Author: Beckers

Randy Beckwith here. I’m thankfully retired. But, my career included graphic designer, copy writer and marketing professional. Now I live with my wife in Roanoke, Virginia enjoying time relaxing on our patio that was a necessary addition to our home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I love to cook fun, simple but tasty food. When enjoying an adult beverage on the patio it’s usually a vodka martini. And I do simple DIY projects to enhance our home and outdoors. We’ve had great fun building an outdoor living space on a “reserved” budget and want to share our experience with anyone who wants the same without breaking the bank. I hope you enjoy reading our blog. And remember, every day is Friday on the patio!

Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream

I like a combination of textures in my food. Toast whose crust is crisp and crunchy while the center is soft and chewy (smothered with butter, of course). And that’s why I love Randy’s Eat Shop recipe for Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream. The “ice cream” part is exceptionally smooth and silky. The “peanut brittle”, broken into small pieces, offers a nice crunchy element — peanuts, the brittle, oh my! On top of that, this recipe is just so easy to make. In a half hour you can have it all mixed up and in the freezer firming up for you. Make it in the morning and you’ll have something to be excited about all day. But be forewarned: I take no responsibility if, on arriving home, you sit down with a container of Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream and a spoon and much sooner than you think the container is empty. It’s just that good.

Click here to get FREE digital, printable downloads about how to create and enjoy your patio, deck and/or outdoor living space.

Do this:

2 cups (16oz) cold heavy whipping cream
14 ounces (1 can) cold sweetened condensed milk (fat-free or regular)
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup peanut brittle crushed into small pieces

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the cold cream on high speed until hard peaks form.

Turn off the machine and pour the condensed milk into the whipped cream.

Turn the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is thick and stiff peaks. Turn off the machine and stir in vanilla extract and the crushed peanut brittle. Mix on high until smooth and thoroughly combined.

*Homemade Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream*

Transfer to an air-tight sealable container and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours before eating.

Download Recipe

Fresh Cherry and Toasted Walnut Option:

Instead of adding crushed peanut brittle, at this point add:

1/2 cup toasted walnut pieces
1 cup fresh cherries, chopped
1 1/2 tsp sugar

Walnuts
Break the walnuts into small pieces and toast in a skillet on the stove top. Don’t add any oil to the pan — the walnuts have enough oil in them to do the job. Do keep a keen eye on your toasting walnuts and stir them frequently. Be careful because they can easily burn. When at the point you want (by tasting a piece or two), remove them from the heat and pour them into a bowl to stop the toasting before they burn.

Cherries
If at all possible, use fresh cherries. Our friend Maria has a beautiful cherry tree in her back yard and she invites us to pick every year. We don’t have a cherry pitter so we just squeeze the cherries to push the pit out. Then, chop the cherries. Put chopped cherries in a bowl and add 1 1/2 teaspoon sugar and mix with a spoon. To prevent your ice cream from being soggy instead of creamy, put the cherries in a mesh strainer for about 10 to 15 minutes to drain the juice away. Push on your cherry mash with a spoon to help drain away the juice.

So, at the point in the recipe above when you would have added the crushed peanut brittle, instead, add the toasted walnuts and crushed, sweetened cherries. Mix on high until well combined and smooth.

Transfer to an air-tight sealable container and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours before eating.

Please Leave a Comment: Peanut Brittle Crunch Ice Cream

Please post a comment below to tell us how the recipe worked for you and if you liked this ice cream. Did you modify the recipe? If so, share. Attach a photo of your version of this ice cream.

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Cold Brew Coffee

In my humble opinion, the best coffee in the world is cold brew coffee. It has all of the flavor and caffeine of hot brewed coffee but without 67% of the acid. Easy on your stomach!

Here’s some quick and easy steps to get started.

Prep for Cold Brew Coffee

Grind or have your whole beans ground coarse. Use a French Press grind or even a bit more coarse. We grind our own at home with a hand-driven grinder. We bought a Wondermill Junior several years ago and it still works great.

Use a strong coffee, like a French or Italian roast. You can adjust the intensity of the flavor — milder or more robust — when you make your cup of coffee to suit your taste because this recipe brews a coffee concentrate to which you add water for a hot cup of joe.

As we’ve aged, we only drink decaf. I know, I too used to say decaf was for weenies. But we found a French Roast that has great flavor — we can’t tell the difference. Check out San Fransisco Bay Coffee. Yummy stuff!

The ratio for brewing is one to two — for every one cup of ground coffee, add two cups of water. Brew your coffee in a glass or stainless steel container on the countertop for fifteen (15) hours. Filter the coffee concentrate from the grounds. Then, put the grounds in your compost heap or container.

