Taste-bud Journey: Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream using Dash Ice Cream Maker

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for making homemade ice cream using my DASH Ice Cream Maker. I was inspired to make this when I knew I was going to be making apple pie and wanted to have ice cream to go with it.

There was a definite learning curve using this churn for the first time. Read my blog to discover what I learned.

 

Recipe - Makes four servings

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup milk
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Please note: In retrospect, if I had known that the DASH Ice Cream Maker only makes 1 cup at a time, with the codicil that one should wait 24 hours before attempting to make the second batch, I would have only made a half or quarter recipe.

Please also note: It is important to leave the ice cream maker in the freezer long enough that the dry ice mixture loaded in the inner workings of the container has time enough to freeze solid. For the first two batches I made, I did not give it a chance to freeze long enough. Thankfully, once I placed my cream mixture in a plastic, freezer-safe pint storage container, the mixture froze into ice cream on its own.

   

Procedure

• Step 1: Place the ice cream maker in the freezer from 1 hour to probably five or six hours. This will give the dry ice mixture that is within the maker's walls time enough to freeze solid. You will know that the maker is ready when you shake it and no longer hear any liquid sloshing around. [FYI - I did not wait long enough for the first two batches. The third batch, however, did turn into soft ice cream.]

• Step 2: In the meantime, in a large 4-cup measuring cup, fill it with 2 cups of heavy whipping cream, 1 cup of milk, and 3/4 cup of granulated sugar. Whisk this together until the sugar is completely dissolved and the mixture is smooth to the taste and not at all grainy.

• Step 3: Once the sugar is totally dissolved, add 1 tablespoon of vanilla extract. Then, continue whisking.

• Step 4: I decided to use my milk-frother to do the whisking for me. I only could do half of the mixture at a time. But I kept doing this and then combining it back together again to make certain that an equivalent amount of sugar and vanilla both halves of the mixture. I ran the milk-frother on its cool setting a few times until the mixture was nicely frothed. Then, I poured all of that mixture into two containers to refrigerate until the ice cream maker was ready.

• Step 5: Once the ice cream maker is ready, pour out 8 ounces (aka 1 cup) of that cream mixture only and pour it into the maker. Place the churn onto the maker, plug it in, and turn it on. The machine will churn your liquid into soft ice cream in about 10 to 15 minutes. [FYI-For my third batch, which was the only batch I waited sufficiently long enough before using, the lid actually starting lifting off as the ice cream was actually forming. That batch transformed into soft ice cream in the container. Then, I spooned it into my pint-size freezer safe plastic containers to solidify more completely in the freezer.]

• Step 6: The instruction manual has the two disclaimers.

1. Disclaimer #1: Only put the maker into the freezer when it is completely dry.
2. Disclaimer #2: Let the maker freeze for 24 hours before making your next batch of ice cream.

• Step 7: My conclusion: Given that one must wait that length of time between batches, it only makes sense to half or quarter the size of the recipe to begin with.

 

Please note: On that third batch, I had to use a spoon to scrape the edges of the inner chamber to dig out some ice cream that had stuck to the wall. What a hardship that was to lick the spoon those few times. LOL! FYI - It was so, so, so tasty! I think this was the first ice cream I have had in about four months. My taste buds ended up doing a 'happy dance' with the yummy flavor of those four ingredients mixed together in just the right way.

 

Photo is blurred, but you can at least see that some ice cream was sticking to the maker's walls that had to be spooned up and eaten. What a hardship that was. LOL!

Please also note: For the fourth and last batch, I decided to try an experiment. I placed it in a glass Mason Jar. I added the lid. Then, I spent quite a bit of time shaking the mixture. I refrigerated the jar for a couple of hours. Then, I shook the container some more. I had to use oven mitts as the jar was so very cold. I even put the container in the freezer for no more than an hour. After reading some articles about Mason Jars exploding in the freezer, I chickened out from continuing that experiment and put the jar back into the refrigerator. Eventually, I put that mixture into a plastic container to continue freezing on its own.

