Naner puddin' ice cream!!!

After being out on the road in California and constantly rolling my eyes at the natives of L.A. as one by one they looked at me in wonderment for not speaking with a Southern accent (this was after I told them I was from the Midwest, which was before I had to tell them where Missouri was located in the United States), I think I’ve unintentionally developed an attachment to the South. Okay, it may not be so sudden of a fondness… I’m a complete and total sucker for Southern (especially when they’re in cheesy love stories ie: Ryan Goessling in The Notebook) accents, I could eat my weight in “soul food”, and I may or may not hope to magically turn into Paula Deen one day. So what does all of this talk about the South have to do with anything? Well, my previous post was a boozy concoction based off of the fabulously Southern Arnold Palmer, and now I share with you, Southern Banana Pudding with Nilla Waffers Ice Cream (as if there is any other way to eat banana pudding).
Let me just warn you that I got an ice cream machine yesterday (it makes two flavors at once, try not to turn too green with envy). Apart from the fact that I will probably become morbidly obese and suck my bank account dry (hey cream is expensive!) be ready for a lot of ice cream recipes. We make our own ice creams, gelatos, and sorbets at the University Club I work at, and I’ve always been super into doing so. So now that I have an ice cream machine at my disposal… my jeans will never fit the same. Let me also add that I’d say ¾ of the guys at the tattoo shop (who are my guinea pigs) are lactose intolerant, but still foolishly indulge in ice cream and in doing so get violently ill. So, sorry in advance dudes.

This classic dessert has been turned into a frozen favorite. It’s incredible how dead on this recipe is and I couldn’t be happier with my first batch of homemade ice cream. Do yourself a favor and make this!!I saw this recipe on Pink Parsley’s super cute blog, and just couldn’t pass it up. Check out her recipes and fall in love. She’s great!

Banana Pudding Ice Cream by Matt Lee and Ted Lee, The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook
makes about 1 quart
* 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
* 1/4 cup packed brown sugar
* 2 ripe bananas, sliced in half crosswise and lengthwise
* 2 Tablespoons dark rum
* 2 large egg yolks
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1 1/2 cups whole milk
* 2 cups heavy cream
* 8 2-inch vanilla wafers, roughly chopped, plus more for garnish (plus a lot more for eating and even more for the ice cream)
-In a medium skillet set over medium-high heat, melt the butter until frothy. Add the brown sugar and spread it with a wooden spoon. Add the bananas, and turn to coat with the sugar mixture several times. Cook about 1 1/2 minutes, or until they are well coated and softened.
-Pour the rum over the bananas. Let it hiss and pop, then bubble for a minute to burn off the alcohol. Transfer the contents of the skillet to blender or food processor and set aside.
-Lightly beat the egg yolks with a whisk in a medium bowl, then add the sugar and beat until the mixture is a milky lemon-yellow color, about 1 1/2 minutes.(you like the purple nails??)

-In a medium saucepan, heat the milk over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it reaches 150 degrees on a candy thermometer, 6-8 minutes. You may see steam rising, but don't allow it to boil.

Pour 1/2 cup of the milk into the banana mixture, and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve and let cool.
-Add the remaining 1 cup of milk in a thin stream into the egg and sugar mixture, whisking constantly as you pour. Pour the custard back into the saucepan, and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon. When the custard reaches 170 degrees and is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon, turn off the heat (this will probably take 6-8 minutes).
Add the banana puree to the custard and gently whisk to incorporate it completely.
-Allow the custard to cool to room temperature, and whisk in the cream. Transfer to a medium bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Chill at least 4 hours, or overnight.

-Pour the chilled custard into an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions. Scatter some of the wafer crumbs in the bottom of your ice cream storage container. Scoop ice cream into container and randomly scatter more crumbs alternating ice cream and crumbs. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Garnish with a whole vanilla wafer before serving. Bake and enjoy- Sara Tea

Official drink of the summer... meet the

John Daly.
What is a John Daly and why would you ever want to drink a beverage named after such a distasteful man in ugly pants? Because it RULES, plain and simple. The John Daly is the adult version of the beloved Southern gem, The Arnold Palmer (which Arizona Tea Co. so conveniently mixed perfectly and put in a can ready for your summer consumption). Perhaps you aren't up on your Southern hospitality... an Arnold Palmer is half lemonade and half sweet tea. It's the most refreshing combo, ever.




Now the John Daly...
Fill a glass with ice. Then fill 3/4 of the glass with this lovely liquid



and then top off with this lovely liquid.



