I Scream, You Scream...

We all scream for ICE CREAM!!!

One of my favorite gadgets is my Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker. I use it year around to make a wide variety of delicious ice cream flavors!






During the summer I tend to make more ice cream, so I always keep the freezer bowl in the freezer so I am ready to go whenever I want to make ice cream.

With your Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker comes an instruction booklet along with a booklet of recipes. Below is one of my favorite recipes!

Peanut Butter Cup Ice Cream

Ingredients

2/3 cup creamy peanut butter

1/2 cup sugar

2/3 cup whole milk

1 1/3 cup heavy cream

1tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup chopped peanut butter cups

1/3 cup chocolate chips

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine peanut butter and sugar with hand mixer. Add milk until smooth and sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream and vanilla.

Turn machine on & add mixture to frozen bowl. Leave in mixer for 20-25 minutes. Last 5 minutes add peanut butter cups and chocolate chips. Transfer to air tight container. Let "set" in freezer for about 2 hours.

ENJOY!

What's your favorite gadget?

Thirsty Thursday: Skinnygirl Sangria

How to Make Skinnygirl Sangria
By Bethenny Frankel

Ingredients

8 peaches, pitted and sliced
4 white plums, pitted and sliced
1 pound green grapes, cut in half
3 bottles Prosecco (an Italian sparkling wine)
One 12oz. can Fresca or diet lemon/lime soda
One 12oz. can club soda

Directions

Combine all the ingredients and let chill for atleast one hour. Serve over ice.



ENJOY!

Happy 1st Day of Summer!

Happy 1st (offical) day of Summer! It has felt like Summer here for over a month now, so it's crazy to think that today is the first day.

Here's to a fabulous summer for each and everyone of you!

Confession

I'll be the first to admit, I have never had an interest in owning an iPad. It's nothing against the product, I just couldn't imagine typing e-mails, blogging, etc. on an iPad. So what else would I need it for? Surfing the internet, duh! I have an HP netbook that I purchased close to two years ago, which I have really enjoyed. I love its compact size and light weight which makes it easy to transport and travel with yet it still has all the functionality of a laptop. Well all this changed on Friday...

I won an iPad at work about a month ago and it literally has been in the box up until Friday. I even told Thomas that he could have it because I didn't want it. He should have taken it when I offered because within minutes of setting it up and surfing the web, I was in heaven and wondering what took me so long to open the box! The iPad is amazing and I can't tell you how much more enjoyable it is to surf the web on it than my netbook!

I still enjoy blogging from my netbook and if I have work to do I use my work laptop, but for typing e-mails and surfing the web I chose my iPad. Although I am new to the iPad world, I am not new to Apple. I've had my iPhone4 for almost a year now and I swore before I purchased it, I would never give up on Blackberry, boy was I wrong! I'm hooked on Apple products and I don't think that will ever change.

All this being said, I need your help! I obviously need and want to purchase a screen protector and case for my iPad. I have an the Commuter Otterbox case on my iPhone which I love and I have a super thick screen protector from AT&T that has eliminated all types of scratches. I know Otterbox makes the Commuter case for the iPad, but I nervous about the screen not having a cover to protect it other than the thin screen protector Otterbox sends you with the case.

Do you all have any recommendations? Stylish yet protective and functional is ideal, but I can do away with the stylish part for something good quality!

I appreciate all your help!

#1

Happy Father's Day, Dad!

I hope you have a great day!

I can't wait to see you next weekend and celebrate! Love ya!

Warm Orzo Salad with Peas & Feta

Here's a long lost recipe that I haven't made in just as long as the Grilled Chicken with Spinach & Pine Nut Pesto recipe I shared with you last week. Anyways, that's not the point, the point is this a deliciously light salad that is perfect year around, however I am sharing the it now because I think it's the perfect recipe for the warmer months since it's very light and tangy, I hope you enjoy!

Warm Orzo Salad with Peas & Feta
Sandra Lee

Ingredients

8 ounces orzo
2 cups frozen early peas
¼ cup olive oil and vinegar dressing
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 (4 ounce) package garlic and herb crumbled feta

Directions

In large pot of boiling, salted water, cook orzo per package directions. When orzo is al dente, remove from heat and add frozen peas to cooking water. Let sit for 1 minute.

Drain and transfer to a serving bowl.

Stir in remaining ingredients. Serve warm.

ENJOY!

