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Tag Archives: “Trader Joe’s”

zucchini corn pancakes

4 / 1 / 15

zucchini pancakes with shrimp

 

I like to cook.

More importantly, I like the creativity and intrigue of cooking. I love to peruse cookbooks, the internet, Pinterest… all for recipes that sound, well, a little odd. Kinda like, I’m either gonna LOVE it… or,  perhaps, epic fail not-so-much.   Yep. I love trying new recipes, new restaurants, new chefs, new combinations of foods… outa the box kinda stuff. Now if you knew my family (of orgin), you would get a chuckle out of this. They are a “meat and potatoes, very basic, no condiments (of ANY kind)” sorta fam. My sister won’t even TOUCH a bottle of mustard. Literally. In our home we have a minimum of at least four or five different varieties of mustard at any given time.  Ya. My brothers and sisters look at me as a bit of a freak an odd bird. About a LOT of things, actually… but let’s keep to the subject of food for now.

So yesterday I was thinking about dindin. While researching recipes for my spring newsletter, I stumbled across a recipe for zucchini corn pancakes (click HERE). Yum. The more I thought about them, the more obsessed I got. Let me just say  that I was not disappointed. Garnished with a little Peach Salsa (Trader Joe’s), a dollop of sour cream (dairy free for me!) and a little minced cilantro… Boom! It was my lucky day because shrimp has been on sale (Fresh Market) so we had grilled shrimp and springtime oven roasted asparagus (both with a little Olive Tree olive oil) and some fresh blackberries. In a word… DELISH!

So… What’s next? Found a recipe for a family fav Indian dish that is prepared in a CROCK POT??  Served with a little “twist” on the usual basmati rice. Hmmm…

Post coming soon…

Zucchini Corn Pancakes from "girl vs DOUGH"
Zucchini Corn Pancakes from “girl versus Dough” (Click on pic)
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leftovers; again…?

12 / 5 / 14
leftovers
Source: Buzzfeed

Guess what I had for breakfast today?

Nope… nope… nope… (to whatever you guessed) I actually had soup.

Yes. For breakfast. I’m kinda weird like that. I like to eat “out of the box” when it comes to meals sometimes. I mean who (besides my hubbie) doesn’t love having pancakes for dindin once in awhile? Right…? Now as gripping a storyline as this is thus far, I’m not actually here to chat about my breakfast habits. It’s really just a quick follow-up to yesterday’s post, “Thanksgiving dinner; repurposed”.

IMG_3368

Yesterday was all about the actual leftover food; but – as I told you yesterday – I don’t like to waste anything! Including the (Ugh!) turkey carcass. So into a big soup pot it went yesterday with anything I could round up out of the refrigerator… onions, celery, garlic cloves, carrots, whole peppercorns and a huge handful of fresh herbs. Covered the pot with water, brought it to a boil, then reduced the heat and slow simmered for the better part of the afternoon. Once everything tasted “done”, I let everything cool for awhile. Once it was cool, I strained all of the solids out so that all that was left was a delicious hearty turkey broth. Easy peasy!!

IMG_3370

Now, at this point, if you are asking yourself why in the heck I didn’t just toss that doggone carcass back in the very beginning; allow me to enlighten you. There are several great reasons. First of all, the house smells all warm and “comfort food-ish” for the entire day while the broth is on the stove. Second; Preparing for flu season. Who doesn’t love homemade chicken (or turkey) soup when they are down and out with the flu? I package up little baggies of homemade broth and stick them in the freezer so that I am ready to roll when someone is down and out. (Thaw the broth and add a little cooked rice or pasta… Voila!) Finally; Dinner. This was easy. Already had some leftover (cooked) pasta and oven roasted tomatoes from the night before. Into the pot they went. Along with a can of pinto beans and some (precooked) turkey meatballs that I had in my freezer (Thank you Trader Joes). The point is – Use what you have on hand. Keep it simple!

