July's Favorite Flavor

What's so great about July?

It's Ice Cream Month!

I can't think of a better way to transition from celebrating 

all things dairy during  June Dairy Month to enjoying

 a variety of  very dairy ice cream flavors.

According to  The History of Ice Cream 

by the International Dairy Foods Association,

 "the first official account of ice cream in America comes from a letter 

written in 1744 by a guest of Maryland Governor William Bladen. 

Manufacturing of ice cream became an industry in 1851 by a 

Baltimore milk dealer named Jacob Fussell. Like other American 

industries, ice cream production increased because of technological 

innovations, including steam power , mechanical refrigeration,

the homogenizer, electric power and motors, packing machines, 

and new freezing processes and equipment.

Today's total frozen dairy annual production in the

 United States is more than 1.6 billion gallons."

What's your favorite ice cream  flavor?

Arkansas Cake and Ice Cream

One of the benefits of being a Carrol Electric customer is the free subscription to the cooperative's  monthly   magazine Arkansas Living. Recipes from great Arkansas cooks is one of my favorite magazine features. I love collecting these recipes and will be adding  Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake.  This delicious cake recipe was submitted by Doris Houser of Lockesburg and featured in the March 2017 issue.  Many thanks to Doris for sharing this delicious dessert recipe.


This turned out to be a perfect and quick recipe for an impromptu get together with family and friends.
Of course, you must add that huge dip of vanilla
ice cream  for the perfect topping!





Blueberry Cream Cheese Pound Cake

1 8-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 yellow butter cake mix
1 3-ounce package instant vanilla pudding mix
4 eggs,beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups blueberries,fresh or frozen

Preheat oven 325 degrees F. Lightly spray 9-inch tube or Bundt pan with cooking spray and dust with flour.

Combine cream cheese and oil in medium bowl. Beat with mixer until smooth and creamy. Add cake mix,pudding mix, eggs and vanilla. Beat at medium speed until blended. Fold in berries (batter will be thick).Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 60 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean.  Cool cake in pan on wire rack 20 minutes. Remove cake from pan and cool completely on a wire rack

Topping,optional:
Sprinkle powdered sugar on top or make a glaze using 3/4-cup powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon grape juice (or more for desired consistency).

Ice Cream Month

We enjoy ice cream all year at my house but homemade ice cream is our special summer time treat down on the dairy farm. A bowl of homemade ice cream kicks off   every  July 4th celebration.

If you're a serious ice cream eater, you will  enjoy Candy Bar Ice Cream from the Sassafras Cookbook by  the Junior League of Springfield, Missouri.  It's a fact,there is no bad ice cream! 

Candy Bar Ice Cream

6  2.16-ounce Butterfinger candy bars,frozen

1  3-ounce package vanilla instant pudding mix

1  14 ounce cans sweetened condensed milk

1   tablespoon vanilla

1/2 gallon milk

Crush frozen candy bars into very coarse crumbs. Combine crushed candy bars, pudding mix,condensed milk and vanilla in an ice cream freezer. Add milk to within 1 inch of fill line. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions. Makes 3 quarts.

Here's the scoop on  ways to celebrate Ice Cream Month:

• Enough Ice Cream? by Farmer Bright
• Mint Chocolate Ice Cream by Kimmi’s Dairyland
• Why this Ice Cream Addict has a New Addiction: Ice Cream Sandwiches by New Mexico Milkmaid
• Sprinklers, Fans and Ice Cream in the Barn Modern-day Farm Chick
• Here’s the Scoop on My 5 Favorite Ice Cream Recipes by Eat Farm Love
• Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal a la Mode by New Day Dairy
• Gimme the Jimmies by The Deere Milkmaid
• Ice Cream Month by Spotted Cow Blog
• Oregon Ice Cream by Guernsey Dairy Mama
• In Celebration of Ice Cream by New Moon Farms
• Sadie’s Homemade Ice Cream by Dairy Good Life
• The Best Ice Cream Stand by Raising a Farmer

Peaches and Cream

 We made vanilla ice cream for our 4th of July celebration and topped it with fresh blueberries and strawberries   so I'm now on the look out for some ripe peaches that will be perfect for peach ice cream. Although I don't remember who gave me this peach ice cream  recipe that I found in my recipe collection box , I'm certain  it will be good!

