Rainbow Jello

Rainbow Jello cups.

I haven't had Rainbow Jello is years. This is not a hard dessert to make at all. It's really quite simple, just time consuming. You make each layer after the prior layer has set. That perhaps is the hardest part, the waiting. If you don't time it right you get messy layers (as shown above). You can make this is a large pan and just the Jello into squares after also.

Thin Mints Milkshakes And Other Girl Scout Cookie Shakes

We have a girl scout in house and it's cookie season! My favorite is the Thin Mints, I try not to eat too many of them. I could eat a whole sleeve in one sitting and I used to. But I've been really good, maybe it's because there's such an abundance of them around here. I decided to make the kids some milkshakes for an after dinner treat the other day. These are simple and quick to make. They are also very yummy.

Super Strawberry Cake and Shakes!

Is it strawberry season yet? I can't wait! I enjoy strawberries just by themselves. But I also think they are fantastic in this cake, which also has pureed strawberries in the batter. I also chopped strawberries and put them in the middle frosting layer.
Strawberry Freezer Jam is something DH grew up on. I haven't made it in ages!

Diva makes a mean Strawberry White Chocolate Milkshake too.
How do you enjoy your strawberries? What's your favorite Summer fruit?

I haven't blogged this cake, but I just took a vanilla cake recipe. Added strawberries and a tiny bit of strawberry flavoring. :) 

Strawberry White Chocolate Milk Shake

American Girl Ice Cream Social- Birthday Party

I tell you. The girls strung the signs so that H that's so far away from the "appy" is kinda bugging me. Yes, I'm a firstborn. Sigh, not that it matters. I'm so glad the girls helped and had fun.

I know that today is technically Take It Tuesday, but I haven't packed but one lunch. School is starting though, like next week. I'll pack some then. Today I want to share Diva's American Girl Ice Cream Social birthday party. We love our parties here on Give Peas A Chance. She was allowed to invite just a handful of girls to join us for an afternoon of crafts, carousel rides, glitter tattoos, and ice cream social madness. I kid, it wasn't madness it was really fun! I can't believe I have a NINE year old though. I'm old. Happy Birthday sweet girl!! We're so blessed to have you in our lives.
This post is going to be picture heavy, so get ready for it.

Let's start with food. Really though, there wasn't food. Just ... sweets.

 I forgot the platter I was going to put her "cake" on... and the candles. Will I ever remember the candles? So Diva, just like Piglet, did the "pretend to blow out the candles" thing. Oh well. Anyway. The cake was three cupcakes, and a sugar cone that  I tacked down to the lid of ... I don't know what that lid is from? Anyway. I tacked down the sugar cone, and cupcakes with frosting. Put the cupcakes and cone on top of the frosting. Then I grabbed a jar of sprinkles and dumped it in there. (This party was not here at home, or I would have found a platter, I was improvising.)

 So we had vanilla ice cream. Just vanilla to keep it simple. 

Toppings and such 

Fruity Pebbles
Mini Chocolate Chips

Sprinkles of all sorts
Mini Oreos

Teddy Grahams
Cherries

Strawberries
Red Hots
Mini Biscotti
Magic Shell
Whipped cream

Sugar cones
Mike and Ikes
Marshmallows (both the Mike and Ikes and Marshmallows were for the favor bags too, I didn't want to take any sweets home with me)
I also avoided gummies, caramel, nuts, and stuff like that because of Diva's braces and allergies.

Coconut Cream Pumpkin Ice Cream (GF/DF)

I love pumpkin. I usually stock up on it in the fall. Both pumpkins to process and freeze and canned pumpkin. I have an abundance of canned pumpkin right now that I needed to use up so I don't have to store it in my tiny kitchen. I also have quite a bit of coconut milk since it was on sale. So, I thought, what should I make?

Oreo Almond Butter Pie

This pie. This pie came about when DH and I were taste testing Barney Butter. It was smooth and creamy where it needed to be. The crunchy almond pieces gave it a great "just like chunky peanut butter" taste. So good, even I could eat it off of a spoon. I would not do that with peanut butter.

DH said, "you should make a pie with this. I love peanut butter pie." OK. I have never made or HAD a peanut butter pie. I'm not a fan of peanut butter. I would never opt to eat one. But he said it's peanut butter, cool whip, and ice cream. I think he said ice cream. But anyway. I looked at him and said. "Hmmm. That sounds OK. Maybe with an Oreo crust, since we have 8 (don't judge BOGO coupon) packages in the pantry." His eyes got wide, I think that was my go ahead. 

