Plain Jane Ice Cream

My sweet mother-in-law bought me a lovely ice-cream maker for my birthday maybe seven or eight years ago but I am ashamed to admit that it was not used for years. I wanted to use it but I was letting our food "issues" get in the way. B was allergic to dairy until after her sixth birthday. Plus she was allergic to eggs and when she outgrew her egg allergy we found out that little L was highly allergic to eggs. 

Most chefs will tell you that you need cream and eggs to make a proper ice cream so my poor ice cream maker just sat and sat for years. Then I just went for it! Maybe it is because I am an "allergy mom" or even just a mom that I decided that I could care less about "proper ice cream" and more about home-made ice cream. It might not be fancy ice cream, in fact it is just plain vanilla, but it is good!

Plain Jane Vanilla Ice Cream

1 cup whipping cream

2 cups half & half

3/4 cup sugar

1/8 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon vanilla extra

Combine the whipping cream, half & half, sugar and salt in a sauce pan. Heat the sauce pan over medium heat. Stir until all of the sugar has dissolved. 

Take the sauce pan off the heat and stir in vanilla.

Place mixture into a seal-able container and place in the refrigerator. It is best if mixture can sit over night to chill.

Pour mixture into your ice cream maker and follow its instructions. (I left my machine running for about 35 minutes but each machine is different.) Then freeze your ice cream until hard, at least two hours.

Enjoy!

A Back-To-School Must Have!

Back-to-school lists. Some people love them, others hate them. My daughter is over the moon just thinking about fresh pencils and notecards. My son...not so much! But if you have grammar school children you too are labeling an unreal amount of glue-sticks and notebooks right about now.

There is one all important back-to-school must-have for two out of our three children that is never on the list...Epi-Pens. Since B and L both have severe allergies they need to have Epi-Pens at all times. And it is up to me to make sure that their meds have not expired, which is why I call our pharmacy every August and order new Epi-Pens for the school year.

Since B carries her Epi-Pens at all times I was so happy to figure out that a two pack neatly fits into the "brush and pencil" bag by Vera Bradley. Both B and myself use these bags to keep our need Epi-Pens at the ready. 

Now all I need is for Vera Bradley to make a camo-print for L next year when he starts kindergarten! Because I have feeling that he will not love the colorful prints that B and I do!!!

Who Knew You Could Bake With Knob Creek!?!

I hope all the dads in your life had a wonderful Father's Day!  I think it is safe to say Hubby had a perfectly relaxing day.  Sleeping in, time at the pool and grilled fish for dinner.  On top of all that I baked Hubby a dessert that I thought would speak to him - Whiskey Pie with Tipsy Berries.  I found the recipe in Southern Living's June issue this past Saturday when I finally had a free moment.  

The only tweak I made was to the Tipsy Berries.  I only used blueberries and strawberries since they are Hubby's favorite.  I simply increased the amount that I used and it turned out just fine is you ask me.  While baking is a science sauces can be played with to meet your needs. (Hubby's note- Any recipe that can take something healthy like fruit and corrupt it with bourbon is OK in my book. This pie was very good and an excellent Father's Day surprise.)  Do you ever ignore the recipe too?

You can also find me at Savvy Southern Style and No Minimalist Here

Gluten Free Success!

Over the years I have been able to tweak many recipes so that B and L can enjoy the same kinds of foods that the rest of us eat.  That said, gluten and egg-free sugar cookies have been a problem no matter what I tried.  I would roll out the dough and it would look great but the cookies always seemed to "melt" and never hold their shape.  But thanks to a good family friend I tried a different gluten-free flour, Cup4Cup!  Cup4Cup gluten-free flour can be used just like regular wheat flour in any recipe and the best part is that you do not have to "tweak" the recipe.  While this sounded too good to be true I bought one bag and started baking.  What can I say, I am forever an optimist!

I turned to Ina Garten's shortbread cookie recipe since I always get perfectly shaped cookies when I bake them with regular flour.  (The only differences that I made was that I used Cup4Cup and did not dip the cookies in melted chocolate.)  The Cup4Cup blended in the dough just like regular flour.  I was a little nervous after the dough had chilled since it was crumbled very easily at first but after the dough warmed up it was not a problem to work with.  

I am happy to report that I was nervous for no reason at all!  The cookies baked up wonderfully and held their crisp edges.  As for taste, I would say that you would be hard pressed to tell that they were gluten and egg free cookies.  I can not tell you how excited I am by the baking success!!!

Gluten Free Baking

We have not done any baking this week due to a horrid stomach bug.  The kiddos are on a Gatorade and popsicle diet and I am washing towels and sheets way more than I had planned to this week. Yet the blog must go on so I thought I would talk about how I bake gluten free for B since some of you have asked.

When we first found out B needed a gluten free diet due to Celiac Disease we already knew that she was allergic to milk and eggs.  Trying to bake without butter, eggs and gluten was unreal!  Everything that I tried to make just did not work so I turned to mixes.  

I have been very happy with Cherrybrook Kitchen.  We have made their gluten free brownies, chocolate cake, chocolate chip cookies as well as their sugar cookies.  While we have been happy with the end product there is no doubt that it is gluten free and egg free.  Cherrybrook Kitchen's mixes produce a good but crumbly product since there is no "glue" but I will take crumbs over a trip to the ER any day of the week!

In 2008 B outgrew her diary allergy and then in 2010 she outgrew her egg allergy.  I can not tell you how overjoyed we were even though I don't think she will ever sit down and eat an egg.  But at least I could start baking with eggs again and I personally feel like that really helps if you are using gluten free flour.

