Mindful Monday - America

"America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."
~Alexis de Tocqueville

Fun for the Fourth

Dipped Ice Cream Sandwiches

With just a few ingredients, including red, white and blue sprinkles, these sweet frozen treats are sure to make your family ooh and aah!—Taste of Home Test Kitchen

Taste of Home

Ingredients

• 6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
• 1 tablespoon shortening
• 4 ice cream sandwiches
• Red, white and blue sprinkles

Directions

• Line a baking sheet with waxed paper; set aside. In a microwave or heavy saucepan, melt chocolate and shortening; stir until smooth. Quickly dip ice cream sandwiches partway in melted chocolate; coat chocolate with sprinkles. Place on prepared baking sheet and freeze. Yield: 4 servings.

Patriotic Place Cards

4th of July Paper Hat Place Cards

Make these charming patriotic paper-hat name cards with simple step-by-step folding instructions.

Country Living Magazine

Step 1:

Fold the square in half diagonally.

Step 2: Fold both sharp points up to the right-angled corner.

Step 3: Rotate the model 180 degrees, then fold one of the sharp points to the upper corner .

Step 4: Create the horn by folding the sharp point outwards, shown. As a guide, try folding the point so that when you have done so, the upper edge rests parallel to the horizontal center crease.

Step 5: Repeat step 4 on the other side. Then fold up a single layer of paper at the bottom, to a point approximately halfway between the top of the helmet and the center line.

Step 6: Fold bottom point to where the brim will be.

Step 7: Fold again.

Step 8: Fold again

Step 9: Fold the remaining corner on the back as steps 6, 7, and 8.

Step 10: Fold right and left side back at ends and staple down from inside. Add touches of red, white, and blue crepe paper, sparkles, and pipe cleaners.

Mindful Monday

"May I share with you a formula that in my judgment will help you and help me to journey well through [life]... First, fill your mind with truth; second, fill your life with service; and third, fill your heart with love."
~Thomas S. Monson

This is what I'm making for Father's Day!

 (one for Mark and one for Frog)

Key Lime Ice Cream Pie

aka Key Lime Frog Pie

Coastal Living, MAY 2010 

Ingredients

• 1 2/3  cups  sugar, divided
• 1 2/3  cups  heavy cream
• 1  cup  whole milk
• 1/4  cup  light corn syrup
• 1  vanilla bean, split in half lengthwise
• 1 1/4  cups  graham cracker crumbs
• 5  tablespoons  unsalted butter, melted
• 1/4  cup  sugar
• 1/4  teaspoon  ground cinnamon
• Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
• 8  large egg yolks
• 1  teaspoon  Key lime zest
• 1 1/4  cups  fresh Key lime juice
• Garnishes: Key lime slices, sweetened whipped cream

Preparation

1. Combine 1 cup sugar and next 3 ingredients in a large saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean; add seeds and bean to milk mixture. Bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately remove from heat, and let stand 30 minutes. Remove and discard vanilla bean.
2. Combine graham cracker crumbs and next 4 ingredients in a medium bowl, tossing until well blended. Press crumbs into a 9-inch glass or ceramic pie plate to form an even crust. Bake at 350° for 8 minutes or until firm to the touch; cool completely, and set aside.
3. Beat egg yolks in a large bowl. Slowly whisk 1 cup warm cream mixture into egg yolks. Add egg mixture to remaining cream mixture, whisking constantly.
4. Cook cream mixture over medium heat, whisking constantly, 5 minutes or until mixture reaches 160° and coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat; pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl. Cool custard completely, stirring occasionally.
5. Combine remaining 2/3 cup sugar and Key lime zest and juice in a bowl, stirring until sugar dissolves. Stir lime juice mixture into cooled custard. Transfer custard to an ice cream maker, and process according to manufacturer's directions.
6. Mound ice cream into prepared crust. Freeze pie 4 hours or overnight. Garnish, if desired.

