My Recipe Box - Ice Cream

UPDATED JUNE 2026
May 2020 - Toronto ON

2016 - Dolores Hidalgo Mexico

I bought a Kitchenaid ice cream attachment last year and went on a kick of making ice cream.

2014 - St. Andrew by the Sea New Brunswick

UPDATED - JUNE 2026

Easy homemade strawberry frozen yogurt.

Ingredients

½ cup plain yogurt (see note)

¼ cup honey or pure maple syrup

16 ounces frozen strawberries, about 4 cups

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice, optional

Instructions 

In the bowl of a 7- or 8 cup food processor, add the yogurt, honey or maple syrup, frozen strawberries (and lemon juice, if using).

Process until the frozen yogurt is smooth and thick, about 3-4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the container several times, if needed, and using a tamper for the blender to help incorporate the ingredients.

Serve immediately for soft-serve consistency, or transfer the frozen yogurt to a container and freeze for several hours or up to several weeks.

2020 post

But a few weeks ago I had frozen some strawberries and wanted ice cream, but the ice cream bowl needs to be frozen for at least a few hours. Ours wasn't in the freezer (it lived there last summer) as we needed room to stock up during the quarantine.

I found a one ingredient recipe which I tweaked with my additions.
I made it again with blueberries which was also good, but not as good as the strawberries.
I then made it with frozen canned pineapple I had leftover from another recipe. Also good.
I can see any number of combinations working.

INGREDIENTS
2 cups chopped strawberries or blueberries or pineapple
1–2 tsp sugar, optional I used honey

35% whipping cream, just a little to make it creamy
INSTRUCTIONS
1. Chop strawberries in half.
2. Freeze strawberries
3. Put frozen strawberries into a food processor and blend. You may need to scraped down the sides a few times.
4. Keep blending until it smooths out into soft serve strawberry ice cream.
5. Eat immediately or freeze for later. Serve with your favorite toppings.

I came across this article in the New York Times a day after I wrote this post.
Make sorbet from canned fruit. It contains some amazing combinations.

June 13 2020 - raspberries

June 21 2020 - blackberry and lemon honey 35% cream

                         4 bananas and peanut butter 35% cream
May 2021 - mango banana peanut butter

IDEAS
Pink grapefruit basil lime zest

Apple and cinnamon
Rum and raisin

August 13 2020

Found a recipe for no churn ice cream and decided I needed to make it since John had bought cherries and I had dark chocolate from another project along with some past its due date whipping cream. The recipe is from Foodie Adventures. I had also just read that if you soaked fruit in a little vodka it wouldn't freeze rock solid in ice cream, so I did that as well and it worked.

Ingredients
500ml-600ml of heavy cream/thickened cream
1 can of condensed milk (390-400g)
Any toppings you wish (think toppings like chocolate, cookies, nutella or flavoured sauces!)

OPTIONAL - vodka or your alcoholic choice
Method


Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form. This may take between 5-10 minutes.
Once stiff peaks have formed slowly fold in the condensed milk.

Soak your fruit choice in vodka. 
When everything is mixed, add your desired toppings and mix them through. *Note if you’d like to add some of your desired toppings on top of the mix, don’t add all of your toppings to the mix, set some aside.*
Pour the mix into a freezer safe container and put the mix in the freezer. *Note, if you set aside some of your toppings, place them on top of the mix now.*
Cover the container and put it in the freezer.

I could also see using flavoured liquors such as lemoncello with raspberries.

2021 

2020 Pandemic

Speaking of ice cream,  I named 2019 The Summer of Ice Cream as we set out to try as many places as we could.

Dundas West was our first introduction to exotic ice cream.

On Dundas West

Queen St. West

Here is a video from probably the most interesting! This was on Baldwin St. steps from the AGO but a new neighbourhood for us.

The there was the POOP CAFE! On Bloor St. West

Vegan ice cream on Queen West.

Yonge St,

Japanese on College St.

Sharing with Suzanne at Garbardine's on Bay.

Harbord St.

Chinatown - gigantic macaron ice cream sandwich.

In Stratford for the weekend.

Trinity Bellwoods - Nadege
John - Canadian Gourmet - maple, nuts and chocolate brittle
Mine - lemon cheesecake, not very lemony but lots of cheese chunks
Average.

Samples from Nani's - carrot and cream and sweet potato, both delicious.
He is top of our list for next summer!

Kream

  Linking up with Marg at The Intrepid Reader

Weekend Coffee Share
Sunday Salon

June 2024 - Toronto ON

May 2024 - Yonge St. Toronto

Saturday-Sunday

I made a cheesecake with this recipe but used limes instead of lemons. I also made a blueberry compote to top it. We also had some pie as "lunch" after bacon and eggs for breakfast on Sunday.

I also made a soup using the leftover lamb shank bones and sauce along with another lamb bone we had frozen. The soup was a great for a Monday lunch with Sunday's leftover rice.

We tend to do chores on the weekend so we can be out and about during the week.

After a dreary weekend, Monday was more of the same! So I made the management decision to spend the day in, bingeing on MasterChef Australia! It got really chilly in here, I ran into a woman in the elevator who said she had to put socks and a sweater on!

Tuesday, and it continues to be dreary! Dressed accordingly (13C), we headed out on the 11:20 shuttle for lunch at The Bangkok Garden Thai buffet ($22 pp). The buffet was disappointing, the vegetarian springs rolls, veggie balls and chicken wings were very good, the red chicken curry tasted like plain boiled chicken. John said that the noodle soup was hot and spicy. The fish was good as were the vegetable dishes but not hot enough.

Pics along the way.

