Happy Holidays!

picture by Heather Bailey

Hope you all enjoyed the festivities of the fourth! We had a great time, it's all chronicled on http://www.monkeymemonkeyyou.blogspot.com/ so you can see :) We are all a little draggy after several late nights in a row. The kids are definitely going to bed early tonight!

I also made homemade ice cream for the party - but forgot to take pics :( I used my dad's Cuisinart ice cream maker (make sure the cylinder part is in your freezer for a good 24 hours before you make it) I never knew there were 2 styles of ice cream - a custard base and a dairy base also known as Philadelphia style. They are both delicious but the Philadelphia style (which I had never had until this weekend) is much easier to make as there is no stovetop involved! You make the base vanilla and basically add everything you like once the vanilla is at the soft serve consistency. You will need to put in the freezer for a good amount of time before you serve it.

I made 2 flavors for the party and both were a hit. I got the strawberry pretzel recipe from this site and it was delicious http://heatherbailey.typepad.com/heather_bailey/2008/06/you-scream-ice.html I omitted the cream cheese and sugar mix in b/c I forgot it. It was just as good. I bought the frozen, sliced, slightly sweetened strawberries that come in a container.

Liam suggested maraschino cherry and vanilla which is basically the jarred cherries cut in half and mixed into the vanilla base. The kids really loved it! I am definitely going to try and make some new combos this summer and will take pics next time.

I also received a gorgeous fourth of July apron in the mail from Lisagh - so so so cute!! I innocently mentioned awhile back that my wardrobe is lacking in red and blue and she took pity on me and sent me one of the nicest presents ever!! Thank you, thank you, thank you!! You can check out lots of her wonderful creations here - her talents are endless! http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=5144955 xo, Brie