Fresh Raspberry & Blueberry Ice Cream

If you ask my favorite ice cream flavor, I would say "Mom's homemade vanilla." Yup, I know, it sounds really boring, but I love my mom's homemade vanilla ice cream. So why am I blogging about berry-filled ice cream? Because it combines my mom's basic vanilla with my two favorite berries.

And it turned out better than I imagined.

Ingredients:

5 eggs, separated

2 C whipping cream, whipped

2-1/4+ C sugar

dash of salt

1 can evaporated milk (12-13 oz)

2 tsp vanilla

2 C raspberries

1 C blueberries

Whip cream until stiff.

Separate eggs.

Beat egg white until stiff.

Add sugar gradually and continue beating until stiff.

Beat yolks.

Add salt, vanilla, and milk. Combine whipped cream and egg whites.

Fold into yolk mixture.

Puree berries.

Pour mixture and berries into ice cream freezer.

Add milk to mark on can (usually 2-1/2" from top). Freeze as directed.

When done freezing, put in freezer safe container to cure for at least one hour.

We tried some after it had been setting for 15 minutes. Tasted great, but didn't have the right consistency. See.

It was much better an hour later.

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Lebanese Chicken and Potatoes

I found this wonderful recipe on line at allrecipes.com. It was very easy to put together, it smells fabulous as it's cooking, and it tastes amazing.

Ingredients:
8 pieces of chicken
8 medium potatoes, peeled and quartered
Salt and ground white pepper to taste
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 C extra virgin olive oil
1 C fresh lemon juice

One Crazy Girl's Notes: Okay, I halved the recipe except for the garlic. We love us some crazy amounts of garlic in this crazy kitchen.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Place chicken and potatoes in a large backing dish. Season generously with salt and white pepper.

As you can see from the picture, I didn't have white pepper, so I used freshly ground black pepper.

In a bowl, stir together garlic, olive oil, and lemon juice.

Pour over chicken and potatoes

Cover with foil or lid (if using a covered roaster). Bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil or lid. Increase heat to 475 degrees F and cook until chicken and potatoes are golden (about 30 minutes).

I served it with a mixed salad and fresh sugar snap peas from our garden. Delicious!

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Kitchen under construction

Just so you know why the posts have been few and far between lately:

My kitchen is currently undergoing a bit of a face lift. The painting is all done, but now the cabinets are being refinished. Once it's all finished, I'll start cooking there again and post pictures of the new look.

Thanks for your patience!

Slow Cooker Taco Soup

This is a great recipe for using up canned food (if this is what you have in your food storage). Even if you don't stock these things regularly, it's still a great, hearty soup. We also added cheese, sour cream, and corn chips right before serving.

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef

1 onion, chopped

1 (16 oz.) can chili beans

1 (15 oz.) can kidney beans

1 (4 oz.) can green chili peppers (optional)

1 (15 oz.) can whole kernel corn

1 (8 oz.) can tomato sauce

2 (14.5 oz.) cans diced tomatoes

1 (2.25 oz.) pkg taco seasoning

2 C water

Brown meat and onions. Drain and set aside.

Put all other ingredients except the water in your crock pot. DON'T DRAIN CANNED VEGETABLES!!!!

 

Add beef and mix well.

Add the water. If you double the recipe, it will barely fit in a standard crock pot. Add water last, and decrease as necessary to fit. Cook on low for 8 hours.

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Banana Strawberry Brownies

I can't take all the credit for this recipe. I used a Pillsbury fudge brownie mix and followed the instructions on the box. The bananas were my stepson's idea, and the strawberries were my husband's. All I really did was insist on real whipped cream. I mean, really...

Ingredients:
1 brownie mix, prepared
1 large banana, sliced
8 medium strawberries, sliced
Whipped cream

Prepare brownie mix according to the package.

Lightly spray a 9x9 pan.

Line pan with sliced bananas and strawberries.

Pour brownie mix over fruit

Bake as directed on the box. You might need 5-10 minutes more than the instructions say.

Cool. Refrigerate and serve with whipped cream.

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