Cherry Almond Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream

 I am not a huge fan of ice cream. I know that statement can be a bit controversial, but for the most part I can take it or leave it. One evening, after coming in from watering the potted vegetable plants at 9 PM when the temperature was still 92° outside, I thought a bowl of ice cream sounded pretty good. I set to work making this recipe so that by the next evening it would be ready. Despite the multiple steps, this is really very simple to do. Get your cherries going while you’re candying your almonds so that they can both be cooling at the same time. Then whip up the remaining ingredients, fold everything together, and turn it into a loaf pan to freeze. It is SO good!

Cherry Almond Crunch No-Churn Ice Cream

Slightly adapted from surlatable.com

 Ice Cream Ingredients

2 c. heavy cream

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

1 T. pure vanilla extract

Almond Crunch

1¼ c. silvered almonds

2 T. unsalted butter

7 T. sugar

Cherry Puree

2 c. Melissa's bing cherries, pitted

1 t. fresh lemon juice

½ c. sugar

In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan mix together the almonds, sugar, and butter together. Heat over medium high heat until butter and sugar are completely melted, and almonds are well coated, stirring occasionally to prevent burning, 2-3 minutes. Spread the almonds onto parchment paper, breaking apart as you do, and allow to cool. 

In a medium sauce pan mix together cherries, lemon juice, and sugar. Cook over medium heat until cherries reduce by half. Allow to cool completely. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the whipped cream, sweetened condensed milk, and vanilla extract until still peaks form. Gently fold in cooled cherries and almonds until fully incorporated. Pour the ice cream batter into a freezer safe container. (I used a 9” x 5” loaf pan)

Top the ice cream with any additional almonds or cherries. Freeze for at least 5-6 hours but overnight is best.

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This little piggy

When my grandson was over the other day, he stood in the kitchen, looked around and asked, “Why the piggies, grandma?”

“Piggies? ” I asked.

"They're everywhere," he observed.

They are? I thought to myself as I stood next to him, and looked around. Huh. I guess they are.

I never set out to collect pigs. I'm not even sure how this happened to tell you the truth, but it would appear that I have a bit of a pig collection, and because some of you inquired about the wooden pig bowls from my Baker's Rack Redo post, I thought a porcine post was in order.

The two wooden pig bowls that you all liked so much were the first pigs in my collection. I bought them while we were living in Austin and working at the Harry Ransom Library at the University. Because we were always cooped up in the library all week, on weekends we'd explore the area. I spotted these pigs in a local gift shop that was going out of business and closing down the next day. Few things were left except for this pair. I loved them and was happy to not only have them, but at a drastically reduced price.

The next pig I acquired was this watering can. It was a no occasion gift from my husband. He found it, interestingly enough, in a little newly opened gift and antique store in Ferguson, MO. During the rioting a couple of years ago I'm sad to say that this shop was torched and burned down.

I spotted this pig rug at Garden Ridge while we were shopping for a doormat and came home with it (but no door mat, as it turned out). 

This cutting board is from Pottery Barn. We serve a lot of cheese and antipasto plates, so I'm always looking for new boards and trays to use for this purpose. This one was different from the others that I had, so it was a nice addition.

I sneaked this sign from Decor Steals into a rather boring spot over the cabinets while my husband was visiting family in New Jersey. Men being men, he didn't notice it until about six months later.

These colorful pig bowls made me smile. They are from two sources. The large one is from the now defunct Napa Style catalog (I dearly miss that catalog.), the smaller one is from World Market. I like the cheery colors, and these are perfect for storing potatoes, onions, shallots, and garlic so it is close at hand.

This napkin holder is a real favorite. I got it last year as I recall and from either Pottery Barn or Sur la Table.

No one was more surprised than I to learn that I have a pig collection.  Now that I'm aware that I do, I'm on the hunt for more!

This post is linked to: Dishing It & Digging It, Over the Moon, Silver Pennies Sunday, Merry Monday, Art of Homemaking, Amaze Me Monday, Busy Mondays, Inspiration Monday, Cooking & Crafting with J&J, Make It Pretty Monday, Inspire Me Tuesday, Tuesdays At Our Home, Two Cup Tuesday, Celebrate Your Story, Tutorials and Tips Tuesday, Homemaking Party Tuesday, Wow Us Wednesday, Work It Wednesday, Wine’d Down Wednesday, Wake up Wednesday, Coffee and Conversation, Share Your Style, The DIY Collective, Thursday Favorite Things, Tablescape Thursday, and Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Asian Lily-Inspired Tablescape

I want to thank everyone for your prayers and lovely comments during what has proven to be one of the most difficult times of my life.

I cannot tell you how consoling it was to hear such encouraging words from so many of you. As you can imagine, I haven't done much cooking during the past couple of weeks, but I did set many a table.

