You scream, I scream, but we won't scream for this ice cream!

If the constant down pours in Middle Tennessee ever stop, I might begin to believe that summer is almost here. I love all things summer: pool, flip flops and of course ice cream! If you're lucky, I might share my classic Bourbon Ice Cream recipe with you one day, but for now, we're focusing on the Lee Brothers Banana Pudding Ice Cream. The Lee Brothers wrote a large tome devoted to Southern Cuisine. If you're curious about checking out but weary about purchasing, check out your local library because I'm sure they have it (at least they do in the VA!) Since my last big success with bananas, my stomach had it's heart set on another winning recipe. Sadly, this guy tasted like really cold banana pudding...not really the mix of frozen concoction and savory dessert that I had envisioned. At this point, I would stick with a normal banana pudding or the pie. For my next trick I wonder if I could recreate my favorite Ben & Jerry's now defunct flavor...Blackberry Cobbler. Stay tuned you never know what might hit my kitchen or your taste buds!

Attack of the Killer Tomato Bread

My sister and I are big fans of all things tomato...with basil, noodles or just straight up. When this recipe came up on my favorite bread blog, I immediately put it in the hopper. Now that the boxes are unpacked and pictures hung, I've begun tackling the surplus of recipes. I've tried a few recipes from the Kneader before, but nothing blog worthy...until now. I really loved this bread. As these loaves bake, it smells like a delicious Margherita style pizza heating up. I slightly altered the recipe to accommodate my larder. I just went with regular AP flour instead of bread flour and I replaced the thyme with basil in the tomato spread since I've got a plentiful stash in my herb garden. Next time, I want to add a little mozzarella to perfect this already tasty to recipe. I think cheese makes everything just a little better!

Eat Your Mail

Whether it be the e variety or the the kind from the Postman, I love me some fun mail. Postcards will find their way to my fridge. Greeting cards might find their way into a frame, but some unlucky notes might just end up in the recycle bin. Well lucky me, when fabulous NYC Diva sent me an edible greeting card. It came as a very outstanding tasty surprise yesterday. Send it to your Mom, friend with a bday or yourself just for the heck of it!

Saving Benjamins

While I continue to rock out funemployment, I've been cruising some new blogs. I've found a lot of people blogging about ways to save money at the grocery and pharmacy. It takes a little time to weed through all the options, but after I did last week, I saved $40 at Publix maximizing in-store sales with coupons. It takes a little planning and might not always be the ideal solution for a cook who is a little more whimsical with their menus like me, but it definitely pays off for the basics (Bisquick, cleaning supplies, and the like).

Here are a few blogs I like at the moment:

Frugal in Franklin

Coupon Cravings

Southern Savers

There are probably some in your area, so it might be worth hunting down to save you some pennies for the important stuff.

Affairs of my Media Heart

The old adage is true…absence makes the heart grow fonder. There are people that consider my love affair a low down dirty shame…a waste of time, but I’ve got to tell you that my love continues to grow and quite honestly will never wane. I’m a big time TV lover and I’m proud of it!

While Mr. Diva and I were in transition from DC townhouse to Nashville Cape Cod, we took a television hiatus. Actually, we were generously put up in a fabulous place…the only hiccup was NO CABLE except a lonely CBS station. Now some people would love to live life without TV and probably already do. Well, let me tell you that it was a tough 5 weeks for this Diva, but I survived and have the koozie to prove it. Kids, the world without TV is far meaner than any Real Housewife, more disturbing than a case on The Closer and could easily use a comical dose from my boy Barney Stinson on How I Met Your Mother!

I learned that no matter what Harry tries to say, I just can’t stand The Early Show. It’s clear that he’s living his own personal Groundhog Day hell. I definitely missed my quick jolt of GMA before I simmered down with Regis and Kelly. I did learn that when it comes to TV or no, I’ll watch the local news and fain interest. Did you know that you can buy groceries on auction?!?!

Now that my sabbatical is over, I look forward to no longer watching my favorites shows on my laptop, to restocking my TIVO and to checking out the ridiculous new creations out there. TV is an important part of my life. It’s like classical literature to some. I live for Cappy and Casey to finally reunite. I long for Monk to discover his wife’s killer. I yearn Michel Weston to find out who burned him. I live for TV. It makes me a funnier, more inquisitive and down right happier person. So do yourself a favor, click on your Sammy, Toby or Sylvia and find your favorite program…sit back with a glass of something tasty and enjoy because without TV life would just be down right worthless.