  

Here are two of my blogs that feature the apple pie crust and filling from the photo. Both links will open in a new window.

• Taste-bud Journey: Fried Apples with Bread Cubes Dessert


• Taste-bud Journey: Making a No-Fail Pie Crust for Apple Mini Pie

In case you're interested, these are the links to the 'kitchen toys' I used to make ice cream. These links will open in a new window.

• DASH My Pint Electric Ice Cream Maker Machine for Gelato, Sorbet + Frozen Yogurt with Mixing Spoon & Recipe Book (Organic, Sugar Free, Flavored Healthy Snacks + Dessert for Kids & Adults) 0.4qt - Aqua from Amazon


• Detachable Milk Frother, 4 in 1 Miroco 16.9oz Automatic Stainless Steel Milk Steamer with Hot & Cold Foam Latte, Cappuccino, Macchiato, Warm Milk, Hot Chocolate, Dishwasher Safe, Silent Operation,120V from Amazon


• Freshware Food Storage Containers [50 Set] 8 oz Plastic Deli Containers with Lids, Slime, Soup, Meal Prep Containers | BPA Free | Stackable | Leakproof | Microwave/Dishwasher/Freezer Safe from Amazon


• LINKEASE Leakproof Stainless Steel Food Storage Containers Metal Lunch Box Airtight Canisters with Lids (Set of 2) from Amazon


• Seacoast Wide Mouth Pint Mason Jars with Steel Lids and Bands, 16-Ounces (6-Pack) from Walmart

Cooking Sites that have inspired me:

• Gemma's Bigger Bolding Baking website that includes over 100 great cooking videos.

• All Recipes Website that includes all kinds of sweet and savory recipes.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com

Taste-bud Journey: Fried Apples with Bread Cubes Dessert

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for combining bread cubes and fried apples to make a delicious dessert. To my taste buds, the results tasted like the filling part of a yummy apple pie - minus the crust. This is an extremely easy two-ingredient dessert to make, eat, and enjoy!

 

 

Recipe

• 15 oz. can of Luck's Fried Apples with Cinnamon
• 1 cup of bread cubes

Please note: I bought this can of fried apples on the chance that it might be tasty. In retrospect, I am so grateful that I did. I would definitely buy this again! 

As for the bread cubes, that was bread from the loaf I had made just recently. It was still nice and fresh.

 

Procedure

• Step 1: In a pot on the stove, drain the entire 15 oz. can of Luck's Fried Apples with Cinnamon into the pot.

• Step 2: In a food processor, purée the fried apples. Then, add them into the pot. 

• Step 3: Cook this mixture until it begins to boil, stirring occasionally.

• Step 4: Add the bread cubes to the pot. Stir. Bring the mixture back to a boil.

• Step 5: Then lower the heat to a simmer, add the lid, and allow it to simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.

• Step 6: You can eat this warm or cool; although, I suspect it probably tastes a whole lot better warm.


• Step 7: FYI - I ate about half of the mixture. To my taste buds, it tasted exactly like apple pie filling minus the crust. I then concocted a plan to use my DASH Ice Cream Maker for the first time to make homemade vanilla ice cream. I also began researching the easiest way to make pie crust. See the next two day's worth of blogs for the tasty results. LOL!

Here are the two blogs that will both open in a new window.

• Taste-bud Journey: Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream using Dash Ice Cream Maker


• Taste-bud Journey: Making a No-Fail Pie Crust for Apple Mini Pie

Cooking Sites that have inspired me:

• Gemma's Bigger Bolding Baking website that includes over 100 great cooking videos.

• All Recipes Website that includes all kinds of sweet and savory recipes.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com

Taste-bud Journey: Tuna & Veggie Pasta with Cauliflower Hummus

During the pandemic, I am taking taste-bud journeys as I self-isolate rather than physical journeys. Here is my adapted recipe for Tuna & Veggie Pasta with Cauliflower Hummus. It was inspired by the desire to have some kind of pasta dish that features hummus. That way, I could have a unique and flavorful way to use up some of the Cauliflower Hummus I had made the previous day. Googling for suggestions, I found a recipe for Hummus Pasta from Alena Menko's website. As per usual, I made a few changes for what I ultimately made.

