Homemade Single Serve Ice Cream in 5 Minutes!

When I was 15, my first job was at an ice cream store called, "Treat Street." Some of my friends worked there, I loved ice cream, and it was air conditioned in the summer -- what more could you want? Ever since then, I've had a slight addiction to ice cream. I've never made it myself (why make it when there's Ben & Jerry's in the world?) but when I saw this post from DoItDarling, it seemed too good to pass up. C'mon, ice cream in 5 minutes? I put it to the test.



To make these you'll need:

1/2 cup of milk (cream or half and half work too)
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1/4 teaspoon of vanilla (I made mine here)
6 Tablespoons of kosher salt
12-24 ice cubes
1 gallon-sized Ziploc bag
1 pint-sized (or sandwich-sized) Ziploc bag

Start by adding your milk to the pint or sandwich-sized Ziploc bag.

And then add your sugar and vanilla. If you want to make chocolate ice cream, now would be the time to add chocolate syrup and seal it up tight!

In your gallon-sized bag, add your kosher salt.

Stick the smaller bag with the milk, sugar, and vanilla inside the larger bag and add enough ice cubes to fill up half of the bag in ice (I used 24 ice cubes - 2 trays - and it worked out just fine).

Now seal up the bigger bag and shake vigorously for 5 minutes. Some tips?

   #1 - Wear oven mitts. The bag is going to get cold and slippery because of the condensation

   #2 - Shake over the sink. During the last minute, my bag tore and I was shaking salty water everywhere!

After the 5 minutes are up, take out the small bag. From the outside, it might not look like ice cream...

But from the inside, you'll see it is! Ice cream for one, please!

While I was adding the milk, sugar, and vanilla to the smaller bag, I also added some peppermint extract (1/2 teaspoon was way too much, by the way!) but it did give it a nice minty flavor. I also added some mini chocolate chips because who doesn't like a nice topping with their ice cream? I wouldn't say it's enough for two but it is just enough if you have a sweet tooth!

TOTAL COSTS: About $18.50 (if you don't have any of the ingredients, prices from Vons)

$2.29 for milk
$2.69 for sugar
$4.99 for store-bought vanilla
$3.49 for kosher salt
$2.99 for a box of gallon-sized Ziploc bags
$2.09 for a box of sandwich Ziploc bags
I would hope you have ice cubes in your freezer!

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 10 minutes 

5 minutes adding all the ingredients together

5 minutes of shaking the bag

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5

The shaking is a really good workout for your arms so if you're just getting out of the hospital or you did 100 pushups yesterday and you can't raise your arms above your head, this might not be the project for you. However, if you don't mind shakin' what your mama gave you, the ice cream is a nice treat after the workout you'll be getting!

DIY Wax Paper Luminarias

Want a fun decoration this Memorial Day weekend? Or maybe you're having a rustic wedding this summer and want to make an easy centerpiece? These wax paper lanterns are so ridiculously easy to make, you could whip together a few before any of your guests arrive! I took these instructions from APracticalWedding and added a few pointers! All you need to make these are:

* Wax paper

* Scotch tape or washi tape

* An x-acto knife or scissors

* Pressed flowers (sorry for my pathetic selection!)

* A ruler

* An iron

* A tea light candle

* (optional) Skewers to help support the lantern

Start by measuring out four 4 1/2" x 9" rectangular pieces of wax paper. Once they're all cut out, fold them in half so you have four squares.

On top of an ironing board or towel, lay out your rectangle with the pressed flowers on one side.

Fold over the wax paper so the flowers are now inside the square.

And using an iron on medium heat, gently go over the wax paper until it has melted together into one panel.

Once all four panels have been ironed, tape them together. Whatever you want to be on the front of the lanterns, have that side face you and not the table. I recommend taping the entire length of the panels, but you could use more if you want.

Once the four sides have been taped together, crease over the tape to form a nice cube shape. Stick your candle in the middle, and voila! Your wax paper luminaria is complete!

