Our house goes through tons, literally tons of fruit each summer. My little darlings scarf down stone fruits and berries by the bushel. I’m not a huge fan of fruit, but I will admit that I like cooking with it. Below are three recipes that our family loves – I hope your family will, too!

Summer Fruit Galette

A galette is so easy, yet it looks so fancy. It’s “rustic” (ChefSpeak for “quick and messy”) and utterly delicious.

Ingredients

• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 1 pint raspberries, rinsed
• 1 pint blackberries, rinsed
• 3 peaches, peeled and sliced
• 1/3 cup regular sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Zest and juice of 1 small lemon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Pinch of salt
• 1 recipe pie crust (you can use your favorite or do what I do – get the refrigerated pie crust that comes from the cheater biscuit isle in the grocery store!)
• 2 tablespoons turbinado sugar (raw sugar)

Directions

In a large bowl, combine the blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and peaches with 1/3 cup sugar, the cornstarch, lemon zest and juice, vanilla, and salt.

Preheat the oven to 400°. Roll out the pie crust in a circle on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. If you’re using the prepared pie crust, roll it out a little more until it’s about 11 inches across. Add the fruit in the center of the pie crust and spread it out evenly, leaving about 2 to 3 inches of dough. Carefully fold the edges of the dough over the fruit, leaving the center uncovered, until the edges are wrapped around the fruit mix in a “rustic” manner. Sprinkle the turbinado sugar over the galette and bake for about 35 to 40 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbly and the dough is a lovely, deep golden brown. Remove from the oven and cool for at least an hour before serving. This is wonderful with vanilla ice cream!

Cherry-Chocolate Ice Cream Pie

There are few flavor combinations I love more than cherries and chocolate. This delicious pie can be made a day or two ahead, so it’s an easy summer treat.

Ingredients

• 15 Oreo cookies
• ¼ cup butter, melted
• ½ cup hot fudge sauce (homemade or store-bought)
• 4 cups cherries, halved, pits removed
• 4 cups good quality vanilla ice cream, slightly softened
• ½ cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels

Directions

Pulse Oreos in a food processor to make crumbs. Add in melted butter and pulse to mix. Pour the mixture into an ungreased pie plate. Press the crumbs into the bottom and up the sides and freeze for at least an hour. Spread ½ cup of the hot fudge sauce over the cookie crumbs, and freeze for another hour.

Combine the ice cream and the cherries and spread over the pie crust. Sprinkle the mini chocolate morsels over the top of the pie. Cover gently with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours, overnight preferred.

Fruit Pudding

Be warned! This is NOT an American pudding! This is a British pudding, and while it may sound a little weird, it’s utterly delicious. I’ve adapted this to what Americans have in their kitchen, as most of us don’t have a pudding basin.

Ingredients

• 1 pint strawberries, rinsed, hulled, and sliced
• 1 pint raspberries, rinsed
• 1 pint blueberries, rinsed
• 4 large plums, peeled and diced
• 4 apricots, peeled and diced
• 1 cup sugar
• Pinch salt
• 1 loaf brioche bread, sliced into ½” slices and most of the crust removed

Directions

Combine the fruit with the sugar and salt in a large saucepan and heat for 3 to 5 minutes, or until the sugar is dissolved and the juices are just beginning to run. Remove from the heat and set aside.

Ladle about ½ cup of the fruit into the bottom of a high-sided soufflé dish and arrange several slices of bread. This is the top of the pudding, so don’t just chuck the bread in there. Add more fruit and juice to saturate the bread. Alternate fruit and juice with the bread until all have been used up. Pour any remaining juice over the whole mess. Cover with plastic wrap and put a plate that fits inside the edges of the soufflé dish over it. Weigh the plate down with a heavy can and refrigerate overnight. Remove the can after about 8 hours.

Unmold the pudding onto a serving dish and serve with whipped cream or ice cream. I’ve made individual summer puddings in lowball glasses – it’s a great do-ahead dessert for parties.

