Roasted Fig & Brown Butter Caramel Ice Cream

Around here, there's always that state of limbo as the season changes from Summer to Fall. Labor Day weekend has come and gone. All of the kids are back in school. Yet, it's still 90-100 degrees outside, not a single cloud in sight, and my car can still turn into an oven if left under the sun for a mere few minutes...We're all stuck, waiting around, "So, Summer's over...when's Autumn supposed to get here exactly?"

That's where this recipe comes in handy. For the "Fall" days (sarcastic air quotes, do 'em with me now) that are still too warm to enjoy things like pumpkin spice lattes while wrapped in your favorite scarf...You can have Roasted Fig & Brown Butter Caramel Ice Cream!

Disneyland: California Adventure

Today, I'm wrapping up my Disneyland trip reports.  It would've been a very sad Sunday indeed, but I think I've got a pretty good finale! This one is all about California Adventure!

In past years, my interest in this park was at a bare minimum. It didn't quite invoke the same nostalgia or charm that Disneyland could, and many of its colorful shops and eateries were just downright confusing...or...*gasp* tacky. (Again, I ask, who remembers Pizza Oom Mow Mow? Or, better yet, the Soap Opera Bistro?!) My family and I have been able to literally circle our favorites on a map and focus on what worked for us, completely bypassing sections of the park. Half of a day, tops, is all we would need to get our fill of California Adventure.

The theme park's massive billion-dollar expansion, though, truly changed all of that. Dating back to 2007, renovations included the Toy Story Mania ride, re-theming of certain attractions, the Little Mermaid ride, and the innovative World of Color show. The makeover finally culminated in June 2012, with the opening of Buena Vista Street and the highly anticipated Cars Land.

Blueberry Sherbet (& Sparkling Wine Floats!!!)

Remember what I said about how, at some point, we're all guilty of buying a ton more berries than we probably should have?

It happened to me again.

This morning, I was staring down at a whole flat of blueberries and wondering what I could turn them into. A recipe for Cherry Sherbet from The Pioneer Woman popped into my head almost immediately. (Hi, Ree Drummond, I could watch your show for hourssssss.) The sherbet recipe was perfect for using up the Summer's bounty of sweet cherries, but blueberries are also at their ripest and sweetest right now and can make an equally scrumptious dessert!

Nectarines, Plums, & Ice Cream! Oh my!

Yesterday, we had another beautiful, 75 degrees-and-clear-sunny-sky morning. I love to have fresh fruit in the morning, with just a cup of coffee. It's my favorite kind of breakfast when the weather is warm like this. With a half-empty fruit bowl, however, I decided to make my way to the farmers market and restock.

There was already a nice-sized crowd by 9 am, live music echoing throughout the lot, and the welcoming smell of freshly popped kettle corn filling the air. Once I resisted that toasty, buttery aroma though, I could finally catch a whiff of the strawberries and the peaches...the cherries and the nectarines...Mmm. Just what I was looking for...Baskets and crates were filled to the brim with gorgeous Summer fruit. I wanted to load up my car and take all of it home!

Macadamia Nut Ice Cream ( & How to Make Raw Macadamia Nut Milk!)

Vanilla with chopped macadamia nuts? Not exactly. White chocolate and macadamia nut cookie dough? Hmm. Maybe some other time. 

I've been looking for a Macadamia Nut Ice Cream recipe for awhile, and those flavors that I just mentioned were all that I could really find. What I want, though, is macadamia nut infused ice cream. Rich, buttery flavor, but smooth texture. No bits and pieces or chunks.

That's how I finally came across raw macadamia nut milk. Once I carefully revised my search keywords, I was linked to plenty of vegan and special-diet blogs. It was interesting to read about so many different kinds of nut milks...Cashew, hazelnut, and even pistachio! (This practice of turning nuts into milk is hardly new, but I've never had a need to make any myself.) Since I recently took a liking to almond milk, I was feeling adventurous. I thought, "THIS! I can make my own nut milk, and turn it into ice cream!"

Chocolate Chip Cookie & Ice Cream Cake (Happy Birthday, Jacquelyn!)

While everyone was busy getting ready for their Memorial Day barbeques and graduation parties, I was busy also figuring out what kind of birthday cake to make. Jacquelyn celebrated her 3rd birthday on the 24th! This little lady has already appeared a few times on the blog...getting ice cream-wasted at Disneyland, proving her status as a farmers market veteran, and even serving as the inspiration for my Strawberry-Kiwi Shortcakes...I thought that it was only right that she had something special to dig into for her big day!

Last year, her Lemon-Raspberry Cake was inspired by the beautiful, pink hydrangeas starting to bloom in the garden. (SO HANDY, those Buster Posey cups are...) I was definitely motivated to top last year's creation, so there were two things taken into consideration: Jacquelyn's love for ice cream and Jacquelyn's love for chocolate. My sister was the one who suggested that I make an ice cream cake. The only thing was...I'd never made an ice cream cake before. But I'm never one to shy away from a challenge or experiment!

Hawaiian Sea Salt & Palm Sugar Caramel Ice Cream

I'm so excited to share this ice cream recipe with you all! I experimented with palm sugar and red Hawaiian sea salt to make one of the best ice cream flavors ever...

Hawaiian Sea Salt & Palm Sugar Caramel Ice Cream.

It's a mouthful to say, but trust me, it's one heck of a mouthful to eat. I usually have the same problem with a lot of the caramel ice creams that are out there. After a few bites, they become cloyingly sweet and I'm done. This recipe, though, creates a rich, silky caramel that isn't too harsh or cloying on the palate. The delicate palm sugar and mellow Hawaiian sea salt really work. I could probably eat an entire pint all by myself. In one sitting.

For those days when you want to indulge in a creamy, luscious dessert, imagine being able to open up your freezer and grabbing a pint of this stuff. Long day at work, hard time at school, munchies while watching TV? Those are all perfect times to reach for the good stuff.