Easy-NO ICE CREAM MAKER-2 Ingredient Ice Cream-Take 2: Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week 11 (Vanilla/Vanilla Beans)

Ice cream is okay.

I mean, it's good. I like it. It's just...

I could have chocolate instead.

Don't get me wrong, sometimes that mood hits me and I really want some ice cream like right that second. But in general, there are desserts I'd prefer (like this or this.)

The boy, however, he loves him some ice cream.

It's a part of that whole "refreshing" obsession he seems to have.

Anyway, I'm becoming a big fan of having as much of stuff I make be as homemade as possible. 

Then I saw something about ways to make ice cream with only 2 ingredients (plus mix-ins). Then I saw it again. I was intrigued. Not only because of the short ingredient list, but also-it requires no ice cream maker of any sort. Which is good, because I don't have one (still holding out on getting that KitchenAid Stand Mixer someday, then the ice cream attachment :P)

I had a recipe for a mixed berry milkshake I had been planning to make for Michael (like the nice girlfriend I am). And I decided that was the perfect time to attempt this ice cream.

I only needed vanilla ice cream for the milkshake (as opposed to the various different flavors I'd read about)-so I decided adding some vanilla extract to the base would create what I was looking for.

It worked!

It's awesome. Doesn't taste different than any other ice cream. 

And it.is.so.EASY!

I'm super excited to attempt the different, fun kinds!

(oh, and the boy approved)

(Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2,Week 11 Parts 1 and 2, and Week 12 Part 1)

2 Ingredient Vanilla Ice Cream

Adapted from Brown Eyed Baker's 2 Ingredient Ice Cream and Kevin and Amanda's Easy Homemade Ice Cream

The Supposedly "Right Way To Make" Cinnamon Toast-Holiday Recipe Exchange: Week 12 (Vanilla/Vanilla Beans)

I had a great weekend with my mom :). Spending some time with her made me think about when I was little, it brings me right back to childhood. Whenever I had an upset tummy (or was just in the mood) my mom would make me cinnamon sugar toast. And it always tasted great. It was comforting. Well, fast forward a lot of years to me in my food blog obsession (a phase that is obviously not going away :P) I was going through all of the recipes on The Pioneer Woman (as I always do when I find a new food blog) and found her very passionate post about making cinnamon toast "the right way". She then gave examples of 4 ways you can make it. And her absolute WORST method-was the one I had so fondly grown up with. I was shocked. I had no idea apparently I'd been eating inferior cinnamon toast all along. So I decided to try out her superior method. And....

I mean...it's good. There's nothing wrong with it. It's just....

I still like mine the old fashioned way.

But! This is pretty tasty-and since The Holiday Recipe Exchange is featuring vanilla, and that is this recipe's secret ingredient (and one that, in my opinion, was actually a little overpowering in this), I thought now was the time to share my findings with you and let you decide for yourself how you like your cinnamon toast.

And if you'd be ever so sweet to share your opinions, you know I'd just love you forever :)

(Other Holiday Recipe Exchange posts: Week 1 Parts 1 and 2, Week 3, Week Six, Week Seven, Week Nine , and Week 10 Parts 1 and 2 and Week 11 Parts 1 and 2)

Cinnamon Toast "The Right Way"

From The Pioneer Woman

A Recipe for a Great Weekend

I know she looks like a teen mom here-but she was 22, I promise. Just looks young :P

 My mommy's here.

I'm so excited.

We're going to go see NYC all Christmas-y.

I hope you have a great weekend too :)

I love this pic of us.