Make Ice Cream without a CRANK!!

Yes, Yes, tsk...tsk...I've been absent for a LONG time. Sorry folks...life intruded with my new job. Check us out at www.solutionsforyourlife.com

Okay on to the ICE CREAM

Ingredients:
2 quarts table cream
1 1/4 cups instant skim-milk powder
2 cups sugar
1/4 oz. gelatin
1 large egg
2 tsps vanilla

Making:

1. Put cream in the top section of a double boiler

2. Whisk in the egg and skim-milk powder

3. Mix the sugar and gelatin then add to the mixture, whisking away

4. Add vanilla

5. Use a thermometer to measure temp--when mixture reaches exactly 158 degrees plunge the bowl into very cold water to cool it below 64.5 degrees

6. Leave to stand in frige for at least four hours, preferable overnight

7. Pour mixture ino shallow plastic container with tight lid

8. Leave in coldest part of freezer for two hours, check to see if edges have begun to harden

9. If they have, empty the contents into a bowl and use an electric mixer to beat it again.

10. Now put it back in the plastic container and freeze again for two hours.

Repeat steps 7 & 8

Tip of the Day

The Brew of the GODS---COFFEE

Julie and I are both coffee fiends. I may be a little more on the manic side due to living in the Pacific Northwest for two year and being in grad school for many, many, many years where there was always a coffee cart close by.

With rising fuel costs everyone can stand to save a buck. Here are some of my favorite ways to indulge my habit for a fraction of the price.

Iced Coffee Options
I generally brew 4 "cups" (24 ounces) in the morning but sometimes I brew 6 knowing that I will only drink my usual 4--but I never throw the rest away. Why not? Because when I come home in the afternoon I pour it over ice and enjoy an iced cafe au lait. You can also use your left over coffee to make coffee ice cubes that can be used to ice your drinks or to use in the blender to make something frostier. These cubes can also be used in recipes when coffee flavor or instant coffee is called for as an ingredient.

Become your Own Barista
Eight years ago I received a Melitta espresso maker. I had never used this type of machine before (I had used an Italian burner percolator for cafe cubano) and was intimidated at first. Melitta supplied a short video on how to use the machine and the steam frother and a barista was "born". I learned how to make the variations by watching how my own orders were prepared. My coffee pantry has syrups, sprinkles, and 16 ounce to go cups complete with lids. I have tried other espresso makers, but I love my little Melitta (it was purchased at Target) and would recommend it to anyone. Over eight years it has made hundreds of lattes, capuchinos, americanos, cafe au laits, macchiatos, and a mochachino or two.

Coffee Flavor
Do you love flavored coffees but often make regular brew? Here is a trick I learned years ago--drop a life saver or two into your cup and wait for it to melt. Butter Rum is my favorite flavor addition.

Tip of the Day

A Sweet Treat!

Strawberries are hitting their peak here in sunny Floriday and we LOVE our strawberries! We even have a weekend festival devoted to the red juicies (Plant City Strawberry Festival--check it out). Here is an easy way to enjoy your berries with no prep required!

This "recipe" was shared with me by a dear friend from Oklahoma who has fond childhood memories of eating them this way.

After washing strawberries, dip them in sour cream and then brown sugar. Pop them in your mouth and enjoy the taste dichotomy. When I serve this treat everyone gets individual dipping bowls of sour cream and brown sugar.

Tip Of the Day

Pancake Perfection!

One of the most enduring mysteries of the universe for many cooks is cooking the perfect pancake! If you are like me you have often wondered, why the first one turns out to be a flop and your last one is burnt on the outside and runny on the inside?

Well here is one solution you might try next time.

Heat your pan or griddle for 10 minutes (yes, 10 minutes) before pouring batter. I have an electric stovetop that I set at "3 1/2", not low but not medium heat either. Watch for bubbles to form along the margins before attempting your flip and make sure you have your spatula well greased.

Here is another hint for the pancake challenged...my favorite guilty treat, I use Jiffy Brand Blueberry muffin mix--the directions are included on the back of the box and I have yet to have a batch be inedible and I eat them without needing syrup or butter!