How to Make Chocolate Ice Cream in Our House

The saying "each day is a gift" used to sound cliche to me, but as I have grown a little bit older I must admit it has grown on me. Each day is a gift, but some days, like certain gifts, tend to stick out in your memory more so than others. Today, I think, will forever be remembered as one of those days.

Earlier today Ali and I received a comment on our blog from somebody we had not previously met. Well, I should note, that while I mentioned we had not previously met her, she happened to be the author of a very cool blog that we first discovered a few months ago. Ironic as it may seem, Ali and I are actually shy to leave comments on other people's blogs, even though it makes us, as authors, ecstatic whenever somebody else leaves a comment on our own blog. So it was with much excitement that we found that Lelo in Nopo had not only visited our blog but had left a comment. Imagine our pure joy and elation when we "linked" to her site and found that she had written a post about us!!! Needless to say we felt very honored and at the very least inclined to give back. As they say, pay it forward. So...what better way to formally introduce yourself than by replacing a handshake with a pint of fresh homemade ice cream?

While Lelo commented she was a big fan of lavender, we suspected it was a flavor she had tried before. Thus we wanted to make something special, something that would make her mouth and brain go, "hummmm," consequently forcing her to take another bite and then another. While undeniably a nostalgic, classic treat, we ascertain that there is nothing simple, old, or tired about ice cream. When done right, ice cream, particularly homemade ice cream, can be quite complex for the palate. This was the gift we wanted to give Lelo. And then it came to us: Aztec Chocolate. Yes, chocolate, cinnamon, vanilla bean, and chili pepper. Rich but cool. A little sweet but spicy.

So we set to it. The rest of the entry should be prefaced by the fact that Ali's sister and her partner just spent the last 12 months traveling the world. Ali and I were fortunate enough to meet them in Belize and travel through Guatemala with them where we all discovered the beauty of the cacao bean. After six weeks in the region it was no surprise why chocolate, and cacao specifically, hail as regional treasures. Unfortunately for us we had to leave them and return home to our "normal lives" while they continued to explore the region, eventually heading north through Mexico. A couple of weeks ago they came to visit us in Portland and low and behold they brought for us a most special gift. During the course of their Central American/Mexican travels they accumulated a treasure trove of chocolate delights. Fresh roasted cacao beans from here, some fine milk chocolates from there, even special chili pepper blends with which we could attempt to concoct the ultimate hot chocolate beverage.

We couldn't think of a better time to unearth these precious gifts than when making Lelo's ice cream. Special people deserve special consideration, and it is quite obvious that she falls in to that category.

At approximately 6:30pm, just as her dinner guests were arriving, we showed up at the front door of her beautiful home with our freshly churned ice cream. It seemed appropriate that the sun decided to break through the clouds around this time. Sometimes things just click. Some days you get an opportunity to realize how many nice people there are out there in the world just waiting around the corner to meet you. We felt that way about today. Thanks Lelo, for getting the ball rolling, and we most sincerely hope you and your guests enjoyed the ice cream.