Caramelized Banana Ice Cream

Bananas, caramelized with some brown sugar, and then churned into ice cream with cashew milk. Feel free to substitute cream or milk for even more yumminess!

Instant Flour Mix (DIY Bisquick)

Don't we all like some surprise baked goodies? Well, having some instant flour mix around certainly makes spontaneous baking much faster and cleanup easier, and thus, more likely to occur! :) However, you'll find yourself using this DIY Bisquick for much more than just baking. You can make pancakes, waffles, and who knows what else! Plus, you have total control over what goes into the mix. Want whole wheat and butter? You got it! White flour and shortening? No problem!

Not sure where to start? Try these biscuits (Cranberry Brie, Cinnamon Cranberry, Garlicky Cheddar), flatbreads (basic, cheesy), breadsticks (Cheesy Peppered, Cheesy Garlic) or even pancakes!

What are you making with your DIY Bisquick?

Instant Flour Mix (DIY Bisquick)

by CJ Huang

Make this instant flour mix (aka DIY Bisquick) and you'll always be ready for some quick flatbreads, breadsticks, pancakes, or biscuits!

Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 15 minutes
Yield: 10-12 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		8 cups		flour	I usually use half white and half wheat.
94 grams	3.25 ounces	1.25 cups		milk powder	I used enough milk powder to make 4 cups of milk.
41 grams	3.125 ounces	1/4 cup		baking powder
454 grams	1 pound	2 cups		butter	Or shortening, but butter tastes better :P

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Cut butter into flour. A food processor makes the process a bit faster. You may want to work in multiple small batches depending on the size of your food processor.
	3. Mix all materials together until homogeneous.

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Inspire Me Monday, Artsy Fartsy Party,  BFF Open House, Saturday Sparks, Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Traffic Jam, What's for Dinner?, Hearth and Soul, Over the Moon, Inspire Me Monday, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Party in Your PJs, Wonderful Wednesday

Pecan Chia Pudding

I wanted to try out some chia pudding, and we also had some cashew milk I wanted to use up, so I decided to make a chia pudding with cashew milk. We also had some pecans around, and I do like Pecan Pie, so why not make something similar? Sounds like a good idea to me! Just mix together most of the ingredients, place the mixture into your serving container, and spoon some of the sweet pecan mixture on top. We refrigerated and enjoyed these pecan pie chia puddings the next day to really let the chia seeds hydrate. Enjoy!

Do you prefer dairy milk or nut milks?

Pecan Chia Pudding

by CJ Huang

A lightly sweetened chia pudding with a sticky pecan topping - perfect as a dessert and healthy enough for breakfast!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 10 minutes + hydrating time
Yield: 4 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
220 grams	7.75 ounces	1 cup		cashew milk
47 grams	1.625 ounces	1/4 cup		chia seeds
		4 tablespoons		maple syrup
		1 teaspoon		cinnamon
		1 teaspoon		vanilla extract
52 grams	1.75 ounces	3/8 cup		pecans, chopped

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Stir together cashew milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and 2 tablespoons maple syrup.
	3. Stir in chia seeds.
	4. Coat chopped pecans with remaining maple syrup.
	5. Transfer chia mixture into serving containers and spoon (or fork if you're like me and don't want to wash another spoon) pecan mixture on top. Serve, or refrigerate to allow chia seeds to more fully hydrate.

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, BFF Open House, Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Traffic Jam, Saturday Sparks, Hearth and Soul, What's for Dinner?, Over the Moon, Farm Fresh Tuesday, Your Whims Wednesday, Wine'd Down Wednesday, Homestead Blog Hop, Party in Your PJs

Basic Pizza Crust

We had a hankering for pizza and some extra time, so I figured I could go ahead and make a basic pizza crust. I like this pizza crust even though it is so simple and straightforward (or should I say, because it's so simple and straightforward)! Since this is a basic pizza crust, it goes well with just about any pizza, and you can easily customize it when you're making your pizza. Since it does take a while to make the crust, I sometimes like to make enough for a few crusts and then freeze for later.

