Homemade Magic Shell ice cream topping

by on July 30, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food · 7 Comments

As we come to the end of National Ice Cream month, I still have a couple things up my sleeve. One is a delicious, non-processed homemade version of an old favorite.

I only recently really discovered the fun of the classic Magic Shell ice cream topping. A friend brought it to one of our Ice Cream Sundays and I have been enjoying it ever since.

If this fun candy-like topping isn’t something you’re familiar with, it’s basically a chocolate sauce that “magically” hardens when you pour it on your ice cream. Then you are left with a lightly crunchy chocolatey mix-in.

The process certainly had me curious, wondering what was the secret ingredient that made the Magic Shell so magical…

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Weekend links

by on July 29, 2012
in links · Leave a Comment

I’m so inspired to get started early on handmade Christmas gifts, thanks to the gentle nudging by my friend Kara on my sister blog Simple Kids. She’s hosting a new monthly link-up and the first one is up now; July’s Holiday kids’ gift craft-along will be open for linking up for a couple more days until the end of July.

If I start now, maybe I’ll have something to show for it and link up in August. Can anyone else not believe that this week brings us the start of August? Craziness.

 

From Pinterest to real life: July 2012

by on July 27, 2012
in inspiration & creativity · 6 Comments

It’s that time again… the last Friday of the month means our linky where you can showcase some of the fun things that you’ve taken from your pinboards to reality! For me, July has been all about getting outside, enjoying the sunshine, friends and family. So, not surprisingly, I haven’t tackled a lot of my to-do list. I did one fun little project… or rather, David did it for me. :) And I did try some new recipes, this month as well!  [Read more...]

Blueberry Maple Coconut Dairy-Free Ice Cream {or choose your favorite fruit flavor}

by on July 25, 2012
in health, nutrition, & food · 15 Comments

Written by contributor Stephanie Langford of Keeper of the Home.

This recipe came about when we were first learning to eat dairy-free for the sake of two of my children. I was sorely missing ice cream, but was worried that anything I tried to make would be dismal failure and wouldn’t come close to satisfying. I am so glad that I was wrong!

Coconut milk is our preferred choice for a non-dairy option and its smooth, creamy texture makes it a perfect ice cream base. We’ve served this to friends who eat on the less-healthy side and they still loved it. The fruit flavor comes through much more strongly than the coconut and the finished product is lovely. It does melt a little bit faster than store-bought ice cream, but that aside, this ice cream has no faults that I can find.

The recipe itself whips together in 5 minutes flat. You’ll have to wait the standard 25-30 minutes while it freezes in the ice cream maker, but I like to time it right by putting it in just after we finish dinner so we can eat it shortly after clean up is finished and our stomachs are ready for it.

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Nature at home: Four ways to bring nature indoors

by on July 23, 2012
in home & garden · 12 Comments

Editor’s note: I hope you enjoy this guest post from my friend Melissa Wilkins today as she continues the conversation we’ve been having regarding bring the outdoors in. I’ve been talking a lot about shells lately but as you can see, there really are so many ways to bring bits (of all kinds) of nature in to your home.

While Melissa takes over this spot today, you’ll find me over at Simple Mom, where I’m writing about Ten ways to use your creativity for good. I hope you’ll join me there.

From art-making to displaying collections, bringing nature indoors helps us stay connected with the seasons outside. Plus, it’s an inexpensive, fun way to decorate. Here are a few ways we enjoy nature around our house.

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