green meets yellow on ice

Kiwi Lemon Sorbet

4 fresh kiwis, peeled and cut into small pieces
1/2 c. sugar
juice of 3 medium lemons
2 T. light corn syrup
2 c. ice cold water

1. Combine kiwi, sugar and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.


2. Cover and refrigerate for one hour.


3. When ready to freeze, mash the kiwi to desired consistency; add corn syrup and water and stir until blended.


4. Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer instructions.

My favorite scoop

In my last post, I mentioned how I had plans to get back to my life and to all the things I love most, like making homemade ice cream.

A few years ago one of my dear friends, "Mon Frite," introduced me to the wonderful world of homemade ice cream, a hobby she shares with her Dad. Almost every time she heads home to visit, she makes his favorite Maple ice cream. When she shared the simplicity of the process it seemed almost kismet that I should combine my love for ice cream with my love for baking. To help get me started, Mon Frite recommended I purchase an ice cream maker and suggested a recipe book or two to use as a reference.

Ice Cream is literally a frozen, sweetened cream (made from a combination of cream and milk with sweeteners and flavoring). Once you master the sweet cream base, everything else is easy, and the most fun part begins: experimentation, mixing and matching ingredients, and truly exploring the craft of ice cream magic.

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The following recipe and ingredients were inspired by using Ben & Jerry's Sweet Cream Base.

Honey Vanilla Chamomile Ice Cream

2 c. 1/2 and 1/2
5-6 Honey Vanilla Chamomile tea bags (I used Celestial Seasoning)
2 T of honey
1 c. sweetened and condensed milk, cold

1. Open can of sweetened and condensed milk and transfer to measuring cup. Set aside to chill in refrigerator.


2. Pour half-and-half into double boiler and heat; whisk in honey and bring to simmer.


3. Remove from heat and add tea bags; allow tea to steep for at least one hour.


4. After hour is complete, remove tea bags and add in sweetened condensed milk to tea mixture. Whisk until blended.


5. Transfer the mixture to your ice cream maker and freeze following manufacturer instructions.

catalyst

I crashed on Friday night, and slept through most of Saturday, still recovering from my bout with the upper ninth contagion. Saturday, cup of coffee in hand, I barely left the couch save the time it took to accept my first (and 20-minute early) order from Fresh Direct. The next 12 hours were spent cleaning out and condensing email accounts, stripping the Internet of excess personal information. It's no easy task, sifting through years worth of intentional and sometimes randomly created online accounts, though its definitely worth the effort. You should try it yourself and see.

Asleep by 3, up by 10, I was on the fast track to being on time when I made the mistake of checking my Blackberry. The weekend tends to last a bit longer if I refrain from checking my work email until later in the day; sometimes I'm not always successful. 90 minutes later, a quart of Honey Vanilla Chamomile ice cream (I'll post my recipe later but here's one to whet the appetite) in a thermal carry bag and I'm on my way.

It's a two fare zone to Carroll Gardens, and it's been awhile since I've taken the bus to the train to get there. It used to be part of my morning commute when I worked for a start-up back in the late 90s. Back then I managed marketing and events for an online production company. I would travel the F train above ground, below ground, across train bridges, the city's skyline just within view, all the way to Carroll Street, the Smith-9th Street station deemed unsafe for a woman walking alone. It used to be anyway. Back then I knew the F train route pretty well, I would leave my station on Court and 4th and head downtown into DUMBO to train with my boxing instructor Bobby Beckles. That was before JLO and Gold Street were prime real estate, before they were pipe dreams.

I find myself using a lot of words that conjure the past: back then, before, used to -- not sure why these phrases keep popping up in my conversations, it's a bit startling and has forced a pause for reflection. At the end of last year I realized that my work had taken over my life, and I sort of had an identity crisis. There are so many things I used to do, out of curiosity or just for the sheer joy of trying something new, and I've definitely been lackadaisical in partaking. But I've decided to change it up, this year comes with a new attitude and a fresh perspective. My challenge for 2011 is to get back in touch with who I am, rediscovering me.

Starting right now.

loose change

I've always been a firm believer that things happen for a reason. This morning as I left the house, I impulsively grabbed a pile of quarters sitting on the kitchen counter. A short while later settled on a city bus, a fellow passenger was rounding up change for his fare. Coincidence? Fate? A message from the universe? Perhaps. I have no mysticism to share, just an observation: that one should be cognizant of how they choose to participate in this world. And when possible, they should participate wisely, for the greater good. It almost always prevails.