The post Summer? Check. Fruit Desserts? Check! first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Thornton Wilder was a wise, wise man. Ice cream makes almost anything better. Central Market knows this. From humble vanilla to more exotic flavors, Central Market is celebrating craft ice cream through July 23.

Just what is craft ice cream? Instead of being made on a factory line with lower percentages of butterfat and higher amounts of air mixed in to expand the mass of the ice cream, craft ice creams are made in small batches using all-natural ingredients. Instead of mixing in lots of air to fluff up the ice cream, craft ice cream is dense, rich, and full of flavor. It is also frequently hand packed.

Central Market is currently carrying more than 40 brands of ice cream with hundreds of flavors available. To help you navigate through this delicious abundance, I’ve done thorough research (I can’t help it, I’m a giver) and have a few Texas producers you might want to check out!

Born over in Dallas over 20 years ago, Howdy Homemade’s mission is to provide employment for individuals with special needs while producing some incredible ice creams. Their keynote flavor, Dr. Pepper ice cream, appeals to Texans young and old. And the fact that Howdy Homemade employs people with special needs just makes it even sweeter!

Gelato is ice cream with an Italian flair. Made with more milk and less cream, it’s slow churned to give a rich, dense texture that is utterly delightful. Coming out of Austin, Tèo Gelato has won all sorts of awards and was named one of the top five gelatos in the world. I suggest their Caramel Cookie Crunch – it’s completely addictive.

Lick Honest Ice Creams are made in small batches by hand in Central Texas. Every single ingredient can be traced to its source, and 73% of the ingredients are local. Such attention to sourcing great ingredients pays off – this ice cream is incredible. My favorite is the Dark Chocolate, Olive Oil, and Sea Salt. Yes, you read that correctly – olive oil. I’ve used olive oil when making brownies for years, and I’m convinced there is something magical about the combination of a good dark chocolate and the rich olive oil. Try it. No, seriously. Try it.

Hungry yet? You will be after I tell you that all ice cream, excluding novelties, is 20% off through July 23! So go and experiment. Explore. Mix and match. Your life will be happier because of it! (And don’t forget that you can order these ice creams online and have them ready for you when you do curbside pickup!)

The post Just Enjoy Your Ice Cream: Central Market’s Ice Cream Dreams first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

Central Market knows this, and they’re celebrating with an amazing variety of craft ice cream. “What is craft ice cream?” I hear you ask. Well, craft ice cream is made in small batches (sometimes as little as five gallons at a time!) and is often hand-packed and not extruded from a big machine. It is made with all-natural, local ingredients such as fresh milk and cream with few or no stabilizers and is rich and dense and creamy. Sound good? Here are some of the producers and flavors featured right now at Central Market:

Central Market (of course!)
Can’t miss flavor: Saigon Cinnamon
• A crazy-fun, foodie-forward, sigh-inducing line of pure joy by the pint. Melt into sophisticated, chef-crafted flavors with premium, all-natural ingredients like hand-baked inclusions and a base of real custard.

Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, Columbus, Ohio
Can’t Miss Flavor: Brown Butter Almond Brittle
• Jeni and her team are dedicated to bringing people together with bright, intensely flavorful ice cream made with artful attention to detail. Milk and cream from local grass-fed cows are blended with interesting all-natural ingredients from around the world.

Nonna Mary’s Gelato, Houston, Texas
Can’t Miss Flavor: Sicilian Pistachio
• Hand packed gelato crafted with global ingredients like Sicilian pistachios and Texas pecans for an authentic recipe just like you’ll find in Italy. Nonna Mary’s is a combination of Italian heritage and Texas flavor.

Bellefontaine Ice Cream, Houston, Texas
Can’t Miss Flavor: Salted Butter Caramel
• French-style ice cream made from scratch in small batches using local Texas milk and antique French pots. The final result is a gourmet ice cream with a uniquely smooth texture, made with lots of patience and love.

