You scream, I scream, we all scream for Ice Cream

     I <3 good ice cream.  It's probably something I've inherited or learned from my mom - in the states, we used to have a minimum of 5 ice cream flavors in our freezer at a time, normally being closer to 10.  Ben & Jerry's and Cold Stone Creamery were two of my favorite Ice Cream shops, and when we moved to South Africa we were surprised to find that the amount of flavors available was small compared to what we were used to.  A solution had to be discovered!  So I pulled out our ice cream maker.  
     Ice cream, sorbets, gelato, frozen yogurt.... they're all actually very easy to make.  Recipes can be found all over the web, and the result is yummmmmmy.  My favorite homemade flavors so far have been Berry Cheescake, Mint Chocolate Chip, Raspberry Sorbet, Rocky Road, and Lemon Sorbet. Other flavors I've made that have been well liked include Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough, Snickerdoodle, Tropical Sorbet, and Butter Pecan.  
     Today I want to share a couple basic recipes with you - raspberry sorbet and butter pecan.  

Raspberry Sorbet

Soo yummy - but, then, I <3 sorbets.  I find them very refreshing.  If you want to be daring and edit this, just replace the fresh raspberries with other fruits, adjusting sugar quantity if necessary.  Or you can just google the kind of sorbet you want.  


1 1⁄2 cups sugar

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 1/4 lb. fresh raspberries (about 5 cups)

2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1. In a 2-quart saucepan, bring 2 cups water and sugar to a boil, stirring to dissolve. Reduce heat to low and simmer, without stirring, to make a syrup, for 5 minutes.

2. Pour the syrup into a medium bowl, stir in vanilla extract, and transfer to the freezer to let chill for 15 minutes.  At the same time, put your sorbet-tub-to-be into the freezer to chill so that it won't melt the sorbet when it is poured in.

3. Purée 1 lb. of the raspberries (about 4 cups) with the syrup in a blender or food processor until smooth. Scrape the purée through a fine sieve into a bowl; discard the seeds. Stir lemon juice into the raspberry purée and pour it into a 2-quart ice cream maker. Freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions until almost set but still a little slushy, about 25 minutes.  (Alternatively, pour the sorbet mixture into your chilled tub and stick in the freezer.  Stir every 15 minutes until firm (a couple of hours), making sure to scrape the edges.)

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

I'm using this recipe, and not the Cheesecake or Rocky Road recipes because it is based off of a simple vanilla custard, which is something that needs to be understood very well before tackling harder recipes.  Most ice creams have custard bases, and things like Mint Choc Chip or Rocky Road or Choc Chip Cookie Dough just have extra things added.  The butter pecans are yummy, so be sure to hide them out of sight (out of mind) if you want to have any left over for the ice cream :)

1/3 cup chopped pecans

1 tablespoon butter

1 cup light brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 1/2 cups half-and-half cream

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. In a small skillet over medium heat, saute pecans in butter, salt, and 1 Tbsp sugar until lightly browned, stirring frequently.  Note: they burn easily.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, beat eggs.  Set aside. 

3. In a medium saucepan , combine sugar and half and half and heat until the milk is steaming, without allowing it to boil.  

4. Slowly add the half and half to the beaten eggs, whisking constantly to avoid cooking the eggs.  Return the mixture to the saucepan and cook until it reaches 175°F, or until it coats the back of a wooden spoon, being careful to not allow it to overheat.  

5. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve into cream (this removes any eggs that might have cooked and any burnt milk).  Add vanilla.  Chill for several hours or overnight.    

6. Put your ice-cream-tub-to-be into the freezer to chill.  Freeze ice cream mixture according to ice cream maker manufacturer's directions.  Before transferring to your chilled tub, stir in pecans.  (Alternatively, pour the ice cream mixture into your chilled tub and stick in the freezer.  Stir every 30 minutes until firm (a couple of hours), making sure to scrape the edges)

     

     Those are the recipes!  At the bottom is a bibliography - gotta give credit where credit is due!  A couple things I've discovered (by error and error): having that wanna-be-tub in the freezer makes a huge difference when using an ice cream maker, so the ice cream doesn't melt the instant it hits the tub; the sugar-salt-vanilla-stuff content of the ice cream effects how well something freezes and if it's hard or soft (so don't change it too much, especially if you're cutting back on something); and having an ice cream maker is totally worth it.  Of course, that's coming from an ice cream <3er.  I think the consistency of the ice cream is nicer that way.

     Another thing about living in South Africa - since I'm an expat (foreigner), I can't get a job.  God has provided though, through this <3 of ice cream.  I'll be selling my homemade, all-natural ice cream at a local market and through a co-op.  God constantly reminds me that He will provide for all my needs, and that His plan is the best. 

