Archive for the ‘pool party’ 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

Have the urge to host a fabulous pool party your friends will talk about long after it’s over? Kim King Smith Events has the ideas to help transform your backyard into a beach barbecue party quickly and at an affordable price. Make sure to tell your guests to wear flip-flops, swimsuits and sunglasses and to lather on that sun block before arriving. You can use a child’s sandbox in the backyard to create sand castles and other beach-like figurines and your own beach towels to cover any chairs you have set out for your guests. You can also easily decorate the tables with seashells or fish nets that you have from home. Try using sandbox toys like plastic pails or shovels to serve hors d’oeuvres and drinks in. Serve hamburgers, hot dogs, and corn on the cob to represent the classic barbecue foods, but also make popcorn and snow cones to satisfy your guest’s cravings.  If you’re having the party in the evening, you can also try putting tea candles in mason jars and lining them along the side of the pool for an added glow.          By Laura

Shell centerpiece at www.marthastewart.com

Fish net lights at www.collectionsetc.com

Have your party in the evening to have a beautiful glow from the fire by the pool. www.greenscenelandscape.com/images