SPRING IN JERSEY. IRISH COFFEE WITH A TWIST.  A CHOCOLATE TWIST. 

It is the month of March, and this month brings with it the first day of spring. It also brings with it, the traditional celebrating of the patron saint, St. Patrick, or as we call it, St. Patrick's Day. As soon as March rolls around, I start thinking about and making preparations to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. After all, it is the holiday to celebrate the luck of the Irish, and what better way to celebrate, than with an Irish coffee. Of course, our celebrations also include, leprechaun and rainbow crafts with the kids, Shepherds pie, playing Irish music including one of our favorites, Danny Boy, while doing an Irish jig, and playing musical chairs as a family. 😅😅😅 This can get really wild and crazy.

But we also take this celebration and the history of it seriously. And we take our Irish coffee and the making of it seriously. With that being said, I wanted to share with you, the history of the invention of the first Irish coffee.

History has it that the Irish coffee was invented on a dark and stormy night in 1943. According to the Foynes Flying Boat Museum, a Pan Am flight headed to New York was forced to turn around because of bad weather. When it pulled into the Foynes terminal, the cold and tired passengers disembarked. The museum crew wanted to warm up the passengers, so Joe Sheridan, who was a cook at the time at the airport, whipped up the perfect drink to keep the people warm and awake. Americans, or Yanks as they were called, liked their coffee with a little extra cream and a little extra sugar. So Joe whipped up some coffee with a "little extra" cream and sugar and added some Irish whiskey. So the Irish coffee was born. Chef Joe Sheridan was born in Castlederg, Northern Ireland in 1909. After the death of his father, he decided to move to Dublin, and got a job in a restaurant. He applied for the job of chef in 1943 at the airport in Foynes, and so as they say, the rest is Irish history.

There are different brands of Irish whiskey, and the one that you choose depends on the specific tastes you are looking for. Since we love chocolate, and most of my friends love chocolate, I wanted to create an Irish coffee with, well you guessed it, CHOCOLATE! So I had to go in search of the perfect Irish whiskey to pair with my chocolate. I chose The Quietman brand.

The Quietman brand of Irish whiskey is an 8 year old single malt whiskey and is full of flavors that go perfectly with dark chocolate. It opens with floral noes and a hint of orchard fruits before moving on to a palate that is brimming with vanilla and oak. It paired perfectly with my mocha coffee. We found my Irish coffee to be absolutely delicious, and I hope you will as well.

WHAT YOU WILL NEED: 6 oz. (3/4 cup) of dark roast brewed coffee - 1/4 cup light cream, heated in the microwave - 1 oz. or 1 jigger full of The Quietman Irish whiskey - 2 Tbsps. Domino light or dark brown sugar - 1 Tbsp. Hershey's unsweetened cocoa powder

TO MAKE: Brew coffee. Heat up your cream in the microwave, not to boiling, but just enough to heat it up, about 30 seconds. Pour cream into a mug and add the brown sugar, cocoa and whiskey. Stir completely until smooth. If you need to put back in microwave to get rid of cocoa lumps, you can for about 10 to 15 seconds. When coffee is finished brewing, pour 3/4 cup of hot coffee into cream mixture. Stir until smooth and blended. Top with whipped cream. Salute' and Happy St. Patrick's Day. 🍀

 

SUMMER IN JERSEY - ZUCCHINI - ZUCCHINI AND CHEESE BRUSCHETTA

ZUCCHINI AND CHEESE BRUSCHETTA

How much do you know about zucchini? I asked myself that question, and realized that the answer was very little. So after a little research, I discovered some fun facts. Let me share with you what I found. Zucchini is a summer squash that is in the same family as cucumbers, melons and spaghetti squash. But zucchini is actually a fruit and not a vegetable as most people assume. Surprised? I was too. Squashes actually originated in the Americas, but the green variety, (zucchini), was first developed in Italy in the early 1800's. (Maybe that is why we Italians love it so much.) So how do you identify good zucchini? It should feel firm yet tender with shiny or glossy skin. When you cut into a good zucchini, it should have an almost buttery-like texture, and the flesh should appear slightly yellow, greenish, or white. 

On another page, I emphasized the importance of having an appetizer ready, with cocktails when hosting a dinner party. This bruschetta is perfect for such an occasion. It is light, so it won't fill your guests up too much before dinner. You wouldn't want to work so hard on a special dinner, only for your guests to be too full to eat it!  And of course, you don't have to be having a dinner party to make and enjoy this. If your husband comes home from work ravishing everyday like mine does, from a hard day's work, this is the perfect come home to snack that is light, not too filling, and very healthy. My husband just loves it. This appetizer pairs well with a nice Chardonnay or Pinot Grigio. 

