Thursday, October 02, 2008

Barack-y Road Ice Cream

Can we make a delicious rocky road ice cream? Yes, we can! Can we make it without dairy? Yes, we can! Can we make it without soy? Yes, we can! Gluten-free? Yes, we can!

To celebrate Barack Obama, I wanted to bring together bipartisan elements--coconut and chocolate, marshmallow fluff and almonds--to create one amazing ice cream. An ice cream that celebrates multiple flavors at once, that reaches out even to non-ice-cream-lovers, offering a friendly hand, inviting them into the ice creamery of our country.


Just as we can change coconut milk, sugar, and chocolate during the ice-cream-making process, our support of Barack Obama can lead to massive and much-needed change in our government. Can we make ice cream? Can we create change? YES, WE CAN!

3 c. coconut milk

1/2 c. sugar

1 1/2 c. chocolate chips

2 T. arrowroot

1 t. vanilla extract

1 t. chocolate extract
(optional, but yummy)
1 c. Suzanne's Ricemallow Creme (or 1 c. chopped vegan marshmallows)

1 c. chopped or sliced almonds

Mix arrowroot with 1/4 cup coconut milk and set aside.

Mix the remaining coconut milk, sugar, and chocolate chips in a pan, heating gently to melt the chocolate, whisking every minute or so. Once the chocolate has melted, bring the mixture to a low boil. When the mixture has just started to boil, remove from heat and immediately stir in the arrowroot slurry. This should cause the mixture to thicken a little; it will thicken more when cooled.

Add vanilla and chocolate extracts.


Set the ice cream mixture aside to cool. Freeze according to ice cream maker instructions, adding the chopped/sliced nuts in the last five minutes of freezing.
If you are using chopped marshmallows, add these with the almonds. If you are using the marshmallow creme, transfer the ice cream to your storage container in batches. Layer the marshmallow fluff with the ice cream. You could also drag a butter knife through the mixture to additionally swirl the fluff (kind of like when you make a marble cake). Stick the thing in the freezer to bust out at your next campaign party.

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Now that you've got your ice cream, I'm stepping aside for my guest blogger and sous-chef, my wonderful husband, Nick:

Hello fellow ice cream fans,

In 2004, I watched both presidential debates, and vice presidential debates. I shouted at the screen, I picked over the rhetoric afterward, and when election day came I voted. That night I watched the results come in, one state at a time, with a mounting sense of dread and disbelief. How, I asked myself, could the country made such a fundamentally wrong choice? It was only this winter, as the new presidential campaign got underway that I realized one of the major problems in 2004.


I hadn't gotten involved.

The country chose the way it did partly because I (and others like me) sat on the sidelines and expected the world to change. Which is why I'm writing you today. This year I'm involved.

I'd like you to join me.

If you remain unconvinced that Obama's the best choice, I'd like an opportunity to convince you a few paragraphs from now. But if you already know you're going to vote for Obama, then here's what you can do to take your support to the next level:

1. Register to vote. Depending on where you live, the deadline may be fast approaching!

2. Volunteer for the campaign. The Obama campaign has made it really easy to volunteer. For instance, this spring, I called voters in key primary states. All I had to do was click a few links and dial some numbers. If you're not into calling people, there are dozens of ways to get involved. You can volunteer a few hours a week and make a difference.

3. Donate to the campaign. Even just a few dollars can make a difference! (This is my personal fundraising page.) Small donations make a big difference in this campaign. Unlike previous campaigns, a huge percentage of Obama's money comes from ordinary citizens like you and me. More money will help the campaign hire organizers, make phone calls, and take our message to every state in the country.

Ok, I hope you're already clicking on links and getting involved. Thanks in advance for your support, I know that your effort will pay off on election day.

I'll sign off now, but not before I present my summary case for Barack Obama.

--- Why I'm Supporting Obama ---

There are lots of reasons I think Obama will be the superior president. Here are the top 3:


1. Climate Crisis

There's no greater threat to our society, prosperity, and the planet than unchecked global weaming. I'm pleased to say that John McCain has actually engaged with this issue, and may even do something about it if he's elected. However, a brief look at each candidate's website reveals who is really serious about the issue. John McCain's energy plan starts with ... more drilling for fossil fuels.

