Scott's Firehouse Peppermint Ice Cream

From the ARCHIVES...

I am the luckiest ducky in the world because my hubby is one fantastic cook and he teaches me things all of the time. I am his "official taste tester" and he is mine! {Amongst other friends and neighbors}.

Last night, he finally perfected his Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream. TO.DIE.FOR. and the best part about it is that he is sharing it with all of you. Now, we are all lucky little duckies {even though I don't believe in LUCK!}

Thank you, Honey, for workin' on it until you got it "right"! Such the sweetie you are!!!

Here is a fun idea for Christmas gifts or for entertaining during the Holidays. This is great because it can all be made up ahead of time. When dessert time rolls around, all you need to do is to pull out your tray of Homemade Peppermint Ice Cream containers. You may want to make two different sizes. The good news is there is no mess {YAY!} and no clean-up...EVEN BETTER!  If they are too full, they can take it home!

Your guests will feel completely pampered and pleasantly full!

Scott's Firehouse Peppermint Ice Cream

Scott Pearson



INGREDIENTS:

2-1/2 cups milk

2-1/2 cups sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

2-1/2 cups half & half

1-1/2 Tbsp vanilla extract

1 tsp. TORANI PEPPERMINT SYRUP or MONIN

5 cups whipping cream

2 cups crushed peppermint candies


DIRECTIONS:

• Heat milk until bubbles form around pan.

• Remove milk from heat

• Add sugar and salt, stir until dissolved.

• Stir in remaining ingredients.

• Place into ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions.{BUNNY FOO FOO!}

****This recipe makes 5 quarts of ice cream******

This is such a versatile recipe! Eventually you will come up with your own variations.

Another yummy option: Skip the peppermint candies and fold in two rows of Trader Joe's Candy Candy Joe Joe's, chopped...or if you really want to have a sugar coma, go ahead and roughly chop the whole entire box of chocolate cookies. Just FOLD in the cookies after the ice cream has already been made! This is hubby's secret!




Packaging Ideas:

As soon as the ice cream is made. Pour into whatever containers you plan on gifting and place in freezer until needed.

Simply place four embellished containers in a Take-Out drink carrier {My friends and family collect these for me year-round! THANK YOU!}

Placed cedar clippings around the containers and attached a sweet little label with the family's initial to a branch. That is it!


What are some ideas you have for Christmas this year?





JUST BECAUSE I HAVE TO SHOW OFF MY VERY SWEET DOGGIE...





Shared with:  Stone Gable

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Cinco de Mayo Recipes

Can you even believe Cinco de Mayo is this weekend?  My.Oh.My, time flies.

Anyhoo, I thought it would be fun to post a few of my favorite recipes that would be perfect for Saturday night!

                                                Easy BBQ Mexican Chicken






                                                    Mexican Stacki Upi Bowls




                                                          Buffalo Taco Salad






                                                          Tostada Tartlettes




                                                   Cinco de Mayo Omelettes  {in a bag}





                                             Scott's Firehouse Cornbread {aka The BEST Cornbread EVER!}




                                              Key Lime Whippers




                                                Pink Lemonade Cake

Pretty please...don't forget the LEMONADE.  Plain ol' lemonade will do.  Unless you have time to make strawberry or raspberry lemonade!  :}



Happy Celebrating!



Shared with:  at the picket fence, comfy in the kitchen

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Easter Table Decor with Peat Pots

Happy Tuesday.  Hope those of you are participating in the "40 bags of stuff in 40 days" are having more fun with it than I am.  I had no idea how attached I had become to things.  I will be posting pictures of a sun dress I have had for 20 years.  I have pics with my babes to PROVE IT.  So, some of those things are now off to a new new home. Who knows, it may be a post you may want to skip...but unfortunately this is also our family blog which documents big things for us which may be of no interest to anybody else!  :}

Anyhoo, with our HOME feeling less-cluttered, fresh and the anticipation of Spring, I wanted to share a frugal find if you are hosting Easter in your home this year.  My Momma always brought the inside in.  It wasn't ever just at Christmas or at Easter, but she was always clipping things or picking things up to display in our home.  Although a fresh bouquet of tulips is always welcome, it is not always economical.  We planted rosemary about 15 years ago and it is still my go-to for cooking, year-round bouquets, gift toppers and everything else.  The plants were on sale {less than $10} and they have saved us so much $$. Can I tell you how nice it is to cut a sprig and tie it to a white washcloth for overnight guests?!  :}

I love starting plants for friends and for family.  Once the roots are nice and long, they are ready to plant in soil.