Cute Coupons

Father's Day Coupons

My husband always LOVES these!
Give him coupon booklet filled with unbelievable deals for Father's Day:
100 percent off a lawn mowing, car washing, delicious breakfast, and more.

Martha Stewart Living June 2004

Coupon Booklet How-To
Print the coupon template. (You can also duplicate them on a color photocopier if necessary.) Then cut them out. To decorate the cover, we used a 1 1/4-inch round craft punch to create a hole that frames the coupon picture underneath. Here are a few more presentation ideas:
1. Fasten Cut card stock to the same size for a cover; stack on top of coupons. With a standard hole punch, make a hole in the upper-left corner of the stack; insert a paper fastener. 2. Sew Cut a cover, and place on top of coupons. Secure stack with paper clips; machine-sew along the left side (use the dotted lines as a guide). 3. Staple
Cut card stock to 2 1/2 by 8 1/2 inches. Fold end of strip over 3/4 inch; slide coupons inside flap, and staple though its center. Bend opposite end of cover over coupons, and insert under flap (like a matchbook cover); crease.

Click HERE for printable Coupon Books

from Better Homes and Garden

Have tiny kids?

Father's Day Coloring Page

Thank You Thursday - Red Velvet

Are you familiar with Red Velvet Cake?  I think maybe it is a Southern/Texas thing. We had never even heard of it before we moved here. 

It is Hope's favorite!

I think she first tasted it at Chrissy and Zack's wedding reception. Chrissy's Red Velvet Wedding Cake was beautiful and delicious!

 pictures via "The Life of Chrissy"

Whenever Hope gets to have a cupcake from one of our favorite spots,CRAVE, she ALWAYS chooses Red Velvet.

For her birthday cake she requested, Red Velvet.

....look what I found the other day at Randalls.

Who would've ever thought in  a million years!

Little Debbie® Petites Red Velvet Cakes are genuine,
moist red velvet cakes topped with creme cheese flavored
icing. Each perfectly portioned serving is individually
wrapped in a six count carton.

June 10 = 16

Another 
Birthday
~ Shout Hooray! ~

 Sunday, we celebrated Scotto's 16th Birthday

 He wanted Taco Soup, Quesadillas, Chips and Salsas and Guacamole

He asked Kassandra to make his birthday cake.  

She makes deelicious desserts.

She made an Oreo IceCream Cake and it was REALLY good!

We have no idea what Scott wished for?

P.S. THANKS Marci and Mike ♥(our resident photographers)♥

Daily Affirmations

 I have been busy, which is a "good thing" but sometimes I let myself get caught up in a whirlwind worrying about the less important things AND when that happens, I get discouraged. Prayer is wonderful.  What a blessing to know you have someone that will listen to you at any time and not only that,completely understands everything you're feeling. I love prayer.

Recently, I found myself in that yucky mode of  feeling overwhelmed,hence my post "17 Most Important Things to Remember in Life".  I actually did make copies of that reminder.  I am very much visually inspired. I have a copy on the bulletin board right in front of my computer. I love the little motto: “Keep Calm & Carry On.” It was  a phrase used in England during World War II, but it works perfectly as a daily affirmation for me. I really believe in the power of mind over body. I know we can change a lot of what we're experiencing by changing our mind set and energy patterns.

I realize not everyone believes in all of this silliness (Cheryl word ♥). That's okay I still love you.  

BUT if you do, you'll love this adorable little girl.

(non-believers can watch her too, she's that cute)

She gets it!

Jessica's Daily Affirmation

April Birthday Girl Celebration

Pictures from Marci and Hope's Birthday Celebration

(Thanks Marci and Mike)

Both Birthday Girls were treated to a cupcake from "Crave" during their birthday week.

Hope got Red Velvet (of course)

Traditional Texas red cocoa cake with sweet cream cheese frosting

and Marci got Flourless Chocolate (gluten free), which she loved!

Rich dark chocolate flourless cupcakes with dark chocolate butter cream frosting and topped with chocolate sprinkles. 

 

original post date 4/30