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