Sunday, July 3, 2011

Foreign Land

Happy ALMOST 4th of July. Lets face it, I won’t get around to posting anything tomorrow and I’m not savvy enough yet to pre write my posts. I’ll learn someday, just not today. Winking smile

That being said, I’ll go ahead and post my pondering thoughts and new recipe. Sound good?

So, holidays are little different in the Cotter household. It’s kind of a blend of foreign land and American land. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not complaining one bit. I love it! But when it comes down to American tradition like Thanksgiving pumpkin pie, 4th of July celebrations, etc. my kiwi husband likes to take a whole new approach.

What can I say…..variety is the spice of life, right?

You know you’ve married a Foreigner when…………….


A cold Guinness is the perfect Recovery Drink
IMG00442-20110422-1757[1]

When your household staples consist of
Black Licorice & Marmite vs. Chocolate & Peanut butter
DSCF0553
You spend money on new cycling jerseys
versus
Football jerseys
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA
Lamb is requested at Thanksgiving instead of Turkey
(if you look closely, you can also see marmite on the table)
OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA

Fourth of July Pool Parties are replaced with
3rd of July TOUR WATCHING parties
thumbnail.

And last but not least….

Kiwi and Lychee fruit are a common and Apples and Oranges

Creamy Cashew Frozen Lychee Cups

P1010131


Ingredients:
  • 1/3 cup raw cashew halves
  • 5 lychee fruit (pitted)
  • 1 tbsp. honey
  • 3 to 4oz plain yogurt (I used Greek yogurt but coconut or goats milk would work too)
  • vanilla stevia or regular sweetener with vanilla extract
  • 1-2 oz. of vanilla almond milk (or other milk choice)
  • Optional add ins- white chocolate chips, dried fig, etc.
Directions:
Place all ingredients in a food processor or mixer besides the honey and vanilla. Blend until smooth and then add in your extra toppings and sweetener. Blend again until taste is just right! Pour into muffin cups and freezer for 1 hour or more. Makes about 4 to 5 medium cups.

Perfect for a hot 4th of July refreshment, right? So traditional I know. haha.
P1010133

Anyone doing anything NON TRADITIONAL for the 4th of July?
I’m sure someone has a story. Do share!


Cheers and Have a safe 4th!
LC

88 comments:

Heather @ Where's the Beach said...

I think it's fun to be just a little bit different don't you? Hope you have a great Sunday my friend!

Bre said...

oh wow...how delicious are those lychee treats?? yum!!! and don't worry I'm all for swapping out Canada/Independence day for the Tour party!

Holly said...

What is marmite? I think I've seen it on a cooking show once and I just didn't get it!

We're doing pretty traditional things this weekend -- BBQs, fireworks, swimming, etc.

jobo said...

yum! I love this post...more personal side of what's the 'norm' in your house! love it and hope you have a great long weekend!!

Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table said...

Guinness as a recovery drink sounds like a brilliant idea!

The most "untraditional" thing I did was make chipotle grilled corn hummus.  I don't like corn, but apparently I now love it in creamy hummus. :)

Brittany said...

A good beer post race is always best :)

Michelle @ The Cooking Life said...

Ha, I guess I'M the foreigner ;-) I was born in the Philippines but grew up in TX so EVERY holiday has a lot of Filipino elements mixed in (my hubby is caucasian). Like tomorrow, all my family & relatives are coming over to our house to celebrate my upcoming bday, plus 4th of July - all the food will NOT be traditional, but that's okay with me. Filipino food is great and my husband loves it. Happy 4th of July!

lindsay cotter said...

oh my gosh! I want that recipe. DId you post it?
 
Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net   
www.cottercrunch.com



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lindsay cotter said...

its basically a concentrated yeast extract and it is STRONG!!! high in
sodium but great to use for cooking. My husband eats it by the spoonful, haha.
 
Lindsay



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Salah said...

I love love love lychee!  I had a lychee martini once and it was amazing!  Ever since then I've noticed that a lot of fro-yo shops here have lychee as a topping and I always grab it!  I most definitely have this recipe bookmarked!  YuM!!

lindsay cotter said...

I knew you'd like this one! Its so good! Let me when you make it, k?
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Kelly said...

haha ' you know you married a foreigner when' - good stuff! I definitley married a southern boy - football jerseys, football watching, meat meat and lots of red meat, etc. Hilarious!

