Wine & Food Recipes

317

Your air conditioner isn’t the only thing that uses energy in the hot weather–your kids do, too. All that running, jumping and swimming uses up plenty of energy, so it’s important keep your kids well-fueled.

Healthy Summer Snacking
Your air conditioner isn’t the only thing that uses energy in the hot weather-your kids do, too.

Warm months usually means children are playing outside more. All that running, jumping and swimming uses up plenty of energy, so it’s important to keep your kids well-fueled. Here’s a recipe that can do just that. It’s a fun, portable snack mix made with California raisins, so it has a sweet taste and supplies lots of energy.

Sunshine Snack Mix

Ingredients:

2 cups California raisins

2 cups low-fat granola cereal

1 cup candy-coated chocolate pieces

1/2 cup sunflower kernels

Directions:

In large bowl, combine all ingredients; mix well.

Yields: 51/2 cups

Serves: 11

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Fun Fuel

The potassium in California raisins helps lower blood pressure, which has been shown to help reduce the risk of heart disease. In addition to adding fiber to the diet, raisins rank among the top antioxidant foods and even contain phytochemicals that contribute to oral health.

The Taste Of Health

Of course, nutrition facts probably don’t matter much to your children. Kids tend to focus on taste, and California raisins hold up well there, too. They make sweet, plump treats, which means they can be an easy way to help your children maintain a healthful diet-and to keep their energy levels up throughout the day.

Cool Ideas

Looking for more summertime snack ideas? The California Raisin Marketing Board offers a host of tasty, easy-to-make recipes that require little to no time spent in the kitchen, giving you more time to spend with your kids. Try making Raisin Peanut Butter Balls for a quick snack or Spiced Apple Pie Party Mix for a good dose of dried fruits, nuts, cinnamon and nutmeg. Raisin Nachos with Cinnamon Dipping Sauce is sure to be a crowd-pleaser, and try Raisin Delights for bite-size balls of cream cheese and sunflower seeds rolled in coconut. Or just snack on California raisins straight from the box.

410

If you enjoy eating a fresh slice of cheese that is cut right from the block, you probably have some sort of cheese slicer in your kitchen cupboard. While knives can cut some of the harder variety of cheeses sufficiently, it is better by far to use a cheese slicer to get perfect portions of cheese every time. There are a variety of slicers on the market today, and some will work best for individual use and cooking, while others are pretty and functional enough for your entert…

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If you enjoy eating a fresh slice of cheese that is cut right from the block, you probably have some sort of cheese slicer in your kitchen cupboard. While knives can cut some of the harder variety of cheeses sufficiently, it is better by far to use a cheese slicer to get perfect portions of cheese every time. There are a variety of slicers on the market today, and some will work best for individual use and cooking, while others are pretty and functional enough for your entertaining needs. No cocktail party is complete without a cheese platter, and no cheese platter is complete without a cheese slicer.

The History of the Cheese Slicer

The cheese slicer was invented by a Norwegian carpenter named Thor Bjorklund in 1925. His wife had sent a chunk of cheese to his workshop for lunch one day, and the innovative carpenter needed a way to cut off smaller slices. Through that experience, he created the first cheese slicer, which he also patented that same year. The slicer began to be mass produced in Norway in 1927. Since that time, many variations have been created on Bjorklund’s design, allowing every cook to find the perfect slicer to meet his needs. Although they are most popular in some European countries where sliced cheese on bread is a common fare, many styles have gained momentum in the United States as well.

Different Designs of Slicers

There are a variety of designs of cheese slicers, including those that are primarily for functional purposes. These can include many hand-held designs, and can run the gamut in quality and price. If you slice a lot of cheese to use in your recipes and cooking, it is best to find a high-quality and functional design that will last through time and plenty of use.

On the other hand, if your main purpose in a cheese slicer will be for entertaining, there are many styles on the market that are beautiful as well as functional. Some of these designs are crafted out of high-quality wood or even marble, and some come with a built in tray to hold crackers or slices of bread.

These attractive cheese slicers can also make a wonderful gift for the person on your list that seems to have everything. You can throw in a package of delicious French cheese and a bottle of wine to complement, and your recipient has the beginning supplies for a lovely cocktail gathering.

