Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream

   So for the past week I've been super hungry after dinner, like reeeaaallly hungry (and no, I'm not pregnant hah!  That would have a post all on its own filled with tears and self denial --no offense to those who are with child...) and late last night I decided something Christmasy would satisfy my tummy.  So I came up with Peppermint Ice Cream!

   This ice cream is the best I've made so far.  It got so creamy and stayed creamy even after it froze overnight in the freezer - not icy at all like most homemade ice creams!


   I didn't have any eggs left over (because of the gross amount of baking I did last week) and Beau and I try to limit our dairy so I googled "vegan peppermint ice cream" and came up with a few good ideas on how I should make it!

Peppermint Ice Cream

1 can sweetened condensed reduced fat milk

1 3/4 - 2 cups original flavor almond milk

1 heaping TBS tapioca flour

1 1/2 - 2 tsp peppermint extract

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 cup cream (next time I'm just going to use more almond milk instead)

2 candy canes crushed

handful semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

1)   Add condensed milk to measuring cup and fill up to 3 cups liquid with almond milk.

2)   Add extracts and tapioca flour and mix until dissolved.

3)   Add mixture to ice cream making machine.

4)   About 5 minutes from when ice cream will be done, add candy cane pieces, chocolate chips, and cream to machine.

*This ice cream took about 20 minutes to make.  No refrigeration required before adding it to the machine so this is a super quick and delicious treat!

*If you think it's too pepperminty, add a little more liquid to suit your taste.  This is what I used the cream for... I usually don't use it, but I had some left over and thought what the heck!  It'll make a super creamy treat.  And it did! 

Enjoy!

Autumn Craftiness

Thought I'd take a quick break from sugar crafting and post some of my craft projects I did throughout the Fall  :-)

My Autumn wreath.  

Still haven't taken it down because I love it so much!

I made these napkins for my bestie Meagan's birthday!  I'm still not a pro with my sewing machine but these were great practice!  

I used this tutorial from Skip to My Lou to make them.

Here's my Thanksgiving table decor!  Ah my cornucopia basket is to die for!  I also made the two fabric pumpkins (see I told you I'm craft woman... I can't just pick one hobby!)

Although it's past Pumpkin time... I used this tutorial from a Navy wife I met here in flight school: Diary of a Preppy Mom.

Thanksgiving just ended up being the two of us.  But that didn't stop me from breaking out my fancy tablecloth.  Or napkins.  Or silverware :-)

Our amazing feast.  14 pound turkey roasted to perfection!  Sweet potato pecan casserole.  G-free stuffing! Veggies.  Gravy.  And mmmm Pumpkin Mousse!  (not pictured boo) 

Oh, and here are my ugly turkey cake pops.  That were way too heavy and fell off the stick.  They have a hole on the top of their heads were the stick was so I call these the Turkeys ready to be cooked for Thanksgiving dinners haha.  Sad.

Wait for my Christmas craft post.  This girl has been one busy bee  ;-)

The Much Anticipated Craft Fair Pictures!

Most popular award goes to my sugar cookies which I decorated with royal icing.  My first time ever doing it and I think they turned out great!  Can't wait to do them again!  Only downfall... they were my only non-gfree item I made.  Oh well...

Who's hungry for cake pops!?!  Vanilla and chocolate mmm :)

Reindeers, penguins, snowballs, strawberries, and holiday drizzles completed my array of pops.

 Cake pop bouquets... perfect little gifts!

And yes, I made the boxes by hand too  :-)

Holiday cake balls

Cupcakes!  All g-free and none of my customers could tell the difference!

Chocolate Fudge with Peppermint Buttercream.  Some decorated with red swirl, others with royal icing snowflake. 

My best seller... sold all but 3 (well, actually 7 because Beau ate 4 that day!)

Pumpkin cupcakes with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting (on left)

Orange with Chocolate Buttercream and fondant flowers (right)

the view from behind the table...

Christina (from Mayzie Cakes) and I  :-)

Red velvet cake with nutella filling covered by marshmallow fondant and gum paste bow.  I made this the day of and brought it to the fair as a display... and on Saturday we served it as Beau's belated birthday cake with friends!

It's December 2 already?! Wait, that's the day of the Craft Fair!

   Holy moly, where has the time gone?!  I apologize for not writing much during November.  I've just been crafting, baking, volunteering at the animal rescue, and cooking like a busy little bee!  I'll write a much belated post on Thanksgiving (and Beau's birthday) later.  First I want to tell ya'll about my first craft fair!