Conclusions: I found this to be surprisingly good. As I ate what I made, I was quite grateful that I had another full serving that I would be able to eat the following day. This is a recipe that I will definitely make again, in the future.

 

Recipe

• 8 ounces of Garden Rotini

• 1 tbsp Olive Oil for cooking veggies in pot on stove
• 1 cup of cut-up Bell Pepper

• 1 serving of Yellow Squash
• 1 serving of French Green Beans
• 1 can of tuna in olive oil (Use the olive oil from the can to help the veggies in the pot cook more fully without burning.)

• 1/2 cup (or more) of Cauliflower Hummus
• 2 tbsp onion flakes
• Salt and Pepper to taste

Please note: See this blog for the recipe I used to make Cauliflower Hummus.

Taste-bud Journey: Steamed Cauliflower Hummus

 

Please also note: I intended to use the rehydrated green beans and yellow squash that was originally dehydrated while covered with whole wheat flour, lots of onion flakes, and sea salt. So, since those two veggies already had onion and salt 'galore' in them, I did not intend to add any additional seasonings to the above recipe. I also used the liquid that I drained from the rehydrating green beans and yellow squash as the water that I used to microwave the pasta - using my 'kitchen toy' called FASTA PASTA. Once I drained the cooked pasta, I also ended up using about 1/2 cup of that 'pasta water' to stir in to the cooking pot to add a little extra flavor and creaminess to the recipe. For full details of the rehydration process, please read the blog from the previous day. 

Please note: See this blog for the details of how to rehydrate something that has been dehydrated.

Taste-bud Journey: Rehydrating Green Beans and Yellow Squash

Procedure

• Step 1: Place pasta in pasta maker (aka FASTA PASTA) along with appropriate amount of water and microwave for 8 minutes. Please note that you don't want to overcook the pasta since you will cook it a bit more in the veggie pot later.

• Step 2: In the meantime, pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large pot on stove. Add bell pepper, and squash. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt. Add the olive oil from the tuna can during this process to help keep the veggies from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

• Step 3: Add tuna and green beans to pot. Cook an additional 2 to 3 minutes.

• Step 4: Stir in Cauliflower Hummus. If needed, use some of the pasta water if the mixture is not the smooth, creamy consistency you desire. I ended up using probably 1/2 cup of that mixture.


• Step 5: Finally, add the cooked Garden Rotini. Stirring occasionally, cook the mixture for an additional minute.

• Step 6: Then, plate and serve. This will make two full servings.

In case you're interested, this is the pasta maker I purchased from Amazon. It is not a time-saver as it still takes just as long to heat in the microwave as it does on the stove. The only labor-saver is that you don't have to use a separate collander to drain your paste. Instead, the lid has a drainer on one end of it that you utilize instead. So at least, there is one less dish to wash. This link will open in a new window.

Microwave Pasta Cooker - The Original Fasta Pasta (Red) - No Mess, Sticking or Waiting for Boil - Container, Lid & Strainer All In One

Recipe Source: This is the recipe I used as my reference for making the above meal. Her recipe called for lemon juice and garlic. Since there were already those two ingredients in the hummus, I did not bother to add either one to what I was cooking. Her recipe also called for spinach. I decided to use green beans, instead. This link will open in a new window.

Creamy Hummus Pasta recipe by Alena Menko

Cooking Sites that have inspired me:

• Gemma's Bigger Bolding Baking website that includes over 100 great cooking videos.

• All Recipes Website that includes all kinds of sweet and savory recipes.

Books written by Debbie Dunn:

Here is the Amazon Link to all anti-bullying curriculum books plus all children’s books written by Debbie Dunn (both paperback and Kindle). It will open up in a new window.

• Author’s Page on Amazon.com