657

Easy to cook and absolutely delicious Pudding Recipes to make your Christmas celebrations a memorable experience. Enjoy these Puddings with your loved ones during this Christmas.
Christmas Recipes: Delicious Christmas Puddings

Pudding Recipes given here are easy to cook and absolutely delicious. Properly made Christmas puddings will be extremely tasty and make your Christmas celebrations a memorable experience. Enjoy these Puddings with your loved ones during this Christmas.

Christmas Pudding (1).

Ingredients of Christmas Pudding:-

1 lb. raisins (stoned), 1 lb. chopped apples, 1 lb. currants, 1 lb. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. mixed peel, chopped fine, 1 lb. shelled and ground Brazil nuts, 1/2 lb. chopped sweet almonds, 1 oz. bitter almonds (ground), 1 lb. sugar, 1/2 lb. butter, 1/2 oz. mixed spice and 6 eggs.

Instructions:-

Wash, pick, and dry the fruit, rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, beat up the eggs, and mix all the ingredients together; if the mixture is too dry, add a little milk. Fill some greased basins with the mixture, and boil the puddings from 3 to 4 hours.

Christmas Pudding (2).

Ingredients:-

12 oz. breadcrumbs, 1/2 lb. currants, 1/2 lb. raisins, 1/2 lb. sweet almonds, 1 doz. bitter almonds, 3/4 lb. moist sugar, 3 oz. of butter, 2 oz. candied peel, 8 eggs, 1 teaspoonful of spice and 1 teacupful of apple sauce.

Instructions:-

Rub the butter into the breadcrumbs, wash, pick, and dry the fruit, stone the raisins, chop or grind the almonds, beat up the eggs, mixing all well together, at the last stir in the apple sauce. Boil the pudding in a buttered mould for 4 hours, and serve with white sauce.

Christmas Pudding (3).

Ingredients:-

1 lb. each of raisins, currants, sultanas, chopped apples, and Brazil nut kernels; 1/2 lb. each of moist sugar, wholemeal breadcrumbs, wheatmeal, and sweet almonds and butter; 1/4 lb. of mixed peel, 1/2 oz. of mixed spice, 6 eggs, and some milk.

Instructions:-

Wash and pick the currants and sultanas; wash and stone the raisins; chop fine the nut kernels, blanch and chop fine the almonds, and cut up fine the mixed peel. Rub the butter into the meal and breadcrumbs. First mix all the dry ingredients, then beat well the eggs and add them. Pour as much milk as is necessary to moisten the mixture sufficiently to work
it with a wooden spoon. Have ready buttered pudding basins, nearly fill them with the mixture, cover with pieces of buttered paper, tie pudding cloths over the basins, and boil for 4 hours.

Christmas Plum Pudding (1)

Ingredients of Christmas Plum Pudding:-

One cupful of finely-chopped beef suet, two cupfuls of fine bread crumbs, one heaping cupful of sugar, one cupful of seeded raisins, one cupful of well-washed currants, one cupful of chopped blanched almonds, half a cupful of citron, sliced thin, a teaspoonful of salt,
one of cloves, two of cinnamon, half a grated nutmeg and four well-beaten eggs.

Making of Christmas Plum Pudding:-

Dissolve a level teaspoonful of soda in a tablespoonful of warm water. Flour the fruit thoroughly from a pint of flour; then mix the remainder as follows: In a large bowl put the
well-beaten eggs, sugar, spices and salt in one cupful of milk. Stir in the fruit, chopped nuts, bread crumbs and suet, one after the other, until all are used, putting in the dissolved soda last and adding enough flour to make the fruit stick together, which will take all the pint. Boil or steam three to four hours. Serve with wine or any well-flavored sauce.

Christmas Plum Pudding (2)

Ingredients:-

2 cups ground suet, 2 cups bread crumbs, 2 cups flour, 2 teaspoons Baking Powder, 2 cups sugar. 2 cups seeded raisins. 2 cups currants, 1 cup finely cut citron, 1 cup finely cut figs, 1 tablespoon finely cut orange peel, 1 tablespoon finely cut lemon peel, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon ground ginger, 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg, 1/4 teaspoon ground mace, 1 tablespoon salt, 1 cup water or prune juice and 1 cup grape or other fruit juice

Instructions:-

Mix thoroughly all dry ingredients and add fruit; stir in water and fruit juice and mix thoroughly. Add more water if necessary to make stiff dough. Fill greased molds 2/3 full, and steam two or three hours. This pudding should be prepared and cooked a week or more before used. Before serving steam one hour and serve with hard, lemon or foamy sauce.

