..irish cream shake..

last year, when mr. and i were at walt disney world, we discovered this little irish pub in downtown disney.  we tried this bailey's shake that they made and it was INCREDIBLE!  we had a few while we were there and i've seriously been craving it every day since.  this one is just as good and it's not clear across the country away from me.  i made two varieties... one with chocolate ice cream, one with coffee.  honestly the coffee one was better but coffee destroys my tummy :(  so i'd better stick with the chocolate.  try them both, because it's FRIDAY!  woohoo!  happy loooong weekend.  indulge and enjoy!!

IRISH CREAM SHAKE

• 1/2 c. coffee or chocolate ice cream
• 1 c. vanilla ice cream
• 1/4 milk
• irish cream (i put about a shot and a half, you can add more if you'd like)
• 5 ice cubes

blend all the ingredients together.  you can top it with chocolate and caramel sauce, if you'd like.

*if you're lazy like me, it's a scoop of coffee or chocolate and two scoops of vanilla.  besides who "measures" ice cream?? :)

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..spumoni..

holy busy!  i've barely had time to think, let alone cook.  i made funfetti cookies from a box... does that count?  they were amazing and my future mr. thought i was some sort of genius.  little does he know.. hehe!  i almost don't know what i'll do once we have everything planned for the wedding.  it's coming together perfectly!! i'm so excited!  is it september yet??  i obviously can't wait.  miss impatient... that's me :)  over the weekend i managed to whip up a couple batches of ice cream and i made a deconstructed spumoni.  i usually end up eating the flavors individually anyways, so why bother putting them together in the first place?  i've been craving spumoni for a while now and it's the perfect ending to the mizithra cheese spaghetti.  my favorite ice cream recipes are ones without eggs, because you just throw it all in a bowl, stir, and pour in your ice cream maker.  wham bam! you have ice cream in less than a half an hour.  plus, the eggless ice cream is the kind of homemade ice cream that i grew up with- it's the best, hands down.  the chocolate and cherry that i made were eggless, the pistachio had eggs but it was also a recipe that was made with pudding mix.  i wanted to find a recipe that used pudding because basically, i wanted it to taste just like pistachio pudding, in ice cream form.  it was just that- pudding ice cream.  it was really thick and creamy- almost like a custard.  so delish!  so pretty much i got 3 different flavors and textures- the chocolate ended up being a pretty soft ice cream, kinda like a frosty, the cherry was regular consistency and the pistachio was thick.  if you can't decide which one you want, just do all three!  that's my philosophy anyways :)  indulge and enjoy!! 

SPUMONI ICE CREAM

CHOCOLATE:

recipe from cuisinart

1 c. milk

2 c. cream

1/2 c. sugar

8 oz. chocolate

1 t. vanilla

heat the milk until it is just bubbling around the edges.  in a blender or food processor, pulse to combine sugar and chocolate.  add the hot milk; process until well blended.  transfer to a bowl and let cool completely.  stir in the cream and vanilla. chill 30 minutes longer.  pour into ice cream maker.

CHERRY:

1 c. cream

2 c. milk

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. cherry jam

2 t. vanilla

1 t. almond extract

whisk all together and pour into ice cream maker.

PISTACHIO:

1 pkg. pudding (small)

1 c. milk

1 c. cream

1/2 can sweetened condensed milk

1 can evaporated milk (5 oz.)

2 egg yolks

1/2 c. sugar

1 T. vanilla

heat milk on a double broiler until a film covers the top and the edges are slightly bubbling.  slowly whisk in egg yolks and cook another couple minutes.  strain into another bowl.  add the rest of the ingredients and whisk to combine.  chill completely.  pour into ice cream maker. 

 

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..mizithra cheese spaghetti..

i'm not usually a huge fan of pasta but after a super busy weekend, i'm a fan of how quick and easy it can be.  saturday is my only day off and i usually have so much to do, it doesn't feel like a day off at all.  i know, i feel bad for me too, buuut i'm leaving for nyc in 9 days, so that should be a nice break! yay!!  my mom and i spent all day saturday doing wedding stuff.  who knew that wedding planning could be so exhausting!?  even tho it wore us right out, we got a lot accomplished and have all of the major details finalized :)  when i looked in the fridge for dinner inspiration, i spotted the mizithra cheese.  ahhh mizithra... brings back childhood memories.. i remember going down to the old spaghetti factory and i would ALWAYS get the mizithra.  then, i would bring my leftovers home, and eat it the next day for breakfast. haha!  spaghetti for breakfast?  sure, why not?  i'd probably still do it, if i ever had leftovers ;)  i've tried many times to replicate their mizithra but have never gotten it quite right.  then i read the menu,  mizithra cheese and browned butter.  oh, so smothering it with regular butter isn't going to cut it?  fine, i'll try browning the butter.  success!  it was so easy and it tasted EXACTLY like i remember AND made the house smell like the spaghett factory, too.  yumO!  indulge and enjoy!!  fyi-i'll be at a graduation... i'm beyond excited.  NOT.  i said i'd never go to another after my own but i suppose i better support my future sis in law.  what i am excited for is graduation dinner!  imma get a big fat steak since it's been, oh, about 3 months since i've been able to eat it...  actually, i'm more than excited, i'm ECSTATIC!!

