Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk)

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Nearly two years ago I started this blog in an effort to share my peculiar eating habits, practice food styling, and someday contribute to the ministries I support. In the last two months my traffic has increased over 150%, and when I looked into why I found that one of my simplest and oldest recipes just hit the right chord with the internet. To everyone who has contributed to this recent boom, thank you! Along with the spread of this recipe has come a barrage of questions, so this repost is to answer every question I’ve ever received about the recipe…and to give it a new look :)

Scroll down for the recipe and FAQs.

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Strawberry Ice Cream
2 cans coconut milk
6 ounces frozen strawberries OR 1 ½ cups fresh strawberries
1/3 cup raw honey

Using only the fat* from the canned coconut milk, blend all ingredients. Now there are several ways to freeze the ice cream base, and there are several ways to process the ice cream.

Freezing and processing options:
-Freeze ice cream base in ice cube trays. Once frozen process in a food processor until creamy.
-Freeze ice cream base in ice cube trays. One frozen press through a Champion Juicer.
-Pour ice cream base into a bowl and stir occasionally as it freezes. Eat as soon as it reaches a thick consistently.
-Pour ice cream base into a large shallow dish (like a casserole dish). Once frozen scrape the solid mass with a fork until soft enough to serve.
-Freeze ice cream base in popsicle molds.
-Use an ice cream maker.

*Canned coconut milk will separate into fat and water. Do not shake the can and you will be able to remove the fat from the can while leaving the water at the bottom. You will need 2 cups of coconut milk fat for this recipe.

FAQ

Where do I buy canned coconut milk?
I buy Native Forest Organic coconut milk from VitaCost. Most grocery stores carry Thai Kitchen coconut milk, and every health food store carries some brand of coconut milk. Although unmarked, I read that Native Forest uses BPA free cans, which is why I prefer their brand.

How many cans do I need?
Two. Every brand of coconut milk is slightly different, but two cans is enough for this recipe.

How many servings does this make?
Four servings

Can I use coconut cream?
Yes. Trader Joes sells a canned coconut cream, which is the same as coconut milk but it has more fat and less water in each can. You need 2 cups of coconut fat (cream) for this recipe.

Can I use coconut oil?
No. Coconut oil is just the oil pressed from the meat of the coconut. You want coconut milk, which is the meat and water blended together.

Can I use coconut butter?
Yes. Coconut butter is dried and ground coconut meat. Blend ¼ cup coconut butter and 2 cups water to make milk before adding the strawberries and honey.

Can I use a base other than coconut milk?
Yes. You can use cream or yogurt, and if you don’t eat dairy you can make your own nut cream. Just make a simple nut milk, but use less water for a thicker consistency and a more creamy ice cream.

Can I use a sweetener other than honey?
Yes. Agave, maple syrup, and date paste work well in place of honey. Stevia can be used to taste.

Can I make other flavors?
Yes! Raspberry, chocolate, vanilla, peanut butter, mint, and many more flavors can be made.

What if I do not have a high-speed blender?
You do not need a high-speed blender for this recipe. When using frozen strawberries just thaw before hand for easiest blending.

What if I do not have an ice cream maker?
You do not need an ice cream maker for this recipe. See above for a list of options for freezing and processing the ice cream.

Remember, this is ice cream :) Enjoy!

Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/
Strawberry Ice Cream (coconut milk) http://www.immerwachsen.com/2013/05/07/strawberry-ice-cream-coconut-milk/

Mint Chocolate Fudge Pies

It’s that time of year! Christmas baking and treats galore. Last year I made several raw goodies to get through the season healthy and satisfied. Hopefully this year’s addition will encourage healthy eating on into next year. This pie is basically fudge in a crust. So good and ooey gooey!



Mint Chocolate Fudge Pies
Crust:
2 c oat groats
1/2 c coconut sugar
1/2 c water
2 t olive oil
1/2 t Celtic Sea salt

Filling:
1 c cashew butter
1 c honey
1/2 c cacao powder
2 t mint extract

Grind oat groats into flour. Process all crust ingredients and spread into pan (or pans). Dehydrate for a few hours or just until the crust is no longer sticky. For the filling, process all ingredients until oil just begins to separate (this is when it becomes fudge-like). Fill crusts and refrigerate. Enjoy!



