It’s February, the thermometer hasn’t seen a temperature above 30 for a week, and the heat pump isn’t functioning properly.
So we had milkshakes.
We’d gone to exchange some shirts I’d bought in the wrong size and stopped to browse in the kitchen section on the way out of the store. Amid all the kitchen implements we had in our blended kitchen, neither of us had brought a blender. There had been talk of blenders at Christmastime, but we hadn’t found one we really liked at a price we also really liked. Although the idea of a high-powered, do-everything machine has some appeal, we’re not convinced we want another large appliance. Besides, we don’t crush ice all that often, and I’m not sure that homemade peanut butter is any better than store-bought. An immersion blender seems the better option for pureeing soup and mixing the occasional milkshake. It seemed possible that the Cuisinart model we saw was exactly what we needed. The price was certainly appealing. We brought it home, stopping at the dairy store for ice cream, along with milk and eggs–snow was predicted, after all.
That morning, we’d put sauerkraut, kielbasa, chopped apple, and a little caraway seed in the slow-cooker. It was almost ready; there was just enough time to turn some leftover mashed potatoes into pancakes to go along with the kraut-und-wurst, and to sauté a few green beans and tomatoes, just because. It was not a heavy meal at all, but hearty and warming. Maybe a little more caraway next time; maybe a little celery seed, too. But overall, no complaints.
Halfway through an episode of Sherlock, we paused for dessert. She is unconvinced that the blender is comfortable to hold, so she scooped the ice cream and poured the milk; I did the blending. The new machine works perfectly, though I see her point about its handle being a little thick. We’ll give it one more try; if we’re still not happy, it goes back to the store. As is her custom, she drizzled chocolate sauce down the side of the glasses before pouring in the milkshake. As for Bailey’s or Kahlua or Starbucks liqueur, we passed: these were straight-up delicious ice cream treats with no “adult” components needed.
One might argue that the depth of winter is not the right time for a cold dessert. She might say that’s a matter of thermal regulation: putting cold inside when it’s cold out makes sense to her. If milkshakes make us want to snuggle tighter under a blanket while finishing our movie, that’s a good enough reason for me.
Chocolate shakes in a vanilla kitchen: the new backsplash is installed!
Dinner at the Country House 