WOW!

Welcome to my blog new followers! I can't believe the number of comments and followers I got on Friday. It is going to take me a couple days to visit everyone's blogs. I never thought I would be so close to 100 followers. I got about 60 or 70 followers in one day! Crazy. Now I need to stay consistent with my blogging. At least I have some things on the horizon that will need to be blogged about and some things that I still haven't blogged about. I also want to start doing 1 new recipe a week, either a dinner or dessert recipe. We shall see if that works out. :-D

I am also working on adding printable recipes to each recipe. It is something I love when I go to other pages, because I print out all of my recipes. It will take a while to get it done, but I am going to try!

My 1 year blogiversary  is coming up too! 100 followers and 1 year of blogging! WOW. What a year!

Strawberry Ice Cream

[Printable Recipe]

So Matt wanted to make strawberry ice cream, which is fine with me because it is my least favorite, so I won't eat much (which in all honesty, I have only had a couple bites in each batch, and I think I had a bowl one night- Mr. Matt is the one crushing the ice cream, and still keeping his girlish figure* -NOT FAIR)

*Matt doesn't look like a girl, he is just skinny and doesn't get fat despite the disgusting amount of food he puts into his body. Sigh.

So for the strawberry we stuck with the similar ice cream format.

Ingredients:
2 c. Milk (used 1%)
2 c. Heavy whipping cream
1c. sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 c. strawberries, pureed

Directions:

Slice the strawberries and place in a blender (removing the leaves of course)

 

Puree the strawberries to desired texture, we got ours pretty smooth

 

Mix puree, milk, cream, sugar and vanilla until mixed well.

 

Put in to ice cream maker while it is spinning

 

This one took a little longer to get firmed up - close to an hour.
I totally forgot to take a pic before I put it in the bowl. But I took video at 10 mins in and 45-50 mins in.


[I have videos, but I can't get it to post- If you have tips for posting videos email me at wannabebakerblog (at) gmail (dot) com ]



Put in bowls and put in freezer

 

This tasted so good, very strong strawberry taste, but it was also a good creme taste. It actually reminded me exactly of a strawberry and cream creme saver

[image credit]

Oh yea - now you want to try it!

Austin's Marine Cake

I made a quick cake for my brother. He is going to boot camp in a couple weeks, and my WHOLE family is getting together to wish him well and send him off in style. Ok well maybe not style, but with love.

I asked him what he wanted for dessert, and he said peanut butter fudge and "those little peanut butter chocolate ball thingys" so I made those, but decided that we needed a real dessert too. So I made a yellow pudding cake with a nutella filling.

I originally made the icing to use on cookies and was going to tint it. I used butter flavored shortening (which is yellow) instead of the all white shortening that I would typically use for icing a cake. O well. I didn't have the energy to make new icing.

The logo was hand made minus using a bowl and cup to imprint a circle. It isn't my best and favorite work, but I like it. He will too.

 

  

  

Linking up with Follow Friday 

Works For Me Wednesday

So since I did last weeks works for me Wednesday on a way to make meals for small numbers, I will share another tip.

I like to make casseroles, but they are always so big, and now that it just Matt and me eating it we always end up throwing some away. I can only eat the same thing so much.

So tonight, I wanted to make Chicken Poppy Seed Casserole, but I don't have my brother to eat the rest of it. I only cooked half the chicken needed, and then made the whole amount of the sauce, but only put half on , and froze the other half. I only used half the topping too. I used the small pyrex pan not the 9 by 13.

Now next time we want to make it, I already have it half made! YAY. Now I really could have been on the ball and cooked double the chicken and cut it up and put it in the freezer too. But I wanted to save the chicken we have left for other things.

 

Just the right size. There was one serving left over (LUNCH!)

(yes, i forgot to take a pic of the small casserole finished. OOPS I was hungry!)

*** I need help - I can't figure out how to put a video on my posts. The toolbar has an insert picture option but not a video. Is there something I am missing? You can email me at wannabebakerblog (at) gmail (dot) com or leave it in the comments if you have tips! Thanks so so much!***

Ice Cream Maker

The twins I nanny for gave me the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker for Christmas. This made my day (and Matt's too) They gave it to me Christmas eve, I washed it and put it in the freezer that night. Sunday after Christmas we made our first batch of ice cream.

I researched on Allrecipes.com for ice cream recipes. There are 2 types of ice cream recipes - ones that use eggs and ones that don't. The thought of making ice cream with 8 egg yolks grossed me out. Plus I wanted something simple.

So 3 Sundays in a row we made ice cream, chocolate twice and then vanilla. The 2nd chocolate was the best, so I will share that one and then I will share the vanilla (which tasted like McDonalds soft serve)

Chocolate Ice Cream:

[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients:
2 c. heavy whipping cream
2 c. half and half
a little less than 1/2 c. cocoa powder
1/2 tbsp vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk

Mix all ingredients well, then pour into icecream maker while dasher is spinning. Let run for 30-40 mins (or until you hear the dasher clicking)

 

 

 

Right out of the ice cream maker

 

After a day or 2 in the freezer.

