 |
Strawberry Milk |  |
Real Food, Fresh & Springy. Just Five Ingredients!
that I'm adding it to a special collection of easy summer recipes
published every summer since 2009.
Watch for new "summer easy" recipes all summer long!
With a free e-mail subscription, you'll never miss a one!
Is It a Smoothie? Nope!
On "doctor days" for my 93-year old father, it's no longer even a question, after the appointments, we go straight to the local Malt Shop, an old-fashioned place which we think has the best fries in town to say nothing of the best milkshakes in town, better yes, than even St. Louis' most famous place for shakes and malts, Crown Candy Kitchen, another reallllly old-fashioned (and don't get me wrong, totally wonderful) place.
For three years now, Dad's been working his way through the long list of flavors. Me, I got stuck on the chocolate malts.
Until one day I tried the strawberry shake. And ever since ...
... yep, now I'm stuck on strawberry milkshakes.
Or a Homemade Strawberry Milkshake? Pretty Close!
No quibbling, Strawberry Milk is no "real" strawberry milkshake. But it's darn close, considering that it's made without ice cream. And cream. And whipped cream. And even without a strawberry on top, though, hmmm, you could, why not?!
With homegrown berries, Strawberry Milk would be a wonderment, I'm sure. But so far, every year I just make a batch or two of frothy Strawberry Milk when the berries are cheap and plentiful, not pricey strawberries, just inexpensive supermarket Driscoll strawberries, starting with the "first crop" of strawberries that appears in April and May followed by the "second crop" that pops up in July and August.
Even with supermarket strawberries and low-fat milks, Strawberry Milk is a special strawberry-packed creamy treat!
You'll Love Strawberry Milk If ...
- you crave all things strawberry
- but can't be trusted to order the "small" shake at the Malt Shop
- you remember strawberries 'n' cream from your childhood
A Quick Note About My Dad
So many eagle-eyed readers made note when I wrote recently about our "table of two" and wrote to me privately, concerned about my dad. Thanks to all! I do so appreciate your noticing and checking in ...
Dad moved to St. Louis three years ago to live with my husband and me and he's definitely still with us and doing great — but since Christmas, he lives down the road a bit in a senior facility that offers the routine and standby care that he needs now.
Much to my surprise, he's thriving! He goes to "happy hour" almost every day; loves the therapists; watches after other residents; and is slowly but surely making connection with twelve – yes, a dozen! – other World War II veterans.
The dog and I visit for at least a few minutes every day. Luka's a natural-born "therapy" dog: he's just the right height to pet for people sitting in chairs or wheelchairs; from home, he's learned to be super-careful around people who use walkers to get around; plus he has this adorable spotted face that charms (and even calms, sometimes) Dad's fellow residents. Really, doesn't that face just make you smile?! No wonder he's got a whole legion of fans at the care center!
RESOURCES Dad and my sister talk every evening and one of the best things we've done recently is to sign up for Captel, a captioned phone service for the hearing impaired. It's easy to set up and because captions supplement his limited hearing, he stays in touch with friends and family far more now too. 
This is NOT a sponsored discussion of Captel, it's just a service that's working really well for my elderly father. My Disclosure Promise
Strawberry Milk
Time to table: 12 hours
Makes 5 3/4 cups
- 1 pound (454g) ripe strawberries, stems & leaves trimmed
- 1/2 cup (100g) sugar
- 2 cups 2% (or less) milk
- 1 cup buttermilk
- another 1 cup 2% (or less) milk
- Zest of half a lime (don't skip)
MACERATE THE STRAWBERRIES In a bowl large enough to hold almost 6 cups of liquid, combine the berries and sugar, then mash a little with a potato masher or something similar. Let rest at room temperature for an hour to let the juices release, another hour or two won't hurt, if need be.
PURÉE THE STRAWBERRIES WITH SOME OF THE MILK Transfer the berries to a blender and add 2 cups of milk (no more, this leaves room for the blender to run at high speed without sloshing over). Run the blender for two to three minutes, really puréeing the berries. Pour the puréed mixture back into the big bowl, stir in the buttermilk and the extra 1 cup of milk.
STRAIN A cup or two at a time, drain the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer, pressing it through with the back of a spoon if necessary. (Use the seeds and solids in a smoothie!) Stir in the lime zest.
REFRIGERATE Cover and refrigerate overnight.
TO SERVE Serve cold for breakfast, I suppose, or to my taste, as a mid-afternoon or after-dinner treat. For Easter brunch? Perfect!
Is macerating necessary? Yes, yes and yes. Macerating both draws out the juices and sweetens the juices in a way that just chopping them together doesn't. Is straining necessary? Yes, it's slightly fussy but it's definitely worth it. Is waiting necessary? I think so! But take a sip yourself right away, then again eight hours later. No need for pricey home-grown strawberries here, save those for shortcake, Strawberry Shortcake Iowa-Style to be specific! Even 2% milk makes for something totally creamy and rich. In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to use 1% and even skim milk. Strawberry Milk is really about the strawberries.
WEIGHT WATCHERS Old Points 2 & PointsPlus 2 & SmartPoints 5 & Freestyle 5 & myWW green 5 & blue 5 & purple 5 CALORIE COUNTERS 100-calorie serving = very slightly generous 1/2 cup (3g protein). This recipe has been "Alanna-sized".
Celebrating Strawberry Season!
(hover with a mouse for a description; otherwise click a photo to view the recipe)
Shop Your Pantry First
(helping home cooks save money on groceries)~ strawberries ~
~ buttermilk ~
~ All Recipes, By Ingredient ~
~ How to Save Money on Groceries ~
Quick Suppers are Kitchen Parade favorites and feature recipes easy on the budget, the clock, the waistline and the dishwasher. Do you have a favorite recipe that other Kitchen Parade readers might like? Just send me a quick e-mail via recipes@kitchen-parade.com. How to print a Kitchen Parade recipe. Never miss a recipe! If you like this recipe, sign up for a free e-mail subscription. If you like Kitchen Parade, you're sure to like my food blog about vegetable recipes, too, A Veggie Venture. If you make this recipe, I'd love to know your results! Just leave a comment below.© Copyright Kitchen Parade
2019 & 2020
Comments
Post a Comment
Thank you for taking a moment to write! I read each and every comment, for each and every recipe. If you have a specific question, it's nearly always answered quick-quick. But I also love hearing your reactions, your curiosity, even your concerns! When you've made a recipe, I especially love to know how it turned out, what variations you made, what you'll do differently the next time. ~ Alanna