Noona’s Ice Cream, Brooklyn, New York
Can’t Miss Flavor: Golden Sesame
• Korean-inspired ice cream flavors crafted using sustainable dairy from local New York farms and unique, single flavor ingredients like honeycomb and toasted black sesame seeds. Noona’s innovative creations are about bridging cultures through flavor.

Graeter’s French Pot Ice Cream, Cincinnati, Ohio
Can’t Miss Flavor: Black Raspberry Chocolate Chip
• Graeter’s has been handcrafting and hand packing ice cream for more than 145 years. Today they make dense, rich, ultra-small batch ice cream two gallons at a time in French pot freezers.

Because I love ice cream and because I love creating recipes for you, I couldn’t resist trying to recreate a recipe from a restaurant my family and I went to when I was a child. This is my take on the Cappuccino Pie from the late and much-loved Café Espresso in Preston Center over in Dallas. I hope you enjoy!

Cappuccino Chip Pie
Ingredients
For the Crust:
1 1/2 box chocolate wafers
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick), melted
For the Filling:
2 pints cappuccino chip ice cream (Central Market has Beth Marie’s Cappuccino Chip from Denton, and it’s to die for!)
For the Ganache Topping:
5 ounces semi-sweet or bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup cream
1 tablespoon butter
Directions
Preheat the oven to 350°. Place the chocolate wafers in a food processor and pulse until the wafers look like gravel. With the processor running, add the melted butter and continue to process until the mixture looks like coffee grounds. Pour the mixture into a deep 9-inch pie plate and using your fingers, press the mixture into the bottom and up the sides of the pan. Bake for about 10 minutes, or until you can smell the crust. Allow to cool slightly and then place in the freezer for about 25 minutes.
Remove the ice cream from the freezer to soften while you make the ganache.
Heat the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat until it just reaches a simmer. While the cream is heating, place the chopped chocolate into a medium heat-proof bowl. Pour the warm cream over the chocolate and let stand for a few minutes. Stir the chocolate cream mixture and add the butter. Continue to stir until all the cream and butter is incorporated into the melted chocolate. Set aside to cool before you assemble the pie.
To assemble, dump the ice cream into a mixing bowl and stir to make it smooth and spreadable. Spread the ice cream in the crust. You will have to work quickly here! Place the pie in the freezer for about 15 minutes to firm before spreading on the cooled ganache. Once you have spread the ganache over the pie, allow the pie to freeze completely, at least 2 hours.
To serve, allow the pie to sit on the counter for about 10 minutes before slicing. Serve with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or espresso powder, if you’re feeling fancy. This is a delicious summer dessert that can be made a day or two ahead of serving.

Don’t forget that Central Market now has Curbside Pickup! Order online, and you won’t have to leave your car to get your groceries. Perfect for the busy parent in the heat of July!

The post Summer Isn’t Summer Without Ice Cream first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

fwFLAVOR is where your childhood dreams of Candy Land come to life. This new-fashioned ice cream social brings our Fort Worth community together for an oh-so sweet event at The Shops at Clearfork. The shops and restaurants that are participating will have frozen treats, activities for the whole family, light bites, drinks, and cocktails.

This event is co-produced by Madeworthy Magazine and La Petite Event Boutique

Participating Shops with Activities

• Alex + Ani = Jewelry Making Station
• Amorino
• Climate CD SKi & Sports = Snow Cones provided by Mik Ortho
• Fixe Southern House = fwFlavor Specialty Drink
• Frost Bank = Hydration Station
• Kendra Scott = Face Painting Station & Ice Cream Cone Cookies
• Luna Grill
• Mizzen + Main= TX Whiskey Tasting & Dr. Steven Camp Coolscultping demo
• NuVitrum = Chicotsky Real Estate Group Adult Beverages & Cooling Station
• Pinstripes = Bocce Ball, Gelato Bar, & Kids Tattoo Station
• rise n°3 = Find -A-Frog for a FREE Soufflé
• Simon Guest Services = ArtSpace 111 Art Creation Station
• Sweet As Sugar Boutique = Monkey & Dog Books Storytime Station
• Twigs Bistro and Martini Bar = Donut Hole Decoration Station
• Videography provided by Thirteen Media
• Double R = DFW Selfie Station
• Melt Ice Creams truck in the Plaza
• Lone Star Film Festival = Outdoor Movie Screening on the lawn & AMC popcorn

This is a FREE event, but you do need to register. Follow this link to be sure to get a spot at the sweetest event of the summer. We can’t wait to see you there!

