Blueberry Ice cream

We haven't made ice cream in ages but we've consumed more than ever during the last year #thankscovid19.  I was making a lemon bundt cake last weekend and thought that blueberry ice cream would go well with it.  The recipe is super simple but it was delicious.  

Blueberry Ice Cream

from Taste of Home

4 cups blueberries

2 cups sugar (or less depending on how sweet your berries are)

2 T water

4 cups half-n-half

Combine the blueberries, water, and sugar in a large saucepan on the stovetop and cook until the sugar is dissolved and the blueberries are softened. Transfer to a food processor or high quality blender and blend until smooth.  An optional step is to strain the mixture to remove the skins.  My Vitamin blender got it pretty smooth, so I didn't do this step.  Refrigerate until cold.  Mix with the half and half and put it in your ice cream maker.

Citrus Blueberry Muffins

Winter is the time for citrus in So. California.  The kumquat trees are dripping with orange fruit and the girls pick more every day.  Today I saw some lemons that had fallen to the ground when I was running so I rescued a couple and then picked a few oranges off our own tree and wanted to make some muffins.  After glancing through my shelf of recipes books, I couldn't find anything like the idea I had in my head so I used an Alton Brown "Old-School Muffin" recipe as the basis for these.  The citrus was subtle but good and the blueberries were a nice addition.  

Instead of using the citrus juice in the recipe, I used the peel of the lemon and orange and put it in the food processor with the sugar until it looked like this: 

I maybe should have pulled them from the oven a couple of minutes sooner but they were delicious!

Citrus Blueberry Muffins

makes 1 dozen

Ingredients:

1 lemon

1 orange

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup plain greek yogurt

1 egg + 1 egg yolk

2 1/4 cup flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup blueberries

Step 1:  Peel the zest of one lemon and one orange with a vegetable peeler (trying not to get too much of the white pith).  Combine with 1/2 cup sugar in a food processor or mini chopper and pulse until well combined.

Step 2:  Put that citrus sugar in a bowl and add vegetable oil, plain greek yogurt, 1 large egg, and 1 egg yolk.  Whisk together until smooth.

Step 3:  In a different bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and baking soda.  

Step 4:  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and stir until just combined (don't overmix).  Add  blueberries.

Step 5:  Put batter into a greased muffin tin (makes 1 dozen) and bake in a 375 degree oven for 18 minutes.  Cool on a wire rack.

 

Appetizer

 Here's a little glimpse of what we've been up to in the last month or so . . . 

Little has lost 3 teeth - she's holding a photo of Big with the same smile

The little girls got bedroom furniture and organized all their stuff

Big got a new surfboard and has been enjoying long days outside

Little's summer goal was "to climb more trees."

And Middle has been enjoying some freedom on her bicycle and roller blades.

We had a chance to go to a friend's house for dinner (so exciting!) and I brought this new appetizer.  I had seen it on Pinterest but it was the first time I'd actually made it and it turned out really yum!

Blueberry Balsamic Goat Cheese Appetizer (6 servings)

1 cup fresh blueberries

2 tsp honey

2 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary

4 oz goat cheese

2 oz cream cheese

Crusty French bread, crackers (for serving)

Add blueberries, honey, salt, and balsamic vinegar to a small saucepan over medium heat.  Cook for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Cool for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, beat the goat cheese and cream cheese together.  Spread the cheese mixture over a plate.  Top the cheese mixture with the cooled blueberry mixture.  Serve the dip with crusty French bread or crackers.

When I bake . . .

Baking is my first cooking love, and it's something I rarely do anymore.  When I bake, I eat what I baked.  And, I don't just try or sample, I keep eating and eating and eating.  So, usually I bake for a special occasion when I'm taking it to someone else's house or entertaining.  A few weeks ago we had a rare weekend with no real plans and I was in a baking mood.  I took a recipe from the Emily Bites blog and made a few changes to use some Meyer lemons we had that were ripe and some blueberries in the refrigerator.  They were delicious!  And, with the exception of 3 of them, I think I ate them all.

They look like muffins but you have to think about them like baked oatmeal because that's really the consistency.  If you use GF oats, they are gluten free.   If you do Weight Watchers, they are 2 points apiece under the new plan.

Lemon Blueberry Oatmeal Singles (makes 12)
adapted from Emily Bites

2 c. old fashioned rolled oats
1/3 c. packed brown sugar
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1 egg white
1/2 c. unsweetened almond milk
3/4 c. plain fat free Greek yogurt
2 T freshly squeezed lemon juice (I used Meyer lemons)
zest of one large lemon
1 cup blueberries

Preheat oven 350.  Lightly spray a muffin tin with cookie spray.

Whisk together the egg white, egg, almond milk, yogurt, lemon juice and zest in a large bowl.  Add the dry ingredients and stir until blended together.  Stir in the blueberries.  Spoon the mixture evenly between 12 muffin cups.  Bake for 20 minutes or until the oatmeal is lightly browned and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.