I must admit - i've never watched the cycling before - like sat down and really watched it!

lindsay cotter said...

oh how I would love that food too! I use to eat it a ton in hawaii! can i come?
hehe.
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

i like to think so! hope the pool party was fun! get a good tan?
 
Lindsay




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Lindsay said...

Oh yum those cups look delish :). I'm doing standard 4th of July celebrations- food and fireworks...and some drinks too of course! Hope you're having a great weekend Linds!

Sarah said...

I've never heard of marmite before and black licorice I am not a fan of.. but the creamy cashew cups? Now those look delicious! Variety is the spice of life! Keeps things interesting for sure!

Katelyn Block said...

Ahhhh lychee sounds so good!!!! Haha foreign beer is WAY better anyways so he has good taste

Vanessa @ Gourmet Runner said...

Sounds like my house! I'm half English, and hubs is fully English, and this is the first time I have bee in America for the 4th of July for 10 or so years. We're learning! We have goose on holidays instead of turkey, and lots of black licorice and marmite here too (but I like all those things!)

Rachelle Wardle said...

Yum those look delicious!  I love the variety.  My family is 100% American and I think it is good to have a little spice.  And black licorice, YUMMO!  My favorite. :)

lindsay cotter said...

Haha, love it! I actually like marmite too! We need to have a foreign dinner party together.
LC
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

audrey said...

" A cold Guinness is the perfect Recovery Drink"     isn't it?????
very good friends of ours, who are americans and live here  in victoria bc for most of the year, are having a 4th of july party..complete with an american themed trivia/scavenger hunt.  she wants to test our knowledge of american trivia!   i figure estlle will be in for a surprise!
but what ever the outcome, will be very fun!!!
happy 4th to you and your family and all the cotter crunch community!!!

Laura @ Sprint 2 the Table said...

I just realized I failed to link to my blog - it's posted there at www.sprint2thetable.com!

Allie said...

That looks super amazing. Totally wish I knew how to bake like none other :(  
I am most likely sitting at home today and tomorrow(mom and brother work) and have nothing really fun to do. I am going to see the fireworks tomorrow and go putt putting.  
O and ps I didnt try that workout that you posted last. I decided I didnt want to work out alone(hate to workout by myself sometimes)

kristi (Sweet Cheeks) said...

I have never seen that fruit in my grocery store. I just want to try it because I like it's name haha. 

Holley Theodore said...

lamb has been sounding SO good to me lately. i need to pick some up at the store. any great recipe ideas?!?

Stephanie said...

I'd be thrilled about all of that...except for the marmite.  Awful stuff.  Shudder.  My husband is filipino, so there's almost always something strange to eat in my house.  Some of it I love (like durian), some of it not so much (like blood.  Yes, that's right.  There was a container of blood in my fridge this week when my in-laws were over.  Apparently my in-laws are vampires).

lindsay cotter said...

Oh ya! We love lamb. Do you like spicy, fruity, herbed? I have lots of good recipes!
LC
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

lindsay cotter said...

Steph,
I am laughing so hard right now! Blood? What for? A ritual??
I am so intrigued. Do share!
LC
Sent via BlackBerry from T-Mobile

Stephanie said...

Oh no Lindsay, you just made me snort tea out my nose.  A ritual with blood?  Hilarious!!!!  My in-laws are pretty much the most devout catholics around!  No, they eat it.  They use it to make dinuguan, a kind of stew that uses a blood-based broth.  (Excuse while I throw up a little bit)  That said, ALMOST ALL filipino food tastes amazing.  I just can't even think about dinuguan.

lindsay cotter said...

so now the question remains, where do you buy blood??
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

its the most heavenly thing on vanilla or coconut ice cream!! just FYI!
 
Lindsay




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emily@runningperspective said...

hahahah this is hilarious! i love it
and yummmmmmm looks so good! def on my to make list!

lindsay cotter said...

wish I could have come worked out with Allie. And enjoy putt putt! such good
summer fun.
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

oh my goodness, you must tell me how that goes and take pictures!
 
Lindsay
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lindsay cotter said...

oh I know you've got some crazy good lychee recipe for me, right Katelyn??
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

i love marmite now, but trust me, it takes A LONG TIME to actually be able to
withstand. haha. I would be so curious to see if you liked it!
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

are you going to have another dance party!?! oh you should!!
 