497

It is a well known fact that Americans love their beer and desire nothing but the best from their beer. No doubt the large commercial beer manufacturers hold a considerable chunk of the beer making pie, but the number of home beer makers too has steadily been rising.

In fact, the popularity of home brewed beer has risen dramatically during the past twenty years or so, and custom made beers are more popular now than ever before.

Only Need a Few Hundred Dollars to Get Sta…

home brewing,home beer making kit,coopers home brew,ginger beer home brew,home beer making kits
It is a well known fact that Americans love their beer and desire nothing but the best from their beer. No doubt the large commercial beer manufacturers hold a considerable chunk of the beer making pie, but the number of home beer makers too has steadily been rising.

In fact, the popularity of home brewed beer has risen dramatically during the past twenty years or so, and custom made beers are more popular now than ever before.

Only Need a Few Hundred Dollars to Get Started

The American taste for beer is quite sophisticated and faced with an inexpensive as well as easy method of making home brewed beer has only stoked the fire of brewing beer at home. You may only require a few hundred dollars investment to purchase the required home beer making kits along with ingredients before you are well on your way to preparing homemade beer.

You can easily source home beer making kits from homebrew supply stores who stock not only the kits, but also the required ingredients as well. Before you actually get stuck into brewing beer at home you should be well acquainted with the different home beer making kits available that each comes with different supplies.

At the very least, your home beer making kit must include vital items such as the brewing kettle that is usually made from stainless steel and is used to make the wort. You should select a brewing kettle size that can hold at the very least twice the amount of beer you wish to brew.

Another important piece of equipment that your home beer making kit should have is the fermenting container which holds the brew at the same time as the yeast performs its function. In addition, the container should allow the brewer to check the fermentation that is going on, and it should also have an airlock to let gases escape.

Your home beer making kit should also have a hydrometer which is a tiny probe whose function is to measure the wort’s specific gravity while fermentation is taking place, and also before the fermentation process begins. A good thermometer is also necessary to check the temperatures between a low of sixty degrees Fahrenheit and a high of two hundred twelve degrees Fahrenheit at which point water begins to boil.

A very important facet of brewing beer at home is cleanliness and so you should ensure that your home beer making kit also has a sterilizer and it should also come with a racking cane, associated tubing as well as racking bucket – all of which help in transferring the fermented beer into a temporary location before it is actually bottled.

It is not unusual for home beer making kits to not contain bottles, caps as well as cappers which you will require for storing the fermented beer from the racking bucket into the bottles. With these pieces of equipment you should have no difficulty in brewing your beer at home.

369

Put another shrimp on the barby. That’s something you may expect to hear in Australia, but now visitors to Singapore will be hearing it.

Fair Dinkum (Honest)! An Aussie Barby In Singapore
Put another shrimp on the barby. That’s something you may expect to hear in Australia, but now visitors to Singapore will be hearing it.

The reason? The Singapore Marriott Hotel has unveiled the new Pool Grill restaurant-a chic and stylish new eatery serving fresh, contemporary cuisine prepared by Chef Harry Callinan, the hotel’s newest import from Hunter Valley in New South Wales, Australia.

Chef Harry’s epicurean passion is evident in the enthusiastic manner in which he talks about his gourmet pursuits and how he magically translates that into wholesome creations in the kitchen.

The Pool Grill menus are styled to mirror the look and feel of the pool terrace concept at the Singapore Marriott-that of a resort oasis in the heart of the city. The menu combines lightness with freshness and guests can look forward to an invigorating gazpacho, a succulent John Dory fillet, or a simple pasta, pizza or sandwich to enjoy amidst the relaxing setting. Must-tries include the Oriental Seafood Salad with palm hearts & lychee, Classic Bouillabaisse, Grilled Swordfish Fillet and the Baked Rock Lobster tail with melted lemon butter.

