I Scream for Ice Cream!

A soda fountain in Des Moines, Iowa, 1945
Photo by Nina Leen from LIFE Photo Archive

Ok, so here in Southern California we haven't hit the triple digits yet, but that is no reason not to hit the ice cream barrel.  I try to be "good" and mostly stick to the Skinny Cow variety of frozen treats, but once in a while it's nice to indulge in a heaping sundae with lots of toppings or an honest-to-goodness real ice cream shake.  So this got me thinking of ice cream parlors and how great they are.  What could be better than a cool (literally) hangout where you can indulge in a root beer float, have a few laughs with your friends, and avoid doing whatever it is you should be doing (like the piles of laundry I have waiting at home)?  So if you can't make it to your local ice cream parlor (I've listed a few Los Angeles area ones here), then head to the grocery store and whip these babies up for yourself and your loved ones - they will be glad you did. 

Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in South Pasadena

1526 Mission St.

Fosselman's Ice Cream Co. in Alhambra

1824 W. Main St.

Soda Jerks in Santa Monica

200 Santa Monica Pier

Some classic ice cream and soda fountain recipes:

A Root Beer Float (makes 2)

2 scoops of vanilla ice cream

12 oz. of root beer

Whipped cream

A maraschino cherry

Scoop a ball of ice cream into a cold glass. Add half of the root beer (slowly, or tip the glass at an angle while pouring). Add the whipped topping and the cherry.

A Banana Split

(dates back to the early 1900's and gave way to the banana boat dish in which it is served)

The ingredients are really up to your own imagination, but simply put you need a halved banana, three scoops of ice cream, chocolate sauce, marshmallow creme or mini marshmallows, nuts, whipped cream, and a maraschino cherry. Also, you can check out an actual banana split festival that takes place every year in Wilmington, Ohio.

An Egg Cream

(doesn't contain eggs or cream!)

Seltzer water or club soda

Chocolate syrup

Cold milk

Start layering your glass with the chocolate syrup.  Then add the seltzer water or club soda. Finally add the milk. Stir, stir, and stir some more.

A Malted Milk Shake

4 scoops of vanilla ice cream

1 1/2 cups of milk

4 tablespoons of a flavored syrup

2 tablespoons of malted milk powder (unflavored)

Add all the ingredients into a blender and blend away.

Make your own soda

Use seltzer water and a flavored syrup (you can usually find these in the spirits section or the coffee and tea section of the grocery store or at a store like BevMo!).  Add some ice cream and you got yourself an ice cream soda!

Photo by Judepics from Flickr Creative Commons

Book Review: Clarity by Kim Harrington

Scholastic Point, 2011; 242 pages; ISBN  0545230500
My Goodreads Rating: 4 stars

I was expecting the typical paranormal book, but actually I quite enjoyed Clarity. It's more about having psychic abilities and it read like a Law and Order episode, so I really enjoyed that aspect of it since I'm a fan of the SVU component of that franchise. Clarity Fern, her mom and her brother all have psychic abilities. Her mom can tune into people's thoughts, her brother can communicate with the dead, and Clarity can touch objects and sense things about the person that used them last. They live in a small seaside town and use their gifts to sustain themselves. Clare is getting over her first love and break up (who cheated on her), and dealing with a new competitor that just moved into town, a physic named Madame Maslov, when a girl turns up dead at a nearby motel. This is the first murder in town in many years and it happens to be an election year. Clare's ex-boyfriend is the current mayor's son and he asks her to help out with the murder investigation by using her psychic gift of touch. It just so happens that there is a new detective in town and Clare teams up with his good looking son. You can see the love triangle a mile away, but it's fun to watch it unfold. I figured out who the guilty parties were in so far as the murder mystery was concerned, but that's probably because I do watch a lot of crime shows like Law and Order SVU and CSI. Clare is the kind of female protagonist I can get behind because she is ballsy, but still vulnerable and charming. I look forward to more in this new series and recommend it to anyone who enjoys the YA paranormal genre. I also made a book trailer for Clarity, see it here:

