After posting about our great strawberry weekend, I suddenly realized how many ice cream lovers are out in the world. You asked…I answered…here is the recipe.  We used a Cuisinart ice cream maker to create this loveliness.

1 1/2 cups whole milk

1 1/8 cups granulated sugar

3 cups heavy cream

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

2 cups chopped strawberries. We froze the berries overnight to keep the juice from bleeding into the ice cream.

1. Mix above ingredients except for the strawberries and pour into ice cream maker.

2. When the mixture begins to thicken, slowly add the strawberries.  Continue to mix until creamy.  Pour into a plastic container and freeze a few more hours if you like a firmer ice cream.   Enjoy!

 

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…this happened!

We honored our newest military officers…

…and we honored those who served before them.

We celebrated our nation’s freedom…

…as Blue Angels thundered right over our house!

We gave thanks for all of God’s bounty and blessings…

…and then this happened! It can happen in your house as well…

The Best Ever Shortcake

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup shortening ( I have used butter as well but shortening seems to give the cake a bit more bounce)

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees

2.Grease and set aside a shortcake pan (or large muffin pan)

3.Measure  flour, salt, and baking powder into a small bowl and set aside.

4.Cream sugar, shortening, egg and vanilla. I use my kitchen aide
5. Add dry ingredients to creamed mixture and mix slowly.

6. Add milk slowly to batter. Combine until just smooth.

7. Spoon into greased pan and bake for 20-25 minutes

8. Cool and remove from pan.

9.Smother cake with fresh strawberries and real whipped cream…you made the effort with the cake, you might as well do the cream right!

10.Enjoy Enjoy Enjoy!

show and share. Inspire me monday the scoop inspire me Tuesday Make it pretty. Metamorphosis gods growing garden. Made by you. Art of homemaking.  Tuesday with a twist. Let’s talk Vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us. Talk of the town. Moonlight and Mason jars. Share your cup. Share your style. Home and garden. Welcome home. Thursday Favorites. Waste not. Coffee and  conversation vintage charm. Friday features. Home sweet home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday’s. Funtastic Friday. Grace at home.  The Gathering Place. Create and celebrate    Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic. Best of the weekend. Create bake grow.  Amaze me. Sundays at home. Snickerdoodle.  Share it one more time.    DI&DI.  Smell good.  Silver pennies.  Simple Saturday

It is that time again!  Spring days turn over to sweet summer-time….Guess what treat we are enjoying!

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By Beth Sycamore

Plump Strawberries.

Ripe Strawberries.

Bright red heart-shaped Strawberries.

Hiding under leafy greens.

Pluck the berry.

In the summer sun.

Pinch the stem.

Have some fun.

Twist the stem.

Almost done.

Put the berry in a cup.

Better yet, just eat it up!

(Or  even better…make ice cream!)

Show and share. Inspire me Monday. The scoop. Inspire me Tuesday. Make it pretty. Art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis You are the star. Tuesday with a twist let’s talk vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us. Talk of the town. Moonlight and Mason jars. Share your cup  welcome home      Share your style. Home and garden. Thursday Favorites. Waste not. Coffee and conversations. Vintage charm. Friday features.  Home sweet home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday. Funtastic Friday. Grace at home. Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic.  Best of the weekend.  Create bake grow. Snickerdoodle    Share it one more time. Create with joy.  Silver pennies. DI&DI. Amaze me Monday. Inspiration Monday. Proverbs 31.

 Pleased as can be to be featured at this amazing blog!

Friday’s Five Features@ DIY Vintage Chic

Oh Summer how I missed you….Ready for a little red, white and Blue? How about this darling door wreath! 

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There they were, in the produce section of a small local grocery…a forgotten love…Rhubarb.  That sweet and tangy combination that tastes just like Spring. Quickly I placed them in my cart and hurried home with thoughts of a delicious pie in my head…until busy weekend plans seemed to get in the way. Never fear! No time for a traditional pie crust…grab some nilla wafers, sugar and butter and you have the perfect base for that lovely Rhubarb.

Easy Peasy Nilla Wafer crust

60 wafers

1/3 cup of melted butter

1/4 cup sugar

1. Crush wafers in food processor (or if you want to rid yourself of some stress, roll them into bits with a ziplock bag and rolling pin.

2. Add melted butter and sugar to crumbs and mix until moistened.

3. Press into pie plate. I use a metal measuring cup to evenly compress onto bottoms and sides of plate.

4. Bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees until edges are brown.  Cool completely before filling.

On to the Main Event!

