Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

My husband and I love coconut ice cream.  But it's hard to find in Canada and if you do find it, it's expensive and usually has a very sweet, artificial taste.

So we decided to buy an ice cream maker in the hopes of being able to make our own.  We surfed the web for some recipes and in the end we pieced together our own recipe.

If you love coconut, you have to give this a try! It is, by far, the best coconut ice cream I've ever had.  And now we can make it anytime we want!


Homemade Coconut Ice Cream

Ingredients:
1 cup milk
1 - 14 oz can Cream of Coconut**
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup sweetened flaked coconut

** NOTE: Cream of Coconut is NOT the same as coconut milk and you should not substitute one for the other.  We went on a wild goose chase to find this stuff in Edmonton, but we finally tracked some down at Save-on-Foods.  Look for it with the non-alcoholic drink mixes.

 

1) Place flaked coconut in a frying pan and lightly toast on low heat until golden.  Set aside.

 

2) In a blender, blend the milk and the cream of coconut.  Make sure the mixture is smooth and free of lumps.  Stir in the cream.

3) Pour mixture into an ice cream maker and freeze for 20 minutes.

4) After 20 minutes, add in the flaked coconut and freeze in ice cream maker for another 5 minutes.

5) Transfer to an air-tight container and place in freezer for an additional 2 hours.

6) Serve with any remaining toasted coconut as a topping.

And there you have it - homemade coconut ice cream!

For a bit of a different flavour, add grilled pineapple (a la pina coladas) or throw in some chocolate chips or almonds for a more "chocolate bar" flavour. Enjoy!!!

My Best Friend, Tiffany

The world famous jewellers, Tiffany & Co., have expanded their product line yet again.  This time, they have entered the ever-competitive designer handbag market.

Being a huge fan of the Tiffany Blue, I was super excited just to see how many of their handbags utilized their signature color.

Here's a look at just some of my favourite pieces:
(all images courtesy of http://www.tiffany.com/)



The Lyn Clutch




The Reversable Tote

The Holly Clutch

The Taylor Hobo

The Savoy Clutch



 Despite what I've posted here, don't think that they only have Tiffany Blue colors. Check out the entire collection here.

My Top 10 Favourite Beauty Products

10) The Body Shop's Coconut Lip Butter

I love coconut! So when The Body Shop came out with a lip butter based on their popular body butter, I rushed to the store to pick some up.  This isn't your normal lip balm - it's not greasy or shiny or sticky.  It really is body butter for your lips and comes with the same staying and moisturizing power.  And another additional perk - no "perfumey" coconut fragrance!

9) Boots No. 7 Quick Cover Blemish Stick

Don't be fooled by the name, this isn't just for covering blemishes! I discovered this product while living in England and I was thrilled to see that Shoppers Drug Mart carries it as well.  This concealer provides great coverage that rivals the expensive department store brands.  It goes on smooth and creamy for easy blending and works wonders on those under-eye bags!

8) Cake Satin Sugar Hair & Body Refreshing Powder

This is a travel necessity, especially if you're going on a trans-continental flight with no chance to grab a quick shower.  This dry shampoo is great for de-greasing your hair, restoring volume, and it also doubles as a body powder.  And since it's a powder, you can bring it on the plane to freshen up during your flight!  Available in both light and dark hues.

7) Rocky Mountain Soap Company's Bamboo Soap Pouch

This was recommended to me by a friend of mine.  This handy little drawstring pouch holds your soap and exfoliates your skin at the same time.  The bamboo fabric may feel quite rough to the touch, but once you add the lather from the soap, it's great! A quick and easy way to exfoliate your body.

6) The Body Shop's Hemp Hand Protector



This is one of my seasonal staples...as in "my-hands-are-so-dry-in-the-winter-they-crack-and-bleed".  I only use this when I need extreme rehydration of my hands as it can be a bit on the greasy side otherwise.  The scent may not appeal to everyone, but this stuff works wonders on dry, weathered hands!

5) Bare Minerals Make-Up

Yet another friend recommendation.  I don't wear foundation because I find it to be thick, pasty and just not natural-looking.  However, this stuff actually gives you the coverage of a foundation with the lightness of a powder.  It's made of all natural minerals, so no chemicals, dyes or perfumes.  I also successfully covered a horrible racoon-eye tan with their Warmth powder! It's now part of my daily beauty routine.

4) Kiss Me Mascara

I don't often wear mascara; but when I do, it's this stuff! Kiss Me mascara is unique in that it actually forms little tubes of mascara around each individual eye lash.  No make-up remover is required either - just apply water and gently pull the little tubes off of your lashes.