Photo: From Goodreads.com website

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 6

Photo from Goodreads.com

To evoke the South, as well as the honey that makes up such an important part of this novel, I came up with a twist on iced tea (perfect for the summer!).  In The Secret Life of Bees Lily Owens goes on a quest to find out the secret behind her mother's death after finding a jar label for Black Madonna Honey.  Once she meets the sisters who produce the honey, her life changes for good, but with some tragedies mixed in.  Since there are sweet moments, and there are sour moments in the book, I tried to keep that in mind when mixing up this cocktail.  I'm calling it "Oh, Honey".  The ingredients are pretty simple and the result is very refreshing.  You get the sweetness of the whiskey liqueur, the slight tang of the grapefruit, and the sweet bite of the honey. It's very drinkable and perfect for a cookout or to accompany you while you lounge by the pool (which I wish I had right about now).  Here is the recipe and cheers to a Happy Summer!

"Oh, Honey"

2 oz. Southern Comfort

3 oz. Iced Tea (you can make your own, or buy it ready made)

3 oz. Grapefruit Juice (fresh squeezed, or store bought)

1 tablespoon of Honey

How to:  In a mason jar with ice, layer each ingredient, then stir the heck out of it.  The amount of honey can be changed, depending on your taste.  You could also make this up in a large pitcher, just keep it 2 parts Southern Comfort to 3 parts iced tea and 3 parts grapefruit juice.

My Look Back: 1942

Jane Russell in 1942 posing by the beach
 Photo by Eliot Elisofon from LIFE Photo Archive

Summer is swiftly on it's way and for many of us that means vacations to the beach.  This weekend I'm also thinking about Memorial Day and all that it means to me.  Which brings me to this look back at 1942.  I have family who served in Vietnam and most recently one of my youngest cousins packed up and joined the army.  Needless to say I honor our service men and women and here is a little list of trivia I found when I took a look back at the year 1942.

• The first American forces land in Europe by way of Northern Ireland.
• Muhammad Ali, Manolo Blahnik, Isabel Allende, Jimi Hendrix, Sandra Dee, and Martin Scorsese are born.
• The FCC's minimum programming time of 15 hours per week for a TV station is reduced to 4 hours a week (who knew there was a minimum??).
• Archie Comics makes its debut.
• Instead of 3 time zones, Mexico goes to having 2 time zones.
• Bing Crosby records the album White Christmas.
• Anne Frank begins writing her diary and she goes into hiding at the age of 13.
• Little Golden Books commences publishing.
• The cost of a first class stamp is .03 cents and the unemployment rate in the United States is 4.7%.
• Casablanca starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman premieres.
• The first "gold record" emerges when RCA Victor sprays Glen Miller's millionth copy sold of Chattanooga Choo Choo gold.
• The 14th Academy Awards are held in Los Angeles.  Best Picture goes to How Green Was My Valley starring Maureen O'Hara and Walter Pidgeon.  It beats out The Maltese Falcon, Suspicion, Citizen Kane and Sergeant York.

I'll Have a Shingle with a Shimmy and a Shake in the Alley

Photo by Nat Farbman, April 1959 from LIFE Photo Archive

What the heck is the title of the post you say? It's diner lingo! A shingle with a shimmy is buttered toast with a jam or jelly spread and a shake in the alley is a shake on the side. Diners are right up my alley in so far as nostalgia goes. I love the coziness of the food, the throwback feel, and the sense of an American tradition. Locally I have three favorite diners that I would highly recommend if you are in the area.

Pie n'Burger in Pasadena, CA

913 E. California Blvd. (*Ooooh, and according to Yelp, a new Pie 'n Burger food truck is coming!!)
 

The Rocky Cola Cafe in Whittier, CA

6757 Greenleaf Ave. 

Andy's Coffee Shop in Pasadena, CA

1234 E. Colorado Blvd. (even the address is classic!)

I'm also listing some trivia about diner history and of course diner lingo. You can also visit this awesome website for more: http://www.dinerlingo.com

• The word diner comes from "dining car" because a diner is supposed to be a prefabricated structure that is brought to a permanent location where it will serve as a dining establishment.

• Diners started as converted wagons in the late 19th century (the earliest of lunch trucks). When electric steetcars began replacing the horse drawn wagons, they were converted into dining cars for a cheaper price than actually purchasing a new prefabricated dining car.

