On our recent trip home, we encountered some good stuff, some bad stuff, and some what-the-hell stuff.
First off, there’s some new Trump flags out there (3 just in my little town!) showing President Trump’s face with the phrase—“I’ll be back in 2024!” That’s a good thing!
Another good thing is a new billboard in Williamsport. It has Dolly Parton on it asking us all to “Find the good in everyone. Kindness…pass it on!” Some people can be hard to reckon with, but it did remind me to work to avoid becoming what I despise, so that’s a good thing too! And then there were all the job postings on the semi-trucks that kept passing us. Phone numbers and pleadings for workers: good pay, no cross-country trips, home every night. So, there’s plenty of jobs available and THAT’S a good thing!
But guess what we heard repeatedly on the trip down? Covid cases are on the rise again. I mean, really? If you listen to the entire blurb though, the previous week there were 2 cases and now there are 5! (Could these additional cases be family members? Who else would be taking the dang tests again?) And THIS little gem. A commercial discussing how drugs are being laced with fentanyl and people are accidentally dying. So, rather than closing the border and trying to prevent the crap from entering the country OR cracking down on fentanyl source or sellers, a company has developed fentanyl test strips. Their pitch? “Better safe than sorry”….call and order now! So Big Pharma benefits again? And maybe using the same manufacturer that gave us counterfeit covid test strips?
And then this: I rarely watch traffic when we drive on the highway—people can drive like idiots. But the truckers caught my attention with their job listings on their containers. As I read them, I started to notice something else—other vehicle’s license plates. There were dozens of other states –like CA, FLA, MASS, CO, IND, NJ, NY and I said something to hubby, who laughing said—yeah that’s weird. Other states’ car on our INTERSTATE. OOOOOPS! LOL
Putting that aside, there were other WTH moments. For instance, on our drive down our little dirt road early Friday morning, we saw something orange ahead on the side of the road. Sure enough, when we got there, it was an uneaten, unmolested, orange. In the middle of nowhere…no other garbage around…just sitting there. WTH?
Further along in the trip, we came upon the white cows again. The road splits an enormous pasture and infrequently we see herds of white cows on both sides of the road. The pastures are gated with chutes and sometimes the cows are on one side or the other and sometimes both. The strange part? There are no homes or barns in any direction. In 17 years, I have never seen anyone moving the cows…WTH?
Lastly, I heard this AAA radio ad on the way home Sunday. AAA is offering to assist older people with applying for Medicare. I used to work at AAA (in accounting) and they did have an insurance component for homes and vehicles, but their bread and butter was travel and roadside help. WTH?
I did spend an entire Saturday afternoon listening to Mom read all the recipes in her favorite recipe book to me…lol. But I did bring home some new recipes to try while keeping Mom happy. Win/win.
Who knew that vinegar could do so much? Here are some of the many household uses for vinegar—from cleaning to stain treatment to relieving insect bites. Discover vinegar’s versatility, as well as when NOT to use vinegar.
There’s a cheap, safe, and effective product that has hundreds of uses: vinegar! Let’s explore all the ways vinegar is useful, from the uncommon to the common.
Vinegar in the Garden
Defeating garden weeds: Spray white vinegar directly on plants that you want to kill, especially weeds in cracks in your driveway! Spray on a dry, sunny day. Remember that vinegar will kill plants you want to keep as well, so be careful and try to apply it directly on the leaves of the weed you want to get rid of.
Soothing insect bites: Apply full strength vinegar to mosquito or other insect bites to relieve the itching. (Caution: Do not do this if the affected area is raw.)
Insect repellent: Rub a solution of 1 part apple cider vinegar to 2 parts water on your skin to help repel insects. (For sensitive skins, dilute the vinegar further.)
Keeping cut flowers fresh: To extend the life of flowers in a vase, add a few teaspoons of apple cider vinegar to the water, plus a dash of sugar. The acidic vinegar helps to prevent bacterial growth.
White Vinegar and Cleaning
Vinegar is a common ingredient in countless homemade cleaners and is especially helpful for cleaning household appliances.
Coffeepot: Every month, bring a solution of 1 cup of vinegar and 4 tablespoons of baking soda to a boil in teapots and coffeepots to rid them of mineral deposits. To clean drip coffeemakers, fill the reservoir with white vinegar and run it through a brewing cycle. Rinse thoroughly by brewing two cycles with water before using.
Cutting boards: Use white vinegar to disinfect cutting boards, especially those made of wood.
Stovetop: A solution of vinegar and baking soda will easily remove cooking oil from your stovetop.
Oven: For a clean oven, combine vinegar and baking soda, then scrub.
Microwaves: Pour white vinegar into a bowl of water and microwave it for a few minutes, then wipe out.
Dishwasher: Use as a cheap rinsing agent to get your glasses and plates clean. Also, once a year, pour a cup of white vinegar into an empty dishwasher, then run it for a short cycle to get rid of the lime and soap build-up.
Clogged or smelly sink: Pour 1/4 cup of baking soda down the sink, then add 1 cup of vinegar.
Humidifier: Clean the filter on your humidifier by removing it and soaking it in a pan of white vinegar until all the sediment is off.
Tubs and showers: Saturate a cloth with vinegar and sprinkle with baking soda, and then use it to clean fiberglass tubs and showers. Rinse well and rub dry for a spotless shine.
