Mi Mi’s Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream

This recipe is for a 1 gallon freezer can.

Custard

5 Eggs

3 Egg yolks

1 Large 13 oz. Can of Evaporated Milk

1 Can Water

1 TBS Flour

1 Cup Sugar

Combine custard ingredients and cook, stirring until mixture coats the back of a wooden spoon. You may want to use a double boiler for this. Strain and cool in the refrigerator for at least an hour.

Next, in freezer can combine the custard mixture with the following:

1 16 oz. Carton of Whipping Cream

1-2 TBS Vanilla Extract

1 13 oz. Can Sweetened Condensed Milk

Enough Whole or 2 % milk to fill to line

Place lid on freezer can and hold can in place while filling the freezer alternately with ice and rock salt. Put crank on and begin cranking or plug in to outlet. Operate freezer according to directions for your machine. Add more salt and ice as needed. The freezer may stop from time to time when ice gets in the way. So, readjust ice by turning off the machine and picking ice with wooden spoon and turn it back on. When ice cream maker stops completely, remove the can and enjoy the ice cream or place in deep freeze until it has reached desired firmness.

My mom makes the best homemade vanilla ice cream. My first memory of making ice cream was on the ranch where I grew up outside a small East Texas town named Rusk, in an even smaller community named Atoy. Making homemade ice cream was an all-day event and everyone had a job. First of all, my dad believed that the best ice cream was made from a fresh block of ice that you bought, brought home and chipped up yourself. So, while my mom got all the ingredients together to cook the custard. My brother, sister and I would ride with dad 20 minutes to Rusk in his1963 green Chevy pickup to get the block of ice from the ice house, where we could watch the ice slide out of the freezer down a conveyor belt. We would wrap the block in a blanket and set it on the back of the truck. Then we would dare each other to sit on the covered block and count to ten. Boy, that was cold! When we got home, dad would painstakingly chip up the ice with a pick, and mom would pour the now cooled custard in the can, carefully filling the rest of the can with that rich custard mixture and whole milk. In went the ice and the salt, on went the top of the freezer. Then, it was our turn. My brother, sister and I would sit on the wooden steps of our carport and crank the ice cream by hand. Sometimes, we had watermelon or blackberries on the side. Sometimes, we had company and other times we had the ice cream to ourselves. Even when the ice houses closed down in Rusk, we still drove to the neighboring town of New Summerfield to buy ice.

My father has been gone now for many years; I live in a big city now and have kids of my own. However, my mom is here this week visiting and guess what? Yep, we are making ice cream using her recipe. It still tastes great! Although we used ice from our refrigerator, it brought back memories of truck rides into town, laughing with my brother and sister, and how a family working together can reap sweet rewards and even sweeter memories.

As I was driving to work recently, I saw a young cardinal hopping along the grass on the side of the road as I stopped at a stoplight. The image that comes to mind when you hear the word cardinal is probably of a tall majestic beautiful red crested bird with a black mask around its strong triangular beak designed for cracking seeds, but this is not what I saw. This cardinal was caught in a phase just after the fuzzy cute baby bird stage but before the poor creature developed its beautiful red flight feathers. It wasn’t chubby and cute anymore but it wasn’t the sleek flying creature it was meant to be one day either. Many things in our life go through stages that aren’t so pretty.

Barbara Sher, a world renowned career coach and best-selling author, says that ideas start out like babies animals. Human beings give birth to ideas and at first, we love them. We imagine how they will turn out with incredible pride and romantic optimism. When it comes to working out the logistics, budgeting time or money or both, for this new vision, the wonderful idea can molt away some of its attractive newness. As this idea develops you may find a need to further plan, to polish, to gather support of others and overcome obstacles. At some point it may be hard to share this vulnerable, not quite developed idea, at this ugly stage. However, this is a time that not only the idea needs support, but also the person who gave birth to the idea may need support. I encouraged a group of friends recently to set a goal, and some of these friends might be at an ugly stage of reaching this goal, just as you may also.

