
1 1/2 sticks butter
2/3 cup evaporated milk

Boil exactly 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add 1 bag Reese's peanut chips, one jar of Kraft marshmallow creme, and 1 tsp of vanilla.

Pour into buttered 9x13 pan.

Hey, I figure if a guy can make it, it's gotta be super easy!

Anna Campbell said...

Jo, usually autumn is lovely here. It's gorgeous right now. Warm clear days and a nip in the air at night for nice, cozy sleeps. Last week, though, we had major flooding so it's not all beer and skittles!

Helen said...

Jo
Here in Sydney it is still raining and very cool not our normal autumn either and I too love manderins they are really nice at the moment and I also love the Pink Lady apples. I am loving some of these receipes taking notes for summer.

PinkPeony
My computer won't let me go there to have a look. The vans are pink and white and have Greensleeves playing as they go around.

Have Fun
Helen

PinkPeony said...

Ok. Now I'm craving macaroni salad and Cool Whip, but not together.

I had a b.f. once who used to make this. It's delicious. Cut up one whole pineapple. Place in a container (with an air tight lid). Add 1 bottle of unflavored vodka. Cover and let it sit at room temp for 2 days. Then chill and serve in tiny little glasses. It's potent but very refreshing.

Helen...yes! The trucks are pink and white and the play "Greensleeves". I'm jealous.

Jessica Scott said...

I think when I get home on midtour from Iraq, I'm going to teach my kids how to make homemade ice cream. I'm thinking strawberry ought to be easy to do. Any good recipe ideas?

pjpuppymom said...

Jessica, are you in the military? When are you scheduled to come home?

Trish Milburn said...

I'm with Joan. I love summer because it means watermelon. My husband and I consumed one in like two days this past week, and I've bought another. You put it in the fridge long enough to get good and cold, then cut it up into chunks. Cool, refreshing, and it quenches your thirst.

Trish Milburn said...

Oh, and Jo, I grew up out in the country with nary an ice cream man in sight. One does go down our street in the summer, but I've only gotten a treat once, when my niece was visiting. But then, I live very close to Dairy Queen. :)

Kate Diamond said...

Oh, yum! I am a big fan of ice cream, too. In college my roommates and I used to get a pint of Ben & Jerry's every night, then split it between us. So good.

I also love all things made on a grill.

Joan said...

Welcome Jessica!

Iraq, huh? Wow...we are honored to have you take the time to visit with us.

THANK YOU!

Pissenlit said...

jo robertson - I tried beer once in Mexico with Aunty Cindy and as she says, it tastes like horse p*ss. But our husbands seemed to like it! Maybe it's an acquired taste?

Oh, ew! Maybe you just haven't tasted the right beer. Also, ya, it's a bit of an acquired taste for some people.


Ahhh! How could I forget watermelon? And honeydew and canteloupe! I always feel the need to whip out my melon baller during the summer. :D

Beth Andrews said...

Jo, we never had an ice cream truck in my town :-( I'm feeling very deprived.

Some of my favorite summer time treats are mint chocolate chip ice cream, Jello pudding pops and homemade ice cream! I'm sure my girls will love trying out your recipe *g*

A non-sweet dish we all look forward to each summer is tomato pie from Paula Deen's recipe. It's so good!

Joan said...

Thanks to this discussion, I now have a half gallon of chocolate chip in my freezer......

Not sure if it will still be there for my critique group tomorrow!

There goes the .8 lbs I lost at WW

Becke Davis said...

My mom always made this pseudo-ice cream, which I still love:

Two thawed containers of frozen strawberries, with the juice

Two containers of sour 1/2 & 1/2 (haven't tried it with fat free)

1 cup of sugar (I like to use brown sugar instead)

Mix together in a flat Pyrex glass dish and freeze. Yum!

And my favorite from the ice cream truck was a Chocolate Eclair bar (our truck was the Good Humor Man).

Becke Davis said...

Oh yeah, nowadays I like those 100 calories or less ice cream bars, or the Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches.

jo robertson said...

LOL, Anna, I'm assuming skittles are not the little multi-flavored candies we have here, don't think they'd go so well with beer.

Fall here is lovely too. I love temperate days and chilly nights for snuggling under the quilts!

In Northern California, winter usually means rain and sometimes flooding if there's too much of it! We've had flooding of creeks and rivers, runoff from the snow melt so bad that houses have been completely covered.

Becke Davis said...

Forgot to add the word: freeze
to that recipe. Duh.

Jessica, this is an easy one to make with kids. Be safe -- I hope you'll be home soon.

Anna Campbell said...

Jo, how funny! It's a saying - obviously not one you've got in the US. I'm always fascinated by the linguistic differences. Skittles is like ten-pin bowling. The pins were called skittles. Beer and skittles means a lighthearted, carefree party time. Not all beer and skittles means there's an element of trouble.

jo robertson said...