Tile grout: White vinegar is actually safer than chlorine bleach for cleaning grout and caulking in bathrooms and kitchens. Spray, leave for one hour, and then scrub.
Shower curtain: Use a sponge dampened with vinegar to clean shower curtains.
Toilet bowl: Clean and deodorize your toilet bowl by pouring undiluted white vinegar into it. Let stand for five minutes, then flush. Spray stubborn stains with white vinegar, then scrub vigorously.
Windows: Clean windows with a cloth dipped in a solution of one part white vinegar and 10 parts warm water.
Fridge odors: Rid your refrigerator and freezer of bad odors by cleaning the insides with a solution of equal parts vinegar and water, then wiping dry.
Smoke odors on clothes: To remove smoke odors on clothes, hang them above a steaming bathtub filled with hot water and a cup of white vinegar.
Prevent mildew: Wipe down surfaces with vinegar to clean and prevent mildew.
When NOT to use vinegar:
Do not use vinegar on granite or marble countertops.
Avoid using vinegar where there is unsealed grout.
Do not use vinegar on wood surfaces or hardwood floors (or no-wax vinyl floors).
Never use vinegar on your cell phone or computer screen!
Vinegar and Stain Removal
White vinegar is known as an effective stain remover.
Clothes: Vinegar naturally breaks down uric acid and soapy residue, leaving baby clothes and diapers soft and fresh. Add a cup of vinegar to each load during the rinse cycle. It also gets rid of stinky towel mildew and makes clothes more colorful.
For removing specific stains such as ketchup, tomato sauce, etc., spray a little vinegar directly onto the stain and then launder.
Chewing gum: To remove chewing gum, rub it with full-strength vinegar.
Paint stains: Soak paint stains in hot vinegar to remove them.
Shoes: To remove salt and water stains from leather boots and shoes, rub with a solution of 1 tablespoon white vinegar and 1 cup water. Wipe over the stained area only, and then polish.
Brighten white clothes: Soaking white clothing in vinegar will help bring back their brightness.
Vinegar and Pet Care
Itchy ears: Clean inside of dog and cat ears with a clean washcloth or rag dipped in a white vinegar solution (4 tablespoons water: 1 tablespoon vinegar).
Smelly pets: If your pets get sprayed by a skunk or have other incidents, vinegar can help get rid of the smell!
Vinegar and Car Care
Remove bumper stickers: To remove bumper stickers from car chrome, squirt on vinegar and let it soak in. Next, scrape off the stickers. Decals can be removed similarly.
Keep windows clear: Wipe down windows with diluted vinegar in winter to keep them frost-free. You can also use vinegar spray as a window cleaner.
More Uses for Vinegar!
Sprains: Place a vinegar-soaked brown bag on sprains to ease pain and aid recovery.
Shiny hair: For brunettes, rinsing hair with vinegar after a shampoo makes hair shinier. Use one-tablespoon vinegar to one-cup warm water.
Loosen jar lids: Hold the jar upside down and pour warm vinegar around the neck at the joint between the glass and the top.
Peridot has always been associated with light. In fact, the Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun.” Some believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their left arms to ward off evil spirits.
The word peridot comes from the Arabic “faridat,” which means “gem.” Most peridot formed deep inside the earth and was delivered to the surface by volcanoes. Some also came to earth in meteorites, but this extraterrestrial peridot is extremely rare, and not likely to be seen in a retail jewelry store.
Early records indicate that the ancient Egyptians mined a beautiful green gem on an island in the Red Sea called Topazios, now known as St. John’s Island or Zabargad. Legend has it that the island was infested with snakes, making mining unpleasant until an enterprising pharaoh drove them into the sea. From the earliest times, people confused this stone—now known to be peridot—with other gems. It was one of many labeled as “topaz.”
Some historians believe that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection might actually have been peridot. People in medieval times continued to confuse peridot with emerald. For centuries, people believed the fabulous 200-ct. gems adorning the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral were emeralds. They are, in fact, peridots.
Today is National Middle Child Day and because I’m a middle child (older sibling was the favorite, younger sibling is the anointed one and I am the spare) I thought I’d explore what webmd says about Middle-Child Syndrome. (I’ve added comments where appropriate because, after all, I have experience in this area…lol)
Let’s begin, shall we?
What to Know About Middle-Child Syndrome
If a couple has two children and a third on the way, will the birth of their third child affect the personality of the second-born? Some psychologists think so. Here’s what to know about “middle-child syndrome.”
What Is Middle-Child Syndrome?
Many experts who study personality believe that your family’s birth order plays a role in your development. They see “middle-child syndrome” as the idea that if you’re neither the oldest child nor the youngest, you get less attention from your parents and feel “caught in the middle”.
As a result, you may take on certain personality traits that are different from those of your older and younger siblings.
Can Birth Order Affect Personality?
Middle-child syndrome is part of the psychology behind birth order. Birth order ranges from firstborn, or oldest; to second-born, third-born, and so forth; to youngest, sometimes called the last born. Though many experts think birth order is important to personality and family structure, not everyone is on board. [Okay, do they pay these people to write about this? REALLY? I can figure out birth order…1,2,3]
A psychology pioneer named Alfred Adler introduced the idea that birth order affects the development of a child. He believed that how many siblings a child has can affect the child’s potential.
Adler thought that even though children grew up in the same household, their personalities wouldn’t be the same. He said that each child should be looked at as an individual and that each child would differ based on their order of succession. [Succession? Is this a family or a royal family?]