The true Arnold Palmer is just regular lemonade, but I've always been a pink country time kid. It's also slightly impressive how many bars do not have lemonade... a local bar I was visiting the other night did not have lemonade so he did a bit of sour mix and splash of sprite and it was still incredibly delicious. If you are not familiar with Sweet Tea Vodka do yourself a favor and order it the next time you are out. It's dangerous how much it tastes JUST like sweet tea with the potency of vodka.

*I totally yanked all these photos from the world wide interwebz, so thank you internet for letting me use you and not having to buy an entire bottle of Sweet Tea Vodka (seeing that I live alone) and more importantly not having to track down the beast of a man, John Daly.

best ever baked beans and taco noodles? seperate but equal I assure you...

Okay, so I know I’ve been slacking on this blogging situation, so I’m going to make a plea-bargain… I have two delicious recipes that will blow your mind and make your mouth water. These are GREAT for summer picnics and will absolutely wow your guests... BUT (there's always a but, right?) I have no motivational photos to seduce you into making these delicious dishes. I was in a serious rush to 4th of July celebrations and didn’t have enough time to set up a photo shoot, but they were devoured instantly so that’s probably a good sign, right? So… no photos but TWO awesome sides (or meals honestly). I hope you'll forgive me.

First up, taco pasta. Let me tell you two things:
a.) this taco pasta rules, like… rules so hard it should be adorned with robe and crown, like… make once a week awesome. It’s freaking delicious, super simple to prepare, and is fills you up. This would make a great week night meal or a stellar side at a large gathering.
b.) this is a family friendly recipe. My mother, the woman who thinks ketchup is spicy thought this was fabulous, which means your kiddos will love it too. However, if you have taste buds (okay, a little harsh) you might want to chop up some chipotle peppers or maybe flip a few jalapeños in this dish just to kick it up a notch. Perhaps your favorite taco sauce or even just some chili powder would make a great addition to spice it up. The next time I make this I’m def. going to step up the spice, but honestly it’s great as follow.

adapted from Fake Ginger
-1 pound ground turkey (I used ground turkey, but this would also be delicious with ground bison or obviously ground beef)
-1 Tablespoon (ish) olive oil to coat pan
-16 ounce small dry pasta shapes (I used medium shells, pick your favorite shape)
-1 small onion, chopped
-2 clove garlic, minced
-1 (14 oz.) can diced tomatoes
-1 standard size envelope of your favorite taco seasoning (you need about 4 tablespoons)
-3 ounce cream cheese
-1/2 cup sour cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Bring a large pot of water to boil. Cook pasta according to the package and or your preference.

-Drain the pasta but reserve around 1/2 cup of pasta water and set aside.
-In a large skillet or sauté pan add oil and cook the ground meat (feel free to season with salt and pepper) over medium-high heat until nearly no pink remains.
-A few minutes before the meat entirely browned, add the chopped onion to the skillet. -Once the meat is cooked entirely through, add in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-Pour in the diced tomatoes and taco seasoning and let simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes.
-Finally stir in the cooked pasta, cream cheese, sour cream and reserved pasta water, and continue stirring until the cream cheese is melted and the sauce is well blended.
-Open mouth and shovel in immediately.

Now recipe number TWO:
Southern-Style Baked Beans recipe by Pam Anderson, slightly adapted by yours truly.

These beans are so freaking good. That's all I'm saying. Feel free to add some hot dogs or kielbasa and beef up (or pork up hahaha I'm so funny, right?) this recipe to make it a full entree. Make, smell, and enjoy. Dooooo it.

-8 slices of thick cut bacon (I used peppered), halved
-1 medium sweet onion, cut into small dice
-1/2 medium green pepper, cut into small dice
-3 large cans (28 ounces each) pork and beans (the original red can pork n beans, nothing fancy)
-3/4 cup barbecue sauce (I used Sweet Baby Ray’s Raspberry Chipotle and it was a great choice I highly suggest you do the same)
-1/2 cup dark brown sugar
-1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
-2 tablespoons Dijon

Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and heat oven to 325 degrees.
-Fry bacon in large, deep sauté pan skillet until bacon has partially (don’t let it get crispy, YET. No worries it will get crispy later) cooked and released about 1/4 cup drippings.
-Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels.
-Add onions and peppers to drippings in pan and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes and take a moment to embrace the glorious smell of onions and peppers in bacon fat.
Add beans and remaining ingredients and bring all that sweet deliciousness to a slight simmer.

If skillet is not large enough, add beans and heat to a simmer then transfer to a large bowl and stir in remaining ingredients).

-Pour flavored beans into a greased 13-by 9-inch (or similar size) ovenproof pan.
-Top with bacon, then bake until beans are bubbly and sauce is the consistency of pancake syrup, about 2 hours. Let stand to thicken slightly and serve.

I hope you will take the time to try out these dishes! They're worth it, I promise!!