Monday, August 9, 2010

2 Winners, A Break, and a Treat


First of all, the winners of the Gumzoobo giveaway are (drum roll, please) Hobby Baker and Scrambled Hen Fruit! Congratulations! Enjoy your game and be sure to tell all your friends how awesome it is!




I knew when summer started that it would be a very short summer. So much going on with kid activities, camps, chores, plus a new baby on the way, that I knew it wouldn't feel relaxing. I was right. And now I'm feeling fall breathing down my neck. Time to start on my school related chores - sorting through books, ordering new ones, trying to get life organized enough so I won't cry myself to sleep the first month of school. And I want a break. I want a vacation.

Right now I'm not inspired to blog. I still bake, I still eat, but my family looks at me strangely because I'm not compulsively taking pictures of everything before I serve it. I've got lots of recipes and photos in the queue, but my brain is strangely silent about them, so my time between posts is getting longer and longer. I think I need to take a break.

Because I don't generate income from my blog, it doesn't really matter if I go away for a while. Perhaps my two loyal readers might suffer withdrawal, but they can always email me. I'm going on a blog vacation. I'll be back in a while, when I feel like it. When blogging sounds fun again. When I'm bursting with new things to share with you. When taking the time to read other blogs is me time, rather than chore time.

So, to tide you over, I'll leave you with an ice cream recipe. It's wonderfully rich, creamy, and delicious. You'll be so busy enjoying the ice cream, you'll hardly notice I'm gone.

Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
- adapted from Taste of Home

Makes about 2 quarts

1-1/2 cups sugar
1-1/2 tbsp all-purpose flour
Pinch salt
4 cups whole milk
4 egg yolks
4 oz. cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1-1/2 cups mashed fresh strawberries


1- In a heavy saucepan combine sugar, flour, and salt. Gradually add milk till smooth. Bring to boil over medium heat. Cook and stir 2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat; cool slightly.

2- In a small bowl whisk the egg yolks. Pour a thin stream of the warm milk into the eggs, whisking constantly. Pour this mixture back into the saucepan and cook over medium heat, whisking constantly. Cook until the mixture coats a spatula.

3- Remove from heat and stir in the cream cheese until melted.

4- In a large bowl combine the vanilla and cream. Place a sieve over the bowl. Pour the custard through the sieve and stir well to combine. Cover the custard and chill overnight in the refrigerator.

5- Stir in the strawberries and freeze in an ice cream freezer according to the manufacturer's directions.

Note: My ice cream maker will only accommodate 1-1/2 quarts, so I poured the leftovers into popsicle molds.

22 comments:

The Cutting Edge of Ordinary said...

Faithful reader here!! I totally understand when you need to take a break, you just need it. Relax, enjoy, eat without photographing! We'll be here when you get back.

Melinda said...

have a relaxing blog break. I've been having one for a very long time and can highly recommend it. Blog when you want to! Xx

Megan said...

I also took a long blog break recently - sometimes posting and being creative just sucks all energy from you.

Enjoy your break!

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

Yeah, been there done that. Blog breaks are much to be enjoyed and not like leg breaks at all.
I won't miss you because I live on your virtual back porch anyways.

MyKitchenInHalfCups said...

... and maybe soon will both have that face talk thing in white ;-)

scrambledhenfruit said...

Thanks so much! The game looks like it will be fun- I know my kids will enjoy it. Enjoy your blog break- take a well deserved rest. It sounds like you've had a busy summer. See ya when you get back!

hobby baker Kelly said...

Thank you! My daughter is already having fun with it. ☺ Enjoy your break and the grand baby!

Valerie Harrison (bellini) said...

I am one of your faithful readers Lynn. Enjoy your "real" time with your family and your new grandbaby:D

Jennifer Jo said...

Have a good blog break. But...it's just a "break," right?

grace said...

i shall miss you and your goodies. this ice cream will clearly hold me over, but not for long. :)

eatme_delicious said...

I can definitely understand the need for a blog break!! Enjoy your time away. I'll miss your posts. :) You definitely left us with a yummy one!

Peabody said...

At least you are still baking, I'm not really even doing that.

Elle said...

Ha! Many will notice you are gone...but you deserve some time away...we all do now and then. Hope you get some time to just sit and snuggle with the baby :) XO Elle

Unknown said...

Have an awesome break, but please, come back soon!! I have phases when I'm burned out too.

Aimée said...

Reader over here! *waves*
Have an awesome break; we'll miss you, but gosh, you deserve some time off.
{{hugs}}

Abby said...

I'm right there with you! And I've taken blogging breaks before. It really helps. Until I need another break. We'll miss you! Now go love on that baby.

görel said...

Take your time, life must always come first. To say nothing about new babies ...

Sara said...

come back soon! well rested and inspired, but soon!

CookiePie said...

I'll miss you!!! But as a working mama who also blogs for "fun," I totally get the need for a break. Wishing you a fun and relaxing time, good health and good times. And I'll look forward to reading more when you come back!! xoxo

Brilynn said...

Cheesecake ice cream is one of my favourites!

I totally understand about blog burnout... I stopped abruptly and didn't feel like blogging for a long time afterwards. My blog was supposed to be fun for me so when it stopped being that, I stopped doing it. I'm working my way back into it right now as I've been inspired by new things.

Glenna said...

Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm....yummy!

Maria said...

Enjoy your break! Love this ice cream!