Still, middle-child syndrome isn’t recognized as an official condition. Many researchers have disagreed with Adler’s theories.
Even researchers who believe in that middle-child syndrome have trouble applying it to all middle children. For example, they find that there may be a relationship between birth order and being outgoing. But it is more likely to be true for males than for females.
Characteristics of a Middle Child
Do you, or does someone you know, have middle-child syndrome? Think about whether you know any middle children with these personality traits:
Rebellious. They’re also less religious than their siblings and parents. Still, they’re less likely to act out against their parents. [Middle child here—I am the most religious of all the siblings.]
Sociable. They’re good at being mediators and want fairness in situations. They’re also trustworthy friends and work well as team members. [Okay, they got one right.]
Not as family-oriented as their siblings. They may have a stronger sense of not belonging than their siblings do. So, even though many can be great when working in groups, some middle children can struggle when working with others. [Covering all the bases I see…LOL]
Feeling overshadowed. They come to believe that their parents don’t care about them. Looking back as adults, they express a negative view of childhood. [When you’re not the favorite or the anointed one, you do the math.]
Mobile. They’re often the first sibling to move out of the house. They’re also more likely to move the farthest away. This stems from their feeling misunderstood by their families. [I did move the farthest away– to get away from the drama.]
Not perfectionists. Still, they tend to take up something that an older sibling isn’t so great at. For example, if the older sibling is a scholar, the second-born may focus on athletics. [None of us was athletic, but I am the only one to graduate summa cum laude –or at all—from college.]
Outstanding Qualities of Middle Children
Despite how you may see yourself as the middle child, you will learn how to act, make friends, and come into your own by watching your siblings or peers. But it seems that your status also can drive you to excel. This may come from feeling second-best compared with your older or younger siblings.
Some well-known middle children have been or continue to be great negotiators, trailblazers, and fighters for justice. Among them are Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King Jr., Susan B. Anthony, Charles Darwin, Madonna, Bill Gates, and Nabisco CEO Michael Gerstner. These middle children used their personality traits to help them gain success. [CRAP…Bill Gates?]
As a middle child, you may not be a perfectionist, but you may be more open to taking risks and to new ideas. In studies, 85% of middle children showed such openness, compared with 50% of firstborns.
You may be more skilled at persuasiveness and debate. You probably can see more than one side of an argument, which makes you empathetic. Some middle children claim that their success is due in part to their ability to compromise.
If middle-child syndrome is real, it might be the middle child’s sense of their own uniqueness that has led to many discoveries, important theories, and social movements.
SOURCE: webmd
[Pat’s Note: Too many ifs, maybes, and mights in there for me to take seriously. And the whole “succession” thing takes sibling rivalry to a whole other level. We are who we are in my opinion, but then I’m not profiting from my opinions either…lol]
The barreleye (Macropinna microstoma) is a small deep-sea fish with a dome-shaped transparent head that contains glowing green eyes.
This family of fish has been found in the Bering Sea and off the coast of Baja California, but there have only been a handful of sightings. There is still much to learn about these fascinating organisms.
Named for the shape of its eyes, the barreleye’s eyes are contained within its see-through headpiece.
Barreleyes can refer to any fish in the family ‘Opisthoproctidae’, who all have barrel-shaped heads, with tubular eyes. There are 9 genera in the family and over 20 species.
Macropinna is a genus of Opisthoproctidae, which contains one species, Macropinna microstoma.
During the small number of times these fish have been found, they are seen moving slowly through the dark waters—patrolling for signs of prey above them. Living thousands of feet below the surface, little is known about their natural predators and their reproductive patterns. Due to a lack of data and research, the IUCN has yet to classify them. Their absolute numbers are also unknown. Even so, it is important to remember that our actions on the ocean surface can have lasting impacts on the deep sea and its animals.
They have transparent heads that are fluid-filled
Their alien-like heads are made up of a transparent shield and fluid that protects the fish’s eyes. Through the transparent dome, you can see their eyes, brain and nerve endings in their head! This shield is extremely fragile and has often been reported to be damaged in research when the animal is brought up from the deep.
Their eyes can rotate
Two green glowing orbs can be seen within the transparent head. Normally, these eyes point upwards to capture as much light as possible, but barreleyes are capable of rotating these eyes forward when searching for prey.
They have ‘nostrils’
The two dark spots above the fish’s mouth were originally mistaken for eyes. They are actually olfactory organs that are the equivalent of nostrils.
The barreleye fish was recently discovered
The barreleye was first described in 1939. Due to it inhabiting such deep depths, it has been difficult for marine biologists to thoroughly study it since then.
They have very narrow mouths
Barreleye’s have small pointed mouths that have to be precisely directed towards its prey. This is one of the reasons why its eyes are capable of rotating forwards—so that it can plan coordinated strikes.
Their eyes are tubular
Many deep-sea animals possess tubular eyes that help them capture light. These types of eyes are generally located dorsally on the animal, are cylindrical, and have an accessory retina. The green globes seen in barreleyes are large lenses that help to focus light onto their retinas which contain a high density of rod cells.
Barreleyes are colorblind
Their eyes do not possess and cone cells which are used for the perception of color. Where they live, it is so dark that these fish are solely focused on recognizing brightness and differentiating light that is coming from above or from potential prey.
Their fins allow them to hover
Barreleye fins are large and flat which allow them to essentially remain motionless underwater. Using exact movements, these fins steer them around as the barreleye looks upwards.