So that about wraps it up for our leftover 2014 Thanksgiving feast. OMGosh – Wait… the ham! Forgot about the hambone. Alrighty then. Looks like a little split pea soup is on the menu!?  Ahhh…Thanksgiving. It’s just the gift that keeps on givin’…

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joyful scribblings

4 / 22 / 14

serendipityAbout a year ago, I stumbled across the blog of a gal named Dawn. “Joyful Scribblings“.  I like it. She made a nice comment on one of my blogposts, so I went to her blog to “check her out”. (No. I’m not a creeper. That’s what bloggers do with other bloggers!) In the process, I stumbled across a “few” similarities…  Married with a son and a daughter, an SUV and a brown 2 story house “in the suburbs”. A dog person with a sweet tooth and a frequent shopper at Ann Taylor Loft, Trader Joe’s and Target. OK. Nothing earth shattering so far. But then it went a little deeper. Self described as “a dreamer, a list maker, a person who is passionate about collecting ideas. All with a touch of sarcasm…“??  Oh my. She was describing ME! She went on to list two things that are on my “bucket list” that most people don’t even know about me… I would love to play the drums (yes. really.) and I dream of publishing a book of my writings someday. OK, Dawn. Whoever and wherever you are; You had me at “Hello”.

I immediately called my mom to inquire about the day of my birth. Is it possible that I might actually have a twin sister somewhere out there that someone just forgot to mention…? I told my mom that somehow, somewhere; I would meet this obviously “wonderful, amazing, All-American” blogger… named Dawn.

f4eee-lazydaysmainpicsmSeveral weeks later, I got an email request to participate in a group blogpost “Lazy Days and BBQ’s” from another blogger that I had never met. I was invited to come in as the resident “expert” (teehee!) on entertaining/table settings. That bloggers name?  Yep.  It was Dawn. Don’t believe in fate? Fair enough. Read on.

In the world of blogging, one of the really fun things is getting to “meet” people online that live hundreds (or even thousands) of miles away. I was excited to know where I was headed if I wanted to meet this new friend of mine at some point. As it ends up, this get together wasn’t going to cost much in the way of travel miles.  Dawn lives less than five miles from my house…!! Ha! But wait! There’s more. Our daughters share the same first name. Our sons share the same middle name.  And her son’s first name is what we were going to name our daughter when we thought she was a boy! Ha! And it just continues on and on from there.  Some of our extended family similarities would blow your mind…   

dawn cathy BlogHerSo we eventually met at a Starbucks to discuss the details of our “group blog”. Soon after, we decided to go to a “Blogging Conference” together in Chicago. The conference took place in July, and although we had only known each other for a couple of months, everyone thought we had been friends forever. Many even thought we were related! Too funny! One year later; we are great friends! We have lunch, we go on “double dates” with the hubbies, we share stories and problems and challenges, and we talk and text more than we probably should. We both love photography, food, crafting, the beach and have wonderful hubbies. We are a lot alike, but at the same time very different. Almost like the “yin and the yang” of the same person!

friends cartoon B&WSo off we go...  Heading to Salt Lake City this week for another blogging conference. SNAP! (Talked about this conference in a recent blog called “creative thinking“) Both Dawn and I are really looking forward to going. It looks like a GREAT group of bloggers that will be there!! Our “peeps”!! Last year we (somehow) ended up taking matching Martha Stewart turquoise leather notebooks. Not kidding. This year??  I’m thinking maybe matching “Hello Kitty” lunch boxes…

dawn-pasco2012

So without further adieu; my friend, Dawn…  “Although I consider myself ordinary, I’ve always believed I was meant to do and experience great things. We all are because we were created. I sometimes overlook the simple abundance and possibilities which surround me because I get caught up in the treadmill of life. My intention for creating this blog is to find the joy in the everyday.  Joy is something you feel from within and makes your heart smile. Outward circumstances can’t affect it unlike happiness. I hope you find joy from within and follow your passions.” 

Please hop over and check her out at Joyful Scribblings…

joyful-scribblings-blog

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kindness (really) counts

4 / 15 / 14

do small things

So I took yesterday’s post to heart.  Yes. I’m talking about MY post from yesterday. About being kind; about making a difference.  This is a really big deal to me.  It has been for a long, long time.  I feel that, as individuals, we sometimes feel that we are just a tiny little speck in a great big world.  After all; what could WE possibly do that could REALLY make a difference?  That’s the part that gets me.  OK. As much as I would like to, I am, more than likely, NOT going to discover a cure for cancer.  I am NOT going to eliminate world hunger or childhood obesity.  But if I CAN do something small, that will make someone smile – even just for a moment – YAY! That’s what I’m talkin’ about!!

almondsSo after I posted yesterday (“love; not hate”) I got dinner started and had to make a run to Trader Joes. (LOVE Trader Joes.  But that’s SO another post…)  I gathered my goodies, and as I was waiting in line, I saw the little $1.00 bags of (dark… YUM!) chocolate covered almonds. “I need to pick up a bag of those to stick in the mailbox for Bob (our mailman).”

