Snow Ice Cream Recipe

I'm a sucker for some ice cream. Feeling bad - ice cream. Feeling sad - ice cream. Celebrating - ice cream. Bored - ice cream. All kind, all day, I love ice cream.

So since it snowed this week, I decided to try out a couple of different "Snow Ice Cream" recipes to figure out the best and have a excuse to eat ice cream. I also had my official taste tester (my husband, Rusty) try each kind to give me his favorite too.

Guess what? We ended up picking the same recipe for our favorite, so of course, I'll share it with you!

Ingredients:

3/4 cup  Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp      Vanilla
8 cups    Snow

Mix together. I recommend you serve immediately, but if you need to wait, make sure to completely close the container you keep it in when you put it in the freezer.

The fluffier the snow, the better! I made some with a more icy snow and it definitely wasn't as good as the snow that was super soft and fluffy.

That's it! It is extremely easy, but extremely delicious!

I was in the mood for a pure vanilla ice cream, but you can mix it up and try new flavors by adding toppings - i.e. chocolate syrup, caramel, m&ms, nuts, etc.

Have fun!

Happy Birthday To Me!

Last week, I was so excited for Thursday since it was my birthday - and it was crazy. I still didn't feel 100% since I threw up ALL DAY on Wednesday. Then, Rusty came home early on Thursday because he didn't feel well. He ended up throwing up and I told him that we should try to sell our Wicked tickets. He wouldn't hear of it. He was determined that we go.

So we did and it was AMAZING! I thought Rusty would throw up in the car ride to Atlanta, but he kept it together and said he felt much better once we got there and got seated - I'm not sure if he really did or if he was just saying that for my benefit. By the end of the show, we both felt way better. I have never been to a professional musical, but this was blew me out of the water. I was so impressed with everything from the actors to the set. Plus, we got to get dressed up and just enjoy a night with the two of us.

With that being said, Adam stayed with a babysitter for the first time. If you'll remember, I did an interview with her about a month ago at a coffee shop and I loved her! She had exactly the traits that I was looking for and is going to be a teacher after college. Adam took to her very quickly in the interview also. She did fantastic on my birthday. She was on time and did everything I asked for. Adam was safe, bathed, and in bed when we got home. She seemed enthusiastic and I will definitely use her again.

Adam has been incredibly mobile lately. I have a push toy for him to practice walking and we brought it into the open room (it will eventually be a library, but I don't have any chairs for it yet) and he walked back and forth for a good fifteen minutes. Along with being mobile, he's developing quite the attitude, so we've been having to put our foot down and keep true to the boundaries as he continues to test us.

Rusty and Adam have also been bonding a lot lately. When Rusty is home, he is the only one Adam wants to be with - no matter what he's doing. I fall in love with Rusty more and more when I see him loving on Adam.

The snow finally hit Georgia today. We got a couple of inches, which doesn't sound like much, but for a state that isn't prepared for it, it makes a big impact. Adam went down for his afternoon nap, and when he woke up, everything was blanketed in white. He love it. He couldn't stop staring at it falling. I brought in some snow for him to play with and he played and tasted it for a long time. The next county over got nothing, but we got a good bit.

Poor Sick Baby

This week has been a little trying for us all.

Friday night, Adam got pretty sick. He threw up everything he ate. I hoped that he would sleep it off and everything would be fine the next morning - but it didn't quite work out that way. It was so hard that I told Rusty that I wish we had ice cream in the house. Wouldn't you know it - he hopped in his car with no hesitation and picked up some ice cream. Saturday morning, I gave Adam only two ounces of Pedialyte hoping that would stay down... thirty minutes later, it did not. So I ended up calling the doctor and he recommended we come in just to make sure Adam wasn't dehydrated (which was our big fear). All he wanted to do was lay on Rusty and pout.

Turned out, he wasn't dehydrated and it was just a stomach bug, but we were told to only give 1/2 of an ounce of Pedialyte every ten minutes and slowly build up from there. Adam was very angry. Of course he didn't understand why he wasn't getting his fill. It wasn't until Monday that Adam was introduced back to solids. He still isn't eating all he was before, but is definitely in better spirits. Here's a hilarious video of him blowing raspberries.

