Ice cream - without a machine

I made ice cream without an ice cream machine.

I used a bowl, a whisk, a rubber spatula and a can opener (low tech version).

It is good!  Rich and good!

Coconut, Brown Sugar and Vanilla Ice Cream Without A Machine
Long name, amazing results (TM?)
invented by moi!
1 can (400ml) coconut milk (I used the red label of Thai Cuisine, it was fatty and mostly solid so I warmed it in said bowl for 30 seconds so I could stir it easily)
100 ml whipping cream (not whipped)
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp vanilla
dash salt
- combine all in bowl, stir very well to help dissolve sugar
- put in freezer and stir well, break up crystals, every 2 two hours.  This batch took 7 hours in the freezer above my fridge.
- when frozen completely, transfer to a container with a cover and keep in freezer

IDEAS?!  Well!  You could drizzle melted dark or semi sweet chocolate over it before a final stir, there's some Italian name for that that is escaping me at this moment.

Flavour ideas could be limitless though I haven't tried anything else yet, this is my first attempt EVAH!  Well, there was this one time, I made ice cream with my Mum in ziploc baggies.  Ice and salt were involved...

You know I'm going to find a way to incorporate peanut butter and chocolate in short order!

Tell me what you'd try in your own ice cream?

Pumpkin waffles

This morning, I made pumpkin waffles for breakfast.  My family loves waffles.  The Big Kid likes to fill each hole with maple syrup.  I said fill.  The Wee One (now 1.5 yrs) is hilarious to watch as she tears a piece off with her hands and rubs it on her tray to dip it in her syrup.  Don't try tearing the girl twin's waffle, it is then considered broken and no good to her.

I found the recipe at Food.com and modified it to make 12 waffles instead of the default 8.  In reality, I made 24 squares (I filled my machine 6 times).

I made a batch of Canadian Living's Cinnamon Icing out of The Complete Canadian Living Baking Book.  I find CL recipes are so reliable.

Pumpkin Waffles
almost directly from Food.com, this is a recipe for 12 waffles
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

4 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoons nutmeg

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 1/2 pinches salt

3 eggs

1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 1/2 cups canned pumpkin puree

2 1/2 cups milk

6 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled
1 Tbsp vanilla

- mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, and salt in large bowl.

- in a second bowl, add eggs, sugar, pumpkin, milk, butter, and vanilla; beat well.
- gently fold in the flour mixture.

- cook according to your waffle iron directions.

- I do these in my belgian waffle iron and it uses about 1 cup + batter and takes 4-5 minutes to bake.

These are great with a little bit of syrup (or a lot), honey butter or Cinnamon Icing.  They are tasty enough to eat as is, in your hand as you are running out the door to go to work - not that I would know personally (I don't actually work), but that's what The Man said this morning as he was flying out of the house. 

These are good the next day and put in the toaster.  These are great in lunche boxes too!  BONUS!

Plain is handy because then there is inherently less mess!  The kids can wear the clothes they have on until the next meal; the walls, chairs, window and their hair don't require a complete wipe-down which they usually do require after I serve syrup.  I'm going to bring a batch to a playdate this morning and the kids can just garb one and sit down to eat with minimal supervision and no hovering.  If they do wander off with the waffle, it's not a big deal.

Thing 1 declared they were "huffle cookies".  I guess they are that sweet and spicy (but not in a hot kinda spicy).

What to do with any leftover pumpkin purée from the big can you bought?  Freeze it in 1/2 cup portions.  I use my muffin tin, drop 1/2 cup purée in it and once frozen, wrap tightly in two layers.  Label the outside with contents, quantity and date.  I drop some in just about any soup I make, there's no flavour with everything else and it adds another veggie to the mix!

Mozzarellissima (on lasagna)

The cheese that stretches as long as it's name.TM

I just can't get enough of this cheese.  I won a prize basket from fellow food blogger mmmisformommy.  In the basket were several kitchen tools and gadgets along with five gift certificates for 500g mozzarellissima cheese (lite or not lite).

So far, I have picked up one of each variety and am more than pleased with both. 

This is the cheese that brings me back to Vito's lasagnas from when I was *cough* much younger.  They put it on their pizzas too, but had / have a "thing" for their lasagnas.  Actually, I just have a "thing" for lasagna in general.  Now you know what to make me to stick in my freezer for emergency meals, I'm so transparent!

This is the cheese that has that gooey, chewy, full-mouth feel to it (kinda in a gobby way but that's what I like about it) when melted.  Cold out of the fridge it is delightful as well, but nothing special.  Melted... now we're talking.

I wanted lasagna so I used what I have on-hand to fill me up.

Here I have made a lasagna which was awesome!  I highly recommend it IF you are a lasagna fan.  Big shout out to my Mum (HI MUM!) who does not like lasagna though she really likes a spaghetti meal... go figure.

Rice versus oatmeal

Just as one is difficult to clean up, the other is almost a dream.

One sticks to clothes, hair, walls, ceiling and floor.  The other sticks to nothing at all.

One requires the use of a jackhammer to scrape off surfaces lest it dry.

The other is even more satisfying to vacuum or sweep up once returned to it's dried state.

My deep thought for the day.

Oven ribs

These were good.  It had been a while since we last had ribs, but The Man said they were "very good".

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/oven-baked-bbq-ribs/

Crunchies

Have made a batch of Crunchies for the weekend.  Just like I remember.

http://suziethefoodie.blogspot.ca/2011/06/favourite-recipes-from-old-new.html

Ketchup

I just made my first batch of homemade ketcup and while it hadn't finished simmering when I just *had* to try it, it was good.  Update when complete.

http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipes/Vegetables/recipe.html?dishid=10463