MIZITHRA CHEESE SPAGHETTI WITH BROWNED BUTTER

• 2 T. butter
• mizithra cheese
• spaghetti

to brown the butter:  melt the butter over medium heat.  let the butter come to a boil.  once it starts boiling, it will foam.  stir constantly until it stops foaming and turns a nice golden color.  strain over the pasta.  lightly toss the pasta with the butter and top with shredded mizithra cheese.
*there aren't any "real" measurements with this.  2 T. is enough for a single serving size of pasta (my spaghetti container has a little measurer thingy).  top with as much cheese as you'd like :)

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..birthday cake fondue..

i am OBSESSED with anything that tastes like cake batter.  funny, because i don't even like actual cake.  i'd definitely say cake is my least favorite treat... or pie... i dislike them both equally.  except on rare occasions, like say, ina's (barefoot contessa) coconut cake?  yep, i'd go for a slice of that ANY day!  or, some fresh peach pie?  definitely.  i can't say that there's a cake batter recipe that i haven't liked, but this definitely tops the list- BIRTHDAY CAKE FONDUE!  serrrriously!?  yes, seriously.  it is freaking fantastical.  it was so good, in fact, that i made it two weeks in a row!  it might turn into a weekly occurring thing.. i just can't get enough!  friday fondue?  sounds good to me :)  happy weekend!  indulge and enjoy!!

BIRTHDAY CAKE FONDUE

• 1/2 c. whipping cream
• 1 c. white chocolate
• 1/4 c. funfetti cake mix (as far as i'm concerned, there's no substitute for funfetti...)

heat cream in the microwave for 30 seconds in a micro safe bowl.  add half of the white chocolate and cook in 30 second intervals until smooth, stirring each time.  add the rest of the chocolate and repeat until melted thoroughly.  at this point, it will be quite liquidy- not to worry, the cake mix will thicken it up.  stir in the cake mix until combined.  pour into any fondue pot and top with SPRINKLES!  as you can see, my pot is quite small, about 3 or 4 cups... adjust accordingly to fit your needs.
as for dippers, these are my fave- angel food cake, rice krispie treats, pineapple, strawberries, kiwis, bananas... but i'm sure a piece of cardboard would be good dipped in this :)
*i purchased my pot off of amazon, it was cheap- like $15 and it's good quality and the perfect size.

 

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..polar bears..

a couple months ago, i woke up and went downstairs to eat breakfast.  i could hear something whining and i just assumed that we were watching my bros dog.  i said, to my mom, "why do we have baylee?" and she said, "that's not bay."  next thing i know, phil (step dad) brings in two ADORABLE puppies!!  oh my! i fell in love immediately.  one had a black patch, and one had an all white face, so i named them panda and polar bear.  they were actually abandoned at a horse sale that my parents were at, and they were just bringing them home until the next sale a few days later... buuut i apparently had something else in mind.  i decided to try to keep them and give it a "test run" to see if i could handle the craziness.  well, after the first day, i knew they weren't going anywhere.  they have been a lot of work but have brought so much joy to my life!  i just love my baby bears!  they're growing rapidly and love food probably as much as their mother bear (me).

my little sweetie hearts when they were just leetle

anyways... back to the food...my girlfriend threw a "white cocktail party" last weekend and i, of course, volunteered to bring something :)  i thought these polar bears would be perfect!  they taste almost as good as the white chocolate reese's eggs BUT with the addition of coconut! yumO!  i actually ran out of coconut half way thru the batch, so some were bare polar bears :) still yummy!  indulge and enjoy!!

POLAR BEARS

recipe from my local newspaper.

