Monday, December 01, 2008

Shake it, shake it real good

When I moved into Sparky Towers lots of wonderful people bought me lots of wonderful things to make sure I could continue to live in the manner to which I was accustomed. And no that does not mean that Sparky Pa offered to send round Sparky Ma three days a week to do the dusting and hoovering. No, what it meant was that, for example, Big Bro bought me a super little heater that blasts volcanic heat throughout the house and keeps me warm in the chilly depths of winter (a good thing, because the guy next door bought the heaters installed in my house from the bitch who owned it previously just prior to her moving out), and a microwave in which I can cook Oats-so-Simple and nuke my undercrackers so they're nice and toasty on a cold morning.

In addition to this, based on an offhand comment made just before I moved that I would like to make my own smoothies, Yazzle Dazzle bought me a blender so that I could, well, make my own smoothies. I was chuffed to bits with it because it's chrome and awesome; so chuffed, in fact, that I stashed it under my breakfast bar and didn't take it out of the box for three years. 

In my defense it really is so much easier just to buy smoothies in the supermarket.

After sampling the delights of the biscuit/chocolate/anything-you-like-so-long-as-it-can-be-blended-based milkshakes on sale in Westfield, however, I decided yesterday that it was high-time to haul out the blender from beneath a pile of boxes, screw the smoothies, and make the milkshake to end all milkshakes!

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An aside:

I sneezed four times in a row at work today, prompting a colleague to say that a sneeze is apparently equivalent to one-tenth of an orgasm.

Depending on how you look at it, then, I either had a lucky escape or was cruelly robbed.
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In a rather fortuitous turn of events, I'd somehow already purchased the necessary ingredients to make the monster milkshake, and it was really just a matter of understanding how the blender worked that stood between me and a 4000-calorie beverage that could give an elephant an intense sugar-rush. Unfortunately, I'm a typical bloke and rather than just read the instructions beforehand in a calm and orderly fashion I decided instead that I could get by just by looking at the pictures and making the rest up as I went along. 

This ultimately ended up with milk and ice cream leaking out the bottom of the jug, down the chromey-side of the blender, and all over the work surface. This is why there are no pictures of the creation of the ultimate milkshake - my hands were covered in a sticky and somewhat unholy mixture of milk and ice cream. After tipping it all into a bowl and working out exactly how the various elements of the jug and blender went together without causing a sticky leak, however, everything turned out smashing.

Like Hannibal from The A-Team, I love it when a plan comes together.

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An aside:

I've already come to hate my little Nike+ Mini dude over there on the right. I did a truly awful run last night, and he's all like, "nothing comes between me and my running!" and "running gives me more energy than I know what to do with!" Patronising little bastard.

And I just know that I'm going to feel all guilty when he starts going "ooo, ready when you are!" if I don't do a run every couple of days or so.

I hate him more than you could ever know. I wonder if I can get one that just encourages me to sit on the sofa in my pants watching DVD boxsets?
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So, I expect you're wondering exactly how to make such an awe-inspiring, vomit-inducing beverage for yourself? It's pretty simple - here's how:

• Fill a glass approximately three-quarters full with milk. Any milk will do; I used semi-skimmed, but I'm betting full-fat would be the dog's danglies. 

Empty the milk into your blender.

• Dump two and a bit scoops of ice cream into the blender. I used a violently yellow type of vanilla here. Don't be shy - make them big scoops. This is, after all, the sort of thing that kids and old people are going to gasp in wonder at.

• Chuck three biscuits in. I used Cadbury Shortcakes, but I figure whatever takes your fancy, really. Tim Tams might be quite nice. Use something with raisins in if you want to go for the healthy option and include one of your five-a-day portions of fruit and veg.

• BLEND IT UNTIL IT WILL BLEND NO MORE!

• Pour it into a glass and enjoy. Maybe while close to a toilet or sink just in case you feel the urge to vomit. 

In conclusion, I must say my initial attempt was a valiant one, although perhaps not quite as great as it could have been. The reasons for this are threefold:

1. I didn't blend it quite enough and there were a few lumpy bits that gave it the consistency, in places, of sick. In future I will blend it a bit longer.

2. I think chocolate ice cream would've complemented the chocolate on the biscuits better than the vanilla did. It wasn't so much the flavour that was at fault, but rather the colour; it looked liked I'd rung the bile out of someone's liver into it. And then blended up Big Bird for good measure.

3. The half an hour it took to unpack and understand the workings of the blender far outweighed the 30 seconds of reasonable pleasure I received in drinking the finished product. As did the 10 minutes I had to spend washing the work-surface down and cleaning the blender. I anticipate these times will be slashed in the course of future attempts.

In summation, then, I'd give this first milkshake 7.5/10: a worthy, if somewhat flawed, attempt.

13 comments:

Tara said...

"nuke my undercrackers" - tee hee...That sounds funny. :D

Anyway, next time you make the shake, you'll probably make it faster so that it'll be more enjoyable. I love getting appliances as housewarming gifts. My sister-in-law sent me a bright red tea kettle when I moved into my place. I love it.

CyberPete said...

You nuke your underoos?

Hah! Your Nike dude is your own personal windows paperclip

Inexplicable DeVice said...

Your description of the awesome (but vomit inducing) milkshake colour made me snort with laughter. Good job I wasn't drinking any of the aforementioned milkshake at the time.

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I could encourage you to sit on your sofa in your pants? Obviously, I'd have to be there in person for it to be effective...

Miss Smuggersham said...

Hmm. That milk shake sounds extremely sweet. Ever thought about making a mango smoothie with yoghurt? Mmmm. Yum.

Tim said...

Tara - Definitely! I'm looking forward to attempt number two!

Cyberpete - I don't, but at least I have the option should I feel the need.

Inexplicable Device - No you wouldn't.

T-Bird - Smoothies are on the list of things to blend once I've satisfied my milkshake obsession.

CyberPete said...

Strangely enough I've only needed a microwave oven once in the last year and that was to make popcorn.

I don't feel that I must have one but I'm curious to hear how it would work out, cooking your underoos in the microwave.

Catastrophe Waitress said...

you put biscuits in it?!
hahaha! i was grateful for that tip about biscuits with raisins for the Healthier Option!
Do they still teach Home Economics at school? if so, there's a career you might consider taking up, should the need arise.

Anonymous said...

*snorts pepper in hope of massive sneezing fit*

Work is so dull.

WV: fierho
tee hee

Tim said...

Cyberpete - You should try it then. Y'know, satisfy your curiosity. And if it works you'll have two uses for your microwave - popcorn and undercracker warming!

The Projectivist - Hello! And damn right I put biscuits in it! I think they still teach HE at schools - at least they did when I was there. Although that was a few years ago now. But anyway, with all the healthy eating fads these days I'm sure my healthier option milkshakes would go down a treat!

Watch*Paint*Dry - Have you tried tickling your nose with a feather?

CyberPete said...

But I don't have one. You do!

Experiment and get back to us with results.

missyandchrissy said...

this was awesome -- you should really devote an entire separate blog to milkshake and smoothie making.

Tim said...

Cyberpete - Get one!

Missy&Chrissy - Ha ha! I might document the next one I make…

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