Creme Brulee Round-Up {Foodie Holiday}

If only I had my blow torch...LOL!!

Creme Brulee is one of my all-time favorite desserts. From cracking that crunchy, torched sugar topping with my spoon to tasting the creamy deliciousness of the custard, I love absolutely everything about this dessert. The last one I made was Ginger-Lemon and it was to die for!! Just the thought of it makes me want to get my fix the moment I'm back on my home turf.

Happy National Creme Brulee Day!!

Sheila Denise

Photo Credits: Foodgawker

Happy Peach Ice Cream Day!! {One Day Early}

Today is a perfect day. The weather has been rather bearable, instead of scorching hot and I'm writing from the country, from Mother's back yard deck to be exact. I could sit here for hours with nothing but the sounds of nature to entertain me. Obviously, I'm kidding myself, because sooner of later I'd have to go inside to eat. ;-)

Speaking of eating, tomorrow's foodie holiday involves one of my favorite foods in the universe--peaches. It's it great that, National Peach Ice Cream Day, falls right in the middle of National Ice Cream Month? Now, I must confess that I've only become a fan of ice cream over the past few years. Prior to coming to my senses, it was never something that I remotely thought about eating. Lately, I've been enjoying quite a few fabulous flavors, and Sunday night I saw a photo from a post by the fab foodie blogger duo Kevin & Amanda that grabbed my attention--easy, no machine required ice cream. I have no problem admitting that I made that ice cream on Monday morning before my coffee started brewing.

You only need these two ingredients to get started and the rest is up to your imagination (or you can use one of the recipes from Kevin and Amanda). Just make sure your add-ins are prepped and ready to go, because the quicker you mix, the sooner you'll have ice cream.

Now, here we go. Whip 2 cups of heavy cream until stiff peaks form. I didn't bother to pull out mistress Kitchen-Aid, I used her handheld little sister with the whisk attachment. In a separate bowl, combine sweetened condensed milk with the add-ins of your choice, then fold in the whipped cream. Guess what?? You're done!! Well you do need to freeze it, but you have just made a little batch of ice cream filled with very own your hand-picked ingredients. After about six hours (or until firm), you can enjoy your ice cream.

Here's a peek at the ingredients I used to create what I'm calling Cinna-Vanilla Peaches & Cream with Pecans Ice Cream. I was kinda sad that I didn't have graham crackers to add. It truly would have been cheesecake in ice cream form, but there's always a next time.

All mixed up with nowhere to go:

Ready for the big chill:

In honor of National Ice Cream Month & National Peach Ice Cream Day, I've managed to kill two birds with one stone!! Yay me!! But there is a sad part to this story. The ice cream isn't here with me, so I only have "before eating" photos to share. My weekly plans changed and I've been out of town, but I'm eager to get back to my peachy concoction. I can tell you this, that ice cream will not be safe around me when I get home.

What are some of your favorite homemade ice cream flavors or what flavor combinations are on your list to try?

Sheila Denise

It's Pecan Pie Day Y'all!!

When I discovered this pecan pie recipe, I filed it away to share with you today. I'm out of town for a few days, and I'm not sure if I'll spend any time baking, but this one is definitely on my "to bake" list. If you know anything about me, you know I'm a lover of pecans, cream cheese and caramel, so combining these three flavors in a pie crust is something I'm really looking forward to. I have a wonderful Pecan Pie Cheesecake recipe that I usually make for Thanksgiving or Christmas, but this one is so much easier and faster. According to stats from The Georgia Pecan Commission, my home state produces 88 million pounds of pecans each year--enough to make 176 million pies. I'm now wondering how many of those 88 million pounds can be directly connected to me. Very likely, many more pounds than I'm willing to admit!! LOL

In honor of National Pecan Pie Day, here's the recipe. I know I'll be making a couple of changes by using salted caramel and making my own crust. Enjoy!!

Caramel-Pecan Cheesecake Pie


Sheila Denise

P.S. While you're checking out The Georgia Pecan Commission's site, browse through their great recipes.