Compare for yourself:
Obama
McCain

If you need any further proof, John McCain's running mate, Sarah Palin, is on record as of October 2 saying that she does not believe that climate change is caused by humans. The planet can ill-afford four more years of head-in-sand climate change policy.

2. Leadership
I started working for the Obama campaign in early spring, shortly after I spent some time online watching the top Democratic candidate speeches. As I listened to Obama's message, and the way he phrased it, I realized that I was watching a leader I could support. Not just "hold my nose and vote for." Here was a leader who spoke to what was best in us as a nation, who believed that we could rise above our differences and deliver a better future for the world. Here was a candidate who inspired me.

I think that he will be able to inspire others too. This nation needs change, and change can be hard. We'll need a leader who can get us all pulling in the same direction.

If you want a taste of what I'm talking about, Obama's convention speech is an excellent example. I also thought his speech on race was powerful.

3. Iraq
I believe that the Iraq war has been a national nightmare--a long, bloody distraction from urgent issues that we could be solving. I could go on and on, but you all have heard enough about this terrible disaster.

In short:
Obama has opposed this war since 2002. McCain has stood with Bush and backed the war since the beginning.

Obama's top priority is bringing an end to the war. McCain's is "succeeding" (whatever that means).
I trust that Obama has the judgement and temper to bring a swift end to the war and turn us back to saner (and safer!) foreign policy.

4. (Bonus!) Economy and Taxes
Obama's tax plan funds our government in a significantly more progressive way, while John McCain's plan increases the tax inequality that began in the Bush administration. Check out this
analysis.

---- Why Obama Needs Our Help ---

While millions of Americans support Obama, and I still think he'll win, the recent media circus around his running mate has boosted John McCain's campaign. Obama's fortunes have always depended not only on the voting public, but on his supporters. Those who donate time, money, and enthusiasm. I'm hoping to expand his base.


Thanks for listening, and I'll see you on the campaign trail,


Nick

39 comments:

  1. I'm glad you were able to post this; the recipe looks great (love me some chocolate, nuts, and marshmallows), but most of all you're both entirely right that Barack will not win without outreach! Here is to change in 2008!

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  2. Agnes and Nick: You rock! Thanks for the fabulous recipe and the well-thought-out analysis of why we should be Barack-ing the vote in November.

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  3. Great post, both of ya! And that ice cream description is making me salivate. :3 NOM!

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  4. Funny, delicious, inspiring.

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  5. Anonymous1:13 PM

    I respectfully disagree about Obama... but the ice cream sounds wonderful! But then I think both candidates are a vote for more of the status quo. I wish Ron Paul were still running (and I may write him in any way).
    three cheers for rocky road!!!
    a loyal fan,
    jessie

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  6. I've been dreaming of rocky road ice cream. My dreams have come true.

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  7. Anonymous3:13 PM

    Oh this looks FAB. I wish I could find chocolate extract. As a costcutting measure, my local grocery store is offering fewer items, and things like chocolate extract are not big sellers here. They also stopped selling tahini. :(

    Kathy in Maryland

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  8. I can't wait to try this ice cream recipe! Barack-y Road sounds like the way to go!

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  9. Anonymous9:59 AM

    Ohhhh, this ice cream sounds GOOD! :)

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  10. Anonymous11:14 PM

    First of all, I love the name of your blog. It makes me want to eat my screen.

    Second, I must make and consume as much Baracky Road as possible to show my support for him! It is my patriotic duty.

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  11. I LOVE your blog and I LOVE LOVE this post! You rock, keep up the good work!

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  12. I am so very sorry you decided to go down this road. I had always thought ice cream was one thing that was safe from politics.

    I wish you luck with your health and your ice cream.

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  13. I never promised my blog wouldn't be political. Besides, if Ben and Jerry's can have ice creams for Stephen Colbert and Willie Nelson, why can't I have one for (hopefully our next president) Obama?