Here’s one of Chef Harry’s recipes:

Barbecued Snapper Parcels With Tomato, Red Onion

And Basil Butter

1 snapper fillet

1 red onion

1 tomato

Juice of 1 lemon

1 bunch fresh basil (or store-bought pesto will work)

7 Tbsp. butter

Sea salt

Black pepper

Aluminum foil

Lay one sheet of aluminum foil on the bench and rub with a little butter, place snapper fillet on top and season with salt and pepper. Slice tomato and red onion in thin slices and place on top of fish. Take remaining butter and fresh-picked basil and pound together in a mortar and pestle (pulsing in a blender will give the same result) till blended well. Add pats of the flavored butter on top of the fish and vegetables, squeeze on half a lemon. Bring sides of the foil around to make a parcel, leaving space at the top for steam to circulate. Place par-cels onto hot part of the BBQ for 5 minutes and then move to the side where it is cooler and let sit another 5 minutes to cook through. Serve straight onto plate but be careful of the steam when you open it and enjoy.

268

Are you a seafood lover well if you are here is something different, this recipe will tantalize your taste buds and make you scream for more, this is a great appetizer as well as a wonderful dinner…

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Are you a seafood lover well if you are here is something different, this recipe will tantalize your taste buds and make you scream for more, this is a great appetizer as well as a wonderful dinner, in this recipe you must use your judgment and use as much of a particular ingredient that you like or as little of each that you don’t like but you will find that by adding all the ingredients gives a nice balance to this dish.
Am I making you hungry? Well I hope so, now do stay with me because I can show people how to do things better than I can tell you. Ok were off.

Open 12 raw clams to be on the half shell and do take the time to check for pieces of shell in the clam, loosen the calm from the bottom part of the shell.

Herb Butter for clams:

Butter

Mince some watercress, parsley, shallots, anchovies, almonds, just a bit of garlic

Add some Pernod wine, Anisette, and a few drops of tobasco sauce

Mix the above ingredients together.

Place some of the herb butter mixture on each of the clams then place a ?slice of imported swiss cheese on the top of each clam, if you like more cheese then just add it, place the clams under the broiler until the cheese is bubblie and brown. Now it’s up to you to enjoy it.

Remember you can us as much or as little of the ingredients that you like because your making this to your taste, but personally I like the wines. “enjoy?

518

It is widely agreed that diet plays an important role in the overall health and well-being of our bodies. Furthermore, the importance of a healthy diet in keeping eczema at bay should certainly not be underestimated. It is thought that those suffering from eczema tend to be more likely to also harbor a diet with less essential nutrients necessary to promote healthy skin development and repair.

Dieticians almost universally agree that it is crucial for adults suffering fr…

eczema treatment
It is widely agreed that diet plays an important role in the overall health and well-being of our bodies. Furthermore, the importance of a healthy diet in keeping eczema at bay should certainly not be underestimated. It is thought that those suffering from eczema tend to be more likely to also harbor a diet with less essential nutrients necessary to promote healthy skin development and repair.

Dieticians almost universally agree that it is crucial for adults suffering from eczema to pursue diets high in natural, healthy foods and low in synthetic foods with preservatives and chemicals. It is essential to ensure the appropriate intake of proteins through essential amino acids and fatty acids, which are the vital building blocks for skin growth. Additionally, it is advantageous to incorporate vitamins and minerals into your diet to avoid the problems associated with their deficiency, including the onset of eczema.

Adults suffering from eczema are far more likely to have lower bodily levels of fatty acids. Although many people choose to supplement their diet with pills containing fatty acids, our bodies are far more efficient at absorbing these acids when they are naturally present in our food. To help the condition, it is important to obtain all these elements in balance to ensure all-round health to promote skin growth and repair. Visit http://www.eczemacuretreatment.com for more info about eczema symptoms, prevention and treatment options

Adults suffering from the condition should take all appropriate measures to ensure the foods they consume are high in vitamins, primarily vitamin A and vitamin B, such as green vegetables and pulses. It is also important to increase the consumption of magnesium, which can also be derived from greenery, nuts and seeds, in order to lessen the symptoms of eczema and to promote health all round.

Everyone knows the impact diet can have on our daily lives. As well as the countless health problems associated with a poor diet, the tell-tale signs of eczema can be almost reversed by changing basic lifestyle habits, and increasing consumption of certain of the most vital food groups. Holistic nutritionists would also suggest the inclusion of wheat grass to the diet to help eradicate these symptoms, although this should naturally be avoided for those with wheat and related allergies to avoid further complications.

