Very Chocolate Ice Cream

We just got an ice cream maker last week!!! It's a Cuisinart 2-quart capacity countertop variety, which is the largest size I could find that didn't require ice and rock salt for making the ice cream. 
So far I've made the vanilla recipe from their included booklet, as well as the vanilla yogurt.  The ice cream was wonderful, the yogurt tasty but not nearly as good as the ice cream (go figure, must be the 17 less grams of fat per serving).  For having guests this weekend, I decided to make some chocolate ice cream as well.

This recipe caught my eye off of Allrecipes and with all the positive reviews, I knew I had to make it. 

In all seriousness, it is one of the best things I have ever eaten.  I'm not even kidding.   Even Grant agrees, and he's pretty picky about homemade ice cream, texturewise.  It's the perfect amount of chocolaty goodness, creamy and smooth melt-in-your mouth delectableness.  Everyone loved it.

Note:  This amount filled up my 2-quart ice cream maker to full capacity.  If you have a smaller machine, please decrease the ingredients!  The link below to Allrecipes takes you to the recipe itself, and they have an awesome feature on their site that calculates different amount of servings for you. The original recipe was for 8 servings - I changed it to 12 for our machine, which was perfect. 

Recipe (from Allrecipes)

• 1 cup and 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1-1/2 cups milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
• 5 egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 3 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped finely (I used Bakers Semi-sweet Chocolate)
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 
  Combine sugar, milk, salt, and cocoa powder in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly. Heat to about 150°, very hot but not bubbling yet.  Place the egg yolks into a small bowl. Gradually stir in about 1/2 cup of the hot liquid. and return to the saucepan. Heat until thickened (175-180°), but do not boil. Remove from the heat, and stir in the chopped chocolate until chocolate is melted. Pour into a chilled bowl, and refrigerate for about two hours until cold, stirring occasionally.
  
• When chocolate mixture has completely cooled, stir in the cream, and vanilla. Pour into an ice cream maker, and freeze according to manufacturer's directions.

Graduation Cake

 I consider this cake my crowning achievement in cake decorating thusfar.  I actually made it in June of last year; I have no idea why it's taken me so long to get it on the blog. 

My neighbor Jenny had a daughter graduating from high school, and they were a part of a homeschool co-op that had several graduates.  They were having a ceremony and reception and Jenny requested that I make the cake for them.  I was extremely honored that I would be asked for such an occasion, as I had only made cakes for my own children up to that point, and I'm completely self-taught.  I browsed through some cake decorating websites to get some inspiration and asked Jenny for input on what she had in mind before I committed.  It was a little nerve-wracking to be making a cake for 60+ people, and for such a special event as well!  (I mean, my kids sure don't care or even notice if I mess up something on their birthday cakes).

This was what we came up with for the idea.  There was only one problem.  I had no idea how to pipe roses.  I ended up buying a Wilton Cake decorating book, which is lovely and very informational on lots of things....but ultimately it was watching tons of youtube videos that helped me catch on.  That and the hours of practicing.  :)
I ended up making the roses a few days in advance and saving them in the fridge (carefully stored on wax paper in plastic containers) so that when the cake was ready, I could just slide them on wherever I wanted them. 

So the bottom of the cake was a half-sheet chocolate cake, the top layer was a 13 x 9" vanilla cake.  All the frosting was regular Wilton recipe buttercream, except the fondant scroll on top.  That was homemade marshmallow fondant. 

I had quite a time with the writing.  I originally intended to paint on the names, so I bought this gold glittery stuff that you add a little clear vanilla extract to for making it like paint....only even with the tiniest paintbrush I could find, it wouldn't paint the letters clearly enough.  So back to Michael's I went to get edible markers.  Supposedly they're good for writing on fondant.  For my purposes, that didn't work either.  The tips were too big for fine print and the yellow color just didn't show up.
My final solution was to just tint some buttercream yellow and pipe on the letters.  I have terrible handwriting, so I found a font I liked and typed out the list of names, then printed it in the exact size I would need for the scroll.  I copied a faint outline of all the words on the fondant with a toothpick, then wrote over it with the frosting.  I was so nervous about that part!  It turned out really nice, though, leaving me wondering why I hadn't chosen to go that route in the first place. 

I was very pleased with the final product and I think it was well received by everyone.  I sure learned a lot in the process and had a great time seeing it all come together.

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

Got a zucchini surplus from your garden?  This is the perfect way to use some of it up.  We didn't plant zucchini this year because of the poor results we had last year (that is to say, 0 zucchini and diseased plants) but there are pretty good deals at most of the grocery stores on it now so we're eating it pretty frequently.

One day I remembered I had this recipe tucked away in a folder, not having been used in several years.  That is a crying shame, I tell you.  This recipe deserves to be made all throughout the year, especially during zucchini season.

