Strawberry Rhubarb Crumble Ice Cream

if the spoon fits

I have an embarrassing confession to share with you.

Last weekend I was having an intense Oreo craving, no doubt the product of a Friday night spent looking up “delicious Oreo desserts” on Pinterest. So, the next morning I ventured to the grocery store and bought a nice big pack of Double Stuf, my heart set on homemade cookies n’ cream or some other variation of this favorite frozen treat. But soon, everything fell apart…

The unopened package of Oreos in the cupboard proved too much to handle, and by mid afternoon, I proceeded to eat the ENTIRE package of cookies (to be fair, my better half helped me out – but that’s still a lot of Oreos for two people!)

It all started out innocently enough, as most Oreo binges do. I’ll just have one or two, you tell yourself. One. Or. Two.

Well of course, two turns into…

View original post 752 more words

Clementine Sherbet

if the spoon fits

Growing up, I always loved the name “Clementine.”

I loved it so much, in fact, that sometimes I would daydream about what life might be like had Clementine been my birth name…

Would I be a working professional? Probably not. Obviously, I’d be far too busy sipping peppermint tea on the front porch of the governor’s mansion, wearing a tulle ball gown and reminiscing with my pet elephant, Tangerine (and his best friend, Peter Rabbit).

Fast forward twenty years, and I still love the name Clementine. Although I might not have quite as active an imagination as I did back then, Clementine still reminds me of a few other things that I love:

1)   Kate Winslet’s character in Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind

2)   Clementine’s Victorian Restaurant and Teahouse, located in the cozy town of Olmsted Falls, Ohio. This place has the best tea and cupcakes on the…

View original post 394 more words

Triple Chocolate Donuts

if the spoon fits

Sometimes, you just really need to eat a donut.

Or, if you’re like me, you just really need to eat/bake/smell/admire/take pictures of/blog about/profess love for donuts.

Do you remember a few months ago when I made those baked lemon donuts, and announced my unconditional love for my brand new donut pan?

You might also remember that I made chocolate donuts in addition to the lemon variety, because my gluttonous self just couldn’t decide which recipe to make first (typical).

I’d been saving that chocolate recipe for a rainy day, but then I just sort of…forgot. (I know, I know – how could I forget about donuts?! Shame on me).

Then, a few weeks ago, my girlfriend bought me the cutest and most delicious donuts I’d ever had from a donut shop on the east side called Peace, Love, and Little Donuts. And yes, they were mini donuts. Which not only amps up…

View original post 511 more words

Key Lime Pie Ice Pops

if the spoon fits

You guys!

I’ve missed you.

I took a brief hiatus from Ice Cream Dreamland to focus on some grown-up things, like finishing grad school (yay!), planning a wedding (double yay!) and trying to incorporate more fruits and vegetables into my diet (yuck).

Also… I had a birthday. Hello, 27! It’s nice to meet you.

Although most people don’t consider 27 to be a milestone birthday, I sort of disagree. This year marks my official ascent into the *late* twenties, and that’s a pretty big deal. At 26, you’re still sort of in that “mid” twenties range, where you can still get away with the I-don’t-have-to-be-an-adult-all-the-time thing. But now, I’m a full-fledged grown up.

I’ve got no excuses. It’s time to get to get my ish together, people!

And by ish, clearly I mean popsicles. Because what better way to celebrate entrance into a new age bracket than with a fun summer…

View original post 415 more words

Meyer Lemon Pie Ice Cream

if the spoon fits

For a long time, lemon-flavored desserts fell onto my “Foods You Probably Won’t Appreciate ‘Til You’re Much Older” list, somewhere in between oat bran muffins and roasted beet salads.

A chocoholic all my life, I’ve always had an extreme disinterest, even disdain, for fruit-centric desserts. Pies, tarts, cakes, you name it – if it had fruit in it, I wanted no part of it. Add citrus to the mix, and I was thoroughly disgusted.

Then at some point, things started to change. I’m not really sure when it happened, but the part of my brain that controls dessert began to grow curious about the prospect of lemon. I think it probably had something to do with the fact that my best girlfriend loves all things lemon.

