Mickey Waffle Ice Cream Sandwich

     I don't know how your neighborhood works but our ice cream man has been coming around since like February and  I am sick of T ,my son, wanting to stop him every time he drives through the neighborhood so I have been on a mission to make him treats that look tasty and yummy that he will eat. Today I was trying to decide what I was gonna make him. Looking in our freezer I saw I had some homemade blueberry ice cream so I pulled that out to let it soften. While pulling that out I saw that the hubby still had his blueberry Eggo waffles, If I had a waffle maker I would make them from scratch but sadly I am lacking many basic kitchen utensils, So I toasted two of them up. Now I had the yummy but I had to make it look appealing to a 5 year old so I went to my cookie cutter collection and pulled out my Mickey cutter and went to town making this ice cream sandwich. T loved it!

What You Will Need:

• 2 Blueberry Waffles toasted to crispy
• 1/2 Cup Ice Cream of your choice softened 
• Tin Foil

    So set your choice of ice cream out to soften as you toast the waffles. Scoop your ice cream in to 1 large ball shaped scoop and 2 small ball shaped scoops and put them on a piece of tin foil and set them in the freezer while you cut the waffles.

      Toast the waffles and let them cool to where you can handle them. Cut both waffles with the cookie cutter.

     Go get your ice cream balls from the freezer and fit them to one of the waffles and set the other waffle on top.

      Wrap in tin foil and put it back in the freezer for at least and hour. I like to set mine in the ice keeper so they can freeze faster.

    Next came the big test would T eat it? I brought it out to him in the yard, since I was pretty sure it would be messy, right away he of course liked the Mickey shape. He happily devoured it !

Rice Crispy Peeps

I am so sick of seeing the left over candy from Easter so today I made Rice Crispy Peeps. Now I must say I hardly ever measure anything and this time is no different.

What You Will Need

• 2 Packages Peeps ( total of 22 peeps)
• 2T Butter
• Rice Crispy Treats

Put Peeps and butter in to a large pot and stir on Med heat till the peeps have meltedandsugar is dissolving.

Once they have melted stir in Rice Crispys till they are thoroughly coated and are more cereal then marshmallow. Now if this was just being made for me this is as far as I get. I NEVER make the actual treats I just eat straight from the pot. But for you guys I made them in to treats. I must warn you these are VERY VERY sweet but yummy!

Sausage and Bow Tie Pasta with Steamed Artichokes

I was really wanting something light quick and tasty for supper last night so this is what I threw together. I was only disappointed that I had no Italian sausage and had to use kielbasa instead, it was good but would have been much better had I had the Italian sausage.

Bow Tie Pasta

You Will Need

• 1lb Italian sausage (mild or hot)
• 1/2 lb sliced green squash ( buy this precut mixed with the yellow at Albertson's by the bagged salads)
• 1/2 lb sliced yellow squash
• 2 diced roma tomatoes
• 1/4 - 1/2 jar of spaghetti sauce of your choice. ( I used Newmans Own Sockashroomi)
• 1 box Barilla whole wheat bow tie pasta ( boiled to aldente in salted water)

 Slice the sausage in to medallions and saute when they start get a bit browned add the diced tomatoes and squash. Saute on medium till the sausage browns up nicely and the squash is still a bit firm.

In a large bowl add cooked bow ties, the sausage mixture and spaghetti sauce. Toss till mixed and coated well.

Steamed Artichokes

Look for artichokes with the leaves mostly closed when selecting n the store. Cut the stem off the bottom and peel away the stray leaves. cut off the first inch or so and then set bottom down in to about 2 inches of boiling water. Cover and let steam for 25 -30 min. Serve with mayonnaise or melted butter.

Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream Bread

Yes you heard that right ,two count them two,of my favorite things ever Ben & Jerry;s Ice Cream and Bread! Needless to say when I saw a version pinned of this pinned I had to give it a go and with only two ingredients that you probably have in your house already you should too!

You Will Need

• 2 C Ben & Jerry's Strawberry Cheesecake Ice Cream(one regular size carton)
• 1 1/2 C Self Rising Flour OR make your own 1tsp salt and 1 3/4 tsp baking powder add to 1C flour (I made mine)

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees
Mix the ice cream in to the flour until it is mixed and not crumbly.

 Pour in to a greased loaf pan and bake for 45-60min. How much easier could if get!?

You can use any brand of ice cream I just prefer Ben & Jerry's. You can also use any flavor of ice cream you like I am wanting to try the Everything But The... flavor. I was quite surprised that this really worked. I had many friends ask me, when I said I was gonna make it, if  it would really work. to my surprise and delight it did!

Balsamic Blueberries/ Balsamic Blueberry Syrup

I use this recipe often. I use it with honey and plain Greek yogurt for popsicles, I use the strained syrup over pancakes and in drinks, and the berries in cookies breads sandwiches and cookies.

You Will Need

• 1 Small Pkg Fresh Blueberries
• 2 T Balsamic Vinegar
• 1T Brown Sugar

 Rinse your berries and dump them in to a small sauce pan. Add vinegar and brown sugar.set to boil for 5 min crushing some of the berries as you go. Remove from heat and stain if you so desire. I know this will keep for at least a week; it has never lasted longer then that here!

Blueberry Lemon Ice Cream

  Monday I had my niece and nephew, since they were out of school, in addition to my son so I decided to make it an all day outside kind of a day. It was almost 90 here so I decided we would make a waterslide with a sprinkler and swingset and what better way t cool down after all day in the water and sun then making ice cream? So I used a blueberry balsamic syrup, I had made previously and and will post the recipe after this one, some fresh lemons and got out the ice cream maker so they could make ice cream. On a side note I should say most of the out door photos were taken by my 5 yr old, he loves to use my camera.

You Will Need

• Ice Cream Maker
• 2 1/2 C Half & Half
• 1 C Sugar
• 2 C Heavy Cream
• 2 Large Lemons
• 1 C Blueberry Syrup

Mix Half & Half with the sugar and mix till sugar dissolves.

 Add juice from the lemons.

  Stir in the blueberry syrup and heavy cream.

 Pour the mixture into your machine and let it churn for at least 1/2 an hour. Once the ice cream has thickened up then put it in the freezer for 1/2 hour. Scoop and serve. You can drizzle this with honey and it would be awesome too!

Avocado Egg Salad

   My son was decorating eggs today and there were 3 that cracked while boiling so I decided to make this yummy sandwich!

 What You Will Need

• 3 Hard Boiled Eggs Mashed
• 1 1/2-2 T Avocado Guacamole
• 1/4 C Shredded Cheese
• Cayenne Pepper to taste
• 1tsp Dill Relish
• 2 Slices Toasted Bread

 Mix everything together in a bowl besides the bread; spread the mixture on the bread and chow down!