Summer Memories and Thelma & Louise's Peach Sangria ICE CREAM

Well friends, it looks as though fall is finally starting to show its colors around here.  Just a few days ago it was 95 degrees, and we were lounging in the pool in our "ooh la la" swimming attire and drinking our "Perfect Peach Sangria". And this morning, its THIRTY degrees cooler!  Brrrr! That means we have to start thinking about closing the pool (always a sad day), pulling out the sweaters and socks (flip flops are much more comfortable), and creating some Fall Flavored Food!

We are sad to see summer go (we make such fun & crazy memories) and aren't quite ready to do away with all that it entails.  Since our favorite summer cocktail is wine (heck, that's our favorite cocktail for ALL seasons), and everyone loved our sangria so much, we thought "Hells Bells!  Why don't we make a delightful recipe using our 'Perfect Peach Sangria'? It tastes like Summer in a Glass, right?" So we put our sun-bleached heads together and started thinking.  This led to reminiscing of our glorious summer, as well as summers past....

3-year-old Louise

Louise's Family Cabin

When Louise was a towheaded, curly-haired little girl, she spent her summers going to her Pampaw's tiny, rustic cabin on a small lake in the Midwest.  Every Sunday her family would pack up their gear, pile in the back of her Daddy's pick-up truck (yep, you read that right, the kids would sit in the back of the pick-up free and clear, wind in their hair...no seat belts!) and head out to Lake Rinaker. It was family bonding time as the neighboring cabin was chock full of more of her kin. There all the aunts, uncles, cousins, (first, second, & third) would gather to frolic in the swimming hole, fish a bit, catch up on the week's events, and eat, Eat, EAT!  Many childhood memories were made there.

The tradition continues...

Louise remembers walking the old lake roads, the woodsy-wet smell filling her nostrils, and searching for gold.  That gold was found (well, gold for a little girl) in the form of clay! She, her siblings, and her cousins would dig in the dark brown muck, their fingers covered in cool, slimy goo and create spectacular bowls and vases that their mamas were sure to take home to put on the mantel.  She remembers swimming out to the old wooden raft in the middle of the lake and piling on as many young'uns as they could fit, then running from side to side across the raft, squealing with delight as each side would sink far into the water. (Thankfully we never lost any cousins that way). She remembers swimming out into the lake during the annual Fourth of July fireworks display hoping to be the lucky kid to snag the parachute that dropped from the explosion and landed in the water. The kiddos would number off when they came ashore to make sure everyone was back. (Don't know what our parents were thinking there!)

...with Louise's Daddy & his grandkids

Louise also remembers getting rides on her aunt's little red mini-Honda, sitting in front of her Daddy and being excited that she got to steer. One time she crashed as they were turning a sharp corner. Her Daddy carried her back to the cabin, fearing the wrath of her Mama.  Although that crash resulted in a trip to the ER and stitches, it created a memory-scar on Louise's left eyebrow. (Yep, no eyebrows grow there so it's one less to pluck!) But Louise's FAVORITE memory is the Homemade Ice Cream her Great-Aunts would churn in the old-fashioned, hand-crank, ice cream freezer. As Louise got a little older, and appliances got a little more fancy-schmancy, Mama moved on to an electric ice cream freezer (and saved a lot of little kids' arms!).

We knew exactly what our first Fall Flavored Food recipe would be.  "Thelma & Louise's Peach Sangria Ice Cream".  It's the perfect way of blending old and new memories and bringing summer and fall together in one delicious frozen concoction!

Before you begin, you DO need an ice cream freezer.  Some of y'all use that shiny Kitchen-Aid contraption, but we use our good ol' electric ice cream freezer.  (For those of you who don't have one, you can buy them at WalMart. You're gonna want one 'cuz we have lots more homemade ice cream flavors to entice your bellies!)

First, make our delicious "Perfect Peach Sangria" (we have it in one of our blogs, but we made it easy - you can also find it here).  Make a double batch so you can drink some AND have some for your ice cream.  We like to make the sangria a day ahead so the peaches soak up that yummy goodness. But you can also make it and drink/use it for the ice cream AFTER refrigerating for two hours.

Perfect Peach Sangria

1 750ml bottle of White Wine (recommend Riesling or Moscato)

1/3 c Peach Schnapps
1/3 c Triple Sec
2 c Frozen or fresh Peaches (peach/mango/pineapple frozen blend is a good alternative)

Directions
Pour wine, schnapps, and Triple Sec into a pitcher. 

Stir the ingredients. Add fresh or frozen fruit. Let it chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours before using to make your ice cream.

Our Perfect Peach Sangria

Peach Sangria Ice Cream

6 eggs                                                            2 cans evaporated milk                        

2 1/2 c. sugar                                                 1/2 pint (8 oz) heavy whipping cream

1 TBL vanilla extract                                     4 fresh peaches (diced)
2 tsp almond extract                                       (additional milk MAY be needed)

Beat eggs, sugar, vanilla, and almond extract with electric mixer until fluffy - about 5 minutes.

Take 1 cup peaches from the Sangria and 3/4 cup of the Sangria itself and put into a blender.  Blend to make 2 cups peach sangria puree.  (If you need to add a little more of either to make 2 cups, go ahead).

Add the peach sangria puree to the sugar mixture and stir.

Add 4 diced fresh peaches, 2 cans evaporated milk, and 8 ounces of heavy whipping cream to the mixture and stir.

Pour your mixture into your ice cream freezer.  (If the mixture isn't quite up to the FILL line you add some milk.)

Put the lid on your freezer. Fill the outside tub by layering ice and rock salt. Turn on the freezer and wait for the ice cream to freeze.  (Follow directions for your specific ice cream freezer).

Trust us, friends, your kiddos will delight in seeing you churn your own ice cream!  Now you can make some new memories with your kinfolk.  

ENJOY!!