3) Aussie 3 Minute Miracle

I have been using this hair conditioner since I was a teenager. This is great for when your hair needs a moisture boost - after a hot sunny day or swimming in the pool.  It leaves your hair soft and tangle-free and has an AMAZING scent!

2) Clarins Hand & Nail Treatment Cream



Another product I discovered while living in London and have since incorporated into my supply of "beauty staples".  This lotion is non-greasy and is quickly absorbed by the skin, leaving hands silky smooth.  It's a bit on the expensive side for a hand cream, but a little goes a long way.

And the #1 product on my list...

1) Dermologica Daily Microfoliant

No word of a lie, this is the best facial exfoliant I have ever come across!! After just one use, your skin will feel as soft as a baby's bottom! The product comes in powder form, which you then mix with water to create a paste.  The only downside to this product is the whopping $72 price tag! To be more economical, use only when needed or once a week.



I'm a Barbie Girl!

What little girl doesn't love Barbie? Even as an adult, I am still drawn to this miniature-fashion-icon-in-a-box.  Not only because she is beautiful and has had every career imaginable, but because she also has amazing clothes.

(As a kid, I wished that there was a machine that would turn Barbie's tiny clothes into my size clothing. To be honest, I'm a little surprised no one's working on this yet...)

I still check the Barbie aisle of the toy store every time I have to go shopping for a gift for my nieces or a shower gift for a friend. And the other day, I found this:

A new line of dolls called "Barbie Basics". Each doll, while still looking like a supermodel, has a completely different look to them. I love how you can clearly see not only different races, but also what appear to be mixed race dolls. And how fabulous do they look with their individualized haircuts and LBD's (little black dresses)??

At only $25 each, I have to admit that I was tempted to snap up one or two of them! Although I currently have my sights set on this one:

Barbie as the Greek Goddess, Athena. I'd better start saving up!

If you would like to browse some of the beautiful dolls in the Barbie Collector Series, go to: http://www.barbiecollector.com/shop/

Tea Time!

While shopping with a friend of mine today in West Edmonton Mall, we stumbled upon an adorable little shop that we had never seen before.  I was immediately drawn in by the teal signage and the rows upon rows of stainless steel cylinders which lined the shelves.  I had to go in and see what this store had to offer.

p

photo courtesy of www.davidstea.com

Inside each of those silver canisters was a unique and intoxicating blend of tea that I had never before encountered. With names like "Gunpowder Taffy", "Jumpy Monkey", "Opposites Attract" and "Pink", it became obvious that this wasn't your Grandma's tea shop!

After smelling about 30 different blends of tea, I had to narrow my selections down. I ended up taking home the "Cherry Blossom", "Pina Colada" and "Jessie's Tea" - which is a blend of lavender, rooibos, coconut and corn flower. 

Here's a small sampling of some of their tea blends:

Read my Lips - Black tea with vanilla, mint, chocolate, peppercorns and little red candy lips.

Cherry Blossom - White tea, green tea, cherries, coconut and pink rose petals.

Bear Trap - Blackcurrents, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries and lemon verbena.

Chocolate Mint Maté - Chocolate, mint, rooibos and yerba maté.

If you love tea, or know someone who does, I HIGHLY recommend that you check this place out! Not only do they carry a wide variety of aromatic teas, but each one in itself is a work of herbal art! Plus they are a Canadian company.

You can find their Edmonton location in the upper level of West Edmonton Mall near the Waterpark. Or, you can check out their website at www.davidstea.com and order online or find a location nearest you.

Look Beautiful for a Good Cause!

My alter-ego is a photographer. And recently I was asked by another photographer friend of mine to participate in a wonderful fundraiser for Breast Cancer Research.

The event is called "Rock the Dress for Breast Cancer". It is a marathon photo shoot involving multiple photographers, photographing clients all day on May 15, 2010 in Edmonton.  

We are hoping to get women of all ages and from all walks of life to come out en masse in their finest dresses to be photographed by a local professional photographer.  All proceeds will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society.


Breast Cancer research is a cause that is close to my heart as my mother is a 2-time Breast Cancer Survivor.  She was first diagnosed when she was 28 years old, before I was even born.  However, I was around to see her battle it a second time five years ago. The various treatments and the Chemo made her feel like she had lost her femininity.  That is why I personally think that this "Rock the Dress" event is a wonderful idea.

 My Mom, the survivor!

