Mint Oreo Brownies

I went to BYU, home of the mint brownie, so really this recipe was inevitable.  They don't completely replicate the brownies that sustained me through 4 years of college but they have Oreos and hot fudge so what more can I ask?  These are a must-make!

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Butter Pecan Ice Cream

This summer we took our kids to a dairy farm in Idaho called Reed's Dairy.  It really is a farm..  tons of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, kittens running around..  And right in the middle of all that is a little shop with some of the creamiest ice cream I've ever had, and the best chocolate milk in all the land. It's a weird experience- going to a place that smells like cows and ordering up a triple scoop, but you kind of get used to the smell...

Ice cream is a big deal in our family.  We eat it as much as possible and then some.  The kids usually order cotton candy or bubblegum, and I can usually be found with about 5 scoops of rocky road, but my husband always gets butter pecan.  Always.

This one's for him.


Note- This recipe takes several days to make, so make sure you read through the recipe in advance so you're prepared!

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Mint Oreo Cookie Ice Cream

Mint Oreo anything is a good idea, right? 

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Caramel Brownie Ice Cream

This is the best thing I ate this summer.  No competition.

Caramel flavored ice cream with brownie chunks. (Droool.) You can just use leftover brownies or you can try something like Flipz instead if you don't want to bother making brownies.

Seriously, if you make one more ice cream recipe this year, please make it this one!

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S'mores Ice Cream

This summer we introduced our kids to 'The Sandlot'.

(It was all fun and games until my 6 year old played catcher on his T-ball team and started taunting the batters. Thank you Ham..)

On the 4th of July we went to the city park and they played 'America the Beautiful' by Ray Charles as the fireworks went off.

Magical Sandlot moment.

Seriously.  I almost cried.

And all summer my kids quoted, "S'more?  S'more what?" and "First you take the graham..."


It's like every dream I've ever had has come true.  It is a beautiful, beautiful, life.

And so, I give you- rich chocolate ice cream swirled with marshmallows and graham cracker crust.  The perfect S'more ice cream.  So you can eat it with someone you love and quote 'The Sandlot' all.night.long.

You're welcome! 

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Double Cookie Chocolate Ice Cream

I can't believe how long I have been absent from blogging.  Every day I think I need to edit some pictures or write a post but the pictures and recipes just keep piling up.

It was a crazy but wonderful summer.  My kids were in school until JULY (year-round school), and we did a lot of traveling. We found a live sand dollar on the beach at Coronado Island, our youngest rode Radiator Springs Racers for the first time, we hiked out on a skinny precipice at the Grand Canyon and watched the sun set, and I discovered that heaven on earth is actually located in Montana. 

Our family has one vacation rule and that is that ice cream must be consumed every single day. Sometimes twice a day when the occasion warrants it.  Usually this means Ghiradelli, Ben & Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, etc.  But when we're really lucky it's a specialty ice cream shop like Bi-Rite in San Francisco, or a Huckleberry ice cream sandwich from Yellowstone. 

Since ice cream was the ongoing theme of our summer I'd love to share a few last ice cream recipes with you.   It's not that I don't love pumpkin.. it's just that ice cream is delicious allthedays.

Don't you think?

Happy licks!

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Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream {Tips for making Homemade Ice Cream}

I am slightly obsessed with my ice cream maker.  In the summer I buy the huge half-gallon of heavy cream at Costco, and it all gets turned into cold, creamy, goodness. Homemade ice cream just tastes so much better than store-bought and even better- you can control what goes into it.  When I make Cookies & Cream ice cream for example, I like to put in an entire package of Oreos.

(It's okay that you're judging me right now.)

To make homemade ice cream you really need an ice cream maker.  I like electrics because they are simple to use.  You just freeze the ice cream bowl in advance and then flip a switch when it's time to churn your mixture.  The bowl does need to be frozen solid so it needs to freeze for at least 24 hours, (preferably 48).  I store my bowl in the freezer at all times so it's always ready to go.  After it churns you can eat the ice cream straightaway but it will be a soft-serve consistency.  I prefer to scoop it into a container and let it freeze solid overnight so it will scoop like store-bought ice cream.

My last tip is to make sure the mixture you're freezing is extremely cold before churning.  This usually means refrigerating it overnight or for about 8 hours before churning.  I know that this seems like a  lot of hassle when you just want ice cream, but I promise you it is worth the effort!  Following these little steps will get you an ice cream consistency just like you get at the store, and the ice cream will taste even better.


Finally- If you like Baskin Robbins' Chocolate Peanut Butter ice cream, you're going to love this!

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Bananas Foster Cupcakes

It's really a shame that these cupcakes are so homely because they're some of the best I've ever made.

Moist banana cake, Brown Sugar Cinnamon frosting, and Rum caramel sauce.  

A perfect, magical combination! Make sure to use fresh brown sugar, and whip it long enough, so your frosting isn't gritty.

The Rum Caramel Sauce can be made up to a week ahead of time to save time. Just store it in the fridge and warm it up slightly before drizzling over your frosted cupcakes. 

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Red Hot Shortbread Bites

Has everyone been glued to the Olympics these past few days? I think they're the only thing getting me through this terrible Winter. We still have at least 6 weeks of probable snow left and I can't remember ever feeling so stir-crazy for so long.  I feel especially bad for my kids being cooped up.  I mean in winter at least I can still do my favorite activities. (Baking, reading, and bubble baths.)  But bike riding, tree house building, and bug-hunting are kind of out for my kids.  Somebody tell me it's going to end!  I don't even bother checking the weather anymore.  I'm not sure my soul can take any more.

I've been distracting myself from the cold with lots of Valentine's baking this week, and these are one of my favorites. These are yummy little shortbread cookies, but I think they'd be equally delicious if you just added Red Hots to your favorite sugar cookie recipe.

Try it out and let me know what you think!

Also, prayers for an early Spring are much appreciated.

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Raspberry Cheesecake Brownies

My six year old is upset this week about a certain shape.  A heart to be exact.

According to him, it looks nothing like an actual "heart", which has ventricles, arteries, and connective tissue.

Personally, I'm fine with a symbol of love that doesn't include graphic diagrams of my insides, but apparently I'm the crazy one.


It's hard having a kid that's so literal.  What am I supposed to get him now for Valentine's day? A box of candy with human organs drawn on the outside?

He would actually like that, is the scary thing.


Concerning brownies though,

I took these to my cute girls I teach at our church and they went crazy for them! What's not to like about milk chocolate chips, fresh raspberries, and cheesecake anyways?  Oh, and brownies of course.    

You can even cut them into heart shapes if you want.  

Other organs are fine too.

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