Archive for the ‘Fourth of July food’ Category

For those of you whom live in the Indianapolis area, you are a bunch of lucky ducks because you know what I’m talking about when I say Ritter’s Frozen Custard. I’m not from the Indy area and so I have never gotten to experience the greatness of Ritter’s until just recently. My first time at Ritter’s I ordered one helping scoop of the chocolate banana flavor and in a waffle cone. It was a whole eight minutes of heaven! Yes, I scarfed that thing down! Now, my new favorite thing is banana ice cream. Every time I go near an ice cream parlor, I hope and pray that they carry banana ice cream. Not many of them do and that’s why Ritter’s was so delicious. It was an original treat on a lucky day! Well, some of my hunt is over. I have found a recipe for banana ice cream that I can make whenever I get a big sweet tooth. I don’t know how it compares to Ritter’s, but I think it will do.

Ingredients

4 cups half-and-half cream

2-1/2 cups sugar

Dash salt

4 eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups heavy whipping cream

1 can (5 ounces) evaporated milk

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups mashed ripe bananas (4 to 5 medium)

Directions

In a large heavy saucepan, heat half-and-half to 175°; stir in sugar and salt until dissolved. Whisk a small amount of hot mixture into eggs. Return all to the pan, whisking constantly. Cook and stir over low heat until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a metal spoon.

Remove from the heat. Cool quickly by placing pan in a bowl of ice water; stir for 2 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream, milk and vanilla. Press plastic wrap onto surface of custard. Refrigerate for several hours or overnight.

Stir in bananas. Fill cylinder of ice cream freezer two-thirds full; freeze according to manufacturer’s directions. Refrigerate remaining mixture until ready to freeze. When ice cream is frozen, transfer to a freezer container; freeze for 2-4 hours before serving. Yield: 3 quarts.

P.S. Drizzle with chocolate sauce if you want to make it like Ritter’s chocolate banana!

By Ali

Recipe and photo courtesy of http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Banana-Ice-Cream-2

Kim King Smith Events is all about finding easy and healthy recipes for you and your family. For this year’s Fourth of July party, try some of these great tips to keep your cookout healthier and fresh. You’ll be able to eat more food and enjoy the day more without the worry of eating the normal high calorie cookout foods.

When buying meat, look for these types of meats or key words that will lead you to a healthier options.

• Poultry: Skinless, white-meat chicken or turkey. Also try ground turkey for delicious turkey burgers.
• Beef: Flank steak, top loin, sirloin, porterhouse, T-bone steak and tenderloin; 90% lean ground beef are all good choices.
• Pork: Pork chops or tenderloin are the best.

There are also simple ways to cut calories in your staple cookout side dishes such as pasta salad. In your recipe, swap out the cup full of mayonnaise for some or all for a flavorful vinaigrette, pesto sauce, sun-dried tomatoes, Dijon mustard or lots of fresh herbs. If you favor the traditional creamy texture, a combo of mayonnaise and low-fat yogurt has flavor with much less fat. Not only will your pasta salad be better for you, but it will also be a new recipe to try.

For dessert, fruit is always the best option. It’s light and delicious and something everybody wants after a full meal. Strawberries, blueberries and peaches all reach their peak midsummer. Make a fresh fruit salad, or throw heartier fruits like pineapple and stone fruits (like peaches, plums and nectarines) on the grill to bring out their sweetness. Serve them with frozen yogurt or syrup.

By Brittany

These great tips came from:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/healthy-eating/be-a-healthier-summer-party-host/index.html