Ice Cream Sunday
3 syllables is all I have to say.
No hot fudge, whipped cream, nuts or cherry needed here.
Straight up Nutella goodness. Giada would be proud.
It’s worth the stained jammies.
Enjoy!
cream
Indecisive Daddy
I’ve been asking Jay for weeks, “What do you want to do for Father’s Day?”
I guess men and women are different in that guys don’t really care or put a lot of thought into certain things.
So, yesterday morning at 9:00am he was still pondering…
Santa Monica? Beverly Hills?
He settled on The Grove since there are plenty of places to choose from with the Farmer’s Market, The Cheesecake Factory and The Farm.
We strolled around the market checking out all the different options.
Cajun. Kabob. Italian. Mexican. Korean. Chinese. BBQ. Seafood. Breakfast dishes. Sandwiches.
Now, I too, was indecisive!
We shared a sushi roll while we decided on something else.
Jay got beef kabob (which I was glad because he’s been talking about kabob for awhile) with hummus, pita and some middle eastern take on potato salad with mint which was delish.
The kids got pepperoni pizza, of course.
I finally decided that I wanted some spicy Jambalaya from The Gumbo Pot. The line was long…
We also tried the hushpuppies…
…and the beignets for dessert!
Trying to cool theirs off:
Powdered sugar everywhere.
Yum!
We were successful and got out of there without buying anything other than our lunch.
NOT EASY!
*****
I wanted to fix dinner, of course, but Jay wanted to do Sticky Brown Sugar Glazed Babybacks on the grill. I went to the store and grabbed a slab and a half along with the fixin’s for some Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad and Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream. I prepared the dry rub (cayenne, salt & pepper) and made the glaze (brown sugar, beer, cider vinegar, red pepper flakes and mustard powder) and he did the grilling. Thanks, babe!
Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad:
Sweet, sticky ribs:
This was our first time doing ribs. I was a little nervous, but they turned out fantastic. Next time Jay said he will not have as many coals going so they can cook “lower and slower” so to speak, but they were outstanding.
The tater salad was a new find, too and it was perfect with the ribs.
We made our second batch of ice cream…
Peanut Butter Cup ~ Jay’s fave!
In the end, it doesn’t matter if you’re indecisive or have the perfect plan in your head.
All that matters is that we spent the day together as a family and reminded ourselves what an honor (most days!) it is to be parents to E & H.
From the moment the Clear Blue Easy stick told me Jay was going to be a daddy, I knew he was going to be a wonderful one.
That was almost 6 years ago!
These two HAVE decided that they have the best daddy in the whole wide world!
We love you, Daddy!
XOXO
Ice Cream For Breakfast
Last night the kids mixed up their first batch of ice cream.
Everyone helped and had their little paws involved…
We were going to make Vanilla Bean, but I was feeling cheap and didn’t want to pay $13 for a single bean (I could buy a whole outfit for that!)
So, we just made Vanilla. Minus the bean.
I guess that’s a good place to start for homemade ice cream beginners.
Plain. Simple.
The directions said to leave the mixture in the ‘fridge overnight so what did we do first thing this morning?
Make ice cream, naturally!
And by naturally, I mean naturally…whole milk, sugar, half & half, pure vanilla extract and a pinch of salt.
That’s it.
I sound like a commercial for Breyer’s.
Pouring in the mixture with my assistants:
Uh, they were a wee bit excited…
…just a wee bit.
Churn! Churn!
Good morning, ice cream!
And there you have it…ice cream for breakfast.
Summer is all about breaking the rules, right?
Next up…something a little more exciting ~ Nutella and Peanut Butter Cup.
Here is the recipe:
I always thought homemade ice cream was too much fuss, but it is so easy! I’m sure the more fancy you get the more there is to preparing the mixture, but generally speaking, it’s a piece of cake!
Also looking forward to trying the Coconut Sorbet.
The possibilities are endlesss….
Hope your Father’s Day Weekend is full of endless possibilities as well!
Enjoy!
I Scream, You Scream
We finally added a Cuisinart ice cream maker to the family.
Homemade Nutella Ice Cream coming up this weekend…
…and maybe some ice cream sammies the following weekend?
*****
Flip Flop Fitness Update ~ 6.15.10
2 cups coffee w/ 4 tbsp. hazelnut creamer: 4 points
Banana: 2 points
1/2 cup canned FF refried beans: 2 points
Turkey & light cheddar w/ mustard on whole wheat sandwich thin: 5 points
2 cups red seedless grapes: 2 points
Light string cheese: 1 point
Safeway “Eating Right” Sesame Chicken frozen meal: 7 points
Total: 23 points
Workout:
Walked to clubhouse and back: 2 miles
30+ minutes on elliptical @ 10 resistance: 3 miles, 400 cals
South Of The Border Salad
Hola!
I kicked off the weekend with my Ladies and Chopped Taco Salad with Spicy Sour Cream Ranch Dressing. All that was missing was a ‘rita on the side!
This salad is perfect for Summer……or whenever!
Chopped Taco Salad
1 head iceberg lettuce, rinsed and chopped
1/2 onion, chopped
1 package ground turkey, chicken or beef (about a pound)
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 small can corn, drained
2 roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cup shredded cheese (cheddar, jack, pepperjack, whatever floats your boat)
1 avocado, diced
cilantro, chopped (optional)
olives, chopped (optional)
green chiles, chopped (optional)
Sauté the onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes or so. Add the ground meat and brown – breaking up with a wooden spoon. Once the meat is cooked through, add about 3/4 of the taco seasoning package reserving the rest for the dressing. Add about 2 Tbsp. water to the meat mixture and cook for a few minutes longer. Let cool.
I like to layer my salad in a glass bowl – lettuce, meat, black beans, corn, tomato, cheese, avocado, lettuce, meat, black beans,corn, tomato, cheese & avocado.
Spicy Sour Cream Ranch Dressing
1/2 cup low fat Sour Cream
Low fat Milk
Packet Ranch Dressing Mix
Reserved taco seasoning from package
Put sour cream in a small bowl along with about 1 Tbsp ranch seasoning and the rest of the taco seasoning. Add about 4 Tbsp milk and whisk together. I like my dressing a little thinner so add more or less milk depending on how thick you desire your dressing.
Don’t toss until right before serving….the salad can get soggy pretty quick.
Garnish with crushed tortilla chips or, if you’re really feeling naughty, crushed Doritos. Cornbread is a tasty sidekick, too!
Have a wonderful weekend….Adios!
