We Got a New Ice Cream Maker!

Having food allergies sucks. Marley is allergic to wheat and chicken eggs (and shrimp, but that doesn't effect her ice cream eating) and most good ice cream contains eggs. When I say good ice cream, I mean the stuff that has few ingredients. NOT the stuff with high fructose corn syrup and "natural" flavorings.

Of course, I jumped at the chance to test out the Ariete-DeLonghi stainless steel ice cream maker. Just like good ice cream has few ingredients, the ice cream maker has few parts. There is the jumbo freezer part, an ice cream bucket, a paddle to churn, the lid with an opening to pour, a spatula to scrape out the ice cream, and a measuring cup to pour the mixture into the bucket. I actually found it much easier to put my mixture into a large 4 cup measuring cup for easy pouring.

You can place your mixture into the ice cream maker either hot or cold. When I made gelato, I cooked the fruit down and I just could not wait for it to cool before I got started. It churned for the full hour and was nearly perfect. I scooped it out of the bucket and placed it in a container that I froze for about 20 minutes. After that, it was perfect. I also tried making ice cream from cold ingredients. It froze much faster. In fact, the paddle stopped churning after 45 minutes! I had to let it thaw a bit before I added our gluten free chocolate sandwich cookies.

I seriously have no idea how we have gone so long without an ice cream maker in our lives and I can't wait to share some of our recipes with you!

I did receive the ice cream maker at a promotional discount in exchange for testing and my honest review.

Spooky Spider Web Tutu

Dress up has always been a favorite past time in this house, and tutus should be worn as often as possible. I was given the opportunity to test out this sweet Halloween tutu. Unfortunately, it was not in my size, but when Marley saw it, she jumped at the chance to test it out for me. The tutu has three layers of tulle - the top layer is black and printed with shiny gold spiderwebs, while the second two layers are plain black.

What we really liked about this tutu is that the tulle layers are sewn onto satin covered elastic. Marley is very particular about the way her clothes feel. Tags always have to be cut out, and there is no way she could wear a tutu without leggings underneath. She often can't keep them on for an extended period of time because the elastic will slide up and irritate her skin. The satin covered elastic means that she can tolerate wearing it for the day.

This item will fit most little girls ages 3 - 10. Marley wears a US size 10 and it fits now, but it won't fit next year. I was able to order this tutu at a promotional discount in exchange for testing and my honest review. You can purchase yours here.

Join the Movement: Koffee Kult

This post contains sponsored links from Koffee Kult.

As I hail from the Seattle area, I fancy myself a bit of a coffee connoisseur. I don’t have high expectations for coffee purchased of the internet, since I can go to a local roaster and watch them roast my beans. This bag of Koffee Kult’s Colombia Huila showed up in the mail, and one look at the squirrel with the crazy hypnotizing eyes has me changing my tune.

After staring at the squirrel for awhile, I noticed that the bag opening is very different than most coffee bags I’ve encountered. It’s like, a ziplock top, so you can squeeze all the air out and fully seal the bag, sealing in the flavors. I poured some of the beans into a small bowl to take a closer look. They were a nice, dark color with a bit of a shine from the coffee oils. This is a good sign - as it shows that the beans have not been over-roasted. 

My favorite way to drink coffee is black, and made in a french press. When I poured the water into the press, I noticed the water changed to a warm chocolatey color almost immediately. I gave the grounds a good stir, and went on about my business, allowing them to steep for several minutes.

Finally, I was able to pour my cuppa. Upon tasting, I found a mildly acidic, smooth coffee with a bit of sweetness. It is an excellent cup of black coffee.

The listing for the coffee states that the beans are organically sourced from Huila’s high mountain elevations. However, these beans are not certified organic OR fair trade which is really the number one priority for me when purchasing coffee. For this reason and this reason only, I would rate this coffee a ⅘ stars.

I did receive this coffee at a promotional discount in exchange for writing a review on this blog. Feel free to click on links to purchase, there are no affiliate links on this post.