Vanilla

[Printable Recipe]

Ingredients:
3c. Heavy whipping cream
1 c. half and half
1 can sweetened condensed milk
2 tbsp vanilla

Directions
Mix all ingredients well, then pour into icecream maker, while dasher is spinning, Let run for 30-40 mins (or until you hear the dasher clicking.


This was so yummy, the first time around with the chocolate we used only 1/4 c. cocoa and more vanilla, it wasn't chocolaty enough for me. So I doubled the amt of chocolate and took away some vanilla.

When it first comes out of the ice cream maker, it is the consistency of a Wendy's Blizzard (the first run tasted almost exactly like it) I put it in bowl and let them firm in the freezer. Matt likes to eat the icecream with the leftover candy mixed in.

**As I sat down to write this post Matt declared that he wanted to make strawberry ice cream, so I found a recipe for him and off to the store he went to get the stuff we need. I will post that recipe another time if it is good. I am going to take a video of it with my new flip and attempt to put my first video on my blog!

Works For Me Wednesday -Personal Pasta Sauce

Every week Kristen at We are That Family hosts a blog carnival where everyone links up their blog posts with tips and tricks that work for them.

My tip tonight is a simple one. But it really works for me.

Matt loves pasta, but he loves it with just butter and parmesan cheese. I prefer a little meat sauce on mine. Making a whole jar and a whole pound of meat usually ends up going to waste. Then I got smart.

I make the whole jar (I use jar sauce and add seasonings to it), brown a pound of meat, mix them. Then I put 1 serving worth in a freezer bag then stack them up in the freezer. I typically can get 4 or 5 out of it. Then we want to have pasta I can just defrost my sauce, heat it in a little pot and I have dinner without waste! Score!

This works for me! You can go to over to We are THAT Family and see what else works for others.

Also, check out the confession I made on my other blog (yes, I have another blog, it is a baby, here is why I started it)

The last of the Holiday goodies

The last thing I made was chocolate dipped pretzels. I love these, last year I made chocolate and chocolate/peanut butter, but this year I just made chocolate.

These are super simple.
Chocolate Dipped Pretzel

[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients:
Chocolate Flavored Almond Bark
Pretzel Rods
sprinkles or icing

Directions:
Melt chocolate

 

Dip Pretzels in chocolate

Decorate with sprinkles or icing.

After I made everything I bagged up the goodies and put them in baskets to give as gifts, everything else went in tins to be taken to Christmas.

 

My mixer took a beating and got SUPER dirty - I really think I should rename my blog- Confessions of a MESSY baker :-D

Cocoa Blocks

These chocolate blocks are so yummy and make great gifts. I gave them away with little mugs. If you stir them in hot milk it makes a really good creamy hot chocolate. You can also just nibble on them for a rich fudge taste.

I got this recipe from King Arthur Flour
[Printable Recipe]
Ingredients
1/2 c. heavy cream
14 oz can sweetened condensed milk
3 c. milk chocolate chips
3/4 c semisweet baking chocolate
wooden sticks ( I used Wilton lollipop sticks from Michaels)

Directions:
Line a 8 x 8 pan with parchment or foil

Heat cream and condensed milk over low heat until steaming.

Remove from heat and add chocolate and allow to gently melt.

 

Return to low heat after 10 mins or so and completely melt the chocolate. Whisk until it is thick and shiny. (add flavoring if desired - coffee of hazelnut would be good)

Pour the chocolate mixture unto the pan, shake gently to level. Sprinkle with cocoa. Set aside overnight

 

Lift parchment or foil out of pan and slice unto 1 -1 1/4 inch cubes. Dipping knife into hot water and cleaning off after each cut will help.

Stick a wooden stick into the center and wrap with parchment paper.

I put these in a little decorative baggie, and put them in a basket with a mug. It was a great gift!!

I think I will be making myself some of these soon to get me through the rest of the freezing winter season. 

Say a prayer for Haiti today

We all know what happened in Haiti is so tragic, yet we all may be at a loss for what we can do. I know I am. I can pray and pray for them, but I still feel like that isn't enough. I wish I could help more, but I can't go there, and besides the$10 I added to my next cell phone bill, I really can't afford a grand donation. So I will pray. I will pray everyday. Tonight while I run, I will pray. Tomorrow while I wash baby bottles, I will pray.

Someone is doing something amazing, Ree, the Pioneer Woman is offering a different type of give away. She is donating 2 - $500 donations in the winners name to the charity of their choice to help in Haiti. How absolutely generous. Not only that, but for every comment entry that she receives, she is donating $0.10 (there are over 3000 comments right now.)

What a wonderful woman she is for doing this! Go leave a comment, read some of the prayers and uplifting comments that are being left there, and help give to Haiti. HERE is the link.

Say a prayer for Haiti today.

Works For Me Wednesday

Every week Kristen at We are That Family hosts a blog carnival where everyone links up their blog posts with tips and tricks that work for them. I will occasionally be joining the fun over there.

A lot of recipes call for the pan to be lined with foil or parchment paper. If you have ever tired to do this it can be a pain in the butt. The foil never cooperates and it wastes foil. I found the solution.

Turn the pan that needs lined upside down

Wrap the foil around the bottom of the pan

Remove foil and flip the pan over, place the foil inside.

It should fit perfectly. So super easy! This works for me. Head over to We are That Family and see what else works for people!