Cuisinart Frozen Yogurt-Ice Cream & Sorbet Maker

I am in love. Never thought I'd say that about a kitchen appliance but you know what they say "never say never." There is a first time for everything. Spring and Summer are my favorite seasons because of the weather and with great weather comes ice cream, popsicles and smoothies on the horizon. This precious item makes 1 1/2 quarts of yummy goodness in 20 minutes or less. Skeptic? So was I, until I saw it with my own two eyes. The double-insulated freezer bowl contains cooling liquid which creates fast and even freezing. Long gone are the days of using rock salt and ice.


I have to say I was a little disappointed after I purchased the item just because I was expecting to make the ice cream as soon as I got home. But the box doesn't mention the freezer bowl has to be frozen before you can make the ice cream. After reading the instruction manual I learned that the freezer bowl should be placed in the freezer for up to 6 to 22 hours. So I had to wait a day. But it was worth it. I made Pineapple-Lemon Sorbet.


Jamba, what? Yogurtland, whom? It's all about JJ (Jamee Jubilee). Until next time my freezer bowl awaits. :P


Pineapple-Lemon Sorbet


1 Ripe Pineapple
3 Lemons (juiced)
1 cup of Sugar


*for every 4 cups of puree add 1 cup of sugar


Cut pineapple into segments. Puree pineapple and lemon juice until smooth. Strain mixture. Pour mixture and sugar into a saucepan on medium-low heat until sugar dissolves. Set to cool. Refrigerate. Follow ice cream maker instructions.

Spring Fever

I may look busy to people passing by my desk but really I'm daydreaming about things I could be doing if I weren't working. I've got spring fever and I'm not ashamed to admit it. I'm ready to get out there and enjoy the outdoors. Even though my allergies creep up during Spring I'm not going to let that stop me. This past weekend we got a taste of what's to come when it got up to 80 degrees on Sunday. So my sister, my niece and I took advantage of the beautiful weather by going to the 1st Annual Cherry Blossom Festival in the City of Torrance at Columbia Park. There we enjoyed performances from Taiko, fan dancers and more, we viewed art exhibits, craft booths and ended the afternoon with a picnic lunch under a shady tree.

I'm ready for mini field trips, kite flying, walks at the park, playing on swings and much more. I know I'm not alone in feeling this way, right? Couch/bed potato no more! Let's get the whole family involved by tossing a ball around, relay races, getting wet; balloon toss and/or take a leisure bicycle ride. There are an endless amount of things you can get into this spring so get out there and explore.

Hey, why not this weekend? The 38th Annual Festival of the Kite happens this Sunday, March 11th at the Redondo Beach Pier fun for all ages. It's a free event. Yes, free! There will be live music, yo-yo and diabolo competitions and a corn dog-eating contest.

 But for now I'll continue to daydream and countdown the days until Spring.