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Snow Ice Cream

snow ice cream cone Ice cream in winter? Only if snow is the main ingredient!

This may not be the best ice cream I’ve ever made, but it was a lot of fun for the littles, and it actually turned out better than I imagined. It tasted a little bit like ice milk (since water, via snow, is a primary ingredient.)

A friend of the family provided the recipe and method. The ingredients are approximate, but that’s ok.

The idea is to make a yummy ice cream with new fallen snow, that can be ready in minutes.

Ice cream in winter–what a treat!

Snow Ice Cream

1 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 large mixing bowl full of clean snow
1 cup sugar

Whisk cream, vanilla and salt together, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, layer snow and sugar together until both are gone.

Pour in the cream and quickly mix, trying not to let the cream reach the bottom. Stir until liquid freezes and everything turns into creamy ice cream.

Enjoy immediately, but leftovers can be lightly packed into an airtight container and enjoyed for the next 1-2 days. Get it in the freezer before it melts to prevent the ice cream from becoming overly hard or icy.

sugar and snow

Sugar and snow, before adding cream.

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Posted 08 March 2013 | dessert | Comments (2) Tagged: , , ,

Banana Bread

banana bread 2

My four-year-old has a bee in his bonnet about banana bread. He has been asking me daily if we could make some. Well finally, on this snowy March Sunday, we had the right combination of spare time and brown-freckled bananas.

In the March issue of Bon Appetit, I remembered seeing a recipe for banana bread. I was interested to see what they had done to  innovate this classic.

As someone who writes recipes, I’m always looking for interesting variations or ideas to make are recipe different, or my own. There are few truly original recipes, but many riffs on a theme. In order to stand out, bloggers and writers seek out ways to modernize, improve or ramp up flavor. Sometimes the results are a revelation, sometimes they are just strange.

The Bon Appetit article was written by Andrew McCarthy,  Pretty in Pink heartthrob turned travel writer. I giggled when I saw the byline, because I distinctly remember an article several years ago he wrote for BA on finding the perfect Irish soda bread. It makes me smile to think of this eighties brat pack star roaming the far corners of the earth searching for incredible quick breads.

banana bread 1

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Posted 03 March 2013 | baked goods   bread   breakfast   dessert   kid snacks | Comments (2) Tagged: , , , , , , ,

Chocolate Coconut Honey Truffles

chocolate coconut honey truffles

Here’s a last minute Valentine’s treat that is fast and simple. Unsweetened coconut is drenched in honey and then covered in dark chocolate. They’re pretty and bite-sized, perfect packaged as a gift or accompanying ice cream as dessert.

These were devised for a pregnant coconut-loving friend. I don’t know if there’s any correlation, but I gave them to her a day past her due date with no signs of labor, and her water broke the next evening. You never know, the power of a good treat can be great!

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Posted 14 February 2013 | candy   dessert   vegetarian | Comments (2) Tagged: , , , , ,

Valentine’s Day Round-up

Valentine’s Day takes a twist when you have kids. Instead of a romantic or steamy evening (that may lead to children), it gets pretty cutesy. And that’s ok. Instead of red lace panties, think iced sugar cookies.

 

A fancy breakfast is fun for the littles. Here’s some pink oatmeal whose rosy hue will bring some love to your family’s tummies.

Here’s a pretty cake that can pass as breakfast, because it’s a coffee cake.  Studded with cranberries and fragranced with almond it can set the mood for a warm and fuzzy day. 

You can make a simple dinner for the kiddos and a special dessert, and then if you’re lucky enough to have young ones you can pop them off to bed early and still have some romantic time with your sweetie.

This hot fudge sauce can be used to make ice cream, a chocolate mousse or a frozen chocolate confection.

Once your little ones are asleep, break out a sexy, creamy cheese like Rush Creek Reserve.

Mix up some cocktails, turn on Al Green and enjoy another helping of dessert.

Happy Valentine’s Day!

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Posted 14 February 2013 | Ideas | Comments Off on Valentine’s Day Round-up Tagged: ,

Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup (vegan) and the Tale of my Very Short Love Affair with Cashew Cream

Creamy Roasted Carrot Soup (vegan)

Vegan, paleo, traditional–there’s a lot of different ways to eat out there. I like to skim the best from varied approaches, allowing me to eat some really, really good food and enjoy everything in moderation.

I typically draw the line when certain eating lifestyles create substitutes to simulate foods that cannot be enjoyed on said eating plans. One of those I always balked at was cashew cream, heralded as a great dairy or whipped cream substitute for vegan cooking. It can’t be that good. Truthfully? It is a great substitute for cream, but it’s even more appealing as something divine all on it’s own.

CASHE W CREAM RECIPE: Soak cashews overnight in water. When ready to make cream, drain nuts and put in  blender. Pour water to just cover, and then blend until thick and creamy. (If you don’t have a high-powered blender, you might consider using the food processor). Cashew cream can be stored for 2-3 days in the fridge and is very versatile. It’s smooth and ever-so-slightly sweet. Perfect with a little honey as dessert and is sublime in a soup.

I paired it with sweet carrots, roasted garlic , ginger and a dusting of coriander to make a vibrant, delicious soup that happens to be vegan.

And now the sad part. I likely will never be eating cashew cream or this soup again–but you can! I’ll tell you all about it after the recipe. Continue Reading »

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Posted 07 February 2013 | soup   vegetarian | Comments (3) Tagged: , , , ,