Homemade Coconut Ice Cream For the Win!

I prefer to make my own ice cream because I then have total control over the ingredients. The following came from a friend. It is a combination of recipes from the Ben & Jerry's book, and some coconut milk recipes online. It's delicious, and it keeps the sugar and artificials out while keeping the flavor and the texture you know you love!

2 eggs
2 cans organic coconut milk (a little over 3 cups)
2/3 cup cocoa powder
6 Tbs. agave nectar **
1 Tbs. vanilla extract

Beat the eggs until fluffy. Add a little coconut milk and the cocoa powder and beat until the cocoa is completely blended in. Add the rest of the ingredients and beat until thoroughly blended.

I try to remember to put the bowl in the freezer for at least 8 hours and make sure your freezer is at 0 degrees (max) before I put it into the ice cream maker. Very tasty.

**I used to use stevia. You'd have to fiddle around to taste because all stevias are different. I used 'kal' brand and put in about 3 (heaping) tiny scoops (which comes in the container).

TIP: When making ice cream with eggs, heat them with the coconut milk until it coats the back of a spoon and you can draw a line through it. Then add the cocoa and/or whatever else (like raw almond butter) and stevia. Then let it cool in the freezer for 1/2 hour or so, then transfer it to the ice cream maker.

The possibilities to use as ingredients are endless, especially in summer. Fresh strawberries, peaches, blueberries, blackberries, all are packed with antioxidants and nutrients, and they go with the coconut flavor of the ice cream so well.

Homemade Chocolate Candy Recipes - No More Candy Shop

Some people may think that candy is only sold at the candy shop. But that's not the case because you can prepare even tastier candy recipes at home.

Here are 4 candy recipes you can prepare at home:

1. Almond Chocolate Coconut Cookies

Ingredients:

- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups white sugar
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 4 eggs
- 4 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 5 cups semisweet chocolate chips
- 2 cups flaked coconut
- 2 cups chopped almonds

Directions:

- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C).
- Grease cookie sheets.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter, white sugar and brown sugar until smooth.
- Beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the vanilla.
- Combine the flour, baking soda and salt, stir into the creamed mixture until well blended.
- Finally, stir in the chocolate chips, coconut and almonds.
- Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
- Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven.
- Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

2. Almond Coconut Chocolate Cookie Balls

Ingredients:

- 2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate
- 1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 3 cups flaked coconut
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 cup whole almonds

Directions:

- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
- In the top half a double boiler melt the chocolate and condensed milk, stirring frequently.
- Pour the melted chocolate mixture over the coconut.
- Stir in the vanilla and salt. Mix well until the coconut is completely coated.
- Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheet.
- Press one whole almond into the top of each cookie.
- Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 10 to 12 minutes.
- Check at 8 minutes as the bottoms tend to burn easily.
- Remove from oven and cool.

3. Babe Ruth Bars

Ingredients:

- 1 cup peanut butter
- 1 cup white corn syrup
- 1/2 cup packed brown sugar
- 1/2 cup white sugar
- 6 cups cornflakes cereal
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup peanuts

Directions:

- In a large saucepan over medium heat, combine the peanut butter, corn syrup, brown sugar and white sugar.
- Cook stirring occasionally until smooth.
- Remove from heat and quickly mix in the cornflakes, chocolate chips and peanuts until evenly coated.
- Press the entire mixture gently into a buttered 9x13 inch baking dish.
- Allow to cool completely before cutting into bars.

4. Candy Bar Bars

Ingredients:

- 2/3 cup butter
- 1 cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup light corn syrup
- 4 cups quick cooking oats
- 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips
- 2/3 cup crunchy peanut butter

Directions:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Lightly grease a 9" x 13" pan.
- In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter and sugar together.
- Mix in the vanilla, corn syrup and oats.
- Pat this dough into the greased pan. Bake for 15-16 minutes (don't over bake).
- Meanwhile, over low heat melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter.

Allow the cookie base to cool slightly, and then spread the chocolate peanut butter mixture on top.

Cool completely and cut into bars.

Homemade Candy Recipes

Who says you have to wait until the holidays to make or have homemade candy that you love? I don't know about you, but that is a long time to wait for something you look forward to. So I say why wait, who cares, make homemade candy recipes any time you want.

Valentine's Day is another good time to make homemade candy. Instead of going out and buying a box of chocolates. Be creative make some chocolate covered peanut butter balls and decorate a plain brown or white box, white paper doilies and red hearts. Then tie it up with raffia or red ribbon to finish it off. To me that is way more special and meaningful than going out and buying a box, because they thought of it and made it themselves. What a great gift to get from your loved one!!!

How about serving chocolate covered coconut balls at a baby shower. Or what about sugar coated pecans at a bridal shower. Say at a kid's birthday party you make rock candy. Make your own peppermint, cinnamon, and other flavored hard candies. This rock candy can be made on a cookie sheet and then once cooled and hardened, broken into small pieces. You can even use a candy mold and make them into suckers. Isn't that a great idea for a theme birthday party!

You can make your holiday memories making candy with your kids any time you want. If you do have that special time that you want to keep with them for the holidays then make sure you keep that tradition going. That will always be a special time that you will remember together!

Homemade Coconut Cake

Coconut icing with coconut filling, also with real flowers on top.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbuX2EROvUE&hl=en

New Zealand Recipes and Cuisine

New Zealand gets its cuisine from two many sources: British cuisine, introduced by settlers from the United Kingdom, and the traditional cuisine of the indigenous Maori people. Additionally, in recent years, as travel overseas has become more widely available, New Zealand has also gradually began to introduce influences from French cuisine, Italian cuisine, as well as Asian recipes.

Some popular dishes in New Zealand include:

- Colonial goose - A roast leg of lamb, deboned, stuffed with honey and dried apricots, and marinated in red wine. This recipe was developed by the early colonial pioneers of New Zealand, who wanted to emulate the taste of goose, but had to make do with sheep.

- Fish and chips - Like British fish and chips, this dish consists of deep-fried fish in batter or breadcrumbs, served with fried potatoes.

- Meat pies

- Roast lamb

- Lamingtons - Cubes of sponge cake, covered with chocolate icing and dessicated coconut. The cubes may be sliced in half, and a layer of cream or strawberry jam spread between the halves.

- ANZAC biscuits - New Zealanders claim to have invented this dish, but the dish is also claimed by Australia. ANZAC biscuts are made from rolled oats, coconut and syrup. According to legend, they were first prepared for the ANZAC troops sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in World War I, the recipe being specifically designed so as to produce a biscuit that would preserve well.

- Pavlova - A meringue with a crispy exterior, but light and fluffy on the inside. As with ANZAC biscuits, both Australia and New Zealand claim to have invented the dish.

- Hokey pokey ice cream - Vanilla ice cream containing small lumps of toffee.