Butterbeer!

I have recently embarked on a quest (The Grump insists that it is more of an epic journey) to read every book in the Harry Potter series, followed by watching the movies. I am currently reading Year 6 (Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince) and I find myself with some odd compulsions now...

For instance, I want to watch British things non-stop just to hear the accents. Top Gear, Downton Abbey, Thor, it doesn't matter, so long as they're accentalicious.

I also want a cloak. I'm restraining myself, because I know I would never actually wear it... But I want one.

And, lastly, I have a terrible craving for butterbeer. Given that this is an imaginary drink, I find this a bit of an awkward craving to have. But I'm determined to satisfy it.

There are a number of recipes online for butterbeer, most of which are attempting to replicate the Butterbeer served at the Wizarding World of Harry Potter. 

Most recipes I found make the foam and beer separately. Now, I'm what one might call a "lazy cook." If it has more than 6 steps and uses more than 2 pans, it's probably not happening. 

There is a good collection here of the most popular replicates of the butterbeer served at the WWOH. The Simple version doesn't seem too bad... but I'll buy the whipped cream, I'm not MAKING it. I may have to try that one. 

Personally, though, I think butterbeer should be alcoholic. Not strong, but enough to get house-elves sloshed. 

This one sounded good, using beer, butterscotch schnapps and rum, but we run into the way-too-much-effort problem again.

So I settled on trying this one. Simple, quick, and boozy. Unfortunately, I didn't like the marshmallow foam very much. It was a bit too sticky for me and the drink as a whole wasn't quite creamy enough. So I tweaked a few things and BAM! Deliciousness.

It is creamy and fizzy all at once, and sweet without being sickly. YUM. 
Best part? No heating, no extra pans, and ONLY TWO STEPS.

My Boozy Butterbeer.

12 oz cream soda
1 1/2 oz butterscotch schnapps
vanilla ice cream

1. Stir schnapps and cream soda together gently in a large glass.
2. Add one large spoonful of ice cream to the top and stir gently til it makes a foam. (Don't add too much ice cream, then it turns more into a float. You really just want enough to make it creamy and give it some foam)

Seriously. Simply. Delicious. The ice cream makes the perfect foam without getting rid of the fizz.

There isn't a LOT of alcohol here. Not even enough to get a lightweight drunk, but if you don't want to use alcohol, butterscotch topping works well too. Just stir well. 

I'm probably going to keep experimenting with this to try and get more "buttery" flavor into it. Will update with results. But this version is pretty wonderful on its own.

Sorry I don't have a picture of mine... I drank it all before I could find my camera.

I swear this picture is straight from a dream I had. Partying with Hermione, Fred, and George. I'm going to pretend that last guy is Neville, cause he was in my dream, too. 

This is the real source, though.

Sprouts in Disguise

I hate brussels sprouts. 

Blech.

I have, however, found a way to turn them into a wholly different, delicious thing!!

 

Seriously. Look at this deliciousness. LOOK. AT. IT.

And ignore the slightly burned pork chop and crappy photography.

Even if you don't like brussels sprouts (which I don't), you'll love this. It's very easy to make, too. Believe me, if I can do it, ANYONE can. I'm really not much of a chef (or even a cook), so I won't share recipes here often. But this is awesome, and I really feel it needs to be shared. I crave this dish. It is the only way I'll eat brussels sprouts (that I've found- I'm always willing to try new ways, though). 

Ingredients:

1 lb Brussels sprouts

Olive oil

BAM. Only 2 ingredients (unless you feel like adding salt).

Use your food processor or grater to shred the brussels sprouts. Heat a few tablespoons of olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When oil is hot, add brussels sprouts and saute until soft and just starting to brown. Add more oil if you have to, but don't over load it. It usually takes about 10 minutes for us to start browning. Add salt if you want (I never do). And enjoy while warm!

It's not particularly good cold, just fyi. Not bad, just better deliciously warm.

Also, a pound may seem like a lot, but it shrinks a bit while cooking. We always make a pound, and never have leftovers. Smasher loves this recipe, too.

 

I love this recipe because I am all about finding new ways to cook veggies. I'm just a bit of a picky eater when it comes to vegetables, so I love it when I find a recipe that makes a gross thing delicious.