Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Braiding loom!

My friend Alaine makes warp weighted braiding looms, as seen here:



I have the smaller rectangular base, as seen on the left. I also painted my board, to make it easier to see the threads.





So far I've made about 7 yards of braid, and I'm getting ready to warp up another one!

-Geeksweet.blogspot.com: Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Tuesday, June 25, 2013

Monday, May 27, 2013

Homemade Cherry Ice Cream

1 cup organic heavy cream
1 cup organic light cream
2 cups organic whole milk (or org. half & half)
1/2 cup sugar (veganized sugar is white without the chemical process)
4 farmers market eggs
1 tsp fiori di scicilia
3 tsps vanilla extract
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup cherry concentrate (http://www.cherrybayorchards.com/cherry-concentrate/bottle/16-oz.html) (it's 100% cherry juice; nothing else)
2 cups fresh cherries (organic or farmers market)
1/2 cup fresh cherries, processed with 2 Tbsp vodka (or Kirsch)

Warm the dairy over medium low heat. In another bowl, whisk egg yolks & sugar, until pale, thick, and making long "ribbons." When the dairy simmers, remove it from the heat, add the fiori and vanilla, and let cool to room temperature. Add a little dairy to the eggs, incorporate it, then work in the rest.

Return the mixture to low (!!!) heat, stirring, until the custard thickens enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon (and you can drag a finger through it, with no drips).

Remove from heat, whisk in salt. Cool to room temperature, whisk in cherry concentrate. Cool in fridge a minimum of 2 hours, but overnight is best.

Put into the freezer bowl of your ice cream maker according to directions. Churn for 25-30 minutes. In the last 3 minutes, mix in the slurry of cherries and vodka.

Layer the ice cream and fresh cherries in your container, then place in freezer. Freeze for a minimum of 3-4 hours.


*the vodka keeps the ice cream from going absolutely rock-hard once it ripens in the freezer.


-Geeksweet.blogspot.com: Posted using BlogPress from my iPad