• 1 c. crunchy peanut butter
• 1 c. dry powdered milk
• 1 c. honey
• 1 t. vanilla
• 8 oz. white chocolate
• 1 T. shortening
• 1 c. shredded coconut (or more, if needed)

in a bowl, mix the pb, powdered milk, honey and vanilla.  blend well.  use a small cookie scoop and roll into balls with your hands.  put into refrigerator to set up.  in microwave safe bowl, melt white chocolate and shortening together until smooth.  cook in 30 second increments, stirring each time.  dip each pb ball into the chocolate to cover completely- i used two forks, and that seemed to work quite well at getting the excess chocolate off.  roll the balls around a plate sprinkled with coconut, covering completely.  place on wax paper and allow to set for about 30 mins.  makes 25-30

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..nawlins creme brulee ice cream..

we LOOOOOVE ice cream!  ben and jerry are our best friends and we've always got them handy in our freezer.  i got an ice cream recipe book from tj maxx a few weeks back (for 2 dolla and fiddy cent! love tj), and just purchased my first ice cream maker!!  i told future mr. that he could choose any flavor he wanted out of the new book.  he chose new orleans creme brulee- creme brulee ice cream/toasted pecans/brown sugar.  well... it ended up being MUCH more difficult than i had anticipated! (i don't think it would be hard if you were an expert candy maker, but seeing how this was my first attempt..).  i'm pretty sure, he chose the most complicated recipe in the whole book!  that's the last time i'll let him choose the flava ;) haha!  it ended up being really good and tasted just. like. creme brulee. mmm!  it was definitely worth the effort (it won't be as hard for you because i've already trial and errored it and i'll give you some tips) and i'd make it again.  indulge and enjoy!!

NAWLINS CREME BRULEE ICE CREAM

recipe adapted from: ice cream mix-ins

• 2 c. whipping cream
• 2 c. whole milk
• 1 1/2 c. sugar, divided
• 2 T. vanilla extract
• 6 egg yolks (reserve your whites for your bf or an angel food cake :))
• 2-3 T. water
• 1/2 c. light corn syrup (optional)
• 1/2 c. chopped pecans- toasted and cooled (recipe calls for 1 c. but i prefer less)
• 1 T. brown sugar
• 2 T. bourbon or brandy (optional, i did not use it.)

pour cream and milk into a medium size stainless steel bowl and place over a steaming pan of boiling water.  when the mix gets hot, a film will form over the surface.  add 1/2 c. sugar, vanilla and egg yolks (add slowly, constantly whisking to prevent scrambling).  while the mix is cooking, put 1 c. sugar into a saucepan and add the water.  over medium-high heat, caramelize the sugar*.  the sugar will dissolve in the water and then begin to burn.  pour the sugar mix into the ice cream mix.  be careful- it will splatter**.  stir until well blended; let steep a few more minutes, stirring occasionally.  add the corn syrup if using (this helps give the ice cream a scoopable texture).  remove from heat and strain into a bowl.  let the mix cool to room temp and then chill completely in the refrigerator.  pour mix into ice cream maker and process according to instructions.  after the mix has processed, scoop into a bowl and fold in the pecans and brown sugar.  place in freezer to harden.  makes 8 servings 

*from the joy of cooking- one of the greatest frustrations in candy making (and it was definitely mine!) comes when a smooth, promising candy syrup turns with lightning speed into a grainy mess.  this is often caused by sugar crystals that have formed on the sides of the pan in the process of being stirred down into the syrup.  here's what you can do to prevent it:

•  brush down any crystals on the sides of the pan with a pastry brush dipped in hot water.
• avoid stirring the syrup once it begins to boil
• warm candy thermometer before placing it in the hot syrup to avoid shocking the syrup with the cold metal
• if you detect crystallization, add a small quantity of water to the pan and begin the process over again. (i "began the process over again" 4 times)
• heat the sugar to 356 degrees.  if you live above sea level, candy should come in 1 degree lower than indicated in the recipe for each increase of 500 ft.  for example, you should get a nice medium brown color at about 246 degrees at 5000 ft.

**i found that it will splatter less if the ice cream mix is at a similar temperature to the caramel.  pour very slowly and whisk constantly.

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..chocochip SKOOKIE..

today, is national chocolate chip cookie day!  i couldn't post nothing... so, i give you the SKOOKIE!  cookie and ice cream, what more could you ask for!?  but wait, this is not just your typical run of the mill cookie... oh no, this is an ooey, gooey, half baked cookie, hot out of the oven, and topped with ice cream! yum freakin O.  this is mine and my future mr.'s very FAVORITE treat!  there, for a while we were eating one a night for like a month straight.  we've tried a variety of flavors (i'll post them, in the near future) but you can't go wrong with a classic chocolate chip :)  indulge and enjoy!!

look at that gooey goodness! Mmmm...

