kefir sundae

This was my dessert last night:

I told you I bought the “Birthday Cake” flavored Kefir on an impulse last time I went to Wegmans. I bought Kefir all the time in Ohio; both for Andrew and myself. His favorite is strawberry and mine, is, well, all of them. I’m bummed that the bottles are a WHOLE DOLLAR more here ($3.49 vs $2.49 in Ohio) but there is way more selection (hello peach!).

Anyway, I bought this particular flavor thinking it might be a neat “dessert” for those nights I want something sweet but can’t have ice cream. I’m a HUGE fan of birthday cake-flavored ice cream, so what could it hurt to try?

Well, it’s no rich-and-creamy-swirled-with-buttercream-icing-and-sprinkles scoop, but it’s not half bad! It definitely has that familiar “tang” of Kefir, so if you don’t already drink it, it would be pretty tart still. I pretty much survive on plain yogurt with mix-ins (a teaspoon of honey here, a tablespoon of jam there), so compared to that it was pleasantly sweet. I served it over my leftover fruit from dinner and it was quite yummy.

I’m a sucker for “limited edition” flavors (can anyone say pumpkin spice creamer?), so I’ll probably keep getting the birthday cake flavor while they have it. Last winter I tried both the pumpkin and cranberry flavors and they were OK. I have to admit that when it comes to yogurt, the classic fruit flavors are always good.

Here’s to a 120-calorie dessert!

one night in East Aurora

We had the first of what may become weekly “family dinners” last night at Andrew’s parents’ house.

Look! We match! Well, sort of. The blues aren’t the same, but bonus points for the shoes.

This is Abigail and Carolyn’s natural state: posing for photos. Seriously, you get a camera out and they strike a pose and smile. Usually together.

We had steaks, corn on the cob (I cut mine off–it gets stuck in my teeth! Not just one, like ALL OF THEM. I used to get in trouble as a kid for cutting my corn off the cob, because then my little brothers wanted to copy me and it was a big mess. But now I’m an adult and I don’t care what anyone thinks. I like my corn on the cob OFF the cob!), Hawaiian sweet rolls and watermelon.

Anyway, after dinner we all went outside to the front yard. Andrew and his dad played catch with their old mitts.

It was also a great way to get Hadrian some exercise; he ran back and forth trying to get the baseball. He’s not the brightest of dogs, let me tell you.

Our cats can’t go outside because they don’t have claws. They can go on the deck because there isn’t a way to get down. So, Odie mopes at the front screen wishing he could get out, too. He’s pretty pitiful.

Do you remember that game with the velcro hand “mitts” and the ball that stuck to them? Carolyn found a dust-covered set in the garage from forever ago, so she and I and Abigail played with those for awhile, too. Wish we’d gotten a photo of that.

After games we all piled into two cars and drive to get ice cream. Hi Carolyn and Ben!

We went to the “caboose” for our treats. They serve Perry’s ice cream and I ended up getting a cup of chocolate peanut butter swirl. YUM.

After ice cream we went on a little walk.

best ice cream EVER

I don’t remember when I first discovered Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams–I was familiar with the OUTRAGEOUSLY priced pints ($10 each at Dorothy Lane Market!) before I first tried their “Salty Caramel” flavor at Susy’s house.

It was amazing. Salty Caramel is perhaps their best-selling flavor; it’s slightly creative without being too off the wall. That’s the thing about Jeni’s–they don’t have just plain vanilla or chocolate or cookie dough. They offer flavors like Ugandan Vanilla Bean and Riesling and Poached Pear. Seriously, they do. And they all taste exactly how they sound.

Andrew and I made a pit stop on our way up to NY Sunday. Jeni’s has seven (I think) locations in the Columbus area, and we always go to the High Street shop when we’re in Short North.

It’s on the corner of Lincoln and High Streets.

I love chalkboard signs. They make me want to have my own little shop so I can write on them.

This is what you see when you walk in. Well, not everyone gets to see a very indecisive Andrew looking much like ‘The Thinker.’ That’s it–he can’t give me any more crap about taking too long to decide what I want to eat. I now have proof he has his moments of indecision, too.

Thank goodness for the explanation of flavors! I’ve had Bangkok Peanut before, and it’s HOT.

I love that every flavor is so fresh. For example, the Lime Cardamom with Rhubarb you see above was just Lime Cardamom this spring when we were here for Dave’s track meet and stopped in Easter Sunday (They were open on Easter Sunday, of all days! while I thought it highly sacrilegious, I was happy to have some Jeni’s). It was yummy then, and it’s only better with the addition of rhubarb.

This is Jeni. I love funky glasses. I was actually a teensy bit disappointed when I got PRK a couple years ago knowing I wouldn’t need glasses for another 15 years. They can be such statement pieces without even trying. Anyway, about Jeni. She certainly looks proud of herself; and she should be. She’s doing something she loves and worked hard enough and was blessed with enough luck to actually make it big. You go, girl!

This is Andrew thoroughly enjoying his ice cream. He got Ugandan Vanilla Bean (his usual), Strawberries and Buttermilk, and something else. I can’t remember and it was hidden at the bottom of his cone. Side note: the t-shirt he’s wearing is from Homage, a vintage t-shirt store off Pearl Street behind Jeni’s. We stumbled upon it after dining at Tasi, a French bistro also behind Jeni’s, when we were here for the Family Life Marriage Conference a few months ago. Anyway, we LOVE Homage and Tasi. You must visit both next time you’re in C-bus.

I got Bourbon Buttered Pecan, Sour Cherries and Goat Cheese, and Pistachio and Honey–YUM. The Pistachio and Honey was awesome–I saved it for last. It was slightly salty, slightly sweet and a little nutty.

Loved it. The best part? Susy got me Jeni’s just-released ice cream COOKBOOK for my birthday! Cannot wait to make room in this tiny freezer here in the hotel to try out some recipes! Yes, I did bring my ice cream maker to the hotel. I figured, why not? I can’t bake and it’s summer and I knew I was getting the cookbook…