Merry Christmas!

berry tarts

What a week! Sunday was so beautiful here, and Lake Michigan was warm and perfect for swimming. I just keep finding more and more that I like about this place! C, K, a friend from out of state, and I went to pick up my sister Sarah (Sar) in the evening and then we all went out to dinner. Almost all week there’s been something going on and I think it’s been a nice vacation for Sar. There had been longtime plans to watch “Life Is Beautiful” while Sar was here, so Monday night we all shared a simple Italian themed dinner with Spancy Bakes artisan bread, fresh basil and tomatoes from the farm, mozzarella cheese, and a big salad. Then there was raw vanilla ice cream over black coffee while we watched the film. It was all so good! Everyday I’m thankful to be here. To be a part of the lives of the people who live here, and to be in the midst of God’s creation on a daily basis. I only hope to grow in the Lord and praise Him for the trials and blessings alike. I think this is just the beginning of a new and exciting adventure : )


Berry Tarts
crust:
2 c almonds (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c golden flax seed
1 c coconut oil
1/2 c buckwheat flour
2 T maple syrup
1/2 t Celtic Sea salt

filling:
4 c cashews (soaked)
1 c raw honey
1/2 c lemon juice
2 t vanilla extract

First, make the crust and grind the flax seed into a flour. Combine all ingredients by hand or in a food processor. Press into tart pans and refrigerate until firm. For the filling, process or blend all ingredients until creamy. Pour into crust and let set and then/or top with fresh berries and enjoy!

There’s still time to enter the giveaway for Artisana and Ruth’s Foods samples! Read how here. The winner will be announced at the end of July.


blueberry cobbler

Today I take my final and say goodbye to three more credit hours. One hundred and seventeen hours down, seven more to go. It seems like eons ago that I started school. It seems like eons ago that I didn’t have a class to think about. It seems like eons ago that I’ve been in this current class. Now it’s almost over and I look back over the last seven weeks in amazement that I’ve made it this far. I don’t know about you, but school has always been a challenge. Unless I do something creative or active nothing ever just comes naturally. For this current class I literally prayed everyday about school so not to be anxious about the seemingly gargantuan task ahead of me. Then I prayed again before each and every assignment or test. And you know what? I was free. It may seem small, but the power of prayer was shown evident throughout the course of this class. It literally boggles my mind that I actually made it this far. To God be the glory!

Now that my schedule will be open I’ll be all over this blog and different design projects. I cannot wait!

Blueberry Cobbler
2 c oat groats
1 c flax
1/4 c coconut oil
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c honey
1 t Celtic Sea salt

3 c blueberries (fresh or thawed frozen)
1/4 c honey

Grind oat groats and flax into a flour. Process all ingredient except for blueberries and honey. Mix 1/4 cup honey into blueberries and top with oat crumble. Enjoy!

a picnic with rosemary & thyme biscuits

So I’m back! It felt so good to be behind a camera again and set up the food I served for a small picnic with friends this past week. We ate raw herb bread with cheeses, kalamata olives, medjool dates, and raw honey. It was delicious and such a treat to share with other people who aren’t familiar with my seemingly strange food creations.

Just two weeks ago I moved up to Wisconsin for the summer and am WWOOFing on an organic vegetable farm. It feels so good to have my hands in the dirt and be a part of growing fresh produce. The farm has the potential to throw a feast at any given moment with food picked just minutes before serving. It’s a pretty delicious place to live.

I could say so much about this place and the people, so you’ll probably see the farm through Immer Wachsen over the summer. My recipe ideas list grows everyday with all the potential things I can make here, so stay tuned for what God has planned for this blog!

Rosemary & Thyme Biscuits
dry ingredients:
2 c buckwheat groat flour (soaked and dehydrated)
1 c golden flax seeds
1 c psyllium husks
1 t Celtic Sea salt

wet ingredients:
2 c water
1/4 c olive oil
1/4 c Irish moss gel
1 T honey

herb brush:
2 T olive oil
1 T rosemary
1 T thyme
1/4 t Celtic Sea salt

Grind flax seeds and process together with other dry ingredients. Add wet ingredients. Roll dough using a dusting of buckwheat flour and cut out biscuits. Brush with rosemary and thyme oil. Dehydrate for about 24 hours on 105°F.