Eco-Friendly Ice Cream!

Maybe it's the heat (a sweltering 110 yesterday) or possibly it's my eternal sweet tooth but all I've thought about this week is ice cream! And while it might be challenging to take environmental-friendliness into account when staring at the frosty glass in the ice cream aisle drooling over everything from Mocha Almond Fudge to Berry Berry Goodness, try to remember that there may be a downside for the environment from the production of storage of ice cream (Bummer, I know).

Refrigeration of this most well-known treat (the average American eats about 6 gallons of ice cream a year though I'm fairly sure I'm above average in that respect) calls for the use of hydro fluorocarbons (HFCs) in the equipment. Although you'll find no airborne emissions (one doesn't see a lot of smoke emitting from freezers), these HFCs are dangerous when they leak into the environment either when maintenance occurs or when they're discarded. A 2004 study by the German Institute Oko-Recherche states that by 2050, emissions of all F-gases (of which 90% are HFCs) is expected to reach 5.2% of global greenhouse emissions. The impact of these emissions is equivalent to the carbon dioxide emissions of all the world's passenger vehicles in 2004.

Who knew ice cream shopping might be so tough?

To really feel as guilt-free as one can really feel when purchasing the not-so-healthiest treat within the aisle, veer towards Ben & Jerry's (the store if possible!). In their factory and at their stores, Ben & Jerry's use "Greenfreeze"A? technology that does not rely on HFCs to keep things cool. It is not to say that other ice cream companies and grocery stores won't follow suit soon, as the technology only became available in the United States a few years ago courtesy of Greenpeace scientists in Germany. Along with the ice cream giants, Haier, Whirlpool, Bosch and Panasonic have made use of the eco-friendly cooling option and soon McDonalds could follow suit.

Other delicious brands to attempt include:

Turtle Mountain So Delicious - A fantastic alternative for those lactose-intolerant folks still seeking a sweet summer treat. Turtle Mountain is made in Oregon using sustainably grown organic ingredients. Recently the company joined the Food Trade Sustainability Leadership Association (FTSLA) to further support sustainable agriculture within the United States.

Living Harvest - We all know that hemp is a great alternative fabric (not as great as bamboo but that's for another post) but what about hemp ice cream?? Hemp is a sustainably grown resource cultivated the world over and Living Harvest uses it to make fantastic non-dairy frozen desserts including coffee biscotti and coconut lime flavors!

Luna & Larry Coconut Bliss - Achieving sustainability by using certified organic and fair trade ingredients, Luna & Larry also chose to use decadently rich and yummy coconut milk to lessen the ecological impacts of dairy farming. And whilst the company does sit on a dairy farm, that farm is an organic one that does not use artificial growth hormones and is currently working on a system that would convert methane gas into energy for local communities.

So try your hardest to keep these things in mind when shopping for a cool treat this summer!

Douglas Michaels Jr. writes educational articles for Green Earth News, the authority on everything Bamboo. For more information on Green Is Grand. Check out Green Earth Bamboo for bamboo sheets, bamboo clothing, duvet covers, towels and baby products, all made from the world's most sustainable and renewable resource on the planet.

The Best Vanilla Ice Cream

Summertime is one of my favorite times of the year to go out and find the best Vanilla Ice Cream. I love all flavors of ice cream, but a scoop of true pure vanilla is the ultimate sophisticated dessert. Vanilla ice cream is available everywhere, so how do you decide which one is right for you?

I started my quest for the best by strolling down the frozen food aisle in my local grocery store. The cartons claimed "creamiest", "old fashion", "slow churn", "natural", "fat free" and much more. I have no idea what most of those statements mean. I do know that low fat ice cream sounds to good to be true so I skipped right over it. I would rather eat a little less of the good stuff then load up on inferior ice cream.

In order to determine what all those claims meant on the cartons, I turned them over to the list of ingredients. Typically, ice cream is made from: milk, cream, sugar, eggs and flavoring (like vanilla, chocolate or fruit). I was amazed to see a list of ingredients on the side. Most commercial brands had high fructose corn syrup, artificial flavorings and a whole list of chemicals most individuals can not pronounce or know what they mean. I decided to give up on the grocery store and head to the local parlors.

Luckily, I live in a populated area that has many local and chain outlets. The chain outlets offer several variations ranging from frozen custard, frozen yogurt, soft serve and hard ice cream. Most of these are mass produced and no different from the grocery store offerings.

