Apple Pie Ice Cream

In my family, homemade ice cream is a July 4th tradition. When I found a recipe for apple pie ice cream, I knew I had to make it for the Fourth! It doesn't get much more American than Apple Pie Ice Cream!

Let me just tell you... I think this is the best ice cream I've ever tasted. I've preferred homemade ice cream over store-bought ever since I learned to use my ice cream maker, but this one is just delicious. You'll never want to go to Cold Stone or Baskin Robbins again after you taste this. Unless you don't like cinnamon and apples... then you're not going to like it at all. Haha.

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
8 oatmeal cookies, crushed (it's easiest to use the store-bought ones... they're harder and crumble easier)
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and sliced into little cubes
1 cup plus 3 tbsp sugar, divided
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 cups whipping cream
1 1/2 cups half-and-half
3 eggs, beaten
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup caramel ice cream topping

Directions:
1. Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir in the chopped apples, 3 tbsp sugar, and 1 tsp cinnamon. Cook until the apples have lightly browned and the sugar has begun to caramelize (about 10 minutes). Remove from the pan and allow to cool COMPLETELY (put them in the fridge or freezer to cool them faster).
2. Combine whipping cream, half-and-half, 1 cup sugar, eggs, vanilla, and 2 tsp cinnamon in a large bowl. Mix well.
3. Pour the cream mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze according to the ice cream maker's directions (probably about 30 minutes).
4. When ice cream is finished, remove from ice cream maker and stir in apples and cookie crumbs. Mix in caramel ice cream topping on spoonful at a time.
5. Refrigerate at least two hours before serving.

Cream mixture

Pouring into the ice cream maker...

Chopped Granny Smith apples

Apple mixture in the skillet

Mmm!

Mixing in the cooled apples and oatmeal cookie crumbs

Ta-da!

If you have an ice cream maker, you HAVE to make this. It's just so delicious! I hope you love it as much as we do!

Spinach & Orzo Salad

I made this salad to go with barbecue ribs the other day when my family came over for dinner, and it was so yummy! I don't even normally like pasta salads, but this one is really good!

The original recipe made a TON (it filled my large mixing bowl, and even after five people ate it, I still had two big Tupperwares leftover), so I went ahead and halved it. If you're making it for a giant potluck (or as a main dish with chicken or something) you'll want to double what I have written below, but it should make at least 8 servings or so as written.

Recipe adapted from What Megan's Making.

Ingredients:
8 oz (1/2 a package) uncooked orzo pasta
1/2 of a 10oz package spinach leaves, finely chopped
2 oz (1/2 container) crumbled feta cheese
1/3 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1/4 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup pine nuts (about one bag, from the baking aisle)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1/4 c balsamic vinegar
About 1/8 cup olive oil (more or less, depending on how wet/dry it looks)

Directions:
1. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook orzo for 8-10 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and rinse with cold water.
2. Transfer the orzo to a large bowl and stir in the spinach, feta, mozzarella, red onion, pine nuts, basil, and pepper. [At this point you could also add in any extras... black olives, cherry tomatoes, grilled chicken, etc.]
3. Add in the balsamic vinegar and stir until mixed.
4. Add in the olive oil and stir.
5. Refrigerate and serve cold.

Ready to mix!

Looking good!

Ta-da!

Yummy! Everybody should try this one out because it's so good! Plus, it looks kinda fancy, especially for a pasta salad. :o)

Delicious Cornbread!

I used to only make cornbread from those little Jiffy mix boxes. I had tried a few cornbread recipes, but none were much better than the box. UNTIL... I stumbled upon this recipe! It's got the corn flavor, it's just the right amount of sweet, it's easy to make, and it's just delicious!

Recipe adapted from here.

Ingredients:
1/2 c cornmeal
1 1/2 c flour
2/3 c sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 c canola oil (or vegetable oil)
3 tbsp butter, melted
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/4 c milk

Directions:
1. Lightly grease an 8" square pan and preheat the oven to 350.
2. Mix dry ingredients well in a large bowl.
3. Add in the wet ingredients and stir until just mixed. Batter will be runny - don't worry!
4. Pour the batter into the pan, and bake for 35 minutes.
5. Serve warm with butter!

Dry ingredients

Wet ingredients added!

Batter

Into the oven it goes...

Ta-da!

Yum!

Fruited Cheesecake Flag for July 4th!

This is pretty much the worst time to post this recipe (you know, since the 4th of July is over and all), but it's really a very versatile recipe for any day, and at least this way I can link back to it next year and suggest you make it then. :o)

This recipe is really very good... great crust, great cheesecake. It's originally from Martha Stewart, but the recipe on the MS website has some missing ingredient amounts and things, so I based mine off of this website.

Recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe, who adapted it from here.

Ingredients:

3 c flour
1 3/4 tsp salt
12 oz (3 sticks) butter, softened
1 cup plus 2 tbsp brown sugar
4 8oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
1/2 tsp vanilla
4 large eggs
1 pint blueberries (about 1 or 2 cups), rinsed
1 pound strawberries, rinsed and hulled and sliced
2 pints raspberries (about 3 cups), rinsed
Powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. Spray a 12x17 rimmed cookie sheet with cooking spray (spray it well!!).
2. Sift flour and salt into a medium bowl.
3. In a large bowl, cream the butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes). With the mixer running, slowly add the brown sugar, beating until pale and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the flour mixture all at once, and beat on low speed until just incorporated.
4. Transfer the dough to the cookie sheet, and press it into and even layer that covers the bottom of the sheet. Refrigerate until firm (about 20-30 minutes). Preheat the over to 300.
5. Bake the dough until golden brown, about 30-35 minutes. Let it cool completely in the baking sheet. Adjust the oven temperature to 350.
6. While crust is cooling, beat the cream cheese on medium speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes). Reduce the speed to low and add the sugar. Scrape the bowl, then beat in the lemon zest and vanilla. Scrape the bowl again, then beat in the eggs ones at a time, mixing until incorporated.
7. Pour the cheesecake batter over the cooled crust and spread into an even layer.
8. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes, or until the filling is set. Let the cheesecake cool in the cookie sheet, and then refrigerate until firm and cold (at least 4 hours).
9. Cut the cheesecake into 48 squares (8 columns by 6 rows). Decorate the top left squares (3 down and 4 across, 12 total squares) with a mound of blueberries (about 5 or 6) on each square. Use raspberries (about 4 per square) to decorate the 1st, 3rd, and 5th rows (the 1st and 3rd will be shorter since part of them will have blueberries already). Decorate the remaining rows with strawberry slices.
10. Right before serving, sift powdered sugar onto the strawberry rows. The easiest way to do this is to cover the surrounding rows with a paper towel, then sift, then move the paper towel. If you do this step too early, the powdered sugar will dissolve into the strawberries and they won't look white anymore!

Crust dough ready to go in the oven!

Cheesecake filling

Headed into the oven...

Finished cheesecake with fruit!

Right before serving - white rows are dusted with powdered sugar!

Happy Fourth of July!! Yummm!