Lindsay

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lindsay cotter said...

oh that how I grew up! Meat, potatoes, football, soccer, and 3 brothers! haha.
Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net   
www.cottercrunch.com




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lindsay cotter said...

oh you know it! whats your favorite?
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

you too! and COPIOUS amounts of watermelon. haha.
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

did you TOUR watch on the trainer this morning? ANd you know I'm dying to hear
about your kombuch experiment!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

well when you make them, let me know how you like them. K? HAPPY 4th EM!
 
Lindsay



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Liz said...

Haha, I love this!  The tour is definitely a 1st weekend of July tradition. 

I would love to try these but I'm not sure I'll be able to find lychee fruit.  I'll have to keep an eye out though!

Casey said...

Ok I'm curious...what are these supposed to taste like so I can't make sure I don't screw it up? LOL

lindsay cotter said...

hmmm, kind of tastes like creamiscle but more of a sweet light flavor, not
citrus. Its nice!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

try an asian market, should be there. I bet WF's has it too! I think you'd love
these Liz. Happy Tour watching.
:)
 
Lindsay



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Dairy_Free_Betty said...

Gotta love boys from another land!  (hellllo accent)!

We don't celebrate 4th of July! haha Tis all about the OOOOH CANADA!!
But from what I read on blogs - Canada Day isn't as big as July 4th!!

Hope you guys enjoy it - marmite and all! :) 

Emma (Sweet Tooth Runner) said...

YAAAY for Marmite!! Marmite Lovers Unite!! :D Tour parties?! That is the coolest thing EVER!! Am I invited? ;)

Have an AMAZING holiday!! :) 

lindsay cotter said...

i'd totally celebrate canada day with load of maple syrup! haha, is that
allowed?
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

yes yes, come over and party! I'll have the marmite ready for you. k?
Hugs!
 
Lindsay




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klh said...

Happy almost 4th to the Cotters!  And nothing wrong w/ marrying a foreigner...accents : )  Tour party, how fun!
Hugs
Katie : )

tea-bag said...

i love lychee and those look so good!  thanks for the recipe!!!
btw, what do they put the marmite on during lamb dinners?  the lamb or dinner rolls? 

lindsay cotter said...

yep, you got it! they put marmite on rolls, roasted vegetables, potatoes. Just
about anything. haha.
 
Lindsay




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Molly Mcnamara said...

Yum! Have a great holiday! Nothing exciting here - at an agility trial with the dogs in SoCal, then driving the 5 hours home and blasting action movies to distract them from the fireworks.

Allie said...

That is too cool! Gotta love the diversity and different culture :)

Lisakthrives said...

Nothing non-traditional going on here!  I guess not going to a bbq is kind of non-traditional though---we decided to just have our own and not be social this time.  
The lychee cups look so yummy!

lindsay cotter said...

haha, yes, those fireworks scare the crap of our pup too!
 
Lindsay




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Sarah Lynton said...

Not sure about the marmite, but I love the rest of the stuff on your hub's grocery list!  Hope y'all have a fun 4th watching the Tour de France!

Jenny Houlahan said...

Yey for a Tour de France watching party! :) I love that you guys eat so much marmite I love weird and strongly flavored foods :) My dad always introduced us to all sorts of funky European foods as he was proud of his German heritage.

We're not doing anything typical tomorrow just walking a few miles into downtown Bethesda and having an Indian buffet lunch with family friends :)

Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend! :)

lindsay cotter said...

you betcha! he's a keeper. Have fun with your bug.
:)
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

for sure! it keeps us entertained. haha!
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

i hear ya! we get a little exhausted during holiday weekends. enjoy the time
together!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh we love all those flavors too! Indian food sounds perfect. Thats one of our
favorite types of food. Enjoy!!
 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh boy, I'll have to give you some to try. Its strong! enjoy your time with your
hubs Sarah and can't wait to run together!
 
Lindsay



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Stephanie said...

I LOVE the colour of those cups! While I also love Brazil, I can't wait to get home and attack my food processor, just taken out of storage after four LONG years... Happy 4th to you!

chuck feerick said...

Happy 4th of July Lindsay!  I just saw "Gluten Free Rice Krispies" in the grocery store and it made me think of you lol!

Sara Stewart said...

I'm one of very few Americans who actually enjoys Marmite! When I lived abroad in London for a summer, I hoarded the stuff (however it's called Vegemite in the UK), and brought back several jars to share with friends and family. Little did I know that I would end up with all of those jars to myself! :-p

I love this recipe! Lychee is so sweet and delicious, what is there not to love?