Now, I have two daughters who don't like zucchini at all, and a son who thought that zucchini in a bread would be gross.  He almost didn't even want to taste it.
One bite later, they were all converted.

"This is like CAKE!"
"You don't even need frosting!"
"I want this for my birthday cake!"
"I want this for my birthday BREAKFAST!"
"This is the best chocolate bread EVER!"

Yeah, those are the comments I heard from my kids.
And they are right.  It is like cake, it definitely doesn't need frosting, and it is certainly birthday meal worthy, although probably we'll make something else for the actual "cake".

It really is one of my favorite recipes, all the way around.  And one of the best parts - you get two loaves, which becomes seriously necessary once people taste it and can't stop eating it.

Recipe (adapted from Allrecipes)

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate
3 eggs
1-1/2 c. white sugar
2/3 c. applesauce
1/3 c. oil  (I used expeller-pressed coconut oil)
2 c. grated zucchini (about 1-1/2 medium)
1 t. vanilla extract
2 c. white whole wheat flour (you can use all purpose if you want)
1 t. baking soda
1 t. salt
1 t. ground cinnamon
3/4 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350°.
Lightly grease two 9x5 inch loaf pans.
In a microwave safe bowl, microwave unsweetened chocolate until melted. Stir occasionally until chocolate is smooth.
In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, applesauce, oil, grated zucchini, vanilla and melted chocolate; beat well.
Stir in the flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Pour batter into prepared loaf pans.
Bake in preheated oven for 45-50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of a loaf comes out clean.

Black Bean Burgers

We're trying something new around here.  I've been reading a lot about meats and the products you injest when you eat conventional meats (the growth hormones, antibiotics, affects of genetically modified organisms that are in the feed of most meat animals, all that stuff), and needless to say, it's grossing me out.

Now I'm not about to turn vegetarian - but I figure that since organic meat is crazy expensive and local farmers are extremely uncommon around here, it wouldn't hurt us to consume less meat products and obtain protein from other sources for a few meals a week.  

I've even convinced my carnivore husband of it, and he's agreed to have at least one or two dinners a week that don't include meat. 

However, since he is doing P90X and needs lots of protein for all that muscle building he's doing, just veggie-based meals won't cut it.  We're trying to incorporate more beans and brown rice into our diet, so black bean burgers seemed a natural choice.

This was a first for everyone in my family.  Not only had I never made black bean burgers, I had never eaten one either.  I don't think Grant had either.  So I have no point of reference with which to compare this recipe, I can only comment on whether we liked it or not. 

The general consensus - we did.

Corban (7) wasn't a huge fan, he liked the taste of the burger but just didn't enjoy it on a bun.  I have to admit, it was a bit strange to be looking at something like a burger but experiencing a texture completely different.  I did really like the flavor of the burgers, although I think I might enjoy it more wrapped up in a tortilla or maybe a pita bread. Just so I'm not expecting a real burger sort of meal. 

Grant loved the leftovers - he just ate them plain without buns for his lunch the next day.

Note:  The original recipe called for 1/4 c. fresh cilantro, which I omitted because of certain people I love who despise it.  It also called for a minced shallot - I just used some onion powder, because I don't normally ever keep shallots on hand. 

Recipe: (adapted from Annie's Eats)

3/4 cup panko

3 T. plus 2 tsp. olive oil, divided

2 (15 oz) cans black beans, drained and rinsed, divided

2 large eggs

1 t. cumin

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. cayenne pepper

1 red bell pepper, stemmed, seeded, and finely diced

1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped (optional)

1/2 t. onion powder

Place a medium skillet over medium-high heat.  Combine the panko with 2 tsp. of the olive oil and mix with a fork to blend. Add the mixture to the skillet and toast the panko, stirring frequently, until light golden brown.   Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.

Place 2-1/2 cups of the beans in a large bowl and mash with a potato masher or a fork until mostly smooth.  In a separate bowl, combine the eggs, 1 T. of the oil, cumin, salt, and cayenne.  Whisk to blend.  Add the egg mixture, toasted panko, remaining 1/2 c. beans, bell pepper, cilantro (if using), and onion powder to the bowl with the mashed beans.  Stir together until evenly combined.  

Divide the mixture into 6 equal portions (I made about 8), about 1/2 c. each.  Lightly pack into 1-inch patties.  (At this point, the patties can be covered tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerated for up to 24 hours before cooking.)  Heat 1 T. of the oil in a large skillet over medium heat until shimmering.

Carefully lay half of the patties in the skillet and cook until well browned on both sides, about 8-10 minutes total. Transfer the cooked burgers to a plate, tent with foil, and repeat with the remaining oil and bean patties. Serve warm.  I melted some cheddar cheese on half, and pepper jack on the other half.  

