Rafting the Summer Waves

Well, here we are again.  Another 4th of July weekend passed (way passed, actually, cough cough), and yet another unforgettable rafting trip behind us.  Please refer to last year's post, and you'll have an inkling of what occurred in desert country.  It was the same craaaazy time, same crazy place, and a lot of the same crazy people, with a few newbies thrown in to spice it up a bit.  Oh how I love these guys.  Following are some images for all you rafting enthusiasts out there.  (sidenote: I mistakenly used the waterproof disposable camera again.  I may never learn)

You get the idea.  What you don't see, through this lense, is the police officer that was following us for 2 days (where else would we be besides floating along the same river?), to accuse us of stealing some other campers sleeping bag liner.  You also don't get a peak into all the hilarious times 23 youngsters can have when all 7 boats are tied together and floating along the calmer parts of the Deschutes en masse.  For a beautiful slide show, follow this link.  Elizabeth's pictures are far superior to mine.  A thousand thanks to her for putting that together.
Moving on...

If that didn't wet your appetite for summer, this should do the trick:

Raspberry-Orange Sorbet

Prep Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes

Cook Time: 5 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 15 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1/3 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 cups water
• 1 1/2 pints raspberries, pureed and strained
• 1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
• 2 tablespoons orangecello, or raspberry liquor
• 1 teaspoon orange zest  

Preparation:

In a small saucepan, bring the sugar and water to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 5 minutes, until the mixture reduces in volume and thickens. Chill the syrup for at least 30 minutes, until it is slightly cool. Process the syrup, strained raspberries, orange juice, and orangecello in a blender until the mixture is smooth. Freeze the raspberry puree in an ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

This was my first time making sorbet in my ice cream maker.  What can I say, I like fat, and I like a lot of it.  But, one must consider the cold hard facts here: 2 out of 4 of my roommates don't like ice cream (I know!).  They must be missing some crucial part of their brains, the part that adores frozen dairy.  It's in there somewhere.

On that note, I have to say, this sorbet is amazing.  It was so crucial during our mini heat wave to be able to pop open the freezer door and discover ice cold treats waiting to cool our sticky hot bodies.  Ahhhhhh.  

And one more taste tickler:

YES they are!  Whoopie pies, that is.  I know, it's just another food fad, right?  Well, I'll be the first to jump on the bandwagon and toot a victory horn.  I love these little beasts. Why are they so much better than cupcakes?  Because you don't need a stupid wrapper (you're welcome mother nature).  All you need is one hand. No, scratch that.  All you need is 2 fingers.  That's all you'll use when putting your tight grip around one of these sticky sugary snacks.  Then wrap your greedy moistened lips around your delectable cake-y sandwich and prepare to be lifted to the heavens (yes, the heavens).  My other favorite aspect to the whoopie pie?  The endless possibilities!  Mix, match, smoosh, smash, finagle, and tangle any flavor combination your sugar loving heart desires. 

I got the above recipe from the local newspaper.  They were doing a story on the release of Whoopie Pies, by Sarah Billingsley and Amy Treadwell.  I cannot wait to pick up this book and try out more flavors.  A perfect treat to bring to a birthday party, via bicycle.

Ok, I have to stop my ramblings.  I'm off to finish up my home-made ice cream for a Pig Roasting Party I'm attending this weekend.  

Happy Friday, all!

Here's a catchy little tune to brighten your eve. Quail Lungs- Dumb Dadadum

Quail Lungs - Dumb Dadadum from Joshua Jay Elliott on Vimeo.

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