I've Moved

My blogging resumes here

Late Fall Ice Cream

I'd been on the library waiting list for months before it was my turn to borrow Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams at Home.

 

Given so many interesting flavor combinations I decided to flip through the book until I found two recipes I could make with ingredients on hand. The winners:

Celery Ice Cream with Candied Ginger and Rum-Plumped Golden Raisins - delicious flavor, but too many raisins.

Roasted Pumpkin 5-Spice Ice Cream - Perfect! I cant stop taking the container out of the freezer for just one more spoonful.

I like that the base for all the ice creams are thickened with corn starch rather than eggs, to me the taste is better.  I also found that both of these recipes didn't freeze rock solid like some of the other recipes I have tried.  This book is going back to the library tomorrow morning before my willpower fails and I make the Brown Butter Almond Brittle which in addition to lots of cream calls for three sticks of butter in a single pint.

Canadian Club Brand Center

A few weekends ago Mike's family treated us to a tour of the Canadian Club Brand Center in Windsor.

I'll admit I don't like Whiskey, especially without a mixer, but I really enjoyed the tour; the guide shared a lot of interesting information about the role of Canadian Club during Prohibition.

The view of Detroit from Canada always looks so nice!

Swim Meet

I spent last week near Sacramento competing in a synchronized swim meet. For three days my teammates and I were at the pool from dawn to dusk.  I spent much of that time in the tent city trying not to get sunburned.

On Saturday I was able to participate in an attempt at a Guinness World Record for the largest water float pattern.  There were 286 participants who formed the pink breast cancer ribbon. Here are the aerial photos. On Sunday my team routine won the gold medal in our age group (the average age of my team members is 50).

After the meet we moved on to Yosemite for the next two days... 

before heading back to Michigan.  I really liked this crystal and wood sculpture in the Sacramento airport, I'd love a smaller version hanging over my dining room table.

Raspberry Picking

Over the weekend Mom and I picked seven pounds of raspberries to make freezer jam. I've been enjoying the extras with whipped cream.

Twenty Seven Hour Flight Delay

I've been in Japan for almost a week. I should have been here longer, but my flight was delayed leaving me stuck at the airport for 27 hours. I was given a hotel room overnight, but this is how I passed the time at the airport:

 

I watched the fountain

and watched the birds

used extra food vouchers to 'buy' instant coffee

got a manicure

watched the plane engine being repaired

After 25 hours we finally got on the plane, which was almost empty since most people had given up on waiting and taken other flights

On the runway we were forced to go back to the gate for further repairs, but at the gate I convinced a flight attendant to get me cup of wine.

Anatomy of an August Sunday

Dream Cruise

Rain

Graduation Open House