Fresh Ginger Ice-Cream, which is not just called that because Shea likes it

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Dear companionate ice-cream connoisseurs,

I love ice-cream, and I love homemade ice-cream. This recipe is called ginger ice-cream, and not just because Shea likes it and he's a redhead.  More so because it is made with a lot of fresh ginger root, as it were.

I made this last year for dessert after Christmas dinner, and it was a delightful festive touch.  I made it during the move a few days ago to use up some ginger, and when I served it to Mr H and his friend Shea tonight, Shea (after complaining about the name) said that the flavor made him think of Christmastime.

this recipe is from The Perfect Scoop

Fresh Ginger Ice Cream
about 1 quart. more tips on ice-cream making here.

3 ounces unpeeled fresh ginger root
1 cup whole milk (I used 2% cause I didn't have whole on hand)
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar
pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks

in the pictures I am making a double batch, so don't be alarmed if your portions seem different when cooking


Cut the ginger in half lengthwise (making it more stable for slicing), and then cut it into thin slices.

Place the ginger in a medium, nonreactive saucepan.  Add enough water to cover the ginger by about 1/2 inch, and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes, then drain, discarding the liquid.

Return the blanched ginger slices to the saucepan, then add the milk, 1 cup of the cream, sugar, and salt.

Warm the mixture, cover, and remove from the heat.  Let steep at room temperature for 1 hour.

Rewarm the mixture. Remove the ginger slices with a slotted spoon and discard.

I press the slices with the back of the spoon to get every last drop of gingery cream.  That's talent to do that AND take a picture, eh?

Pour the remaining 1 cup heavy cream into a large bowl and set a mesh strainer on top.

In a separate medium bowl, whisk together the egg yolks.  Slowly pour the warm mixture into the egg yolks, whisking constantly, then scrape the warmed egg yolks back into the saucepan.

Stir the mixture constantly over medium heat with a heatproof spatula, scraping the bottom as you stir, until the mixture thickens and coats the spatula, reaching 170 - 175 F. 

Pour the custard through the strainer and stir it into the cream.  Stir until cool over an ice bath.

Chill the mixture thoroughly in the refrigerator (overnight is good), then freeze it in your ice cream maker.

Variation (which I have not tried yet): To make Lemon-Fresh Ginger Ice Cream, grind the zest of 2lemons with the sugar in blender or food processor and warm it with the milk.

The Mr enjoys a sandwich

stay cool!


Mrs H
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Moving Day 3

Fellows and friends,

We moved and packed a lot Sunday and Monday, and then Tuesday and Wednesday we didn't get to do much of anything (we knew we wouldn't) due to other scheduled events.  We live such busy lives, you know, and are very popular on the local party circuit ...

On Tuesday, my cousin Max ...

... made some fabulous tomato soup with tomatoes from his garden.  Best tomato soup I've ever had, bar none ... everything from caraway to coconut was in it!

Operation Skedaddle resumed on Thursday after morning errands, around noon.  My mom, and sisters Amanda and Karissa and brother Nate, came in the afternoon and tore into empty, dirty cupboards with a vengeance (well, Mom and Amanda tore into the cupboards).  They scoured the bathroom and kitchen and, when I had to leave early to go to choir, packed up the contents of the fridge and freezer and toted it all to the new place and stashed it appropriately.

How could I have done all of this without their help!?  I love having family close by!

Today I am busily unloading things into the kitchen.  There is less cupboard space here than at the old place, so I am getting creative finding homes for my many dishes (three crockpots? three bundt pans?  three pressure canners?  three dehydrators? I am seeing a trend here).  The funny thing about my dishes is that ... I use them all!  I have a few things that I am relinquishing to boxes, just because I don't need them on a regular basis - only when I am gearing up for big projects (for instance, 12 muffin pans ... 10 water bath canners ... ).  This will be put in the storage space beneath us (the crawlspace under the apartment), along with some other seasonal things and our second set of bath towels.  Blah blah. You get the idea!

Back to organizing - glorious organizing!


Mrs H
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Sturdy Homemade Food: Runsas

Dear guests,

This is the cabbage roll that I made for the Happy Movers on Monday.

I am including a list of suggested filling, which I have not tried yet but will when I am finished moving!