Saturday, (as we were dealing with a sick baby) was Valentine's Day, as you know. We had plans to go to Atlanta and have lunch, while visiting some places. We went to the pediatrician instead. However, right before we left the house, ROSES were delivered! Every year, I think Rusty hasn't gotten me anything and every year, he does! He's pretty sneaky about it too because I do the finances and I never see it.

On Saturday, I also received my first ipsy Glam Bag! I was on the waiting list for two months and am super excited. Basically, you pay $10 per month for a bag of makeup worth $40 or more. Initially, you answer a pretty long survey about skin type, hair type, style, etc. and they put together a bag based on what you ask for. I don't wear tons of make up, but I found myself wanting to do something new and not knowing what to do. For only $10, I figured why not. I'll keep you posted on how the makeup turns out once I try it.

Monday, Rusty had the day off for President's Day, so we decided to have our Valentine's Day then. We went into Atlanta to visit the Habitat for Humanity Restore. It was pretty awesome and I will definitely want to visit there again (maybe with some projects in mind). After we went to Fox Bros. BBQ and it was probably some of the best BBQ I've every had

There's been some chance of black ice because of these winter storms, so my dad's company put him up in a hotel on Monday night and since it was close to us, he came over and spent some time with Adam and eat some dinner. Hopefully, he didn't get sick, but Adam enjoyed seeing him.

That night he hugged Rusty before bedtime for the first time and it was the cutest thing possible.

Today, it SNOWED! Well, it may have been more like flurries, but still, it was the first time Adam saw snow. He was so excited.

We couldn't go out and play because (1) I hate the cold and (2) I caught whatever Adam had. That's right, I got to throw up everything I put in my body and take care of the baby. I still feel pretty rough, but was able to get down some soup for dinner without an issue. Rusty (being the best husband ever) came home, saw I was sick, and left to pick up soup, Ginger Ale, and jello for me. I really need to feel fantastic by tomorrow because IT IS MY BIRTHDAY!!! Rusty is taking me to The Fox to see Wicked and Adam will be staying with his first ever babysitter. Must... get... better...

Ruler Growth Chart Craft

For a while now, I've been looking for a growth chart. I didn't want to write on the walls of the house (what if we moved? I wouldn't get to keep it). After much deliberation - and searching on Pinterest - I decided I loved the look of the giant rulers, especially since they could be whatever color I wanted.

So I searched and searched... it's been about six months. I don't really need one until Adam's first birthday, but I wanted to make sure it was here by then. They were all SOOO expensive though! I looked on Etsy first because I like to support individuals before going to major chains. Although some of their work looked good and was priced okay, shipping for all made the cost twice as much. As much as I wanted once, I wasn't willing to pay $60-$100 for one. Next I checked Amazon as well as Kirkland's (someone said they saw them there) and again it was $60. I finely contacted someone local who I knew did Etsy type crafts for sell, but she didn't have the color I wanted, so I moved on. Surely, I could find something better... or could I make it myself. I know I couldn't do the  woodwork, so I decided to look at Home Depot - and wouldn't you know it, they had them and were on SALE too! Home Depot also gives free shipping over a certain point and I was already buying some items from them, so yay for no extra cost!

 I next went to Hobby Lobby, where they know me and Adam by name to get what else I needed. I found some white spray paint for wood. I already had black paint and paint brushes from other projects, so I didn't need to purchase those.

So I spray painted the ruler first in a bright white (to match the door frames and baseboards in our house). I only did once coat on the back, since you won't see it ever, and three coats on the front and sides. The paint dried so quickly that I was able to do all of the coats in one day. Sorry I didn't get a picture of it after this process.

The next day, I painted the lines and numbers. These are already grooved into the wood, so it was really easy to follow the lines. I used a very small, simple paintbrush and all-purpose, black craft paint.

Once it dried, I was able to fix any mess ups with the black paint with the white, oil-based Sharpie I already had. I was out of white craft paint, but that could be used too; however, the Sharpie worked wonderfully!