Given that diet is such a crucial factor in dealing with eczema, it is a good idea to involve the family as a whole to provide the necessary help and support to treat the problem. It is a good idea to make sure everyone in the household is aware of the changes to be made to their diet, and the wider reaching impact of these changes on your, and their health.

For more advice on devising a suitable diet plan to treat your eczema, consult your dermatologist or dietician, or even your own physician, for advice on the essential ingredients necessary for healthy skin growth. You should ask your doctor about the effectiveness of diet in treating conditions like eczema, and to consider the benefits of making these dietary changes to your health as a whole.

496

This is the recipe that my grandmother brought with her when she and her family left Russia in the early 1900″s.

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This is the recipe that my grandmother brought with her when she and her family left Russia in the early 1900″s.
As a child around 1920’s or so, while living on a farm in Pennsylvania which at that time there were a great amount of people who came from Europe, you needed to be able to do for yourself, she learned from her mother how to make a most delicious white fruit cake, a white fruitcake is a fruitcake that does not have any molasses, molasses which is very bitter, not having the molasses in the fruitcake gives it a lighter color, this gives it the name white fruitcake.

This fruitcake in the days in which my mother lived as a child with her parents this was only made during Christmas because the only time you could get walnuts, cherries, and some other ingredients was in the fall of the year, remember now they didn’t go to the store to buy what they needed, they had to grow them, raisins were dried by the people themselves, they even had to shell their own walnuts, and candy their own cherries, and such the pineapple and coconut I do believe they must have purchased.

To keep with tradition the only time of the year that I make or sell this fruitcake is during the Christmas holidays, and In my mind you cannot get a better fruitcake. Here we go now gather up your ingredients and set them on your table, all ingredients need to be at room temperature.

1 pound butter
12 eggs
1 lb. sugar
1 pound flour
1 pound white raisins
1 pound walnut meats
1 lb. red and green candied cherries
1 lb. bakers flaked coconut
1 lb. candies pineapple
1 tablespoon of baking soda dissolved in ?cup warm water
2 cups brandy–any brand

Soak the raisins, walnuts, cherries, coconut and pineapple with 2 cups brandy overnight in a stainless steel bowl.
In a 5 quart mixing bowl cream butter and sugar, then add eggs slowly, then add your flour and blend well, add the baking soda and water and mix a minute more, add all other ingredients and mix until well blended.
Now you are going to bake it in a 2 pound pan, or in the pan of your choice, foil or hard pan, line the pan with wax paper or baking paper or better yet a pan liner the size of the pan. For a 2 pound pan, Place 1 pound 12 ounces of the mixture in the pan and level it with a spoon, don’t bang it on the table. Bake it in a 350 degree preheated oven for 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes, depends on your oven and how brown you want it.
It’s done when a pick is placed in the center and it comes out clean. Let it cool on a rack for a while and then sprinkle it with 1 ounce of brandy and then another ounce when it is cool and then pack it away for about 3 days in your refrigerator and then “enjoy it?

500

The Holidays are quickly approaching as we speak. For many people, myself included, memories of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Years Eves past cross their minds. Some of those memories are of a certain sparkling wine, called Cold Duck. As the old familiar songs play in the background, the winter chill whips though us and nearby homes are illuminated in their bright, colorful holiday glory, some of us will look back fondly on this beverage, remembering it from many specia…

wine, champagne, sparkling wine, spirits
The Holidays are quickly approaching as we speak. For many people, myself included, memories of Thanksgivings, Christmases, and New Years Eves past cross their minds. Some of those memories are of a certain sparkling wine, called Cold Duck. As the old familiar songs play in the background, the winter chill whips though us and nearby homes are illuminated in their bright, colorful holiday glory, some of us will look back fondly on this beverage, remembering it from many special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas and New Years Eve. You may even remember with nostalgia, the commercials from the 1970’s, of a happy couple toasting the holidays with a glass of Cold Duck, with a cheerful Christmas carol playing in the background.

You might think that Cold Duck sounds more like a dinner recipe than a beverage. Or, you may cringe at the thought of a bottle of Cold Duck , since it is one of the cheapest wines on the market, at only a few dollars per bottle. Cold Duck doesn’t carry the same sophistication as some of the other sparkling wines on the market, such as Dom Perignon or other champagnes. But Cold Duck was at one time one of the best selling and most popular sparkling wines in the United States. Cold Duck is still readily available at your local grocery store for only a few dollars a bottle. Compare that to the hefty price of a bottle of Dom Perignon champagne, which can be well over $100 a bottle.

