Be a Good One: Strawberry Ice Cream Recipe

I have been a slacker. It has been more than a month since I last posted, and I am sorry. A lot has been going on around here, but I will fill you in on that in some future posts. (No, I am not pregnant, in case you got excited for a second). :)

Also, as part of my chosen Lenten penance I have not been getting on the computer until after noon, and since I usually worked on blog posts in the morning, my groove has been disrupted. Being disconnected for a few hours is actually nice and I have enjoyed these quiet computer-less and television-free mornings.

Anyway, I HAD to get my act together, because spring is here! Sort of. Well, the calendar says it is here but the real thing is still working on being here in practice. Soon we’ll get off of this weathery roller coaster and take a walk in some sunshine. One of the only ways I know it is springtime is that I can go to the grocery store and not feel guilty about buying strawberries. Everyone and their mother in Florida is going to strawberry festivals and since I am out here in Texas, I will instead enjoy the fruits of the strawberry farmers' labor by eating strawberry ice cream!

One of the best gifts Drew and I received for our wedding was a Cuisinart ice cream maker. I absolutely love it. I haven’t bought ice cream since we unpacked it in August. Cost-wise, I don’t think making your own ice cream is less expensive than purchasing it. I didn’t do the math, but I am pretty sure it would be cheaper (ounce for ounce) to buy a half gallon of ice cream at the store. HOWEVER, pints of the good stuff – Ben & Jerry’s, Starbucks, SO Delicious – you know what I am talking about – can cost you five or six dollars, and the homemade goods are definitely less expensive and oftentimes way more scrumptious!

I have had some misses in my ice cream experimentation thus far, but I think I have now found an ice cream base that works for me, a combination of coconut and cream. I just add different ingredients to change the overall flavor. I plan to share many of these creations with you, but for now I will start with my most recent recipe: Strawberry Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS:

1 can of regular coconut milk

2 cups whipping cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/3 – ½ cup granulated sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

Add liquid Stevia to taste

Put the first five ingredients into a blender to mix all the liquids and to break down the strawberries. My strawberries were frozen, which shouldn't really matter, but it helps to make ice cream with cold ingredients. Taste the blended mixture and add liquid stevia or more sugar until your desired sweetness is reached (I personally do not like sweets that are too sweet). Follow the instructions on your ice cream maker to finish up.

For me, it took about 15 minutes in the ice cream maker. I actually had too much in the blender to fit in the 1.5 quart machine, so I poured the extra into a cup and popped it in the freezer before we ate it for dessert, and it was delicious. The real point of the ice cream maker is to add air into the mixture to give it that light, ice-creamy texture.