As I dropped them in my basket, the thought crossed my mind. I need to perform five acts of kindness today. Sounds good! The next thought to pop into my brain was, but it’s already 5:00! Alrighty.  Already crossed off #1!!  After loading the groceries into my car, I started walking back towards Trader Joes to return my cart.  I saw a gal getting ready to walk her cart back up to the entrance, and recognized her as the mom in front of me with four little kids. I zigzagged over and offered to return her cart up to the front.  So appreciative for such a small gesture.(#2)  

money

As I returned to my car, another thought popped. I looked in my wallet.  One dollar. So I attached a little note and took it back into the store where they have the little shopping carts for the kiddos! Left it in the perfect spot for the next little nugget to come along!  That was SO fun! (#3)

cart

As I pulled in to the driveway (after dropping off Bob’s chocolate covered almonds in the mailbox!), I was thinking about the dogs going out to potty (normally in the front yard).  We have a mama and baby bird (nest on front porch) at our front door, and the little baby is learning to fly. I was just so worried about scaring mama and baby!!  But… I couldn’t take them in the backyard either because we have baby bunnies and baby ducks (under the deck?).  So I took the dogs for a walk. Oh my – SO happy! (#4) And all the little birdies, bunnies and ducklings were quite appreciative as well! (#5)

roast

On my drive home earlier, I realized that my acts of kindness had started early in the day without even thinking… My hubbie had been craving a pot roast; and he loves his brussel sprouts… so guess what we had for dinner!?! (#6) As we were discussing “acts of kindness” at dinner, my daughter was sweet enough to remind me that I had made her a special breakfast that morning (she had a huge presentation at work!) on our “special family plate” and I had also packed her a lunch when she was running late! (#7 and #8).  So, all in all, not a bad day on the ole “kindness meter“. At the end of the day, striving for five is actually quite attainable!!

kindness pass it on

As for today, you ask??  Well… I packed a magazine in my husband’s suitcase before he left out of town as a little surprise.(#1) “Talked out” some things with a friend who needed someone to listen.(#2)  Let a gal go in front of me in the checkout line at Target.(#3) Purchased some little treats for a little “cheer me up goodie bag” to give a friend who is going through some hard times.(#4) Finally – I also did a little something special but can’t actually say… That person will probably be reading this and it would ruin my little surprise!! (#5) So check, check, check, check, check…

How about you???

 

 

 

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so many “happies”…

4 / 7 / 14

 

take a breakEver get those “blue” kinda days? Well… yesterday was one for me.  Not one thing. Or another.  Just kinda blah…

beachAnd I had to go to the grocery store. UGH!!! Can I just go to the beach instead??  I hate going to the grocery store… unless it’s Trader Joes.  I love me some Trader Joes. But I needed  things that I couldn’t get at Trader Joes. So I had to go somewhere else… Yuck. So off I went.  But I went with a plan.

My plan was simple, really.  I was gonna focus on all the little “happies” along the way.  First things first – a little fresh air.  Sidenote.  Those who know me well know that I am not a fan of driving around town in my car; running errands.  I will keep my “Target” list going (and growing) until we are down to the last square of toilet paper. But that was then; this is now.  One word… Pepper. Pepper is our “pepper white” Mini-Cooper convertible. And, Yes. I do believe in naming cars.  So off I went; list in hand.

strawberries

I experienced “happies” everywhere. Went to “Hen House” and fresh strawberries were on sale (3 lbs. regularly $8.99; On sale for $3.88!) and they were beautiful! Not on my list, so an unexpected treat! They had my favorite coffee back in stock – A really good thing since we were completely out! (refer back to the toilet paper comment earlier…)

eggs hen house

For those of you who read my previous post, “farm fresh eggs“, you know that we were recently gifted with the most beautiful eggs; and I quote;  “best fed chickens this side of the Mississippi…“.  Needless to say, we happily devoured all of those; no problem! But; like coffee; we needed more eggs. Hen House stocks eggs from a local farm – pasture raised, antibiotic free, vegetarian fed hens. And they come with a great little extra.  A sweet little note; different every time.  Mine read “Wow.  Such a beautiful day on the farm. Last night we had a nice rain shower so everything looks fresh and ready to grow!  Just like you!”  Awww… More “happies“. At the checkout I had a nice young gal who has Down Syndrome.  She always makes me think of brother Mike. xoxo   As she loaded groceries, we chatted as another young gal walked by with sweet little jingle bells on her tennis shoes.  I just smiled…

