Cheerwine ice cream

Seriously -- what a great idea. Wish I'd thought of it, but Jeanne and Bruce found it in a magazine somewhere. Note that it makes 3 quarts, which is two batches in my little ice cream maker. For those that don't know, Cheerwine is a regional soft drink that's somewhere between Dr. Pepper and Cherry Coke (but better than either!).

In a double boiler, whisk until thickened

1. 4 eggs
2. 2 c whole milk

Whisk in

1. 2 c sugar

Whisk until sugar is dissolved, then remove from heat and strain through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any curdled egg. (I omitted this step because it wasn't in the directions, to my later regret.) Stir in

1. 1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
2. 1 (12 oz) can evaporated milk

Refrigerate until cold, at least several hours and preferably over night. Just before churning, stir in

1. 2 1/2 c cold Cheerwine
2. 2 c whole milk

Churn according to the directions for your ice cream maker.

Sausage, roasted red pepper, and spinach torta rustica

A really easy and delicious recipe I clipped from Bon Appetit. The substitutions (frozen spinach, half-and-half) are mine. I suspect you could substitute some cheap Swiss for the Fontina to reduce the cost some more, as the cheese is pretty easily the most expensive ingredient.

Butter a 8x8 glass baking dish and line with

1. 16 (1/4") baguette slices

Combine and add to dish

1. 12 oz fresh baby spinach leaves, wilted in 1T butter or 10 oz frozen spinach, squeezed dry
2. 1 lb. sweet Italian sausage, casing removed and sausage browned
3. 1 c (4 oz) grated Fontina cheese
4. 3/4 c diced drained roasted red peppers (from a jar)

Whisk together and pour over top

1. 6 eggs
2. 1 c heavy cream + 1 c whole milk or 2 c half-and-half
3. 1 t salt
4. 1/4 t pepper

Sprinkle with

1. 1/2 c (2 oz) grated Fontina cheese (1.5 c / 6 oz total)

Bake at 350 F for 55 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes before serving.