What you will need: Slices of crusty Italian bread - 2 cloves of minced garlic - 1 tsp. of olive oil - 1 medium zucchini, chopped with skin on - 2 small roma tomatoes, cut up in small pieces. - 4 oz. of cheddar cheese, shredded, or any other cheese that you prefer - salt and pepper to taste

To make: In a frying pan, saute the zucchini in the olive oil on medium heat for about 5 minutes. Add the minced garlic and saute another 2 to 3 minutes. Turn off heat and add chopped tomatoes, salt and pepper, and cheese. Stir. As the cheese melts, slice the Italian bread into 1 inch slices and toast. Then top the toasted bread slices with the zucchini mixture. 

SUMMER IN JERSEY -ZUCCHINI -ZUCCHINI CAKE

 ZUCCHINI CAKE

 

Who wants a piece of zucchini cake? If you ask that question, you may get a lot of turned up noses. But the truth is, zucchini cake is delicious. Zucchini adds moisture to cake like applesauce does. It has a wonderful texture and it tastes great. So shhh, don't tell your children. They will never know its in there. When I make this cake, I like to grate my zucchini by hand. It is so relaxing to grate your vegetables, cheeses and anything else you have to grate this way. At least I find it to be so. Sure, an electric one is faster, but it's definitely not as relaxing. Sometimes the old ways of doing things are more satisfying. Sure, technology is great, but some things are just better left un-changed. Like sitting out on the porch on a summer day shelling peas or pole beans. Especially if you are maybe fortunate enough to be doing this with a parent or grandparent.

Okay, back to the zucchini. In addition to the great taste and texture, zucchini has many health benefits. It is rich in vitamins, minerals, and plant compounds. And, there are only 17 calories in a whole cup. It is rich in antioxidants, contributes to healthy digestion, and reduces blood sugar levels. So go ahead and treat yourself to a slice of this delicious cake. Bon  Appe'tit

What you will need: 2 1/2 cups of flour - 2 cups of sugar - 1 1/2 tsps. of cinnamon - 1 tsp. of salt - 1/2 tsp. of baking powder - 1/2 tsp. of baking soda - 1 cup of vegetable oil - 4 eggs - 2 cups of shredded zucchini - 1/2 cup of chopped walnuts, optional - For Frosting you will need: 3 oz. of cream cheese, softened - 1/4 cup of butter, softened - 1 Tbsp. of milk - 1 tsp. of vanilla - 2 cups of confectioners sugar

To make the cake: In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, cinnamon, salt, baking powder, and baking soda.

In another bowl, combine oil and eggs thoroughly. Then add to dry ingredients. Mix well. 

Add zucchini and stir by hand, not with the mixer. Pour into a greased 13x9x2 inch pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes, or until knife inserted comes out clean. Cool. 

For the frosting: Beat cream cheese, butter, milk, and vanilla until smooth. Add confectioners sugar and mix well. Frost cake. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Make sure to store the cake in the refrigerator. 

 

GARDEN STATE VIEWS - DUFFERS MINI GOLF AND ICE CREAM

Duffers Ice Cream and Mini Golf 

Miniature golf and ice cream go hand in hand for some reason. If you go and play mini golf, you just want ice cream after. It has always been a great past time for us as a family. The kids and grand kids just love it. So while visiting Wildwood recently, we were drawn to this place, Duffers, and decided to give it a try. While not wanting to be negative right out of the gate, I also want to be honest, so that you will know what to expect if you decide to try. If I were rating this place with a star rating, with 1 being my least favorite place to 5 being one of my favorites, I would have to give this place a rating of 2.  First things first, the food. Being a food blogger, that is top priority. The food is not very good and it is pricey. We ordered the kids mac and cheese and you could tell it was a very commercial mac and cheese by the way it looked AND tasted. We also ordered the freedom fries, which are described as crispy fries covered with melted jack and cheddar cheeses and crispy bacon with ranch dressing for dipping. First, one of my pet peeves is to get a sauce for dipping, and there is no where near enough. If you give me a giant plate of fries, one tiny cup of dressing is not nearly going to be enough! So of course, that is what I was given with my large plate of fries. There were plenty of fries, actually too much, and one little cup of ranch. Also, not nearly enough cheese, nor enough bacon. We ended up tossing them. In addition, I ordered a chocolate coke, and it had lumps of chocolate at the bottom. I have never experienced this before. They are always very smooth. So with that being said, we decided to skip the ice cream. 

