Once again, summer is having its way with me. It should no longer surprise me that once my kids are out of school, I have less time for blogging and other work-related projects. It’s simple math. Just the same, I always find myself thinking that next week will be the week when I get that blog post out.
After telling myself this for the past 10 weeks or so (!), I am finally ready to publish another edition of Great Aunt-Helen’s Recipe Box. And because I’ve also neglected my Cocktail U posts, this week’s pick from Helen’s box is an adult beverage. (Talk about an eclectic collection!)
Helen’s recipe for Chi Chi gave me a giggle. Scribbled on a small piece of paper, it didn’t even rate a recipe card. I wondered if Helen had sipped this at a friend’s card party or if she had made a batch for one of the many tailgate parties she attended for Minnesota’s Golden Gophers. Perhaps it was made to celebrate one of her friend’s birthdays. (Stories are told about Helen and her group of friends getting together often to share meals.) However she enjoyed it, Helen considered the Chi Chi worthy of her recipe collection and we are now the beneficiaries of that decision.
This is the first of Helen’s recipes that I have altered significantly. Not fond of pineapple juice, I wanted to find another fruit flavor to use instead. And though I had an unopened can of cream of coconut on hand, I had a carton of opened coconut water on hand. In the interest of emptying the carton (despite it being from Trader Joe’s, coconut water did not endear itself to me) and knowing that opened usually trumps unopened, I used the coconut water instead of the pineapple juice and chopped up a peach to add fruit. With ice cream as its main ingredient, this drink wouldn’t miss the 2 tablespoons cream of coconut.
So we end up with this:
Blend together: 1 cup vanilla ice cream, 1/2 cup coconut water, 1/4 cup vodka, 1 cut-up peach.
The final beverage was tasty as tasty can be. Dessert-like and über-refreshing. My liberty with the inclusion of fresh fruit and substituting coconut water for the cream of coconut and fruit juice means that pretty much anything goes. You can use your favorite fruit and sub in another fruit juice or dairy-like beverage as well. The vodka and ice cream seem non-negotiable, though you’re free to mix it up however you’d like.
I believe Helen would have enjoyed my version of her Chi Chi and I hope you do, too. My plan is to return next week with another pick from Helen’s recipe files, but if I don’t turn up you’ll know I’m riding the roller coaster that is summer. Hopefully with a Chi Chi in hand!
food for fun 
i love the name, love the improv with the coconut and peach substitution, (peaches is my nickname), and it sounds delicious. good to see you back!
Thanks, Beth. You do seem the perfect drinking partner for this one! Ah yes, peaches. Perfect! Hope all is well on your end. Promise to swing by eventually.
Welcome back, Liz! And the Chi Chi sounds perfect for the conga line dance, if you ask me. Right, Kerbey? Hey, the coconut water has aloe vera juice within, I see. If you see no further ingestive uses, perhaps you can switch in the remains for sun-pink the remainder of this summer?
Ah, yes. The conga line is what we should do while drinking the Chi Chi. Absolutely! Though I’m only in if Kerbey wears the feather in her hair.
Major bonus points for noticing that aloe vera addition. Maybe that’s why I didn’t like it? Sure, I can use it as topical balm for any sunburn I collect before the summer runs out on us. Thanks for the ideation, Mr. Mark. You are good at that 🙂
Well, doesn’t the beach always smell like coconut anyway, Liz? 😉
Yes, let’s follow Kerbey/Lola with the feather in her hair right down to the Copa.
Yay Liz. Love the Chi Chi. Especially in this heat. Have fun with the kids. We’ll be waiting for the next post. 🙂
Thanks, Fannie! I have so much to catch up on. Things good at your place? And BofN? The book?
We do have a lot to catch up on. We were on a road trip in Manitoba and our car broke down. We ended up being towed all the way to Minneapolis. We were there for a day and a half before we had to head home. I’m sorry I didn’t have your contact info with me while we were in town.
Things are going good over at the BoFN and on the book project.
Glad to know you’re doing okay.
Looks incredibly delicious! Mi would have to be cautious around the boys though as they love anything with peach and would try to steal some! Perhaps virgin versions made as well as those with the vodka. Welcome back, I’ve missed you! I completely understand the insanity, I haven’t gotten much done this summer either. Only one week until school begins, yippee.
Thank you, Gretchen. Have much to catch up on with your site. You are feeling well? We send our kids back to school after Labor Day, so still have a few more week on this end. Hope you can toast the day you send them back with a lovely cocktail 🙂 Appreciate you coming by again!
In the past I hosted mimosa play dates the first day of school! Perhaps I can have one myself even if I still have Sean until the 31st. Other two start next Wednesday and I can’t wait!
That Helen knew how to have fun! Ice cream and vodka are two important food groups and how clever to put them together in one “meal”! Hope you’re back to stay!
It was a surprise to find, that’s for sure. She seemed so practical. But anyone with a recipe for something called Chi Chi in their recipe box knows how to live, yes.
Thank you much for finding me first day back, Kerry. Love that you’re still here doing your awesome thing!
Good to see you back here Liz!!! Either way these are both right up my alley LOL 🙂
Love them!!! Oh and I got my bourbon 🙂 I will be blogging that real soon 🙂
Thank you Liz!!
I’m waaaay behind myself, so am sorry to be so late with replies. But know that I appreciate your support and am so glad you are part of the community here 🙂 Knew you’d approve of this recipe, Amy!
NO Worries, Liz!! I am so busy as well, so behind on even posting…I wish we could stop time to catch up!! LOL!! Cheers!! 🙂
New post, awesome!! So glad to have you back!
And of course you have to taunt me with another of your delicious looking adult beverages! Do you live near one of the big teaching hospitals in Minnesota? If so, I think MN will be moving higher and higher up my list of desired residency locations!
That looks delicious. 🙂
The photo of the peach made my mouth water before I even read the drink recipe. 🙂
you do seem a chi-chi kinda gal, Shanna 😉 thanks for coming over for this. I hate that I’m so absent from all of this fun for so long. Busy times, you know how it goes. But I WILL be in touch. You are amazing and awesome and I trust all is going well in your new home. xs and os to you.
I kind of lost you for awhile, Liz. I am not sure how this happened other than I didn’t have you showing up in my Reader. In any case, glad I stopped by, just in time for this Friday when my 2 daughters plan on a girl’s night in. I would like the peach and hope yo find a nice soft ripe one and may switch to light clear rum. We like Pina coladas so we would enjoy a peach flavored drink. Ice cream sounds yummy! 🙂
Thank you so much! I’ve kind of lost myself, too, haha. Haven’t been around for a long while. Lots of family stuff to stay busy with. Hope to come back on board eventually. Appreciate your comment more than you’ll ever know 🙂
love the history with the hand-written recipe, and think it is great you put your own spin on it.
Thank you, mum 🙂 Sitting down to tackle another post. Plans are to get going again as I owe it to Great-Aunt Helen’s recipes! So glad to have you along for the ride.