I have found that you can follow most baking recipes by replacing regular flour with gluten free flour.  The only catch is that you have to also add xanthan gum.  I have found that for every one cup of gluten free flour a recipe calls for I have to use 3/4 teaspoon xanthan gum.  This is the same "formula" I used when making my banana bread recipe gluten free as well as the chocolate chip cookie dough truffle recipe.  The only recipe that I have not been able to "tweak" is rolled sugar cookies.

I know that it is silly but it saddens me that I have not be able to make B a cute shaped cookie.  But I am hoping that that will change!  Over Christmas a wonderful family friend told me all about Cup 4 Cup gluten free flour and how she baked with it and no one knew it was gluten free.  I ordered some last night so look for a review soon friends...

Go Bananas!

One of my most favorite wedding presents was and still is our Kitchen Aid mixer.  I am not lying when I say I use it at least twice a week but there is one baked good that I will not use my mixer for - quick breads.   Without a doubt a simple quick bread must be mixed by hand!

Do you have three ripe bananas and a fork?  If so, do I have a recipe for you!  So simple, so easy, so yummy and your house will smell delicious!!!

Banana Bread - From the "Fair Haven Fare"

3 ripe bananas

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups flour *

1 stick of butter, soften**

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking soda

Preheat oven to 350.

Add your bananas, butter, egg, kosher salt (see note) and sugar to a mixing bowl.  Mash together with a fork.  It should be a lumpy consistency.  That is the secret to this recipe's success!

Fold in the flour and baking soda to the banana mixture.  Try to mix the recipe as little as possible   

Pour into a greased loft pan and bake for about an hour.  Cool and enjoy!

   

Or do what I do.  Bake bread and send it to work with Hubby.  No way I want that yummy bread looking at me all day!!! (Hubby's note- I. Love. This. Recipe. Eileen is an outstanding baker and makes some amazing things but this is hands down my #1 seed, though the pumpkin whoopee pies she previously wrote about are a close second. If I don't bring the loaf to work with me I will eat the entire thing within two days. I can't recommend enough that you give this one a try.)

*You can simply make this bread gluten free by adding 2 cups gluten-free flour and 1 1/2 teaspoons zanthan gum.  I love it when a recipe "tweak" is this simple!!!

**I always use unsalted butter when baking and cooking.  So for this recipe, I add 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt.

You can also find me at Savvy Southern Style

Chocolate Covered Goodness

Ever since our neighborhood Christmas party, B has been asking and asking for us to make the Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles that our neighbor made.  This weekend I finally gave in and made them with B.  Basically it is a chocolate chip cookie dough without any eggs formed into bite size balls which are dipped in melted chocolate.  (You might remember that two out of three kiddos have "food issues".)  Luckily this recipe was easy to tweak!  All we had to do was use gluten-free flour and xanthan gum so it was safe for B.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tablespoons milk

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour *we used 1 1/4 cups gluten-free flour and 1/4 teaspoon xanthan gum*

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

chocolate candy coating *we used leftover mini chocolate chips*

tooth pix 

Beat butter and sugars together until light and fluffy.  Add milk and vanilla, mix well.  Add flour and salt, mix until combined.  Stir in chocolate chips.  Chill dough in refrigerator until firm, about 30 minutes.

Once dough is firm roll into bite size balls.  Place balls on a parchment paper lined baking sheet.  Freeze for at least 15 minutes.  (B and I left ours in the freezer for a couple of hours and they were fine.)

Melt candy coating according to the instructions on the package.  (B and I melted the leftover mini chips in a double boiler until chocolate was smooth.)  Remove balls from the freezer and carefully insert a tooth pix in each ball.  Dip balls in candy coating and let any excess fall off.  Placed dipped balls back into the freezer to set the candy coating.  Enjoy once the coating has set!

I was told by my neighbor that any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container for up to a week.  But if your family is anything like mine you will not have to worry about leftovers!!!

I am linking up with Shine Your Light and Savvy Southern Style

We Have Issues

One of the biggest "issues" I have had to deal with has been my children's food issues.  B can not eat gluten, fish or shellfish.  L cannot eat peanuts (and we also avoid tree nuts as a result) or eggs.  And to top it all off, M is the world's pickiest eater.  So the way I look at it I could either give up and cook chicken and rice every night or I could come up with "recipe tweaks".  Since I love to cook and would be bored to death eating the same thing night after night, I happily choose the latter of the two.

Take dinner last night. I was in the mood for beef stroganoff.  Great comfort food!  The problem was  from North to South, Martha Stewart to Paula Deen, all of the recipe called for flour or Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup.  Both would have made B sick, so I came up with a recipe that used safe ingredients but had the same flavoring as Martha and Paula's recipes.

Beef Stroganoff Tweaked

1.5 pounds beef, cubed

8 oz baby bella mushrooms

1/2 yellow onion

1 can Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup

1/4 cup dry sherry

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard (optional)

1 tablespoon olive oil

salt and paper to taste 

1.  Heat olive oil in a dutch oven or other heavy pot.  Add cubed beef and brown on all sides.  Salt and pepper to taste.

2.  While beef is browning, blend Progresso Creamy Mushroom Soup in the blender until smooth.  (Progresso CMS is gluten free and is a great substitute for Campbell's in many recipes.)

3.  Take browned beef out of dutch oven and place aside.  Turn heat down and add the onions to the pot.  After about two minutes add the baby bellas.  Once mushrooms and onions are soft stir in the sherry.  Bring to a boil.  

4.  Finally add the browned beef and blended soup.  Simmer until you are ready to eat.  Can be served over egg-noodles (for Hubby, M and myself) or gluten free noodles (for B and L).

Yes I created more work for myself.  And yes I had to clean extra dishes.  But it was so worth it!!!

Happy Tweaking!