Enjoy a Cup of Cold Brew Coffee

Here are the ratios of concentrate for a hot cup of coffee or an iced coffee:

Hot Coffee
One quarter cup (1/4) of concentrate to three quarters cup of boiling hot water. The beauty of cold brew is that you can adjust the mix to suit exactly how you like your coffee. Use less concentrate if this ratio is too strong for you. Use more concentrate if you like your coffee more beefy.

Iced coffee
If you’d like to have an iced coffee in the afternoon, use one half (1/2) cup of coffee concentrate and one half (1/2) cup of milk or half-n-half with a touch of some sweetener like stevia. Or cold brew some hazelnut coffee and use it for your iced coffee — you probably won’t need any sweetener.

Important Tips:

After brewing and drinking cold brew coffee for years, here’s what we’ve learned:

You can buy a cold brew system ready to go, but for a fraction of the cost, I initially bought several glass juice containers (two quart) from Walmart and a large plastic funnel — less than $10. Currently I use a large stainless steel stock pot from a beer brewing website and it makes enough cold brew concentrate to last us about four weeks.
I have made up to three gallons of cold brew at one time with no loss of quality, so I can confidently say that the one cup of coffee to two cups of water is a good ratio no matter what volume you brew.
You can use something as simple as paper towel to act as a filter (in your plastic funnel), but I was always worried about the chemicals in the paper towel leaching into my coffee. Currently I use an organic muslin bag and it works great. There are also providers online who sell hemp bags designed for home-making almond milk that would work just as well.
Brew your coffee on the countertop but refrigerate it after brewing. I’ve had coffee in my fridge for up to six weeks with no loss of flavor or quality.
Buy a manual grain mill and grind your coffee by hand to the texture you desire. If the electricity ever quits for an extended time period, you can still brew coffee.

Cold brew takes a little effort but will return much pleasure every time you take that first sip. Enjoy your coffee . . . living on the patio.

Please Leave a Comment: Cold Brew Coffee

Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. What’s your ratio of cold brew concentrate to water? Did you make the iced coffee? Was it good? Please share and post a photo of your brew set-up.

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We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no extra cost to you if the affiliate links are utilized to make a purchase. Click this link to see all our disclosures.

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Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

There’s something about a spoonful of thick, rich, and creamy chocolate ice cream melting in your mouth as you sit in bliss because you just made homemade chocolate ice cream with a hand mixer and it was just stupid easy. And now you have promised yourself you will never buy store-bought ice cream again when you can make homemade chocolate ice cream that’s as good as this. Yup!

2 cups (16oz) cold heavy whipping cream
14 ounces (1 can) cold sweetened condensed milk (fat-free or regular)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4 tablespoons unsweetened dark cocoa powder

Do this:

Place unsweetened dark cocoa powder in a separate bowl and mix with a small amount of heavy cream to dissolve into a creamy sauce.

Using a hand mixer or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whip the cold cream on high speed until firm peaks form.

Turn off the machine and pour the condensed milk into the whipped cream.

Turn the speed to high and whisk until the mixture is thick and stiff peaks. Turn off the machine and stir in vanilla extract and the cocoa mixture. Mix on high until smooth and thoroughly combined.

chocolate ice cream — *Chocolate Ice Cream with Air-tight Sealable Container*

Transfer to an air-tight sealable container and freeze for a minimum of 6 hours before eating.

download recipe

Please Leave a Comment: Homemade Chocolate Ice Cream

Please post a comment below to tell us how the recipe worked for you and if you liked this ice cream. Did you modify the recipe? If so, share. Attach a photo of your version of this ice cream.

Buy us a Coffee

If you love this blog post on livingonthepatio.com, click the button below to make a donation and buy us a coffee. Thanks.

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no extra cost to you if the affiliate links are utilized to make a purchase. Click this link to see all our disclosures.

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Fish Tacos

What a fun meal to enjoy on the patio — fish tacos. Unless the snow in your locale is blowing sideways, fish tacos are an outdoor “fun food” pretty much year-round.

Let’s Talk Fish

Many people use Cod and I have in the past as well. Sometimes it is hard to find or too expensive depending on the season. Lately, I have been using Tilapia from Sam’s Club — very economical in these times. I slice the fillets into finger size pieces — it works great! But, of course, use whatever fish your appetite demands.

Batter Your Fish

We like our fish for tacos battered and deep fried. Yes, perhaps not too heart-healthy but fish tacos once a month on the patio probably won’t cause too much damage. You’ll find our batter recipe below. It’s basic so if you want to add some garlic powder, onion powder, or any other seasonings that sound tasty to you go right ahead.

Fish Tacos Chipotle Sauce

Having spent almost three decades in Colorado, our palette skews toward the spicy side. The chipotle sauce recipe below is a must for us — fish tacos are just naked without it.

