Big Melons...

are in my garden.

Hubby stuck his hand in the picture so you could see what size the cantaloupes are. This make four ripe melons so far...not bad for a freebie! I cut them in half, scoop out the seeds, then cut slices and trim the rind off...we keep a container of them in the fridge when we get them...good to snack on.

I found a few recipes for homemade ice cream without using an ice cream freezer. It really sounds good and since I don't have an ice cream freezer I'm gonna give it a try.

The general instructions for these recipes say that you should thoroughly whip the cream for as long as each recipe states, otherwise it will be like ice milk. Keep the condensed milk in the fridge so it will be cold when you start.  I don't see why just about anything could be added to this basic recipe, folding it in gently right before you put it in the container.

Condensed Milk Ice Cream: 6 servings

1 cup cold heavy cream

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 can cold sweetened condensed milk (Eagle Brand)

In a mixer, whip heavy cream just until it begins to thicken. Add vanilla and whip until soft peaks form. With mixer running, slowly pour in condensed milk and whip until high peaks form. Transfer into a container or bowl for freezing. Freeze at least four hours or overnight.

Butter Pecan Ice Cream: makes 1 and 3/4 quarts

2 cups cold heavy cream
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups chopped pecans, toasted and cooled
3 Tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. maple extract

Whip cream to stiff peaks in a large bowl. Combine condensed milk, pecans, melted butter and maple extract in a bowl. Blend thoroughly and fold into whipped cream. Pour into a 9 x 5 loaf pan or a 2 quart container, cover and freeze 6 hours or until firm.

Cafe Au Lait Ice Cream: 8 to 10 servings

4 tsp. instant coffe crystals
1/2 cup hot water
2 cups heavy cream
1 can Eagle Brand
1/4 tsp. almond extract
1/2 cup toasted chopped pecans or almonds (optional)

Dissolve instant coffee in water in a large bowl and cool. Add cream, Eagle Brand and almond extract. Beat with a mixer for 7 minutes or until light and fluffy. The mixture will mound but will not hold peaks. Fold in nuts if desired. Spoon into an 8 inch square pan or a 9 x 5 loaf pan, cover with foil and freeze about 4 hours or until firm.

Heavy cream is whipping cream. Don't use frozen whipped topping. When my Dad used to make ice cream (with a hand crank freezer) he always chilled the bowl and beaters before he started whipping cream. The old recipes call for milk or cream to be scalded and cooled...and usually had raw eggs in it. The purposed of the sweetened condensed milk is to take the place of mixing the milk and sugar and heating it.

That ought to be good with some of our berries!

I digress...

frequently. I was looking around my house today and found several things you might like to hear about. I guess you can surmise that frugality is what I am striving for...I don't mean cheap...I mean being cautious with your money and your time.

Our house is a work in progress and we have the back end (bedrooms, bathrooms, coat closet and entry way) nearly done. I have always wanted a pot rack, but I didn't want to pay a small fortune for it. Our neighbor was trying to hone his carpentry skills and built us a permanent bar. Our house is small and a dining table was not very practical. The kind of entertaining we do calls more for buffet and sit where you can find a spot, so a bar was perfect. I wanted this pot rack directly over the bar, as it is the end of the working space I have in the kitchen.

Hobby Lobby had a sale on their garden items, and I went browsing and found this cast iron "door mat" which is meant to be used to scrape your feet when you come in. It was a really pretty dark green antique looking finish and has frogs and reeds in the design. We simply measured, marked for the exact placement, bought heavy duty hooks and put the in the ceiling timbers. Hubby hung about four links of heavy chain on each hook, and another heavy duty S hook attached the chain to the grill. We then got lighter weight S hooks to hang in the grill work and hung our pans from those.

My cost: the grill was on sale for 50% off of $20.00. The hooks were another $5.00 and Hubby had the chain we needed in his shop. $15.00 and a little time. We hung a length of chain from the center of the grill, put S hooks in the chain, and that's where I hang the lids.

We bought bar stools on sale at Bed, Bath & Beyond and had a 20% off coupon from signing up for email notices.  By doing this, we also freed up some much needed cabinet space.

We got our first cantaloupe today...it smells like cantaloupe heaven.

                             

It's a pretty nice size and if it tastes as good as it looks and smells our Mystery Garden was well worth the attention.

Have a great day!

The tomatoes that ate Birch Street

I have been picking tomatoes every day. I have them laid all over my counters, on the bar, and some in the fridge. My kids have tomatoes, our neighbors have tomatoes, and pretty soon we're going to have to open "Tomato City" out on our front lawn.

The big ones I can cope with...the little ones, cherry, plum and grape types, is another story. Our little rogue cherry tomato that came up behing our mailbox has spread out to the yard, and we're getting about two to three cups a day. Our neighbors have a little toddler who loves them, and we've been keeping them supplied until yesterday. Every day we would walk over a bag of cherry tomatoes and she would run up with her arms out and say "MINE, MINE". I make sure they're washed, because they usually don't make it in the house. Yesterday her dad, when asked if they needed more, said "We still have some. You should come over here and change her diapers some time". Hmmm...was that a hint?

They really are very nice and taste great, so Hubby and I are going to freeze them whole and when things slow down, we can run them through the food mill to get the pulp and make ketchup or tomato sauce. Guess I'd better hunt me up a recipe for something. They are too dear to pitch and I will not sit there and let them rot.

We have a cantaloupe that is turning and will be ready soon. It's so dang hot I don't know how anything is making it now. I went out to pick today and we have one of those great big black and yellow garden spiders in one bed. Glad I saw him before I looked him in the eye when I bent over to pick a tomato. That would not have been pretty.

Life is good.