Cold Duck originated in Germany, where it can be traced to the common practice in Bavaria of mixing cold, sparkling Burgundy with bottles of previously opened Champagne. This mixture was knows as kalte ende (cold end). This custom kept the opened bottles of champagne from being wasted, and it also provided people with a tasty beverage at the same time. Over time, the name became transliteraeed to kalte ente, which translates to cold duck. In 1937, the owner of the Pontchartrain Wine Cellars in Detroit, Harold Borgman, invented his own beverage based on this Bavarian custom.

Cold duck experienced a sizable surge of popularity in the early 1970s, being a very popular wine for parties and gatherings. With it’s soft concord grape base, Cold Duck is mixed with a combination of sweet red and white wines. The original American Cold Duck combined one part of a California red wine with two parts of a New York sparkling wine. This exact recipe varies today. One of the best known brands of Cold Duck is Andr? from the E&J Gallo Winery, which uses Concord grapes for their recipe. In 1971, only four short years after Andr?Cold Duck was introduced to the public, the E&J Gallo Winery was selling two million cases of the wine every year. Like many white wines and sparkling wines, and unlike most red wines, Cold duck is best served chilled. It goes great with party hors d’ouvres, like cheese and crackers or olives in a pastry crust.

509

Good fences may make good neighbors, but it may take great ice cream for neighbors to get to know each other better and strengthen neighboorhood bonds.

Here’s The Sweet Scoop On Throwing An Ice Cream Block Party
Good fences may make good neighbors, but it may take great ice cream for neighbors to get to know each other better and strengthen neighborhood bonds.

To help neighbors find a sweet excuse to socialize, the second annual Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned Neighborhood Salutesm will reward 1,500 neighborhoods across America with an old-fashioned ice cream social.

A recent survey found that when it comes to neighborly relations, people tend to fall into one of three distinct groups:

Most Americans (47 percent) identify themselves as “Happy Nesters” who enjoy privacy and appreciate a quiet day in the comfort of their own home; only 36 percent are “Fun Finders” who are socially motivated, active and excited to join the fun; the rest are “Activity Seekers” who enjoy socializing, but generally don’t plan activities.

Almost half of today’s neighbors feel they do not know each other as well as their parents knew their neighbors.

One way to encourage togetherness is to nominate your neighborhood for a chance to win a doorstep delivery of 12 cartons of Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned. The secret behind this great-tasting ice cream is that it’s made using the same quality ingredients, but with a process that takes more time, making each spoonful incredibly rich and creamy. With half the fat and 30 percent fewer calories than regular ice cream, there are even more reasons to celebrate.

The party comes complete with a “Party in a Box,” filled with supplies for hosting a friendly gathering for up to 100 neighbors. Official contest rules and entry forms are available at www.IceCream.com.

Ice Cream Sandwich Dips

(12 sandwiches)

For a fun block party activity, make the ice cream sandwiches in advance, then let your neighbors dip and decorate their own.

2 cartons Dreyer’s/Edy’s Slow Churned Light Ice Cream (any flavor)

12 graham crackers

1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 cup white chocolate baking chips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Cookie decorating sprinkles

Line a 10 x 15 x 1/2-inch-deep, rimmed cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Remove ice cream from freezer and let soften slightly. Spread each half gallon ice cream into a rectangle approx. 5 x 10 inches and 1/2 inch thick. Cover with plastic wrap. Freeze until firm.

Cut or break graham crackers into squares. When ice cream is firm, cut into squares the size of the graham crackers. Working quickly, slide a spatula under the ice cream squares and place between two graham crackers. Put into a sealed container and return to freezer.

Place semi-sweet chips and white chips in separate microwave-safe bowls. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to each bowl. Heat one bowl at a time in microwave oven on medium power (50 percent) for 2 to 3 minutes. Stir well until melted and smooth, and bowl no longer feels warm. Repeat with the other bowl of chips.

Dip each ice cream sandwich into melted chocolate. Immediately decorate with sprinkles before chocolate hardens. Return to freezer in a sealed container. Can be made up to two days ahead.

An ice cream sandwich can be just the right icebreaker to help neighbors get acquainted.

Last year’s neighborhood block party-goers had a “cool” time enjoying a favorite treat.