How To Make Homemade Ice Cream...

You are making your own homemade ice cream now, right? If not, do you know how easy it is? Do you know how delicious and creamy and enticing it is? Of course, because everyone on the planet knows how amazing homemade ice cream is! We all have childhood memories of family gatherings where someone brought out the ole wooden ice cream freezer and the rock salt and churned out the most delectable treat ever!
Well...the good news! It's the 21st Century and you can have all that yummy goodness without any of the hard work. Why oh why did I think making your own food seemed so overwhelming? Food has become such a store bought convenience that I didn't even think about making much of my own food. I mean...why would you make your own ice cream when there are rows and rows of tidily lined up jolly containers in the grocery store freezer?
Honestly, there are even a few ice cream brands I would still consider eating. A few years ago Haagen-Dazs came out with a line of ice cream called "Five". It had only 5 ingredients and they were all pretty reasonable if you had to buy ice cream. Of course it wasn't organic, but...if you were in a bind and needed an ice cream fix it did seem reasonable. Sadly, I haven't seen that choice around anymore. I don't know if it is still available in some markets or not. On the flip side...there are brands out there that NO one should be consuming. Read the ingredients people! Of course you know if you can't identify  an ingredient or you can't pronounce it you shouldn't put it in your mouth! I'm not going to go into all the gory details here. You know...like anti-freeze being in many brands and such...I want to talk about yummy homemade goodness instead!
Making you own ice cream is quick, easy and fun. There are so many "modern" ice cream makers on the market these days. They are reasonably priced and well made. This is the one I have and I'm very happy with it.

I even like that it is festive and red! I purchased mine at Williams-Sonoma and it was a promotional deal where it came with two freezer bowls instead of one. I think this is a fairly common promo and I recommend you look for it. I often use both bowls when entertaining. It makes it quick and easy to have plenty of ice cream and to make two different flavors with the same ice cream base recipe.
Okay...I have a confession. I actually bought this for my boy for Christmas a couple years ago. I expected him to "wow" me with all kinds of amazing ice cream flavors. Well...a year went by and he'd never even taken it out of the box! So...I thought it was only fair that  I "borrow...permanently" his ice cream maker...right? Yeah, he has whined about it a time or two...but, since I'm actually making ice cream with it and he gets to eat it on a pretty regular basis that has kind of shut him up. :)
I tried a few different recipes and came up with what I consider the "perfect" ice cream base. Now...I don't use eggs. I know many recipes do call for eggs. According to me (and Alton Brown) ice cream does NOT have eggs in it. That would be frozen custard. That is also delish and can be made in the above ice cream maker. And...you can even call it ice cream if you want to!
I have experimented with different whipping cream as well. I also learned from Mr. Alton Brown that you shouldn't use "heavy" whipping cream. I agree with this as well after trying both. Sadly, I have also realized that most whipping cream has the dreaded ingredient carrageenan. Even organic whipping cream. This makes me sad and bugs me at the same time. All I want in my whipping cream is cream! Well...luckily...I found a product that I'm in love with!

Kalona Super Natural makes awesome products in my opinion. I buy this at Whole Foods or Real Foods Markets. It is organic, not "heavy whip" and contains no carrageenan. I also like that it comes in a 32 ounce bottle. Just the right amount for two batches of amazing ice cream.
The following base recipe is my very favorite.

Marianne's Basic Ice Cream Recipe

2 cups organic whipping cream
1 cup organic whole milk
3/4 cup white cane sugar
1 TBSP vanilla extract
2 cups of add-ins...(not necessary unless you want to add something yummy i.e. nuts, cherries, fruit, candy)

Combine the cream, milk and sugar in a bowl. Stir until dissolved. Stir in vanilla extract. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.

Now...use your imagination! You can add 1 tsp. of almond extract and fresh chopped cherries and have a really spectacular summer treat. You can add cocoa powder or chocolate chips.  You can be exotic and add lavender syrup and honey. Really, the sky is the limit!
I will share two of my favorites. When I was growing up there was a local ice cream store that made malted milk ice cream! I dreamed about that stuff for years. I craved it and cried for it. So...I came up with this. I make the base recipe and add 9 tablespoons of malted milk powder. Oh my...it is soooo close to my ice cream dreams. It is freakishly good and has become a favorite with my family and friends.
The other flavor I can't find anymore is "brown sugar". Well...make your own! I sub the white sugar for packed brown sugar and then add an extra 1/2 cup of brown sugar to punch up the flavor. This has also been a big hit.
After refrigerating your ice cream base make it according to the manufacturers instructions for your machine. We personally like it right out of the bowl after it churns and is like soft serve. Usually if I'm entertaining I put it in a covered freezer container and let it get hard for a few hours. Either way it is fabulous.

This is what it looks like when it is finished churning. Edible right then or go ahead and freeze it until you are ready to eat!
When you realize how quick and easy this is your life will completely change! You will use your imagination and taste buds and come up with all kinds of outrageousness! You may never look back...

 Homemade apple tarts (compliments of our buddy James) topped with brown sugar ice cream.  Nuff said?...

Deep Dish Pizza...Pizza Night Revisited!

