Banana Split Smoothie

I never understood why the guys who operated the drugstore soda fountains in the 1950’s were called “soda jerks.” Although I don’t recall meeting one personally, they always look like boy-next-door types in the movies.

Now, doesn’t he look like a nice boy talking to Annette seemingly all interested and polite? He’s probably thinking, “scram kid…nobody puts baby on a stool.”

Anyway, answers.yahoo.com says that “the name soda jerk came from the jerking action the server would use on the soda fountain handle when adding the soda water.” Apparently this was a very coveted job back then…they had to wear bow ties.

Do you think we could get teenage boys to do that now?

Can you imagine the facebook commentary?

Besides ice cream sodas, drug store soda fountains used to serve all kinds of other treats, like Banana Splits. I remember sitting at the counter at the Five & Ten Cents Store on Girard Avenue in Philadelphia with my best friend Maureen eating a burger, drinking a fountain coke and sharing a banana split. They still have a Five & Ten Cents Store in OCNJ and oldest daughter calls it the Five x Ten Store because we spent $50 one summer on toilet paper, laundry detergent and Motrin.

That was funny.

So, I thought it would be fun to make a smoothie using a drug store soda fountain classic, a banana split, as inspiration!


Banana Split Smoothie
1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
1 banana
1 cup non-fat vanilla frozen yogurt
A few big squirts of Hershey’s syrup
2 cups ice
Whipped cream
Maraschino Cherries

Blend strawberries, banana, frozen yogurt, Hershey’s syrup and ice until smooth and creamy. Top with whipped cream and a cherry, pop in two straws, grab your sweetie (or drink it all by yourself out of both straws) and enjoy!


Soda Jerk photo from google images.

The Headboard

So, I see this bed in one of my favorite catalogs and I fall in love…with the bed. It came with a lofty price tag and considering S&H, it was prohibitive indeed, over $2,500...that's a lot of coin.

We know from previous posts that I have a cute talented Irish handyman, so I show him the picture in the catalog and asked if he could make a similar version. He said “Oh, that’s grand! I can certainly make the headboard.” I really only wanted the headboard but that option was not offered in the catalog.

Let the woodworking begin.

I need to acquire some power tools.

Himself chooses beautiful interlocking 5” pine strips and puts them together with 2x4's. Next, he created a template for the arched silhouette and cut the shape with a jigsaw. A bit of sanding and, voilà! I have the headboard of my dreams. I wish I had photos of the building process but he built it off site.

When he delivered my timbered treasure, I was beyond pleased. I distressed it a bit with a hammer, a chain and a pair of 3” black pumps and then stained it using Minwax Polyshades in rich a cherry to match some other furniture in the room. The faux distressing gives the wood a well-worn feel and the knots in the pine, accentuated by the stain, add variety, depth and a bit of chic imperfection.


The inspiration piece is made of reclaimed Douglas Fir and boasts weather wear and old nail holes. As you can see, it is quite lovely, albeit expensive. I had it in my shopping cart more than once but simply could not justify the expense. I like my homemade version just as well...the curves are not as defined, and are longer, sleeker (that was purposeful) and - BoNuS - it was cheaper. The entire cost of the project was $292.21, which included the $7.21 for the stain!

Shandy Land

A shandy is a perfect summer drink that is a cinch to make…and drink (especially on the hot summer days that we’ve been suffering through!).

The drink is simply a mixture of beer and lemonade, but my version also includes ginger ale. I like to use Blue Moon beer because the citrus undertones harmonize nicely with the lemonade and the ginger ale gives the drink a spicy little zip. The traditional recipe calls for just beer and lemonade in equal proportions.

The Shandy’s relatively low alcohol content makes it a popular tavern beverage and from my minimal research, it seems to have originated in Europe. There are many variations of this concoction and my two favorites (just from the descriptions, otherwise I would not be able to write a coherent post!) are the Texan Honeymoon which consists of lager beer and lime juice and a Chilean version, the Fan-Schop, which is a mixture of draught beer and Fanta orange soda.