I did enjoy sampling several different varieties from the local parlors but even those ranged in quality. The smaller parlors served locally made ice cream made with all natural ingredients and milk from cows not given the bovine growth hormone (rBGH). These stores did provide the best store bought product available. Unfortunately, they did carry a hefty price for a scoop.

So my next choice was to see if I could make a healthy, rich creamy vanilla ice cream at home. I knew I only needed a few ingredients so it couldn't be that hard. I found the most important part of the process was having good quality ingredients and the right tools.

To get the best vanilla flavor, I opted for whole vanilla beans and fresh milk and cream from a local dairy. When they dairy found out what I was up to, they gave me great advice and I toured their facility. It was quite a process and started wondering if I could handle all the steps needed to produce the ultimate vanilla ice cream that I dream about daily.

My next step was to find a good quality ice cream maker. I did find an old fashion maker at a local antique store. I was quite intrigued by it but knew it would be a lot of work and time to churn it by hand. I decided an electric machine would serve my purpose and I found the right machine at my favorite on- line cooking store, Chef Depot.

When I received my new machine I was so excited to get started. I carefully measured all the ingredients and scrapped the vanilla beans out of the pod and mixed them in thoroughly. The whole house filled with the aroma from the beans. I was so anxious to taste my creation; I couldn't even wait until after dinner.

I was truly surprised how creamy and delicious it was and that I made it. I decided I needed to make a larger batch next time and share it at my next family gathering. Vanilla ice cream is one of the true pleasures in life!

Recipes for Yummy Cherry Desserts: Cherry and Cream Parfait, Cherry Fantasy, Cherry Cream Dessert

Cherries not only make pretty desserts they make tasty ones. Try these delicious desserts to please your family and friends. Cherry and Cream Parfaits are very easy to make and they are pretty enough to serve guests. And the little ones will love having their own individual dessert along with the adults. Cherry Fantasy is a delicious cherry dessert atop a brown sugar nut crust. Yummy! The Cherry Cream Dessert is a gelatin dessert with cream cheese and sour cream. It is a perfect summertime dessert!

CHERRY & CREAM PARFAITS

1 cup whipping cream
3 tbsp sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
1 cup sour cream
1 can (21-oz) cherry pie filling

In a mixing bowl, whip the whipping cream until soft peaks form. Gradually add sugar, vanilla and salt continuing to beat until stiff peaks form. Fold in the sour cream. Take six cherries from the pie filling and set aside. Spoon half of the pie filling into the bottoms of six parfait glasses; top with half the whipped cream mixture. Repeat the layers. Add one of the reserved cherries to the top of each parfait. Add a mint sprig to each of the parfaits, if desired.

Note for Diabetics: This recipe can be made for diabetics by making the following substitutions: Splenda Granula instead of sugar and lite cherry pie filling made with Splenda instead of regular pie filling.

CHERRY FANTASY CRUST:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts

In a medium mixing bowl, blend the above ingredients by mixing the brown sugar and flour together. Add the butter and cut in as though making pastry dough. Add the chopped nuts and press the mixture onto the bottom of a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Allow crust to cool. Crumble and spread evenly in the pan.

FILLING:

2 cups whipping cream
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cans cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla*

Whip the cream and set aside. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla together until well blended. Fold in the whipped cream and the cherry pie filling. Pour filling over the crust. Refrigerate overnight before cutting to serve.

*To change the flavor slightly, use 1/2 tsp vanilla flavoring and 1/2 teaspoon almond flavoring.

CHERRY CREAM DESSERT

2 pkgs (3-oz) black cherry flavored gelatin*
2 cups boiling water
1 pkg (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sour cream
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup sugar*
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 can crushed pineapple, drained
1 can cherry pie filling*

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water and pour into a 9 x 13-inch dish or pan; refrigerate until slightly firm.

Combine cream cheese, sour cream, vanilla, sugar, and chopped pecans; stir in pineapple. Spread mixture over set gelatin. Chill. Top with pie filling before serving.

*You can easily turn this into a diabetic or low-sugar dessert by using sugar-free gelatin,Splenda granular instead of sugar, and no-sugar added Splenda sweetened pie filling!

Enjoy.

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/. For her diabetic dessert recipes visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/

Yummy! Easy to Make Summer Desserts: Homemade Ice Cream, Cherry and Banana Cream Pie

Summer is the perfect time for get togethers with family and friends. Whether picnicking, beside the pool, camping, or just relaxing, we love desserts that are cool, refreshing, and easy to make. But of course we want them to be delicious and something our family and friends will remember. This article has recipes to make your summertime delicious. Lemon Ice Cream, Vanilla Ice Cream, and Cherry and Banana Cream Pie will bring you rave reviews.

