LEARNING TO
LOVE THE QUESTIONS
***
Do you sometimes wonder what kind of things you would do if you didn’t have any limitations?
When I’m lost in my own thoughts and day-dreaming about endless possibilities, I wonder what it’s like to free-fall from a helicopter, and have my heart in my mouth for those few seconds before releasing the parachute, and then floating steadily high above all those buildings and trees which now look miniscule from where I am.
I ask myself what it would be like to give up a steady-paying job and then travel the amazing world we live in – this one where so much wonder and colors can be seen on the streets of India, and where the Northern lights seem so surreal and completely natural at the same time – and just enjoy the present without worrying about where the next paycheck would come from.
What would you do if you had the power to, or no fear of doing so?
I’d like to write a book someday.
It’s something I’ve been confessing for years; even long before I started blogging with so much commitment. I don’t have a degree in literature nor do I have a masters in journalism. The desire (or more accurately, the need) to write is born out of a necessity to express myself; to connect with others at a deeper level; and to free those thoughts trapped inside my head.
But while I have yet to develop an idea for a book, which is really not as easy as it seems, and is much longer and complicated than just many blog posts strung together, at least I’ve started practicing.
It feels like I’m sitting on the bench right now, even after years of practice, wondering when my turn will come, before I actually get called to the court and play the game.
But no writer is born overnight; it takes dedication, patience and the art of waiting.
It means waiting for the right time while crafting ideas along the way, putting in effort day after day, even if no one sees it. It’s just like practicing your tennis serve alone, late into the wee hours of the night, or making bread over and over again until you achieve the texture and consistency you aimed for, or painting one painting after another until your own style comes through.
Nicole from Eat This Poem quoted Rainer Maria Rilke in her thought-provoking post,
“Have patience with everything that remains unsolved in your heart. Try to love the questions themselves, like locked rooms and like books written in a foreign language. Do not now look for the answers. They cannot now be given to you because you could not live them. It is a question of experiencing everything. At present you need to live the question. Perhaps you will gradually, without even noticing it, find yourself experiencing the answer, some distant day.”
And that’s how I feel right now.
There are many questions in my life – what will my life be like in the coming year? Where in the world will I be, in which country will I make my home? When does the time come for me to write a book? What should I write about? How can I leave a difference in the lives of those around?
But before all these questions can be answered, I’m learning to “love the questions themselves”, enjoying each day that is the present, and knowing that if I sow seeds of hard work and effort, the future will unravel itself in the most beautiful ways possible.
Meanwhile, every day is a chance for us to make use of time the way we best see fit; my mantra this year to try new things; and in the process, learn so many things about myself I wouldn’t have otherwise.
Today, it’s making homemade ice cream, which really is much easier than it seems, even if you don’t have an ice cream maker.
And while I’m not such a fan of ice cream, I do tend to cave in where fresh fruits are involved.
I do crazy things sometimes.
And because I was so charmed by all the ice cream recipes out there now that it’s summer in the United States, I decided to make strawberry ice cream just as the Argentine winter starts (when temperatures actually call for hot chocolate instead of frozen ice cream), and when strawberries are actually much more expensive than usual, because they are out of season.
The best part is that it doesn’t take much preparation at all, and if you have a sturdy, electric blender, homemade ice cream is just a couple of hours away.
Of course, take note that homemade ice cream does not have the antifreeze proteins that are usually added to store-bought ice cream, it may not be as creamy as the latter (some parts may feel “icy”). However, it turned out pretty well for the first time, and I’d definitely recommend you to make it, even if it’s just to see what homemade ice cream tastes like.
Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream (Makes approximately 1 litre)
Adapted from One Pot Chef’s Homemade Banana Ice Cream recipe
Linked up to Walking on Sunshine Recipes
Ingredients:
1) 2 cups of whipping cream
2) 2 cups of milk
3) 3 teaspoons of vanilla essence
4) ½ cup of white sugar
5) 500g of fresh strawberries
Steps:
1) Wash strawberries and remove leaves
2) Roughly cut half of the strawberries into small pieces
3) Dice the remaining strawberries, leaving a couple of whole strawberries (for decoration)
4) In an electric blender, put whipping cream, milk, vanilla essence, sugar and the roughly cup strawberries (leave the diced and whole ones for later)
5) Blend the ingredients until you get a homogeneous mixture
6) If you have an ice cream maker, pour mixture into ice cream maker and follow the manufacturer’s instructions (ignore the rest of the steps)
7) If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour blended mixture into a freeze-proof container (I used a plastic container)
8) Freeze mixture for 2 hours, remove from fridge and stir it well to break down the ice crystals, add in diced strawberries and mix well to get them evenly spread out
9) Return ice cream mixture to freezer, and if possible, take out every two hours and stir as much as you can (to keep breaking ice crystals), for at least three times over a span of six hours
10) Serve with fresh strawberries as toppings
* Note: if you’re making ice cream without an ice cream maker, take out the ice cream from the freezer at least 30 minutes before you want to eat it, so it defrosts a bit and makes it easier for scooping.
