Make Hamilton Into an Oasis With No-Bake, No-Cook Treats
Most of us want to enjoy the outdoors during the summer, with the bright sun, clear skies, and reprieve from winter’s chill. However, it’s hot out there! This summer, make these four treats to enjoy bold flavors while beating the heat.
Fruit-Infused Iced Tea
Make your favorite bold tea at its correct strength; lots of green teas or regular black tea work well. Remove the tea bags and add chopped fruit: up to 1 cup of fruit per 3 cups of tea, though just a little will go a long way too! Strawberries, peaches, and blueberries are popular favorites. Set the tea and fruit mixture in the refrigerator overnight to cool. In the morning, you’ve got great fruit-infused iced tea. It’s up to you whether you strain out the fruit at this point, drink it with the fruit in, or blend it up into a tea-based smoothie. Best consumed on the back porch on a hot afternoon!
Caprese Salad
This salad isn’t like the average salad. Chop a package of grape or cherry tomatoes in half (1-1.5 cups), cube up a half cup of fresh mozzarella cheese, and chop up 20 basil leaves into thin ribbons. Mix all of these together, and then drizzle with 1.5 tablespoons of olive oil and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar. If you aren’t much for vinegar, look for balsamic glaze at the grocery store – it’s got a less puckery taste and a bit of sweetness that tastes great. If you have it, sprinkle just a little coarse salt on top!
Watermelon Agua Fresca Ice
This recipe is super simple: put 5 cups of no-seed watermelon cubes in a blender with a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of lime juice. Blend till fairly smooth, then transfer to a freezer-safe bowl and put in to freeze. Keep an eye on it and when it’s almost frozen, put back in the blender and blend it up into a soft slush. If you have a homemade ice cream maker, you can freeze that there instead! Makes a super-tasty and also super healthy dessert!
Ice Cream in a Bag
Ever wanted to make your own ice cream and learn about the science of freezing things at the same time? Do this cooking-and-science-experiment combination with your friends or kids. You’ll need a large freezer bag, ice, rock salt (also called ice cream salt), a smaller sandwich bag, milk or half-and-half, and sugar.
Mix 1 cup whole milk or half-and-half with 2 tablespoons sugar and add flavors: a bit of vanilla, some hot chocolate powder, or fruit; make sure you mix very well and remove any lumps. Put this in the small sandwich bag and seal carefully. Check for holes or leaks, because those will result in salty ice cream.
Fill the large freezer bag with 3 cups of ice and ⅓ cup of ice cream salt or kosher salt. Make sure the little bag is sealed very carefully, and put it in with the ice and the salt.
Jostle the bag around – kids love this part – for 7 to 10 minutes. Don’t jostle too intensely or the bags could break. Watch as the ice cream solid appear! When it’s solid, carefully remove the bag and dab off any water at the seal, since it’ll make the ice cream salty. Open the bag up, and enjoy while out for a walk or just relaxing in the sun.
Did you have fun making any of our treats and beating the heat? Share a picture on The Hamiltonian’s Facebook or Twitter pages with a shout-out to your favorite flavors!