Kristel's Blog

I finally found the secret to getting perfect ice cream out of my ice cream maker.  Step 1: freeze the tub in the chest freezer (fridge freezer’s not cold enough!) for several days.  Step 2: Make sure you actually have enough of the cream mixture to fill at least half the tub.  Step 3: Chill the cream mixture in the fridge for several hours.  Step 4: Use the machine as directed.  If I don’t do any of those, it comes out kinda soupy, but still good enough for putting it in a different container and freezing  for hard ice cream.

Anyways, so I made some strawberry banana ice cream.  It was perfect.  It’s also almost gone.  But tasty!  Mmmm. 

Next, I tried lemonade.  Good idea, bad, bad, bad execution.  I found a recipe that used frozen orange juice concentrate, and I thought, “Hey, I can use lemonade and just add a bit more fluid and all will be happy.”  It’s soooooooooooooo tart, even I am having a hard time enjoying it.  Also, there wasn’t enough fluid, so it didn’t freeze well.  And, the cream separated from the juice and kinda curdled while chilling.  Which considering it’d probably do the same with the orange juice, I can’t help but think part of the problem is the recipe.

So lesson learned?  Well, stick to fruit.  Oh, or the dark chocolate ice cream I made.  It came out very well, but a little grainy, next time I try it, I’m not going to follow the recipe and use the cocoa, but actually use dark chocolate and then leave out the sugar.

Next up: Papaya.    If we’re lucky, I’ll have it ready for the weekend.

On a more somber note, I’ve got an update on Great Grandma.  (I believe Grandma was going to call Marlene, Tracey, so I’m not sending out an email because surely by the time you read this, you’ll already know.)  Good news: she’s recovered from the pneumonia.  Her colour’s back, she knows when people are in the room and can have a little bit of a conversation, and she has an appetite.  Bad news: a lot of her standard body functions are slowly dying off.  From what my mom told me, if they take her off the IV she’s probably going to die.    Also, even if they keep her on it, she probably only has a few weeks.  :,(  So we’re all sad, though we all realize that she’s lived a good, long life, and we’re lucky to have her for this long.

Changing the subject….

Currently making my own caramels.  Ok, I already finished and now they’re cooling.  But still.  It doesn’t look like I burned them, and I watched the thermometer closely, so if we’re lucky they’re soft & tasty.  Certainly when the spatula cooled down enough, the caramel on that was tasty. 

I really haven’t spent all my time cooking though.  I have also worked, and knitted.  I haven’t finished those mitts yet, just can’t find the motivation.  Started a new hat though.  It’s cute, but the ear flaps probably should’ve been longer.  Am I going to take it out to lengthen them?  No.  I don’t take anything out that’s for me, if it still works the way it is.

Well, better get back to getting ready for you guys.  If it makes you fell better, Uncle Ron’s coming over tomorrow to fix my tub spout, so there should be no issues with showers.  Well, unless we run out of hot water, but even then.