   Tonight The G-Free Wifey Specialty Cakes was a vendor at downtown Milton, Florida Gallery Night.  I worked with my new awesome friend, Christina, that I met in my Wilton classes.  I made an insane amount of goodies... cake pops, cake balls, cupcakes, and sugar cookies!  All were g-free except for the sugar cookies (but they were super pretty being my first time ever decorating with royal icing!)


   Lucky for me, my business cards came in about one hour before the fair.  Eeek!  (Silly UPS... they were supposed to come in last Friday).  And lucky for me and Christina we made a killing!  Well, not quite a killing... but we sold way more than we expected!  And even have a mini business order for next Friday!  Success!!  


   Thank you to everyone who supported us tonight!


   And a big shout of to my hubby Beau who is responsible for promoting my chocolate fudge cupcakes accented with peppermint buttercream!  ;-)   Love you!


   I will post pictures of the event in a few days.  But here are a few sneak peaks of what I made for the event!

Mini cake pop bouquets with handmade boxes!  See-- told you 

I've been major craft woman!

Penguin and ice berg attack!

Blue sugar cookies... what til you see the mittens I decorated... uber cute!

Happy December!

Royal Icing Flowers

   So remember that cake I made for my Wilton class... the one with the flowers and basketweave?  Well, here are some solo pics of the flowers I made throughout that class.  They are all made from royal icing.

daffodils and primroses

roses, violets, pansies, northern primrose

rose buds and apple blossoms

white lilies with yellow centers

i think this one is so cute!

Triple Cute Blog Award!

   So I received quite an honor last Saturday... Mrs. Fox's Sweets presented me with the Triple Cute Blog Award!

How awesome is that??!  

   Mrs. Fox was one of my first blogging friends.  I love how she still comments on my posts (it makes me feel loved eeek!) even though in the past few months her number of followers has doubled, tripled, quadrupled?!  Well there is a reason for that: she rocks!  

   Take a moment to check out her sweet site: here!!!  Thank you again!

   So rules have it when you receive the Triple Blog Award, you're supposed to pass it on to 7 others.  Check out these other great bloggers!

Hugs & Cookies XOXO

Hanunyah's Sweet Creations

Allergy-Free Vintage Cookery

the enchanted oven

Wrapped In Peace

Crafty Christina

The Domestic Sugar Bake Shop

PS-- just changed my blog design... isn't it so much prettier... and more like me?!  :-)

PSS-- just figured out how to "label" my blog posts... wow... so easy and right in front of my eyes!  My brain really needs to start functioning better haha!

Buttermilk Biscuits to Die For!

   Let me introduce you to the best biscuit ever... the Buttermilk Biscuit!  I paired it with some homemade chili and it was a winning combination.  Perfect football game food! 

 (too bad chili never photographs well... I swear it was incredibly delish and colorful in person!)

by the way do you like my fabric pumpkin I made?!  It's so cute!

These biscuits were light, buttery, and had an amazing crumb.  Beau and his coastie friend loved them, as did I!  They said it tasted like a biscuit you would get in a restaurant.  Now how's that for some g-free cooking!!

Buttermilk Biscuits         adapted from Annalise Roberts

     Ingredients:

3/4 c rice flour mix  (2 parts rice flour, 2/3 part potato starch, 1/3 part tapioca)

1/4 c sweet rice flour

2 tsp sugar  (I always use half the amount of sugar in recipes, even my sweet baked goods)

2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp xanthan gum

1 Tbs buttermilk powder

1/4 tsp salt

5 Tbs cold butter

1 lg egg white

3 Tbs water

     Method:

1)   Preheat oven 425 F and lightly grease baking sheet.

2)   Mix dry ingredients together.

3)   Cut butter into dry ingredients until resembles coarse meal.

4)   In separate bowl whip egg white with mixer until very very foamy.

5)   Add water and flour butter mixture to egg white and mix 1 minute at medium speed.

6)   Shape dough into biscuits about 3/4 inch thick and place on baking sheet.  Makes about 5 biscuits.

7)   Place pan in oven and turn oven temp down to 400 F.

8)   Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!! 

Wilton Advanced Flowers Final Cake!!!

Here is the finished product of my Advanced Flowers Wilton Cake Decorating class!

All flowers were hand made using royal icing.

I made the basket-weave with home made buttercream frosting. 

 

It is a two layer gluten free coconut cake with a coconut meringue frosting in the middle.

In love with my finished product!

xoxo   !!!