Some common goals are related to health, like starting a new exercise program; others wanted to reconnect to art they had put aside years ago. I had set a goal to complete two art works this month, and really had some great ideas that I wanted to bring to fruition. One of the ideas was a collage on canvas in tribute to Frida Kahlo, a well known Mexican artist. However, this idea did not come together on the canvas the way I had wished. So, I could stop, give up on this project at this ugly stage, but instead I have decided to work at it some more, ask for support and ideas. I may change my tactics, redo some of the piece, allow myself to struggle with the details, step back and look at the big picture. I am hoping that in sharing this photo of my work at this ugly stage that it might encourage anyone who reads my blog to do the same with their life, their ideas, and their relationships. So, here it is, and here are some of the steps that I am willing to do to make it a better piece of art. I am leaving some of the steps blank you, as you will notice, for you to fill in because I know that there is no way that I could have all the answers. No one really does. How are goals going for you?

1. Make a goal.

2. Plan some small steps.

3. Take action.

4. Assess the progress, from the detailed perspective and the big picture view.

5. Adjust as needed.

6. Share your goal.

7. Ask for help, or support.

8. Be willing to make changes, or redo’s.

9. __________________

10. ____________________

1.

Post-It Note Goals

There are lots of models out there for goal setting which can be very complicated and very technical. You can even sign up for a service through Pronagger.com to pay someone to nag you professionally! Let me know if you want to know more about that.

1. Take a stack of post-its out with a pen. Write down any 3-5 things you would like to see appear in your life quickly. Make the goals nouns. It could be a feeling like, Love, Health. It could be something that you haven't made time for like, Art, Romance.....

Write anything that is important. There is no selfishness and no one watching. This is for you!

2. Take time to be with the words on each post-it and choose the one that calls out to you the most. Let me know if you struggle with this part.

3. Now, to take the first step, think of one thing you could do towards that goal. Even if you chose "World Hunger", I want you to think of a small step that you could do in the next few weeks, an easy win, like donating 4 cans of food to the Foodbank.

This goes back to the old adage:

"How do you eat an elephant?"

"One bite at a time, just like you eat anything else."

4. Did you choose? Now, how do you want to motivated or supported?

Some of us choose nagging, others choose encouragement.

Here are some examples:

Art- 2 completed works (they don't have to be perfect, just finished.)-Encouragement

Health/Exercise-walk with friends 4 times a week- nagging

Health- Going to the gym 4 times a week- nagging

5.Now put the post-it note somewhere you will see it everyday. I like mine beside my alarm clock in the beginning. Then after that no longer works, I move it to my bathroom mirror to catch my eye.

Talking With My Mouth Full

“We cook and eat for comfort, nurture and companionship. We cook and eat to mark the seasons and celebrate important events. We cook and eat to connect with family and friends and with ancestors we never knew. And through this baking and breaking bread together, we come to know who we are and where we came from.”

Talking With My Mouth Full, Bonny Wolf’s book

It's Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood

Walk in the rain, jump in mud puddles, collect rocks, rainbows and roses, smell flowers, blow bubbles, stop along the way, build sandcastles, say hello to everyone, go barefoot, go on adventures, act silly, fly kites, have a merry heart, talk with animals, sing in the shower, read childrens' books, take bubble baths, get new sneakers, hold hands and hug and kiss, dance, laugh and cry for the health of it, wonder and wander around, feel happy and precious and innocent, feel scared, feel sad, feel mad, give up worry and guilt and shame, say yes, say no, say the magic words, ask lots of questions, ride bicycles, draw and paint, see things differently, fall down and get up again, look at the sky, watch the sun rise and sun set, watch clouds and name their shapes, watch the moon and stars come out, trust the universe, stay up late, climb trees, daydream, do nothing and do it very well, learn new stuff, be excited about everything, be a clown, enjoy having a body, listen to music, find out how things work, make up new rules, tell stories, save the world, make friends with the other kids on the block, and do anything else that brings more happiness, celebration, health, love, joy, creativity, pleasure, abundance, grace, self-esteem, courage, balance, spontaneity, passion, beauty, peace, relaxation, communication and life energy to...all living beings on this planet.
-Bruce Williamson, It's Never Too Late To Have A Happy Childhood, 1987

Five No Calorie, Low Cost Ways to Brighten Your Mood

What are you willing to do that could change your mood? Is it something that you can access without dipping into the calorie or cash budget?

1. Write a Thank You note. There is nothing like an “attitude of gratitude” to put you in a better frame of mind. It doesn’t have to be a note to Aunt Grace for the ugly sweater that you never intend to wear, or one that you feel like you “owe” or “should” write. No, surprise yourself and someone else by writing to a deserving, but unsuspecting individual. There are lots of people who make our daily lives easier, better or brighter just by doing everyday jobs…the school nurse or crossing guard, your stylist, your spouse, a neighbor who picks up your mail when you are away. Just writing the note will change your attitude, if you allow yourself to really get into the moment.

