Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream (Allergy Friendly)

Now that we know Josiah has allergies, I thought I would update this with some recipes I am finding that he can have. Things that we have eaten before that are tried & true good. I’m gonna start with this ice cream that is to die for. I was looking for homemade ice cream recipes so that he can have ice cream for his birthday. My friend made this and brought it to our house, and the boys devoured it. I looked over & there was literally one spoonful left that I made them save for their dad.

1 can (14 oz) coconut milk (not lite)
1 handful spinach (about 1/2 c. packed, or 1 cup loosely packed)
1/2-1 tsp. peppermint extract (to taste)
2 tsp. vanilla
1/3 cup sweetner (pure maple syrup, honey, or yes, even SUGAR)
1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

Blend everything but the chocolate chips in the blender. If the coconut milk is super thick or chunky, warm it slightly before blending. Just be sure the mixture is cool before adding the chocolate chips. Freeze in an ice cream maker. ENJOY!

Sometimes I blend lots of strawberries or raspberries and/bananas with the sweetener and vanilla. In that case, omit the spinach and mint. I suppose you could even melt the chocolate chips in the coconut milk for chocolate ice cream.

Pioneer Woman’s Perfect Pie Crust

I think I owe it to Pioneer Woman that I enjoy cooking. Her blog made everything seem so do-able since it has step by step pictures. The one thing that I love of hers lately is her Perfect Pie Crust recipe. It makes 3 crusts & you can freeze them. In fact it’s better if you do freeze them. So you can start prepping for Thanksgiving pies weeks in advance. Or if you make just one pie, you have 2 other crusts just ready & waiting to be used another time. It’s really made me enjoy making pies. & I can’t mess these up, so neither can you. She has a printable recipe on her site, but to make things easier so I can have it all in one place, I’ll put the recipe on here as well.

• 1-½ cup Crisco (vegetable Shortening)
• 3 cups All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg
• 5 Tablespoons Cold Water
• 1 Tablespoon White Vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Salt

Preparation Instructions

In a large bowl, with a pastry cutter, gradually work the Crisco into the flour for about 3 or 4 minutes until it resembles a coarse meal. In a small bowl, beat an egg with a fork and then pour it into the flour/shortening mixture. Add 5 tablespoons of cold water, 1 tablespoon of white vinegar and 1 teaspoon of salt. Stir together gently until all of the ingredients are incorporated.

Separate the dough into thirds. Form 3 evenly sized balls of dough and place each dough into a large Ziploc bag. Using a rolling pin, slightly flatten each ball of dough (about ½ inch thick) to make rolling easier later. Seal the bags and place them in the freezer until you need them. (If you will be using it immediately it’s still a good idea to put in the freezer for about 15 to 20 minutes to chill.)

When you are ready to use the dough to make a crust, remove from the freezer and allow to thaw for 15 minutes. On a floured surface roll the dough, starting at the center and working your way out. (Sprinkle some flour over top of the dough if it’s a bit too moist.) If the dough is sticking to the countertop use a metal spatula and carefully scrape it up and flip it over and continue rolling until it’s about ½ inch larger in diameter than your pie pan.

With a spatula, lift the dough carefully from the surface of the counter into the pie pan. Gently press the dough against the corner of the pan. Go around the pie pan pinching and tucking the dough to make a clean edge.

A little confession, I love eating this crust raw too