Chocolate Overload

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to move on to other things. 

 I've put away the Christmas stuff.

I'm always glad to get Christmas boxes crammed back into the depths of the basement and go back to my normal chaos.

We've been enjoying our lazy holiday break, entertained by Makayla, who showed us the correct way to wear Megan's earrings. 

We've read every book in the house a hundred times.

Most of all, Hailey and Makayla have been loving all the extra attention provided by Aunt Ashley and Uncle McKay.

Or as Makayla would say "Ash-we and LaLa".  Not sure where she got LaLa.  I'm afraid for the time Ashley and McKay leave.  I fear the weeping and wailing and gnashing of little teeth that I'll be enduring from two little people.

Please notice Makayla's thick, flowing pigtails.  It's not easy to get all that hair into an elastic.


We've also been working hard to keep our blood sugar levels at crazy levels.  Tonight I made food to help with that project.

 Rocky Road Ice Cream

   2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup granulated sugar
Table salt
5 large egg yolks
4 oz. bittersweet chocolate (at least 60% cacao), chopped and melted
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa
1/3 cup mini marshmallows
1/3 cup toasted chopped pecans
1/3 cup bite-size chocolate chunks

---

In a medium saucepan, mix 1 cup of the cream with the milk, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Warm the cream mixture over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves and tiny bubbles begin to form around the edge of the pan, 3 to 4 minutes.
Prepare an ice bath by filling a large bowl with several inches of ice water. Set a smaller metal bowl (one that holds at least 1-1/2 quarts) in the ice water. Pour the remaining cup of cream into the inner bowl (this helps the custard cool quicker when you pour it in later). Set a fine strainer on top. Whisk the egg yolks in a medium bowl.
In a steady stream, pour half of the warm cream mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from curdling.
Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring constantly and scraping the bottom with a heatproof rubber spatula until the custard thickens slightly (it should be thick enough to coat the spatula and hold a line drawn through it with a finger), 4 to 8 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should read 175° to 180°F at this point. Don’t let the sauce overheat or boil, or it will curdle.
Immediately strain the custard into the cold cream in the ice bath. Stir in the melted chocolate and cocoa powder.  Cool the custard to below 70°F by stirring it over the ice bath.
Refrigerate the custard until completely chilled, at least 4 hours. Then freeze the custard in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
Fold the marshmallows, pecans, and chocolate chunks into the just-churned ice cream, transfer to an air-tight container, and freeze for at least 4 hours or up to 2 weeks.

 
 I've never been a huge chocolate fan, and this is the first chocolate ice cream I remember making.

I think we all pretty much agreed it was a bit of a chocolate overload.  Not to mention that one serving has 470 calories.  Fortunately, one serving also has 2 grams of fiber, so it's all good.

The problem with chocolate is that it's messy.

 Don't tell Amy how Hailey and Makayla's new Christmas clothes got all grungy and stained. 
I'll repent later.

Speaking of repenting, I hear my future calling.....

Twas The Week Before Christmas

 Christmas is the time for company to slide into town.

It's the season for Hailey and Makayla to show Ashley how to do her laundry.

Tis the time for getting a professional to do your hair,

 Don't you love those random legs kicking me in the face?

although, personally, I think someone else would have benefited more.

The holidays are the perfect moment to relax and take a good nap.

And of course, nothing says "Christmas"

 like having more victims tasters for the traditional holiday food-

 Ice cream!

Today we tried Strawberry/blueberry Frozen Yogurt

That was the recipe next on my long ice cream list labeled "to try".

Let's just say strawberries are not exactly in season right now. 

We all agreed it was pretty tart. 

I think I'll shelf the berry recipes until they're a little more tasty in the Spring.

Finally, tis the season for letting McKay and Ashley take little people to the mall. 

Let's hope the experience doesn't completely ruin the excitement of their impending parenthood.....

Clarification

There are a few things in my life I need to clarify.

Clarification No. 1

 It is still winter in Montana. 

 Icy, cold, drifting snow winter.  If Megan doesn't drive 50 mph down Paul Revere when she leaves for seminary at 6:25 am, she will get stuck.  If Megan gets stuck, I have to come push her out of a snowbank. 

 I will be coming to help in my PJs, slippers, and uncombed hair so that she's motivated to not get stuck. So far, she's been stuck twice. She's learning.

 

Clarification No. 2

Contrary to impressions left by the last few posts, Makayla is not throwing constant, obnoxious, 2 year old temper tantrums.

Most the time she's dang cute.

She's becoming more vocal,

picking up lots of new words and phrases like "Megan's shoes!" and "More broccoli!"

How can you not love a two year old who asks for broccoli??

How could anyone not enjoy spending time with this child?  Even her tantrums are hilarious.

She brings a smile to my face,

and that hair always makes me laugh.

Clarification No. 3

I'm not done with my bucket list.  Here's my bucket.  People have been helpfully sending recipes for me to try in my bucket.  I LOVE getting new ice cream recipes.  I've got about a dozen left to try after today.  That's only two week's worth.

 People had better keep sending them or I'm going to run out.

Tonight for supper we had shrimp fajitas.

So (obviously) I chose pumpkin flavored ice cream to go with the fajitas.

Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon of ground ginger
1/8 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
1 cup of pumpkin puree
3/4 cup of sugar
8 oz of cream cheese
2 cups of  heavy cream
1 cup of whole milk
1/2 cup of crushed cinnamon graham crackers
pinch of salt

Directions:

In a mixing bowl add the pumpkin puree, ground cinnamon, ground ginger and ground nutmeg. Stir the ingredients together and set aside. In a medium saucepan combine 1 cup of heavy cream sugar and milk. Dice the cream cheese into little chunks and add to the saucepan. Over medium heat stir the ice cream base until the sugar and cream cheese dissolve.

Add the pumpkin puree into the ice cream base and then stir until everything is fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream base through a fine mesh strainer into a mixing bowl.  Pour in the remaining 1 cup of heavy cream. Place the pumpkin cheesecake ice cream base in an ice bath for 1 hour then refrigerate for at least 4 hours. Mix the ice cream base according your ice cream manufacturer directions.

Once the ice cream is a soft-serve consistency then scoop it out into a freezer safe container, incorporating the crushed cinnamon graham crackers. Let the ice cream set in the freezer for at least 4 hours and then serve.

Megan said "I'm not diggin' it",

but agreed it was better than the last vegetable ice cream I tried--Butternut Squash. 

That's not saying much.  It's almost an insult.

That Megan is hard to please.  If I ever find an ice cream she loves, I'd probably die of shock. 

Thanks for not killing me off, Meg.

Stan said it was "smooth" and "not bad".  Not exactly a ringing endorsement.  I'm glad I tried this flavor, but I think we all agreed it was just "okay".  Oh well- another day, another flavor!



The Quest Continues

Today's quest for the perfect ice cream is:

 Pomegranate Ice Cream

1 1/2 cup powdered sugar

3/4 cup pomegranate juice (such as Pom)

Mix well and add

1/4 cup lime juice

2 cups heavy cream

Beat until soft peaks form; freeze as directed in ice cream machine.

This was good ice cream.  Not great, but good.  I still like Super Lime the most, followed closely by Stan's favorite, Raspberry Sour Cream.

It's time to demonstrate the proper way to eat ice cream. 

Generally speaking, ice cream must be eaten out of a hot cocoa mug.

That way if a member of your family wanders by as you're sneaking some ice cream, you can pretend you are drinking hot cocoa.  Trust me, if they know you are eating ice cream, they will want some too, and you'll be forced to share.

You and your spouse should find a dark space.  The living room with the lights off works best. Start talking about love, taxes, how your joints hurt, and how your insomnia and gout are getting the best of you.  What? You don't have gout? That's okay, your kids don't know or care. When the kids hear the topic of your conversation, they will quickly move to another part of the house. Now you can eat your ice cream in peace.  Remember, this won't work for very small children.  They are happy to listen to tax talk if they can just snuggle on your lap.

Luckily for us, Makayla doesn't like ice cream.

And if she thinks she might, I quickly substitute applesauce and she's perfectly content.

Megan thinks I have a "problem" when it come to ice cream.  That's ridiculous!  If I had a problem, I'd spend all my time thinking about how, when, and where my next ice cream fix was coming from.  I'd lie about how much I'd had that day.  I'd eat ice cream instead of "real" food.  I'd avoid people who avoid ice cream. 

Oh wait! 

Oh.  Uh-oh... 

Just so you know, it's turned freezing cold up here with an irrational exuberance.  I'm going to rethink this whole ice cream thing before I freeze to death.

Dark and Snowy Saturday, 7:30 am

I've decided it's time to warm things up, so next I'm making:

Toasted Coconut Ice Cream with Macadamia Nuts and Hot Fudge.

The Party's Over

After one of the most beautiful, warm, and snow-free Montana autumns in my memory, we got our first snowfall.

The snow is melting as it hits the ground, but I have a feeling I'm going to wake up to a few feet of snow.

See?  Here we are Friday morning, buried in snow.  And this is just the beginning of a week of snowstorms.

And today's predicted 16 degree high seems balmy compared with 4 degrees for tomorrow.

Kind of depressing.  There's one sure cure for the cold and snowfall blues.

More ice cream!

Raspberry Sour Cream Ice Cream

 8 oz frozen raspberries, thawed and crushed
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup sour cream
2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla
3 beaten eggs
1/2 can (6 oz) evaporated milk
2 cups heavy whipping cream

Mix fruit, sugar, sour cream and vanilla together. Add well-beaten eggs, milk and cream.
Follow the procedure for your individual ice cream maker.

Do you see all the good-for-you ingredients in this recipe?  Fruit, dairy, protein, and (since I used beet sugar) vegetables.

I let Megan sample it first.  Okay, she was fourth.  I was first, second, and third.  I had to make sure it was good enough for Megan.

Megan thought it was "Alright. Kind of jello-y tasting".

That Megan is hard to please. She probably hates puppies and rainbows, too.

Stan tried it fifth.  Okay, he was eighth.  I was fifth, sixth, and seventh.  In my defense, I was trying to see if I could taste the Jello-y flavor Megan thought she detected.

Stan proclaimed it "Marvelous!  Wonderful!  Outstanding!"

I too thought it was tasty, a big improvment over Squash Ice Cream (now THERE'S a surprise).  

 I still liked the lime ice cream best of the ones I've tried recently, but I'll be making Raspberry Ice Cream again. 

That means there's only one thing to do: tomorrow I'm trying a recipe for Pomegranate Ice Cream.