Homemade Ice Cream Summer Treat!

Ice cream has got to be THE summer favorite treat! A cold scoop of sweet ice cream on a hot summer day is one of the best experiences of summer, especially for a child. Imagine being able to mix up a batch of your favorite ice cream flavor, especially knowing that all of your ingredients are fresh!

I tested the Half Pint Ice Cream Maker, available in the summer Avon living for $39.99. I am slightly obsessed with kitchen gadgets, so I jumped at the opportunity to try this one out! After trying several recipes, I would say I am mostly impressed with it, though there are a few things about it that did bother me.

Out of the box, the ice cream maker has four major parts: the magical bucket, the motor, the pour spout, and the paddle. You have to place batteries into the motor part, then attach the clear plastic pour spout onto the motor. The two piece paddle attachment is inserted into the motor, and then that whole assembly is attached to the bucket with a twist. You must wash and dry the bucket and stick it in the freezer right away - unfortunately, you will not be able to make a batch of ice cream the first day.

First of all, it does a great job of making small batches of ice cream, gelato, froyo or sorbet.The best part is that each batch can be completely customized with flavor and ingredients. The small batches allow you to enjoy gourmet flavors and blends.

Ice cream is essentially milk, sugar and flavor. Old fashioned ice cream also uses eggs. Sorbet is made from fruit and fruit juice. Gelato adds coffee flavor. Frozen yogurt is made using yogurt (Greek yogurt is best) and flavors.

There isn’t too much of a secret process to mixing ingredients. Your liquid “smoothie” mix will usually churn up into a delicious frozen treat!

The basic process is to place the bucket in the freezer in advance, mix the ingredients for your ice cream, and chill the ingredients. The next day, churn your ice cream, freeze to harden, then enjoy!

My Top Tips for Making Ice Cream:

• THINK COLD! Everything has to be cold. The bucket has to be in the freezer for at least twelve hours. The mix has to be chilled. Cold = ice cream, sorbet, gelato, froyo
• Plan ahead. Freeze the bucket, mix a batch of ice cream “liquid” and chill it. Putting the mix in the freezer 30 minutes before you start to churn won't hurt either.
• Fill the bucket halfway. ¾ at the most. Churn. Churning can be a little noisy, but it is fun to watch!
• When you're done churning, quickly transfer it to a chilled container and freeze to harden it up. At least a few hours, to firm it up. Enjoy quickly, like that day or the next.
• Tomorrow, churn your ice cream, and mix up a new batch for next time. Wash, DRY, and freeze the bucket (inside a plastic bag) again for 24 hours. Not being able to make more than one batch a day was disappointing.
• Invest in a large package of AA batteries. One thing that did annoy me was the battery door; it kept popping open when I tried to assemble the parts. Because you churn for 20 minutes at a time, this does require battery power. I would have preferred a cord. Use fresh batteries!

So far, I have tested with traditional ice cream, blueberry sorbet and frozen yogurt. I love being able to control the ingredients, especially the fruits and flavors. The ice cream maker does come with a booklet of instructions and recipes, but I am confident enough to change up recipes by swapping out flavors, and they have all churned up into yummy desserts.

5 Healthy Foods for Healthy Skin

You are what you eat, right? We have all heard that if you have a steady diet of candy and potato chips, your health (and your skin) will suffer. So what are *the* best food choices for magnificent skin? I have found three articles that guide us to the top foods for healthy skin: one from a doctor, one from a nutritionist and the third from a scientific dermatology journal.


The first article, What are the best foods for healthy skin? is written by Lawrence E. Gibson, M.D. This article lists specific foods that are rich in antioxidants that will contribute to healthy skin. http://mayocl.in/1Tvm2ES

The next article, by a well known nutritionist, Joy Bauer, details 8 specific foods that directly affect your skin's appearance. In 8 Foods for Healthy, Gorgeous Skin, Joy gives a little bit of the science behind why each type of food helps our skin. http://bit.ly/22Dy1Xg

The last article is a scientific article published in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthethic Dermatology. The article, The Role of Dietary Intervention in Skin Disease, provides key scientific evidence for the connection between diet and skin, with references coming from some pivotal skin-diet studies. http://1.usa.gov/1mvl5lb

Using the valuable information from these three articles, I'm giving you a list of super foods that will contribute to having healthy, glowing, problem free skin. Add these foods to your diet, or use them as snacks in place of those potato chips!

• Carrots - Carrots have the antioxidant beta-carotene which does two things for skin: 1. it works to protect the skin against sun damage, and 2. it works to help the skin rebuild cells. Carrots also have Vitamin A, and a deficiency in Vitamin A often presents as dry skin.
• Nuts - Nuts, specifically almonds, are a great choice for healthy skin, primarily because of the Vitamin E which nourishes the skin. 
• Tomatoes – Tomatoes and tomato products (like juice and tomato paste, especially) have lycopene, which works to protect against UV skin damage. And get this - "Human studies have also supported the role of dietary factors in reducing aspects of photocarcinogenesis. In one RCT, ingestion of tomato paste, which is rich in lycopene, was found to protect skin against UVR-induced effects, including erythema and DNA damage." Erthema is sunburn. Lycopene works to actually prevent sunburn!
• Fish - Fish that contains Omega-3 (like salmon, sardines, herring, anchovies) work to generate stronger skin cells due to the fatty acids. Omega-3 can also help reduce symptoms of psoriasis.
• Tropical Fruit - Fruits such as pineapple and papaya are high in Vitamin C which primarily works to defend against free radicals and contributes to collagen production and directly helps with anti-aging efforts.

What are your favorites? Share using hashtag #skinfood and tell us what you like to eat every day!

Herbs For Cooking

My garden is currently buried under 2 feet of snow. Fresh herbs are one thing I am looking forward to once the snow melts and the days begin to get warmer!

Fresh herbs can be grown easily indoors or in a garden, and they are wonderful, simple additions to everyday cooking. In the winter, I use dried herbs I harvested the previous autumn.

These essential herbs add great complexity to meals!

Chop your fresh herbs easily with this great herb chopper.