I bought this pack of 12 Peat Pots for $1.49.  I already had the soil outside and I used the rosemary starts I started weeks  ago.  

All you need to do is fill the adorable little pot about half full.

Then, place your start into the soil.

Fill the pot to the top and press the soil down to make sure your start feels packed in and secure.

Water just a tad.  That is it!

I think these are sweet little Easter table decorations.  If you want a simple tablescape:  Line up several pots and place them on a tray for garden row herbs.

There is quite a variety of sizes and styles of peat pots.  The trays are really cute, too!

Happy dreaming and planning!

Don't forget about the giveaway!

Shared with:  women living well, a bowl full of lemons, Titus 2sday, raising homemakers, at the picket fence

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The Night Before Thanksgiving: Charlie Brown Style

{Sorry about the pic...I took it awhile ago before I was planning on using it for the blog, you know, at night!}

This is going to be a short, sweet and to-the-point post! No blah, blah,blah, today!

My hubby is a complete Charlie Brown fanatic. All I can say is that it has been a good thing that our children have had him as a Daddy, because while I like culture...he is all about FUN! AND I mean lots and lots of fun. Jammie walks, adventures through Bear Country and the Scarry Forest.

Every Veggie Tale, the Little Rascals and The whole Charlie Brown Collection has been a must for his babes.

I have loved his thoughts on different traditions we could start for our children. He has had the best ideas. Another reason we wives should listen to our hubby's! :)

It always seemed that the evening before Thanksgiving was crazy busy in the kitchen! You know, making final touches before the big day to keep stress at bay on Thanksgiving.

Very seldom did we eat in front of the T.V, but it was nights like this that were "special". I would buy fish sticks and tator tots. Yep, the children are still alive, too! They loved it because I never bought junk food.

Their Daddy would put A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving into the video machine and they would get so excited. Like squirming excited! It gave me just enough time to kinda get things cleaned up and prepped for the next day.

Several years ago, we implemented Charlie Brown's Thanksgiving menu to our traditional fish stick and tater tot menu. WHAT A FUN IDEA! {not mine}

Even though we have one child in college now, I can guarantee our grown children and grandchildren will be coming home for The Night Before Thanksgiving. It is a silly tradition, but the memories and no clean-up make this a definite keeper!

Happy Memory Making!


Menu:
Buttered toast...mom's...no wheat bread allowed. You may get away with potato bread, but you will score BIG points if you buy WONDER BREAD!

pretzels

Jelly beans...BIG ones...no Jelly Belly's allowed, either.

popcorn

PINK Sherbet with whipped cream and DO NOT forget the cherries for the top! Trust me, your children will notice!

Fish sticks and tator tots

I serve everything in DISPOSABLE paper trays. That way there is no clean up. :)

Your children will think you hung the moon and your hubby will nominate you AGAIN for MOMMA and WIFE of the YEAR! :)


On a side note, it has been really fun to have family friends join us in our tradition. It seems to be a favorite...and especially interresting to see how others do add their own twist to it!













Shared with: WLW, comfy in the kitchen, stonegable

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Happy 20th Birthday, Laurissa!

It is almost 4 in the morning and I have just given you your birthday kiss. Twenty years ago today, I gave you the first of many many kisses, I whispered the first of many many "I love You's" and I held you close to my heart where you will always be treasured.

As you are now on the road to being a young woman, I wanted to give you something that you could hold dear as you grow more and more dependant on God for His wisdom and direction for your life. No matter how much advice and comfort I offer you, it is God's Word that will forever be full of perfect direction and comfort!

The words of Horatio Spafford have always been a favorite of mine...and it is a story you LOVED listening to on ODYSSEY as a little girl!