Runsas (Beef and Cabbage Buns with Cheese)
From Cook's Country 2009, April/May p 7

Dough
3/4 cup warm water (110 F)
1/2 c sweetened condensed milk or substitute
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 large egg
3-1/2 c all-purpose flour,plus extra for rolling out dough
2 packages instant or rapid-rise yeast (about 2-1/4 tsp ea)
1 teaspoon salt

Filling:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter or bacon fat
1-1/2 lbs 90% lean ground beef, or chopped leftover chuck
1 large onion, chopped fine
1/2 small head cabbage, chopped, abut 3 cups (feel free to use more cabbage and less meat, etc)
Salt and pepper
8 slices cheese (I had some extra cheese so I made a few stuffed with just some slices of cheese)

Other filling ideas:
Cooked sausage-egg-bacon; cheese; BBQ beef; pulled pork; sloppy joe filling; "supreme" pizza filling; asian cabbage slaw fillings, pork, etc.

Dough: Lightly grease large bowl with cooking spray.  Mix water, sweetened condensed milk, oil, sugar, and egg in large measuring cup (the picture is the recipe doubled).

Mix flour, yeast, and salt in bowl of standing mixer fitted with dough hook.

With mixer on low, add water mixture.  After dough comes together, increase speed to medium and mix until shiny and smooth, 4 to 6 minutes.  Turn dough out onto heavily floured work surface, shape into ball, and place in greased bowl.  Cover bowl with plastic wrap or damp towel and let rest in warm place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Filling: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in large skillet over medium-high heat.  Add beef and cook until just beginning to brown, about 6 minutes, breaking up any large clumps.  Using slotted spoon, transfer beef to paper-towel lined plate.

Pour off all but 2 tablespoons fat from pan (or if you used chuck, add some more bacon fat). Add onion and cook until softened, about 3 minutes.  Add cabbage and toss until just beginning to wilt, 2 - 4 minutes.  (Or if you don't have large enough pans, do it all separately like I did!)

Return beef to pan and season with salt and pepper (or just mix in a bowl).  

Assembly: Adjust oven racks to the upper-middle and lower-middle positions and heat oven to 350.  Coat 2 baking sheets with cooking spray.  Divide dough into 8 equal pieces.  Working on lightly floured work surface, roll each piece of dough into a 7" circle.

Place one dough round in a deep cereal bowl and top with one slice of cheese.  Spoon 3/4 cup filling over cheese and pinch edges of dough together to form bun.

 Transfer bun, seam side down, to prepared baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough, cheese, and filling, placing 4 buns on each baking sheet.  Cover buns with plastic wrap and let rise until puffed, about 20 minutes.

Baking: Bake buns until golden-brown, about 20 minutes, switching and rotating position of baking sheets halfway through baking time.  (To MAKE SURE they are complete, flip one over and poke at the seam, where the dough will be the thickest.  You don't want half-raw dough!)  Brush buns with melted butter and serve.

These microwave very nicely the next day.

Happiest baking days to you!


Mrs H
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Kitchen Understudy #1

To those out there who are missing something in life,

I used this concoction the other day to replace sweetened condensed milk in a recipe. It was in baked goods, not a pastry, so I cannot say how it would work in a pastry. 

Sweetened Condensed Milk Substitute

1 cup instant dry milk (I used fat free.  The recipe called for solid, I used powdered)

2/3 cup sugar

1/3 cup boiling water

3 tbsp melted butter

Combine all ingredients in a blender.  Blend until smooth. Store in refrigerator until ready to use.  Yields approximately 14 ounces (a little less than a can).  Note: it is NOT as thick as canned sweetened condensed milk.  You can add cornstarch to thicken if you want.

replacefully yours 

Mrs H
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Moving Day 2

Dear continuing faithful,

Today we were busy as could be, continuing moving.  We called the utilities and internet providers to cancel and switch our services to the new place.  Our internet will be shut off by October 5, so there may not be any blog updates for a while.

My cousin Max came back with his truck, and brought his 4-month old son David with him.  While the men took loads of furniture and boxes to the new apartment, I let David help me knead cinnamon-roll dough for party I am hosting tomorrow.

He loved the dough!

He didn't try to eat it, surprisingly! 

I had a dehydrator load of basil drying on my porch, so I blended it up so I could wash and pack the dehydrator.

