I Scream For Ice Cream

It's officially ice cream season at our house.  Finally, since it should have started months ago.  While in Utah (for the second time) I purchased a new cookbook (well, we bought four) named Scoop.  It's all about ice cream.  All. About. Ice. Cream....mmmm.

If you know me, you know I love me some ice cream.  I love to make it.  I love to eat it.  I love to experiment.  Now I'm just trying to get behind the science of it all. 

The first one we tried was Banana Cream Pie, which was good but way rich.  If you're lucky I'll post the recipe, sans pictures because it went pretty quickly.  The cookbook also includes recipes for Jalapeno Avacado Ice Cream, which I'm actually going to try.  Yes, I am.

The next recipe I made wasn't from the Scoop cookbook, but one that I'd found earlier this Summer and hadn't tried yet.  Strawberry Buttermilk Ice Cream.  Yep, buttermilk.

It's tangy and sweet and oh, so refreshing. 

Birthday Dinners

Birthday dinners are a HUGE thing at our house.  The birthday person gets to plan the menu for their own, very special birthday dinner.  Whatever they want.  In a family of 6 this is a pretty big deal.  Especially when the mom loves to cook what she likes most of the time…

Savannah’s dinner was the most thought out, well planned meal from a six-year old EVER.  She analyzed her options, she thought long and hard, and came up with pretty much the perfect menu.  Each one of the 15 people who ate the dinner would agree, I’m sure.

Jalapeno poppers

Homemade rolls with homemade jam

Tomato/alfredo shrimp pasta bake

Green salad

10 layer rainbow layered jello

Grape soda (we also offered Strawberry)

Strawberry lemonade ice cream cake (just use Strawberry Lemonade mix)

Seriously, so fattening, so time-intensive to make, but oh, so delicious!  Thanks Nannah!

TOMATO/ALFREDO SHRIMP PASTA BAKE

• 16-18 oz. pasta (I use penne, radiatore, or farfalle), cooked as directed on packaging
• Large jar spaghetti sauce (it doesn't have to be fancy, I use Hunts, it's cheap and the spaghetti sauce isn't the star of this dish)
• Alfredo sauce (see recipe below, or you can use a large jar of store bought sauce
• 1 pound medium shrimp, cooked, deveined and tails removed, chopped into bits
• Mozzarella cheese - enough to cover a 9x13-in. casserole

Preheat oven to 350°.  Cook alfredo sauce, if you're making the homemade (and much, much tastier) sauce.  Once sauce is cooked, add the shrimp to it and stir in.  Line 9x13-in. baking pan with spaghetti sauce, just dump it in and spread it out. Add cooked pasta, then pour the alfredo sauce (w/ shrimp mixed in) over the pasta. Top with shredded mozzarella cheese.  Cover with foil and bake in preheated oven for 30 minutes, or until it is bubbly.

Amazing Alfredo Sauce:

1 pint heavy cream

1/2 cup butter

2 tbsp. cream cheese

3/4 c. parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. garlic powder

In a saucepan, combine cream, butter and cream cheese.  Simmer until all is melted and mixed well.  Add parmesan cheese and garlic powder.  Stirring constantly, with a whisk, simmer for 15-20 minutes until thick.

H = Homemade

Homemade Apple Pie Ice Cream

8 oatmeal cookies, crushed
2 tablespoons melted butter, divided

2 large apples, peeled, cored and sliced
3 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups half and half
1 cup white sugar
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1/4 cup chopped toasted walnuts
1/4 cup dulce de leche or caramel ice cream topping

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).

2. Mix the crushed cookies with 1 tablespoon of melted butter, and press onto a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 5 minutes, then remove, allow to cool completely, then crumble.

3. Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the apples, 3 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon cinnamon. Cook until the apples have lightly browned, and the sugar has begun to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, and allow to cool completely.

4. Combine cream, half and half, 1 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 2 teaspoons of cinnamon in a large bowl; mix to blend well. Pour into an ice cream maker and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.

5. When the ice cream has finished, stir in the crumbled cookie, caramelized apples, and walnuts. Add the dulce de leche by the teaspoon while stirring to evenly distribute.

Recipes from Yesterday

These are the recipes from last night's dinner, including the potatoes (yes, I'm still bitter, but I did them wrong so it's my fault!)

BBQ CHICKEN

2 lbs. chicken tenders
1/2 c. ketchup
6 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons ready-made white horseradish
4 teaspoons packed brown sugar
1 clove garlic, minced

1. preheat broiler, heat a charcoal grill until coals form white ash, or preheat a gas grill to medium

2. prepare sauce, in a medium bowl, by combining ketchup, vinegar, horseradish, brown sugar and garlic

3. combine tenders with sauce, chill and marinade for at least 30 minutes for better flavor

4. broil or grill 3 inches from heat, basting with excess sauce and turning until no longer pink in center, about 5 minutes per side

RE BAKED POTATOES

10 russet potatoes
2 c. sour cream
1 package dry ranch dressing
3 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1. preheat oven to 425°, scrub potatoes; pat dry. Pierce several times with a fork. Microwave pierced potatoes on HIGH for 12 minutes; bake for 15 minutes

2. while potatoes are baking, mix together 2 c. sour cream, ranch dressing and 1 c. cheddar cheese, set aside

3. cut cooked potatoes lengthwise; scoop insides into bowl with cheese mixture and mix together

4. brush potato skins with olive oil

5. spoon potato mixture into potato skin shells, sprinkle with remaining 2 c. cheddar cheese. place on baking sheet and bake 15 minutes

HOMEMADE PEACH ICE CREAM
(for a 4 qt. ice cream maker)

1 3/4 c. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
4 c. half and half
1 tbsp. vanilla
4 c. whipping cream
3 c. chopped peaches, mixed with 2 tbsp. sugar

1. Mix whipping cream, half and half, sugar, salt and vanilla together until sugar and salt dissolve. Add peaches, stir.

2. Refrigerate mixture for at least 30 minutes before freezing.

3. Freeze according to your ice cream makers instructions, usually freezes within 25 minutes.

4. Once frozen it will be soft set. If you prefer a harder texture to your ice cream place in freezer to 'ripen' for an hour or so.

STUFFED JALAPENO POPPERS

15 jalapeno peppers
1 package (12 oz.) cream cheese
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1 package thick cut hickory smoked bacon

1. preheat oven to 350°

2. prepare jalapenos by cutting stem off and cleaning out all membranes and seeds, leaving the hollow jalapeno whole

3. mix cream cheese and cheddar cheese together in a bowl

4. stuff cheese mixture into jalapeno

5. wrap with bacon all around jalapeno, secure with toothpick

6. bake for 30 minutes