Peach Ice Cream

1 quart very ripe peaches,crushed
Juice of 3 lemons
1 can evaporated milk
3 cups sugar
dash salt
whole milk ( add to fill 1 gallon ice cream freezer)

Mix peaches,lemon juice, evaporated milk, sugar and salt in large bowl; pour into ice cream freezer can.  Add whole milk to fill line of freezer can and freeze according to ice cream freezer directions.

                     
                        There's never a bad time for summer  picnics, puppy dogs or homemade ice cream!

Summer Begins with National Ice Cream Month

Summer has finally arrived in Northwest Arkansas! Although the cows and I don't really enjoy all the heat and humidity, we do like to stand under the shade trees and enjoy the view of the flower bed full of colorful lilies!  

There's only one thing that makes this even better...

                                      thinking about all the ice cream we can enjoy during July!

                             Happy July--National Ice Cream Month!!

Peachy Ice Cream

I haven't found any Arkansas peaches at the local market but thanks to farmers in other states--I've had some really sweet, juicy peaches this week! Flavor rich peaches like these will be perfect in homemade ice cream--a perfect treat for celebrating National Ice Cream Month! 


Fresh Peach Ice Cream

1 quart milk
1 10-ounce package of marshmallows
2 cups sugar
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups Half & Half dairy creamer
3 cups mashed fresh peaches

Combine milk and marshmallows in Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until marshmallows melt; remove from heat. Add sugar and remaining ingredients; mix well. Chill. Pour mixture into freezer container of gallon hand-turned or electric ice cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Pack freezer with additional ice and salt, and let stand for 1 to 2 hours to ripen before serving.

Homemade Memories

 The highlight of any summer family gathering during my childhood  was the experience of making homemade ice cream.  The adults would fight over who would get to lick the paddle once the ice cream was made but we children fought for the right to sit on top of the bucket while the adults turned the crank!

I wouldn't trade the memories I have of hand cranked homemade ice cream but I do enjoy the ease of making ice cream with the  electric freezer Ryan and I received as a joint birthday gift! Since  July is  National Ice Cream Month, I've decided to experiment with a few new recipes for homemade ice cream.  Butter Pecan Ice Cream recipe  is from one of my favorite recipe books-Jim Graham's Farm Family Cookbook for City Folks.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream

1/4 cup butter
2 cups chopped pecans
7 cups milk,divided
1 14-ounce can sweetened condensed milk
2 cups sugar
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 5.1-ounce package of vanilla instant pudding mix
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Melt butter in large, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat. Add pecans. Cook, stirring constantly for 3 minutes, or until lightly browned. Drain and set aside. Combine 1 cup milk, sweetened condensed milk, sugar, and eggs in saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly for 5 minutes, or until mixture coats back of a spoon. Cool. Stir in remaining 6 cups milk, pudding mix, and vanilla. Add pecans; stir well. Pour mixture into freezer container of a 5-quart ice-cream freezer. Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Pack freezer with additional ice and rock salt. Let stand 1 hour before serving. Makes 1 gallon

 

Happy memory making!

Happy Ice Cream Month!

If you're needing an easy cake for the Fourth of July celebration or just want to bring a smile to your family--this chocolate  cake recipe will do the trick!  It's also the perfect way to start celebrating July-National Ice Cream Month when you add that big dip of vanilla ice cream!



Uncle Max's Cake

1 Duncan Hines Classic Yellow Cake Mix
1 3 oz. instant chocolate pudding mix
1 3 oz. instant vanilla pudding mix
1 bag milk chocolate chips
4 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 1/2 cup water

Mix all ingredients together, beat well. Pour into Bundt pan and bake at 350 degrees for 55 minutes.


                                             

                                P.S. This cake is also really good with a cold glass of milk!