Hope you have a beautiful long weekend! <3

Kath (My Funny Little Life) said...

Hahaha, I loved this! And I was surprised that what I know from Germany has often more in common with NZ traditions than US traditions: take the licorice and Guinness, for example. Okay, it's not exactly Guinness, but Germany is kind of a beer country, and also a licorice country (at least the northern half of it - it's very common to find like, 15 at least?, different kinds of licorice at a supermarket, even here in the southwestern corner of the country). Also, turkey for Thanksgiving isn't common over here (we actually don't even celebrate Thanksgiving over here). And the Tour de France ... Well, it's almost around the corner! ;)

Have a great TdF watch and 4th of July celebration! :D

lindsay cotter said...

this is why we need to come visit you! we can all go watch the tour together and
have a blast. Sound good?
 
Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

ahh, sara we are sisters separated at birth! i love it too. We have veggie mite
and marmite. tastes the same to me.

Happy 4th <3!

 
Lindsay




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lindsay cotter said...

oh that stuff is GOOD!! we have 2 boxes already.
GF PB rice crispies treats are on the menu soon.
 
Lindsay \




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lindsay cotter said...

attack it S! i love my food processor for that reason. Its genius!

p.s.
loved your sugar craving article.

Lindsay
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Jenny Mendez said...

Whoaaa those cashew cups look delicious!! Happy 4th of July! :D

lindsay cotter said...

kinda tropical and creamy. My favorite kind! happy 4th!!
 
Lindsay




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Jess said...

For the record, I'd rather have lamb than turkey on thanksgiving too ;-)

lindsay cotter said...

well come on down for thanksgiving. Its usually around 60F!
;)
 
Lindsay



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TiffanyGreathouse said...

Uh, YUMMY!  I'd rather have lamb, as well!  I love the pictures, and  I'm definitely going to hit up the store tomorrow to get everything for those cups!  <3 

Non-traditional Tiffy went all Greek today.  I'll post about it tomorrow.  ;)  Happy Fourth, hon!

lindsay cotter said...

oh i love GREEK! let me know when you post it and definitely let me know when
you makes the cups.
Happy 4th Tiff!

Lindsay




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Jayme @ Runner-n-Spice said...

Those cashew lychee cups look wonderful!! Just found your blog....wish I'd found it sooner!  Looking forward to reading more! 

Happy 4th from Canada! 

Liz @ Iheartvegetables said...

I've been looking everywhere for lychee and I can't find it!! One of my friends is from south africa, and he said it's awesome!

lindsay cotter said...

they should be at whole foods or asian markets. Hope you find them  cause
they are GOOD!!

Lindsay



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lindsay cotter said...

thanks Jayme! So glad we could connect and I hope we continue to do so. Hope
your 4th was great friend!
Cheers,
 
Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net   
www.cottercrunch.com




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Pure2raw twins said...

Hope you guys had a wonderful 4th!!! 

Erin Shipe said...

My family lived in Australia for three years (I did not live with them, but spent 4+ months over the three years there in visits:). So I love these posts. I love Kookaburra licorice (the red kind though, NOT black;). Australia was the first time I tried lychees, too!:) I had fun watching the tour this weekend, too!:)

Heather @ Dietitian on the Run said...

We would've been ALL OVER that Tour watching party!! It's here!!! :)

And omg, D would never ever ever purchase a football jersey. New cycling gear? Like toys & candy. Maybe he's a foreigner by trade? ;)

lindsay cotter said...

i really think we'd make the best neighbors and our men would be a perfect pair
together too! just sayin.
;)
 
Lindsay




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Kerry @ Thrive Health Coach said...

My husband and I are both American.  The 4th of July is our LEAST favorite holiday (too loud, scares the kitties), we despise football, and LOOOOOVE cycling and the REAL futbol!  And... seeing as we live in South Florida (for the moment, cannot wait to move back home to the NW), we have Lychees!  I cannot wait to try the recipe.  And... Vive Le Tour!!!

lindsay cotter said...

oh i love it kerry! wish we could all watch the tour together and eat lychee. haha. Let me know how the recipe turns out!

Lindsay Cotter
Nutrition Manager & Fitness Consultant
lyndzut@sbcglobal.net
www.cottercrunch.com




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