Dundas Square

First Canadian Shake Shack - opening Thursday. Having eaten there in Vegas in March, I won't be rushing there.

I mentioned the demolition of this building on Monday Mural this week. The outer wall had a history of murals.

Welcome to 8 Elm, in collaboration with Simu Liu, a spectacular new 69-storey condominium by Reserve Properties and Capital Developments, offering an exhilarating lifestyle in the heart of Toronto.

Elm will preserve the James Fleming heritage building at its base. As part of the project scope, the existing properties at both 8 Elm Street and 348-350 Yonge Street will be conserved and incorporated into the redevelopment.

NEW! Funduk, a Turkish candy/pastry shop. Lots of nougats, I sampled a couple, delicious.

Lots of Turkish Delight, a favourite of mine since forever!

Baklava! 

Inspired by real Canadian stories, The Last Timbit follows a group of strangers who wait out the snowstorm of the decade in a Tim Hortons.

We caught the 2:45 shuttle and didn't get home until 4:30. We had seen and heard all the police cars, fire trucks and ambulance racing down York. When the bus reached the corner at York the traffic person stated there was an accident so the driver should find another route. It didn't matter they had closed the expressway due to a fatal accident so traffic wasn't moving anywhere.

Wednesdays John golfs.

I ordered tickets for Titanique, coming in December. 

 I went to St. Lawrence Market to get Greek dips for dinner.

Interesting contrast, the grey glass building middle right, has the GOOGLE logo on it.

Funny bag in a thrift shop - everything is under control.

Market St. is closed to vehicles for the summer. Check back on Tuesday for some history about these buildings.

I seem to attract fire trucks, a few weeks' ago it was Longo's.

the fire alarm was going in the block of buildings. The LCBO had already evacuated their store, but none of the restaurants had. The firefighters emptied the coffee shop as they walked by.

St. Lawrence Market PRIDE 2024.

Visit the Market Gallery from May 18 to August 4 to explore artist Kevin Matthew Wong’s Benevolence Hall. This free immersive community space invites visitors to reflect on their journeys and relationships to Canada, through the lens of Hakka (客家 / guest family) people.

Moon Gate

Buying olives for John, I don't like them, so the choice was overwhelming.

Outside of Meridian Hall was teeming with graduates as I went by but on my return they were all inside. 

The George Brown College of Applied Arts and Technology is a public, fully accredited college of applied arts and technology with three campuses in downtown Toronto (Ontario, Canada).

This construction traffic is the bane of my existence, so I can only image how the drivers feel.      I got the 3:45 bus (ten minutes late) and got home at 4:45.

Thursday John took two garbage bags to the thrift store and ran a couple of errands.

To go out or not? The weather took care of that, humid, tornado warnings and strong winds. In the end we didn't get anything, although areas around us did.

What a surprise to see a mention of my blog in another Toronto blog, As I Walk Toronto!

 It was in reference to this post I did about a quilt exhibit at the Textile Museum.

Friday John golfed at 11. I went to Kensington Market in search of Indian spices. 

It was a gorgeous day to wander, I should have started earlier because as it got near noon, there were hordes of school kids on day trips, I guess the schools are using up their funds, use it or lose it.

For more than a century Kensington Market has served as a multicultural gathering place and shopping district, where successive waves of immigration have left behind traces of their presence—even as new newcomers arrive to make their own mark. 

Super Serve Ice Cream - will be a stop on the next trip!

I couldn't find an artist signature. Click here to see more murals from this outing.

Immigrants from the British Isles started transforming the area west of Spadina Avenue from agricultural land into a neighbourhood in the 19th century.

You’ll notice many storefronts conceal the type of Victorian brick house they constructed all over Toronto. 

Lovely to see the neighbourhood still manages to keep its identity.

Golden! Zoom in on the floral mirror by the stairs.

There are some lovely private homes as well.

I stopped here on my way back to get some things and it was very busy! Strange, cash or debit (CDN) only.

Now it starts to get busy.

I had a hot dog at this new place.

I have reached my destination! Pay cash and there is no tax!

I am like a kid in a candy shop (oh, I did that above in the Turkish store!)!

The kids are everywhere now!

I picked up two gluten free bagels to see if John would like them.

More private homes steps away from Spadina and Dundas.

I took the 520 streetcar back to Union. I'll have to try these.

My haul.

These would have been cheaper if I had walked to the Chinatown stores, but it was fine.

COOKING

Saturday honey balsamic pork tenderloin, mashed turnips and carrots and broccolini. The pork recipe was okay, nothing special.

Sunday Curry Guy chicken curry page 184 and papadums. This was absolutely delicious, the best curry I've ever made. It could be spicier, I will tweak that in future, but the sauce is so smooth! I could have licked the bowl.

Here is the recipe (more or less),

Monday pork chops, mushy peas and mashed potatoes (sweet and white). I made enough so I don't have to cook on Thursday.

Tuesday John requested egg and onion sandwiches while we were at lunch.

Wednesday Greek dips, pita, salad. We'll have lunch for a few days!

Thursday bacon and leftover potatoes and mushy peas, mashed turnip.

Friday steak frites. I haven't really mentioned it, but John typically cooks Friday steak. If we have fries he also takes care of that. I make any sauces/dips and do the vegetables.

WATCHING

The Mayor of Kingstown season 3.

American Rust.

READING

Daughter started off slowly but then developed into a little confusing story that still kept my attention. Certain actions by the twin brothers and father don't make a lot of sense. This was beautifully written and I didn't mind the ending although many did. No spoilers, but we've all known this to happen in families.

It Girl how could I not like a book set in Oxford academia? A good read.