They might steal food from others
At the deep-sea depths that barreleyes inhabit, siphonophores—a group of jellyfish—are also found. They can grow to over 10 meters long and catch prey in their stinging tentacles. It has been suggested that barreleyes sneakily consume organisms that have been entangled within the arms of siphonophores. Their see-through shield protects their eyes from being damaged by any stinging appendages.
They live in the twilight zone
Barreleyes live in the ocean twilight zone—the layer of water that is 650 to 3300 feet below the surface. It surrounds our planet and is deep enough that it lies just beyond the reaches of sunlight.
Their digestive systems are quite large
Based on preliminary findings, it has been found that barreleyes have lengthy digestive systems capable of breaking down various types of prey.
We know little about their reproduction
Barreleyes are believed to reproduce by pelagic spawning, a process in which eggs and sperm are released into the water. Following fertilization, the eggs are carried along by currents.
Barreleyes are extremely elusive and rare
These mysterious creatures are rarely sighted. In fact, in approximately 5600 dives, researchers with the Monterey Bay Aquarium have only spotted these fish nine times.
Today’s offering is not a baked cookie at all! It does require a couple of minutes cooking on the stove, but that’s it…no baking! From the Pioneer Woman’s website…No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies.
No-Bake Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups firmly packed light brown sugar
1 stick butter
1/2 cup whole milk
2 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder
2 1/2 cups old-fashioned oats (quick oats works too!)
1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut, plus more for garnish*
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/2 cup chocolate-hazelnut spread (such as Nutella)**
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. salt
*Not a fan of coconut? Stir in half a cup of chopped pecans, pistachios, or cashews for a nice nutty crunch.
**If you don’t have Nutella on hand, you can add more peanut butter.
Directions
Line two rimmed baking sheets with parchment or wax paper, and set aside.
Bring the sugar, butter, milk, and cocoa powder to a rolling boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Let boil for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring often, until mixture measures 230° on an instant read thermometer. Remove from the heat.
Stir in the oats, coconut, peanut butter, chocolate-hazelnut spread, vanilla, and salt until everything is combined.
Working quickly before the mixture sets up, drop tablespoons of the mixture onto the prepared pans, flattening slightly, if you like. Immediately sprinkle with more coconut; press gently to help the coconut stick to the cookies. Let stand at room temperature until firm, about 30 minutes. Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry place for up to 1 week—if they last that long!
Today’s post concludes the 20 strangest ice cream flavors I ever heard of!
Honey Jalapeño Pickle
Pickle-lovers and pregnant people everywhere can rejoice because Sweet Action Ice Cream in Denver, Colorado, made the flavor mash-up just for you. In collaboration with The Real Dill pickle company based out of Denver, the brands made a Honey Jalapeño Pickle ice cream loaded with honey, jalapeño peppers, and pickles. It’s sweet, savory, and spicy all in one. As was made abundantly clear by the anchors at local news station 9NEWS who tried the flavor, this ice cream is not for the faint of heart.
What’s more, it might leave you with some acid reflux after you eat it, but if you’re into spicy and salty, it’s totally worth it. Pickle ice cream might not sound great, but these two brands clearly are experts in both their respective cuisines. If you were going to try them out together, it only seems fitting that it would be this thoughtfully-crafted sundae rather than trying to create your own version at home.
Garlic
Garlic is one of those ingredients that makes everything taste better, but loves to linger on your breath or your fingers if you chop up a bunch of it. The stinky ingredient is a staple at The Stinking Rose, a restaurant in San Francisco known for making everything with garlic. The brand’s motto is that they “season their garlic with food,” which translates to their dessert offerings. The star of the final course is Gilroy’s Famous Garlic Ice Cream topped with chocolate sauce, their nod to the garlic capital of the world, Gilroy, California.
It is another flavor that will almost certainly leave you with savory stinky breath after, but it’s also another shockingly delicious combination that you might have not expected. It doesn’t feature an overpowering amount of garlic, but it is enough in the mix so that the taste is present throughout. Garlic lovers must put the restaurant on their bucket list and it’d be a shame to make the trip and not try this one-of-a-kind frozen treat. “Stay away if you have a child’s taste buds,” one customer joked in a Yelp review about the frozen treat.
Flamin’ Hot Cheetos
Loblolly Creamery in Little Rock, Arkansas, took one of the internet’s favorite snack foods and turned it into ice cream. To create Flamin’ Hot Cheetos ice cream, Loblolly takes their sweet cream base and mixes in Flamin’ Hot Cheeto powder for that signature kick. The brand even whipped up some Hot Cheetos cones and sprinkles to make this treat even more Instagram-worthy. it’s not always on the menu so it’s a must-order whenever the brand decides to whip up a batch. (Many of Loblolly Creamery’s other flavors — like Strawberry Buttermilk or Little Rocket Pop Sorbet — are solid options as well if Cheetos aren’t your thing.) Luckily, it won’t be as hot as the Cold Sweat flavor, but it still has quite the kick for a treat that’s typically supposed to cool you down. Next time, maybe the brand will try to add a kick of acid by making a flavor based on Flamin’ Hot Cheetos Limon if they’re feeling wild.
