Blueberry Basil No-Churn Ice Cream with its soft-serve complexion and sweet fruity notes is my food of choice today.
We’re getting ready… ready for Nick’s graduation this weekend… ready to celebrate his accomplishments… ready to watch the next phase of our son’s life unfold.
So these past few weeks have found us rather engaged, with our hearts and minds as busy as our hands and calendars (if not busier). It’s all I can do these days to keep the tears from bubbling up and pouring out. And most days I lose the battle.
What is it about life’s milestones? They invite every emotion to the party.
Along with the joy of anticipating everything that lies ahead, I find myself bumping into sweet recollections of ‘Nick the Kick’ from his younger days…
Nick with his curly mop of silky baby hair that I refused to cut until his ‘Kramer’ look grew wayyy out. Nick asking for cuddles and “10 Minutes ‘Til Bedtime!” every night until “How Many Trucks Can A Tow Truck Tow” was all we could read. Nick looking (and feeling) spiffy in his First Communion suit, refusing to sing but giggling with his best buddy Dave on the riser, just inches away from our priest. Nick getting in the car each morning with his saxophone case in one hand and lacrosse stick in the other…
It feels like yesterday we were loading up the car, biting our bottom lips, and anticipating the next four years that he would be living away from home on a college campus…
Nick will be a couple weeks shy of his 22nd birthday when he graduates. A young man. A young man ready to take his first steps toward discovering what the world is all about as an adult.
How lucky the world is to be receiving our kind, bright, beautiful young man.
I’d say this calls for ice cream.
Would you like some?
Yeah, me too…
Buon Appetito!
Print
Blueberry Basil No-Churn Ice Cream
- Category: Dessert
Ingredients
- Blueberry-Basil Sauce
- 1 – 16 oz. pkg. fresh blueberries
- ¼ cup sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- Juice from ½ lemon
- 1/4 cup finely chopped basil
- Ice Cream
- 1 pt. heavy whipping cream
- 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- For the blueberry-basil sauce, combine berries, sugar, vanilla, lemon juice and basil in a medium saucepan.
- Cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves and the berries soften, 6 – 8 minutes. You may need to break the blueberries down a bit with a fork or potato masher.
- Transfer sauce to a bowl and refrigerate until cool.
- For the ice cream, in a large mixing bowl and using a hand held mixer, whip the heavy whipping cream until smooth. Add the sweetened condensed milk and continue beating until stiff peaks form.
- In the same bowl, fold in the cooled blueberry-basil sauce until fully combined.
- Pour ice cream mixture into a 9×5 loaf pan.
- Freeze for 4 – 8 hours or overnight.
- Scoop away!
Wishing you a beautiful weekend!
Ciao!
No churn ice cream is the BEST!!! This looks so lovely and fresh!
I 100% agree! Thank you so much, Lindsay!! 🙂
Your way with words is absolutely beautiful, Annie! Congratulations to Nick – and to you! It’s a wonderful milestone to be proud of. I hope your celebrations all weekend long were a blast and that everyone was treated to a few scoops of this delicious ice cream!
Thank you so much, Michelle! We had a wonderful weekend! Our daughter from California was able to come home and we were all together! <3
Congratulations to your son, Annie! That is so exciting and such an accomplishment. You must be so proud! And yay for no-churn ice cream! I just made some the other week and can’t get enough of it. It’s a favorite of mine during the summer. This blueberry basil version sounds fantastic…love the combo!
Thank you, Gayle! We had a beautiful weekend! 🙂
Reading about your son is so beautiful! You must be so proud of him 🙂 All celebrations should involv ice cream as beautiful as this. Gorgeous Annie!!
Thank you so much, dear! <3
Oh what a perfect combo blueberry and basil. I love the walk down memory lane. OMG, it happens so fast, doesn’t it? my son left a 4th grader for a little 3 day camping trip and came back a middle schooler. He is too cool for school! Love the Nick stories. Looking forward to hearing how he takes on the world!
It happens sooo fast! Truly. Eyes wide open for all of it! Thanks for stopping by, my friend!
OMG Annie, you have me bawling… My son has beautiful long curly hair still at almost seven, I never want to see it cut off and to think that one day soon he will not need me to drive him to school. I guess you must keep busy to not be crying. I think that this ice cream requires that Blackberry smash you had made – a spoonful of the ice cream, a sip of the smash…Congratulations to your boy!
So difficult to cut those curls! Thankfully Nick still has them! Thank you so much, my friend! And I love your idea for a little Blackberry Smash alternated with ice cream! 🙂
Congratulations and best wishes to Nick and all of you. And thanks for this. It does sound like a party – ice creeam with basil and blueberry flavors. It also kinda suggests I should combine these two in a muffin or cake as well. Yow. Never married basil and blueberry together before. Can’t wait to see what happens. Cheers!