It probably sounds odd, but while I was caring for Mr. O-P here at home during those last days, I felt completely helpless. I tried to keep the house quiet and calm, but needed something pleasant to occupy my mind, as well as something peaceful, calming, and pretty to look at to remind me that life is indeed beautiful, and it does go on.

I bought a bouquet of Asian lilies while at the market one day. I love the light fragrance they emit, something I would breathe in throughout the day. This simple act of deeply inhaling their sweet fragrance was, itself, quite calming. The lilies inspired this very simple, serene table setting.

I wanted it to be neutral and white to give the impression of peace.

The Asian glassware I’d painted nearly six years ago for an anniversary party that I had given for my parents. I kept telling myself that I needed to donate these to Savers, thinking I would never use them again, but something prevented me from doing so and now find I use them when I serve Chinese food, as well as with this table.

It is my first table in a series of them that you will see in the upcoming weeks. In looking at the photos of them all, I can gradually see myself working toward recovery.

Placemats – Pier One

Soup Bowls – Sur la Table

Coffee Set – Pottery Barn

Flatware – My mother’s picnicware

This post is linked to:

Silver Pennies Sunday
Merry Monday

Art of Homemaking

Amaze Me Monday

Busy Mondays

Inspiration Monday

Metamorphosis Monday 

Make It Pretty Monday

Inspire Me Tuesday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Two Cup Tuesday
Tutorials and Tips Tuesday

Homemaking Party Tuesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

Wine’d Down Wednesday

Wake up Wednesday

Create It Thursday

The DIY Collective
Thursday Favorite Things

Foodie Friday & Everything Else

Valentine Breakfast Tablesetting

  Yesterday I gave you six ideas for making some delicious breakfast or brunch dishes. Today I am showing you a simple but lovely table setting that you can effortlessly create to serve your delicious breakfast treats.

 Not all tables have to be over-the-top fancy and loaded with eye candy. Those tables are fun, don't get me wrong, but when I have the first meal of the day, I like to enjoy it in peace and quiet, sipping espresso and nibbling a croissant, while watching the birds at the feeder and listening to the rustle of the morning paper behind which Mr. O-P is huddled and happily engrossed.

  I chose a simple black and white color scheme with a shock or two of red, one in the Sur La Table Italian ceramic napkin holder (the napkins belonged to my mother), and the other in the Fiestaware pitcher full of white Alstromeria.

 

 The white plates were bought years ago for 50 cents apiece at Old Time Pottery.  That was one of the best investments that I ever made.  The white cups and saucers are from Amazon.  The white bowls and condiment set are from the Pottery Barn Great White Collection.

 The whimsical plastic flatware is from a picnic basket set that we got as a wedding gift (20 years ago) from Crate & Barrel.

 

 The little black polka dotted under plate is from 222 Fifth and yet another great investment as I seriously use these plates everywhere, here and here for example. No one has an inkling that they are Christmas plates.

 The glassware is my favorite La Rochere.

 

This post is linked to:

Table It Monday

Tuesdays At Our Home

Before and After Wednesday

Open House Party

Centerpiece Wednesday

Wow Us Wednesday
Work It Wednesday

What’s It Wednesday

Clever Chicks Blog Hop

Thursday Favorite Things

Tablescape Thursday

Create It Thursday

Home and Garden Thursday

Show and Tell Friday 

Friday Unfolded
Fridays Flash Blog
Simple and Sweet Fridays

What To Do Weekend 
The Weekend re-Treat

Feathered Nest Friday

The Weekend Social

Nobody here but us chickens!

It’s always difficult, I think, to come up with an attractive table setting after all of the splash and glitter of the tables set during the holiday season.  It seems there is just one holiday after another once October hits, and then after Valentine’s Day it’s a bit of a letdown until St. Pat’s and Easter.

 This table was inspired by a piece of scrapbook paper that I couldn’t resist during a recent trip to Michael’s.  I think I envisioned cutting a chicken silhouette out of the paper and centering it on a complementary piece of cardstock, but then I figured, who’d see it once a plate was set down?  So I pulled out my glass squares that I first used here and put the paper beneath them.

 Thanks to other bloggers for the brilliant idea of using rugs, throws, matelassés, quilts, and afghans as table coverings, I pulled the afghan off of the couch and placed it diagonally on the table.  It didn’t cover completely, but I liked the look and, really, isn’t it just so much fun perplexing men with this sort of thing?

 Then I started looking for some chicken theme items and came up with this.  It’s quite cozy on dreary winter days.

This post is linked to:

Let’s Dish!

Tabletop Tuesday

Tutorials Tips and Tidbits

Wow Us Wednesdays

Tablescape Thursday

Be Inspired Friday

Seasonal Sundays