What's your favorite kind of pizza?

Basic Pizza Crust

by CJ Huang

A basic pizza crust made from scratch and suitable for just about any pizza. Make a few extra and freeze!

Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: optional
Total time: 60 minutes
Yield: 2 pizzas

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		4 cups		flour	I used half whole wheat and half white.
		2 teaspoons	1 packet	yeast
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		sugar
	12 ounces			milk, warm

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Form Dry Team by combining flour, salt, sugar, and yeast.
	3. Add in milk, mixing until dough formed. You may need to add a bit more milk or flour to form the dough.
	4. Cover the dough, and let it sit in a warm spot until doubled in size. Freeze for later use or roll out and make a pizza! (Optional - I like to pre-bake my pizza crusts since it results in a more crisp crust.)

Shared with: Full Plate Thursday, Artsy Fartsy Party, BFF Open House, Traffic Jam, Fiesta Friday, Meal Plan Monday, Handmade and Otherwise, What's for Dinner?, Hearth and Soul, Over the Moon, Tuesdays at Our Home

Garlic Parmesan Swirl Biscuits

Another of my Five Friday Finds, this time from Good Cheap Eats. These biscuits are slightly similar to the Garlicky Cheddar Biscuits - just switch the cheddar for some parmesan and add a swirl! I love these types of recipes, where it looks like it took time and effort, but really, it didn't. Don't you?

We ate these swirl biscuits for breakfast, but you could just as easily serve them as a side to Little Lasagnas. In fact, if you served these biscuits with the Little Lasagnas, you'd be well on your way to starting a muffin tin meal! Wouldn't that be fun?

Whenever I eat something with a swirl like these biscuits (or Hua Juan, for example), I always like to peel it apart and especially taste the fillings/texture of the inside. Tell me I'm not the only one?

Garlic Parmesan Swirl Biscuits

by CJ Huang

Mingling the flavors of garlic and Parmesan in a mouthwatering swirl biscuit.

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes
Yield: 12 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		2 cups		flour	I used half whole wheat and half white.
		1 teaspoon		salt
		1 tablespoon		baking powder
		1/4 cup		butter
		3/4 cup		milk
		2 teaspoons		garlic powder
		3 tablespoons		Parmesan cheese, grated
				Garlic Parsley Butter, melted	optional

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine flour, salt, and baking powder, and then cut in butter until homogeneous.
	3. Mix in milk until dough forms, and then roll out in a rectangle.
	4. Sprinkle garlic powder and Parmesan cheese on top, making sure not to forget the edges.
	5. Roll up dough and pinch to seal.
	6. Cut dough into 12 pieces, about an inch wide.
	7. Place each piece in a greased muffin tin and bake until golden brown and delicious, about 15 minutes.
	8. (optional) Brush Garlic Parsley Butter on top of each biscuit.

Hint: Try cutting each biscuit apart with dental floss. It's a lot cleaner and neater than a knife (at least for me)! Plus, you get perfectly round biscuits. Just slide the floss under your roll, where you would cut, bring the two ends up, cross, and pull. That's it!

Bacon Parmesan Scones

Savory Bacon Parmesan Scones - a buttery treat with the heartiness of bacon nestled among the peppery notes of green onion and warm, embracing flavors of cheese and rosemary.

Earl Grey Latte

It's time for SRC again! What's SRC, you ask? SRC stands for Secret Recipe Club, where each month, we're assigned another blogger, and we get to select one of their yummy recipes to make. This month, I got Michaela from An Affair from the Heart, and she's definitely got lots of yummy eats to choose from! I thought about making her Pad Thai Wonder Pot (never made a wonder pot before), Loaded Baked Potato Soup, or Double Decker Baked Tacos until I saw an Earl Grey Latte with DIY Frothed Milk!