Oyster
Namjatown is a destination in Tokyo for foodies and beyond. It’s an indoor theme park that’s anything but ordinary, and the largest in the entire country of Japan. Alongside some unusual attractions, there are two food-themes areas of the park: Namja Gyoza Stadium, where you can get all sorts of dumplings, and Dessert Alley, which features some of the wildest ice cream flavors known to man, per Go Tokyo. One of the notable flavors is oyster gelato, which uses the mollusk to create a briny, frosty treat. As SoraNews24 wrote in their review, “While the smell is milder than you might expect, there is still a definite shellfish scent due to the chunks of actual oyster mixed into it.”
It’s interesting to see how the flavor was captured in some seemingly nondescript churned ice cream, so it’s worth the stop if you’re so inclined to see what it tastes like. If not, it’s still fun to walk through the dessert section and look in awe at all of the wacky flavors that you truly won’t find anywhere else.
Crawfish
If you’re based in the U.S. and have a hankering for some seafood-inspired ice cream, Red Circle Ice Cream in Houston might have just what you need. The brand is known for their over-the-top dessert creations including monster milkshakes, bubble waffles, donuts, and churros alongside their ice cream offerings. Sometimes, for a limited time only, Red Circle likes to serve up a real Southern treat: crawfish ice cream. This isn’t just regular old ice cream with a crawfish on top for dramatic effect. The flavor of the little crustacean is present throughout the cone. It’s bursting with flavors of butter, garlic, and cajun spice that’s ubiquitous with eating cajun crawfish, just with a total sugary twist.
It’s worth purchasing just to freak your friends out on social media with pictures of a cone with eyes, but die-hard fans also claim it’s a sleeper hit. Again, it’s not going to be everyone’s bag — and that’s okay. As Nickey Ngo of Red Circle Ice Cream acknowledged when she stopped by local affiliate FOX26 with a pint, the flavor is beyond bold.
Nacho Nacho
If you’ve ever eaten a plate of nachos and though “Wow, I wish I could be experiencing all of these flavors on an ice cream cone,” Rococo Artisan Ice Cream has you covered. The brand’s Nacho Nacho ice cream is everything you love about the appetizer in one. It features tortilla chips, nacho cheese, spicy tomato jam, chopped black olives, and candied jalapeños. The flavor was the result of a nationwide contest submission where a customer was inspired by a meal where they ate nachos at a local Mexican restaurant in Kennebunkport, Maine, and then got dessert at Rococo’s after.
Originally, the flavor was named Luke’s Nachos Grande, as the person who submitted the idea named it after their son. Luckily, if you’re intrigued by this flavor but aren’t in New England, Rococo’s ships pints nationwide for you to enjoy the original flavor wherever you are.
Beef tongue
Namjatown in Tokyo has such strange ice cream flavors that it landed two spots on the list. Sure, the menu (via Appetite for Japan) features more approachable flavors like vanilla and rum raisin. However, the list also features flavors like shark fin noodle ice cream, crab-flavored ice cream, and grilled eggplant. One of the oddest on the list that only the bravest eaters would dare to order is beef tongue ice cream. A scoop is supposed to channel the flavor of not just beef, but the gelatinous tongue cut that isn’t as common in the U.S. as steak or hamburgers. Regardless of the absurdity, a trip to Namjatown should include an order of some of the most ridiculous scoops on the menu. Whether or not that includes the beef tongue flavor or something more simple like orange sherbet is totally up to personal preference, but the former is a flavor you probably won’t find literally anywhere else, especially not on your neighborhood ice cream truck. Yellowfin tuna ceviche with basil and avocado ice cream
One of the fanciest ice cream creations on the list comes from SoBou NOLA, a Creole saloon in New Orleans with one-of-a-kind plates. This ice cream dish actually is served as an appetizer rather than a dessert. It starts with an ice cream cone which is filled with yellowfin tuna and pineapple ceviche. Then, a scoop of basil and avocado ice cream goes on top. It’s an explosion of flavors that also serves as a visual feast and is the unlikely mashup of ice cream and raw fish that you didn’t know you needed. “You can’t go into just any restaurant and get mini cones with tuna and avocado ice cream,” chef Juan Carlos Gonzalez, who created the dish, said to Nation’s Restaurant News. The best part is that this starter dish is only the beginning of your meal at SoBou, which is quite the way to set the tone for a meal.
Famous Idaho Ice Cream Potato
If you find yourself in Idaho with time to kill, the only appropriate way to spend it is to speed through the Westside Drive-In and eat the Famous Idaho Ice Cream Potato. It’s a treat that will only set you back $5 and will give you a lifetime of bragging rights. Don’t worry, this dish is all about deceiving the eyes. It looks like a real baked potato, but the base of the dish is actually a scoop of vanilla ice cream covered in cocoa powder to give it the look of tater skin. It is topped with whipped cream “sour cream” and “dirt” made out of Oreos, nuts, and chocolate. Westside Drive-In has been an Idaho institution since the ’50s and chef Lou Aaron has apparently spent 40 years tweaking the recipe and perfecting the potato-inspired dessert. The Instagram photos alone make it worth the few bucks, but on top of that? You get to enjoy the establishment’s authentic ’50s dining experience.
