Graeter's Ice Cream

Okay, so I didn't mention where I was in the previous post when I saw the peonies and envied the basement. Dave and I went to Cincinnati for Memorial Day weekend to see Lee and the Jobert family. Something else we BOTH fell in love with is Graeter's Ice Cream. We had their ice cream 2 of the 3 nights we were there. It is some of the best ice cream you will taste. It is specially formulated in a process called French Pot process. They create the ice cream just two gallons at a time. It’s the only way to achieve the irresistible creaminess that is Graeter’s. That last sentence was directly from their website: http://www.graeters.com/. Too bad there isn't one in Florida but if you happen to ever be near one, YOU MUST GO!! I had blueberry pie ice cream the first night and Tangerine Cream the next, it was just like a dreamsicle. Heaven on earth, let me tell you!! If you look at the ingredients it speaks for itself!! Fresh cream from farms that pledge not to use artificial growth hormones (rBST), Sweetened with 100% cane sugar, No hydrogenated oils, therefore no trans fats. Another popular flavor is Buckeye Blitz, chocolate and peanut butter, yum! You can also have it shipped to your house!!

Oh Peony, How I Love Thee...

Peonies are some of my favorite flowers along with Gerber Daises and Hydrangeas. I had the exact same shade in my bridal bouquet. Too bad you don't see them growing in the south like you do up north. This picture is from my sister-in-law's back yard, actually this is what you see when you look out of her kitchen window. I saw these within the first five minutes of being in her house and I fell in LOVE!!

Something else I LOVE about the north are the basements. I would actually consider moving north if I could have a basement, I hate cold weather but I think I may be able to cope if I had a basement. There are just so many uses for basements as well as lots or storage space!!

Question, can peonies be grown successfully in Florida? Anyone out there?

Chilly Bone

Maggie's favorite toy!! She loves it and it is one toy she can't destroy. You don't know how important those two things are, she plays with it for hours and it is indestructible. Aunt Leanne and Uncle Drew gave it to her for Christmas and it is still in one piece. Maggie loves the texture of fabric toys but usually they are all destroyed in a week or less. One toy only made it a couple of hours in our house. Needless to say we have saved on toy expenses since this came into our lives. THANK YOU, Leanne and Drew!!

Test!

They keep growing...

Here are more pics of our tomato plants, they keep growing...

(grape tomatoe type)

Strawberry Trifle

I made this for a coworker a while back and it was so yummy! It was the first time I whipped my own cream, awesome!! Also, I prefer this recipe to others because it doesn't use pudding, I hate pudding. Okay, exception, banana pudding is good only because it has banana slices and nilla wafers included, but pudding alone, no way!! Oh, and the almond extract, one of my favorite things (more on that in another post)... ENJOY!!

1 large, store-bought angel food cake (about 10 inches, or 2 smaller ones), cut or torn into cubes
3 pints strawberries (I usually use two quarts), sliced or quartered
1.5 cups powdered sugar
3/4 cup granulated sugar
almond extract
1 cup sour cream, at room temperature
8 oz cream cheese, at room temperature
1 pint whipping cream, chilled
vanilla extract

1. In a bowl, mix the strawberries with the granulated sugar and some almond extract. Set aside to macerate.

2. Beat together the cream cheese, sour cream, and 3/4 cup powdered sugar until smooth*. In a separate bowl, beat the whipped cream, adding 3/4 cup powdered sugar and some vanilla extract when it begins to look almost done (firm peaks). Fold the whipped cream gently into the cream cheese mixture.

3. Layer the ingredients in a large bowl or trifle dish, starting with cake, followed by strawberries, then cream. You should be able to make 3 layers. The trifle is best chilled for a while before serving.

*the cream cheese mixture can be lumpy if your ingredients are too cold. You can use a food processor if this is a problem.

**I used pound cake instead of angel food.

Happy Birthday!

Where has the month gone? I can't believe it is almost over. Thanks to everyone who made my 30th birthday a special one. Many celebrations, thanks for everything, I am a very lucky girl!!