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[Sometimes, you just want a dish that’s quick and easy–no fuss. I’ve decided to offer a mini-post every once in a while, for a dish that comes together incredibly quickly or else is so simple to make that no recipe is required. Here’s today’s “Flash in the Pan.” (For other FitP recipes, see “Categories” at right).

One of the HH’s favorite ways to tease me is to cock his head, smile a crooked smile, and proclaim, “You’re such a girl.” It’s our little in-joke, since he knows very well that I consider myself a proud feminist; I guard my autonomy like Elsie guards her nylabones; and while I do love femininity, these days, I’m no longer the kind of woman who dons ruffles and bows (what my friend Phil refers to as “frilly-do”).



Mostly, the HH casts the “girl” label at times when I’m struggling to open a jar, or when I can’t reach the ceiling fixture to change the light bulb, or when I need to ask him, again, which thingmabob I have to press in order to get the hood on my car to pop open (and, subsequently, which doohickey I have to pull in order to fill the windshield washer fluid).

Just like a proper girlie-girl, I grew up wearing pink and reveling in all things rosy-hued. I did have one brief rebellious period when I hit adolescence, though: when I was thirteen, my parents decided to renovate the house so my sisters and I could each have our own bedroom. Compounding the excitement, they even allowed us choose the individual décor and color scheme entirely on our own. After hours of poring through books of wallpaper samples, I chose a riotous floral with huge, cartoon-like daisies, tulips, blossoming vines and leaves on a sky blue background. For the three other, solid walls, I selected a bright, grassy green paint.

The morning the painters arrived, the worker in charge of my room pulled me over to the cans of paint lined along the floor and pointed to the dollop of emerald on one lid.

“Are you sure you want this color on all the walls?” he asked, wincing like a six year-old bracing for a vaccination. I took another look at my beautiful, vibrant, almost-living green, and smiled. “Yes, of course! On those three walls.”

Shoulders back, chin in the air, I strode out of the house and practically danced my way to school. I could barely concentrate on schoolwork that morning, daydreaming about my beautiful new bedroom. When the lunch bell rang, I raced home, leaving my friends to meander home without me.

And then. . . I saw it. As soon as I pushed open the bedroom door, I knew I’d made the biggest mistake in my life. The walls were, indeed, a pure, intense green that appeared to be shimmering, reminding me of leafy-green caterpillars I’d observed wriggling around our lawn in the summer. As I continued to stare, it almost jiggled, thick and glossy, engulfing a full three-quarters of the bedroom’s walls. My stomach lurched a little, then sank as I contemplated growing up in this Martian landscape, battling the slight nausea I’d feel every time I glanced up from my bed. . . for the next ten years.

Luckily, the painter had sensed my despair and took it upon himself to dilute the color with white, repainting the walls before I got home from school later that afternoon. Mitigated by the opaqueness and chalkiness of the white, the color was rendered tolerable, though I never did come to like it very much. After that, I stuck with the old reliables: pink, blue, brown, and–throughout my twenties and thirties–black.

These days, I tend to prefer muted colors where home décor is concerned. You won’t find purple mirror frames, bright orange curtains or mustard floor tiles in our house (and, come to think of it, my wardrobe is still pretty much black). Still, I do appreciate a good pink accessory, lipstick, or confection.

This Cranberry Ice Cream provides the perfect shade of pink, with its cheery, rosy, upbeat hue. True, it might not do on my bedroom walls, but no matter: you likely won’t have much time to admire its color too much before it’s spooned up by appreciative diners.

The HH loved the ice cream, too, practically lapping up every tangy, sweet spoonful.

“Hey, have you got any more of this?” he asked, proffering the empty bowl, waiting for me to scoop out a refill.

He can be such a boy sometimes.

Looking for other recipes for holiday leftovers? Check out my Squash and Stuffing Burgers.

Print This!

Cranberry Ice Cream: No Ice Cream Maker Required! This ice cream couldn’t be simpler, providing a pretty and delicious accompaniment to the festive desserts of the season. It’s also a great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce from your holiday feasting. Use any kind of sauce you like; simply adjust the sweetness levels as necessary. 1 cup (240 ml) prepared sugar-free cranberry sauce (for ACD Stage 1, see notes below) 2 cups (420 ml) full-fat canned coconut milk (I like Thai Kitchen) zest of one lime, preferably organic plain or vanilla pure liquid stevia or powder, to taste Set out 12 silicone muffin cups in a muffin pan. Set aside. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until perfectly smooth. Divide the mixture evenly among the cups and freeze until solid; then, pop the ice cream out of the cups and store in the freezer in a ziploc bag or closed container until ready to use. To make the ice cream: Remove one frozen disc for each serving (or for larger servings, use 3 discs for every 2 servings). Chop the discs into quarters and place in a food processor. Process until the mixture resembles crumbs, then scrape the sides and continue to process until it comes together in a solid mass (for firmer ice cream, stop as soon as the mixture holds together; for soft-serve, continue to process until it looks creamy). Scoop and serve immediately. Makes 9-12 servings. To make in a conventional ice cream maker: Omit silicone muffin cups. Prepare the ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s directions. As soon as the ice cream mixture is blended, pour the entire mixture into the ice cream maker and churn as directed. Store the ice cream in a closed container in the freezer. For ACD Stage One, you can make your cranberry sauce this way: Mix 2 cups (480 ml) fresh or frozen cranberries and 1/4 cup (60 ml) water in a medium saucepan. Cook, covered, over medium-low heat until all the berries have popped, about 15 minutes. Stir vigorously. Add stevia to taste (or leave unsweetened and sweeten to taste once you’ve added the sauce to your other ice cream ingredients). If using the sauce on its own and not in the ice cream, you can also add zest of one lime or zest of 1/2 lemon. Makes about once cup (240 ml). Freeze any leftovers in ice cube trays, pop out and store in a closed container or ziploc bag in the freezer. Suitable for: ACD All Stages, sugar-free, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, egg free, soy-free, nut free, vegan, low glycemic.

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