Orange Cantaloupe Sorbet

I am really excited to tell you that I am guest posting over at Cookin Canuck today!  

I know, you are probably confused because I just told you that I am so busy these days that I barely have time to post here, but I committed to posting for Dara before I realized how busy I would be - and you know what? - I am so glad that I did, because Cookin Canuck is one of my favorite blogs, and Dara is a genuine person with a kind heart.  I love her food because she always has recipe ideas that are exciting and fresh, great how-to tips, and photos that are lovely.  

So when she asked me to share a recipe with her readers, I knew I wanted to make something using seasonal ingredients that was different than something I had made before.  Last summer, I had seen a lot of recipes for watermelon granitas and some melon sorbets, but I had never tried it myself.  Since melons are at peak season right now, I thought it would be perfect to blend sweet summer citrus with ripe and juicy cantaloupe to make a sorbet that was bursting with flavor.  

After I made it and took one refreshing bite, I was completely in love with the taste - it was sweet, but in such a complex way because of the natural flavor of the cantaloupe and fresh orange, plus some added sugar... and a little Cointreau. (You know me, I can't resist adding a little liqueur to my sorbet.) 

Be sure to head over to Cookin Canuck to get this easy recipe, to see lots of step-by-step photos, and to get my 'how-to' tips for picking the best cantaloupe!

And last but not least, don't miss out on my Urban Cheesecraft DIY cheese-making kit giveaway!  Urban Cheesecraft takes the guess-work out of making cheese by providing everything you need.  

Enjoy the week, and stay cool!

Sparkling Wine with Lemon Thyme Sorbet

I know what you're thinking.  

Mother's Day was yesterday... Easter is long gone... and sadly, the weekend is over...so why in the world am I sharing this elegant fizzy beverage on a plebeian Monday?  

The truth is, I couldn't resist.  

I made this lovely drink over the weekend to share with friends and to honor my wonderful mother (whom I missed dearly on Mother's Day - too bad we can't share a hug over Skype!).  I figured if it turned out well, I would just keep it as an ace in my pocket to share with you for the next holiday or celebration.  But then I started making the Lemon Thyme Sorbet...and it was fresh and sweet and tart all at the same time.  Once the first frozen spoonful hit my tongue, the corners of my mouth turned up in a smile - the flavor was just somehow happy.

Then I got a little inspired and decided to put some sorbet in lemon 'cups,' and well, it was all downhill from there.  I was completely smitten by the taste, but the overall cuteness factor was just too much for me - and I hadn't even gotten to the wine yet.   

Lemon Thyme Sorbet, in lemon cups. 

Garnished with a little thyme, this would be the perfect special-occasion dessert.

Speaking of wine, I don't mean to brag, but I made an excellent choice - La Marca Prosecco. (Shh... I was actually helped by the recommendation of an awesome saleslady, but we'll just say I have good good taste.)  La Marca Prosecco got a rating of 90 points by Wine Spectator, and they describe it as such: 

Berry Frozen Yogurt with Lemon Sugar and Lavender Cream, and Chobani Greek Yogurt Giveaway

If you were to ask me - what food turns a bad day into a good day? - I would immediately respond with two answers: either Starbucks or frozen yogurt.  It seems my days are turned around by extremes of either hot or cold.  Now, I fully realize that neither a latte nor a frozen treat is really considered a 'food,' but that doesn't stop me from soothing myself with either after a particularly long and trying day.  Actually, there is not much that will deter me from getting a latte or a frozen yogurt any day.  In case you haven't realized it, I like to treat myself to my favorite things as often as I possibly can.  Does this make me spoiled?

Spoiled or not, I love frozen yogurt, but actually I just love yogurt... period.  Especially Greek yogurt, I literally cannot get enough; in fact, my co-workers used to make fun of me because they seemed to think all I ate was yogurt!  (No, this was not some sort of strange diet, I just love taking yogurt to work for lunch.)  Well, the joke is on them, because Greek yogurt is healthy and tastes incredible so they are really the ones missing out.  I love to eat plain yogurt topped with sliced almonds and fruit, drizzled with a little honey, or I swirl in a little jam or lemon curd to jazz it up. 

I think I got addicted to frozen yogurt (and Starbucks for that matter...) after moving out to California and trying frozen yogurt from Golden Spoon, and then I fed my habit by visiting every other fro-yo spot within a 10-mile radius of my apartment.  Most places had every flavor imaginable, from coconut to rootbeer to taro, but my go-to choices were always the fresh fruit flavors.  I tend to love more tropical fruits like mangoes or papayas, but a good strawberry, blackberry, or raspberry is simply incomparable. 

Rocky Road Ice Cream

I think chocolate and marshmallow might just be soul mates.  Or maybe more like yin and yang.  Chocolate is the dark, and marshmallow is the light.  Dense and rich belong to chocolate, while marshmallow owns air and fluff.  The pairing of them together in any sort of dessert is a match made in heaven, or maybe more like a perfect dinner date between heaven and hell. 

In any case, I hope none of you missed out on my last post, where I made homemade marshmallows and graham crackers from scratch as my entry in Project Food Blog.  There are photo tutorials, adorable heart-shaped marshmallows, smiling honey bears, and open flames; if none of these are able to convince you that my post is a must read, well then, we might not be able to keep being friends.  (Joking, obviously.  Sort of.)  But seriously, it has been my most viewed post to date, so I hope you are enjoying it!  If you think it is really great, voting is still ongoing for round four of Project Food Blog, so pop on over to my entry on Foodbuzz and show me some love with a little vote.   

Dense, Dark Chocolate Ice Cream

Mmmm... chocolate.  Lots and lots of dark chocolate + cream + sugar = sinful.  

And be sure to take notice of this picture: Oh yes, in case you thought your eyes were deceiving you, I did make this ice cream in an ice cream maker.  My ice cream maker.  I know, I know, I said I would not purchase an ice cream maker.  I lamented the cost, the lack of space in my kitchen, and most importantly, how dangerous it could be to have an appliance that makes ice cream.  But lo and behold, when thrifting last month with my mom, I came across a brand new Cuisinart Automatic Ice Cream Maker, for the steal-of-a-deal price of only $10.  I immediately decided I liked living dangerously and so I snatched it up.     

Once I got the ice cream maker home, I did a little happy dance, and then made some standard vanilla ice cream using the recipe provided by Cuisinart.  (Being a scientist, it's hard to fight the urge to go with a standard 'protocol' the first time you use something new.)  The ice cream turned out alright as far as flavor goes, but I was just tickled pink with how awesome the ice cream maker was.  I mean, I had done the work before to make homemade ice cream by hand, and I would do it again because it tastes so phenomenal; but, having a machine that will churn it for me makes the entire experience just that much better and quicker.   

I think 'quicker' is the operative word, especially considering that I churned out not only one, but two, batches of ice cream for my Labor Day party this past weekend.  The first one was absolutely-to-die-for Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream from David Lebovitz (I would highly recommend that you give this recipe a try), and for the second, I got a little more adventurous and came up with my own recipe for Dark Chocolate Ice Cream.