-V

The post fwFLAVOR: A New-Fashioned Ice Cream Social at the Shops at Clearfork first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

photo credit: Reverie Photo Co.

This weekend is fwFLAVOR‘s new-fashioned ice cream social at FWBlackhouse! It promises to be a great opportunity to meet up with other Fort Worth families face to face. On Saturday, June 2nd, beginning at 1 pm there will be ice cream, popsicles, snow cones, activities, live music, and more. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for children (2 and under are free!), and there is a VIP option: for $25, you can come at noon – first in line for ice cream, hair-painting, and more! Here is the link to purchase tickets for this great family-friendly event!

Mamma Mia! is being performed at Casa Mañana June 2nd to 10th. The music of ABBA is sung to tell the feel good story about love, laughter, and friendship. This show is suitable for most audiences and loved by over 60 million people worldwide. I’m so thankful we have the opportunity to see it here in Fort Worth. Tickets are still available.

Sunday, June 3rd is the Kimbell Art Museum Family Festival. Beginning at 12:00pm, there will be hands-on activities, story times, games, and lively performances by guest artists. This is a free family event, and no reservation is necessary. You will not be disappointed!

June 9th is Dairy Day at Nash Farm. Bring the family from 10 am to 12 pm and enjoy learning about the dairy process including milking, butter making, cheese making, and more. Tickets are $3.00 and can be purchased here!

Monday, June 11th, Central Market and Bass Hall are hosting a Pie-Baking Contest in celebration of the upcoming Broadway at the Bass run of Waitress later this month. Everyone is welcome to enter and there will be a team of pie-loving judges including our very own mayor, Betsy Price! It must be made from scratch and follow specific rules to win. Here is the link to all the details and to register. Good Luck!

On June 14th, go on a trail ride from Waterside to Westbend with Bike to the Bend. Meet at the REI store in Waterside from 5:30 to 6:15 pm. At 6:15 pm sharp, hit the Trinity Trail to Westbend where you can grab some drinks and snacks from HG Sply Co and Bartaco. Beginning around 7:45 pm, head back to Waterside for a cold beer from Rahr & Sons Brewing Company and post-ride treats. Sounds like an adventure not to miss! Tickets can be purchased here, and all proceeds will benefit the First Mile Program.

Did you know that the Botanical Research Institute of Texas at the Botanical Gardens has Family Exploration Saturdays? Every Saturday in June, anytime between 1 pm and 4 pm, bring the family to the backyard vegetable garden at the Fort Worth Botanical Gardens for outdoor exploration that will teach your children about some amazing things found in nature!

Finally, Concerts in the Garden is here. Beginning June 1st and continuing throughout the summer, our Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra will be performing at the Botanical Gardens. There are a variety of music genres on the calendar and something that will please everyone. TanglewoodMoms.com has at least 3 articles in the past on this amazing event: Star Wars Edition 2015, Fun in the Fort June 2016, and Fun in the Fort June 2017. Don’t miss your chance to go! Tickets can be purchased here.

There is plenty to do with your children, friends, and out-of-town guests this summer in Fort Worth. Have fun and stay safe everybody!

Tricia Schniederjan is a Fort Worth girl born and raised. Tricia is a runner, scuba diver, snow and water skier, hiker, and kayaker. Her love of exploring has taken her on many adventures with her 5 children which has led to her becoming an expert at traveling with children. She is a UT Austin graduate, an optimist, a peace keeper, and an enjoyer of life.

The post Fun in the Fort: June 2018 first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

photo by Reverie Photo Co.