The first time I tried an Earl Grey Latte was at Starbucks. James and I usually accumulate stars, and then, when we can get a free drink, we like to go for something different. This time, we were deciding what to get - since we usually get a larger size and split the free drinks, and we kept on hitting dead ends. James likes his coffee as strong as possible, and me? I'm more of a tea person, especially Chai Tea - yum! However, the one tea James does like is Earl Grey. We didn't realize Starbucks even had Earl Grey Lattes until we saw it advertised on the wall or in the app. Thinking about it though, it makes sense they could make it since they have Earl Grey tea, and adding milk makes it a latte. :)

I also wanted to make some frothed milk on top - makes it extra special! I tried shaking the milk and then microwaving, and I ended up with lots of large bubbles that popped as soon as the milk cooled. After doing some research, it seems the shake and microwave method works best on skim or 2% milk, and I used whole milk. No worries though - I just switched to the French Press method. I was going to get some frothed milk, one way or another! For the French press method, simply pour at least enough milk to cover the plunger when it's lowest, and then start pumping the plunger until you've got foam! Give yourself an arm workout in the process. :)

What's your favorite way to top a drink?

Earl Grey Latte with DIY Frothed Milk

by CJ Huang

Make your own Earl Grey Latte with DIY frothed milk at home! No special equipment required.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 2 cups

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				Earl Grey tea	I used a loose leaf tea, and bagged tea works too! You'll want to adjust the amount of tea depending on how strong you like your tea.
		1.5 cups		water
		1/2 cup		milk	Skim or 2% are easier to froth. I used whole.
		2 teaspoons		vanilla extract	I used my alcohol-free vanilla extract so no additional sweetener was required since the glycerin base is naturally sweet. You could also use the usual vanilla extract and then sweeten with something else.

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Brew tea to desired strength, and then stir in vanilla extract.
	3. Froth milk. You can pour the milk into a jar so that's it's mostly empty, shake vigorously, and then microwave it (lid off) for about 30-60 seconds if you're using skim or 2% milk. Since I'm using whole milk, I poured in just enough milk to completely cover the plunger screen on a French press, and then pumped the plunger until I got frothed milk. (If you use skim or 2%, you'll likely end up with better results.) Pour/spoon frothed milk into/on tea. Make some latte art if you're fancy. :)

Kefir

Kefir's a fermented yogurt drink - similar to a drinkable yogurt, originating from the north Caucasus Mountains. It's one of those things where you think it's all complicated and beyond making at home (or at least I did) until I actually gave it a try. Then I realized - yes, it is a complex process. But it's also totally doable at home. Reason being - you're not the one making the kefir, you just combine milk and kefir grains and then let the kefir grains do the work! No worries if you're on a grain-free diet either. Kefir grains aren't grains in the traditional sense. Instead, they're a combination of lactic acid bacteria and yeasts in a symbiotic culture (or SCOBY). These grains resemble cauliflower, ranging in color from white to yellowish. During fermentation, the kefir grains break down the components in milk, making it more tolerable and easily digestible.

Comparing making yogurt at home to making kefir at home, I'd definitely say kefir's much easier. You're not worried about maintaining any particular temperature (aside from ambient), don't need to heat the milk, or any other complicated steps. Simply mix the kefir grains and milk, then allow the grains to do their thing!

Which do you prefer - kefir or yogurt?

Kefir

by CJ Huang

Considered by many to be one of the healthiest fermented foods, find out how to make your own kefir! It's surprisingly easy. :)

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes + fermenting time
Yield: variable

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
				milk	I like to use whole milk.
				kefir grains

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all materials. I like to use a glass jar, but anything non-reactive will work.
	3. Allow kefir grains to do work. I just cover the top with a cloth and let the jar sit at room temperature for about 24 hours. Usually at that point, you will be able to see some whey at the bottom of the jar. You can taste the kefir throughout the fermentation process to determine how tart you like it.
	4. Pour the jar into a strainer. I like to press on the kefir grains a bit to get more kefir out. After straining, I will return the kefir grains to the jar and add more milk.
	5. (optional) Sometimes, we do a secondary fermentation since we find it gives the kefir a better flavor. I'll add some fruit so the kefir will take on some of those flavors. Another option is to make a smoothie. Or you could, of course, also drink it straight. :)
	6. (optional) Sometimes we add in some chia seeds too. I'd recommend adding chia seeds after the secondary fermentation if you're doing one since they tend to taste quite bitter if you let them go through the secondary fermentation.