As I was walking to my car, cart loaded, I saw a car with a license plate cover bearing the name “Seaside“.  That’s our very, very favorite place/beach in Florida; where we hope to be someday… As a matter of fact, that’s exactly where we were last fall when my husband surprised me by telling me that we were getting “Pepper”!!  Coincidence?  I think not.  This trip to the grocery store was just a full circle of “happies“. Just what the doctor ordered!  I loaded up and climbed into Pepper.  We cranked up the radio and watched the clouds roll by overhead.  I have to say that now I totally get why dogs are obsessed with sticking their heads out of the window. Happy. So very, very happy.

pepper

Monday morning.  I just took my dogs for a walk; starting the day with a little (more) fresh air.  It’s a beautiful morning and this is a good thing. Why?  I just realized that we’re almost down to one square out of toilet paper.   Alrighty Pepper.  Saddle up…

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creatively comforting

12 / 13 / 13

hot chocolate

There are days when we are just not meant to go outside.  This morning seemed like one of them.

Around 8:30 AM, my daughter let the dogs out for their morning potty.  The steps to the front porch and the sidewalk were a solid sheet of ice.  One of the dogs could not make it back up the two brick steps of the front porch, so my daughter ventured out, slowly and cautiously, to attempt a rescue.  In the process, she managed to strain every muscle in her back and arms attempting NOT to fall!  OUCH!  We decided, at that point, that the second dog was on her own to make it skate back inside.  We stood at the door and watched her, opening the door every 30 seconds or so, to holler HURRY UP! words of encouragement… It was at this point that my neighbors garage door across the street went up.  He started backing up, in a straight line, as one would normally do.  As his tires hit the driveway, however, we watched, in slow motion, as his car proceeded to slide down the driveway sideways, half on the driveway, half in the front yard… landing in the street, facing the wrong way.  It was at this point that I made the decision to forego my morning plans of a trip to the grocery store for dinner.  Nope.  I would simply make some sort of (delicious) concoction out of what we had on hand.  Let those creative juices flow, baby….

About an hour later, I went to the refrigerator to evaluate what I had to work with here.  Now those of you who know me well know that I really do love this game.  I love the challenge of taking what I have leftover and making it into something.  Edible. The problem comes in when you try to play this game two nights in a row.  Last night I made some pasta and used up the chicken breasts and the last of the kale… so they were no longer options.  I stood there for quite awhile… pondering the “hodge-podge” of what was left in the refrigerator.  We had the last of a honey bake ham, leftover whole wheat pasta from last night, a bit of chicken broth,  2 avocados and some carrots.  Hmmm…

creamy ham & pasta

My daughter and I eat dairy free, so creamy sauces are usually a no-no.  However… there is more than one way to skin a cat – Right? (Just realized what a horrible saying that is!  Ewww…!  Who made that up; and why??)  So the avocados went into the food processor along with a little chicken broth and a splash of dairy free milk.  Voila – dairy free “creamy sauce”.  I cut the remaining ham into small pieces, tossed in a large bowl along with the leftover pasta, the avocado sauce and a jar of one of my very favorite “staples” from Trader Joe’s, the tomato Bruschetta.  Now it was time for a little taste test.  The result?  Creamy and delicious!!  Definitely a “thumbs up”!!!   Did you think that I forgot about the carrots?  Didn’t.  I’m going to oven roast those with a little garlic and rosemary when we are warming up the pasta tonight.  (Don’t you just LOVE the smell of garlic??)

white christmas

Good news: As it ends up, the perfect “comfort food” kinda meal for an icy cold winter day… We are gonna snuggle in for a toasty night by the fire with a glass of red wine and a movie classic… Either “White Christmas” or “It’s a Wonderful Life”.

Bad news: Tonight’s weather update – It’s supposed to start snowing here soon, and continue through most of the night.  (More) Bad news: After two nights in a row of “creative refrigerator concoctions”,  we are down to 4 eggs, almond butter, hummus and half of an apple.  Let’s face it – If we get snowed in… we’re screwed.   