Back in my childhood growing up in small-town Oklahoma, I remember summer days where our whole town would get together for an ice-cream social. Kids would run around playing on the high school football field, and parents would get to catch up with each other. If you were new in town, you could get to know your neighbors and find other families who had kids the same age. Long-time residents could be proud of the roots they had grown and help the newbies assimilate. I don’t think I was really conscious of how small-town America makes for a wonderful place to grow up.

I’ve lived in Fort Worth for 26 years, and although it’s now home to more than 850,000 people, we are proud of the small-town vibe we’ve cultivated. Enter fwFLAVOR. This new event brought to you by Madeworthy Magazine is an attempt to bring families together for a cool art experience + frozen treat in various locations around Fort Worth.

Our first event is at FW Blackhouse. FW Blackhouse, owned by Sara and Noel Viramontes, is super unique because they host musical acts, art shows, workshops, and more, all from their home/business. It’s a 2-story home near downtown Fort Worth and is literally painted black. We’ve visited on a few occasions after FWADA Gallery Night, and we thought kicking off our series of ice cream socials in this cool space made perfect sense. Each room of the home will have candy-themed experiential art installations, and outside we’ll have treats for both young and old.

So, without further ado, we present to you our ICE-CREAM sponsor!!

You guessed it! Melt Ice Creams will be serving up smiles at fwFLAVOR . Their motto is “We serve happy ice cream. We believe treats can change your day, and your day can change the world.” The coolest thing about this business is the passion they have to build something great. We are big fans of their ice cream and proudly feature them on the Tanglewood Moms homepage.

Our good friends at Joe T Garcia‘s will have their paleta cart for our guests to enjoy! Summer doesn’t waste its time getting here, and their delicious popsicles are always a hit! Joe T’s is hands down our favorite patio for fun, family gatherings, and we’re thrilled to pull a little piece of that magic over to our festival. How lucky we are, indeed!

photo by Reverie Photo Co.

We interrupt this flavorful list to announce a really cool partnership we are developing with Lone Star Film Society. We are working together to help get the word out about their yearly film festival happening in Sundance Square. They will be at  fwFLAVOR shooting video and pictures. We’re beyond thrilled.

Another frozen favorite – SNO-CONES!!! Our awesome Madeworthy sponsors Mik Ortho loves family get-togethers and has a sno-cone machine for occasions just like this. What flavor will you choose??

Laughter is the best medicine, or is it rosé?? I think they’re a close tie. This celebration wouldn’t be complete without the pink bubbly – and Chicotsky Real Estate group will be filling glasses and spirits with this summer favorite. #roséalldaybaby

Sugar overload is the goal of this party, and we’re getting pretty close. Central Market, a long-time supporter of Tanglewood Moms, will have sugar cookies for the kids to decorate as an activity. We’ve had a few events in the past with them, and this activity went over very well with our mini-mes. Central Market just opened their Curbside Pick-Up – if you don’t already know, it’s a game-changer. Where was this nifty feature when I had 4 babies in carseats?

And lastly, our art experience would not be complete without an art activity! Artspace111, another Madeworthy supporter, will have a collaborative art project that the whole family can enjoy.

Have we convinced you that this will be THE event of the summer? We hope so!!

The post fwFLAVOR, a new-fashioned ice cream social first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

The journey into adulthood often involves tampering down on some guilty pleasures while cultivating a taste for others. As a kiddo, that pleasure was ice cream, usually from the neighborhood Braum’s restaurant. Now, I spend a fair amount of my free time at Martin House Brewing Company and HopFusion Ale Works. This Saturday’s Ice Cream Festival, at The Collective Brewing Project, offers the best of both worlds with frozen confections for the youngins and craft beers for the adults. All profits benefit Back to School Roundup, a charity that provides school supplies for underprivileged families.

The festival offers revelers two paths: the kid’s ticket ($10) and the adult’s ticket ($20). Seems simple enough. Kiddos and adults get tastings from six local businesses (Alchemy Pops, Alma’s Paleteria, Gypsy Scoops, Lake Highlands Creamery, Melt Ice Creams, and Pokey O’s).