Lauriss, know that no matter what God has in store for your life. It is He who gave you life here on this earth and who has given you eternal life. No matter where you are and no matter what the circumstances may be...you, sweet child, will always be able to say without any hesitation..."it is well with my soul."



It Is Well With My Soul

When peace like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou hast taught me to know,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Refrain:
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life,
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.
But Lord, 'tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh, trump of the angel! Oh, voice of the Lord!
Blessed hope, blessed rest of my soul.
And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
Horatio Spafford



May you continue to grow in God's grace and know His peace that surpasses all understanding!

I love you, little miss Lauriss!

*Pictures taken by my ever-talented bff, Kim Harris! Thank you, bunny!
















sHARED WITH: RAISING HOMEMAKERS

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Apple Pie in a Clay Saucer

Happy Friday! I hope all of you enjoy the weekend. It is so cold out here and most people are wearing their jackets and coats now, which I love! People are starting to have fires going in their fire places...which makes the air smell oh.so.good.

Baking in clay pots has been a favorite since our children were young, but I must say, baking a pie in a mini clay saucer is my absolute favorite. It is a bit rustic looking and not what you would typically expect a pie to be baked in...so, a mini pie...actually big enough for two to share is the perfect way to serve pie for THANKSGIVING, don't you think? Maybe it should be called a sweetheart pie!








Grammy's Apple Pie

*This recipe will yield 4 sweetheart pies...one serves two!

*You will need 4 un-glazed clay saucers about 4 1/2" in diameter. Be sure they are not the shallow ones. You want the deeper ones to hold all of the apple filling goodness!

*Also, you need to make your filling up in advance, so that the apples absorb all of the flavors and shrink in the prep bowl and not in your pie!

STORE-BOUGHT pie dough {I LOVE Trader Joe's brand...because nobody can believe it is store-bought. Well, I am assuming, because they ask for the recipe!}

7 Granny Smith apples, peeled, sliced and cut into small pieces

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 cup sugar

2 Tablespoons flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon...be generous!!!

1/2 tsp. nutmeg. If you happen to have fresh, please do use it!

2 tablespoons butter, melted

a bit of heavy whipping cream

coarse sanding sugar for sparkly tops that glisten like snow!  So very SASSY!

{Directions}

*Combine apples, lemon juice, sugar, flour, spices and melted butter. Let it sit in the fridge for several hours or even overnight.





*Roll out dough just a tad.



*Use a bowl slightly larger than your clay saucer









*Distribute filling evenly between 4 clay saucers...be sure not to get too much liquid unless you don't mind a soggy pie crust!

*Once all of the pies have their filling in them, take your bigger bowl and cut out 4 tops and place them on top of the bowls.



*Once the tops are crimped and you have cut a decorative steam vent, brush each pie with a bit of heavy whipping cream cream and sprinkle with coarse sanding sugar.

Bake at 375* for about 25 minutes or until golden and bubbly!



Okay, girlies, you are going to want to set your little pies on a juice catcher of some sort, because these babies like to bubble as they bake and if you don't want this mess in the bottom of your oven...making your home smell like the fire department should have made a call to your house...one of my biggest fears! How embarassing would that be? Another reason my hubby works for another county!!!!









The clay saucers are available at HOME DEPOT.  Make sure they are not glazed and are washed well!! :}

oh...one more thing. I finally found the site for the sweet little printables. I just used my stampin up punch and punched away

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Cranberry Orange Sippers

Since Christmas decorations are up in the stores {not our house!}, I think it is safe to talk turkey now!

What is it about Thanksgiving that is so wonderful? I think it is a chance to really hear others talk about the blessings in their lives. A chance to be grateful no matter what the circumstances...because I am sure that if you took out a piece of paper and pen...you could fill it up pretty quickly.


We have this punch every.single.year. It doesn't matter if we are HOME or somewhere else. It comes right along with us.

I have gotten quite a few e-mails with readers who are frustrated with my ingredient list. I am VERY sorry. I will really try to be a bit more sensitive to this.

