Vanilla ice cream sans ice cream maker

Recipe.

I love the idea of having homemade ice cream. As a matter of fact I have had an actual ice cream maker in my basket at Macy’s more than once. But before I make it to check out, the machine always goes back to the shelf. The problem is two-fold, not only is it not a good idea for me to have gallons of ice cream around the house at all times but I really don’t have a good place to store the equipment not to mention rock salt.

Due to my icy obsession I decided to do a little research on how I could achieve a preservative free ice cream in small quantities without much fuss. The ingredients are basic and the process pretty easy but you should plan this culinary adventure when you are going to be around the house since the steps are spread out over a few hours. If you want to get crazy you could add some chocolate chips, fresh berry puree, cookie dough or anything on hand that you love. Add these treats after you have whipped the ice cream. I think a little healthy ice cream is a great refreshing treat and after all, a girl’s gotta get her calcium.

Vanilla Ice Cream

2 eggs
¾ Cup sugar
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1 Cup milk
1 Pint heavy whipping cream
Pinch of Salt
2 Teaspoons vanilla

Using an electric mixer, beat the eggs for several minutes until thick and lemon colored. Add 1 cup of milk and blend into the eggs. Mix sugar and cornstarch in a large saucepan. Add egg/milk mixture to the sugar and cornstarch. Cook until thick (about 5 minutes) stirring constantly. Allow the custard mixture to cool to room temperature.

When the custard is cool, put into a freezer-safe bowl. Blend in cream and salt. Freeze for 2 hours or until slushy. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla. Whip for 5 to 10 minutes with an electric mixer. Return to freezer and finish freezing (several hours or overnight).

Sponsor: Moments of Elegance

Favors.

We are always excited to get a new sponsor. We especially love it when the sponsor offers so many creative products to enhance any event. Moments of Elegance was created to provide a one stop shop for your wedding, shower and special event needs.

Moments of Elegance is a huge fan of “practical favors,” favors you can eat or use. They have recently added plantable seed favors to the list. There is something special about a favor that is eco friendly and a continual reminder of the event.

Many times favors are one of the last things to be purchased for an event. At Hip Hostess we often like to work backwards. If you can find a great favor or source of inspiration it is easier to get the ball rolling on the overall event. You can create a theme, color scheme, invitation, etc using the favor as a guideline. It really helps in creating one-of-a-kind unique events.

Be sure to check out the vast array that Moments of Elegance has to offer and let the creative juices flow.

Personalized glass favor jars (set of 12)
With a large variety of labels to choose from this is an excellent way to gain inspiration. The jars hold 3.78 oz which will still provide a nice favor but allow you to stretch your dollar farther.


Palm Tree Favor with Multi dimensional Feature
These favor boxes would be great at a luau or shower for a destination wedding. They could also double as place cards at each setting.


Nothing is sweeter than love personalized lemonade
If you are having a wedding where many people are staying at the same B&B or hotel this is a great way to encourage an afternoon get together while sipping lemonade on the porch.

Schlee-voh-what?

Cocktail Recipe.

At my friend's recent wedding, I was introduced to Serbian Plum Brandy...also known as Slivovitz. Now I had heard horror stories from those before me in line about how it might taste similar to rocket fuel, but I didn't let that deter me. If the bride says let's do a shot of Slivovitz, who am I to deny the bride?

So I raised my shot glass and said a little toast, and boom! Rocket fuel. But what is surprising about Slivo is that while you feel like you could propel to the space station, there is also a nice aftertaste that comes on after a few seconds. And so after all of our grimacing, we all kept going back for more.

So this got me thinking, there has to be a cocktail recipe in the world that can temper the initial harshness of this liquor and take advantage of the sweet plum notes. After a little research I found the following tasty cocktail that I will quickly add to my repertoire. And it will give me a chance to say cheers in another language. Ziveli!

Slivovitz Fizz
1/2 oz Lime Juice
1 1/2 oz Slivovitz
1 tsp. simple syrup
Club Soda
Plum Slice

Mix brandy, lime juice, and sugar with cracked ice in a shaker or blender and pour into a chilled highball glass. Add more ice if necessary and fill with cold club soda. Garnish with plum slice.

Bar Basics

Entertaining at Home.

Many of our readers are newly engaged or are newlyweds entering their first apartment or home with their significant other. Of course this means you will be doing more at home entertaining. Today Hip Hostess is going to give you a few tips for setting up a small bar. This will give you the basic necessities to make sure you are always a prepared hostess.

Vodka: 1-3 bottles, including flavored. Vodka is always a must have because you can serve it on the rocks and it mixes well with any juice. It is also a basic ingredient when throwing together many signature cocktails.

Gin: 1 bottle for old-school martini lovers and tonic drinkers.

Tequila: 1 bottle will do the trick. It is the main ingredient in margaritas and not to mention a great shot.

Rum: 1 bottle to make delicious mojitos or mix up some fruity poolside umbrella drinks.

Whiskey: This is an expensive optional category depending on who you think you would be inviting. If you are planning on hosting a lot of corporate dinner parties then having a smooth bourbon or scotch on hand would be wise.

Beer: A 12 pack of your signature brand or a couple of fun Belgium Beers to taste is always a fun twist.

Red and white wine: I would recommend picking up wines on special and then writing a small cheat sheet to remind yourself of the attributes when serving (ie: hint of cherry, best if opened 1 hour prior to serving). That is the beauty of picking up wines on special, not only are they discounted but they also usually have all the information attached.

Prosecco or Cava: You can find a decent bottle of either for between $6-$12 dollars. They are great to have on hand in case you need to toast to something and they make elegant signature cocktails.