Whoa, Pink, just thinking 'bout that vodka-pineapple mix is knockin' my socks off! Whaaahooo!

A big hearty salute to you Jessica. I think you commented on yesterday's blog, didn't you, when Sherry Thomas visited?

The homemade ice cream I've listed above can easily take fresh strawberries or peaches, any fruit you'd like really. We just like it plain! It'd be easy for kids to make because it's just measuring and pouring; anyone over six could do the measuring and over three or four could do the pouring.

Hope you get home soon to your kiddies!

jo robertson said...

Watermelon's the best, Trish, because, well, it's mostly water and hardly has any calories.

Unfortunately, Dr. Big puts salt on his watermelon. After forty-two years of marriage, I'm still trying to figure out that one!

jo robertson said...

Oh, well, living close to the DQ makes up for everything, Trish!

Hmmmm, I think I heard the DQ blizzards calling my name.

jo robertson said...

Kate, OMG, what restraint. No way would I have shared a pint of Ben and Jerry's with my roommates in college. Of course, I was thirty pounds thinner, so I could afford to eat it all LOL!

What's your fav B&J? My girls like Chunky Monkey. Or maybe they just like saying Chunky Monkey. It has a sassy ring to it!

jo robertson said...

OH, HUGE REMINDER IF YOU'RE BIDDING IN BRENDA NOVAK'S ONLINE JUVENILE AUCTION.

SOME OF THE EDITOR-AGENT BIDS ARE CLOSING SOON, LIKE RIGHT AWAY. SOME END TOMORROW.

THE BIDDING STOPS ON MAY 31, SO GO PLAY IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY. THE BIDS ARE QUITE LOW COMPARED TO PREVIOUS YEARS, SO YOU MIGHT GET A GREAT BARGAIN!

jo robertson said...

Okay, Beth, I love tomatoes. Can you share this tomatoe pie recipe?

Becke Davis said...

Thanks for the reminder. I was bidding on a lot, but am only high bidder on two critiques. I'd love to bid on more, but the prices are getting out of my range!

jo robertson said...

I get it, Anna. Beer and skittles like middle-class fun, bowling and backyard bbq's.

Treethyme, I never heard of a chocolate eclair bar. I'm so all over that.

Your mom's recipe -- is that light sour cream? Or if not, what's light 1/2 and 1/2? Sounds good. Have you tried making it with a sugar substitute like Splenda?

Becke Davis said...

It had vanilla and chocolate, covered with chocolate crumbles. You might still be able to get them at the grocery store.

Joan said...

Unfortunately, Dr. Big puts salt on his watermelon. After forty-two years of marriage, I'm still trying to figure out that one!...

I THINK this is done to draw the juices out??? My Mom used to do it too.

jo robertson said...

Treethyme, we have those too. I think Hagen Daas calls them chocolate almond bars or something like that. They're yummy.

Never knew that about watermelon and salt, Joan. I thought Big was just mixing it up with the salty and sweet LOL.

jo robertson said...

Okay, last recipe of the day -- or as my kids used to say "re-ceep"!

This was my kids' favorite "pretend" cheesecake when they were growing up. They liked it because it wasn't too rich.

Mock Cheesecake

8 oz cream cheese
2 cups cold milk
1 3 oz. pkg instant lemon pudding mix

Stir cream cheese until very soft. Gradually add about 1/2 cup mil until smooth. Add remaining milk and pudding mix. Beath slowly until just blended. Immediately pour into 9x9 inch pan lined with graham cracker crust.

Graham Cracker Crust

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter

Mix and press into pan. No baking required.

Have a happy weekend and enjoy those delicious summer snacks!

Caren Crane said...

Pink Peony, I remember Jell-o 1-2-3. It was kind of a pain to make, because you had to chill it between each layer. But man, what a treat!

Jo, when I hear an ice cream truck, I start craving an Orange Push-Up pop. Orange sherbet is still my favorite!

Gillian, I loved the bomb pop! They had these red, white and blue ones that were cherry, Sprite and blueberry flavored. Yummy!

I am not, in general, a fan of refrigerated desserts. Especially if it involves putting cake in the refrigerator. I think it's a texture thing: I like mine firm, not mushy. My husband and kids love that kind of thing, though. I let my mom make it for them. *g*

I do, however, LOVE Jell-o. My favorite thing was always Jigglers, where you reduce the water you use and make the Jell-o firm enough to eat with your fingers. The most fun ever!

Oh, and I envy the availability of California strawberries. We have luscious strawberries in North Carolina, but only for a few weeks. We're about done with strawberry season, sadly...

Caren Crane said...

Jo, even though I'm sort of off ice cream these days, a DQ cookies and cream blizzard is off the chain!

Enid Wilson said...

Hi I saw that my comment has been deleted. Was it because of the website link I had at the end? Just curious to know.

jo robertson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
jo robertson said...
This comment has been removed by the author.