Hmmmm… I wonder why after 9 months, I am still carrying around an extra 15 pounds of leftover baby weight. It couldn’t possibly have anything do do with all the baking I do, could it? Surely not. I am convinced it is because of all the wonderful food blogs out there and the incredible photos that go along with each and every one of them. I swear I probably gain weight reading through your blogs each week. The calories ooze through from your computer right into my thighs.
I can tell that my newest found foodie interest is not going to help matters much. After seeing gorgeous photos posted on Recipezaar and reading through blogs like Jumbo Empanadas and Not Eating Out In New York, I finally gave in to the temptation to purchase an electric ice cream maker. We have a White Mountain ice cream maker that is big, heavy and messy and only gets used about twice a year. I want to be able to make ice cream without having to lug that big old piece of equipment out, so I headed to Bed Bath and Beyond earlier this week and purchased a handy little Cusinart ice cream maker. I put the included bowl in the freezer as soon as I got home and the very next afternoon I got it out to make my first batch of homemade ice cream. I chose a simple recipe off of Recipezaar for Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream. I followed the instructions and in less than thirty minutes I had a batch of homemade ice cream. I cannot believe how simple it was and how delicious the end product was. Thank goodness I didn’t have this while I was pregnant or I would have easily gained 50-100 pounds. It is so easy that if I am craving ice cream I can have it without sending my husband out in the middle of the night to bring me home a pint (okay…a gallon). I can now make ice cream how I want it and am not limited to what is available in the freezer section of my local grocer.
Now, I wonder if I post the photo and the recipe here, if the calories will oooze out from my computer into your thighs, saving me the extra calories? You know what? It is worth a try… Enjoy!
Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar if using sugar or syrup packed frozen berries, omit the sugar in the recipe
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
- 3/4 cup fresh pureed strawberries if using sugar or syrup packed frozen berries, omit the sugar in the recipe
- 1 cup half-and-half
Instructions
- Blend all ingredients until smooth.
- Chill ingredients for about 1 hour, or until cold.
- Turn on ice cream machine and set it to chill the freezing/mixing bowl for 5 minutes.
- Spoon the cooled mixture into the freezing/mixing bowl of machine.
- Set the freezing timer to the 30 minute maxium setting.
- Push start button.
- When timer rings, spoon ice cream into dishes and enjoy.
That looks so delicious!! I too would love to have a nice small, easy ice cream maker, but I am truly scared of how bad that could be. 🙂
I live alone – scary!!
Also, another appliance to store.
Can’t wait to see what other new ice cream flavors you’ll invent.
Kirsten
Eeeeek get your photo calories off of my thighs! (Kidding, you know I love ya!) That looks absolutely delish. I’m so putting an ice cream maker on the list of must haves.
It really does make it way to easy. Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream…ummm looks as good as it sounds.
I’ve been drooling over many blogs’ worth of ice cream recipes too and have wanted to purchase the ice cream maker.. but haven’t simply for the fact that you stated.. I know me and I know I’ll end up making a new flavor every freakin night guaranteeing me an extra 20 lbs. a month – ha!
I love strawberry cheesecake! Your ice cream looks luscious – now please stop posting ice cream recipes because you’re going to be the straw that broke the camel’s back, ensuring my purchase of an ice cream maker ASAP. hehee
Homemade ice cream in less than an hour? That is dangerous!
I wonder if we post on exercise, would it work the same way??
Oh ice cream. The love of my life. This just isn’t fair. I can feel the calories burning through my computer screen into my thighs. Thanks! Looks delicious.
We have REFUSED to buy one of those machines, absolutely REFUSED. They would be SO dangerous in our house.
I love the photo! slurp slurp
I’ve resolved that this is the year I’m going to finally buy an ice-cream maker. If my results are anything like yours, it will be a wise investment!
Your baking has nothing to do with it, Kristen. Please, keep on baking (and posting). 😉
fyi – I tried not to stare at your ice cream. No success.
That ice cream looks divine! Who knew making ice cream could be so easy? If I ever get a bigger place with a bigger kitchen, I am looking into one of these. As always, thanks for sharing.
I really like my Cuisinart, too. The only problem is that I have no freezer space for the freezer bowl, so I have to plan my ice cream making in advance. Which means I hardly ever use it! That’s probably a good thing, since I just lost my 35 pounds of baby fat!
Strawberry cheesecake ice cream is my FAVORITE! That looks wonderful!
I love strawbery Cheesecake and you made ice cream out of that?! YUMMY!!! Looks like cotton candy.Thanks for the recipe K!:)
Baby fat, you say??? What if my "baby" is nearly 15 years old??? Does my fat still qualify? I think so! I do have an ice cream maker similar to the Cuisinart, but rarely use it. Se above reference to 15 year old baby fat.
I’ve heard good things about this ice cream maker. People sometimes ask me about an ice cream maker I would recommend in this price range and I have mentioned this one based on some amazon reviews. It sounds like you are going to be in trouble with this around the house!
The ice cream looks great! This recipe looks a little small (to save calories, perhaps?). Could you double it and still fit it into your ice cream maker? I’ve got a few recipes that are easily twice this volume and am hoping there is room in this machine.
I definitely need to make this flavour! I think ice cream is my favourite food group…
I wish I had an ice cream maker, but I avoid buying one because I am an ice creamoholic and I will have to renew my wardrobe. You ice cream sure looks yummy.
Sounds delicious!
We went away for 5 days and I ate ice-cream every night. Of course I tried to play tennis, ride bikes or run every day.
It’s sticking to my hips, I can feel it! 🙂
I ADORE My Cuisinart Ice Cream maker! I usually just make vanilla, but the peppermint ice cream (right there in the little cuisinart book) is TO DIE FOR. I have candy canes in my cupboard waiting to be pulverized just for this purpose…
aaah, the jealousy! it is overwhelming!!! i wonder if i will find one at savers someday? we recently found a george foreman for only $4, so i will keep hoping!
Argh!!!!!! Now I’m dying for this! I have an ice cream maker stashed in my most inaccessible cabinet. Now I’m thinking I need to get on the ladder, climb up to reach the shelf, and drag it out and make that darn, delicious looking ice cream!!!!!
Pleae let me come when you make ice-cream! Gorgeous pink one, how can I resist?
haha! let’s hope those calories don’t ‘ooze into my thighs’ if that’s how it worked, with all the food blogs i read, i’d be in biiiig trouble!
yay for a new kitchen toy
Ai-yai-yai! That looks so spoonably good. The graham cracker is a nice touch…like having a graham cracker crust on strawberry cheesecake. I’m going to have to get some pants with an elastic waistband.
I definitely agree: the weight gain is caused by all these wonderful food blogs – yours included!!!
I am so buying that ice cream maker. Thanks for the link!
Oh, well, I know I just gained ten pounds from reading the recipe! (over and over) Sounds yummy!
This looks amazing….bring it on!
Do not stop your baking,,,I would waste away from deprivation!
Strawberry ice cream – which I swear tastes exactly like springtime – is divine. So divine that I am regretting giving away out ice cream maker. But it was dangerous for me to own. Too dangerous, indeed!
That looks like a great recipe. The picture alone makes me anxious to try it. And graham crackers! I’d never thought about that.
Dear Kristen,
this post made me absolutely NEED an ice cream maker! 😉
After weeks of telling my husband how good homemade ice cream would taste he finally gave in and got me one! I hope you don’t mind, I put as the URL a link to some pictures of the first ice cream I made. Thanks for the recipe, it’s really great.