Food and Fiber Friday - Ice Cream and Cinnamon Rolls

I have an ice cream machine again!

Why am I so excited?

For one, I love ice cream. Secondly, I grew up with every Sunday during the summer, we would make ice cream after church. So it's a happy childhood memory. 

I did own one of those ice cream machines which made a quart and you used a 'bowl' which was kept in the freezer until you needed it. 

A quart, I have discovered, is a nice amount for weekly or bi-weekly ice cream making, especially if I give some away. Plus with this type of machine I don't have to worry about having rock salt or ice on hand. It's all neat and compact.

But the machine I had was consumed by 'The Fire' and I just haven't wanted to (or remembered to when I had the $$ on hand) spend a lot of money on a decent machine.

So...

I stopped by Goodwill last Sunday on a whim on my way home from Texter's house. And there, shining on the shelf, was a box with a Cuisinart Ice Cream Machine!

Normally, this type of machine would be a $70 chunk out of my wallet. I poked around inside the box, and if it had ever been used, it was only used a time or two. The power cord was still tied up! And, best yet, it was only $10. Needless to say, it was plucked off the shelf and into my cart in a flash.

On the way home I was thinking 'Butter Pecan', but then I switched in over to one of my favorite Ben & Jerry flavors - Cannoli. 

I had everything I needed except for the whipping cream, mascarpone,  and ricotta. Oh, and the sugar cones needed to simulate the cannoli cone. A quick run to the grocery store and I was happily making my first batch of ice cream in a long time.

How did it turn out?

Well...

I took a container to Savvy at work, with a couple of extra cones. She ate two cones worth while on her conference call. Luckily, she restrained herself and shared with a co-worker.

Next week is Butter Pecan (this time I do have everything already). But I really, really, really want to get my hands on my own copy of The Perfect Scoop by David Lebovitz. Anyone feel free to send it to me...Mother's Day is just a few weeks away!

Then Wednesday morning, since it was so rainy and cool, I decided I needed to make something for breakfast using a can of crescent rolls I had on hand. Actually, I had 3 cans on hand because I bought a box of them at Costco to share with Texter.

Through the power of google, I looked up a couple of recipes, compared them and went on my merry way creating raisin pecan cinnamon rolls. And yes, I did eat all three in one sitting. 

A ham and cheese croissant will probably be in the works by the time this is out. But for a rainy day like Wednesday was, it was a batch of creamy potato soup for lunch/dinner.

And the fiber portion?

I am getting close to finishing up the stitching on a piece, then I will have 2 pieces where I just need to add beads. But that will (hopefully) be for next week.