boozy fruit

After reading this NY times article, I was inspired to make these jars of magical fruit. If things work out accordingly to plan they should be ready come x-mas. Friends... guess what you will be getting this year.

i found a job. i do it fine.

Toro y Moi "Blessa" Music Video from Jon Casey on Vimeo.

My days are now filled with munchkins! I'm a preschool teacher... again which means this blog has not been getting much love :( I'll be working on that.

Pumpkin Beer Ice Cream Sammie

The past few weeks I've been having beer ice cream cravings. The original plan was to crack open a bottle of Dogfish Head's Bitches Brew for the experiment, but decided against it. What if it was a flop? I couldn't bare wasting the husband's prized possession. Since fall has arrived I decided to do a pumpkin beer ice cream sandwiched between two gingersnaps.

Pumpkin beer ice cream

makes 1 quart

1 cup of pumpkin puree 

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract 

5 egg yolks

2 cups of heavy cream

1/2 cup of whole milk

3/4 cup of sugar

1 vanilla bean, spilt 

12 fl. oz. pumpkin beer (I used Punkin Ale)

pinch of cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg

ice water bath big enough for medium bowl

In a medium bowl mix the pumpkin, brown sugar, vanilla, 1 cup of cream, and 1 cup of beer, set aside. In a saucepan warm 1 cup cream, milk, sugar, vanilla bean, remaining beer, and spices. In separate bowl whisk egg yolks together. Pour the warm mixture into the eggs while whisking. Pour the egg mixture back into saucepan.

Stir constantly on medium heat (needs to be constant or you'll end up with scrambled eggs.) Stir mixture until it becomes thick as a custard and it coats the spatula. Use a mesh strainer (very important!) to pour the warm mixture into the cold mixture. Set bowl in the ice bath as you stir the mixture until it cools.

Chill mixture throughly in fridge, then freeze in your ice cream maker according to the machines instruction. 

Since the ice cream contains alcohol it might get a little icy, you may want to serve it the day you make it. If it does get icy set it out of fridge for a minute or so before serving but not too long... since it has alcohol it will also melt very fast.

Sammies: Once ice cream and cookies are ready, sandwich ice cream between 2 cookies, wrap in wax paper and tape close, pop in the freezer until they are a little stiff. 

Fall is coming

Here is a playlist to enjoy the pleasant change.

my attempt to make a pair of frumpy pants

I wanted some snazzy pants such as these.

I started with two pairs of thrift store pants

I ended with one pair that I might wear...

I think I now know what to do... I shall try again!

mama's birthday

Today is my mother's b-day. Obviously she is the one with the baby (that's me!) Happy birthday mama!