Schools Out For the Summer!

-Hello World-

Long time....no blogging, right? I fell into my similar routine of not blogging while in school. However, summer break officially started last Friday! I am ready to get back at it! I have missed blogging, sharing recipes, ideas, and my life with whoever wants to keep up with me these days!

Stay tuned for some exciting things going on in the life of the Cone's this summer! Some things to get excited about: 

• New Recipes
• The debut of our brand new NURSERY. (YES- it is true. Chad and I are having a 1st child towards the end of the year.) 
• Reviews of products
• Random Thoughts
• Possibly a child's book in the making
• More house projects
• and of course, VACATIONS!

Lots and lots of exciting things happening in the Cone house! Come join me this summer in making life FUN, LAUGHABLE, and YUMMY! 

Tootles......

I Scream, You Scream....WE ALL Scream for ICE CREAM!

I don't know about you guys and where you live....but in Atlanta it is SCORCHING HOT! It has been incredibly hot. All I really want to do is go lay out by a pool somewhere with a cold drink in my hand. However, I have no pool and do not know many people with a pool. PLUS....I start work soon. (depressing!)

I recently went to my favorite grocery store ever Fresh Market and stubbled upon some amazing strawberries. They were 2 for $4.00. I thought to myself...what better way to cool off on these scorching hot Atlanta days then ice cream!

So it all began yesterday....I decided to use 1 16 oz package of strawberries and cut them in half as shown in the beautiful yellow bowl. I then mixed them with the most delicious mouth watering combination of vanilla extract and sugar. I put them into the refrigerator for about 30 minutes to soak in all of that goodness. 

I then gathered the rest of the materials to make the cream mixtures. Now I must say that I got this recipe from the Cuisinart Ice Cream Book. However, I like to tweak it here and there to give it a little extra love so stay tuned. 

The ingredients above are the ingredients that I used to make the ice cream mixture. I LOVE using sweetened condensed milk in my ice cream instead of heavy whipping cream. Some reasons....1. sweetened condensed milk is delicious. 2. It adds a thickness to the ice cream that I enjoy. 3. I usually do not have heavy whipping cream. It is a great substitute and makes the ice cream a lot sweeter which I also LOVE! However, I decided not to use it yesterday since I have heavy whipping cream. 

I mixed the ingredients above together. First the milk and the sugar to ensure that the sugar dissolves completely. Then I added the heavy whipping cream and vanilla to the mixture. 

Next I slowly blended the strawberries. I did not want them pureed but I also did not want huge chunks. The chunks get too frozen/hard in the ice cream, and I do not particularly like that texture. 

Next you mix the strawberries with the milk mixture. I put the mixture in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Then pour the mixture in the ice cream maker for it to do its thing! In about 30 minutes, you have the most cold delicious gorgeous girly pink goodness there is!

Recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream: 

1 16 oz package of Strawberries (Halved)

1 Tablespoon of Sugar (in with the strawberries)

1 Tablespoon of Vanilla Extract (in with the strawberries)

1 Cup of Whole Milk

1 1/2 Cups of Whipping Cream

2 Tablespoons of Vanilla

1 Cup Sugar

Happy Reading! 

Relishing the last days.....

Well folks......

The lazy days of summer are coming to a close for me. However, this summer has been anything but lazy for me. As someone put it yesterday....I need a vacation from my summer break.

It has been one of my most enjoyable/active summers except for the summer that I met my husband. I hold that one a little closer to my heart than most summers I have experienced in my lifetime. With all the exciting things that have happened this summer, I am excited to have a nice relaxing night at Chastain Park tonight watching Idina Menzel sing her tremendous lungs out (for those who do not know Idina Menzel: rose to fame by performing on Broadway, sings "Let It Go" from the movie Frozen, and was the one who got her name butchered by John Travolta at an awards ceremony.)

I actually have never been to Chastain Park to see a concert, so I am excited to see what all the fuss is about. We are going with Chad's parents and Chad's sister/her husband. Chad's parents have gotten us a table to sit at while we watch the performance. You are allowed to bring a picnic with you to the concert. I have made a little mozzarella, tomato, pesto, and pasta salad. It looks scrumptious and colorful enough to be enjoyed on a summer night at the park!

I used the recipe below to make my pesto. I tweaked it a little bit for my own taste profile (a little more Parmesan and pine nuts.) I am a little prideful about this pesto because I have been working hard to grow my basil plant that was OUT OF CONTROL! ( No picture evidence unfortunately) All of my basil came straight from my own basil plant which makes the pesto taste even better obviously!

http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/how-to-make-pesto/

I used this recipe for the pasta salad but used tri- color Rotini pasta instead!

https://lexbake.wordpress.com/2012/04/21/mozzarella-and-tomato-penne-pasta-salad/

I will have to get back to you about all of my adventures tonight with some pictures. I have come to find that everyone that reads my blog is all about the pictures. Maybe I need to invest in a good camera Chad! ;)


Hope everyone has a fantastic Friday summer night!