Thank you, Robin! I highly recommend you try blueberries and basil somewhere!
Wow, what an exciting and emotional time!! If you’re like me you have probably eaten the whole container of this wonderful ice cream as you think back over the years 😉 . This ice cream is so beautiful and sounds wonderful! Blueberry + basil = yum!! Bring lots of tissues to graduation!! Take care.
Hahhahah! You know I’m like you!! Oh yes – the (heavy duty) tissues are ready! Thanks, my friend!
what a pretty ice cream Annie, so perfect for summer!
Thanks, Manali!
Congratulations Nick (and family)! I’m getting choked up reading this and I don’t even know him. I can’t imagine what it feels like for you, Annie! But this ice cream definitely sounds like it would help :). That color is just stunning. Enjoy the graduation festivities!
Awhh! Thank you, sweets! <3
Wao Annie! Congratulations! He surely is a kind, bright, beautiful young man because of the great parents and upbringing he has had! So you did a wonderful job! I wish you and your whole family a great graduation celebration let the fun memories be created to be cherish for years to come! hugs!!
Awhhh! You’re so sweet, Gaila! Thank you so much for your kindness! Hugs right back, my friend!! <3
Annie what a beautiful emotional post full of love, memories, and joy! I’m up for some ice cream and to celebrate with you on an important milestone. Congratulations! On a similar note, my stepson turned 23 yesterday and there is going to be a graduation ceremony next week. Here’s to the new generation, and to good eating!
Ice cream covers all the bases, doesn’t it?! Thank you so much for stopping by with a kind word! Congratulations to your family, as well!
Congratulations to Nick! What a lovely remembrance of him as a young boy – time certainly flies. You must be so proud of him. Wishing him best of luck with the future! And you are the queen of no churn ice cream – this one is a winner (like all your other flavors). Have a great time at the graduation, Annie!
I am so proud of him! Thank you so much, Geraldine! Have a lovely weekend, friend!
Such an emotional time! Congratulations on Nick’s graduation. It really is a big accomplishment. I love what you wrote and can relate for sure. Sometimes, I wish I could go back and relive just one (seemingly) ordinary day when the kids were little. xo
Oh gosh – wouldn’t that be a dream! Now you’ve got me thinking about the day I’d like to relive! Thank you so much, my friend! xo
Oh my goodness, you made me tear up, Annie!!! Congratulations to Nick, and may the next chapter of his life be filled with blessings and all the success life can offer! Reading your eloquent, lovely words about Nick seriously melted my heart. I think I’ve said it before, but I’ll say it again – are you up for adopting a 33 year old? 🙂 You are just such a loving mother, Annie. I can literally FEEL the love through this computer screen. The celebration of Nick and his accomplishments in college and the accomplishments to come in the next chapter of his life DEFINITELY calls for ice cream! Especially THIS ice cream, because WOW, talk about FLAVOR! Blueberry and basil!? YES! Plus no churn?! Be still my heart! I could devour a gallon of this in .3 seconds flat. Pinned! Cheers, dear – I hope you guys have the best weekend celebrating Nick! XO
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – I would LOVE to adopt a 33 year…but only if it’s you! 😉 Thank you so much, Chey!! I appreciate your kindness! XO
WOW! Annie… what an accomplishment. Ushering your young man into adulthood and with anticipation of what’s next for your Nick. Congratulations on YOUR work and efforts to raise this young man to be a thoughtful, caring and responsible citizen! Thank you for this Annie. And for the ice cream?! Yessss! Those flavors with a hint of basil… can it get any tastier? Have fun and celebrate this moment with gusto! You’ve (and Nick) have earned it! Congratulations!!
Thank you so much, Traci! Your sweet words mean a lot to me! xo
A huge congratulations to Nick!! You must be so proud and so exciting for him to start a new chapter! This definitely requires celebratory ice-cream….maybe even three scoops 😉 Love the blueberry/basil combo, Annie! Pinned! Cheers to an awesome weekend! XOXO
Awhhh! Thank you, dear! I am with you! Three scoops all around! XOXO
Basil and blueberry is a match made in heaven and no-churn makes it even more perfect. Can’t wait to try this! Congratulations to your son. As you know, I have been helping my daughter out in to the world the past year, so I know exactly how you’re feeling 🙂
Thank you so much, my friend! These are important days… <3
Congratulations to Nick. That must be so hard for you yet I know you are proud. He’s lucky to have a sweet mama like you and I know he’ll miss your cooking! I would never have thought to put blueberry and basil together but it sounds fab!
Thank you for your kind words, Karen! This is a special time! xo
I’d say this celebration calls for ice cream too Annie! Congrats to Nick! Amazing how fast time flies right? I love the basil blueberry combo in this ice cream. I can’t wait for those gorgeous summer berries. Getting this one on my list! Happy weekend!
Thanks so much, my friend! Oh, does it fly….