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a cup of tea

9 / 24 / 13

tea solves everythingDo you ever get that silly, slumpy, mid-afternoon “oh my” sorta feeling; where your legs feel like thick tree stumps and your eyelids feel like heavy little rocks…?  Ya… Thought so.  Now for many of us, caffeine is not an option that late in the day. As for me, one cup in the wee morning hours is PLENTY.  Unless, of course, I want to get a little head start on my holiday shopping.  It’s amazing the great infomercial deals you can snag at 3:00 AM…

Okay, so back to the problem; my slump!  Or more to the point… the solution!  So I was driving home today when suddenly my car turned into Trader Joe’s parking lot.  It just does that sometimes.  Weird.  I parked my car and obediently went inside.  So many goodies there.  While perusing the aisles, I spotted something intriguing.  “Harvest Blend Herbal Tea.  CAFFEINE FREE!”  Nummers!!  Snatched it up, knowing that today might be a great day to try it out – a cool cloudy day, feeling kinda draggy, in need of a little afternoon “pick-me-up”… As predicted, by mid-afternoon, I found myself staring blankly at my “to do” list and feeling a bit overwhelmed.  It was just starting to sprinkle a bit outside – Yep.  Perfect conditions for a cup of hot tea!!  So I selected a sweet little, yellow rimmed vintage teacup from my collection and got that tea a-brewin’.  The aroma was absolutely divine… and that first sip??  Wow.  Orange citrus combined with sweet apple, a touch of cinnamon and ginger dancing on my tongue… Heavenly!  My spirit lifted a little higher with each tiny sip.  Suddenly that neverending long list didn’t seem quite so overwhelming.  Maybe I really could do it after all!  Perhaps it’s really true. Maybe a cup of tea really can solve everything… ??  Okay; maybe not everything.  But it can certainly do wonders for that silly, slumpy, mid-afternoon “oh my” sorta feeling… And today, that was enough.

TJ autumn tea

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killer kale pasta

8 / 27 / 13

killer kale pasta

 

Do you ever do this?  You look at what you have in the refrigerator, the freezer, the pantry… and you try to come up with a plan?  For dinner?  WITHOUT having to go to the grocery store?  Ya… See; that’s the hard part.  Can you really do it without leaving the house…?  Well; this is kind of a game with me.  And I play it often.  Mainly because I hate going to the grocery store.  Unless it’s Trader Joes.  I LOVE me some Trader Joes!  We will expand on that in a future post… 😉

So today I had leftover “beer can chicken” that the hubbie did on the grill Sunday.  And a massive bag of kale (We LOVE kale around here!!)  And an onion.  So I “googled” to see what I could come up with.  Guy Fieri came through with a plan!!  I subbed in a jar of roasted red peppers from the pantry (easy peasy!) which saved me the time of the entire 1st step!!  I also subbed in a sweet yellow onion, that I needed to use up, for the shallots.  Sautéed that in the beginning, until translucent, and added the garlic. Everything else pretty much went according to the recipe, EXCEPT I did NOT end up using the chicken stock.  At all.  And we stirred in a bit of goat cheese instead of the parmesan.  It definitely had a “kick”, thanks to my neighbor, Deb, who saved me when I ran out of red pepper flakes!  But was honestly quite delish!  We enjoyed it with a bottle of Merlot (per Guy’s suggestion!)

So; there we go.  Dinner.  Lemme know what’s cookin’ at your house today…????

live happy, Cathy

Killer Kale Pasta (by Guy Fieri)    

Ingredients

  • 2 red bell peppers
  • Olive oil
  • 2 cloves garlic, minced
  • 2 medium shallots, diced
  • Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 2 teaspoons red pepper flakes, plus extra for finishing
  • 1/2 cup white wine
  • One 28-ounce can plus one 14-ounce can diced fire roasted tomatoes, such as Glen Muir
  • 2 large bunches kale (about 3 pounds)
  • 4 cups coarsely shredded roasted chicken meat
  • 1 cup chicken stock
  • 1 pound rigatoni
  • Extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 cup grated Parmesan

Directions

Rub the red bell peppers all over with olive oil and place directly over a direct flame to char on all sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side.  Remove from the flame and place into a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to steam for about 10 minutes. Once cool to the touch, remove the steamed peppers from the bowl and pull off the charred skin, stem and seeds.  Cut into slices and set aside until ready to use.

Set a large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add a drizzle of olive oil and saute the garlic with the shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Cook until the garlic is fragrant and the shallots are translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the red pepper flakes, and then add the white wine. Cook until most of the wine has evaporated. Add the cans of tomatoes and the roasted red peppers. Mix well and bring to a steady boil. Reduce the heat so it is simmering.