Once it was dry, I put it up and I'm so glad I didn't compromise the color or style I wanted.

Note: A lot of the persons on Etsy will make the ruler to start at six inches instead of at one so that you can put it on the wall above the baseboard. Home Depot starts at the bottom, so if you have a baseboard, you will either need to cut it yourself once it comes in or put it somewhere else. I decided to put it somewhere else.

Ten, Ten, Ten!!

Adam is ten months old today! How is my baby so old?!?

This past week has been busy! Thursday, I began making a cake I had never made before - Red velvet, cheesecake ice cream cake! Sounds like a lot and it took two whole days to make it. I began on Thursday by making the cheesecake ice cream. It needed to freeze for at least six hours, but I let it freeze overnight. Friday, I made the red velvet cake. Once it was completely - and I mean completely - cooled. I was able to stack and put back in the freezer to fuse the layers. Then I made the frosting and topped with sprinkles. Check out the complete steps and recipe here. Here is the completed cake:

Friday night, our friends the Sullivan's (along with their new miniature schnauzer) and my brother came over for dinner and for the boys to play SSBM. We stayed up way too late, but had tons of fun.

Saturday, Rusty and James (he ended up staying the night) went to Habitat for Humanity's Restore in the morning for Rusty to get some locks since he's been wanted to learn to pick locks. I stayed home so that the baby could get a good nap in since we'd be gone all afternoon. After lunch, we went to Memaw's house so she could groom Kirby, who was way overdue for a grooming. She did AMAZING work like always!

Saturday night we had dinner at Nana and Papa's house with all of my siblings to celebrate my brother's birthday (on the first) and my birthday (on the 19th). This was the reason for the cake. We had delicious ribs and of course, the cake.

Sunday, we had lunch over at Grandpa and Grammy's house with all of Grammy's children and grandchildren. The cousins are so great together and JoLynn loves to pet Adam's hair and sit next to him. I really wish I had gotten a picture of all of them together though... maybe next time.

Adam's been as goofy as ever. He's laugh is developing more, which is too cute. He's also been testing more boundaries - case in point, I told him not to play in the dog bowl; he looked right at me and sat down in it. He's perfected his crawl and can walk while holding onto things. He's even tried to stand a couple of times on his own. Of the dinners that are baby-friendly, I've let him eat a cut up version by himself and he's done amazing at self-feeding. I can't wait to see how he continues to grow - I just wish I could get it to slow down! In two short months, we'll have his party!! Here's a new one of Adam at the library during BabyTime today.

Oh, and I FINALLY put up one of the vinyls I got for Christmas. It is above the cabinets in the kitchen and I LOVE it. I think it fits perfectly and sets a good tone for the home. It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be, but I had to go pretty slow since all of the letters are separated. Thanks Wall Decor Plus More for this!

Red Velvet, Cheesecake Ice Cream Cake

We celebrated my brother's and my birthdays today and I made a new cake for the occasion! It turned out SOOO delicious!!! Here is where I got the original recipe - so props to the Taste and Tell Blog.

What you need:

Cheesecake Ice Cream

• 4 oz cream cheese, softened
• 1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

Cake

• 2¼ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tablespoons cocoa powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• ½ cup butter, at room temperature
• 1½ cups sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 3 tablespoons red food coloring
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon distilled white vinegar
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Frosting

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup powdered sugar

What To Do:

Make the ice cream

1. In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese and the sweetened condensed milk. In a separate bowl, beat the cream until it has stiff peaks. Gently fold the cream into the cream cheese mixture.
2. Line 2 8-inch baking pans with plastic wrap. Divide the ice cream mixture evenly between the two pans, smoothing out the tops. Cover the tops with plastic wrap and freeze until solid, at least 6 hours. 

Note: the original recipe called to use 9-inch pans, but I wanted it taller and it worked just as well with 8-inch pans instead. Your call.