MYO Vanilla Extract

MMM, vanilla. 

I love using vanilla beans, vanilla paste, vanilla powder, vanilla extract, ground vanilla. I never measure, I just pour or scoop it in. You can't get enough good vanilla.

Recently I ran out of vanilla extract, and I've seen this make your own extract all over Pinterest. So I thought I'd give it a shot. Even if I still have to go buy a bottle of extract until this is ready to use.

I didn't have a dark glass jar or vodka. So I found this little bottle of vodka at the store and decided to use it. Even if it's clear, light glass. I store my vanillas in a cool dark place, so I wasn't too concerned. 

Just about all of the posts I read said any cheap vodka will do. Some said bourbon and some said rum were good also. I picked vodka because I liked this bottle, I know right? I also needed some to make pasta sauce. So that's why some of this is missing out of the bottle.

I think I'll modge podge something on the bottle, a label. But I'm not sure yet.

Other than the waiting 4-6 weeks to use this stuff, it's really easy to make. 

Pumpkin Pie Shakes - variations

Yes, I've posted pumpkin pie shakes before, here's the link. I keep making them. So good. Here are some variations

- make them with Pumpkin Chai Spiced ice cream

- add some of this... either one NOM NOM.

- make a crustless pumpkin pie, use yogurt in place of ice cream for a smoothie

- no pie? Use pumpkin puree or pumpkin butter

- sprinkle the top with ginger snaps or graham crackers

- use coffee ice cream (NOM NOM)

- add a dash or pumpkin pie spice, just realized I never posted my pumpkin pie spice recipe! Oops.

Guest Post- Cherry Cheesecake Ice cream

Buttermilk Cherry Cheesecake ice cream.

Guest post for The Mommies Network blog today! Have you joined your local Mommies Network chapter? Go find one or start one near you!

Here's the post on their blog LINK.

Their Facebook page LINK.

Original post HERE.

Amazing ice cream (No machine needed) GF/SF/DF

This looks melted because I had to stop and get my girls in bed before I could take pictures.

There are tons of posts out there for this one ingredient ice cream. I'm sure you've seen it. I never made it because 1- I don't like bananas 2-pureed and mashed up even makes that feeling towards bananas worse. But I had a banana that was going to start getting brown spots and if I eat a banana it needs to be JUST out of the green stage and not anywhere near the brown spots stage. So I peeled it, sliced it and put it in the freezer. I figure it couldn't hurt doing one banana and seeing how it goes. I've been meaning to make coconut ice cream and haven't had a chance, so tonight I put the frozen banana into the blender with a little bit of coconut manna. HELLO yumminess!  Just like ... ICE CREAM. You don't need the coconut butter but NOM NOM. Have you ever had a Tropical Blizzard? They were my favorite blizzard and this is BETTER. For one it's healthy and it just tastes REAL. So GOOOOD. I also topped my bowl of ice "cream" off with some almonds. But this opened a huge door of possibilities for me. I need to eat more fruit so this nice cream cold treat will help.

GPAC Cherry Cheesecake Bombs

I saw this posted on a forum I go to, no recipe just a picture that sparked a major drool fest, thanks Ginny! I decided to use a vanilla bean cheesecake base. The thing is with DH so busy studying so much I wasn't about to get my cheesecake. You see, I don't make cheesecake, maybe once in a blue moon, if even. It's not that I can't, it's just that DH can, and he does, very well. SO, I choose to say "I can't". I seriously debated whether or not I should make this filling. Why ruin an 8 year streak right? But I wanted these Cheesecake Bombs, so there you go. The cheesecake filling recipe I used is below. I had some trouble with the chocolate, due to my laziness I didn't want to temper any chocolate. In the end I should have just got out good chocolate and tempered it because I ruined the first batch of store bought chocolate I melted in the microwave because I added cream and it seized on me. The second batch was so dry and tough I stirred in some ghee to smooth it out, that made it perfect, but still. (And any excuse to use ghee right?) I wanted to avoid shortening, because I didn't want to have to go to the store and we don't use shortening.

