strawberry yumminess

this is my favorite way to eat strawberries - dip them in a little sour cream, then in a little brown sugar. it sounds a little weird, and i was sceptical the first time i tried it, but really, it's sublime.

honey ice cream with almond nougatine

after our trip to the shore, there was about 5 lbs of leftover honey. what to do with all this honey? i asked myself. i had been wanting to try the new haagen daz honey ice creams, so i decided to try my own. and what i especially loved about it was that after a day in the freezer, it didn't harden up like a rock, but stays creamy and scoopable.

this is a super simple recipe and would taste even better with an aromatic honey like heather, chestnut or eucalyptus.

i had never made almond nougatine before, but it is sooo easy and would make a great topping for not only ice cream, but cakes or even a little tasty crunch in a salad. i put 3/4 of it mixed in the ice cream, and saved the rest to sprinkle on top.

honey ice cream

2 vanilla beans

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup whole milk

1/2 cup honey

flatten vanilla beans and cut them in half lengthwise. with a small spoon, scrape out the seeds. put seed and pods in a large saucepan and add the cream, milk, and honey. stir to dissolve the honey. heat over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, just until tiny bubbles form around the edges of the pan, 4 to 5 minutes. remove from the heat and steep, covered, for 1 hour. cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. strain over a fine mesh strainer and transfer into an ice cream maker and freeze according the manufacturer's directions. add crushed nougatine the last minute or so of freezing.

almond nougatine

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup water

1 tsp vinegar

1 cup slivered almonds

grease a jellyroll pan and set aside.

in a small saucepan over med-high heat combine sugar, water and vinegar and stir until sugar is dissolved. cook, without stirring, until the mixture is the color of caramel. this may take up to 10 minutes. as it starts to color, watch it closely as it will get darker very quickly. when it is golden, remove from heat and stir in almonds. pour mixture onto the greased sheet pan and using a silicone scraper, smooth out into a thin layer - the nougatine hardens quickly, so you have to move fast! let it cool completely, then you can break it up into large pieces with your hands, or put it in a plastic bag and hit it with a rolling pin until it the size you want it.

Breakfast Indulgence

Oakley wanted chocolate chip waffles for breakfast, so I made these and put TJs Raspberry jam on them (for me, of course, not the kids). These tasted like a decadent dessert (and I am not a huge fan of fruit and chocolate but this is a great combination)...YUM. You don't have to feel bad because they are even made with half whole wheat. Oakley even gobbled up 1 1/2 waffles--amazing for him.

Chocolate Chip Waffles

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 cup white flour

1 TSB baking powder

dash of salt

a few dashes cinnamon

1 3/4 or 2 cups milk (depending on how thin you like your batter)

1/4 cup canola oil

2 egg whites, whipped until stiff

1/2 - 1 cup chocolate chips (depending on how chocolatey you want it)

Mix all dry ingredients. Stir in milk and oil. Fold in egg whites and chocolate chips. Cook according to waffle maker instructions. For best results top with good quality raspberry jam (like TJs).