Now this place has an arcade and I think it is a really cool arcade. The arcade alone would get a 4 star rating. They have new technologically up to date games, and an easy card system for the kids to use. Very reasonably priced, and the kids can waste a good hour of time in there maybe even 2 depending on their age. My kids really enjoyed the arcade. 

As far as the 18 hole mini golf course, it left a lot to be desired, especially as far as kids go. For mini golf, kids like a lot of animation and things that move, and some water falls. This golf course has none of those, and it also is pricey. The adult price is $8.00 which is fine, but I certainly do not think that kids under 12 should be the same price as an adult, but they are. They do play music while you golf which I thought was nice for the adults. Their website is: www.dufferswildwood.com    

SUMMER IN JERSEY - PEACHES - PEACH SUNSET

Peach Sunset

It's summertime and the living is easy. At least that is what I've always heard, so that is my motto, and how I choose to spend my summers. Summer is the time for hanging at the pool, and having friends and family over for those summer barbecues and cocktails. You fire up the barbecue, get out all of your comfortable seating, and turn on all those tiny lights that make your yard look like a magical fairy garden. My family just loves sitting on the deck watching the sun set while sipping a special cocktail and listening to music. It somehow just draws us closer to each other. After all, family is everything! 

Summer is a song, it's a season. A summer breeze makes me feel fine. These are the things that I thought of the first time I saw this peach cider. I was shopping at schober orchards, and saw this cider for the first time ever. Of course, I had always gotten apple cider before, but never knew that peach cider was even a thing! So when I saw it, I thought to myself, I know I can make a special cocktail with that. So I bought it, brought it home, and created the peach sunset. And the rest is history. My family loves them. 

What you will need: 8 oz. (1 cup) of peach cider - 2 oz. (1/8 cup) of vanilla flavored vodka - 1 Tbsp. of peach schnaaps

How to make it: Pour all ingredients into an ice filled shaker and shake vigorously. Then pour into an ice filled glass. Garnish with a sliced peach and a mint leaf. Salute'

SUMMER IN JERSEY - PEACHES - OLD FASHIONED PEACH COBBLER

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

So you've taken the family on a great summertime family activity; picking peaches. And now you are wondering what to do with all of this sweet, juicy, luscious fruit. The answer of course, is to make peach cobbler. There is no doubt about it, that picking peaches with the kids and maybe grandkids is a wonderful experience. Kids, especially kids that live in the city, need to know where their food comes from. I can tell you from experience, it is a great bonding time with your family to get outside in the fresh air and sunshine, and pick fruit together at an orchard. There is nothing really quite like it. We have some really wonderful orchards here in Jersey, and I would like to share with you some of the best here in south Jersey and close to central Jersey. There is a small orchard on Buck Road in Monroeville, called Haynicz's Orchardview Farm. You can find them on Facebook. Also there is one in Mullica Hill called Moods Farm.  www.moodsfarmmarket.com This farm has a lot of "pick your own" such as blueberries, cherries, and peaches. A great place to go. Two bigger places to go, with lots of fun stuff for the kids are: Johnson's Corner Farm in Medford, www.johnsonsfarm.com and Terhune Orchards in Princeton www.terhuneorchards.com.   Your kids will so enjoy this time of family togetherness. You will be making great memories along with getting the kind of fruit that cannot be purchased at your local supermarket. Peach picking in Jersey runs from about mid-July to the end of August. Keep in mind that fully ripened peaches should be picked when they can be easily removed from the tree branches, otherwise they are not fully ripe. If you have to tug to get it to come off, it is probably not ripe enough. This is really important,  because peaches will not ripen after they have been picked from the tree. They will only soften up. This could give you a soft peach, but not much sweetness. Also, don't rely on the color of the peach to determine its ripeness. Green skin on any variety of peach is a sign that it is not ripe. Softness is somewhat of an indicator. The peach should have a little give when gently pressed. Fuzz is supposed to be on the peaches when you pick them. Peaches sold in supermarkets have been put through machines to get rid of that fuzz before being sent to the market, as some people find the fuzz un-appealing. 

If you need to keep your peaches for longer than 3 or 4 days after you pick them, it is best to keep them in the regrigerator. Otherwise, you can leave them out in a bowl for 3 or 4 days. Peaches freeze really well too. Now to that peach cobbler. 

Old Fashioned Peach Cobbler

What you will need: 3/4 cup of white sugar - 2 cups of cut up peaches (with or without skin, I leave the skin on) Mix the cut up peaches with the sugar, and let stand while making the batter. 

