I can’t believe how fast the summer is going by. Our new house is still a total mess and we only have two weeks before moving day. Why is it impossible for such talented people (the electricians, plumbers and carpenters) to come together and renovate a house in ten weeks? What’s the big deal! Houses are built in a week on TV! Yes, some work is required, but they certainly charge for it, so why aren’t they willing to break a sweat or show up for that matter! Trying to manage all of the little details and stay on track is a full time job and on top of everything, there are the EGOS! In the course of one day, my title goes from mother, to general contractor, to on site psychiatrist. A typical day starts like this:
against the glass door, begging to come in to eat.
chirping noises. His way of telling me to change his water and give him some fresh greens. I try to
ignore it, but the site of him being helplessly trapped in a cage, life in my hands, gets the better of me.
and search for one of four cordless phones.
piece of 2×4 to the wall, which he needs to attach a switch box. He yells that the carpenter told him he
would do it three days ago and never did it, putting him behind. I tell him not to worry about it and
that he is the best thing since sliced bread. Hang up.
haul them off in the car to the new house (half asleep and hungry), to screw in a four inch piece of
2×4, so that the electrician can put up the switch box. He feels bad for me and tells me to stay
home and let kids sleep; he will screw in the 2×4 right away. I tell him he is the best thing since sliced
bread!
the coffee table hitting my coffee cup. I now have to wipe his dripping tail and the table and pull his
cat hair out of my coffee.
Pick up all of the clothes that they fling on the floor as they get dressed, and look at the clock. I am
now late to meet the plumber.
presentable. Brush my teeth and run the girls to the car, leaving my cold, untouched, cat hair filled
cup of coffee behind.
On top of everything, my neighbor asked me to watch his little girl, Stella, for four days. Stella is
Rose’s new best friend and they have been together every day since school got out. I feel like Stella
lives here already, so to watch her for four days while her father went on an unexpected business trip, was nothing out of the norm. Before Stella’s dad left he offered to take all of the girls raspberry picking. They came back with several pints of huge, bright red raspberries. They were so beautiful that they made me stop, take a breath and enjoy the wonderful, warm July day. I decided to make some ice cream!
The addition of rose water gives the flavor of the raspberries a wonderful floral note, which you pick up in the back of your palette in the same way as a truffle.
Raspberry Rose Ice Cream
1 pint of fresh raspberries
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 teaspoons rose water
4 large egg yolks
1 1/2 cups whole milk
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
(1/2 cup reserved raspberry juice after you macerate and strain)
In a small bowl combine raspberries with 1/2 cup sugar and lemon juice. Let macerate for a least an hour or more. Strain and reserve 1/2 cup of the raspberry juice. Mash or puree the berries. (you can strain out the seeds if you don’t like them)
Combined egg yolks and 1/2 cup sugar in a small bowl and wisk until pale yellow.
Heat milk, cream and vanilla in a small sauce pan and heat gently over low flame until steaming but not boiling. Carefully pour 1 cup of the hot milk/cream mixture to the egg mixture in a slow steady stream while wisking. Pour the egg mixture back into the saucepan and cook stirring constantly, over medium low heat until the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. DO NOT OVER COOK OR IT WILL CURDLE. Transfer to a bowl, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap placed directly on the custard and chill completely. When it is chilled pour the 1/2 cup reserved raspberry juice,
puree /mashed raspberries and 2 teaspoons of rose water to custard.
Pour the mixture into the freezer bowl of an ice cream machine. Follow mixing directions for the type of machine you have.
(I mixed for 25-30 mins)
Genevieve Cremaldi 
Not being a lover of ice cream I decided to make it.
WOW! What flavor and I thought the seeds added to it. The best part was that it wasn't too sweet, maybe it was the tart raspberry's. I am an avid reader and enjoy your blog very much.