NO ICE CREAM FREEZER NEEDED LEMON ICE CREAM

2 lemons
1 cup whipping cream
1/2 cup sugar

Finely grate 1 tablespoon of the lemon rind and put into a large mixing bowl. Squeeze lemons for 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice. Add juice to the bowl with the grated rind. Add the whipping cream and the sugar to the bowl.

Using electric mixer, beat on high speed until soft peaks (tips fold over) form when
the beaters are lifted. Transfer from the bowl to an air-tight freeze-proof container.

Freeze ice cream for at least a couple of hours or until firm. Garnish with thin strips of the lemon rind, if desired.

VANILLA ICE CREAM

4 cups whipping cream
2 cups half-and-half cream
2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla flavoring

Heat the milk in a saucepan over medium heat just until it bubbles around the edges. Remove from the heat and add the sugar, stirring until sugar is completely dissolved. Put in refrigerator to chill for at least a half hour.

Remove the chilled sugar/milk mixture from the refrigerator and add the whipping cream, half-and-half cream and vanilla flavoring. Stir to combine. Pour the mixture into the freezer can of ice cream freezer and follow the directions of your particular freezer.

CHERRY AND BANANA CREAM PIE

1 graham cracker pie crust
4-oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup thawed whipped topping
1 pkg (4-serving size) cherry gelatin
1 pkg (4-serving size) french vanilla cook and serve pudding mix
1 1/4 cups water
1 cup very well drained maraschino cherries
1 cup firm banana slices

Mix the cream cheese and powdered sugar in a large bowl until well blended. Fold in the whipped topping. Spread over the bottom of the graham cracker crust and place in refrigerator.

Mix the gelatin, pudding mix, and water in a medium saucepan until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture just starts to boil. Remove from the heat. Allow to cool for 5 minutes. Stir in the bananas and cherries. Spoon mixture over the cooled cream cheese layer.

Refrigerate pie for 4 hours or until set. Garnish with whipped topping and banana slices or cherries, if desired.

Enjoy!

For more of Linda's dessert recipes visit her blog at http://ladybugssweettreats.blogspot.com/.

For her diabetic dessert recipes and information visit her at http://diabeticenjoyingfood.blogspot.com/.

How To Design Your Very Own Unique Ice Cream Flavor

Have you ever wanted to design your own ice cream flavor? Well you are in for a real treat because the possible combinations of frozen treats are limitless. The first step is to choose the method you will use to make your frozen treat. Then you will need to choose your basic flavor for your concoction. Next you will have to decide if you want a fruity taste or your basic chocolate or vanilla. You can also make a fun combination of flavors. The choice could range from candy to cookies also cakes or pies, even nuts. Nearly anything sweet or tasty can be used. If you are designing it for yourself, be as adventurous as you please. But, if you are developing it for a crowd, you may consider a more traditional approach.

There are many different ways of making ice cream. It can be as simple as two plastic bags. This involves putting all the ingredients into a small zip lock bag then sealed into a larger bag of ice and salt. This only makes a single serving. But who wants only a single serving of the nation's most popular dessert? There is the refrigerator freezer method...still only a small amount produced and is a time consuming method with varying quality a big problem. Then there are the hand cranked or electric churns. These are the best and most popular methods of making ice cream at home. Many of the best home ice cream makers have built in compressors and can make a premium batch in as little as 20 minutes.

First choose your base ice cream flavor. Next decide if you want it to be your basic chocolate or vanilla or a fruity flavor like peach or strawberry. Be careful to squash blueberries or they will freeze like little pebbles in the mixture. You can choose a fun combination of confections. Your choice could range from candy to cookies also cakes or pies, even nuts. If you are designing it for yourself you can be as adventurous as you please when selecting your choice of ingredients. But, if you are developing it for a large group of people, you may want to stick to more common flavors.

One thing to be careful of is not over doing the additives to the base. If you aren't careful you'll lose the smooth texture. There needs to be a balance in the ratio of additives to the base ice cream.

Now that you've learned about the limitless possibilities of ice cream flavors, the methods of making the frozen dessert and the people you'll be creating your master piece for have fun and start freezing!

For best results I highly recommend using a professional level ice cream maker such as my favorite, the Whynter SNO Ice Cream Maker. You will be very pleased with the results you get from this highly rated machine. See this and more of the best ice cream makers here.