Caramelized pear ice cream

My parents brought me some asian pears and I had been itching to try caramelized pear ice cream. It didn't turn out quite as caramel-y as I would have liked and I have ideas for next time but this is what I did this time around:

2 ripe pears chopped fine
1/4 water
1 1/4 cup sugar
3 cups heavy cream warmed
1 Tbs pure vanilla extract

Place water and sugar in a heavy skillet over medium low heat. Let sugar dissolve then added the pear choppings. Let the sugar and pears cook for a few minutes then raise the heat to caramelize the sugar. When it's bubbling and a dark amber color, pour in the heated heavy cream. Keep stirring the mixture until all the caramel dissolves into the cream. Remove from heat and add the vanilla extract. Chill mixture well and freeze in ice cream maker.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Banana Cake

My roommate M loves chocolate and peanut butter. She can eat a jar of PB in a week. She is constantly buying jars of PB to make PB cookies but the PB never quite makes it past her mouth to cookie form. So I thought she would like a cake that combined two of her favs. Plus I just discovered how awesome chocolate and bananas are together. I've been missing out all these years! I found this cake on my heroine Tartlette's site.

Mint Chocochocolate Chip Cookies

I was struck with an urge to bake last night at 10 pm so I got out "The Joy of Vegan Baking" and after a house pow-wow, embarked to the kitchen to make some mint chocolate chip chocolate cookies. We love mint and chocolate in this house and these turned out very well for my first foray with Ener-G. The cookies are light but very chocolatey with a refreshing mint lingering on the tongue.

National Bike to Work Month

May is National Bike to Work Month. I'm going to do my best to bike to work for a whole month!