For the batter you will need: 3/4 cup of white sugar - 3/4 cup of all-purpose flour - 3/4 cup of whole milk - 2 tsps. of baking powder - 1/8 tsp. of salt - 1 stick of butter

To make: Set oven to 350 degrees. Put the stick of butter in an 8" pan, and then melt the butter in the oven. 

Mix all of the remaining batter ingredients. Pour over the melted butter, but do not mix. 

Last, pour the peach mixture over the batter, but again, do not mix. 

Bake at 350 degrees for one hour. Enjoy.

SUMMER IN JERSEY - PEACHES - OLD FASHIONED PEACH ICE CREAM

OLD FASHIONED PEACH ICE CREAM

What is more delicious on a hot summer day, than a bowl of ice cold, old fashioned ice cream? You are right. Nothing! At least that is the way I remember it from my childhood. Everyone leads such busy lives today, that they have lost the value, of not only making food themselves, but also the taste of homemade using nothing but the freshest ingredients. We all run to the store to get our cartons of ice cream, (not that there is anything wrong with store bought carton ice cream), but no way does it compare to homemade, not to mention all of the fillers and preservatives. There are some good brands out there, that I have purchased too, but if you make your own, I highly doubt you will ever go back to store bought. Some ice cream stands make their own ice cream, and those are certainly worth trying. New Jersey has so many ice cream stands, lucky us! Speaking of ice cream stands, that takes me back to another great memory from my childhood, when my dad would load us all into the station wagon, and take us on a trip to Serene's ice cream stand in North Vineland. We considered there ice cream to be the best. And while my family was choosing the usual vanilla, chocolate, or twist custards, I always chose the hand dipped ice creams, and all were fruit flavored. My favorite was always peach, and the second runner ups were pineapple and banana, or a scoop of each one.

This is the sign that Serene's had when I was a girl, and the stand is still open. However, they do have new owners, and their ice cream is still good, and they do quite a business, but not sure if it is still homemade.

Has anyone thought about the history of ice cream and how it came about? Where did ice cream come from, who invented it? Well, I wondered that too, so I did some investigating. My information is gathered from actual food historians, and they say that the beginnings of ice cream started with ancient flavored ices. Now this is going way, way back, to the times of Alexander the Great, and Biblical times. There are reports that state that snow and ice was flavored with honey and enjoyed by Alexander the Great. Also, there are Biblical references that tell us that during the times of harvests, King Solomon actually enjoyed iced drinks. Even Nero Claudius Caesar, during the era of the Roman Empire, was known to send people up to the mountains to gather snow, which he then topped with juices and fruits. Isn't that some great history? So who is actually credited for the creation of iced cream? It seems the Chinese people get the credit, and they invented it as early as 3,000 BC! So how did ice cream make its way to the new world? Well, it seems it arrived in the 18th century with the first official recognition coming from the New York Gazette that advertised it for the first time in this country on May 12th, 1777! And our very first President, George Washington, had spent approximately $200.00 for ice cream, according to a New York merchant on Chatham Street, in the summer of 1790. What was the very first flavor of ice cream invented? Orange Blossom. hmmm. 

And now present day, most everyone probably knows that July is national ice cream month. Who made that designation? None other than former President Ronald Reagan. He obviously loved ice cream as much as I do, and he actually said that everyone in America should celebrate ice cream with "appropriate ceremonies and activities." I guess hence the ice cream social. Ice cream is enjoyed by over 90% of Americans. 

Now I will bet that all of that talk about ice cream, has left you craving a bowl. This recipe for old fashioned peach ice cream is so easy and so delicious! I promise you, you will want to make this ice cream every year when those first peaches begin to ripen. Enjoy. 

OLD FASHIONED PEACH ICE CREAM

What you will need: One (12 oz. can) of evaporated milk - One (14 oz. can) sweetened condensed milk - One pint of half and half - 1/2 cup of white sugar - 1 tsp. of vanilla extract - about 2 and 1/2 pounds of fresh peaches, peeled, pitted and chopped - about 2 cups of whole milk

To Make: Puree your peaches with the sugar and the half and half in batches in a food processor or a blender. In your ice cream maker's freezer container, mix together the peach mixture, the sweetened condensed milk, the evaporated milk, and the vanilla. Then add your 2 cups of whole milk, or however much your ice cream maker will allow you to add to bring it to the fill line. Follow your maker's instructions, freeze, and thoroughly enjoy.