Dessert Archives - Page 3 of 11 -

June 15, 2016

Toasted Almond Coconut Ice Cream

As we approach the official start of summer, there is so much anticipation and excitement about the months ahead. Among the many delights of summertime, for me homemade ice cream comes near the top. There’s nothing quite like the taste and texture of freshly made ice cream. When Dream sent me a box of their new Ultimate Almond Beverages, homemade ice cream immediately came to mind. Dream Ultimate Almond is made with four times as many almonds as their original almond drink so it’s rich and creamy with a concentrated almond flavor. For the ice cream, I combined it with coconut milk cream for a nice balance between the almonds and coconut. Throughout the ice cream are bits of toasted almonds for a pleasant crunch, and the shredded coconut reminds me a bit of eating a macaroon coookie. Toasting the almonds and coconut are absolutely essential for depth as are both the coconut sugar and maple syrup for flavor, so no substitutes here. With three months of summer ahead, I hope it’s filled with plenty of good ice cream.

April 18, 2016

Walnut Torte with Coffee Coconut Cream

It had been a rough day, the kids were finally in bed, the house was quiet, and Ryan and I wearily sat down for a quiet moment to ourselves. All of my earlier efforts making dessert were paying off now that we could sit in peace and ease into uninterrupted conversation. After reading Ashley’s Date Night In book, we’ve been trying to be more deliberate about the time we spend together, and one evening a week we put everything aside to focus on each other. Sometimes it’s dinner together after the kids are in bed, other times it’s just dessert. It’s requires a bit of extra thought and preparation, but the investment has been worth it. In the midst sibling squabbles, the constant flurry of after-school activities, and now homeschooling, I often forget what Ryan and I were before we had kids. Going out is always fun, but dating in the calmness of your own home is also fun and intimate in a different sort of way.

March 30, 2016

Raw Key Lime Tart

This was the recipe I had planned on posting before the Easter weekend because I thought it would be such a lovely and refreshing end to a springtime brunch, but you can see I failed miserably. There is a reason for my delay, however, and although I’ve been hesitant to share about it here, I think it’s best to offer some explanation as to why I’ve been so slow at posting and also in responding to emails and comments. We recently made the decision to homeschool my youngest for some very personal reasons and though it’s already been a couple of weeks, I’m still very much adjusting to the new schedule and daily rhythms. I am barely holding it together with one, so I’m completely baffled as to how homeschooling moms manage to teach multiple kids. Right now the plan is to homeschool for just the remainder of the year and I’m doing my best to soak up every precious moment with my girl. I was so apprehensive about homeschooling, but in a few short weeks, the moments of joy and delight have far outweighed the overwhelming and frustrating moments. I’m so thankful. My heart is also so grateful for all of the friends and connections I’ve made through this space, and I hope you will understand if I’m a little slower these days.

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