Mixers: Tonic, Coke, Pepsi, Club Soda, variety of juices, lemon and lime juice and a couple fruit purees.

Cocktail Recipes: This site http://www.globalgourmet.com/food/foodscpe/resources/cocktails/ offers many basic cocktail recipes. It is a great idea to print out some basics on recipe cards and stash them near the bar in case someone asks for something shaken not stirred.

Anyone else getting thirsty?

Link Love

Tuesday Inspiration.

Dwell Home
These simple painted frames make an amazing piece of artwork.

Melanger
Oh, how I love chocolate…and oh, how I want to eat one of these marshmallow chocolate cookies.

Design Vagabond
These adorable mobiles would be an amazing addition to any nursery.

Alkemie
Black walls in this boudoir are oh so glam.

Lighten the Mood

Fun Find for a Wine Party.

A great standby theme for a party is a Wine and Cheese tasting...as well it should be. Wine = delicious. Cheese = delicious. Wine & Cheese = Happy Dance.

The one drawback of a wine & cheese party is that it's been done a million times and imparts the idea of being stuffy, so it's always a good idea to mix things up a bit. Which is where Bob's Your Uncle comes in. I've long been a fan of their cheeky humor in greeting cards, but their wine paraphernalia is equally amazing. Here are some of my faves:


Wine Tasting Coaster Pad
Each pack of 48 tear-off paper coasters is printed with fake wine descriptions...all of which are funny with a hint of risque.

Letterpress Coaster Set

Or if you'd like to have a more permanent set of coasters with the same kind of humorous wine descriptions, you can also choose this letterpress version (printed on pulp board).

Gift Bags
And just because you are a guest doesn't mean that you can't bring the fun. These wine gift bags will make your host very happy that they invited you.

Contest Winners

Can you believe it's the beginning of August?!? Oh how time flies. So it is time to announce our contest winners for the month of July!

First up is the winner of the Briguygirls Lotus necklace:

farrah who said...
the quiet om necklace you are giving away is by far one of my favorite pieces..my younger sister and i have always seen the lotus as an agent of change and regeneration..we plan to get the lotus tattoo together upon my graduation from grad school..as well, our younger brother has recently joined the army and the stress of that lends itself to having the lotus close to my heart..

And then our Nimli Pashmina winner is:

Amanda Benton who said...
I really like the silver fern pendant - its so simple and beautiful. I hope I win the giveaway - my colors are lime green and white!!! Now, if I could just find a lime green wedding dress I would be on my way!

Congrats to our winners and stay tuned in early August for more amazing HH contests!

This Project Rocks

DIY.

When summer arrives everyone quickly moves the party outdoors and frankly, why wouldn’t you? It is relaxing, there is plenty of space, people can spill their red wine as many times as they want and the best is you don’t have to re-clean you house the next day after you spent hours making it look nice in the first place.

There are a couple of things that can be tricky about entertaining outside. One of them is that pesky wind. It can be disheartening to plan the perfect table setting with corresponding place cards only to see them blowing around the yard five minutes after placing them. Or what always seems to happen to me is, as the night winds down, there is always some board game or card game that everyone wants to try and the cards won’t stay on the table.

Well not anymore! This Hip Hostess is going to be prepared thanks to Poopscape Projects with a vase full of rocks that doubles as a cool centerpiece on the table or buffet. They could also do double duty and work as place cards with a purpose. Check out the tutorial here.

Spotted: 12 Little Gift Boxes by Semikolon

These little boxes are impressive all by themselves. I love to receive gifts or favors in a box that I can later use as a cute container for paper clips, jewelry, etc. and don’t mind having it displayed. The set of 12 is available for $25.00 and comes in red, yellow, blue, grey and chocolate. The great thing is that these little guys don’t need a lot of embellishment which will save you time as well as money on ribbon and paper. Each box measures 1" x 1.8" x 1.8" x 1.1". Not only are the boxes classic, but the sturdy construction will hold up well if you need to ship items beforehand. Also, if buying a large number it is always a good idea to see if the vendor offers an additional discount.

Summer Fruit Puree

Cocktail Recipe.

When entertaining it is always a good idea to use whatever produce is plentiful and in season. I can’t get enough of the delicious stone fruit and berries this time of year. The flavors are so vibrant that you have to do very little work to make something taste fantastic.

Many people associate fruit with pies, parfaits and fruit salads. Hip Hostess likes to mix it up a little and make a few fruit purees to serve with Prosecco or Cava. It is really easy and can be done 1 day ahead and the color combinations make for a great presentation. Plus all the flavor choices make for great conversation starters. The puree lowers the alcohol content of each drink making it perfect for brunch functions. For a non-alcoholic version you can use apple juice in place of Prosecco or Cava.

Ingredients (12 servings)
2 cups sugar
1 cup water
16 oz. of any stone fruit or berries
1 tsp. grated orange peel
4 to 6 bottles chilled Prosecco or Cava (less expensive than Champagne)


Directions
Stir the sugar and water in a large saucepan over medium hear until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Cool completely.

Puree the peaches or similar in a blender with ½ cup of the sugar syrup. Strain, cover and refrigerate. In a clean blender puree the berries with 1/3 cup of the sugar syrup. Strain, cover and refrigerate. You can repeat as many times as necessary with your assorted fruits. When you are ready to serve, place each individual puree into a clear glass bowl or small pitcher.

For each serving, pour 2 to 4 tbsp of fruit puree into a wine glass or flute. Pour enough Prosecco or Cava to fill, gently stir to blend. Garnish with the whole berries if desired.

***Note-You may also put out a pitcher of orange juice in case some of the guests don’t find the combination sweet enough.