You really don't need the skewers, unless you want extra support and weight. If you don't use the skewers and plan to place these outside, be prepared for them to fly away because there's nothing holding them down! One tip? Keep the flowers away from the edges of the paper, otherwise the tape may cover them up!

TOTAL COST: Free!

Flowers from the overgrown abandoned bush down the street

Wax paper, tape, iron, ruler, scissors, and tea light candle from IKEA all on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 20 minutes

I'm sure the more you do it, the faster it'll be, especially if you could get an assembly line going (one person making the rectangles, one person ironing, and one person taping). Most of the time was spent cutting out the wax paper rectangles.

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5

This is very easy - I thought I was going to burn the paper or have it melt and make a mess. If you have a garden and want to display your flowers in a unique way, or just want some simple decoration for a dinner party, I highly recommend giving these a try!

DIY Vanilla Extract

I love finding out I can make my own things, like brown sugar or laundry detergent. But when I saw this post by TidyMom on how to make your own vanilla extract, I was all in. Sure, I knew it would take a while, but it's totally worth it in the end. The smell alone is heavenly! So here's what you'll need:

1. Vanilla beans (available at your grocery store with the spices)
2. Vodka
3. A glass container to hold the vanilla
4. A sharp knife
5. Something to remind you once a week (app on your phone, perhaps?)
6. (optional) A funnel or measuring glass to help pour the vodka into the container



Start by cutting your beans in half (so I had two long beans and cut them in half to make four small beans)

Then using your knife, start 1/4" from one end and carefully slice the bean in half lengthwise.

Place the beans into your container (I just used the same container the beans originally came in), and pour in your vodka. The original post recommends 6-8 vanilla bean pieces (or 3 to 4 whole beans) with 8 ounces of vodka.

And now... the waiting game. Place your container in a dark, cool place (like the back of the pantry) and once a week, shake the container. How long do you have to do this? Well, 6 weeks is fine but if you wait 8 weeks, the flavor and color will be more intense. Here's what mine looked like week by week:

You can see the gradual change in color week by week, but you have to be patient (and you have to remember to shake it -- I had to set a reminder on my phone for the same day/time every week). Have fun making your own vanilla extract -- these would be great gifts come the holiday season!

TOTAL COSTS: About $18 (but I also bought a 750ml bottle!)

$5.99 for vanilla beans from Whole Foods

$11.99 for Smirnoff vodka from BevMo

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 6-8 weeks

You can start using the vanilla around the 6 week mark but I recommend waiting another two weeks so you can have a richer flavor!

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5

You're not doing much of anything, it's the vodka and vanilla that's doing all the work!

DIY Glow-In-The-Dark Nail Polish (look, but don't touch!)

So here's something I came across on Pinterest via Twitter:

That seemed easy enough! Boy oh boy was I ever wrong... this took three tries and by the third, I eventually got it to work but it's not as easy as you might think.

Test #1 - I did exactly what the post said. I broke a blue glow stick...

I cut off one of the tips so the liquid could come out...

And I attempted to get it in the clear nail polish.

Ok, so many problems with this, I'm not quite sure where to begin!

   #1 - Unless you break every millimeter of the stick, it's not going to come out easy at all
   #2 - You're going to start to get frustrated and cut it into pieces, thinking it'll get out faster
   #3 - You'll then make a mess but not realize it until you go into a dark room and see it all over your hands
   #4 - It'll all be for nothing because it's not going to change the clear nail polish into glow-in-the-dark polish.

Test #2 - Why not skip the nail polish altogether and just try to apply the goo directly onto the nails? So again, I broke a pink glow stick, I cut off the tip and I tried to put the goo directly on the nails.

More problems! You're going to have small crunchy particles on your nails, you're going to get it all over your hands (see below), and ultimately make a mess. However, it does work (in a sense), so I gave it one final go.

Test #3 - This time I decided to use a technique I posted last New Years Eve re: DIY lanterns.

So I broke a green glow stick...

I cut the tip and, using an empty tin can, I shook the stick against the sides until all the contents came out.

