Homemade Ice cream Deliciousness

 

Goodness me, if I wasn't watching what I eat right now.... well, I'd be watching myself eat THAT. Fast. As it was, I was lucky enough to see my little gal eat some homemade ice cream she made herself. She was totally thrilled with the fact that she did it.... and that she could then EAT it.  Here's the recipe I found on this website:

*1 tablespoon sugar

*1/2 cup half & half (or milk)

*1/4 teaspoon vanilla

*6 tablespoons rock salt

*2 Quart-size Ziploc plastic bag

*1 Gallon-size Ziploc plastic bag 

Fill the large bag half full of ice, and add the rock salt. Seal the bag. Put the milk, vanilla, and sugar into the small bag, and seal it. Place the small bag inside the remaining small ziplock try to get as much air out of the second bag before sealing it, and then place it all in the large one and seal again carefully. Shake, rattle, and roll that mixture until it turns to ice cream (5-10 minutes). When you're ready to take it out of the larger bag: rinse the small outer ziplock in the sink to get off any rocksalt residue and then you can pull out the one with the ice cream. Plop it into a bowl and serve it with any and all extras you and your kiddo may desire. Miss Chelsea recommends: To make a larger amount, try doubling the recipe. Anything larger might be too big for kids to pick-up, because the ice itself is quite heavy. 

**I would also recommend having your child wear gloves so that their little hands don't get too chilly. **

Have Fun!!!!

Projects on the Docket

 

Isn't this fringe adorable???!!! I found this pillowcase (and another one that was a pale green fringe) at my local goodwill and I knew that these would make the most perfect pillowcase dresses for my daughter. Ever made one of those?? Yeah, neither have I. But I got a good start on it. Here's the link to the instructions I've been following. What I like about these instructions is that she updates the traditional directions and changes the drawstring casing (a choking hazard) to an elastic one for a more safety conscious outfit. I'm not going to do all the frills she suggests - I think this fringe speaks for itself.  

  

 This is my little papier-mache mountain. I made it as a perching spot for all of my gals little hard plastic animals she has collected (and which tend to make for some risky foot business in every room in the house). I just used tomato hoops and chicken wire to make a frame, covered it with newspaper, and now I'm waiting for it to dry so I can paint it. I'm in charge of the greys and blues and my daughter gets to paint all the pinks and purples. My husband gets all varieties of green paint.  The papier mache that resembles cement is actually just paper that sat in hot water for about an hour, was blended it in my cuisinart, and mixed with the usual ingredients to make a more moldable medium. The whole mountain stands about 3 feet tall and is already home to many dinosaurs. They don't seem to mind it's unfinished state.

We're Jammin'..... and I hope you're NOT jammin' too.

The river near our home is flooding over it's banks in spots because of an ice jam that just won't go away.  Honestly, I'm kind of excited about it....but I think I'd feel differently if I lived in the flood zone. I was doing some grocery shopping when over the store intercom came a nervous voice announcing that the ice jam up river had broken and that we should immediately move our cars to higher spots in the parking lot because the flood would be here in five minutes. I dropped my basket and booked it out to the parking lot, where I proceeded to tell everyone within one hundred feet of me to reconsider shopping as the flood would be coming through in minutes.  I got a little wrapped up in the moment. Men with shiny SUV's scampered back to their vehicles a panic. I definitely startled at least one old lady.

And nothing happened. I waited for two hours by the river. 

The ice jam had "jammed" up again within a stones throw of my town. We're still waiting for it to move. No doubt when it does, it will get stuck again downstream of us and we'll find ourselves flooded. They've sent up Coast Guard cutters to break it up so that it has a clear path....and so that it doesn't wait to let loose until the spring when we *normally* go over the flood stage. That would not be so good. While the jam is around, I thought I'd take a few pictures. 

 

The Cutter getting ready to make some passes at the channel.

  

The river is quite low in some spot and fairly deep in others. It is also tidal....so when it's low tide, there are some pretty amazing shapes to see. 

  

This is the head of the jam. Though it doesn't look like much in this picture, it extends back up the river about half a mile. And it is solid. This ice is not like the soft thaw ice of spring. It is incredibly dense.

  

  

 

   So, who knows when it will break....or if it will wait until spring!! For now, there is a flood watch for the county. I'd better head back to Hannaford, just in case. You know, they really need nimble little samaritans like me to keep their customers up to speed on the latest flood information, to scare the bejeezus out of the elderly, and to keep the crowds inside the store at a manageable (i.e.dimished) level.