Spicy Peanut Butter Curry Coconut
Sebastian Joe’s Ice Cream in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is one of those shops meant for foodies to walk in and be in awe. The ice cream makers understand the importance of balancing flavors and expanding the customer’s ideas of what ice cream can be. One must-try is the brand’s limited-edition Spicy Peanut Butter Curry Coconut ice cream. It’s sweet, tropical, nutty, spicy, and aromatic, essentially checking all of the boxes and touching almost every flavor that your tastebuds can recognize. It almost sounds like a dish you might eat at a restaurant that serves Indian or Thai food, but it is a frozen treat created in Middle America. Sebastian Joe’s also serves up their scoops in wild cones, shakes, sundaes, and ice cream sandwiches, so you can really get creative with this spicy flavor — or any of the other unique pints they’ve got at the shop.
SOURCE: mashed.com
So…what’s the verdict? Wanna try any of these??? Plain Jane here will stick with vanilla…or if I’m feeling adventurous, a TWIST!
Who doesn’t like ice cream? Especially on a hot August day! Well, mashed.com has a list of 20 of the strangest ice cream flavors ever! Today’s post brings you the first ten…tomorrow the other ten. These are BIZARRE in my opinion, but I’d love to hear if there’s ANY that you would try!
Everything Bagel
Jeni’s Splendid Ice Cream from Ohio essentially broke the internet when they first debuted their pint of Everything Bagel ice cream. Jeni’s starts with a cream cheese ice cream base that’s a tangy staple in some of the other brand’s flavors. Things get truly unhinged from there. The ice cream then includes a swirl of what Jeni’s refers to as “everything gravel.” Basically, it’s a savory strudel featuring sesame seeds, poppy seeds, and garlic and onion bits. It’s the ingredient really responsible for reinforcing the bagel flavor and the pleasant savory element to offset the sweet. Without the cream cheese base, this might be one of those flavors you try one scoop of and move on from. However, Jeni’s somehow made this a flavor that you’ll weirdly find yourself wanting to return to. If anyone can do it, it’s the ice cream crafters at Jeni’s, so don’t question their genius.
Foie Gras
Philippe Faur is a French ice cream manufacturing company that has a list of flavors that reads like a generic index of a food encyclopedia. The brand literally seems to make any and every flavor they can come up with, whether customers asked for it or not. Their savory flavors roster, for example, includes ice cream bases rooted in flavors like caviar, mustard, truffle, and more.
Hands-down the most unusual flavor on the list is foie gras, which is pâté made by the liver of gavage-fattened ducks or geese. It’s a controversial dish that’s a delicacy in France and beyond, but it’s truly hard to imagine how the flavor would translate as a dessert. It would make sense to use foie gras ice cream as the topper of an appetizer at a fancy restaurant to add texture and depth. However, it’s hard to imagine that anyone digs into a pint of this with a spoon to soothe their sorrows after a break-up considering the flavor is quite an acquired taste.
Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea
Salt & Straw Ice Cream is a popular ice cream chain with most of its locations on the West Coast, and an ever-rotating menu of strange and never-before-seen flavors. For summer 2022, the brand debuted a truly inventive flavor with the Deviled Egg Custard with Smoked Black Tea ice cream. The flavor features egg yolk custard mixed with Kala Namak, a black salt from the Himalayan Mountains, and smoked tea-infused shortbread. It’s topped off with a balsamic egg white marshmallow fluff which reinforces the “deviled” egg flavor.
It’s an ice cream for foodies, not necessarily picky eaters. Keep an open mind and prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the explosions going on in this pint. Every bite reveals a different layer of intensity. If you find yourself in Oregon, California, Washington, or parts of Florida, it might be worth it to make an ice cream road trip for this flavor and dozens of others.
Wasabi
Wasabi is best known for being the bright-green condiment served alongside sushi that is spicy enough to clear out your sinuses. The entire ingredient is like the antithesis of ice cream, but il Laboratorio del Gelato in the Greater New York City area took it as a challenge. The company creates so many gelato flavors that use simple ingredients perfectly executed, like mascarpone cheese or pink peppercorn.
The same goes for the company’s smooth and creamy wasabi gelato that has a slight kick. The folks at il Laboratorio del Gelato take the Japanese root that’s grated into a green paste and slightly infuse it with their base ice cream blend. The company compares the flavor to horseradish or hot mustard, but it’s pretty distinct all on its own. Again, it’s simple yet so innovative and wasabi is probably not a flavor you’re likely to see be made into a Ben & Jerry’s pint anytime soon.
Coffee Garlic Herb Almond Chip
Okay, so we know that coffee and chocolate ice cream is a pretty standard flavor in the U.S. and beyond. You want to add almond chips to it? That sounds like a great combination as well. But Max and Mina’s awe-inspiring ice cream shop in Queens, New York, decided to take it a step further by creating a flavor called Coffee Garlic Herb Almond Chip.
Max and Mina’s is a famous shop that should be on every ice cream lover’s bucket list, whether they are experimental with their orders or not. However, this flavor that united bitter coffee with sweet chocolate and herbaceous garlic is another combination that has to be tasted to understand fully. It’s probably not the best scoop to order on date night though, because it’s probably one of the few ice creams on the planet that will leave you with garlic breath after the fact.
Mountain Dew and Doritos
Sparky’s Homemade Ice Cream in Columbia, Missouri, should be a stop for anyone looking to pursue as many weird ice cream flavors they can get their hands on. Sparky’s is notorious for their concoctions; as Columbia Missourian notes, they may be best known for the time they thought to use the carcasses of cicada bugs in an ice cream. Cicada likely won’t be making a reappearance on their menu anytime soon (probably for the best), but Sparky’s will never stop making ice cream that’s as intriguing as it sometimes is off-putting.
