.Music Mondays.

So this week's selection was inspired from a friend of mine. She actually found it, and shared it. I fell in love, and am now sharing it too.

It's a cover on a classic. And I'm sure you'll recognize it immediately.

Great find Miss Erin. aka. Big Guns. Great find. 

'You're the One that I want', by Angus & Julia Stone (Rolling Session #12)

.Avocado Banana Bread.

Made 2 batches of this today, and the 2nd one was fabulous.
{my first attempt picture at bottom of post}

Avocado Banana Bread

Found in the Edmonton Metro Newspaper via the Canadian Press

2 cups (500 ml) Whole wheat flour

1 tbsp (15 ml) Baking powder

1/2 tsp (2 ml) Sea salt

2 pureed Avocados

2 Mashed Bananas

3/4 cup (175 ml) Honey

1 tsp (5 ml) Vanilla extract

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F

2. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, combine avocados, bananas, honey, and vanilla. 

3. Fold the dry mix into the avocado-banana mix.

4. Spoon evenly into 8 greased mini pans {*I don't own a 8-section mini pan, so for my first attempt I used a loaf pan. It didn't turn out so well. Might want to invest in those 8 mini loaf pans....}

5. Bake 25 to 30 minutes {*Because I used one loaf pan, I had to bake it @ 325F for approx. 1 hour and 15 minutes. Mine turned out tasty, but did not look pretty. at. all.} or until toothpick inserted into the middle of the loaf comes out clean. Let cool then run knife along edges and invert onto wire racks.

Note: Against my better judgement, I am showing you my first attempt at this recipe. Lop-sided, and soggy in the middle. It's not exactly the prettiest thing I've whipped up, but it tasted pretty darn good. And that is how I came into making the 2nd batch of this recipe. I got stubborn, and knew I could make it work. That, and I bought a 8-section mini loaf pan. 

.Gelato's + Ice Creams.

Remember in my last post when I said I wanted to make some homemade ice cream & gelato's this summer? 

Well, I'm happy to report that I just picked up this little beauty that will sure make that task easier to accomplish.
{and everyone takes pictures of ice cream makers in there grass right?}

This dandy machine has me uber excited!!

I'm going to try and make every fruit combo imaginable into a yummy sorbet, as well as some good ol' ice cream classics like mint chocolate chip, and maybe even get a little wild with some cappuccino or pistachio! I can also tap into the frozen yogurt market, with a little peach or vanilla!
Ohh, and ICE CREAM SANDWICH'S!!!
I mean, why not, right?!?! 

I wish you could stop by and try some. It's going to be so goooood.

So, with my first {virgin} attempt, I am going to keep it simple and make a Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Perfect for my momma's One bowl chocolate Cake for my step-dad's birthday!

Let the gelato & ice cream making commence!
ps. got any good combo suggestions, send them my way

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
All recipes adapted from 'Perfect Scoop' by David Lebovitz
**For a richer custard, you can add up to 3 more egg yolks. For less-rich custard, substitute half-and-half for the heavy cream, realizing that the final texture won't be as rich or as smooth as if using cream.
1 cup (250 ml) whole milk
Pinch of salt
3/4 cup (150 g) sugar
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
2 cups (500 ml) heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1) Heat the milk, salt, and sugar in a saucepan. Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean int the milk with a paring knife, then add the bean pod to the milk. Cover, remove from heat, and infuse for one hour.
2) To make the ice cream, set up an ice bath by placing a 2-quart (2l) bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with ice and water. Set a strainer over the top of the smaller bowl and pour the cream into the bowl.
3) In a separate bowl, stir together the egg yolks. Rewarm the milk then gradually pour some of the milk into the yolks, whisking constantly as you pour. Scrape the warmed yolks and milk back into the saucepan.
4) Cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heat-resistant spatula, until the custard thickens enough to coat the spatula.
5) Strain the custard into the heavy cream. Stir over the ice until cool, add the vanilla extract, then refrigerate to chill thoroughly. Preferably overnight.
6) Remove the vanilla bean and freeze the custard in your ice maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.
My next attempt just may be one of these two recipes below:
Quick Coconut-Saffron Ice Cream
2/3 cups (160 ml) heavy cream
1 cup (250 ml) coconut milk
1/4 cup white sugar
scant 1/2 tsp saffron threads
1) In a medium-sized saucepan, bring all the ingredients to a boil.
2) Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat, and chill the mixture thoroughly.
3) Once chilled, freeze in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's directions. Once churned, be sure to scrape any saffron threads clinging to the dasher back in to the ice cream.
Coffee Ice Cream
**good step-by-step pictures can be found here.
1 1/2 cups whole milk
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups whole coffee beans (decaf unless you want the caffeine in your ice cream)
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
5 large egg yolks
1/4 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp finely ground coffee (press grinds through a fine mesh sieve)
1) Heat the milk, sugar, whole coffee beans, salt and 1/2 cup of the cream in a medium saucepan until itis quite warm and steamy, but not boiling. Once the mixture is warm, cover, remove from the heat, and let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.
2) Pour the remaining 1 cup of cream into a medium size metal bowl, set on ice over a larger bowl. Set a mesh strainer on top of the bowls. Set aside.
3) Reheat the milk and coffee mixture, on medium heat, until again hot and steamy (not boiling). In a separate bowl, whisk the egg yolks together. Slowly pour the heated milk and coffee mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly so that the egg yolks are tempered by the warm milk, but not cooked by it. Scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.
4) Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof, flat-bottomed spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula so that you can run your finger across the coating and have the coating not run. This can take about 10 minutes.
5) Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream. Press on the coffee beans in the strainer to extract as much of the coffee flavor as possible. Then discard the beans. Mix in the vanilla and finely ground coffee, and stir until cool.
6) Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer's instructions.