Recipes:

Fish Batter

1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup beer — whatever your pallet demands.
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 – 2 tsp Smoked Paprika Spice
1/2 tsp salt

Do This:

Combine all of the dry ingredients in a medium mixing bowl. Remember to add any additional spices now. Maybe garlic and/or onion powder and some fresh ground pepper, but it’s not necessary.
Now add the beer a bit at a time while you are mixing the batter to get a consistency like a thick pancake batter. Stop when you get the right thickness or add a bit more beer if necessary. Use a hand whisk to get a smoother consistency.
Set aside for now.

Note 1: I am not a “fancy” beer drinker. I like creamy beer, maybe unfiltered wheat beer from a local microbrew. I like beer with a “hint” of sweet. And I like my beer strong. So I normally buy Steel Reserve. It’s creamy, slightly sweet, and 8.1% alcohol per volume. It checks all of my boxes since I drink whatever I don’t need for the batter recipe.

Note 2: If you have a lot of fish or want to make some onion rings to go with your fish tacos double the recipe.

Chipotle Sauce

3/4 cup mayonnaise
2 Tbsp lime juice from bottled juice of from one fresh lime
2-3 canned chipotle chilies in adobo sauce, roughy chopped, plus 1-2 tsp adobo sauce. Use less depending on your interest/tolerance for spicy hot.
1-2 large garlic cloves roughly chopped

Do this:

In a blender, or preferably using an immersion blender, combine all of the ingredients in a bowl and blend until smooth and creamy.
Set aside for now.

Other Ingredients

Get the fish you want — cod, tilapia or other white, firm fillets
2-3 ripe avocados
Corn tortillas — we like the white over the yellow but get what you like.
Vegetable oil such as Canola

Make Your Fish Tacos Happen

Remove your fish from the wrapper or package and blot it dry with paper towels. Then slice your fish into finger sized strips.

Open one or two of the avocados and cut the halves into thick slices.

Frying the Fish

OK, let me say that I only use cast iron pans. That’s all I have. They are like a great pick-up truck that will do anything for you under the most extreme conditions and usually get you out of a hole if you make a mistake.

For frying the fish I use a cast iron dutch oven. It’s deep to protect you from spattering oil and it holds the heat well while frying. Pour about one to two inches of oil into the dutch oven and heat the oil with medium-high heat until the oil shimmers but not smoking. When the oil is ready it’s time to cook the fish.

Using a pair of tongs, grab a piece of fish and dunk it in the batter to completely coat the fish. Set it into the hot oil — no splashing! Generally I can fry three to four pieces of fish at one time. Keep an eye on your fish because it will cook fast and the batter will burn if you’re not careful. When you see the batter on the edge of the fish browning, turn the fish over with the tongs. When the fish is throughly browned and crispy on both sides, remove it from the oil and place it on a cookie sheet or cooling rack with paper towel to soak up any extra oil. You can have your oven on a low temp and keep the cooked fish warm in the oven to prevent it from cooling until you’re ready to build your tacos.

Drink the extra beer not used for the batter while you’re frying the fish.

Heating the Tortillas

I use a Lodge griddle that is designed to fit over two like-sized burners. It works perfect for toasting three corn tortillas at the same time. See what I’m talking about here: Lodge Double Play Reversible Grill / Griddle. But, use whatever pan you have or are accustomed to.

Here’s another handy tool that’s going to make your fish tacos easier to build and look good if you happen to be entertaining. Use it on one side and stuff two tacos. Flip it over if your stuffing three tacos. Check these taco holders out on Amazon.

Fish Taco Holder — *Stainless steel taco holder*

Heat your corn tortillas so they are warm but still pliable. Press them down into your taco holders so you have an equal amount of tortilla on each side.

Let the stuffing begin!

Now, place two or three slices of avocado in the tortilla — press them down if need be. Then, place one or two strips of fried fish on top of the avocado. Finish it off with a generous coating of chipotle sauce. When all of your tacos are stuffed it’s time to eat!

Download Recipe

Onion Rings

A nice compliment to your tacos is homemade onion rings. Slice a yellow or sweet onion into rigs about 1/4″ thick and separate the rings. Dunk them in the batter and coat just like the fish. Set them in the oil (add more oil if need be and let it come back up to the correct heat). Same as the fish — watch them so they don’t burn. Flip them over and brown the other side. Have another pan or sheet lined with paper towel and place the cooked onion rings there. Lightly salt the rings.

That’s it! Head out to the patio and enjoy your feast. And remember to grab another cold beer on your way out.

Please Leave a Comment: Fish Tacos

Please post a comment below to tell us how this recipe worked for you. What do you stuff your tacos with in addition to the fish? Do you use the taco holders? What topping did you use? Please share a photo of your fish tacos.

Buy us a Coffee

If you love this blog post on livingonthepatio.com, click the button below to make a donation and buy us a coffee. Thanks.

We may earn money or products from the companies mentioned in this post at no extra cost to you if the affiliate links are utilized to make a purchase. Click this link to see all our disclosures.

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