Cold, Cold Heart

This probably comes as a surprise to everyone including me, but I'm not the least bit sad about not having a Valentine this year. Having no Valentine is definitely better than having an idiot for one. The dating pool here is as dried up as I am, and I don't think any of my eHarmony matches could even pass the Turing test. I guess I could change and try to be more attractive and less geeky, starting with not making references to the Turing test and not obsessing over cooking and food, but what's the fun in that? Today, I am okay with being single.

This year I celebrated my cold, cold heart by hosting an ice cream party and inviting some of my best lady friends. I spent a fun couple of days making four different ice creams - Vanilla, Apple Sorbet, Lemon-Buttermilk Sherbet, and Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato - and two different toppings - hot fudge and caramel sauce.



For some time, my favorite homemade ice cream was plain old vanilla. Vanilla can be complemented by any number of sauces, fruits, or toppings, or it can stand alone. However, this night, the apple sorbet was out of this world! I poured caramel sauce over it, and it tasted like a caramel apple that wouldn't ruin your dental work. Definitely the easiest to make out of the four flavors, and I think many of my guests agreed it was the best.

Simply mix 1 quart of apple cider, 1 cup of sugar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, and 2 tablespoons of dark rum (optional, or sub 2 teaspoons of vanilla), chill, and churn. The mixture tasted delicious unfrozen, and I'm sure you could heat it if you're into warm beverages on cold, winter days instead of ice cream like I am.

I'm happy to report that four quarts of ice cream was more than enough for nine women. Those are leftovers that don't get pushed to the back of the fridge - people fight to finish those off.



My ice cream is already famous. I often take interest in where my flickr photos show up. My Bacon Ice Cream is on a list of Bizarre Ice Cream Flavors. My Rocky Road is promoting Milkmade Ice Cream. Last year's Maple Ice Cream with Chocolate Sauce photo is on a health-promoting site next to this headline: Ice Cream and Foods High in Saturated Fats May Encourage Overeating. Oh, that's really nice.