THANKSGIVING PUNCH:

Cranberry Juice

Orange Juice {Do your family and friends a favor...NO PULP! THEY don't like it!}

Ginger Ale/Champagne

Directions:

Freeze cranberry juice in ice cube trays...or whatever shape you would like {IKEA has had some fun molds!} Make sure whatever shape you use, that they fit in the glasses you will be using! {BEEN there, DONE THAT!}

Before dinner or during appetizer time {if that is what you do} drop frozen cranberry cubes into glasses. Fill glasses with half OJ and half Ginger ALE/Champagne! It is simply BE.U.TEE.FUL as the cranberry juice swirls as it melts! :)

If you are planning a holiday brunch, you may want to try the "fancy Mimosas"!

ENJOY!




Shared with: women living well, the picket fence, comfy in the kitchen, stonegable

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Anniversary Picnic with Vintage Home Designs

Such patient girlies you all are...well, some of YOU, anyway! Maybe I will take pictures of wrapped gifts more often just to keep you guessing and on your toes, but I know that a few of you peeked...because you told me. Anyhoo, for the rest of you who love surprises...

TODAY is our 21st wedding anniversary and my hubby gave me the most beautiful handmade bread boards ever...





Aren't they adorable? They were packaged in burlap and tied with jute. They come in a set of four different styles and sizes.

My sweet friend, Diana from Vintage Home Designs makes every one of these mini bread boards by hand. Not only do I love her blog, but I love how she and her hubby enjoy life together! They have fun and live a simple life...and her love is a firefighter, too! I know her blog will soon be among your favorites as well! Thank you, Diana for my treasured anniversary gift!

As soon as I opened them and smelled the fresh wood, I knew since it was my year to plan our anniversary, I was going to pack a picnic and the bread boards would serve as plates. They were perfect!

Anniversary Picnic Menu:

Anniversary Champagne



BBQ Shrimp Baguettes



Our very favorite KETTLE CHIPS



Orange Infused Nectarines with Fresh Blueberries from our Neighbors



Champagne Frosted Cupcakes





{BTW, thanks to this, the cupcakes arrived in tact!}


Picnic Details:

The blanket we used was an engagement gift from hubby. He bought it for me along with the salt and pepper shakers while he was on a missions trip to Portugal. It is still so special and he still is so touched that we use it...even on the GRASS!





The sandwiches were wrapped in white recycled parchment paper from the shrimp purchased at the deli...then placed in a brown sandwich bag to keep it cool.



Decorations were kept simple: I used a paper bag to punch out tags for our food and also for the banner I made which was his card!





The napkins were wrapped with recycled jute from the gift-wrapped bread boards



The burlap that the bread boards were wrapped in served as a liner for our picnic basket and was used as a runner. My hubby loved it!




I packed a canning jar our candle, bur since it was breezy on the hill, we popped it into a champagne flute and shared a glass, which was by far more romantic!

Before we were married, he was working at a camp. He would send me a letter almost every day and it said: To the future Mrs. Pearson...I loved seeing my new last name! So, instead of anything else, the banner had to be PEARSON!

MUSIC...we love music. Very seldom do we NOT have music on in our home. SO, thanks to Pandora, we had lovely music for the evening.




ANNNND even though we did not meet in Paris, we had the most fun sitting on Chapman Hill taking in the fresh air, sounds and sights. We laughed and talked and dreamed about the future while looking at the Montgomery Park sign! "Our Spot" holds so many fun memories with promise of many more memories to come...like grand babies rolling down the hill while watching the vaux's swifts fly over head!



ANNNNND aside from our "Come to Jesus Meetin' " with our children it was a wonderful day. They blessed us with a gift certificate to GUSTAVS! ALL on their own. We were overwhelmed!

ANNNNNND...after we picked up from our picnic, we took a stroll around the neighborhoods and went house paint shopping and met the.nicest.people!

A special night with the love of my life!







I LOVE YOU, 2, Mr.Pearson



Thank you for choosing me to be your Mrs. Pearson!



Happy Happy August 11th to YOU!

PS. Have any of you made your candle light dinner, yet? Just checking!

Shared with: Picket Fence

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