Meanwhile, prepare the kale by removing stems and discarding. Tear the leaves up into bite-size pieces. Fold into the tomato sauce along with the chicken. Toss to combine and cover with a lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, and if you notice that the vegetables are “dry,” add 1 cup chicken stock. Simmer until the kale is tender, all the flavors have come together and the sauce is thick, 15 to 20 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper.

Cook the rigatoni pasta al dente in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package directions, 8 to10 minutes. Drain the pasta and add directly to the Dutch oven with the finished sauce. Toss to coat everything and cook over low heat (this allows the last cooking of the pasta to be done in the sauce), 2 to 3 minutes. Add a little of the starchy pasta water if needed.

Serve the pasta in large bowls and top with spoonfuls of grated Parmesan and extra red chili flakes. Goes great with a chianti or merlot!

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cinderella soup

9 / 18 / 12

Some days are just “dress up days“.  The entire process of getting ready is well thought out and deliberate.  You select just the right outfit days (weeks?) in advance.  Your clothes are clean, pressed and hanging in delightful anticipation.  You light a scented candle.  There is soothing music and a long hot shower or bath…  perhaps a little “spa-like sugar scrub” first to smooth out those rough elbows and heels?  There are shimmery lotions to indulge in; your hair and make-up… flawless.  You feel like Cinderella going to the ball…

And then there are the days like today.  You have a laundry list of things to do, including laundry, and there aren’t nearly the hours in a day to complete your task list.  You feel good about the fact that at least you brushed your teeth and showered.  The best that you can do are torn up jeans and a clean t-shirt.  You will be going nowhere today.  There will be no make-up… flawless, or otherwise.  (You are feeling a bit like the BEFORE version of Cinderella…) After some time and (hopefully) several “check marks” later, your thoughts turn to a rather challenging matter.  Dinner.

It’s a beautiful fall-like day.  Soup would be delish.  Let’s see… Where to start?  What’s in the fridge – Any leftovers?  Nope.  I find a bag of “soup mix” for a corn chowder in the cabinet.  It looks boring.  No worries – Let the challenge begin!  I oven roast some potatoes and veggies, defrost some frozen leftover chicken, add in some diced tomatoes, a few slices of crumbled smoky bacon and a jar of Trader Joes Spicy Corn Salsa.  A sprinkling of fresh ground pepper and chopped herbs from my herb garden and… VOILA!!  We have ourselves a little dinner well on the way without ever leaving the house…“cinderella soup”.

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ice cream sandwich day?

8 / 2 / 12

Yes – You heard me correctly… It IS “National Ice Cream Sandwich Day”!!  Who knew; Right???  Well that doggone thermometer continues to hover at triple digits, and there are absolutely ZERO age limits for celebrating this “national holiday” – So a big WooHoo to that!  I loved this blog post that I found at Twig & Thistle (below) because it is not so much a recipe as a “how-to”.  Simple instructions and a beautiful, tasty little package of cold refreshing sweetness!!  Even better – you can make them up ahead of time and pop them in your freezer. Done. Then at your next outdoor BBQ or summer party you can whip them out and impress your friends, smiling politely as they “Oooo and Ahhh…”   Give it a whirl before the summer comes to an end.

There are few things that I love more than ice cream in waffle cones. It doesn’t take much convincing to go for a scoop so when I saw waffle butter cookies at Trader Joe’s I knew excatly what I had to do: ice cream sandwiches! They’re super easy to do and would make a great treat for Easter, just pick a pastel ice cream, sandwich it between waffle cookies and violá! Easter eggs! I used strawberry here but mint or sherbert would be cute too, honestly though, can you ever really go wrong when it comes to ice cream?

What you’ll need: Carton of ice cream Butter waffle cookies from Trader Joe’s Round cookie cutter bent into an oval Large knife Cookie sheet Parchment paper Wax string

Directions: Take your ice cream (the boxed kind works best) and cut off a 3/4″ thick slab, it doesn’t have to be exact just thinner than your cookie cutter. Next, use your cookie cutter and cut out ovals from the ice cream, set the ovals on a cookie sheet with parchment paper and put the sheet in the freezer to firm up.

While you wait, cut out 9.5″x2.5″ strips of parchment paper to use as holders for the finished product.

Once the ice cream has chilled for a bit, transfer to the cookies with a spatula. For a little extra sweetness, add decorative chocolate sprinkles; simply roll the edges through the sprinkles for an even coating.

For the final touch, wrap in parchment paper and secure with waxed thread or baker’s twine then freeze until ready to serve. Enjoy!

live happy… laugh, love, dream, create

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