DIY Cherry Garcia

We had some leftover cherries we didn't have time to finish, so I threw them in the freezer. I also had some chocolate I wanted to use up, but didn't want to eat plain. (What's wrong with me?) And with this weather, what's not to like about ice cream? One of my favorites is Cherry Garcia, so I thought I'd try making some. Initially, I wasn't sure if I wanted to use raw eggs for the thick, creamy feel, but I decided I'd go for it. If you're concerned about raw eggs, you could also make a custard first or use a pasteurized egg product. I'm thinking I'll try making the custard first next time so I can compare the two.

Do you prefer making a custard first or just using raw eggs?

DIY Cherry Garcia

by CJ Huang

A rich, creamy ice cream churned together with cherries and dark chocolate shavings. Almost like Ben and Jerry's Cherry Garcia!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 1 quart

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
35 grams	1.25 ounces	1/4 cup		dark chocolate shavings
140 grams	5 ounces	1/2 cup		cherries, chopped
			2	eggs
160 grams	5.625 ounces	3/4 cup		sugar
479 grams	1.875 ounces	2 cups		half and half
234 grams	8.25 ounces	1 cup		cream

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Beat eggs until fluffy.
	3. Dissolve sugar in half and half.
	4. Gently combine eggs, whipped cream, and half and half.
	5. Place mixture into ice cream freezer.
	6. Add chocolate shavings and cherries when ice cream has mostly frozen.

Shared with: Delicious Dishes, Wonderful Wednesday, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Wednesday Showcase, Creative Ways, Pinworthy Projects, What's For Dinner? Sunday, Happiness is Homemade, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sustainable Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday

Spiced Date Ice Cream

We were trying to use the cashew milk we bought since we didn't enjoy drinking it plain, and I didn't want it going to waste. With this weather and my love of chai, I thought about making a refreshing treat. I froze this spiced date mixture to ice cream, but I'm thinking it'd be even yummier as a smoothie. Yum! Or maybe even popsicles. :) Lots of possibilities! The recipe's not too sweet as written, so you might want to use more dates or add a bit of sweetener. I really liked all the spices mixed in, and I think this would taste even better with cream instead of cashew milk since the richness would serve as a perfect counter to the aromatic spices!

Do you prefer the lighter taste of cashew milk or the richer flavor of cream?

Spiced Date Ice Cream

by CJ Huang

Aromatic spices, frozen with cashew milk (or cream) and slightly sweetened with dates for one yummy spiced date ice cream!

Prep time: 30 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 30 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Materials:

Mass	Weight	Volume	Number	Material	Notes
		1 tablespoon		ginger, grated
		1/4 teaspoon		cardamom, ground
		1/4 teaspoon		cinnamon
		1/8 teaspoon		cloves, ground
42 grams	1.5 ounces	1/2 cup		coconut shreds
		1/2 teaspoon		pepper, ground
484 grams	17.125 ounces	2 cups		cashew milk	Substitute cream or half and half for a richer ice cream.
85 grams	3 ounces	1/2 cup	12	dates
		2 teaspoons		vanilla extract	or alcohol free vanilla extract

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Chop the dates. I've found chopping the dates on the coconut shreds solves the issue of the dates sticking to each other or the the knife.
	3. Combine cashew milk (or cream or half and half) with all materials except chopped dates and coconut shreds.
	4. Pour milk mixture into ice cream maker, following instructions. Add in chopped dates and coconut shreds towards the end of freezing time.

Shared with: Delicious Dishes, Wonderful Wednesday, Waste Less Wednesday, What's Cookin' Wednesday, Wednesday Showcase, Creative Ways, Pinworthy Projects, What's For Dinner? Sunday, Happiness is Homemade, Nifty Thrifty Sunday, Sustainable Sunday, Melt in Your Mouth Monday, What'd You Do This Weekend?, Turn It Up Tuesday