July 20, 2024

WEEKLY MENU 07.21.24

National Ice Cream Day is here again during the Weekly Menu 07.21.24. I scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream!

The Weekly Menu 07.21.24 starts with a chill: National Ice Cream Day is on Sunday, July 21st! We lean heavily towards scooped ice cream around here, although there is always room for soft-serve, especially around the rim of a frosty mug of rootbeer. I lean towards ice cream being good for us: at least from the calcium standpoint. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it.

I could absolutely eat Ice Cream every day. In fact, I’ve gone months at a time doing just that. When I was pregnant with the OG Baby Boy, DOLD endeavored to keep my calcium intake high by taking me out for my Ice Cream hit. Every. Single. Day. He didn’t want me eating alone, so he had at least a single scoop, too. I gained 75 pounds during that pregnancy, and DOLD gained 25. I favored vanilla (soft-serve worked a charm for me, sometimes on the same day). We’re sure the OG’s (super) pale skin is a direct result.

My most recent New Year’s evolution (as it were) is to visit a new ice cream store at least once a month, preferably more. So far, so good. Don’t worry: I got in more than my fair share of gelati when we were in Italy. It was a toss-up whether I liked the gelati or the pasta more.

I’m mostly happy with store-bought.

But I am a fan of make-your-own in various ways. The bonus is that you get precisely what you want that way. Case in point: Baby Boy loves Cinnamon Ice Cream. It was a consistent special of the day one year at our local stand down in sunny Florida, but I can never find it elsewhere. I’ve never seen it at our grocery stores, either. Luckily, all we need to do is sprinkle some powdered cinnamon on a bowl full of lightly softened vanilla ice cream and mix, mix, mix. It’s a very refreshing treat that goes great with Mexican Food.

National Ice Cream Day practically demands we make our own. Of course, we don’t have an ice cream machine. They’re bulky, slow, and don’t get used enough to warrant them. And who has room in the freezer for that bowl?

No machine or attachment? No problem!

No-churn Ice Cream is authentic and very, very good. There a just a few, light (ahem), ingredients. Anyone can make it if you can whip cream. Here are all my favorite types:

TEN BEST (IMHO) NO-CHURN ICE CREAM RECIPES

Weekly Menu 07.21.24

I bet you saw this one coming, dear reader: Sunday dessert on the Weekly Menu 07.21.24 is Ice Cream. Not just any ice cream, though. Fabulous ice cream is presented in a fancy little edible “bowl” that was one of DOLD’s favorite treats: Cream Puffs stuffed with Ice Cream, topped with hot fudge sauce or, as in this case, salted caramel sauce. (Maybe both.) So, so good. It seems fancy, but it is ridiculously easy. And if you’ve never made pâte à choux, it will surprise you how easily you can become a pastry chef. And it doesn’t need any special tools.

Of course, if DOLD was coming to dinner, I might make a Brownie Baked Alaska or Cherries Jubilee instead. Man loved himself some ice cream. Ahh. If only. There can’t be a National Ice Cream Day sighting without a reference to him.

On Monday, we’re having easy-peasy Meatloaf Meatballs. Summer doesn’t lend itself to comfort foods, so making these ensures the kitchen doesn’t have to be hot for too long. I’ll microwave the spuds for a few minutes before baking them so they’ll cook enough to mash by the time the balls are ready to eat.

Plain, grilled Salmon gets a nice flavor treat with the super easy Maple Chipotle Glaze. If you aren’t into fish, this glaze recipe is tasty on pork or chicken, too.

WEEKLY MENU 07.21.24

I Scream, You Scream, We All Scream for Ice Cream,” a song first published in 1927, by Howard Johnson, Billy Moll, and Robert King, stems from a commercial slogan for the I-Scream bar now known as the Eskimo Pie.
ROBERT MANN GALLERY