Summer Fruits

It's my favorite time of the year, especially for fruit! With the temperatures already reaching the upper 90's I spend most of my Summer months craving chilled thirst quenching fruit. My favorites include watermelon, blueberries, raspberries, cantaloupe & fresh cherries. I can eat a pint of blueberries in one sitting and the same goes for raspberries! I love nothing more than having a seedless watermelon cut up in a bowl in the frig to snack on whenever I want. If you couldn't already tell, Summer is by far my favorite fruit season! Time to dig in and stay hydrated.

What's your favorite Summer fruit?

Matchbook

Have y'all hear about Matchbook Magazine? I just happened to stumble upon Matchbook Mag when surfing the internet over the weekend and I absolutely love what Matchbook Mag & Matchbook Girls are all about!


For those of you who aren't familiar with Matchbook Mag, it's an online monthly lifestyle magazine that was first launched in January 2011. Matchbook Mag is described as "a field guide to a charmed life." After reading my first and their latest issue I was instantly hooked, I didn't want the end to come! The magazine does a great job of reeling you in and inspiring its reader to "design a life they adore."

Hop on over to Matchbook to read their most recent issue, I promise you will be inspired and hooked starting with page 1! You can also stay connected with the Matchbook girls through tumblr, twitter, and their blog, The Daily Spark. Enjoy!

Have a fabulous weekend!

Next Up

It's time I decided what my next read is going to be. Not knowing much about the Pioneer Woman other than a few of her delicious recipes, I was interested in learning more about what her life is like as the Pioneer Woman, so I thought this would be my chance. I've heard many good things about this book on other blogs, so I can't wait to get started!

The Pioneer Woman: Black Heels to Tractor Wheels--A Love Story

By Ree Drummond

What's on your summer reading list?

One of Thomas' Favorites

Over the weekend I came across the "tastebook" I created when Thomas and I first started dating. I was in my last year of college and Thomas had graduated and was working full-time. Even back then we enjoyed watching food network for inspiration, finding new recipes to try, and of course making dinner together. One of Thomas' favorite recipes that he still remembers 4 years later is Grilled Chicken with Spinach and Pine Nut Pesto. I haven't made it since, but I remember us both raving about how delicious it was, so I thought I would share it with y'all!

Grilled Chicken with Spinach & Pine Nut Pesto
Giada De Laurentiis

Ingredients

2 boneless chicken breasts
2 C lightly packed baby spinach leaves (about 2 ounces)
¼ C pine nuts, toasted
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 to 2 tsp grated lemon peel
⅓ C plus 2 teaspoons olive oil
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
⅓ C freshly grated Parmesan

Directions

Heat a grill pan on medium high heat. Lightly oil the grill pan. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side.

Combine the spinach, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a processor. Lightly pulse. With the machine running, gradually add ⅓ cup of the oil, blending until the mixture is creamy. Add salt and pulse. Put half of the pesto into ice cube trays and store in the freezer for future use.

Transfer the rest of the spinach mixture to a medium bowl. Stir in the Parmesan. Season the pesto with salt and pepper, to taste.

Spread the pesto over each piece of chicken and serve.

ENJOY!

Anagrams

Do you know what anagrams are? I didn't until I received an e-mail last week titled "amazing anagrams." Definition of Anagrams: words or phrases made by mixing up the letters of other words or phrases. I was amazed with these anagrams that I just had to share! On a side note, someone out there must be "deadly" at Scrabble!

Amazing Anagrams

PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters:
BEST IN PRAYER

ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters:
MOON STARER

DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters:
A ROPE ENDS IT

THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THEY SEE

GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters:
HE BUGS GORE

THE MORSE CODE:
When you rearrange the letters:
HERE COME DOTS

DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters:
DIRTY ROOM

SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters:
CASH LOST IN ME

ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters:
IS NO AMITY

ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters:
LIES - LET'S RECOUNT

SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters:
ALAS! NO MORE Z 'S

A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters:
I'M A DOT IN PLACE

THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters:
THAT QUEER SHAKE

ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters:
TWELVE PLUS ONE


AND FOR THE GRAND FINALE...


MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters:
WOMAN HITLER


Pretty crazy, huh???

Since I've Been Gone...

I've been doing TONS of this...

by this...

but mostly this...

We've been here, Charleston & Isle of Palms, SC
and here, Savannah, GA

And here back to Savannah to celebrate the soon to be, Mrs. Stansell!

And I've been to DC!

And we've been to Asheville, NC to celebrate newly married, Mr. & Mrs. Stansell!

And I've been to Las Vegas!

Then here, Fripp Island, SC

to celebrate the future Mrs. Wiley!

And this past weekend I've been home!

But don't worry I'm not getting too comfortable because... we're leaving again real soon!

I promise starting today I am back with regular posting!