Move over Paciugo…. here comes Kerrygold ice cream!

August 27, 2017 / theblindpig11 / 6 Comments

So, how was your eclipse viewing? We didn’t get a chance to view it up close and personal, because we were both at work. However, our daughter was in the path to view the total eclipse. She said it was AMAZING! Whether you viewed it or not, we hope your eclipse was a little more fun with last week’s post!

We are always searching for great recipes to try and then share with you. We always try to stick to our criteria of easy, tasty, fresh. Well… this week we feel like we struck gold! We actually discovered this wonderful little golden nugget of a recipe a couple of weeks ago, but with the eclipse and all we decided to hold off on sharing. Believe us. We can’t wait for you to experience this one for yourself. It’s just that the cosmos had other plans, right?

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The secret ingredient to this tasty treat is Kerrygold Irish Cream. We mentioned Kerrygold in our post, “Half Price Shakes After 8.” We both love ice cream. Not only is it a delicious treat in the summer, but one always can make room for it. It slips into the cracks! We found this recipe on www.Kerrygoldusa.com by guest bloggers Lisa Riedl and Anna Schaber, so we thought that we would try it. After all, the description said that it was easy, and it was! Sooo easy.

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The ingredients that you will need are: 1 can sweetened condensed milk, vanilla extract, salt, Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, and heavy cream. Yep! That’s it. Now, before you dig your ice cream churn out of the attic, let us tell you that you are not going to need it. We were doubtful also. How do you make homemade ice cream without a churn? You don’t need rock salt and loads of ice. Nope. All you need is a hand held electric mixer and a freezer.

Make sure that your mixing bowl and beaters have set in the freezer for about 20 minutes before starting the ice cream. It will make the ice cream freeze faster.

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Stir together the milk, vanilla, salt and Kerrygold. Set aside.

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Place cream in the chilled bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until peaks form. We had to beat ours for closer to four minutes.

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Fold 1/3 whipped cream mixture into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth. Be careful not to over whisk and stir. You don’t want to deflate the whipped cream. At this point you are going to want to sit down and start eating it. This creamy smooth goodness is hard to resist, but you must, because it needs to go into the freezer for 8 hours. (Confession: Rhonda couldn’t resist licking the bowl.)

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After 8 long hours have passed, you are ready to serve in serving bowls or in small cones. The ice cream is soft with a texture similar to Paciugo’s gelato. Thus the title for today’s post. We must mention that ~~a group of four teenage boys~~ our official taste testers gave the Kerrygold Ice Cream 2 thumbs up! This ice cream recipe was so easy and tasty, that it has our wheels turning. We think we could adapt this recipe to try some other unique and wonderful flavors. If we try others, we will be sure to let you know.

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To make this treat extra special, we chose to make Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce to drizzle over the top. Score #2! We found this recipe on www.cooks.com. You will need non-sweetened cocoa, sugar, Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur, half and half and butter.

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Mix the cocoa and sugar. Then you blend in the Kerry Gold and cream. Add butter and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves and the mixture is smooth. Yum-O! You can make this ahead of time and keep in the fridge for up to one week. We see lots of other possibilities for this rich chocolate sauce. You may see this one again.

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Kerrygold Ice Cream

1 14 ounce can sweetened condensed milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1.5 ounces of Kerrygold Irish Cream Liqueur
2 cups heavy cream, cold

In a large bowl stir together milk, vanilla, salt and Kerrygold. Set aside.

Place cream in a chilled mixing bowl and beat on medium-high speed for 2 minutes or until firm peaks form.

Fold 1/3 of whipped cream into milk mixture to lighten it and then fold in the remaining cream until ice cream mixture is smooth.

Pour ice cream into loaf pan and freeze for at least 8 hours.