2. Sing or listen to music, your favorite music, even holiday music, no matter what anyone else thinks or the time of year. I have a friend that loves Christmas carols and plays them in his car during his commute with the air conditioner on full blast after a particularly stressful day at work. During especially difficult times in his life, he even makes a fire in the fireplace at home and recreates the holiday mood. Sounds funny, but think about it...

3. Take your shoes off for a moment and wiggle your toes. Wiggling your toes can be like a breath of fresh air, well not for those around you... It can take you back to your childhood and it also changes your posture.

According to the science of Reflexology -- which has been around in other cultures for thousands of years -- your feet are a kind of master control panel for the rest of your body. "Meridians" in the body -- which are those channels of energy treated by acupuncture -- end up in the feet. So the ends of those meridians in your feet connect with every organ and every part of your entire body. When you wiggle your toes, you are stimulating -- and thus relaxing -- your entire body. (Incidentally, this is a good place to mention that you can be energised and relaxed at the same time. It's a matter of the quality of that energy. If it flows freely and smoothly, you will be relaxed. If the energy flow in your body is restricted or blocked, you will be tense. Toe wiggling helps to bring about a relaxing, free-flowing energy.)

4. Really look at something alive. Study a caterpillar, watch a leaf blowing in the wind, or watch the expressions on a child’s face as they play or tackle their math homework. Connecting with something outside yourself, especially something with a life of its own\ will give you great perspective and draw you away from your own struggles for a restful moment and can turn into your next adventure.

5. Smile for no reason. Yes, you have probably heard that smiling releases endorphins and can influence your mood, but another reason to smile is …..When you smile people are more likely to smile back, except on the subway. My less than scientific reason is that it reminds you of other times that you have smiled or enjoyed someone else’s smile, and if your cheeks begin to hurt from the strain in just a few seconds, it may mean that you haven’t been doing nearly enough smiling lately and that there are other areas of life calling out to you, happier ones that you haven’t made time for or sought out lately.

You are never more brilliant, more beautiful, or stronger, than when you are fulfilling your own unique destiny. It is the only way to live honestly and the only true gift you can give the world. DeAnne Pearson

Gumbo Des Herbes - Gumbo Z'Herbs

Leah Chase and DeAnne Pearson at Leah’s restaurant, Dooky Chase.

Although there are many versions of this recipe, I feel that my friend, Leah Chase, owner of Dooky Chase Restaurant in New Orleans, has the best recipe in the world for this dish. Leah, the "Queen of Creole Cooking", serves this famous dish each Holy Thursday at her restaurant on Orleans Avenue in downtown New Orleans. She also serves it at home on Christmas Eve. She was so tickled that both my birthday and my son's birthday fall on that day and gave a hearty laugh as she went into great detail sharing her own recipe with me 2 years ago. She said, "Baptize with water if necessary to increase volume," as people trickle in or you have unexpected guests on Christmas Eve. Leah is the inspiration for Disney's The Princess and the Frog, a James Beard Award Winner for philanthropy, an inspiration to her community that was devastated during hurricane Katrina, and an inspiration to me, personally. I hope you enjoy the Gumbo!

You may use any number of fresh greens, but here are some typical choices.




PREP TIME: 1 Hour
SERVES: 8 to 10



INGREDIENTS:
1 bunch mustard greens
1 bunch collard greens
1 bunch turnips
1 bunch watercress
1 bunch beet tops
1 bunch carrot tops
1/2 head lettuce
1/2 head cabbage
1 bunch spinach
3 cups onions, diced
1/2 cup garlic, chopped
1 1/2 gallons water
5 TBS flour
5 TBS Oil
1 pound smoked Boudin sausage , cooked and sliced.
1 tsp thyme leaves
salt and cayenne pepper to taste
1 tbsp filé powder

METHOD:
Clean all greens under cold running water, making sure to pick out bad leaves. Rinse away any soil or grit. The greens should be washed 2 to 3 times. Make Roux with Oil and Flour. Chop greens coarsely and place in 12-quart pot along with onions, garlic and water. Bring mixture to a rolling boil, reduce to simmer, cover and cook for 30 minutes. Slice sausage into 1-inch pieces and place into the 12-quart pot. Add remaining ingredients and simmer another 30 minutes or until the greens are tender.