One Ingredient Ice Cream (or two, or three)

You really can make ice cream with only one ingredient.  And no, the one ingredient is not cream.  It's bananas.  So no, I guess you can't technically call it ice cream but I'm going to anyway.  Here is the oh so difficult recipe.

Slice a couple of very ripe bananas and freeze them two hours.  Then dump it in your food processer and turn it on.  Ta da!

It might look a little gritty at first but you keep going until it is soft serve consistency.  If you want you can then freeze it so that you can scoop it out like real ice cream.  Obviously this is going to be banana flavored ice cream.  It is not blue bell ice cream but it still tastes good AND it's healthy.  It's especially great if you can't have dairy or you want to give your kids a guilt free treat.  Add peanut butter for a two ingreadient ice cream.  I think nutella would really push it into the fantastic catagory but I haven't tried it yet.  I first saw the recipe for this HERE and you can find a few other versions HERE.

Last night I had planned on making the chocolate one for dessert.  Unfortunately I didn't plan anything for dinner.  But reasoning that the ice cream was actually healthy I decided to have crepes with ice cream for dinner.  And THAT earned me a "thanks for a wonderful Mom" in Hyrum's prayer at dinner.

Carmen’s Hot & Sweet Jalapenos

This is a favorite served on Trisket crackers with cream cheese. Makes about 6-8 pints

12-16 cups thick slice green or red jalapenos (we like red the best)

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1/3 c. non-iodized salt

1 – 2 cups pickling lime powder- mixed as directed on package (I bought at Walmart)

6 cups crushed ice, to be part of the water measure with the lime powder

5 cups sugar

2 ½ cups distilled white vinegar

¾ teaspoon ground turmeric

Prepare jalapenos by washing thoroughly, removing stem end and cutting into ¼ inch thick round slices. Discard any extra seeds that fall out (use rubber or plastic gloves when handling hot chilies to prevent skin irritations and burns. I also do the cutting outside where chili fumes won’t fill the house. Afterwards run your cutting board through the dishwasher to get all the capsasin - hot stuff - off the board) Combine jalapenos with slice garlic and sprinkle with salt in a non- aluminum stock pot or large bowl, mix well

Mix pickling lime with water as directed on package, adding cracked ice in water measure. Pour mixture over slices, mix carefully with pepper slices, cover and weight down pepper slices with a plate, covering lightly with plastic wrap. Store in a cold area overnight or at least 8-12 hours. Stir carefully every few hours (Pepper slices will become very firm and brittle as they soak in the lime water).

Combine sugar with remaining ingredients in a big pot and bring to a full boil. In the meantime, wash and drain peppers in cold water, three full times to remove all the lime soaking solution. When thoroughly washed, add slices to syrup in pot (may be done in batches if needed). Bring to a full boil, and cook until they are almost transparent, about 6-8 minutes.

Spoon chilies and hot liquid into hot clean mason style jars. Wash rimes of jars with a clean wert cloth to remove any syrup from rim. Place hot mason lids and clean rings on jars and tighten very will. Process in hot water bath for 20 minutes (27 at high altitudes). Remove slowly from hot water, and allow to cool, undisturbed, on a towel in a draft free area of the kitchen, until jars are cooled and sealed. Store for four weeks before using. Keep refrigerated once opened.

Ken and Andrea's Lime punch

I always love when Ken is in charge of drinks because we always get this punch.  I believe this is the recipe quoted to me at the reunion.

2 2 liter bottles diet lemon lime soda
2 cans frozen limeade concentrate
1 small bottle roses lime

Mix all together and serve.

Now that I'm writing it down I'm not sure if it was limeade or lemonade,  OR if it was sprite or ginger ale.  Anyone know?

Lemony Chicken with Fresh Coriander

This recipe is adapted slightly from Madhur Jaffery's Indian Cooking.  I love cilantro so of course I love this.

2T Ginger paste (or fresh ginger and water blended together to make a paste)
2 1/2 lbs chicken pieces skinned
4 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
1 bunch cilantro finely chopped (no stems)
1/4 tsp cayenne
2 tsp cumin
1 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp turmeric
salt
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice


Coat a wide non stick pan with vegetable oil and heat over med-high heat.  Salt chicken to taste.  When the pan is hot, brown chicken (in batches if necessary) on each side then remove to a platter or bowl.  Turn heat to medium and and garlic and ginger paste.  Stir and fry for one minute.  Add 3/4 cilantro, cayenne, cumin, coriander, and turmeric.  Cook while stirring for one minute.  Add half a cup of water and lemon juice to the pan then add chicken and any juices that may have accumulated to the pan.  Cover and cook on low until chicken is done (about 20-30 min) turning chicken over half way through cooking.  Garnish with rest of the cilantro and serve with basmati rice.

HOT SPICED LEMONADE

This is Mom's recipe. We made it on New Years eve and it was a hit. I think we will be making it a lot since our lemon and orange tree come in season in the winter.

Combine in pot and bring to simmer then serve:
9 c. water
1 c. lemon juice
2 c. orange juice
2 c. sugar
1 T. vanilla
1/8 t. cloves

Chocolate Cream Balls

This takes an overnight of cooling to prepare

3 8oz Chocolate bars with Almonds
1 8oz Cool Whip
12-15 Vanilla Wafers, crushed

Melt Chocolate in a double boiler. Cool to room temperature. Stir in cool whip until well blended. Place in fridge overnight or until chilled. Butter hands. Roll chocolate into 3/4 inch balls, then roll in cookie crumbs. Store covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks.

Microwave Peanut Brittle

This is easy and fast. It doesn't taste good, but I make everyone eat it.

1 C Sugar
1 C Raw Peanuts
1/2 C Light Corn Syrup
1 tsp margarine (not butter)
1 tsp vanilla (real)
1 tsp baking soda

Combine sugar, peanuts, syrup and a pinch of salt in a tempered glass bowl. Cook on High for 3 minutes. Stir. Put back in microwave for another 3 minutes. Stir in margarine and vanilla. Cook for 1 minute longer. Take out and stir in baking soda. Mix well and quickly pour out onto buttered cookie sheet. Cool 20 minutes.