Below is a fairly accurate Venn Diagram of my skill set:
I am completely comfortable not excelling at all of the activities I enjoy. Yes, I need an inhaler for laser tag. And sure, my clay people are a little deformed and my B flat chord sounds more like a dying cat. You can tell me these things and I won’t be offended. On the flip side, I am also comfortable knowing that I could run circles around you in a statistical analysis showdown. Which, from what I hear, is a common measure of talent and strength.
But when I’m good at something I enjoy, the ego shuts down. I get very nervous. My punching reflexes become laser speed when someone tries to peep over my shoulder to read an in-progress post, and God only knows what happens to those who taste my cooking before I am happy with it.
Sharing those talents with the world is a beautiful experience. (The first two, that is – I think “the world” is a bit too much sharing for the third.) Nonetheless, I am extremely picky about what I put out there.
This is the first time I’ve ever made homemade ice cream. Since I do not own an ice cream machine, I was prepared for disaster. I settled in for a night of ice cream making, knowing full well that it may end up in a gooey explosion coating my freezer.
But alas – here it is in all of its delicious glory. Making the blog on its very first try.
I’m proud of you, ice cream. Not only are you refreshing, delectable, and unique in taste, but you look beautiful. And I’m not just saying that to get you into my bed. Because God knows I’m going to eat you there whether you like it or not.
To make this intensely amazing ice cream (with or without an ice cream maker), here’s what you do.
Ingredients
- 1 cups heavy cream
- 1/2 cup half-and-half
- 1/3 cup mild honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh lavender
- 1 large egg
- 1/4 c sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1/2 tsp red food coloring
- 1/2 tsp blue food coloring
Directions
Bring cream, half-and-half, honey, and lavender just to a boil in a 2-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, then remove pan from heat. Let steep, covered, 30 minutes.
Pour cream mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and discard lavender. Return mixture to cleaned saucepan and heat over moderate heat until hot.
Whisk together eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl, then add 1/2 cup hot cream mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Pour into remaining hot cream mixture in saucepan and cook over moderately low heat, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, until thick enough to coat back of spoon and registers 170 to 175°F on thermometer, about 5 minutes (do not let boil).
Pour custard through sieve into cleaned bowl and cool completely, stirring occasionally. Chill, covered, until cold, at least 3 hours. Mix in food coloring.
Freeze custard in ice cream maker, or freeze and continue to stir every half hour. Transfer ice cream to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden.
Source: ringfingertanline.com (defunct blog)