.Rules of Summer.

Whitewater Rafting. Golden, BC. 2007.

These past few weeks, it's fair to say, that I have been feeling less than inspired. 

To do anything really.

I want to blame the summer weather; as it heats up, my body feels like it wants to do absolutely nothing. Like lay in the sun, and not move at all. But I know the weather isn't to blame, see during my daily blog catch-ups (or creeps, let's be honest), I see my 'best blogging friends' doing a whole lot of everything. And if I'm not mistaken, are they not each going through 'Summer' Too!!

Hello, Body! Hello, Mind! Wake up! Can't I be just like those ladies??

Each of their daily posts are fun, breezy, colorful, glamorous, picture-perfect, inspiring, and really just makes me want to scream at my computer with the question of "how do you manage it all?"

{Keep in mind that it's a Happy scream (I do really like these ladies) OR maybe we'll say an Envious scream. But a scream non-the-less}.

See these ladies usually inspire me to be More Energetic. More crafty. Make healthier choices. Become more Fashionable. More cultured. More loving. More everything. 

But my body/mind just wants to do nothing. It's in lazy mode.

And then I'm back to square 1, Looking at an blank computer screen, with nothing to write about, and thinking an afternoon nap sounds just about right. 

And the most frustrating part is that it's not like I have nothing to do. I have so much to do {Landscaping & New Job, to name a few big ones}. There's so many things going on around me that I can't seem to catch up. It's like I'm always busy, but cannot for the life of me, get anywhere.

And it just gets me stressed. In the summer. Isn't that illegal or something?

So I'm devising a plan. 

A 'summer of Inspiration' Plan.

A plan to change the way I'm feeling. Stop feeling sorry for myself, stop feeling stressed, and get motivated. A New Erinn!

"I Declare this the Summer of Erinn!!"

{little Seinfeld reference for those of you under a rock}

1) Working out {sounds dreadful, and it probably will be, but the positive energy that you feel after a decent workout is just what this girl needs. And remember, the hardest part is getting there}

2) Start weekly meal planning for healthier eating {sounds simple enough right? well, one of my daily stresses is what to make for dinner. I freak out when I stare at my fridge and see a ton of food, and don't know what to make. Silly, but it always happens. So I am planning our meals. Every. Single. Week. Minus the weekends....we like to eat out on most weekends.}

3) Read, rather than watch TV {it's pretty bad sometimes. Hubby and I snuggled up in bed, and just watching mindless TV episodes, one-after-the-other. I am now going to read, with the goal of 10 books before september, to stimulate my mind}

4) Picture practice {It's also very frustrating to me that I bought this shiny, new, expensive camera and I barely know how to use it. Practice makes perfect, and even though I keep saying it, I am going to Practice. Starting now....friends/family hide!}

5) Go Camping {I love getting out in the middle of nowhere, and just being with nature. Well, to a point. Maybe even do a little more of that (see above) picture. But last summer I didn't get out once, and I won't make that mistake again. I will be camping at one point this summer, mark my words.}

6) Take a Summer Cooking class {a few local restaurants put on summer cooking classes. I think this would be an awesome date idea, and would help with the cooking mind-fart I'm currently experiencing}

7) Keep my Garden weed-free! {You're probably thinking I'm loony bins for this one, but honestly, something is so darn relaxing about being in my yard. Out in the fresh air, quiet, calm. It's all very therapeutic for me. And my garden will never look better!}

8) Learn to make Homemade Ice Cream/Gelato {made with Fresh Fruit! Because doesn't that just sound delicious?! And maybe a fun way to get some more fruit into the body}

9) Take in some sort of Food Festival or Amatuer theatre {I think heritage days may be fun. Learning about different cultures with Authentic Food. And I've never been, so it'll enhance my culture for the arts. Fringe festival may be capturing my attention this year as well.}

10) Shopping for my Veggies + Fruit at the Farmers Market {I love walking through the various farmers markets, and checking out all the produce and crafts. I hardly ever make the time to actually do this, so to go along with my meal planning, I will be sure to buy what I need for the week and make this happen.}

11) Finishing our Deck {okay, this falls more towards my Husbands 'honey-do' list, but I still gotta keep up with the housework, and cooking while he's outside doing the hard labor. So it's on my list. Whatcha going to do about it?}

Now, What's your Summer Plans??

.Music Mondays.

You may recognize this song from a pretty cool commercial that's been playing recently.

A Heineken commercial to be correct.

A catchy little beat, that always grabs my attention, and when I found out that it's an actual band, I was pretty, pretty, pretty excited.

The band is from Denmark and the female's voice is just so damn awesome.

The Golden Age

by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour