Yums! Repicci's Italian Ice

Although summer was just here, I'm already starting to miss the longer daylight hours and the road trips. I definitely still crave the tastes of summer, and Repicci's Italian Ice has so many delicious, bright flavors one can slip into flip flops and feel like summer is back on. A big bonus is that it's Dairy Free (Ryan, who is allergic to dairy, is fond of this). Italian Ice, if you are not familiar, is much like a slushy or sorbet. It's very light, fruity, and a delicious drink if it happens to melt. 

If you want your own taste of sweet, sweet summer, you can find Repicci's Italian Ice at Sam's Club. Check out their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and let them know how much you like their Italian Ice!

Yums - Candied Mint Tea Recipe

It's summer and it's sweltering, so I was craving some delicious Southern Sweet Tea. I have an abundance of mint and I thought how refreshing candied mint tea would be. The bonus of making candied mint is that you can use it in so many different mixed drinks, like mojitos (my favorite) and simply by itself it's a great candy.  So here's my recipe:

It's pretty straightforward, no measuring really necessary for this. All you need is an egg white, about 1/2 cup sugar, and rinsed fresh mint leaves. Dip the leaves in the egg white, then coat it thoroughly in the sugar. Place on wax paper to dry for a few hours. Once firm and crunchy it's ready to eat. I put a few in my tea while it brewed and added additional sugar - we Southerners like it absurdly sweet.

 Hope you enjoy my little recipe, cheers!

 

Something Homemade

Easy White Bread - with a bread machine

I was craving something homemade, and thought I'd give my new bread machine a work out. Here's the recipe I used:

Add hot water (between 115-120 degrees) into bread machine. Add 2 tablespoons of oil at room temperature to water. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Carefully add 3 cups of bread flour. Make a well in the flour, and carefully pour yeast into well - don't let it touch any of the liquids. Choose Express Bake and in an hour enjoy some soft, flaky bread. Add a touch of honey to freshly sliced bread for a scrumptious snack! 

Rainy Day Recipe - Louisiana Gumbo

On this cold and rainy Sunday, I decided to bring some warmth (and spice) into the home. For those unfamiliar to Cajun cooking, Gumbo is a classic, homey soup-like dish.

Ingredients:

1 lb chicken - quarters or tenders

1 lb Andouille sausages

1 large yellow onion

3 garlic cloves

Italian parsley

2 green onion

Olive Oil

64 oz chicken stock

3 tablespoons Dark Roux

Sea Salt

Black Pepper

Garlic Powder

Cayenne Pepper

White Rice

Food Prep:

Slice sausage, chop onion and garlic finely. Season chicken with salt, peppers, and garlic powder.

Cooking:

Lightly coat bottom of large pot with olive oil. Once hot, on medium-high heat, add in sausage. Stir frequently until browned. Remove sausage, leave oil in pot. Add chicken and brown till fully cooked. Remove chicken, add in the onions and garlic. Cook until translucent, stirring frequently. Deglaze with chicken broth, scraping the bottom of the pot. Add in roux and let it low boil for 30 minutes or until roux is broken up completely. Add in cooked chicken and sausage. Simmer 20 minutes. Add in chopped green onion and parsley.

Plate in a bowl on top if steamed white rice. Add Tobasco when needed and enjoy!