Then using my clean nail polish brush, I applied the goo directly onto my nails without causing a mess.

Here you can see what it looks like in the light and in the dark:

Now here's why I don't recommend you do it:

#1 - The stuff inside of glow sticks is toxic. Should your hand come anywhere near your mouth, you'd need to call poison control immediately.
#2 - The stuff inside of glow sticks doesn't dry. So you can wait 20 minutes and it'll still wipe right off.
#3 - The glow doesn't last that long. After 20 minutes, you're back to where you started.

While it was fun experimenting, you're better off just buying some glow-in-the-dark nail polish that is guaranteed to dry and not potentially put your health at risk.

TOTAL COST: $2
$1 for 6-pack of glow sticks from Target
$1 for clear nail polish from Rite Aid

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: 10 minutes for Test #3

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 1 out of 5 for Test #3
It's not hard to crack a glow stick, whip the contents into a container, and use a nail polish brush to apply, but the question is... would you really want to?

John Legend's Macaroni and Cheese

Who doesn't love the soulful sound of John Legend's voice, the crazy talent in his fingers when he plays the piano, or the fact that he wrote a beautiful song to his wife when they got married? The man's got talent, to say the least. So when I saw this recipe for his mac n' cheese, I figured it had to be a hit as well. If he's as good in the kitchen as he is in the recording studio, it must taste heavenly, right? And let me tell you, it does! The best way to describe it? The end-all-be-all lasagnas of mac n' cheese. Take a look...

First, grab these ingredients:

* 16 oz. package of extra-sharp cheddar cheese
* 8 oz. package of Monterey Jack cheese
* 4 Tablespoons of unsalted butter
* 3 Cups of macaroni
* 24 oz. can of evaporated milk
* 1/3 Cup of skim milk (I used reduced fat and it was fine!)
* 2 large eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon of seasoned salt (I didn't have any so I used regular table salt)
* 1/4 teaspoon of garlic powder
* Paprika
* Salt and ground pepper

Start by preheating your oven to 375 and getting a pot of water boiling for the macaroni. While that's warming up, whisk together your evaporated milk, skim milk (if you have any), and eggs. Once combined, add in your seasoned salt, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 teaspoon of pepper.

In another bowl, grate your cheeses and thoroughly mix. At this point your water is probably boiling so you can add the macaroni and cook until al dente. FYI - hand-grating this much cheese is a pain so if you prefer pre-shredded cheese, I won't tell.

Once the pasta is cooked and drained, add your butter and coat the pasta in butter until it has completely melted. Hey, I never said this recipe was healthy!

Now comes the lasagna effect. Grease your 9x13 baking dish and put a third of your macaroni on the bottom.

Then cover that macaroni with a third of your grated cheese.

Keep adding the macaroni and cheese layers until the pan is completely full.

Pour in your milk mixture evenly over the entire pan.

Sprinkle paprika on top and stick in the oven for 35-45 minutes (or until the top is slightly browned).

Give it 10 minutes to cool, as it will be quite hot, and enjoy this delicious medley of cheesy goodness from Mr. Legend himself.

TOTAL COSTS: About $18 (minus seasonings - prices from Vons)
$5.49 for 16 oz. package of extra-sharp cheddar cheese
$2.99 for 8 oz. package of Monterey Jack cheese
$.99 for butter
$.99 for macaroni
$2.58 for evaporated milk
$2.49 for eggs
$2.29 for milk
Paprika, garlic powder, salt, and pepper already on hand

TOTAL AMOUNT OF TIME: About an hour and a half
50 minutes to boil and cook macaroni, grate cheeses, make milk mixture, and layer pasta and cheeses
35 minutes to bake
10 minutes to cool

EASY-PEASY SCALE (1 super easy - 5 very difficult): 2 out of 5
Nothing too difficult about this one - the hardest parts might be not overcooking the macaroni (which I did) and grating the cheese (which is more annoying than hard). Other than that, chalk one up to the music man because it's divine!