You guys, today is an awesome day for oh so many reasons. Where should I start? As some of you may know, Emily a.k.a. The Pig and Quill is having a baby girl! Naturally, we all had to get together to shower her with love, recipes, and tons of photos of all the food we would have made for her shower if we were all in the same state, scratch that, city. And while we can't all be together today ('cause rivers, oceans, statelines, etc.), we can all agree that Em's the best of the best and we can't wait to meet her little piglet #emspigletparty. 

I seriously hope that you're all reading Em's blog but if you aren't familiar with her work, let me tell you a bit about her.  First off, she is one of my first IRL (in real life) blogging friend. We met while I was still living in SF and it was friendship at first meet. Emily's seriously the sweetest, so much so that after our first toast date at The Mill, she treated me to some Bi-Rite Creamery ice cream. If memory serves me correctly, Em treated me to a scoop of Bi-Rite's infamous balsamic strawberry ice cream, which she swore was their best flavor, one that I hadn't tried. After that, I told her I owed her a scoop on our next date but whoops...Moses and I moved down to LA shortly after and well, I still owe her that scoop!! SOOOOO here I am many months later returning the scoop (in a way).

What else can I tell you about her? Well, girlfriend has a love for all Asian foods, tacos, and ice cream, yet when she makes 'em she usually gives them her healthy spin. She's an only (child) like me but doesn't seem to suffer from the dreaded OCS (only child syndrome) that seems to plague so many others (seriously hope I'm not one of the plagued). She also celebrates her blog birthday with Grilled Melon and Prosciutto Caprese instead of the typical cake or sweet-baked-something 'cause she isn't a fan of baking (I'll make you a cake whenever you visit, Em!!). And finally, she's got a writing style that straight up slays. With words like "nyyyope," "cyuuuuuuute," and "kyoooote" peppered into all her posts, you really get the feeling she's right there with you, spitting some epic stories. And with that, cheers to you Emily, you're my favorite pig, and I can't wait to meet your little piglet!

A couple quick notes about the recipe because, while it's pretty simple to whip up and guaranteed to please a crowd (I just served it at a dinner party and everyone agreed the goat's milk yogurt gives it that little extra something somethan') it does take some time (albeit it inactive time) so plan accordingly.  Note that you'll be straining your goat's milk for at least six hours (in the fridge). This is followed by an additional hour of chilling once you've  mixed in your remaining yogurt base ingredients. You will also need to whip up the strawberry-balsamic purée at least an hour or two prior to churning. It's simple and quick to make but it needs to chill completely before being added to the yogurt. Finally, as with most homemade ice cream recipes, this frozen yogurt is best after a couple hours of chill time in the freezer. Ok, that's it. Ready, set, froyo!

Oh, and before we get to the recipe, here are the rest of the showerers (I made that word up, just for you, Emily) sharing their love for sweet Emily!

SWEET THINGS

So...Let's Hang Out - Grain-Free Macadamia Nut Brownies
Jewhungry - Matcha Mint Milkshakes
The Food Gays - Chocolate Layer Cake with Bavarian Cream
Lady and Pups - Black Sesame Mochi Ice Cream
Cake Over Steak - Brownie Tiramisu Trifle
Will Frolic for Food  - Toasted Coconut Tahini Mounds
Earthy Feast -  Semlor [Swedish Cardamom Cream Puffs with Almond Paste]

SAVORY THINGS

Two Red Bowls - Spicy Gochujang Pigs in a Blanket with Kimchi Relish
Beard and Bonnet - Tex Mex Salad
Dula Notes - Miso-Parmesan Shishito Peppers
A Little Saffron - Minty Pea and Ricotta Toast with Crispy Prosciutto
The Bojon Gourmet  - Dukkah Deviled Duck Eggs
Nosh and Nourish - Chili Roasted Beet Hummus
Loves Food, Loves to Eat - Fried Chicken Musubi
Tasty Yummies - Smoked Salmon Cucumber Bites with Asparagus Ribbons and Dill Cashew Sour Cream
I am a Food Blog - Jalapeno Popper Deviled Eggs
80twenty - Pepita Red Pepper Salsa with Sweet Potato Chips

DRINK THINGS

Dunk & Crumble - Pink Grapefruit Sparklers
With Food + Love - Raspberry + Chamomile Cream Sodas

Strawberry-Balsamic Goat's Milk Frozen Yogurt

Strawberry-balsamic puree adapted from Bi-Rite Creamery's balsamic strawberry ice cream via SERIOUS EATS

Frozen yogurt based adapted from 101 Cookbooks

Makes about one quart

INGREDIENTS

STRAWBERRY-BALSAMIC PUREE

• 12 oz. (~2 c.) strawberries, hulled and halved or quartered
• 2 Tbsp. sugar
• 2 tsp. balsamic vinegar

FROZEN YOGURT BASE

• 6 c. goat's milk yogurt
• 2/3 c. granulated sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn syrup
• 1 Tbsp. honey

TOOLS

• mall saucepan
• Blender or food processor
• Whisk
• Fine mesh sieve
• Cheese cloth
• Large bowl
• Plastic wrap
• Ice cream machine
• Silicone spatula
• Measuring spoons and cups
• Storage container
• Parchment paper

FIX

STRAWBERRY-BALSAMIC PUREE

1. Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and cook on medium heat, stirring often, until the strawberries are soft and some of the liquid from the strawberries has cooked down, around  6 to 8 minutes.

2. Let the strawberry mixture cool slightly, then transfer to your blender or food processor and purée until smooth. Should yield around one cup.

3. Refrigerate until cold.

FROZEN YOGURT BASE

1. Line your fine mesh sieve with a few layers of cheese cloth. Spoon in the yogurt then gather ends together and twist shut at the top. Refrigerate for at least six hours. 

2. Once strained, remove yogurt from cheesecloth and strainer then whisk in the granulated sugar, corn syrup, and honey. Whisk until the sugar dissolves completely then whisk in 3/4 cup of the strawberry-balsamic purée. (Reserve the remaining purée to top the frozen yogurt.) Refrigerate for one hour.

3. Pour mixture into an ice cream maker; process according to manufacturer's instructions.

4. Transfer frozen yogurt to a storage container. Press a sheet of parchment onto the top of your frozen yogurt, wrap with plastic wrap and transfer to freezer until set (at least two to four hours).

5. Serve and enjoy!