Bibliography: 

www.thekitchengeneration.com

www.davidlebovitz.com

http://allrecipes.com/recipe/butter-pecan-ice-cream/  

http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Raspberry-Sorbet

Five Ways to Break the Ice

We all have those times when we're in new places, meeting new people, and we have no clue what to say or do. Maybe you're starting in a new school this year (I'm starting at my local community college next month) going to a new church, starting a new activity with people you don't know, or just want to step out of your usual "group". Here are five tips on how to break the ice.

1. Be Comfortable with Yourself.
When you can be comfortable with yourself, it makes it easier for others to be comfortable with you. Don't be afraid to look like a fool and be quick to laugh off mistakes. People are drawn to those who are confident in their own skin.

2. Use Complements.
Complementing is one of the most effective ways to break the ice, especially when complementing something that invites further conversation. By simply commenting that you like the new person's shoes, for example, you can discover that both of you are thrift store shoppers or that you both have grandmas with good shoe taste. Even silly things in common can go a long way in being comfortable with each other. Complementing also sends a confident message that says, "I'm confident enough not to be threatened by you and your cute shoes and I don't want you to feel threatened by me."

3. Ask Questions.
When the conversation starts to drag, asking questions like "what do you do for fun?" or "where did you move from?" can pave the way for other things you have in common or learning about something new. Just be sure to stay clear of questions like "where do you live?" which can unintentionally sound a little stalkerish.

4. Be Open.
It is hard to get to know very personal people. By opening yourself up, other people will naturally open up to you. Talking about your family, your plans for the future, and the things you have experienced is inviting to others. There is a happy medium here, however. Don't burst out your entire life story the first time you meet someone, make sure there is plenty of room for the other person to talk. And getting into really personal stuff about yourself like your insecurities can get messy.

5. Speak Well of Others.
Gossiping and showing dislike of certain people by your words proves to the person you're talking to that you're not trustworthy. No one wants to be friends with someone who will complement them one minute then talk bad about them behind their back the next. People who gossip aren't fun to be around.

Long Time No See:Sara

     Malea said it pretty well last time she posted - it's been a really long time since our last post.  This is MY catching up post.  
     6 months ago, in February, I had been in South Africa for 6 months.  Now, I've been here for a year.   And that year has gone SO fast, it's unbelievable when I look back on it.  On the year-to-the-date anniversary, I posted on my Facebook page that "It's been a year full of settling in and some frustration, a year including a new school, a new church, and new friends, and a year in which we've grown as a family and as individuals."  There have been a lot of changes over the last year, and, as I indicated above, some of it's been frustrating.  It took us 9 months to find a church, but we're happy.  It's a very small church with less than 200 people, and less than 10 teenagers, only 1 my age, but we're forming close friendships.  Dad and I sing in the worship band, and I help out with children's church.  
     All of my life, up until a year ago, I was homeschooled.  Now, I and my 5 siblings attend a small (600 kids, K-12) private school called the King's College.  My best friend and brother, Matthew, whom I've known since 3rd grade, also lives with us and attends school at King's while his family is serves God as missionaries in Swaziland.  To find out more about the Taylor family and see how you can support them, visit robandjennifer.wordpress.com.  The motto of this school is "Audience of One".  The teachers are wonderful people, dedicated to the kids and their teaching.  I struggle with the fact that, in South Africa, the pass grade is 45%, but I raise the standard for myself, and achieve mostly 80s.  God calls us to work as if we're working for Him, and not for men - that means doing our best in everything, no matter how low the requirements are.  I've formed several deep relationships with people at school, with people who will push me towards God and inspire me to do my best.  
     My relationship with God has grown as I've had to deal with homesickness, family struggles, and lack of  "belonging".  I've had to lean on God through all of it.  Moving halfway around the world hasn't been easy, but I'm convinced this is where God has called us, so I'm glad we came.  
     On the upside, there are some distinctively different things about South Africa.  They call their traffic lights "robots", and the trunk of the car is the "boot".  They don't have Reese's Peanut Butter cups or Jelly Bellies, Bath and Body Works, or Ben and Jerry's, but they have Bar One and Jelly Tots, and their fruit and veggies are SOO good.  There is no insulation in there houses because it's only cold for a relatively short amount of the year, but we still managed to be here for the first time it has snowed in 5 years.  It was the day before school let out, but no one was in class when it was snowing.  The girls were having a screaming jumping fest out on the field, and the boys were playing soccer.  
     I guess if you take anything away from this post, take away that even if God's call is hard to follow through, it's the best path to follow.  A year ago, I couldn't imagine living anywhere but my hometown, I struggled to make new friends, and my relationship with God wasn't as strong as it is now.  Now, I'm living half way around the world with tons of new friends and I'm cradled in the arms of my Creator through everything.  And I've been told I've picked up a slight South African accent :D