Honey Lavender Ice Cream

August 24, 2014 by Mackenzie

One day… ONE DAY until I start my senior year of college! How in the world did that happen? I remember sitting in my dorm room in the spring of my freshman year deciding to start a blog and writing that first post thinking… what would I say? Well, after many iterations I am so proud of what this blog has become! A full-fledged food blog with followers, giveaways, life updates and more! For my family who has followed this blog since the beginning – thank you! And to my new readers, welcome and thanks for reading! I live a crazy, wild, exciting life and I’m thrilled to share it (and what I’m cooking) with you!

I got back to St. Louis on Wednesday and it was been a busy few days of unpacking, organizing, finding odd furniture and lugging it up three flights of stairs, struggling to drill screws into a wall to hang a shelf (how can it be so difficult?!) and now… it’s time to take a break and catch up on email, the blog and get ready for my classes tomorrow!

One of the things I was most excited to return to in St. Louis was my ice cream maker! So it is only fitting that my first post be an ice cream. While my roommate and I were reorganizing our kitchen we found dried lavender and I remembered one of my favorite flavors of ice cream – Honey Lavender. Naturally, I decided to make it and here we go! It is a perfect treat for this horribly hot weather – it has been 100+ degrees the last few days, with high humidity too!

It was a race against the heat as I was trying to take these pictures outside! The ice cream was melting SO FAST in the 100 degree heat!

Honey Lavender Ice Cream

From Molly Moon’s Homemade Ice Cream Cookbook

Ingredients

2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 cup honey
1 tablespoon finely ground dried lavender
Pinch of kosher salt

Instructions

Combine all the ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally with a whisk, until the sugar and honey dissolve. Just before the mixture comes to a boil, remove from heat, cover and let steep for 30 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a shallow pan or a 4 cup measuring cup (my preference because it makes pouring into the ice cream maker much easier). Refrigerate for 1-2 hours, until thoroughly chilled.
When the mixture is very cold (important!!), pour into an ice cream maker and process according to manufacturer’s instructions (note: it may take longer than usual – I’m not sure why but each time I have made it, it takes a long time to reach the right thickness). Transfer to a plastic container and freeze for at least 4 hours.

Notes

It is really important that it is very, very, very cold before you churn it. Be patient and let it sit an extra hour in the fridge before churning it if need be! It will be worth it!

I’ve also joined a giveaway hosted by Juggling Act Mama! Head on over to her page and enter – who wouldn’t want $125 to start the school year!

Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios

December 31, 2013 by Mackenzie

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve had a wonderful holiday season and are looking forward to the new year – I know I am! We cooked a multi-course meal on New Year’s Eve and every recipe was worthy of 10 stars so I look forward to sharing the recipes with you! This pizza was our appetizer for the evening – and it was fantastic! Blackberries, goat cheese, honey, pistachios… It’s so unique and so delicious!

Blackberry Pizza with Goat Cheese, Honey and Pistachios
Recipe from Artisan Bread in Five
Makes one pizza, serving 2-3

Ingredients:
1 recipe for pizza dough
Olive oil
1/2 cup goat cheese, crumbled
3 1/2 tablespoons honey
1/2 cup blackberries
1/2 cup pistachios, chopped

Directions:
1. Prepare crust according to recipe instructions. Roll out to a 12-inch circle and brush with olive oil. Bake for 8-10 minutes, just until it is golden brown and no longer soft on top.

2. While crust is baking, mix the goat cheese and honey in a small bowl. The cheese will kind of dissolve into the honey and it will look slightly creamy. Halve the blackberries and chop the pistachios. When the crust has baked, pull it out, brush it with the goat cheese/honey mixture and top it with the blackberries. Bake for 5-7 minutes, until the cheese has melted and the blackberries are warm. When it is done baking, sprinkle with the pistachios, drizzle with more honey and enjoy!

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey

December 19, 2013 by Mackenzie

It’s finally Christmas break! I’m so happy to be home, to be able to spend time with my family and to craft some new recipes. Check back often because I’ve got a lot of good ones to share!

Today, I’m sharing an appetizer that I made for the first time last Thanksgiving and has been a hit at every family gathering since! It’s very simple to make, yet the flavors meld so uniquely and give each bite a complex, sweet and salty flavor. They would be perfect as an appetizer at a Christmas or New Year’s gathering – I promise you won’t disappoint yourself, or your guests if you make them!

Pear Bites with Pancetta, Goat Cheese and Honey
Makes 12, but easily multiplied
Recipe from Eat.Drink.Smile.

Ingredients:
12 thin slices pancetta (about 1/3 lb)
1 large Bartlett pear
2 oz goat cheese, crumbled
Freshly cracked pepper
Honey

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Carefully peel the pancetta slices apart and arrange on the baking sheet (keep in circular shapes). Bake for 8-10 minutes until golden. Lay a paper towel over a cooling rack and transfer the pancetta to it. Let sit for 10 minutes to cool and get crispy.

2. Core pear with a corer (just so the core comes out not an apple slicer! If you don’t have one, you can find them pretty cheap at a kitchen gadget store like Bed, Bath and Beyond). Cut pear crosswise into 12 thin rings (see photo for thickness). Arrange slices on serving platter then place one slice of crisped pancetta on each pear slice. Top each slice with goat cheese and drizzle with honey. Sprinkle with pepper. Serve right away (they don’t keep well for a second day so you better eat them all!)

Strawberry Banana Smoothie

February 7, 2013 by Mackenzie

I’ve been making smoothies a lot after my morning workout. It’s simple but good and so I thought I’d share it with you!

Strawberry Banana Smoothie
Makes 1
Recipe adapted from Food and Wine

Ingredients:
1 banana
1 cup frozen strawberries, washed and halved
1/4 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 tablespoon almond butter
1 tablespoon honey
Water or almond milk

Directions:
Put all ingredients except water or almond milk into a blender. Blend and add water or almond milk to thin it out as needed, I usually need about 1/4-1/2 cup.

Mackenzie

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