    I'm just glad Obama got the nomination. I mean, Baracky Road has such a ring to it! So much better than trying to come up with an ice cream for "Chillery Clinton," which sounds more like a Diary Queen Blizzard than a proper ice cream. (Other political ice cream names are welcome. Suggest away!)

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  14. Anonymous9:16 AM

    Ice cream sounds wonderful, name not so good. Obama is just a politician I cannot trust! He has had too many involvements with questionable people to be trustworthy. Unfortunately, i can't say I am a supporter of McCain. Either way, our country is screwed! If one of the two could endorse the FairTax, then I could lean one way or the other. Our economy is screaming for a FairTax system! Obama is too busy screaming for change to even come up with a real idea and McCain is too old to see past our current system..ok that was my rant for today.
    I can't wait to try the ice cream..your recipes are the best!!!!

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  15. Anonymous5:00 PM

    Obama cannot be a president of USA because he was born in Kenya (country in East Africa). Some day truth will come out but will be too late...
    We all hate McCain, LOL

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  16. Sorry, Anonymous, but you can still be president even if you were not born in the U.S. You must be born a U.S. citizen, which Obama was, since his mother was a U.S. citizen.

    As you can read here, if you are born to a U.S. citizen, you are also a U.S. citizen.

    Obama '08!

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  17. Great post!

    Another good reason to vote for Obama is his healthcare plan vs. McCain's.

    McCain's will tax your employer health coverage, meaning your income tax will increase. He will remove tax incentives for employers to provide health insurance, leading employers to stop providing it. Which will lead to a big, big mess.

    I'm looking forward to the final debate tonight! Go Obama!

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  18. Tracy--

    Excellent point! We absolutely need health care reform, and Obama's plan is *so much better* than McCain's.

    Obama deserves our votes! And also our money...even five bucks will make a difference. I really encourage everyone to open their wallets just a little to fight the negative and untrue McCain attack ads. Again, you can donate at my husband's fundraising page here. Or donate however you want. Just do it!

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  19. How can McCain sit there with a straight face and say Obama wants to increase your taxes when McCain IS GOING TO INCREASE EVERYONE's TAXES? My wife and I tried to get health insurance on the open market and we couldn't even get insured because of a couple of minor, pre-existing conditions. Even a COBRA benefit (where you can keep your insurance from a previous job, but at a higher premium) cost us $1100 a month. So a fat lot a $5000 tax credit would do. It's like giving the average American family a $7000 bill from the insurance companies. What a joke!

    I can't wait to make this ice cream on election to celebrate and Obama victory!

    PS-Obama was born in Hawaii, not Kenya! Duh!! MCCAIN is the one who was born in a foreign country-Panama. Technically, McCain may not be eligible to be president, because a president must be born in the United States. Unless you call the Canal Zone "part of the United States".

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  20. Hi there!

    I found your blog through the VO newsletter and like what I see!

    Thanks for the thoughts on Obama. I attended a Sarah Palin protest when she infested, I mean, visited Boca Raton, FL recently (my handmade sign said "Palin's WRONG on Animal Rights!") and had TWO letters to the editor published that week after our local media treated the event like it was some sort of debutante's coming-out party rather than the rather vocal protest it really was... Now I'm Google-linked with Scare-ah, which is kinda icky. ;-)

    Anyway, it's nice to connect with other vegans. Thanks for creating such a cool blog (pun intended)! Perhaps now I'll resurrect my own...

    Peace,
    Keith

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  21. Anonymous11:18 AM

    I tried the ice cream this morning. I actually mixed it up last night and put it in the refrigerator overnight to chill. I put it in the ice cream maker today. Oh my gosh!!!! This is by far my favorite of all I have eaten! I'm a huge fan of chocolate and this is so chocolately!
    Being politically undecided, this ice cream is so good, I could lean a little to the left after eating it!