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Kerrygold Chocolate Sauce

1 cup non-sweetened cocoa
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup Kerrygold Irish Cream
1/3 cup half and half
1/4 cup butter

In a 3 quart sauce pan, mix cocoa and sugar, then blend in Kerrygold and cream. Add butter and stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves and mixture is smooth. If made ahead, let sauce cool; cover and chill up to one week. Makes 1 1/2 cups.

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We hope you get a chance to try out the Kerrygold ice cream and chocolate sauce. If you do, please let us know.

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If you are new to our blog, welcome! We are glad you have joined us. Please continue to tell family and friends about our blog, we would love our community of followers to continue to grow.

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The Eclipse

August 20, 2017August 20, 2017 / theblindpig11 / 2 Comments

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In the rare event you have been living under a rock, tomorrow, August 21, 2017, there is going to be a solar eclipse across much of the United States. Why is this eclipse special? According to NASA, the last total solar eclipse viewed from contiguous United States was more than 38 years ago on Feb. 26, 1979 whose path passed through the northwestern U.S. states of Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, North Dakota, and Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Ontario and Quebec. After the August 2017 total solar eclipse, the next annular solar eclipse that can be seen in the continental United States will be on October 14, 2023 which will be visible from Northern California to Florida. Following this, we will have a total solar eclipse on April 8, 2024 visible from Texas to Maine. With this intriguing astronomical event occurring, we decided to blog about a drink dedicated to the event.

We had a difficult time finding the right drink to celebrate the eclipse. Thanks to our friends drink research team, Megan and Jason, who gave us feedback and tasted a few beverages. We finally found a drink that is easy, tasty and fresh for the occasion.

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This drink may sound quite familiar to you once you see the ingredients: Zaya Rum, blue curacao, simple syrup, pineapple juice and lemon juice. Shake over ice, strain and serve. We adapted our recipe from one we found in Vintage Cocktails by Assouline.

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Because we used Zaya Rum instead of a light rum, the flavor of the Zaya dictates the essence of the drink. This drink a slightly sweeter than what both of us typically prefer, but the taste is refreshing and easy to drink. Remember, you can always make a lighter version by preparing Stevia simple syrup instead of regular simple syrup. We shared the Stevia simple syrup recipe with you in our Mojito post.

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The thing that really makes this drink is the ice. Different kinds of ice cubes are definitely a thing in the cocktail world. A drink can have a totally different look based on the ice that is used. We plan to write a future post that is just about ice. We made this sphere of ice ourselves. We have a Neptune Ice Ball tray. You can buy them on Amazon and we also found some at World Market and Target. The ultimate ice ball can be made from one from Sharper Image for around $400 or Williams Sonoma for more than $900. Yes, for round ice!

Neptune Ice Ball Tray

Sphere Ice Mold from the Sharper Image

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1 ½ oz. Zaya Rum
¾ oz. Blue Curacao
¾ oz. Fresh Lemon Juice
1 oz. Simple Syrup
2 oz. Pineapple Juice

Shake or blend all ingredients with ice and strain into a glass. Garnish with a sphere ice cube.

We hope that you enjoy viewing the eclipse or following it live from NASA. Make sure you are wearing your glasses. Be sure to mix yourself an Eclipse to celebrate the event!

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Tequila Fish Tacos and Jalapeno Popper Margaritas

August 13, 2017 / theblindpig11 / 2 Comments

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This week you are in for another two-fer! We are sharing two easy delicious recipes with you: Tequila Fish Tacos with Lime Sauce paired with a delicious Jalapeno Popper Margarita. Since we are from Texas, we eat tacos a lot! If you didn’t know, Texans eat tacos for breakfast, lunch and dinner. We are a bit taco crazy sometimes. Years ago, Rhonda was introduced to the fish taco, and she has been making and ordering fish tacos ever since.

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The taco recipe is a variation of a recipe we found in a recipe book called, Home Cooking: The Costco Way. Before you judge, we just want everyone to know that we have found some very good recipes in this cookbook. We paired our variation with a recipe from Better Homes and Gardens April 2011 issue where we found the Lime Sauce recipe. Both of these recipes are easy, tasty and fresh!