One time the folks at the scoop shop decided to take the classic gaming snack duo of Mountain Dew and Doritos and blend them together in one ice cream. The photo on the company’s Instagram page shows that the finished product looks like what you might doodle up if someone asked you to draw Mountain Dew and Doritos ice cream — topped with green sprinkles and Dorito crumbles. It’s not for everyone, but definitely a flavor to take at least one bite of just to say that you did.
Margherita pizza
Sparky’s didn’t stop at junk food snack-inspired ice cream. It’s worth following the shop’s Instagram page whether or not you’re in the Columbia area just to see what creations they come up with. You may stumble upon flavors like Margherita pizza, which is packed with tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese, and basil. Yes, we are still talking about ice cream. Sure, tomato and basil sorbet has been done and tried before, and it’s still pretty special. But this ice cream is literally the dessert version of the iconic pizza pie.
It’s pretty genius that someone even thought of this flavor combination in the first place, let alone that the shop executed the idea and sold it to daring customers. It’s likely that this is one of those flavors you try once and never return to again, but it’s definitely a flavor to brag about having that likely no one else you encounter will have also tried before.
Kraft Macaroni & Cheese
Van Leeuwen Ice Cream did the unthinkable when they unveiled ice cream pints inspired by flavors of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese. The ingredients are relatively simple — it’s literally ice cream with Kraft cheese powder sauce mixed into it. It’s another option that’s an acquired taste and there’s a chance you won’t put it in your regular rotation, but it’s fun for the novelty of it. Who knows, sweet and salty combinations are always the sleeper hits.
Van Leeuwen’s Kraft Macaroni & Cheese pint could be a good way for someone to indulge their junk food cravings for both ice cream and cheesy snacks at the same time. If not, it’s still a fun pint to purchase one time and try for the fun of it. u/KingKonah wrote in the ice cream subReddit page that the combination of flavors is so weird that it works. “It’s dairy on top of dairy and neither takes away from the other,” they shared.
Cold Sweat
At Sunni Sky’s Homemade Ice Cream, they have a flavor that’s so out of this world, you have to sign a waiver to even order it. The ice cream is loaded with different peppers and hot sauce for a cool treat that will have you chugging water after just one lick. It’s a buzz-worthy treat that has the bravest ice cream aficionados traveling to Angier, North Carolina, and has been featured on the Food Network and the Travel Channel. Sunni Sky’s makes another spicy flavor called Exit Wound that also requires a waiver, but you would have to be extremely daring to attempt to sample both scoops at the shop (and sign two waivers in order to do so).
Some reviews on Yelp compared the flavor of Cold Sweat ice cream to a spicy Indian pickle. “Managed to eat 3 small pinches. True to its name, it was super spicy,” one Yelp review reads. Sunni Sky’s sells more than 100 flavors at their shop, so there are plenty of options to eat after to cool down your tongue after a bite of cold sweat.
Sesame gelato with miso caramel, cookies, and ramen
Chicago’s Black Dog Gelato is a must for those obsessed with ice cream. In fact, even if you’re far away from the Windy City, the shop offers a pint club so you can sample all of the innovative flavors they have to offer. Black Dog Gelato is always featuring a rotating list of flavors from goat cheese cashew caramel to sesame cookie dough. One of the most eye-catching flavors they’ve experimented with is a sesame-based gelato with swirls of miso caramel, cookie chunks, and caramelized ramen noodles.
That’s right, those hard little squiggly noodles get the artisan treatment in this pint that turns the pantry staple into something that resembles a sugary crouton with its satisfying crunch. It’s not a staple on the Black Dog’s shop menu, but it’s a must-order if you happen to be at the right place at the right time when this treat is available.
The gladiolus is a classic perennial known for its tall flower spikes and large, colorful blooms! A great cutting flower, the gladiolus looks spectacular in summer bouquets. Here’s how to grow gladioli in your garden.
About Gladiolus
Part of the iris family (Iridaceae) and commonly known as “glads,” these lovely flowering plants are available in a multitude of colors and sizes—from the smaller hybrids that fit perfectly in containers to the large-flowered Grandiflora hybrids, which send out huge spikes of blooms in a range of colors.
The most common gladioli typically reach between 2 and 5 feet in height, sporting flowers that also range in size—from “miniature” blooms less than 3 inches in diameter to “giant” flowers greater than 5 inches across! The taller varieties, which need to be staked, are often placed in the back of a garden to nicely complement shorter plants.
Gladiolus Winter Hardiness
The accepted hardiness zone for the classic Grandiflora gladioli (your typical garden glad) is zone 8, but it’s well known that by covering the corms with a good mulch, you can keep them alive in zones 6 and 7 and sometimes even zones 5 for certain varieties such as “Nanus Hybrids.” In colder zones, most gladioli corms should be dug up in the fall, stored, and replanted the following spring
Planting
For the best blooms, plant glads in full sun (6 to 8 hours of sunlight per day) in well-drained soil that’s moderately fertile. They will not do well in heavy, soggy soil. Mix compost (humus) into your soil to improve its consistency and fertility.
When to Plant Gladiolus
Start planting gladiolus corms in the spring, once the danger of frost has passed and the soil has warmed to at least 55°F (13°C).
From your last frost date to early summer, plant another round of corms every 10 days or so. This will result in continuous blooms through early fall!
