Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine

Hi there!

I think I'm due for a post. This recipe comes just in time for summer. It's homemade ice cream without a machine! It's quick, it's delicious, and it works! I was a little skeptical at first, but I was able to get two different flavored batches in the freezer in 20 minutes! 20 minutes is definitely record time for me to do anything, ever!

Enjoy!

Homemade Ice Cream without a Machine: Basic Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of heavy cream

1 can of sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

Add your  mix-ins to the condensed milk.

Whip the cream  until stiff peaks.

Fold the two together.

Transfer to a large enough container.

Freeze.

That's it!

Vanilla Ice Cream with Sprinkles

To the condensed milk, I added 2 tablespoons of vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons of sprinkles. Follow directions basic recipe, above.

Mint M&M, Chocolate Chips, and Walnut Ice Cream

 To the condensed milk, I added 1/2 cup of chopped mint M&Ms, 1/2 cup chocolate chips, and 1/4 cups of chopped walnuts. Follow directions from basic recipe, above.

Joan’s on Third

I met up with my friend from high school for breakfast. When a friend tells me that the location will be up to my choosing, I try to choose somewhere we’ve both never been before. This time, I chose Joan’s on Third.

I knew it would be a cute place with a great atmosphere and it did not disappoint. For those who have never been, Joan’s on Third is a few blocks away from The Grove. When walking inside, it appears as though it is only a market place, featuring a refrigerated case filled with cured meats and a variety of cheeses. It also has shelves of spices, rice crispy treats (made with cocoa puffs and fruit loops too!), honey samplers, sticks of marshmallows, and more! After you browse around, you will find menu boards hanging in three locations – one for sandwiches, one for breakfast, and one for drinks. Registers are also scattered around, depending on what you want to order. We went for breakfast, so I went to the breakfast register, which also included orders for the bakery and lattes. I ordered the French toast and Irish Steel Cut Oatmeal.

To take home, I got the Nutella poptart (I might have to make one of my own some day), which had such a delicious pastry crust, and a Cloud. Have you ever had a Cloud? I’ve always seen them around online, but I’ve never had one. Let me tell you, if you like heights of fluffy frosting, this is the dessert for you. If you can’t get your hands on one, here’s a recipe you might try. 

After filling up, I went back in to take some photographs of everything I missed. As I suspected, they’re one of the  many places that don’t allow photographs to be taken, but I managed to sneak in their Valentine’s Day tablescape before they caught me…such a rebel, right – =). Back to the table, look at all the wonderful goodies…I love all the pinks…there were pink meringues, and pink lemondrops, and gumballs, and brownies…oh my heaven!

After breakfast, we weren’t ready to part ways, so we went The Grove to do a little shopping. It’s been a while since she’s gone to The Grove, so it was perfect! We had a fabulous morning of just girl time. If you’re even in the LA area, make sure to stop by Joan’s on Third.

Cruise to Mexico

I just returned from a week long cruise to Mexico with my family and sig-o! It was our first time cruising and we were oober excited. Let me just say that starving is nowhere on the itinerary. You can get food any time! The buffet and restaurant is accessible for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Want a midnight snack or any other time snack? No problem – just head to the 24 hour ice cream station or pizza bar. Don’t want to leave your room? No problem – there’s 24 hour complimentary room service! It doesn’t get any better than that for a foodie like me.

When we docked, I began my search for where the locals ate.We found ourselves at El Pollo de Oro (The Golden Chicken). It was located in the city of Cabo San Lucas, about a 10 minute taxi drive from the port. The food was delicious. I had the combination plate with a chicken taco, cheese enchilada, chile relleno, and carne asada. I found a new hot sauce – Valentina! Bye bye Tapatio and Cholula…you’ve been good to me, but it’s time we part ways.

Our cruise line, Carnival Spirit, fed about 2400 people the week we went. To see how this HUGE operation is run, we took a behind the scenes tour of the restaurant’s kitchen…amazing!

Enjoy!

P.S By day 4, my dad needed to have some noodles in his system...any noodles will do...even cup o' noodles!