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These tacos are very easy. Don’t get intimidated by the list of ingredients. You will need 1 ½ – 2 pounds of white fish. We used tilapia, but you can also use halibut. Other ingredients include corn or flour tortillas, green onions, cilantro and a lime cut into wedges.

For the taco marinade you will need Corralejo Tequila, fresh lemon juice, olive oil, crushed garlic, juice and peel of a lime, a green onion, and salt. Mix the ingredients together and add the fish. Marinate in the fridge for 1-3 hours.

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Next you will create the salsa from tomatoes, avocado, lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, red onion, and salt and pepper. Combine the ingredients into a bowl and chill.

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For the lime sauce you will need to juice two limes, stir in ½ cup of mayo and add 1 tsp of chili powder. Chill until ready to serve.

When ready to cook, preheat the grill. Remove the fish from the marinade and grill over medium heat for several minutes per side. Look to make sure the fish is flaky and no longer translucent. Crumble the fish into a bowl and keep warm.

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Fill tortillas with fish, salsa, cheese and add lime sauce when serving. Yummy! Our three kids even liked this recipe, and they can be extremely a bit picky at times.

Yum-o!

Corralejo Jalapeno Popper Margarita

Our Jalapeno Popper Margarita is a variation on our Skinny Agave Margarita. The only extra ingredient that you need is fresh jalapenos. We were able to use jalapenos from our garden, but purchasing them at your local grocery store is fine. When making the Jalapeno Popper, add the lime juice to the shaker first. Then add a few slices of jalapenos. Obviously the more slices, the hotter the drink. Leaving the seeds in the jalapeno also makes the drink hotter. We prefer to seed the jalapenos before slicing. Muddle the jalapenos and lime juice in the shaker. Next add the agave nectar and tequila and ice. Shake and strain over fresh ice in a glass. Garnish with more jalapenos. This drink is a wonderful summer drink, but especially tasty with a Tex-Mex meal.

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Tequila Fish Tacos

1 ½ – 2 pounds of white fish such as halibut or tilapia
Flour or corn tortillas
Green onions
Cilantro

Marinade

1 ¼ cups of Corralejo Tequila
¼ cup fresh lemon juice
½ cup olive oil
3 tablespoons crushed garlic
Juice and grated peel of 1 lime
1 green onion, thinly sliced
¼ teaspoon salt

Salsa

4-5 ripe tomatoes, diced
1 avocado, diced
¼ fresh lime juice
¼ cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
1-2 jalapenos, minced
½ cup finely chopped red onion
Salt and pepper to taste

Lime Sauce

2 limes juiced
½ cup of mayo
1 tsp chili powder

Mix marinade ingredients. Add fish and marinate in the refrigerator for 1-3 hours.

Combine salsa ingredients in a bowl and chill.

Mix lime sauce ingredients together and chill.

Preheat grill.

Remove fish from marinade and grill over medium heat for several minutes per side, or until it is not longer translucent in the center and starts to flake. Crumble fish into a bowl and keep warm.

Fill tortillas with fish, onions, cilantro, and salsa. Top with lime sauce. Makes 8 servings.

Corralejo Jalapeno Popper Margarita

Jalapeno Popper Margarita

1.5 oz. Corralejo Reposado Tequila
.75 oz fresh squeezed lime juice
.75 oz Monin agave nectar
2-3 fresh jalapenos sliced and seeded

Add lime juice and jalapenos to shaker. Muddle together. Add agave nectar and tequila. Top with ice. Shake for 15 seconds. Strain over fresh ice in glass. Garnish with slices of jalapenos.

For multiple guests: Simple formula. 2 parts tequila; 1 part agave nectar; 1 part lime juice.

Do you have a food and drink pairing that you enjoy? We would love to hear about it!

Each week we have more and more followers joining our blog. We are thrilled to have you stop by. Make sure to follow us on Pinterest and tell your family and friends about our blog.