Make the cake layers

1. Spray two 8-inch cake pans with nonstick cooking spray. Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
2. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa powder and salt.
3. In another bowl, or the bowl of a stand mixer, beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 30 seconds after each addition. Add in ⅓ of the flour mixture, followed by half of the buttermilk, another ⅓ of the flour, the remaining buttermilk and then the remaining flour, beating just until combined after each addition. Mix in the red food coloring and the vanilla.
4. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar and the baking soda. (The mixture will bubble up.) Fold into the cake batter.
5. Put 1/3 of the batter into one pan and 2/3 in the other pan. Bake until the cakes spring back when lightly touched, about 20 minutes. Let the bigger one stay in for another 5-10 minutes. Let the cakes cool for 15 minutes in the pans, then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
6. Cut the larger one in two.

Note: I don't have three 8-inch pans, which is why I had to cut one. If you have three pans, evenly distribute between the pans.

Make the frosting

1. In a large bowl, beat the cream until it has soft peaks. Slowly add the powdered sugar and continue to beat until it has stiff peaks.

To assemble the cake

1. If needed, level the cake layers. Place one cake layer on a cake stand or cake plate. Remove the plastic wrap from the ice cream layers and place one layer on top of the cake. Add another cake layer, followed by the second ice cream layer, then add the last cake layer to the top. Frost the cake with the whipped cream. Decorate, if desired. Freeze the cake until ready to serve.

Here is how I did it in picture form:

• The layers before they were assembled. Once the ice cream is frozen, you can see that it is pretty sturdy for a while, so you can level if need be and stack accordingly.

• I put the layered cake back in the freezer so that it could fuse and not melt while I worked on the frosting. This frosting recipe is one of my favorites. My "red" velvet looks more like chocolate here, but it turned out definitely red.

• Here's the final product! I added red and pink sprinkles and a "Happy Birthday" banner. 

A Week Of Firsts

It's been a little chillier this week (though not really cold enough to call this winter) down here in the south. That hasn't stopped us from staying inside too much though.

Adam has decided he is going to be a standing machine. He just got the hang of crawling on his knees, but now he would rather stand than sit any day. He's pulling up and only needs one finger for stabilization. He's even tried to stand without holding on to anything. We've also seen him go from barely standing to walking back and forth while hold onto the couch. Everyday he gets quicker and I wouldn't be surprised if I look over in the near future and he's walking without assistance!

Friday night we went and celebrated our good friend Ben's 30th birthday as well as his new job. We ate delicious homemade pizza and I made tuxedo cupcakes to share with the bunch. After dinner, before they went to bed, the Williams' two sons put on a puppet show. Then we played Bang! before we left. During the game, we let Adam sit with the puppets and he was so happy with them.

Saturday afternoon, my mom, my sister, Adam, and I drove two hours north to go to my cousin's baby shower. Adam had never met hat side of the family so he came along. Apart from the long drive, we had a great time catching up. My cousin is due in March with her first little girl and the second great-grandbaby in my family. I got to talk to her brother, my other cousin for just a sec, but he will actually be leaving for Germany for three years later this month for training on an engineering job. It sounds like a really awesome opportunity for him and he will have a guaranteed job for five years when he's done. Here's a pic of Adam being too cool on the way there and another of my mom, sister, and myself.

Quick shout out to my little brother, whose birthday was on Sunday!!

Also on Sunday, I went to get Adam from his nap and found him like this -

Last night, Rusty and Adam spent special one-on-one time playing and I couldn't help but stop what I was doing to snap some pictures. They are definitely two of a kind.

This morning we tried out BabyTime at our local library. I was looking for activities with Adam where he could socialize and found out that every week they have thirty minutes of singing, rhymes, and bubbles for babies. They also have some for toddlers, preschoolers, and children after school - so if you're looking for this kind of thing, I definitely recommend looking into your public library system. Adam had a great time. It lasted about twenty minutes and then we spent about ten minutes just letting the babies talk and play. We both absolutely loved it!

Tonight, Adam had the same meal Rusty and I did for the first time! I made cheese-filled tortellini with a tomato and vegetable sauce. I chopped the tortellini pretty fine, but he had no issue at all eating it, although it did take a little longer than normal. Before now, he's had baby food and the stage we're at is pretty chunky, so if we eat something of the same consistency, I don't see why not! He's growing up too quickly - please stop!