Depending on the variety, it takes between 60 and 90 days from the time glads are planted for the corms to root, grow, and bloom.
How to Plant Gladiolus
Ready your garden by using a garden fork or tiller to loosen the soil to about 12 to 15 inches deep. After loosening the soil, mix in a 2- to 4-inch layer of compost or aged manure.
To ensure large-sized blooms, plant corms that are 1¼ inch or larger in diameter.
Set the corm in the hole about 4 inches deep with the pointed end facing up. Cover with soil and press firmly.
Space the corms 6 to 8 inches apart.
If you grow gladioli primarily for cut flowers, plant them in rows. It’s easier to tend the plants and to harvest the flowers.
If planted with other flowers in borders or annual beds, plant the corms in groups of 7 or more for the best effect.
Water the corms thoroughly at planting.
If you’re planting tall varieties, be sure to stake them at planting time. Be careful not to damage the corms with the stakes.
Growing
How to Grow Gladiolus
Put a 2- to 4-inch layer of mulch around your gladioli to keep your soil moist and help prevent weeds.
If you get less than 1 inch of rain a week, water your plants regularly throughout the summer. Otherwise, water them moderately when in growth to keep the soil moist.
Remove the faded/dead flowers to ensure continuous blooms. Once all the flowers on a stalk are gone, cut the stalk off at about 2 to 3 inches above the soil.
Be sure to leave the plant intact so it can mature and grow the corms for the next season.
Winter Protection for Gladiolus
If you live in USDA Hardiness Zone 8 or warmer, put down a layer of hay or straw for winter protection. Gladiolus can remain in the ground through winter, provided a hard freeze (28°F or colder) isn’t common in your area.
In colder regions (Zone 7 or colder), dig up gladioli corms once the foliage has faded after the first fall frost. A light frost will kill the foliage, but not the rest of plant. Be sure to dig up the gladiolus corms before a hard freeze (28°F), or the plants could be fatally damaged.
All that said, many gardeners who live in the “border” zones 6 and 7 have tried leaving their glads in the ground and found that they survived; this is a judgement call and based on your microclimate, your variety of gladiolus, and climate shifts.
Digging Up and Storing Gladioli Corms
To dig up the gladioli corms for winter storage, follow these tips:
Use a spade and dig up the entire plant, grasping the top to pull it out of the soil. Avoid bruising or injuring corms while digging. Shake off all loose soil (do not wash them off) and discard damaged corms. Cut the stalk down to 1 to 2 inches above the corm. Save the small cormels separately if you so desire. These will bloom in 2 to 3 years if you replant them each spring.
Allow the corms to dry in the sun for 1 or 2 days if the weather agrees. Sift out excess soil and place corms in wooden flats or trays. Cure in a warm and airy location for 2 weeks at a temperature of 80 to 85°F (27 to 29°C). Remove and throw away the oldest bottom corms (from the base of the new one).
Don’t remove the husks on the corms.
Dust the corms with a fungicide (“bulb dust”) to avoid disease problems. Place dust and bulbs in a paper bag and shake vigorously.
Store the corms in paper or cloth bags, pantyhose, or old onion sacks. Stack or hang the containers so air can move among them. Store the corms at 35 to 45°F (2 to 7°C) in low humidity. A cool basement is quite suitable. Do not allow corms to freeze.
Replant these corms in the spring for another year of beautiful blooms.
Varieties
Gladioli come in a variety of sizes and colors, with the most popular being part of the follow hybrid groups:
Grandiflora Hybrids: These are the classic gladioli that produce a plentiful amount of large (5- to 6-inch) blooms in a range of colors. The plants produce flower stalks that reach up to 4 feet in height and are winter hardy to Zone 7.
Dwarf Grandiflora Hybrids: These miniature glads are a great choice for containers and cutting gardens, as their flowers are about half the size of Grandifloras and their shorter stalks don’t typically require staking. They are also winter hardy to Zone 7. Glamini gladioli are included in this group; they are pest resistant and will bloom in full sun or partial shade.
Nanus Hybrids: Hardy to Zone 5, these smaller gladioli look a lot like Grandifloras, but do not produce as many flowers. They tend to grow no larger than about 2 feet in height, which makes them perfect for containers or small spaces.
Some specific gladiolus varieties of note include:
‘Black Star’, which has deep purple-red blooms
‘Candyman’, for its beautiful, deep pink flowers
‘Costa’, which sports ruffled flowers in blue-purple
‘Dream’s End’, which makes a good background plant because its flower spike is up to 3 feet tall (and it has pretty light orange flowers with large yellow centers)
‘Fun Time’, which has yellow flowers edged with red
‘Green Time’, for its unusual lime-green flowers
‘Prins Claus’, which has white flowers with splashes of pink on its petals
‘Priscilla’, which produces off-white flowers with yellow center and a pink edge
Harvesting
To cut glads for bouquets, follow these tips:
Cut the flower stalks early in the morning or at night, not during the heat of day.
Use a sharp knife and bring a bucket of lukewarm water to the flower bed; cut diagonally through the stalks and place in the bucket.
Cut stalks with only one or two open flowers. The rest of the buds will open after you put them in a vase. Leave at least four leaves on the plant in the ground if you want to re-use the corms.
Place the bucket with the flowers in a cool dark place for a few hours before arranging them in a vase.
Remove lower fading flowers and cut about 1 inch off the bottom of each flower stalk every few days.
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