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DISCLAIMER: THE BEVERAGES ON THIS SITE ARE MEANT FOR ADULTS 21 YEARS AND OLDER. WE DO NOT SUPPORT OR ENCOURAGE UNDERAGE DRINKING. ALWAYS DRINK RESPONSIBLY AND NEVER DRINK AND DRIVE.

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Who needs half price shakes after 8?

August 3, 2017August 3, 2017 / theblindpig11 / 9 Comments

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One of our favorite treats is ice cream. It just makes you happy. Why is that? Is it because many of us relate some vivid memory of childhood to ice cream? We both remember making homemade ice cream with our families as kids. It was always such a treat when it was finally frozen and ready to eat. Rhonda’s grandparents lived less than a block away from the local Dairy Queen. It was always a special event to walk down the block and buy a Dilly Bar from the DQ. Craig remembers that his dad would wake up in the middle of the night and sneak into the kitchen to eat ice cream from the carton. His dad would eat the ice cream in leveled layers, hoping that no one would notice that he had been in the freezer in the late hours of the night. If you haven’t figured it out yet, we love ice cream! No matter how full you are, you can always make room for ice cream. It slips into the cracks!

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This week you are going to get 2 great recipes for the low, low price of one. First up is the Choco Menta Shake. Think Girl Scout Thin Mint in a shake! This shake is made with Blue Bell vanilla ice cream, milk, chocolate syrup, Branca Menta and Kerrygold. Place all of the ingredients into your blender. Blend well and serve in a chilled glass.

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Branca Menta is a mint liqueur. It is a cousin to the Carpano Antica that we shared with you in our Sangria recipe. Like Carpano Antica, it is a product of Italy and made from a very old recipe passed down for generations. If you like mint, you will love its taste. We have other recipes that use this refreshing liqueur that we will share with you in future posts.

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You may have heard of Kerrygold butter. Kerrygold Irish Cream is also available in the United States. Kerrygold Irish Cream is made with real cream from Irish grass-fed cows, Irish whiskey, and real chocolate. Other Irish creams only use chocolate flavoring, but Kerrygold uses the real stuff! This creamy sensation tastes great served over ice, but we included it in our chocolate shakes to give them an extra creamy chocolaty flavor.

Choco Menta Shake

1 pint of vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup of milk
1 Tbsp chocolate syrup
1 ounce Branca Menta
2 ounces Kerrygold Irish Cream

Place all ingredients in a blender. Blend until smooth. Serve immediately in a chilled glass. Garnish with syrup and mint leaves. Serves 2.

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Our Kerrygold Caramel Shake has the same ingredients except there is no Branca Menta. Remember in the Bananas Foster post, we told you to save your extra caramel sauce? Well, you will be happy you did. It makes a great addition to the Kerrygold Caramel Shake. Yummo!

Save your caramel from Bananas Foster

Kerrygold Caramel Shake

1 pint of vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup of milk
1 ounce of caramel syrup
2 ounces of Kerrygold Irish Cream
Sprinkles, Sea Salt, Caramel Syrup or Chocolate Syrup for garnish.

Place all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Serve immediately in chilled glass. Garnish. Serves 2.

Want to make your shakes look special? Try a few of our tricks for garnishing. Chilling the glass ahead of time prevents your shake from melting too quickly. You can also drizzle some chocolate syrup around the inside of the glass prior to pouring the shake inside. It gives your shake a professional look.

It’s all in the details

I drizzled some chocolate syrup on the top of the shake and added a few small mint leaves for a special garnish.

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You can also garnish your shake by placing the rim of the glass in chocolate syrup. Then place the syrupy rim into a plate covered in sprinkles. This will give your shakes a fancy look that will be sure to impress guests.

We would love to hear if you try one or both of the shakes. Do you serve shakes as beverages or desserts? Desserts you drink? We can’t decide. How do you like to dress your drinks to impress?

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