CHOCOCHIP SKOOKIE

cookie recipe from: allrecipes

•  3/4 c. butter
• 1/2 c. sugar
• 1 c. brown sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 T. vanilla
• 2 c. flour
• 1/2 t. baking soda
• 1/2 t. salt
• chocolate chips (recipe calls for 2 cups, but because i prefer a more cookie than chocolate ratio, i use less than 1 cup)

preheat oven to 375 degrees.  cream butter and both sugars together.  add egg, egg yolk and vanilla and stir well.  sift flour, baking soda, and salt together and add to the wet ingredients (reserve a small amount of flour and toss the chocolate chips in it.  this prevents the chips from sinking to the bottom).  stir in the chocolate chips until all is combined.  add enough dough to cover the skillet (guesstimate here... it's about a 1/4 of the batch of dough for my 6 inch skillet.) cook 13-15 mins.  remove from oven and immediately top with your favorite ice cream (i used vanilla bean).
**if you're going to make regular cookies, preheat oven to 325 degrees and cook 11-14 mins.
***i purchased my skillet from ross dress for less... i'm sure you can find something similar on amazon- they have everything :)

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..happy BIRTHday t&t..

every year, since i can remember, my grandma has made me a cheesecake for my birthday.  nothing fancy- just a simple, no bake cheesecake.  just because it's simple, doesn't mean that it's not absolutely divine!  perhaps, the fact that my grandma makes it, makes it that much better, too :)  because i designated this day to be t&t's birthday, it seemed fitting that i share the recipe with you.  i only changed one thing- the addition of sprinkles, to "birthday" it up a bit... and because everything tastes better with sprinkles!  indulge and enjoy!!

NO BAKE CHEESECAKE

•  8 oz. cream cheese
• 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
• 1/3 c. lemon juice
• graham cracker crust

let the cream cheese come to room temperature then blend until smooth.  add the sweetened condensed milk and lemon juice and mix to combine.  pour into your graham crust (you could always make the crust, but i think the store bought is just as good).  refrigerate 2-3 hours or until the filling is set.

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..welcome to t&t!..

hello! my name is abby and i am food obsessed!  i. live. for. FOOD!  the first thought that comes to my mind after i've eaten is "well, that was delish, what's next?"  i guess the fact that i'm a total creature of habit doesn't help either.  i usually eat the same things of sorts for bfast, lunch, snack and din and have to eat at the same time every day (i guess i don't have to but i definitely prefer to).  i may eventually need professional help with this, but as of now, i don't think it's ruining my life ;)  i've always been a fan of food, but i discovered that i was a full-fledged foodie when i moved to nyc last summer.  i started a blog to keep my friends and family up to date with my fun adventures and pretty soon, the majority of my posts turned into what or where i was eating.  for the months leading up to the big move, i started watching EXTRA food network shows to find the best places to eat, the best things to eat and so on.  i bought a little notebook and jotted down all the places that appealed to me, checking them off as i went along.  i also discovered quite a few of my own gems just walking around the city or getting recommendations from people that i met.  i definitely ended up eating out more than i had anticipated, but it's much, much more convenient than going to the store, trying to get just enough of what you need but not too much that you can't carry it, catching the subway, walking sometimes a few blocks home... ya know, the typical nyc life.  the fact that our first "place" was a total dump, didn't help either.. long story, you can read about it here or here.  i ended up living in nyc for 3 months, and cannot tell you the exact amount of $$ i spent JUST on food, but i can tell you that it was A LOT!  the thing i miss most about nyc (besides some of my besties) is definitely the food.  when i got home, honestly, it did feel great to get back into my routine and plan out my meals for the week and cook more at home BUT i was craving something more.  there are very few places around here that i care to frequent (most restaurants close by are chains, of which i am not a huge fan) so, this began my love for discovering new recipes.  i work at a golf course and when i got back from nyc, it was early fall- which is the start of the "slow season" so, needless to say, i had plenty of time to watch food network/ cooking channel, watch daytime talk shows, browse the internet, read food mags, etc. (sometimes all at once! haha!)  My recipe list just kept getting bigger and bigger and BIGGER so i decided to start a food blog.  i figured i was making so many good things, why not share and why not document it and look back and remember all of these good eats?  so, voila! treats and tidbits was born!  why the name?  TREATS because, like i said earlier, most days i eat the same-ish thing, so for me to break form in any way, i consider it a treat.  now, when you hear "treat", you think sweet, right? while that might be true 90% of the time, especially in my case (i love sugar!) but in the case of this blog, a treat might also be a savory treat or could even be a treat meal.  with that being said, i eat a sweet treat every day.  anything from a piece of rich, dark chocolate, a scoop of ice cream, a cookie, or mine and my future mr.'s fave- a SKOOKIE!!  the treat portion will also consist of travelling treats- anything we eat, while on our travels, that we deem worthy to share on the blog.  TIDBITS could be anything... little ramblings of life, a cute outfit, my favorite nail color for the moment, skin care advice (i am a licensed esthetician), some little crafties, my cute kids (fluffy ones, for now), or my awesome fam and my darling nephew.  so, sit back, indulge and enjoy!! Pin It