Collective Brewing taproom manager Dave Riddile said the event is meant to feel like a ice cream social. (You remember those.) Along with a nostalgia for yesteryear came a desire to tie the event to a charity that supports young students.

“We wanted to tie the idea of ‘end of summer’ and ‘everyone going back to school,’ ” he said. Collective Brewing taproom manager “Carly Taylor and I appreciate the work the Back to School Roundup has done, getting school supplies to families and children who might not have been able afford it otherwise.”

The adult tickets come with ice cream samples and two beers of your choice. Beer doesn’t get fresher than from the source. Trust me.

Collective Brewing’s Ice Cream Festival

Saturday, August 26, 5 p.m. at The Collective Brewing Project, 112 St Louis Ave, 817-708-2914

Edward Brown writes about music, arts, and news for a variety of publications. He’s an award-winning writer for the Fort Worth Weekly and volunteers for numerous Fort Worth nonprofits. 

The post Ice Cream, Socially first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

TanglewoodMoms.com is so excited to welcome Angela Weaver as a new writer!

If you feel like a little bit of a drive, my five- and seven-year-old boys and I just recently ventured out to the Dessert Promised Land known as Lumi Snow. It is located off of Beach Street in Fort Worth, and in my opinion, is totally worth the drive. This adorable little sweet spot, found hidden in a shopping center, features some of the most whimsical and fun desserts around. It is still unclear if the magical mountain of sugar is ice cream or a snow cone, but whatever it is, I can tell you it is delicious. You can order one of their featured concoctions or make up your own. My kids went with the Circus – strawberry snow, topped with cotton candy, popcorn, and circus animal cookies (yes, the frosted ones that bring you straight back to your childhood) and Birthday Cake – birthday cake snow, whipped cream, lollipops, sprinkles, and chocolate syrup. I opted for the Campfire Classic – think s’mores except frozen.  We will definitely be going back and I know my boys won’t complain one bit.

Lumi Snow is a family-owned business. The owners, Lia and Cody Carta are originally from California and moved to Fort Worth about 3 years ago. They stumbled across a Taiwanese dessert that was shaved snow. They fell in love with the concept and knew the Fort Worth area was the perfect place to open a shop. They really wanted a dessert destination that was family-friendly.

Here is what Lia has to say about how they started their business:

“We got married when I was 19 and Cody was 23, and have been married for almost 13 years. We have three kiddos (yes, we have a presidential theme!) Lincoln (4.5), Kennedy (2), and Reagan (3 weeks). I own my own business as a National Sales Director with Mary Kay, and Cody actually retired from his job when he was 26, which allowed him the flexibility this past year to open Lumi. We run our business as a family – there were many nights in the beginning where the kids would be with us in the restaurant strapped to my back in an Ergo carrier or helping us bus tables (as best as a 2 year old can do that is! LOL) . It was so important to us that they had ownership in our family business.

“… Cody actually went to New York to go to Ice Cream University (yes, it’s a real thing!). Even though our snow is primarily dairy free, he needed to learn everything he could about the frozen dessert process. For about 8 months every night when our kids would go to bed, we would spend hours coming up with our recipes. Then, after we felt like we had it, we decided to take a plunge and open our restaurant! When we do get a bad review it’s because of our lack of seating. I wish people would understand that we had NO IDEA Lumi would take off like it did. When we originally were looking for space to rent, we just compared it to your average mom and pop ice cream store. Within 4 months of opening, we had standing room only on some nights and knew we had to do something. We decided to get a second location in North Richland Hills to accommodate a production kitchen, another new dessert (still top secret but being unveiled soon!), and of course more seating. It was a long process with permits, negotiations, etc that we worked on daily since March. We finally got the keys last week and hope to open in the fall.”

With all this said, Lumi Snow is a treasure, and we are all so lucky to have this close by. I know my boys and I will be first in line to try out the top secret new menu item when they open their new location this fall.

