It’s Friday evening before a holiday weekend and our AC stops working. It’s 95 all weekend. We found more ants in our cupboards, this time they found their way INSIDE the honey jar. Can summer be over now??? I know, I know. Unpopular opinion. But …
To say I’m a milkshake fan would be an understatement. A HUGE understatement. Growing up, some of my favorite memories of my grandparents include grabbing milkshakes and burgers at Smokey’s. They had the best chocolate milkshakes- you know the kind that come with the metal …
I warned you, didn’t I? Summer = all peach everything around here. But summer also means hurricane season and this one is already a doozy. Living in Louisiana we were lucky to be far enough north hurricanes weren’t really a concern, but you have never truly seen a storm until you have seen a storm in the South. The sky opens up and a torrential downpour can last for days at a time. Your windshield wipers are on high and it’s still not enough to see clearly. I had my “emergency flooding route” that I would take to work if it was raining, because streets back up with water almost instantly. The worst storm dumped 30+ inches in 48 hours. And it was terrifying. Entire neighborhoods flooded in places they were told would never flood.
Hurricane Harvey and the flooding happening in Houston right now is bringing back all those memories. Of anxiously watching the streets and your yard, tracking how high the water is rising. Of staring at the radar, wishing and praying for that massive storm to finally just move. In fact, the only time I’ve ever been to Houston it was pouring rain and we had to turn around multiple times due to water over roads. And that was just from a “regular” storm! The National Weather Service has had to add new colors to their graphics because the amount of rainfall is unprecedented.
The whole situation is overwhelming and heartbreaking and it is easy to feel helpless. If you are looking for ways you can monetarily donate, here are a few local organizations: Houston Food Bank, Corpus Christi Food Bank, Texas Diaper Bank, Austin Pets Alive!, State of Texas Agriculture Relief Fund. If you have an excess of Southwest airline miles, you can donate those to deploy volunteers (choose either Red Cross or Team Rubicon). Regardless of your physical location, donating blood now and in the months to come can be beneficial, especially because the summer months statistically have less donors to begin with. At the very least, keep these people in your thoughts and prayers as more rain continues to come to the area.
Now back to the recipe. Kelly made a vanilla ice cream years ago that has been the perfect base for all our ice cream concoctions. I’m fairly convinced you can’t actually ruin making ice cream if you start with this recipe. Every one turns out amazing! Cinnamon, Blueberry Cheesecake, Coffee, Cookies & Cream… Speaking of Kelly, you may notice she has been a little absent this year from LDB. That’s because she’s busy making her milkshake dreams a reality with Milkhouse Shakes! The presidential themed milkshake shop will hopefully open early 2018 in Old Town Sacramento. The shake I’m most looking forward to? The Andrew Johnson imPEACHment shake, of course!
While peaches scream summer to me, the addition of cinnamon graham crackers and warm spices makes this ice cream taste just a little more like fall. Roasting the peaches (or grilling!) beforehand also adds a richer, sweeter flavor to the peaches. It’s a step you don’t want to skip. August has been dubbed National Peach Month, so let that be your excuse to make this ice cream before summer is over!
1 cup crushed cinnamon graham crackers (about 1 sleeve)
Place peaches cut side up in a greased baking dish or on cookie sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Bake 20-30 minutes until tops are golden brown and flesh is tender. Let cool then cut into bite size pieces. Alternatively, you could grill the peaches.
In medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk 1 cup of the heavy cream and sugar together until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat.
Add remaining heavy cream, vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt and stir to combine.
Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour, or overnight.
Turn your ice cream maker on according to its directions, then slowly pour in the ice cream base. Let churn for 15 minutes then add graham cracker pieces. Churn another 5 minutes or until mixture has thickened.
Transfer to freezer safe container and freeze until firm.
Coffee might be my biggest weakness. I need it in the morning, I won’t turn it down in the afternoon, and I’ve been known to drink it in the evening before bed (I’m not an addict. Italians do it. It’s classy). The only problem with …
There’s a new ice cream shop in Sacramento called Cornflower Creamery and it’s about two blocks from my work. Guys, this is a dangerous thing. I may or may not have gone there and just ate ice cream for lunch one day… it was so worth …
To be honest, I’m not sure when or why I decided to make this ice cream. But it’s been one of the best decisions of my life. Seriously…it’s that good.
Kelly made a basic vanilla ice cream Philadelphia style, which means no tempering of eggs, and it has been the perfect base for pretty much any flavor I’ve thought up (Cookies and Cream anyone?). I’m happy to report it worked again with this recipe!
Now this recipe is a little more involved than the other ice cream flavors, but trust me, it’s worth it. The cream cheese is melted down into the heavy cream which forms the base of the ice cream. The blueberries are then cooked down into a compote which provides the nice purple color and also makes sure you don’t bite into a giant frozen blueberry.
Crushed graham crackers are added at the end to imitate the flavor of the crust and with that you have a delicious and impressive ice cream to share! Or not share, I won’t judge.
In medium saucepan, combine 1 cup of the heavy cream, cream cheese, sugar and salt over low heat. Whisk until sugar has dissolved and cream cheese has mostly melted.
Remove from heat and add remaining heavy cream and vanilla.
Cover and let chill.
Meanwhile, prepare the blueberry compote. Add all ingredients into a small saucepan and heat over medium heat for about 10 minutes. As the blueberries begin to break down, use the back of a fork to mash some of the berries.
*note* Follow your ice cream maker directions to get it started
Pour in the ice cream base first. Next slowly pour in the blueberry compote. Churn for 15 minutes.
Add the graham cracker crumbs into the mixture and churn for another 5 minutes.
Transfer to a freezer safe container and freeze until firm.
I hope you’re ready for pumpkin overload, because today is the Virtual Pumpkin Party! Us and a bunch of other bloggers are all posting pumpkin recipes today, just in time for your Halloween and fall festivities. A new Dairy Queen just opened near us, which is …
Bananas are one of my favorite fruits and a staple in our house. I eat them all the time and particularly love them with a frozen waffle and peanut butter… you should definitely try it! When Steph and I were in Portland a year and a …
If you haven’t noticed, we have quite the ice cream obsession around here. But can you blame us?! It’s summer! And ice cream is delicious.
When I was growing up we got to have “treat” each night before bed. It could be anything: cookies and milk, a popsicle, a piece of pie. Mine was always a bowl of ice cream. Always.
I ate ice cream so often my relatives would buy extra when I was coming to town. I had an ice cream cone charm for my Italian charm bracelet (remember those??) When I went on a mission trip to Mexico my youth pastor’s emailed my parents saying “Don’t worry, Stephanie got some ice cream”.
My addiction stalled for a few years after I moved out of the house, but then my fiancé got me an ice cream maker for my birthday! Granted I’m pretty sure it’s more a gift for himself, I was excited.
This Oreo cookies and cream ice cream is hands down the best ice cream I’ve made. Not only is it incredibly easy (can you say 5 ingredient vanilla ice cream + oreos?) but it was sweet and creamy and just enough Oreos to get your chocolate fix.
Trust me. You need this ice cream in your life! You’re only 30 minutes away from this delicious summer treat.
What’s the weather been like where you’re at lately? It seems like everywhere is hot, hot, hot! I’m a firm believer that the only way to beat the heat is frozen desserts. And I also just really like ice cream. Sometimes though, it’s even too …