Restart, Refresh, Renew

Happy New Year!

I love the start of the new year. For me, it always feels like new beginnings. It’s a time to start fresh and rethink life.  I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the new year comes right after the insanity of the holidays. I am reminded of one of my favorite verses…

Lamentations 3:23 – 24

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.”

While I am not one to make new years resolutions, I think a yearly goal is a great idea.  My goal for 2018 is to simplify. I am tired of feeling like I run from one thing to the next, dealing with clutter and feeling overwhelmed. I am ready to simplify.  With my youngest daughter graduating high school and possibly heading out of state for college, I want to have time to spend with her, as well as my older daughter and son.  I want to make people a priority instead of stuff. (And maybe some extra time for sewing.)  I want to have time to enjoy life instead of continually playing catch-up. I am adding margin to my life.

I am excited to be reading “The Simplified Life” by Emily Ley. I look forward to implementing the ideas in her book. I smiled last night as I began reading the book.  I sat in my big, comfy chair with my cup of tea.  She starts chapter one saying she pictures the reader curled up on the couch with a cup of steaming tea and there I was, with my cup of tea, reading her book.  Emily Ley and I are going to have a great time together!

You can find “A Simplified Life” by Emily Ley here – emilyley.com or Target  or Barnes & Noble or Amazon or Lifeway

Wedding Baking

My niece was married last weekend in a beautiful Shabby Chic wedding. I was honored when she asked me to make the cupcakes and their cutting cake.  For the cupcake flavors, she chose vanilla, chocolate, and lemon blueberry with cream cheese frosting. I also made gluten-free, dairy-free cupcakes, as well. Their cutting cake was a naked cake of vanilla with a blueberry filling. My daughter did all the chalkboard signage for the wedding as well.  It was a busy week with all the wedding preparations and the wedding.  I hosted a lingerie shower for the bride, we hosted seven guests, I bake cake and cupcakes, and decorated them the morning of the wedding. I was absolutely wiped out! What a fun week of festivities! And of course, she was a beautiful bride!

Ice Cream Social

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA ICE CREAM  (from the Rival Ice Cream maker manual)

4 Quart Ice Cream Maker 2 1⁄4 cups sugar 1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour 1⁄2 teaspoon salt 5 cups milk 4 eggs, beaten 4 cups whipping cream 2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into the beaten eggs.  Add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.  Refrigerate 2 hours.  Combine whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl: add chilled mixture, stirring with wire whisk to combine.  Freeze as directed.

 

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart recipe booklet)

Makes about 8 cups

1 cup cocoa powder

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

pinch table salt

1 3/4 cups whole milk

3  3/4 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cocoa, sugars and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Add the milk and, using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa, sugars and salt are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Freeze according as directed.

Calories 290 (67% from fat) • carb. 20g • pro. 3g • fat 22g • sat. fat 13g

  • chol. 80mg • sod. 45mg • calc. 69mg • fiber 1g

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart soft serve ice cream recipe booklet)

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

1 cup whole milk, well chilled

3/4  cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled

1 teaspoon mint extract (may use peppermint or spearmint)

4-5 drops green or pink food coloring

mini chocolate morsels

Place milk and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer (about 1 to 2 minutes on low speed) or a whisk to mix until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and mint extract. Add food coloring in drops to reach desired color. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Freeze as directed.  Add mini chocolate morsels toward the end of the freezing cycle.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 238 (68% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 2g

  • fat 19g • sat. fat 12g • chol. 69mg • sod. 30mg
  • calc. 60mg • fiber 0g

 

Strawberry Ice Cream

(from Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker recipe booklet)

(This fresh strawberry ice cream was definitely a favorite)

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

8 ounces very red, ripe strawberries –

fresh summer berries or frozen

berries, thawed

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2∕3 cup whole milk

1 1∕3 cups heavy cream

Place strawberries, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whole milk in a blender jar or food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade, and blend on high speed until completely smooth and homogenous, about 40 to 50 seconds. Pour into a bowl and stir in heavy cream. If not making ice cream immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Freeze as directed for ice cream maker.

Calories 178 (60% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 1g

  • fat 12g • sat. fat 8g • chol. 46mg • sod. 20mg
  • calc. 43mg • fiber 1g

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart soft serve ice cream recipe booklet)

Creamy peanut butter ice cream is a favorite of kids of all ages.

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

  1. cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place peanut butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Add milk and stir until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Stir in half-and-half and vanilla. If not freezing immediately, cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Freeze as directed for ice cream maker.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 265 (58% from fat) • carb. 21g • pro. 8g

  • fat 18g • sat. fat 6g • chol. 17mg • sod. 150mg
  • calc. 76mg • fiber 2g

Because my daughter has a dairy intolerance, I also made two batches of paleo ice cream. A Pure Vanilla Ice Cream, and a Berry Swirl Ice Cream.  You can find the recipes here in Frozen Paleo by Pamela Braun.  The Berry Swirl Ice Cream is oh! sooo good!