The Filling ingredients

1. 1 1/2 to 2 pounds of fresh rhubarb, cut into 1/2 inch pieces. *Here is a hint…wash, chop and freeze your rhubarb for at least a day before baking to release excess juice. Thaw in a strainer before use, but do not squeeze*

2. 3/4 cup packed brown sugar

3. 1/2 cup granulated sugar

4. 1/4 teaspoon each of the following spice: allspice, cardamom, and ginger

5. 1/2 teaspoon salt

6. 3-4 tablespoons of ground arrowroot or corn starch

7. 1 tablespoon lemon juice

8. 1 large egg

9. Dash of bitters (totally optional)

The Steps

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees

2. Combine rhubarb, sugars, spices, salt, and arrowroot powder, mix thoroughly

3. Add lemon juice, egg and and bitters, stir together.

4. Pour into prepared pie shell

5. Place pie on rimmed baking sheet, place in oven on lowest rack.

6. Bake 30-35 minutes. Remove and cool 2-3 hours

7. Cut and serve…enjoy!

I am absolutely delighted to celebrate my 3rd Mother’s Day with the fair Princess. I will always remember the exact minute she  and I met!

She has a better reaction to me now…

Show and Share. Inspire me Monday. Tuesday at our house. The scoop.              Inspire me Tuesday  Make it pretty. Art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis God’s growing garden. . Tuesday with a twist   Let’s talk vintage. Wonderful Wednesday. Share it. Brag about it. Wow us. Talk of the town. Moonlight and Mason jars. Share your cup share your style home and garden. Welcome home. Thursday Favorites. Waste not. Coffee and conversation. Friday features.               Home sweet home. Feather nest. Friendship Friday. Grace at home. Funtastic Friday. Morning cup of joe. Home matters. Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic. Best of the weekend. Sunday at home. Share it one more time. Snickerdoodle Simple Saturday. Silver pennies. Create with joy. Inspiration Monday. DI&DI. Monday social.        Amaze me. Proverbs 31. Smell good Sunday.  Make bake create

This chocolate cake was a hit!

Friday Features@Oh My Heartsie Girl

Let’s Talk Vintage@Vintage and Co.

Snickerdoodle@My Husband Has Too Many Hobbies

   I am always up for a great dessert…and not always at the end of a meal.  The yummy macaroons I featured this week combine two of my most favorite things…lemon and coconut! Check out Simply Stacie’s blog for even more awesome recipes! 

    Do you love to blog and meet new friends? Do you ever read something awesome on another blog and just want to tell the world? Consider joining us as a new host for this party.  Interested? Contact Jeri at Simply Sweet Home.  

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Lisa at Condo Blues – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Amy at A Day of Small Things – Pin

Penny at Penny’s Passion – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst

Kelly at Under a Texas Sky – Twitter | FB | G+ | Pin | Inst | BL

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Oh, the simple beauty of Spring! Never over-embellished, never gaudy in its most glorious form and never tiresome to experience.  My hope is that I  have captured this “Spring Attitude” in my seasonal arrangement (and don’t tell anyone, but some of my flowers are not even real).

A neighbor’s gift of peonies look stunning in an antique silver pitcher.

A few elements on a mantel reflect the simple beauty of Spring…what is sweeter than roses in a Mason jar?

Blossoms in a…(well I’m not sure what it is, but it is old and rusty and found in an old barn) is a striking combination.

Unexpected flowers everywhere!

The simple joy of a front porch…

show and share. Inspire me Monday Tuesday at our house. The scoop inspire me Tuesday. Art of homemaking. Made by you. Metamorphosis. Gods growing garden. Tuesday with a twist. Wonderful Wednesday   Let’s talk vintage. Share it. Wow us. Talk of the town. Moonlight and Mason jars. Share your cup. Share your style.   Home and garden. Welcome home. Thursday favorites. Waste not.  Coffee and conversation. Feather Nest.  Vintage charm   Funtastic Friday.  Grace at Home.  Friendship Friday   Home sweet home. Morning cup of joe. Home matters.          Sweet inspiration. Vintage chic. Funtastic Friday. Create Bake and Grow. Sunday at Home. Share it one more time. Snickerdoodle. Simple Saturday. Silver pennies  Create with joy. Inspiration Monday. DI&DI. Monday Social. Amaze me.  Friendship Friday   Make it pretty