Rhubarb Fun

Say the word 'rhubarb' and you'll get a different reaction from one person to the next. Say it to me and I think fondly of the delicious rhubarb and custard that my mother would serve as a treat when rhubarb was in season. The rhubarb was always fresh from the garden or a relative's allotment and the custard always homemade. The rhubarb would be gently stewed with sugar and the custard was always thick and creamy. The blend of sweet and sour was wonderful!

However, that's a hot dessert. What about a cold one? Well, you should try some homemade rhubarb and custard ice cream. Again, rich and creamy, sweet and sour it really is a surprisingly good ice cream.

So now, no matter what the weather - cold or hot - you can enjoy rhubarb and custard as it suits you. Tip: Just be sure that when rhubarb is in season you put some in the freezer for those winter months. I do :-)

Note: If you're not keen on rhubarb and you're looking for some good recipes you can try http://culinarychat.net/ where guest writers offer some fascinating new dessert ideas.

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations, Cake & Ice Cream!

HM Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her Diamond Jubilee this weekend and people in Britain and around the world will be sharing in the celebration. The longest reigning British monarch to date was Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years, 7 months and we all hope to see HM Queen Elizbeth II break that record.

Celebrating such a special occasion means parties and get togethers and that means food and fun! There will be thousands of street parties and home parties this weekend and amongst the food will undoubtedly be cakes and ice cream.

Here is a very special Diamond Jubilee 'crown' cake along with red, white and blue cupcakes made by my friend Barbara Goodman. It has been this week's centrepiece at her family's 'Off The Wall' coffee shop and has been admired by everyone with countless requests to eat the entire display!

If you want to make your own celebratory ice cream then make some raspberry ripple ice cream and serve it topped with a few fresh blueberries. Simple, colourful, fun and delicious!

Halloween Ice Cream By Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall attracts many visitors all year round and Halloween is no exception. So if you are a Hadrian's Wall walker at this time of year you will be keen to know of good local coffee shops and eating places.

One of the best coffee shops close to the western end of the Wall is Off The Wall in Brampton where you will find delicious food, homemade cakes, a superb variety of teas and coffees and a warm welcome. The proprietors also have a small store next door selling walking boots and equipment so it's a haven for walkers coming up to the Wall.

They are also great history enthusiasts, offering some great local history tours throughout the summer months but right now they are running a Halloween theme. Their Halloween Spooky Tour is already sold out! The coffee shop, walking equipment store are all 'dressed up' for Halloween too with some fabulous window displays and decorations.

So what's the connection of Halloween and ice cream? Check out this great video clip filmed at Off The Wall - a Halloween ice cream sandwich with spiders!

Check out other ideas for Halloween ice cream

Ice Cream Everywhere!

Ice cream is a subject that has always fascinated me ... hence why I write about it so much! Here are just a few of the web pages and blog posts I've written about ice cream over the years:

Eating Ice Cream In Bed

Demise Of The Ice Cream Truck

Vendée Ice Cream

Ice Cream History

Making Ice Cream Without An Ice Cream Maker

Medieval Ice Cream Poke

There's also now a Facebook page about ice cream recipes. Some interesting ice cream making questions get asked there - check it out!

Glaces Maison - French Ice Cream To You & Me!

I have tasted ice cream in quite a few different places over the years including:

Chicago, London, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Zandvoort, Florence, Pisa, Milan, Munich, Cologne, Frankfurt and Geneva

Which was the best is hard to say - freshly made gelato in a Florence ice cream parlour has to be up there as a favourite. However, the ice cream I enjoyed on the Ile de Re in France, whilst on holiday in the Vendée, also ranks amongst the best - photograph right.

Holdem Poker - Some Great Nicknames!

For some people, the fun in life comes from playing card games and for many that means only one thing ... POKER.

Texas Holdem poker is apparently one of the most popular poker games. I was interested to read about holdem poker rules recently for an article I was writing (on another blog!) and it was fascinating. I came across some great nicknames for holdem poker hands such as "Pocket Rockets" which refers to a hand of AA (the best starting hand in holdem). Then there is the hand of 99 which has the nickname "Phil Hellmuth" who is an actual real-life player who won the World Series of Poker in 1989 with a 99 hand. The one that caught my eye thought was the A3 hand - nicknamed "Baskin Robbins" because they have 31 different flavours of ice cream. Funny thing is that many poker players over the years have enjoyed ice cream whilst playing the game - here is a great blog post that connects Poker & Ice Cream. Fascinating!

Read this great list of Poker hand nicknames.

Chocolate Ice Cream Sundae

Ice cream sundaes come in all shapes and sizes - and chocolate ice cream sundaes are no exception. The link above takes you to a chocolate ice cream sundae made with chocolate ice cream topped with white chocolate pieces, whipped cream with a walnut on top, chocolate sauce and a fan wafer.

This photograph below is of a chocolate ice cream sundae served to us recently in a local pub. My husband asked for it to be 'very chocolatey' - hence when it arrived, the ice cream glass was huge and the sundae was positively swimming in chocolate sauce!

Summer Desserts - Cheesecake & Cheesecake Ice Cream

Delicious strawberry cheesecake
Served at a local pub we went to for a meal one evening - simply delicious!

Ever had cheesecake ice cream?

Recipes - From Ice Cream To Thai To Muffins

This year I have tried to do more home cooking. I have really enjoyed making some Thai dishes and my family (thankfully!) have also enjoyed them.

Finding new recipes is a bit like looking for life insurance - there's such much to choose from that you don't know where to start!

So here are a few pointers ....

Want to try something a little exotic?
Here's a great Thai marinade

Like ice cream and live on the European mainland?
Try this European ice cream site

Want to try something from way back?
Here is a medieval recipes site

Looking for something sweet and indulgent as winter approaches? Try this raspberry and coffee muffin recipe