I ask that you please spread the word about this event - tell your mothers, grandmothers, sisters, aunts, cousins, daughters, etc.  The more money we can raise, the closer it puts us towards a cure!

Here are the details:

Cost: $100 (This includes a 45 minute, one-on-one photo shoot with a professional photographer and a disc with 20 edited digital images).

What to Wear: Raid your closet for an evening gown, wedding dress, bridesmaid dress, or grad dress. The more fabulous, the better!

Who to Contact: For more information or booking, Rachelle Hall at Rachellemarie_hall@live.ca.

A Small Glimpse

For the past 26 years, I have been a picky eater. This is something that I only allow certain people to know about me due to the social stigma attached to it.

According to my mother, when I turned 2 I just stopped eating certain foods. Clearly I wasn’t able to explain my new change in behaviour to anyone, and to be honest, I still can’t. My parents tried everything – no dessert, sitting at the dinner table until I at least tried a bite, bribing me to try new foods, etc. Nothing worked. There was many a night when I fell asleep at the kitchen table and would have to be carried to bed. It got to the point where my mom would give me something I would eat, just so that I wouldn’t starve.

As a child, it’s easier to get away with telling someone that you are a “picky eater”. What child isn’t, to some degree? However, when you’re in your twenties you get weird looks from people and even weirder responses: “Are you serious?”, “Well that’s just because you haven’t tried MY cooking!”, “So you don’t eat blank? At all? Well, have you ever tried it before?”

And 9 times out of 10 the answer is “no”. I haven’t tried the food that you are trying to feed me. And to be honest, I don’t know if I physically could. Trying to psych myself up to try a new food is like trying to psych up a “normal” person to jump out of an airplane without skydiving lessons! I cannot offer any explanation as to why this is, but all I know is that it’s not as simple as picking up the fork and putting that food into my mouth. This is something that most people do not understand.

What I would like people to understand is this:

1) I did not CHOOSE to be a picky eater, I just am. Sorry.

2) It has nothing to do with your cooking. I still wouldn’t eat it even if it was covered in all the chocolate in the world. Please don’t be offended when I won’t even give it a try.

3) I don’t expect people to work around my “problem”. I have lived with this all my life and I manage it. I don’t want to be singled out any more than I already am when I have to come up with an excuse as to why I’m only eating a dinner bun at the table.

I would love nothing more than to be a “normal” eater. I would love to go out to lunch with my girlfriends and order “The Salad”, or to take a bite out of a red, juicy apple. But these are simply things that I cannot bring myself to do.

In my research into trying to find out why I am the way that I am, I have come across some possible explanations; one of which involves disorders or issues pertaining to the senses. Some researches have made the link between picky eating and Sensory Processing Disorder. This deals with an oral aversion to certain textures, flavours and even temperatures. While I didn’t completely relate to everything on the metaphorical checklist, some things did strike a chord with me – aversion to certain textures, attention to temperature of the food, etc. It does offer some sort of explanation, but I don’t think that they’ve hit it on the head just yet. At least not for me.

Until then, all I can ask is that people be open-minded and understanding. Please realize that we (and I say “we” as there are many of us…check out http://www.pickyeatingadults.com/ ) are not choosing to be difficult. It’s just how we’re made and most, if not all of us, would change if we could.

And if you are a parent to a picky child, I would like to plead on your child’s behalf: please do not punish your child for not trying new foods. I know that it’s frustrating and that it turns mealtime into a battle-ground, but just try to be open to the possibility that there could be some underlying factors at play. Be attune to what foods they do like and indentify some common characteristics – Are they similar in texture? Does your child prefer raw veggies to cooked ones? Do they prefer sour to sweet? Bitter to salty? Once you notice a pattern, try them with similar foods.

In the cases with children, most of them do grow out of their “picky eating”. All I am saying is that there are some of us who don’t. And we are normal functioning, healthy people.

I ♥ Starbucks!

If you're one of my Facebook friends, then this post actually isn't news to you.

Since last week, I have been floating around on Cloud 9 because I saw this at my local Starbucks:

These beautiful little desserts are available at all Starbucks locations and they come in Chocolate, Vanilla Bean and (my personal favourite) Red Velvet.

Unfortunately they only sell them until Valentine's Day, so get your hands on some while you still can. Although I will warn you: they're highly addictive! And then Starbucks goes and stops selling them, thus putting you through withdrawl. You spend the entire year trying to find a comporable Red Velvet cupcake, only none of them seem to compare to the foodgasm that you got when you first tried the Starbucks ones...or maybe it's just me. :o)