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  22. Anonymous8:29 AM

    Two years ago I bought an ice cream maker and tried the recipe for coconut ice cream. Hard as a rock! Because of that, it wasn't very pleasant to deal with to get it into the bowl, and I gave up, like a wimp.
    I'm excited to try this recipe, however. I bought another ice cream maker (left the other one behind when I moved) and as soon as it arrives, will make this recipe.
    Thanks for your thoughts on Obama as well. Too many of the discussion in favor of one candidate concentrate on perceived and real and even false faults of the other, and not on the choice's plan to fix the country's problems, etc. I am ferociously in favor of Ron Paul for president, but sadly, even a write-in vote will not succeed, imo. Barack Obama represents the next best thing.

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  23. Anonymous2:19 PM

    nice recipe, but we need to check your brain regarding Obama.... he's never done anything in his LIFE for the good of this country, why would the presidency be different? Your points... energy.... maybe YOUR head is in the sand because it is PROVEN that climate fluctuates and right now we are in the beginning stages of that (Gore is wrong, and an idiot!)... Iraq... guess what, we just agreed to a deal to withdraw by 2011 with BUSH AS THE PRESIDENT, hmmmm very interesting, and B.O. can't even claim victory on that.... Taxes... I guess you're for socialism and Marxism just like B.O., too bad that system has never worked in history, but I guess you're smarter (and B.O. for that matter) becuase you just know better than what history has proven... yeah, let's give government more power and let them dictate to us what is best, and oh by the way, if you've worked hard to give yourself a profitable life, it's so fair to take it away in huge chunks and spread it out to less-educated and less-motivated individuals. Wake up... a vote for B.O. is a vote for communism. Thank goodness, the convincing liar (Barack Obama) will only be able to convince 45% of you, the other 55% of us actually KNOW what he's all about.

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  24. I think that this will be the official election night ice cream at my place. Thanks for the recipe!

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  25. Awesome post. I just sent in my ballot too--with the Obama oval filled in! Fingers crossed!

    I am trying 2 be vegan myself. It is difficult for me but I am trying. Thanks for the inspiration.

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  26. Anonymous8:53 PM

    Love the ice cream recipe! Perfect for my sugar-free diet. Thank you for the post

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  27. Anonymous5:29 PM

    Thanks Agnes! We just whipped up a batch and my Dad said he couldn't even tell it was vegan- the highest compliment!

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  28. Anonymous4:15 AM

    Although I'm to a big fan of Ice cream,this sure looks yummy! I'm sure it'll be a big hit with the kids! I'm normally the one that will say no to Ice cream.

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  29. nancy2:12 PM

    hi, i made the base for this today and it is delicious!! my daughter is allergic to dairy and soy so we use coconut milk but there is no coconut half and half or "cream" equivalent to make the icecreams a little thicker/richer. does anyone have any tips??

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  30. Nancy--I'd just use full fat coconut milk if you want to make it richer.

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  31. nancy1:34 PM

    hi,

    i followed the recipe using sunspire g-f choc chips and so delicious coconut milk. it is a hit. tonight, i am omitting the marshmallows and following the same recipe for chocolate. i can't wait to try it!! thanks for the awesome recipe that was well loved by my whole family.

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  32. This icecream is the most evil one I have made!! I also added some glace cherries. Wow. Absolutely delicious!

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  33. Anonymous10:53 PM

    can i use maple syrup or honey instead of sugar?

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  34. Anon-- Yes, you can use other sweeteners. Many readers have reported particular success with agave syrup.

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  35. Great recipe. I got to check this. I bet this could taste awesome.

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  36. I have never thought that Obama’s name sounds so…ice cream!

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  37. Good name! I am going to brag this one on my friends. I hope it turns out fine.

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  38. I am a vegan chef from Cincinnati. I have tried many of the recipes on here and I thank you for taking the time to post!! Lets REALLY end the war this time around! Remember, always follow the campaign contributions, of which Obama and McCain both had plenty of special interest! Dont blame you for thinking he was better, but the two party duopoly is as good as dead in my book! Lets maybe get a third party in the debates this time, eh?

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  39. Anonymous1:24 PM

    Can I use almond milk or soy creamer instead of coconut milk?

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