Food Time! Sweet Summer Fro-Yo

So it's obviously been a long while since I posted a recipe or anything. But I recently acquired a new piece of kitchen gadgetry that is changing my life; my 2 Quart Cuisinart Pure Indulgence Ice Cream Maker. The obsession all started at work a few weeks ago. The lovely ladies of Shoofly decided to make ice cream pies for the summer and my boss Kimmy got an ice cream maker for the shop. Well, being the curious person I am, I just had to try my hand at making my own concoctions. My first attempt was a very unpopular (except for me, I loved it) Green Pea and Mint ice cream. The came the Earl Grey ice cream. Then I was hooked. I simply had to have my own maker at home. I got it last week and I have made to creations, a Brown Butter custard and Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt. So I figured I'd share my fro-yo recipe with ya'll so you can make your own!

Low-Fat Grapefruit Frozen Yogurt

Makes about 1 quart

3 cups good quality strained or greek-style yogurt (whole fat is better but you can use low fat as I did)

2/3 to 1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla (optional)

1- Mix together all ingredients in a bowl until sugar has di

ssolved completely. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator for 1 hour.

2- Churn according to your ice cream makers instructions.

3- Enjoy with fresh diced fruit on a sunny, hot (or in my case, not so hot) day!

The Weighty Considerations of Weight and Self-Esteem

In high school, I weighted 100 lbs (average.) And everyday, I felt bad about myself. My self-esteem was at it's lowest point, particularly in my junior and senior years (and well into college.) I looked in the mirror and saw, maybe not a fat cow, but not an under-weight, skinny Minnie. I felt average, boring, at times ugly. I struggled with deep depression, violent mood swings, and what I now understand to be anxiety disorder. I don't remember ever trying to not eat or make myself skinnier but I do recall an unhealthy diet for most young adult life. Oddly, I can't think of one fond memory from those days when I thought of myself as truly pretty. Of course, I was on a fast train to self-destruction at that point in my life.

This morning, on Monday March 7, 2001, I weighted 144 lbs. And I feel more beautiful and happy and confident now then I ever did back then. Yes, some days I feel a kinda bloated or maybe a little too curvaceous but I still feel more attractive now than when I weighted the same as your average 7th grader. Crazy, huh?!

Food Time!

I really wanted to try something new for dinner the other night, so I decided on RIBS! YUM! I found a great Alton Brown recipe that seemed good but I wanted to try something a little more spicy. So I changed the recipe a little and came up with this! Try it, you'll like it.

Sam's SPICY Baby Back Ribs

1 rack of baby back pork ribs

Dry Rub:

3 tbsp brown sugar

1 tbsp salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp 5 spice powder

1/4 tsp cayenne

1/4 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Braising Liquid:

1/2 cup white wine

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp Worcestershire

1 tbsp honey

1 clove garlic, whole and crushed

Place meat on heavy duty tin foil large enough to wrap completely around the rack.

Combine all dry rub ingredients. Rub each side of the meat with rub (you may not have to use all the rub but you can save for another time.) Place meat with foil packet loosely wrapped on a large sheet tray and refrigerate for at least one hour.

Pre-heat oven to 250 degrees and move rack to middle of oven. Combine all braising liquids and heat in microwave for 1 minute. Mix completely.

Add braising liquid to the foil packet, making sure to surround meat with all the liquid. Braise in the oven for 2.5 hours.

Transfer the braising liquid to a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat to reduce by half. With brush, glaze the ribs with about half the amount of glaze. Place under broiler for a few minutes until caramelized. Cut the ribs and toss with remaining glaze.

Serve with beans and potato salad and pretend you are picnicing in the good ol' summertime!

Food Time!

I love this curd! In fact, I love curd period. Essential for brunches and afternoon tea; great on toast, scones, muffins. Perfect for summer fruit tarts and inside fluffy cakes. Goes with everything!

Citrus Curd (YUM!)

5 egg yolks*

1 cup granulated sugar

1 navel orange, juiced and zested

2 lemons, juiced and zested

1 stick butter, cut into quarters

In a double-boiler over medium-high heat, whisk together egg yolks and sugar until smooth, about 1 minute. Add at least 1/3 cup of the combined citrus juice and all the zest to the egg yolk mixture. Whisk constantly until the mixture is thick and lightened; approximately 10-15 minutes. Once thickened, remove from heat and add the butter. Whisk butter until completely melted.

Pour into a clean container and cover with plastic wrap, pushing directly into the surface of teh curd. Cover with lid and refrigerate. Enjoy for up to 2 weeks.

*Note: Save your egg whites in the fridge for several days to use for a healthy omelette or not so healthy meringue cookies.

Rando Pic of the Day

Ollie being adorable. I love my dog; he is so cute and funny and sometimes a re-re. He loves to bury himself in pillows when he naps.

Link of the day

This is so cool and awesome. I hope I see him out on the streets!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/09/seattle-superhero-phoenix_n_805004.html

Food Time!

I haven't posted a recipe in a while so here goes; low-carb beef kabobs! Brandon is on some kind of new diet and being the loving, supportive girlfriend that I am, I am cooking his meals for him (it helps that I probably need some low-carb action too.) These are the simplest thing in the world and even if you don't have a grill, they are great in the broiler too.

Low-Carb Broiler Beef Kabobs

Yields 2 serving/4 kabobs

Ingredients for Kabob:

beef for kabobs, such as sirloin or tenderloin, 1 lb cut into cubes

zucchini, 2 small, cut into 8 pieces

onion, 1 medium, chopped into chunks

cremini mushrooms, 8-12 oz, with stems removed

optional: cherry tomatoes and chopped bell pepper

*Note: The size of the veggies should be determined by the type of meat, so they all cook evenly. Example, if you substitute chicken for beef, that takes longer to cook, so make your produce chunks larger too. Fish/seafood takes less time to cook, so make veggies smaller.

For Marinade:

wheat free, low sodium soy sauce, I like San J brand, 1/4 cup

olive oil, 2 tbsp

garlic, crushed, 1 large clove

dried thyme, 1 tbsp

dash of salt and pepper

Tools/Equipment:

Wooden skewers 4-6

Large, deep roasting pan

gallon plastic bag with ziploc

First, combine as marinade ingredients in plastic gallon bag, shaking while zipped/closed to combine throughly. Add the meat; marinade in fridge for at least 1 hour or up to 2 hours.

Fill the bottom of the roasting pan with enough water to cover the wooden skewers and soak for at least 20 minutes before adding kabob ingredients.

Now you can load up your skewers with veggies/produce and meat. I make a pattern and use that; for example, I start with beef, then zucchini, then onion, then beef, then mushroom, then onion, then start the same pattern over again. It's up to you! Place the finished kabobs in the roasting pan and cover/brush with the remaining marinade.

Heat your broiler to HI and set the rack in the oven so that the top of the roasting pan will be 3-4 inches away from the heat source (at the top of the oven.) Broil your kabobs until meat and veggies are throughly cooked; mine takes about 13 minutes but ovens vary a lot.

Now enjoy over a nice bed of beans or all alone!