Homemade Ice Cream (without an Ice Cream maker)

At my last farm I got this recipe from my host Sheryn.  We used the milk fresh from the cow and eggs right from the ducks.  It was awesome - I am sure it would work just was well with items from your local grocery.
When we made the ice cream we had a stand mixer which makes things faster because you can just let it mix and do something else - with a hand mixer be prepared to be beating for a long time.  You have to whip three things separately - egg white, egg yolks, and heavy cream.

Ingredients:
3 large eggs
10 tbs of white sugar
2 cups of heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
(flavors, optional)

Process
Separate into two mixing bowls:
three eggs (yolks in one, whites in the other)
add 5T of sugar to each bowl

-Whip egg whites until peaks are stiff (this will take awhile, so an automatic mixer is nice)
-Add 2T of boiling water to the egg yolks and beat until pale, think and ribbony (holds a figure eight)
-Pour yolks onto whites
-Beat two cups of cream to soft peaks (do not overwhip)
-Add 1 tsp of vanilla
-Fold cream gently into eggs - place in container and put in freezer

If you want a flavor, add while you are folding the cream into the eggs just lightly swirl through or you can just add as a topping which might be easier
can add desired flavors like:  cinnamon, coffee, berries, chocolate sauce, chocolate pieces

It's time to talk about oatmeal

I decided to do this post while I was out on my tramping trip.  I think one reason is because I had oatmeal everyday for breakfast, and to be honest - loved it!!  Now my parents are going to be pretty shocked at this post because as a child I hated oatmeal (I was a picky child).  But what I realized as an adult is that oatmeal is just a vehicle for other delicious things.  Here are a list of toppings:

-nuts (almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds, etc)
-yogurt
-peanut butter
-maple syrup
-coconut
-nutella
-sugar
-salt
-dried fruit (apples, apricots, raisins, pears etc)
-spices (cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, etc)
-milk (or cream? yum)
-berries (blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, etc)
-chocolate chips or chunks 
-did I miss anything?

On my recent trip my oatmeal toppings included: almonds, sugar, powdered milk, dried apricots, peanut butter, and raisins.  It was so warm and delicious every morning, yum!!

And it looks like I need to invest in the titanium spork :(

Lady and the Tramp

 I, being the Lady (obviously), and the Lake Waikarimoana Great Walk, being the Tramp (tramping is what Kiwi's call backpacking).  I just returned from a four day, three night, 46 kilometer (28.5 mile) solo tramping trip.  It was around a lake on the north island of New Zealand.  I had a lot of fun, it snowed, it hailed, but for most of the time it was actually sunny.  I had booked my first night in a hut but was also carrying a tent, planning to camp the next two nights.  I camped the second night, then on the third night my campsite was right next to a hut and I couldn't resist a warm night next to a fire.  The beginning of the hike was up to a hut on top of a small mountain.  It started snowing soon after I got there.  I was glad to be in a hut!  Overnight it snowed a couple of centimeters and the walk down the mountain was beautiful!!  The dusting of snow on everything was amazing.  The rest of the hike was relatively flat and continued around the lake.  It reminded me a lot of Washington - all the green and blue colors, at one time it was hailing and sunny at the same time - maybe it was that part that reminded me of Washington.  There was a Kiwi couple doing the hike at the same time as me but we usually had different stopping points because they were doing some deer hunting while out there.  It was nice to be alone but also see some other people occasionally.  Here are some pictures that I took:

My poles and some lichen

Lunch - whole wheat wrap, hummus, salami, and cheese

View on Day 1

Catching up on some podcasts on my way up the mountain

View from the hut on the first night

It snowed!!

The snow in the trees was so beautiful

Swan babies!!

My campsite for night #2 - now that's a sexy tent!!

That's right - I know how to use the self-timer

I saw this purple mushroom - tried to google it but if anyone knows what it is...

Some up close lichen

This is from about the last mile - I am tired and ready for some fish and chips

At the end of the tramp we waited for the shuttle to pick us up at 3:30.  At around 5 we were really afraid the guy had forgot about us and started walking to the main road where it was 18K to our cars.  We thought we were going to have to spend another night out.  The guy did show up, thankfully.  I didn't have the time or energy to drive to the farm I was supposed to be at, so I am holed up in a little backpackers until tomorrow.  At least there is free wifi - rare in NZ!!

Farm #5 - Animal Farm

After three weeks of living at Wilderland - I was ready for something new.  It was sad leaving the friends I had made but I moved onto a good place.  I chose this farm because I wanted a farm with a lot of animals (and I found one!).  There are pigs, ducks, guinea fowl, sheep, cows, dogs, and one cat.  The farm also grows a lot of fruit trees, berries, and veggies.  I arrived at a good time for the animals because right now there is a baby pig, a calf, and a lamb.  I didn't arrive at a great time as far as berries and fruits, as it is still winter in New Zealand (slowly turning to spring).  The baby pig is kept as a pet in the house and it has so much character.  It usually just walks around grunting and scratching itself on stuff but will squeal if you do something it doesn't like, wants to be cuddled, or is hungry.  My yard work tasks while I am here is a lot of composting, mulching, and weeding, mainly because it is the season for that sort of stuff.  I have also spent a lot of time in the kitchen.  Sheryn likes to experiment in the kitchen and also likes WWOOFers to share what they know and things from their country.  Sheryn and her family are Kiwi's and that is fun because to honest, so far I haven't met a ton. 
I milked a cow for the first time.  It was something on me list of things I wanted to learn how to do.  It is a pretty cool thing to learn.  The actual milking isn't that complicated - you just have to pinch off the milk and squeeze the teat.  Getting fast at it is the hard part, and I would never really want to milk more than one animal in a sitting - it is a work out for your hands and forearms (probably good for climbing).  When I arrived they were getting about 7L of milk per day.  There was a calf that was feeding as well.  But everyday we had to figure out what we were going to do with all that milk.  Somedays it was just for drinking, somedays, we made butter or ice cream, some days it was for baking, and some days we made cheese.  Sheryn had just done a cheese making class and had tried out some cheeses, but was still experimenting with what worked and what didn't.  While here I made a feta, halloumi, ricotta, and cream cheese.  It was really fun to learn.  A few days after I arrived, another WWOOFer joined me.  Her name is Lorainne and she is from France.  She knew a bit about making cheese so we could ask her advice if we had questions.
Even when I wasn't making cheese, I spent a lot of time in the kitchen at this farm and that was really fun.  When you grow or produce a lot of food you also have to spend a lot of time preserving and cooking it.  Sheryn also asks each of the WWOOFers to make a dinner from their country.  At first I didn't know what to make but ended up doing chili, corn bread, and angel food cake.  Can't get much more American than that.
I also ended up celebrating my 28th birthday here.  It was really nice Sheryn's family made me feel like family.  Everyone wished me a Happy Birthday, I had a home made chocolate cake with lunch, and home made cheese and hard cider in the evening.  It made it nice even though I am not at home.  I am only here for a couple of more days, then I am going to spend a couple of days exploring Rotorua, and then I am planning on doing one of the Great Walks.  It is a tramp (backpacking trail) that goes around a lake and should be quite beautiful.  I am crossing my fingers for good weather.

Some peach blossoms

Overlooking the pastures

Here is the cat playing with the pig in front of the fire

This is the cow that a milked

Here I am milking the cow - the calf has the other side

MoooooOOOOooooo

Sheep and lamb - the lamb is so cute!!

Lichen covered chair out in the orchard

The calf came to say hello - don't mind the cow ass