Give Peas A Chance Cherry Cheesecake Bombs

Maraschino cherries with stems
Vanilla bean cheesecake filling completely cooled- recipe follows
Chocolate to coat
2-3 teaspoons Ghee if you're not using a chocolate that will be tempered
Graham cracker crumbs (optional)

1. Drain the cherries on a paper towel and dry them as much as you can.
2. Take a scoop of cheesecake filling and mold it around the cherry.
3. I used gloves, I can't tell you how much I love my disposable gloves- they make everything so easy, peeling chilies, rolling meatballs and matzo balls. Anyway.
4. Freeze these until firm.
5. Melt the chocolate and stir in the ghee so it's smooth and dip the cheesecake bombs in it.
6. Place on a rack or wax paper to set. I placed some of them on top of graham cracker crumbs to set.

Give Peas A Chance Vanilla Bean Cheesecake 

(this made enough for the cherry cheesecake bombs and Buttermilk Cherry Cheesecake ice cream. We ate some also.)

3 packages of cream cheese (softened and NOT fat free)

1/2 cup sugar (I used Vanilla Bean Specialty Sugar)

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1 tablespoon flour

1/2 cup sour cream

2 eggs

1. Beat the cream cheese until smooth in a stand mixer. Or use a hand mixer. 
2. Add sugar, vanilla, flour and extract. Beat well.
3. Beat in sour cream.
4. Beat the eggs in one at a time.
5. Pour into a pie plate and bake at 325 for about 40 minutes. I baked it a little over to make sure it was firm enough for the ice cream and bombs.
6. See how ugly it is? That's because it doesn't matter if it's pretty, no need for a water bath, slowly cooling it or anything to keep the top from cracking for this project.

Buttermilk Cherry Cheesecake Ice Cream

I made some cheesecake for Cherry Cheesecake bombs and I had some filling leftover.  I decided to make this AMAZING ice cream. I decided to use a buttermilk base and it was perfect the tang from the buttermilk with the cheesecake bites- PERFECT. I'm really enjoying being "back" in the kitchen lately and experimenting and coming up with fun things to try. 

Give Peas A Chance Cherry Cheesecake Bombs

1 1/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla paste/1vanilla bean or 1 teaspoon vanilla

7 egg yolks

3/4 cup sugar, I used Vanilla Bean Specialty Sugar - you can use a cup, I just don't prefer things overly sweet

2 cups buttermilk

Maraschino cherries roughly chopped (with some juice reserved)

Vanilla Bean Cheesecake chunks

Graham cracker pieces- I gave the girls the option of graham crackers or Oreo cookies. They chose graham- I'm glad

1. Freeze the cherries and cheesecake in a single layer in a pan lined with wax paper. You can scoop  teaspoonfuls of cheesecake onto wax paper to make chunks.
2. Whisk the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and set aside.
3. In a heavy bottom sauce pan stir the vanilla into the heavy cream. Bring it to a simmer.
4. Temper the cream and yolk mixture. I can't stress this enough. Be patient unless you want scrambled eggs. To temper add a little bit of cream to the yolk mixture and stir it. Add a little more and repeat to bring the yolks up to temperature and then add all the yolk mixture to the cream.
5. I put some cherry juice into the buttermilk. Stir it up and add it to the cream mixture. 
6. Transfer to a container and cool in the refrigerator.
7. Follow the instructions for your ice cream/gellato maker. Right before you turn off your machine stir in the cherries, cheesecake, and graham crackers.
8. Transfer it all to a container and finish freezing it.
9. Can it get any easier?

Caramel Swirl Cinnamon Bun Ice Cream

This is a basic ice cream custard base. I just replaced the sweetener with Palm Sugar.
I added a swirl of thick caramel and chunks of Cinnamon Roll.
I'm back... are you wondering if it was good? I didn't say did I?
Well, it's got heavy cream... caramel... cinnamon roll chunks.. yeah I would say it was good. DH did say there was too many cinnamon roll chunks... I agreed. I knew there would be too many as I stirred them in. But I had already prepared them so I had to use them...

Pumpkin Pie Shakes

Do you have leftover pumpkin pie? Shame on you. I didn't know that was possible, I mean it's two days after the big meal. I actually didn't cook a meal this year, we went to some friends. I took some mashed potatoes, rolls, creamed spinach, green bean casserole, French silk pie and DH made some pumpkin cheesecake (I love that man). So this shake you see here is not made from left over pie, I made the pie just to have. OK on to the point. Pumpkin pie lovers I know you're thinking, "why mess with perfection?" But just hear me out and try this one. It's divine.

Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

The cookies are a Martha Stewart recipe. They were dry for my liking so next time I will tweak the recipe a bit. We went strawberry picking so I made some strawberry ice cream, it was divine- it's all gone now, but so very good.

Strawberry Ice Cream Sandwiches

For the cookies-
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon milk ( I would use 2- 21/2)

Strawberry Ice cream
1- 1 1/2 pints of strawberries- washed and quartered
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 large eggs
1 egg yolk
3/4 cup sugar - if you like it sweet use up to a cup
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup milk
vanilla extract
vanilla bean

To make the ice cream
Mix the strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. Set it aside in the refrigerator.
Make a custard with the rest of the ingredients by mixing the cream and milk in a heavy bottomed pan. Add the vanilla extract and split vanilla bean. Once the mixture starts to steam, temper the beaten eggs and egg yolk with some cream mixture. Add the tempered eggs to the pot. Continue heating until the custard is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon.
Cool the custard in the fridge, stir it occasionally to keep the cream from separating. Once cool remove the vanilla bean and discard, stir in the strawberries. Freeze in an ice cream maker.


For the cookies-

Sift the first four ingredients and set aside.









Cream butter and sugar together. Add eggs, milk and vanilla extract.







Mix wet ingredients into the wet ones.








Scrape sides of the bowl to make sure all ingredients are incorporated.








Divide dough in half. Pat into disks.








Wrap with plastic wrap and chill in refrigerator. For about an hour.






On a lightly floured surface roll out one disk of dough to 1/8 inch thick. With an off set spatula or I used my dough cutter thing, lift the dough as you roll off the surface to make sure it doesn't stick.








Cut shapes with a cookie cutter. Make sure each shape has a matching one. Place them on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.





With the tines of a fork make little holes on top of the cookies. Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes. DO NOT over bake them, they get too hard.
Let cool on the baking sheet.






Transfer to a cooling rack to finish cooling.
To assemble ice cream sandwiches, place softened ice cream on the underside of a cookie, top with another and place in the freezer for it to harden.

Honey Vanilla Ice cream

This ice cream is DIVINE. I tell you, it is. It's so very very good. It is a new recipe and I will make little notes along the way of things I would have done and will do differently next time. I knew what I wanted in the ice cream and I probably could have just used the same custard base I use for most ice creams, but I wanted to see if I could get a more intense creamier flavor this time around.
I think I will try some lavender flowers in a batch, some cloves in another... YUMMY....

The ice cream maker I have is this one... it works wonderfully Gelato Pro

6 eggs- next time I think I will leave the whites out
1 cup evaporated milk- I like the flavor this added, I am unsure if it's just me but evaporated milk has a different taste than regular milk
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons of honey
salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 vanilla bean
vanilla extract

Like I said next time just the yolks AND I would beat them before adding anything else. But 6 eggs. In a heavy bottomed pot.








Add milk and evaporated milk.








Split the vanilla bean scrape it and add all of that and the split bean into the pot.








Add the honey.









And the salt.







Whisk it together.







Add vanilla extract.











Add heavy cream.




On Medium low heat and stirring constantly heat the mixture until it is thick and coats the back of a wooden spoon. STIR it, don't turn it up, it WILL curdle on you, however if it does you are straining it anyway.







Fill a big bowl with ice water, place a smaller bowl in the middle. Pour custard into the smaller bowl to cool






Once cool, strain the custard through a fine mesh sieve into the bowl of your ice cream maker.








Don't forget the paddle.
Turn on the machine and let it churn until you have a soft serve. It took mine 35 minutes.




Yummy goodness. Transfer this to a freezer proof container and freeze the ice cream until hard, eat whatever doesn't fit into the container, it's just soft serve right?

Not rocket science but fun popscicles.

This is something fun to do with little kiddos...
Nothing to it really.
I take organic fruit juice and dilute it with water, you don't need to dilute it but it's too sweet for me if i don't.
In this case I used apple juice.









I put some frozen berries into my molds.

















Divided the juice and let me kids drink the extra.






Put the tops on and freeze. When I need to un-mold them I just run it under a bit of hot water. Easy peasy.