those kinds of days

When daylight lasts a little longer than it did yesterday, and the air feels warm after months of cool, those kinds of days make me deep down glad.

Stephen ended up not having to go out of town for work as he had planned, thus we were given a whole secret Saturday to play instead. We took out the canoe for the first time this season, and floated down the river at a steady snail's pace. I will admit that there was a twinge of sadness looming over the river that day. The last time we were there with her, and this time her spot was empty. A few moments went by where Stephen and I would get pretty quiet, and we both knew what the other person was thinking.
In the middle of a cool river, underneath a warm sun, it is pleasantly safe to be a little sad and a little glad all at the same time.

After paddling down, hiking back, and taking the long way home, we made a batch of homemade ice cream.

Waiting at home was a ripe pineapple. I had mulled over the many options one has with a ripe pineapple, but had not been extremely excited about any of them. After floating downstream, we decided we should make a batch of pineapple banana ice cream. This, my friends, was Stephen's brilliant idea, and I am happy to hang on his coattails.

Not only did we make ice cream, but we then shared it with some of our dearest friends while we laughed on his front porch in the still warm air of the evening. That part makes the whole day kissing close to perfect.

Following the same fantastic vanilla ice cream recipe I used for the Daring Baker Challenge in February, we added fresh crushed pineapple and a sliced banana. Each bite tastes like a tropical vacation. I hope you have some soon.

Pineapple Banana Ice Cream makes about 1/2 gallon
vanilla ice cream recipe adapted from Daring Baker #10

1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ¼ cups whole milk
4 large egg yolks
12 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tsp corn flour {cornstarch}
1 ¼ cups heavy cream

3/4 cup fresh crushed pineapple
1/2 cup small diced pineapple pieces
1 banana, thinly sliced 

1. Pour the milk into a heavy based saucepan, add the vanilla and bring to the boil
2. Whisk the egg yolks, sugar and corn-flour in a bowl until the mixture is thick and foamy.
3. Gradually pour in the hot milk, whisking constantly.  Return the mixture to the pan and cook over a gentle heat, stirring all the time
4. When the custard thickens and is smooth, pour it back into the bowl. Cool it then chill.
5. Whip the cream until it has thickened but still falls from a spoon.  Fold it into the custard and pour all of it into ice cream maker. Follow ice cream maker (I love my Cuisinart sorbet and ice cream maker with the frozen bowl) directions for freezing and in last 5 minutes of time in ice cream maker, fold in pineapple and banana. Scrape the ice cream into a tupperware and place in freezer for a few hours to firm up. Enjoy