I had also dried a load of onions, so I blended those into bits and put them in a jar.  My food-saver is already packed and at the new place, so I will package and freeze them later.  They are pretty dry, so they will last long enough in the jar.

I put two loaves of whole wheat bread in the oven on warm to rise; I was pretty proud of myself for planning ahead, knowing that this next week my new kitchen will probably be too chaotic to make bread.  Unfortunately, I forgot the bread was in the oven, and it rose for about eight hours!!  So we have some rather sad, deflated looking bread (one with onions and salt on top).  Oh well.

I had to use up a quart and a half of cream that was in the fridge for a while, and a bunch of leftover gingerroot.  I needed to use these up, so I made a double batch of ginger ice-cream... 

Peeled the leftover root, sliced it, and put it in vodka to make ginger extract and to preserve the root ... 

... and made a double batch of plum ice-cream (sorry, no picture!).  In the afternoon, my mom, my sister Manda, and Karissa went to the new place with Max and Mr H.  They scrubbed and cleaned and unloaded!  

I stayed at the old apartment and kept cleaning and packing and cooking.  My little brother Nate had a ton of fun playing with David.  I am not sure which one made more noise!  

I had three packages of a pumpkin-spice quick-bread mix.  I had to make a treat to take to Bible study in the morning so I made a bunch of mini-muffins.  I also made some streusel topping, and a dozen muffins for my hard-working mom and sister to take home!  I also used up a boxed mix for brownies, which is made using plain yogurt, which I also wanted to use up out of my fridge.  

The living room is now the stockpile for things that are dusted, washed, packed, and ready to be moved ...

The dining room has a nice fat pile of things that still need to be sorted and packed, and a box and a few things that belong to other people.  (I also need to pack my closet!)

A nice stack of boxes and baskets to pack what's left in the kitchen and the closet ........ oh dear!! 

Overall, a very productive 2nd day of moving!  I am pretty excited that we got so much done with only two-day notice that we can move.  

Tomorrow is a busy day, no time for packing or cleaning; but we'll be back at it on Wednesday! 

To all a good night, and a special thanks to my family for pitching in today to help with the move!!! 

love,

Mrs H
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Moving Day 1

Dear faithfuls,

We planned to start our move-out from our current apartment around the middle of this month; that's when our rental of the other place begins.  But the landlord told us he'd honestly rather have us move in now, even though we are only paying for the 2nd half of October, than have the place vacant.

It makes perfect business sense, of course, but big apartment complexes don't do that.  It's so much easier to work with this fella, instead of with a huge apartment company!

I've never moved before, but I always thought it would be fun.  Of course, my day job is working as a project manager for an aerospace repositioning firm, so it makes sense ...  But we washed, sorted, weeded, and carefully packed, taped a manifest to each box, and categorized to the final pin as much as possible.  I have a few obsessions about categorizing  .... I will categorize utensils until my fingers bleed, if left to my own pursuits.

So we called our cousins, and Jess let us have her husband Max and his truck all day to help.

My mom came over and scoured the guest bathroom spotless, from top to bottom!  It's definitely cleaner than when we moved in.

 My little sister played and helped (a little).  And ate bread with honey!

Mr H and Gabe worked hard loading the vehicles, and unloading at the new place with Max.

Max took some of our furniture to his man-cave at his house.  We didn't need our TV and one of the small couches and ottomans.  He and Gary will use them to play Halo!

I washed and packed and scrubbed and, of course, since hard work deserves good food, cooked and baked.  I was trying to bake specific items that would use up surplus ingredients in my fridge, instead of buying food to make, so that I don't have to move as much food! 

Homemade apple turnovers came out of the freezer for a mid-afternoon snack ... 

Beef-cabbage-cheese-stuffed "runsas" were made, to use up the bag of chopped beef leftover from the bones I used to make 20 quarts of beef broth ... 

And caramel sticky-buns finished the evening off with a sweet note! 

We got an awful lot done for the first day of unexpected moving.  Fortunately, Mr H and I were a little zealous in the week prior and had boxed a whole lot of stuff.  At the end of the day we moved our bed from the bedroom into the living room.  I demonstrated how tired I was ...

The house was pretty empty that evening.

MANY thanks goes to the family/friends that helped us get all of this work done!  We would not have had such a smooth transition without all of your help!!

Love,


Mrs H
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