So, my version is called a Ginger Snap Shandy

½ Glass beer
¼ Glass of lemonade, homemade or store bought, or lemon soda
¼ Glass of ginger ale
1 teaspoon of molasses

Fill a glass half way with the beer. Add lemonade, then Ginger Ale, add the molasses, give it a little stir and float a lemon slice on top. Crisp, refreshing, delish and easy as could be…a Ginger Snap Shandy.

Farm to Table

On Saturday, I walked into town to browse through the Swarthmore Farmers' Market. Every Saturday morning, from May through October, the Borough hosts local growers who offer fresh vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, and eggs (from grass-fed animals) and the most delectable, crusty bread. The market offerings are particularly helpful to those like me who can’t keep a homegrown tomato on the vine because the local critters insist on inviting their furry little friends over for a picking party. For some reason, they don’t touch my herbs…maybe they’re fussy.

If I get a message like this:

I’ll get concerned. At least they're polite.

So, I’m meandering around the Farmer’s Market and I see…

…eggplant

...tomatoes

…berries

…fresh garlic

…mushrooms

…and bread. Can you say YUM?!


So I buy tomatoes, garlic, and mushrooms and decide to make a nice summery pasta sauce. I also need basil, but I have that in my garden.


I sautéed the garlic...use fresh garlic whenever you can...it's so worth it! Also, don’t be afraid to add salt. Salt helps release certain molecules, that enhance the flavor and aroma of the food. It also decreases bitterness and balances out very sweet flavors. I threw some over my shoulder for good luck.



Then I added the mushrooms and sautéed until they "shrunk" and released their moisture.

Next, the roughly chopped tomatoes. I added a little bit of red wine and let the mixture simmer for another 8-10 minutes minutes.

To serve, I poured the sauce over pasta and topped with basil and freshly grated Asiago cheese. Perfect with a glass of Kendall-Jackson Cabernet Sauvignon.

Thanks to the website “Today I Found Out” for helping me explain why adding salt (in moderation) to food is a good thing!

Basilic

I am about two weeks behind with my summer beverage postings.

Maybe not.

Does the $9 bottle of screw-top wine we drank in Ocean City count?

Foodie, Architect and I traveled into Center City Philadelphia on Tuesday night. We enjoyed a delightful dinner at Parc, taking in the sights and sounds of the city relaxing at their curbside bistro...very European. Among other things, we saw the most regal Great Dane, many very fit yoginis about to awaken their spirits (their rolled up mats divulged their destination), and some fairly mature women who really need to stop shopping at dELiAs.

Before dinner, we had a drink at Parc's bar that offers the most interesting and eclectic selection of mixed cocktails. Considering this, ordering a simple glass of wine would have been a waste, downright negligent for the sake of research (and fodder for this post)so we all, of course, dutifully ordered a fancy drink.

Architect had a Romarin made with Grapefruit Vodka, Rosemary, Elderflower Liqueur and Grapefruit Juice. Foodie had a customized version of the same, made with Gin. I had a Basilic, and, as the name suggests, it was infused with basil, but also contained cucumbers, Smirnoff Citrus Vodka and Elderflower Liqueur. Refreshing indeed..I even ate the liquor-soaked cucumbers!

Although this may not be the precise recipe, it is close enough to the Parc version.




Basilic
1 oz of Smirnoff Citrus Vodka
3/4 oz of Elderflower Liqueur
8 very thin cucumber slices
6 Basil Leaves
Club Soda

Crush the basil leaves in the glass in which you will serve the cocktail. Fill a cocktail shaker with ice and add the vodka, liqueur, and the cucumber slices. Shake well enough to infuse the taste of the cucumbers. Pour into the glass with the basil leaves and top with club soda. So incredibly good.


Photo of Parc from picturephilly.com