Visit from the Grandparents - Summer 2011 Part 2

A few more photos of our fun time with Grant's parents are in order......somehow we failed to get downloaded the fishing photos that Grandpa took, so hopefully he can email those to us and I can add those....some pretty cool shots of the guys catching small sharks!  

Beach time!  Ellia was obviously having a good time.

Marissa - loves the pool!

Annika - our little fish.

Slightly chilly Ellia with Grandpa

Getting a lesson from Grandpa on different aircraft at a local park.

Annika was just unhappy about mosquitoes.

Swinging time!

Visit to our Yankee Candle Factory Flagship store - the kids' first time there.

The kids all dipped candles - lots of fun.

Corban got to make a wax mold of his hand....he loved it!

Grandma and Ellia.

Annika and Grandpa

Grant's brother Eric came down for one of the fishing trips and the guys came back with a few crabs - he cooked them and taught us all how to properly eat a crab.  

A little surprisingly, Annika was the hugest fan of crab meat - she's our little seafood fanatic!

Last day of the visit- all the kids with grandparents.  

Gooey Cookies and Cream Chocolate Cake Bars

Can you EVEN.
I mean, really.
These take ridiculous to a whole new level.
Nothing nutritious about them, not one single crumb.
Chocolate to the hilt.  A chocoholic's dream come true, if you want to know the truth.
Can you see the gooeyness?  (spell check says that isn't a word.  I don't care.)

Thankfully, I made these for Grant's work potluck, not for us at home, because otherwise I could be guilty of consuming a day's worth of calories in about 5 minutes.

The recipe comes from Jenny at Picky Palate, who has some of the craziest ideas for new recipes.  I would never have thought of something like this.  I guess that's the reason she's been to the Pillsbury Bake-Off and other national cooking contests and I haven't.

Recipe: 
1 devils food cake mix
1 stick of butter (1/2 cup), room temperature
1 egg
14 chocolate sandwich cookies (like Oreos)
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1-1/2 cups chocolate chips


Preheat oven to 350°.
Line a 13 x 9" pan with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a mixing bowl, combine cake mix, butter, and egg.  Use your hands and just mash it all together until it's well mixed.  Press evenly into prepared pan.
Break cookies into pieces and sprinkle evenly over cake.
Drizzle the sweetened condensed milk over the cookies.
Sprinkle chocolate chips over the top of it all.
Bake for 23-25 minutes.
Allow to cool for 5 minutes, then run a knife around the edges to loosen from foil.  Allow to cool completely.  Use foil to remove from pan and cut into pieces.

Fruit Pizza

It was my turn to make food for our small group from church last week, and I decided to do a pizza night.  I made 2 large pizzas in cookie sheets, one half cheese, half veggie (with zucchini, tomatoes, and green peppers) and the other barbecue chicken bacon.  For dessert - pizza again.  Yum!

I realize there are lots of variations on fruit pizza out there, so I won't make any claims that this is the best one, but it sure was delicious and popular with kids and adults alike.  I made two, so I doubled this recipe.  I think the ratio of topping, fruit, and cookie were balanced very nicely - nothing was overpowering or dominating and it was just plain good.  The cookie was nice and soft, but never got soggy.  Fresh fruit can get iffy in quality if left in the fridge for too long, so I recommend eating the leftovers by the next day.  That wasn't a problem for my family.

My kids are already begging me to make it again.

Recipe (adapted from Allrecipes, decorating idea from Finding Joy in my Kitchen)

1/2 c. butter, room temperature
2/3 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 t. vanilla extract
1-1/4 c. all purpose flour
1/2 t. cream of tartar
1/2 t. baking soda
1/4 t. salt


4 oz  cream cheese, room temperature
1/4 c. powdered sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
2 oz frozen whipped topping, thawed


Fresh fruit - I used strawberries and kiwi (peaches, blueberries, mandarin oranges, raspberries, blackberries, pineapple, mango, or most other fruits are possibilities as well!)


Preheat oven to 350°.  Lightly grease a pizza pan.

In a mixing bowl, cream butter and sugar until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla and mix well.  In a separate bowl, combine flour, cream of tartar, baking soda, and salt.  Add to butter mixture and stir well.

Gently press into the prepared pizza pan.  Don't worry about getting all the way to the edges - as the cookie bakes, it will expand.  I left at least 1 to 1-1/2 inches space around the edge.

Bake for 8-12 minutes, or until cookie is lightly browned around the edges and set in the middle.  Cool completely.

Beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla until smooth and creamy.  Fold in the whipped topping until well combined.  Spread over the cooled crust.  Arrange sliced fruit on top as desired.  Chill until serving. Refrigerate leftovers.