Last summer, we invited our neighborhood friends over for an ice cream social.  I spent the 2 weeks prior to the event making batches of homemade ice cream. I used This KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker Attachment.  It’s very easy to use.  Simply freeze the bowl for 15 hours prior to use and it’s ready to go. I also hand-dipped waffle cones.

Coffee bar

Strawberry Lemon water

Galvanized tub filled with ice to hold the ice cream

Hand-dipped cones

Chalkboard sign mostly courtesy of my daughter. Japanese handwriting courtesy of our Japanese student.

DIY pinwheel fans for decoration

More hand-lettering by my daughter

OLD FASHIONED VANILLA ICE CREAM  (from the Rival Ice Cream maker manual)

4 Quart Ice Cream Maker
2 1⁄4 cups sugar
1⁄4 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
5 cups milk
4 eggs, beaten
4 cups whipping cream
2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Combine sugar, flour, and salt in saucepan.  Gradually stir in milk.  Cook over medium heat approximately 15 minutes or until thickened, stirring constantly.

Gradually stir about 1 cup of hot mixture into the beaten eggs.  Add to remaining hot mixture, stirring constantly.  Cook 1 minute; remove from heat.  Refrigerate 2 hours.  Combine whipping cream and vanilla in large bowl: add chilled mixture, stirring with wire whisk to combine.  Freeze as directed.

 

Simple Chocolate Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart recipe booklet)

Makes about 8 cups

1 cup cocoa powder

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar

pinch table salt

1 3/4 cups whole milk

3  3/4 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

Place the cocoa, sugars and salt in a medium bowl; whisk to combine. Add the milk and, using a hand mixer on low speed or a whisk, beat to combine until the cocoa, sugars and salt are dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours, or overnight.

Freeze according as directed.

Calories 290 (67% from fat) • carb. 20g • pro. 3g • fat 22g • sat. fat 13g

  • chol. 80mg • sod. 45mg • calc. 69mg • fiber 1g

 

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart soft serve ice cream recipe booklet)

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

1 cup whole milk, well chilled

3/4  cup granulated sugar

2 cups heavy cream, well chilled

1 teaspoon mint extract (may use peppermint or spearmint)

4-5 drops green or pink food coloring

mini chocolate morsels

Place milk and sugar in a medium bowl. Use a hand mixer (about 1 to 2 minutes on low speed) or a whisk to mix until the sugar is dissolved. Stir in the heavy cream and mint extract. Add food coloring in drops to reach desired color. If not freezing immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Freeze as directed.  Add mini chocolate morsels toward the end of the freezing cycle.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 238 (68% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 2g

  • fat 19g • sat. fat 12g • chol. 69mg • sod. 30mg
  • calc. 60mg • fiber 0g

 

Strawberry Ice Cream

(from Cuisinart soft serve ice cream maker recipe booklet)

(This fresh strawberry ice cream was definitely a favorite)

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

8 ounces very red, ripe strawberries –

fresh summer berries or frozen

berries, thawed

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2∕3 cup whole milk

1 1∕3 cups heavy cream

Place strawberries, granulated sugar, vanilla, and whole milk in a blender jar or food processor fitted with the metal “s” blade, and blend on high speed until completely smooth and homogenous, about 40 to 50 seconds. Pour into a bowl and stir in heavy cream. If not making ice cream immediately, cover and refrigerate until ready to use.

Freeze as directed for ice cream maker.

Calories 178 (60% from fat) • carb. 17g • pro. 1g

  • fat 12g • sat. fat 8g • chol. 46mg • sod. 20mg
  • calc. 43mg • fiber 1g

Peanut Butter Ice Cream

(from the Cuisinart soft serve ice cream recipe booklet)

Creamy peanut butter ice cream is a favorite of kids of all ages.

Makes about ten ½-cup servings

1 cup creamy peanut butter

2∕3 cup granulated sugar

1 cup whole milk

  1. cups half-and-half

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Place peanut butter and sugar in a medium bowl. Stir with a whisk until smooth. Add milk and stir until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Stir in half-and-half and vanilla. If not freezing immediately, cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use.

Freeze as directed for ice cream maker.

Nutritional information per serving:

Calories 265 (58% from fat) • carb. 21g • pro. 8g

  • fat 18g • sat. fat 6g • chol. 17mg • sod. 150mg
  • calc. 76mg • fiber 2g

Because my daughter has a dairy intolerance, I also made two batches of paleo ice cream. A Pure Vanilla Ice Cream, and a Berry Swirl Ice Cream.  You can find the recipes here in Frozen Paleo by Pamela Braun.  The Berry Swirl Ice Cream is oh! sooo good!