I’m someone who is easily influenced by others in matters of food; even if I order the very best thing on the menu, I always want…

View original post 612 more words

Guinness Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

if the spoon fits

Happy St. Patty’s Day weekend!

I hope you are all having a fabulous time embracing your inner Irishman/woman with plenty of corned beef, whiskey, and artificially green food items.

After a brief stint this week with one of those wretched “cleanse” diets (and by stint I mean approximately 5.5 hours), I decided that I’m a much happier person when I partake in mass amounts of carbs, red meats, and of course, heavy cream.

And what better occasion to welcome fatty foods back into my life than with a little St. Patty’s day feast, complete with some Irish beef stew and for dessert, Guinness infused dark chocolate ice cream?

I know I always claim that I’m not much of a drinker, and it’s true. But oddly enough, it occurred to me this morning that alcohol always manages to find its way into my ice cream. And that’s not necessarily a bad…

View original post 436 more words

Baked Lemon Donuts

if the spoon fits

 

I love donuts.

I always have, and always will. Glazed, cake, cream-filled, or plain – I don’t discriminate. I love them all.

You know what else I love?

Kitchen gadgets.

I have cupboards and cupboards full of kitchen gadgets – mini treat makers, specialty pans, novelty food creators, and both major and minor appliances. Some get a healthy workout (ie my ice cream maker), while others just sort of sit there unhappy and dejected, like an old childhood toy that has been long replaced with something newer and cooler (cake pop maker…I’m talking to you).

This year, I promised myself (and my better half), that I would refrain from adding to the Kitchen Collection Store that is our home, and instead focus on consolidating the piles what we currently have.

Things were going great when one night, my good friend Pinterest showed me something that would jeopardize my newfound…

View original post 816 more words

Dark Chocolate Ice Cream S’mores with Homemade Raspberry Marshmallows

if the spoon fits

Happy Belated Valentine’s Day!

As with most things in life, I’m a little late to the party with this one. I had a Valentine’s Day post all planned out in my mind for months and months (yes, really), but ended up feeling a little under the weather all week. So naturally, any activity other than laying on the couch eating frosting by the spoonful was too much to handle.

(Because eating frosting by the spoonful is generally a great idea when you’re feeling under the weather).

But, if you’ll excuse my lateness, I’d still like to tell you why February 14th is one of my favorite days of the year. And really, it has nothing to do with romance at all.

I’ve always loved Valentine’s Day, even when I was 6 years old and the closest thing to a love letter that I had in my possession was a hot…

View original post 936 more words

Faux Fried Ice Cream Balls with a Trio of Dipping Sauces

if the spoon fits

Happy Super Bowl Sundae!

(See what I did there?)

Today is one of my very favorite days of the year – not so much for the football, but more so for the mounds upon mounds of delicious, deep-fried, cheese-covered finger foods that typically invade American households to help us celebrate the most important sporting event of the season.

Super Bowl Sunday is one of the very best food days that this nation has to offer, second only to Thanksgiving (and maybe Halloween…because who doesn’t love an excuse to eat candy?)

In celebration of this infamous day of gluttony, I wanted to make an ice cream treat that is everything Game Day food should be: hand-held, easy to eat, and over the top delicious.

My first idea? A giant, super bowl-sized sundae decorated to look sporty and football-ish.  I Googled around to see if anything similar already existed and realized very…

View original post 486 more words

Strawberries and Champagne Ice Cream

if the spoon fits

Happy New Year’s Eve! Do you have any special plans tonight?

In our house, we like to lie around, eat cheese, and sip sparkling wine or champagne as we watch other, more adventurous people celebrate on TV. It’s my favorite kind of holiday!

A few days ago, when I started drafting this post, I set out to write something prolific and reflective about the year that has passed. Then, I realized that I was taking myself way too seriously.

Instead of writing some lengthy novel about 2013, why not focus on giving 2014 the very best welcome party that I could muster?

And…what better way to celebrate the arrival of 2014 than with a little strawberries and Champagne?

This ice cream is super easy – just add some Champagne to your favorite strawberry ice cream recipe.  Or, even simpler – purchase storebought strawberry ice cream, layer scoops of ice cream…

View original post 478 more words