Lumi Snow is open seven days a week from 1:00pm to 10:00pm.

http://www.lumisnow.com

7355 North Beach Street

Suite 141

Fort Worth, Texas 76137

Angela Weaver is a native Texan, raised in Keller, but she got to Fort Worth as soon as she could.  At 17, she joined the Marine Corps and served four years active duty. After her military service ended, she went to work for a hedge fund and then a whiskey distillery, both in Fort Worth. Her most important role started in 2009 when she became a mom. She lives with her husband and two boys in Fort Worth and spends as much time as possible on fun adventures with her kids. She loves to spend her time with her boys outdoors getting the full Boy Mom experience, even if that means being covered in dirt, catching fish, or shooting BB guns.  She loves the sense of community she has found in Fort Worth and can’t wait share that with our readers.

The post If You Lick the Plate, No One Will Judge You… first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

IPA and Citrus Vinaigrette/Marinade

To me, anything citrus just screams summer, and an IPA, with its citrusy overtones, is the perfect summer beer. Why not combine them to make a great vinaigrette or marinade that you can use all season long?

Ingredients

1/3 cup India Pale Ale (I really like Stone IPA from Stone Brewing; the citrus notes are great!)

2 tablespoons citrus zest (lemon and orange)

1 small shallot, minced

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

Shake all ingredients except the olive oil together in a jar with a good, tight lid. Add in the olive oil and shake well. This is great over all kinds of salad. I LOVE serving it over grilled vegetables or using it as a marinade for chicken. This will keep for about a week in the refrigerator.

Stout-Glazed Chicken Kabobs

I love grilling kabobs. Grill some veggies (and toss with the IPA and Citrus Vinaigrette), make some couscous or quinoa, and serve these skewers for a finger-licking summer meal.

Ingredients

2 to 4 cloves garlic, smashed

1/4 to 1/3 cup honey

2/3 cup stout (Why not support local and get some Soul Pleasure Southern Stout from Fort Worth’s own Wild Acre?)

1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon Sriracha (optional but recommended)

Freshly ground pepper to taste

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into cubes

1 tablespoon of canola oil

1 small onion, diced

Directions

If you are using bamboo or wooden skewers, be sure to soak them in water for at least 30 minutes before skewering.

Combine all ingredients except the chicken in a large non-reactive bowl or a plastic zippered bag. Add the cubed chicken and marinade for at least two hours, if not overnight.

Thread the chicken onto the skewers, making sure not to pack the chicken pieces too tightly together. Don’t throw the marinade away!

Heat the canola oil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat and sauté the onion until it is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the marinade and bring to a boil, stirring frequently, until the marinade is reduced and thickened, about 10 minutes.

Prepare your grill (charcoal or gas) for medium-high heat grilling. Make sure the grate is well-cleaned and brush it lightly with canola oil. Add the skewers and let sit for about 5 minutes before turning. Once you have turned them, brush on some of the glaze and let cook another 5 minutes. Turn once more and brush on some glaze and let cook only for another 2 minutes. Remove from the grill and serve warm. This should serve 4 as a main course.

Lambic-Macerated Fruit over Ice Cream

It’s summer. You don’t want to be messing around in a hot kitchen, making a heavy dessert. This is possibly the easiest dessert you will come across this summer.

Ingredients

1 cup fruit lambic beer (For berries, use Framboise. For peaches or nectarines, use Kriek.)

2 cups fruit – mixed berries, peaches, nectarines…

1/3 cup sugar

Ice cream – vanilla, sure, but why not try chocolate or lemon?

Directions

Combine the lambic, the fruit, and the sugar in a non-reactive bowl and let sit for about 30 minutes. That’s it. You’re done. Serve over ice cream for a wonderfully fresh, delightfully adult dessert! The macerated fruit will last in the refrigerator for about 2 days.

Of course, if even the idea of these easy recipes makes you sweat, simply go to Central Market. They have everything you need for a great meal without the fuss!

