6 Kitchen Adventure Weekend Projects, from Ice Cream to Homemade Bacon
Whenever the weekend rolls around, you have two options: sit on the couch and watch Netflix all day or be super-productive. Even though we're all about lounging around and eating great food — especially when it is themed around camping-movie marathons or pairs perfectly with summer jams — you can use your downtime for a fun kitchen adventure instead.
Whether it's churning up homemade ice cream for a backyard bash or starting the process for homemade bacon, there's a cooking project fit for you. Check out six ideas below, ranked from easy-breezy to crazy-hard (but so worth it).
Once you master an easy ice cream flavor base, you can add any flavors that you want. Chocolate, strawberry, balsamic cherry — you name it! The ice cream maker does most of the work for you.
A Little Bit More Difficult: Quick Bread-and-Butter Pickles
Making bread-and-butter pickles requires a bit of patience because you have to slice and salt the cucumbers, rinse them and then make and cool the brine before combining everything. But we promise they're well worth the wait.
Kelsey Nixon's dough recipe is pretty straightforward, and you can stretch it to be a flatbread or a standard-size pizza like her Chopped Caesar Salad Pizza. Watch how to make pizza dough here.
Debi Mazar, 2012, Television Food Network, G.P. All Rights Reserved.
Again, this is all about patience. Debi Mazar and Gabriele Corcos' authentic family recipe is easy to put together, but you'll have to wait two weeks to take your first sip.
If you're a cheese lover, fresh mozzarella is a good place to start with cheese making. Imagine the amazing caprese salads you can make with a little TLC.
Impress everyone you know when you whip out homemade maple-cured bacon at your weekend barbecue. It takes some time, but most of the process happens in the fridge over the course of a week.