Keeping cool with ice brewed iced coffee

When someone said to me that in the summer in Phoenix it can go days without going below 100, I finally got it. It's not the dry heat that can get you here, it's the fact that there is no relief from the heat. There are times that you can go out at midnight and it's still 100.

Since it is so hot, it makes the fact that I need coffee in the morning, pretty unfortunate. I read an article in the NY Times Online that caught my interest.

Do you know the difference between hot brewed coffee on ice and ice brewed iced coffee? I didn't.  I had to try.

I found another use for those POM Juice jars, handy suckers aren't they.

 

These two jars were way over kill, plan on using almost 3x the coffee you would in traditional brewing. I could taste a subtle difference, but I'm not a coffee brewing expert either.

Cheers!

They're like confused cupcakes...Olive Oil Muffins

Lazy bum. That's a good way to describe my Sunday activities. Up at 9AM, breakfast at Chase's Diner, back home and on the couch all afternoon. I mean all afternoon. I took small breaks from my napping to switch positions on the couch, but other than that- nothin. It's been awesome. I caught up on TiVo and Food Network shows.

This recipe really caught my eye. Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar are two main components of these muffins. I know crazy, that's usually how I start a salad dressing, so I was tempted to try it out.

You've got to try them. Amazingly good. All the flavors really come through, you can really taste all the flavors.

Olive Oil Muffins

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons orange zest
2 teaspoons lemon zest
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons whole milk
3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted
Powdered sugar, for sifting

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin.

Blend together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl to blend. Using an electric mixer beat the sugar, eggs, and zests in a large bowl until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in the vinegar and milk. Gradually beat in the oil. Add the flour mixture and stir just until blended. Crush the almonds with your hands as you add them to the batter and stir until mixed. Fill the muffin tin almost to the top of the paper liners. Bake until golden on top and a tester inserted into the center of the cake comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 20 to 25 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack and cool for 10 minutes. Remove the muffins onto a platter and let cool for 5 more minutes. Sift powdered sugar over the muffins and serve.

Andrea's Recipes to the Rescue with Confetti Salad

One of my most favorite blogs to troll is Andrea's Recipe Box. Her writing style, page navigation and descriptions are all very easy. Also, she has two three small boys, so how she finds time in the kitchen is a mystery to me!

I had two parties yesterday. I needed a dish that was quick and could withstand the heat. You can find the recipe here

The variations I used were almonds, mint and corn. I got a lot of great compliments.

I also took fixings to make the white wine spritzer I've posted before, a little white wine, seltzer and tonight I put blueberries in the mix. It was very refreshing and delicious.

Thank you Andrea!