Lee Virden is a jack of all trades, master of none. She has been a bank teller, a chef and caterer (both in restaurants and in private service), a bookkeeper, a trainer, a legal assistant, and a writer. She is a proud graduate of the University of the South with a degree in Early European History. (She planned to be a professor but realized in the nick of time that professors have homework, which she never did when she was a student, so what made her think that she would do it as a professor?) While she has not used her degree in her, er, varied employment history, she is fabulous at cocktail parties. Most importantly, Lee is the proud mother of two absolutely amazing girls, to whom she refers in social media as the Girlchildren.

The post The Foods of Summer first appeared on Tanglewood Moms.

-Lee

You just had a nice date-night dinner with your sweetie and you’re looking for the perfect dessert to top off the evening. Or maybe you’re running errands with the kids and since they’ve been on their (almost) best behavior you want to treat them to something special. Where to go?

No Problem. We’re going to share our favorite treateries that are guaranteed to hit the spot.

1. Steel City Pops – Across from Fred’s on Currie St. is one of our favorite stops for a cold treat. These are not your run of the mill popsicles. Steel City takes their pops very seriously. There are two main categories of popsicles; fruity or creamy. You’ll want to make several trips so you can try at least one of each. When the weather’s hot the concrete and cinder block patio can get pretty steamy, but it’s a great space for kids to run around and nosh their pops. Our favorite flavors are Blood Orange and Vanilla.  Vanilla, you say? I know, right?! But trust us; this ain’t your average vanilla.
   

   Jessie Leos Photography

2. Melt – If you want to stretch your preconceived notions of ice cream flavors take yourself on down to Melt at their new location at 1201 W. Magnolia, Ste. 115. Flavors change regularly but they are always interesting. This is gourmet ice cream folks and as such you get interesting flavor combos like the Verde y Verde, which is avocado, lime, and coconut. Different and delicious. More basic flavors like chocolate and vanilla are generally on offer but don’t expect it to be like any chocolate or vanilla you’ve had before. Our fave flave? Nuts For Rosie; sweet cream ice cream with salted Texas pecans and fresh rosemary. Yum!
3. Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt – If ice cream is a little too heavy for ya then Sweet Frog Premium Frozen Yogurt has you covered. On University right across from the TCU Bookstore Sweet Frog is the go to place for kids. They love adding their own topping to their yogurt to come up with just the right combination of Gummy Bears, Oreos, and Marshmallows to appease their maniacal little sweet tooths (teeth?).
4. Sol y Luna Snow Ball – Located at 3319 Hulen at the corner of Diaz and Hulen, this little food truck makes amazing shaved ices. They use real fruit like mangoes and strawberries, and the kids love Bubblegum. There are some great Mexican options like tamarind and horchata that are delicious and completely refreshing. This is a great place to stop for a treat when the kids have made it through Central Market without destroying anything.
5. Marble Slab Creamery – With two locations on Hulen, Marble Slab has been dishing up some of Fort Worth’s best ice cream for years and has become the tried and true ice cream spot for many Fort Worth families. With a range of made-fresh-daily flavors and dozens of toppings that get mixed into your ice cream, Marble Slab is guaranteed to please everyone in your crew. Our favorites are Honey ice cream with granola and Cheesecake ice cream with cherries, but you really can’t go wrong with any combination.
6. Alchemy Pops! is a purveyor of artisan frozen pops hand-made from farm-fresh local ingredients. We offer a refreshing alternative to commercially processed pops as we strive to create intriguing flavors and cultivate a sense of community, one pop at a time. 
7. Gypsy Scoops  serves high quality, hand-scooped ice cream for parties and events in the DFW metroplex and surrounding area. Let Gypsy Scoops cater your favorite flavors to your reception, dinner or party.

So, there you have it. Our favorite sweet treat spots plus UPDATES for 2016 for when you just need a little something on a hot summer day. Let us know what your favorite go-to places are to satisfy your sweet tooth.

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