I just read a post over at opmomblog.com that I need to share.  I need to share it because 1. the photo of the chicken with cherry tomatoes made me hungry just now, and 2. because it appears to be so easy to make.

If you are like me, you have convinced yourself that you really don’t have time to cook anything, so you go down this path of pizza delivery and take-out Chinese, and end up… well… FAT.  Had I read Carrie’s blog posts years ago, perhaps I’d have saved myself the hassle of dieting now.

See, cooking doesn’t have to always be all Emeril or Mario Batali.  Sometimes it can be something simple and lovely like Carrie’s Chicken and Cherry Tomato Saute.

Over this past July 4th holiday weekend, I got the urge to buy an ice cream maker. Part of this urge was no doubt the result of a little OpMom.com inspiration. See, the lovely ladies at OpMom posted a few recipes for “Italian Wedding” goodies over in the recipes section of OpMom.com. If you dig around you’ll find Italian Wedding Cake, Italian Wedding Cake Martini, and even Italian Wedding Tea. Yum.

Enter me, the tenacious foodie. I decided what this list REALLY needed was some Italian Wedding Ice Cream. Is there such a thing? Who cares. The recipe that follows is my first attempt. The recipe needs a few adjustments however, and among the reasons is that the volume was too much for my 2 qt. ice cream maker. I think it could probably use a little more coconut, and after I eat the whole tub have a few more bites, I will think about what might make this ice cream perfect. Please feel free to suggest any modifications as well. When the recipe is final, I will add it to OpMom.com!

2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cups sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon almond extract
pinch salt
1/2 cup sweetened coconut
1/2 cup lightly toasted chopped pecans (about 1-2 min on 400F)
1/2 cup drained crushed pineapple

Combine the first six ingredients in a bowl. Whisk until the sugar dissolves. Pour into the ice cream maker, and churn for about 20 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients when the ice cream has thickened, but still soft enough to mix.

Finish churning (about 10 more minutes) and enjoy!