• After women got the vote in the twenties, diners begain re-vamping their image in order to gain a feminine following. They basically prettied up their places with flower boxes and fresh coats of paint. Bathrooms were also added.

• Streamlining of dining cars began in the 1930's and when buses replaced trollies, trollies were converted into dining cars as well.

• The 1940's and 1950's were the boom era of the diner. Demand for them skyrocketed and designs followed a more futuristic appeal, especially in the fifties.

• Many diners were and are open 24 hours and many were located strategically near factories that were open all night to cater to night crew laborers.

• Typical wallet-friendly menu items of most diners include hamburgers, fries, shakes, coffee, and of course classic breakfast items like pancakes, eggs, bacon and waffles (you know, all the healthy stuff).

Can you guess what this order would be in regular talk:

"A Stack of Vermont with a Baby and Throw it in the Mud"



Photo by Will Hastings from Flickr Creative Commons



(Answer: Pancakes and a glass of milk with chocolate syrup)

Book Review: The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Harper Collins, 2008; 321 pages; ISBN  1554681723
My Goodreads Rating: 5 stars

OK, so I admit that I picked up this book because of the dog on the cover.  I am a sucker for Labrador retrievers, and I actually have two lab-mixes at home (their names are Frida and Che, and yes, I cry my eyes out every time I watch Marley and Me or even those Humane Society commercials), so I was very intrigued by the idea of a book told from a dog's perspective.  But Enzo the dog is no ordinary dog.  He is a human soul trapped in a dog's body (for this particular life cycle, according to him).  His owner, a race car driver named Denny, talks to Enzo like he is his pal and he watches TV with him, even leaving it on for him, which is where Enzo learns about the world and of course, about the art of race car driving.  Enzo is a very philosophical soul (that is why he believes in reincarnation, and he is certain that his next life will be as a human being), and he thinks that the techniques that Denny uses on the race track can be applied to every day life.  As Enzo recalls his life with Denny, including many ups and downs (marriage, a child, tragedy, triumph, and the like), he also takes stock on his role in Denny's life and all that he has learned and hopes to learn and do as a human being.  I know the book spent many weeks on the bestseller list, and rightly so.  I'm pretty sure animal lovers (especially dog lovers) will enjoy the story, but I also strongly feel that the book is for everyone, whether or not you have a furry companion at home.  It's smart, funny, sweet, and very honest, and yes, I also cried during this one too.  A highly recommended read.

Photo: From Goodreads.com website

Read a Book, Sip a Cocktail No. 5

Photo from Goodreads.com

For this month's pairing I was going for the magical and mesmerizing qualities of the book Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen.  I thought it would be perfect for spring.  I wanted to include apple in it because of the enchanted apple tree in the story (and there are also a ton of other flavors, foods, and even wines mentioned in the story, that truth be told I was hungry half the time I was reading the book).  So I combined apple flavored vodka, a lavender infused simple syrup, and good 'ole apple juice.  The result is a sweet martini that is both floral and light.  I was kind of scared about experimenting with lavender because it is a scent that pervades most things (in a good way, but still).  However, it was actually not overpowering at all.  You taste the apple first, then the sweetness, and then the lavender sort of hits you at the end with a slight hint of spring.  I really enjoyed it and I decided to call it The Enchanted Apple.

The Enchanted Apple
1 1/2 oz. Apple vodka
1 oz. Lavender infused simple syrup*
2 oz. Apple juice
How to: In a cocktail shaker mix ice, vodka, simple syrup and apple juice.  Shake for at least 30 seconds.  Serve in a chilled martini glass.  *To make the lavender infused simple syrup, take 1/2 a cup of sugar to 1 cup of water and cook over medium heat (watching it and stirring every so often).  When the sugar has dissolved, take the syrup off the heat and let it cool.  Drop in some dried lavender flowers (about 4-6 tablespoons), and store in a glass jar overnight.  Strain the simple syrup to remove the buds. Make sure you use food grade lavender buds, and not the potpourri kind. Also, you can buy plain simple syrup instead of making your own to save some time. 

I started the lavender infused simple syrup with these buds, 
and my kitchen was smelling so good!

The finished product was very refreshing and enchanting! :)