I am happy to announce that we are entering our 5th year of monthly "Pizza Night"! Yep, you read that right! I'm so proud and happy we have been able to enjoy this for so many months and that our pizza group is so committed to keep up the fun and enjoyment!
Pizza Night has a special place in my world and is quite significant to me. It was one of the first things we incorporated on our journey of cleaner eating. It is exciting that our friends and family have embraced it and want to make it better and better each month. The level of food quality and variety has been quite spectacular. Each month we are treated to new ideas and ingredients. Fresh, seasonal and processed free ingredients always made from scratch make Pizza Night truly special.
Each time we host Pizza Night we are challenged to come up with new combinations and ideas for making an amazing pizza. We aren't alone in this...everyone in our group puts time and effort into making each month a true culinary adventure.
Hubs decided this month he wanted to take on a deep dish style pizza. He searched for recipes for deep dish dough that sounded enticing. After doing his research he decided to give this recipe a try.

http://carnaldish.com/recipes/pizza/homemadechicago-style-deep-dish-pizza/#.Uvf3hyhLrTR

He stuck with his own sauce recipe and topping ideas. He has pretty much perfected a really delicious pizza sauce. Sorry I can't pass it along. It's a little different each time he makes it and the recipe is somewhere in the recesses of his brain. It hasn't made its way onto a piece of paper yet.
Usually we make several thin crust pizzas to feed the masses. This time we decided we would only make 4 large pizzas because of the thick and filling crust and the amount of sauce and add-ons required to fill up a deep dish pizza. We went with two meat pizzas and two vegetarian pizzas. Oh, he also made to adorable little mini pizzas for the Sprouts.
It was cool he used our cast iron cookware for the pizzas.

This dough was everything the recipe touted. It was very buttery and flaky and really held up to the sauce and toppings.

Using the cast iron skillets was perfect. Functional and fun!

Yes, that IS pepperoni. Of course it is nitrate free and dry cured. Still...the verdict is still not clear on the authenticity of what all that really means. I'm a bit confused on it as well and don't really promote much in the way of pepperoni and cured meats. But...It IS pizza night and pepperoni is part of the menu! (according to the guy making the amazing pizza dough)...

Okay...these are gorgeous! Right?!? But seriously...you can only eat 1 piece (I might be lying...I might have eaten 2). This crust kept all the yumminess inside the pizza. It was sturdy yet light and flaky.
Another bonus...Hubs and I both think the next day leftovers were equally as good as the night they were baked. This crust did not get soggy or fall apart. The cook also made a big ole green salad with all kinds of veggies. Tomatoes and peppers and peas and onions and more. He put together a really great dressing with olive oil and a locally made honey vinegar! Ahhh...pizza night.
I seriously think everyone needs to start their own pizza night group! Besides all the social benefits and fun... we have all grown as cooks! Just do it! It just keeps getting better and better and I hope we are still on track in another 5 years!

(Hubs thin crust pizza recipe is highlighted in an early blog post)

St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur...

Valentine's Day is one of my favorite days of the year! Yeah...I usually try to do something kind of fun and "romantic" for me and hubs...but, really, I just like the party aspect of the whole thing! I mean, it's nice to have Hubs around and all but I get such a kick from sending my friends a valentine or putting together some little fun gift or favor or throwing a Valentine themed get together!
I decided to host a little dinner party for some of my girlfriends. They are much more excited and impressed with my decor than Hubs is! He just doesn't get into heart shaped paper chains or lacey tablecloths or red ribbons. Go figure!
Over the Holidays my daughter served a delicious sparkling beverage. She kindly gave me the recipe and I thought it would be perfect for my all-girl get together! I had never tasted St. Germain Liqueur. Actually, I'd never even heard of it! So, let me just tell you, it. is. amazing! I'm imagining all the yummy concoctions I can come up with using it. I can't decide if it's a girlie drink or not. I can say it would be perfect for any kind of shower, birthday celebration or summer patio party. It was also perfectly acceptable on Christmas Day! I think what I'm saying is that you really can't go wrong with it!
This recipe also calls for another one of my favorites. Prosecco! I've never met a Prosecco I didn't like. Bubbly and light and fruity and less expensive than champagne. Nothing wrong with that.

Elderflower Spritzer (I just made up that name...for lack of anything better)

2 cups of grapefruit juice (I opted for pink grapefruit juice for my Valentine shindig)
1 cup of St. Germain
1 bottle of Prosecco
That's it! Just pour all the ingredients into a pretty pitcher and voila!

It was a big hit and didn't last all that long!

Another reason I like hosting a dinner party is that I know what ingredients are being used! I made a simple meal so I would have plenty of time to hang with the girls and visit. I decided to make beef stew and use our amazing local grass-fed beef!

Lean and lovely chunks of antibiotic and hormone free all grass-fed beef. From happy, healthy cows! I used all organic veggies and broth and made a hearty healthy stew. I simmered it for 5 hours and it was melt in your mouth delish.

Bonus...I got to plan a party!

I wanted a little Valentine favor for my friends to take home...

I knew my homemade jam would come in handy this winter! The raspberries and peppers were from my favorite local farmer! And...they were organic! See...you can eat healthy, make yummy food and still have fun parties! Happy Valentine's Day!!!