Wash strawberries and remove leaves, and roughly cut half of the strawberries into small pieces, dicing the rest of them for decoration, leaving a few whole ones:
In an electric blender, put whipping cream, milk, vanilla essence, sugar and the roughly cup strawberries (leave the diced and whole ones for later):
Blend the ingredients until you get a homogeneous mixture:
If you don’t have an ice cream maker, pour blended mixture into a freeze-proof container (I used a plastic container):
Freeze mixture for 2 hours, remove from fridge and stir it well to break down the ice crystals, add in diced strawberries and mix well to get them evenly spread out. Return ice cream mixture to freezer, and if possible, take out every two hours and stir as much as you can (to keep breaking ice crystals), for at least three times over a span of six hours:
Serve with fresh strawberries as toppings:
Looks amazing! Thank you for sharing with Foodie Friends Friday!
Most welcome dear!
What a lovely and thoughtful post 🙂 And the ice cream is just amazing! I like that you can make it without an ice cream maker, too.
Hi Ashley! thanks so much for dropping by. Glad you enjoyed the post. Have a beautiful day!
it’s dedication to keeping coming back to the freezer every 2 hours to stir the ice cream! i have a blog friend who does it a different way that involves a lot of shaking and salt and creates a mess, he hosts an ice cream making party every year and it’s a fascinating process. i’m spoiled, we have two ice cream makers at home and not enough freezer space for both of them, or any of the flavors we want to create.
Hello Lan! wow! 2 ice cream makers! that sure can make a lot of ice cream! To be honest I’ve never seen an ice cream maker in my life, so I believe the day I actually own one, will be miraculous. Haha, your friend’s annual ice cream party sounds like a very fun mess – but that sure must involve a lot of shaking…oh well i suppose it’s a good arm workout!
Your strawberry ice cream looks so creamy and delicious! It’s one of my favorite flavors! It reminds me of being pregnant with my son (over 21 years ago!) and eating tubs and tubs of it! It was my biggest craving! Now…it’s his favorite flavor! I’ll have to make this for him! Love your blog!
Hi Caroline, thanks so much for your sweet comment! I’m with you on strawberry being one of my favorite flavors too… and then rum and raisin! Thanks so much for dropping by! Have a beautiful week!
Omg strawberry ice cream sounds like a dream come true right about now. I am so impressed that you took the dive and tried it! Especially without an ice cream maker. It’s definitely on my list of items to try out this summer for sure. 😀
Try it Jess! Haha, even without an ice cream maker! We have to challenge ourselves to try new things all the time!
This looks scrumptiously delicious! The sweet tartness of strawberry makes for such a wonderful ice cream flavor. Sometimes all of life’s questions make me long to feel more grounded, but then I realize that I really wouldn’t trade the ‘questions’ for anything! I say it just means you have limitless possibilities and adventures yet to be had. 🙂
Hey Miranda! I loved your analysis about the questions – that it just means we have endless possibilities & adventures to be had! Am looking forward to mine, and yours too, through your amazing travel blog!!!
I’ve wanted to try homemade ice cream for so long, but don’t have an ice cream maker either. You’ve inspired me to try it. Your ice cream looks fantastic! Lovely post by the way. I feel the same way too sometimes 🙂
Hey Jen! thanks for stopping by! I’ve never used an ice cream maker before, so I don’t know what the difference will be. But I know that it’s important to break the ice crystals that form by mixing the ice cream every two hours while it’s in the process of freezing. (supposedly this simulates the action of an ice cream maker).
Here’s a link from David Lebovitz’s blog teaching you how to make ice cream without a machine: http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2007/07/making-ice-crea-1/
good luck!!
Hi Felicia, I really enjoyed your post today. I loved how you were pondering yet all the while making homemade ice cream. It all flowed so naturally and come to a fantastic conclusion. Brilliant. I want to make homemade ice cream so bad! I don’t have an ice cream maker or a blender! Can you imagine not having a blender? I always us my hand blender for soups, food processor for purees and pestos and “the bullet” for smoothies! Seems a little ill equipped doesn’t it? You ice cream looked so velvety good.
Hello dear! Thank you so much for your lovely compliment – I definitely appreciate it alot. Wow, i imagine it must be pretty difficult not to have an electric blender, but with a hand blender you should still be able to make this!
The most important thing is that the strawberries are blended well with the cream, sugar, and other ingredients. If necessary, split the quantities of the ingredients evenly into two or three smaller batches so you blend less at one time.
try it! let me know if it works with the hand blender! all the best!! big hug!
I LOVE the fact that this doesn’t require an ice cream maker (don’t have one yet). I can’t wait to try your recipe!
Hi Shae! thanks for dropping by! Yes, do try making it (even without an ice cream maker!). Just bear in mind that this ice cream may be a bit “icier” than “creamier”. but do try it anyway! it makes about 1 liter of ice cream – enough for 5-6 people!
happy weekend!
Beautiful post and I love the quote by Rainer Maria Rilke. Just what I need to hear today – embrace the questions and be okay with not knowing the answers yet. Thanks!
Hi Sarah, thanks so much for dropping by!
This quote helped me a lot too when I read it the other day, and since good things are better shared, I’m so glad it was something you needed to hear today!
Life’s always full of questions, and most of the time, more questions than answers. So it’s good for us to learn to love the questions, and be ok knowing that the answer will be given to us in due course, when we are ready for it.
Have a lovely weekend,
felicia