The Jealous Crumpet

A sweet little blog


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Stay Warm with Chicory

ChicorySee how happy I am to be about to drink my chicory. Sadly moments after this photo was taken I slipped and dumped the entire contents on the ground. I should have taken a photo of that, but I was too busy cursing and my husband was too busy laughing, so alas, there is no photographic evidence.

Though Alabama didn’t get the massive piles of snow that the rest of the of the East Coast received, it get enough to make winter official.snowI lived much of my childhood in New England, so any bit of snow makes me nostalgic and wistful for a simpler time. I love bundling up in heavy socks and sweaters that I almost never get to wear and crunching through the fresh snow, savoring the moment and knowing that tomorrow it will most likely be gone and year before I see it again.8After fun in the snow I like to drink a hot cup of coffee, but as part of my 2016 initiative to be healthier I have been trying to cut my caffeine intake down. Happily I discovered the delights of chicory, which is caffeine free and quite delicious. chicoryChicory is a blue flowered plant whose root has a similar flavor to roasted coffee beans.  There are lots of claims of medicinal uses, such as improving calcium absorption and bone mineral density, as well as helping with weight loss. I just started drinking it, but I let you know if I increase bones and decrease fat.  It is also used in flavoring beers, especially stouts, which is probably another reason I like it.4I started drinking Pero, which has barley (containing important dietary fibers), rye (with several markers of blood sugar control) and chicory. I can’t really say if I’m feeling healthier, but I enjoy it nevertheless.1I also got to break in my new tea-cup, which I’ve been dying to use. The cup and saucer were my souvenir from a recent trip to Shakespeare’s Globe Theater. It’s a gruesome homage to Romeo and Juliet, depicting a pierced heart and the quote, “For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” So dark, I love it!6So stay warm everyone and enjoy a cup of Pero. 2

 

 


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Sweet Tea Snow Cream

We don’t often get snow in Alabama, so it is an epic event when we eventually get some.  Everyone is outside, making snowmen and forts, sledding on sheet pans and cardboard, having snowball fights, and of course making snow cream.  But rather than make the tradition snow cream, I made snow cream with a southern twist: sweet tea!  I used Peaches and Cream Tea from the amazing Piper & Leaf and it was delicious.  You can purchase it at the link above and I highly recommend that you do!Untitled-2The only snag I ran into was placing a bowl outside to catch clean snow and then forgetting about it.  At first I thought someone had stolen my bowl, but then I realized I just had to dig it out from the snow.  At least I had plenty to work with!

My bowl 5 minutes after putting it out vs my bowl 2 hours after putting it out.

My bowl 5 minutes after putting it out vs my bowl 2 hours after putting it out.

To make the Sweet Tea Snow Cream I just added cold tea, heavy cream, and raw sugar to fresh snow.  It was so tasted I made a second batch as soon as I ate the first one.
Sweet Tea Snow CreamAlso check out my post for traditional Snow Cream.  Includes photos of gnomes!

 

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How to Make Snow Cream, Illustrated with Garden Gnomes

1Y2B3703Though I now live in the southern United States, I spent most of my childhood in New England.  I grew up building epically detailed snow forts, sledding down ravines with store-bought sleds, and eating snow cream and frozen maple syrup candy.

Now that I live in the South snow is a rare vestige of my childhood and I get incredibly nostalgic when I see the powdery, white flakes.  It only happens every other year, but this morning I was pleased to see a blanket of snow across my lawn.

So for my southern friends, here is a recipe for Snow Cream and Maple Syrup Snow Candy.  Enjoy it while it lasts.

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Start with 4 cups of fresh, and this is incredibly important, CLEAN snow, cream or milk, sugar and, if you want to be really fancy, vanilla extract.

Snow Cream Ingredients: Snow, Cream, Sugar and Vanilla Extract

Snow Cream Ingredients: Snow, Cream, Sugar and Vanilla Extract

Add 1/2 cup of cream or milk to the snow.

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Add Milk to the Snow

Add 3 table spoons of sugar to the snow

Add Sugar to the Snow

Add Sugar to the Snow

Add 1/2 a teaspoon of vanilla extract

Add 1/2 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Add vanilla extract

Mix the ingredients together until the snow cream is a slushy mixture and enjoy with friends immediately.1Y2B3707

 

Maple Syrup Snow Candy

This one is beyond easy and all you need to make it is fresh snow and maple syrup.1Y2B3720

Pour the syrup on the clean snowpour

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The only time it is okay to eat yellow snow!

Let the syrup freeze in the snow and enjoy!

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The gnomes posing with they Snowgnome.

Lastly enjoy with snow with your friends!!!!