WFMW: Summer Recipe Edition!
Kate

To me, nothing says Summer quite like ice cream.  I remember, as a kid, getting ridiculously excited when I heard the unmistakable music of the ice cream truck.  It rarely came down our street, so it was always a huge treat when it did.  Sure, the same kinds of ice cream were sold at the grocery store (for a fraction of the price), but it tasted better coming from that truck!

Well, I haven't seen the ice cream man in years.  I know: It's so sad.  But not to worry!  I now own an ice cream maker, and that brings me to my Works for Me Wednesday.  Today's theme is "favorite Summer recipes," and the first thing that popped into my mind wasn't one recipe, but a book of them: The Perfect Scoop, by David Lebovitz.

If you thought treats from the ice cream truck were good, wait until you try making your own with these recipes!  Here are a few of the flavors in the book:

  • Chocolate-Peanut Butter
  • Butterscotch Pecan
  • Chocolate-Raspberry
  • Toasted Almond & Candied Cherry
  • Rum Raisin
Oh, wait!  What about these, more unusual, recipes:
  • Basil Ice Cream
  • Black Pepper Ice Cream
  • Avocado Ice Cream
  • Fresh Fig Ice Cream
Not to mention frozen yogurts, gelatos, and sorbets.  Oh, and the chapter on "vessels," with recipes for brownies, sandwich cookies, ice cream cones, and more.  And then there are the chapters on mix-ins and toppings.  This is my favorite ice cream cookbook ever.

After you make your ice cream, don't forget to sing:
"I scream; you scream; we all scream for ICE CREAM!"

'Cuz, you know, ice cream in summertime Works for Me.

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15 Ways to Stay Cool During the Summer
Kate


We've been having a bit of a heat wave here this week, with temperatures in the nineties and way too much humidity.  Our thermostat is currently set to 78; this feels really nice when coming in from outside, but too warm when we're trying to sleep.  Here are some ways to stay cool without fiddling with the thermostat:

Be Prepared:

  1. Close the curtains to keep sunlight (and heat) out.
  2. Keep a bottle of lotion in the refrigerator.  Apply liberally.
  3. Fill a spray bottle with water and keep it in the refrigerator.  Give your face a spritz every so often.
  4. Wear loose-fitting clothing in breathable fabrics (like cotton).
  5. Stick your pillow in the freezer for half an hour before bed.  (I haven't tried this; my pillow would probably end up smelling like chicken and ground beef.)

Cool The House (Or Leave It!):

  1. Turn on some fans.
  2. Try not to use the oven, stove, or clothes dryer.
  3. Keep the lights off as much as possible.
  4. Have a water fight (outside, of course!).  Forget little water pistols; grab the garden hose!
  5. Hang out somewhere that uses air conditioning liberally, like the mall or library.  Or the frozen section of the grocery store.

Cool Yourself:

  1. Take a COLD shower.
  2. Drink a glass of ice water.
  3. Eat a popsicle, or some ice cream.
  4. Soak a bandana in cold water and tie it around your neck.
  5. Try using a lotion or body wash containing mint, which has a cooling effect.
How do you stay cool in the summer?

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Photo Credits:
Photo of ice cubes from Darren Hester's Flickr photostream.

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...And We're Back!
Kate

To those of you who got an error when you tried to visit recently: My apologies.  Blogger was having some issues with their custom domain forwarding, and I had just switched to a custom domain the week before.  But now we're back in business!

You might notice that my URL is now "www.proverbs14.com" instead of a Blogspot address.

  • If you're a subscriber: Don't worry!  You don't need to change anything you're doing.
  • If you're not a subscriber:  Would you like to be?  If you've bookmarked a post, don't worry!  My old Blogspot address will forward to my new domain, so the link will still work.
(I also have a fancy new email address!)

At first, I thought I had broken the Internet.  It took me a couple of days to realize that I was not the only one having a problem.  I think I may have complained about it on Twitter, but I'm just glad it wasn't my fault!

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(Photo source: Shannon K's photostream on Flickr.)

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10 Reasons Why DangerBear is an Awesome Dad
Kate

(That's a bunch of bananas in a bowl, on the left side of the picture.  Not sure why Chickpea drew that, since DangerBear doesn't like bananas...)

  1. He changed Chickpea's very first diaper.  (He's quite proud of that one!)
  2. When Chickpea was a newborn and I was exhausted from the night feedings, he would sit with her at night for hours, just holding her.  For that alone, I'd marry him all over again.
  3. He works incredibly hard to provide for us, and is not afraid to make sacrifices.
  4. He lets Chickpea use him as a jungle gym when he's trying to nap on the couch.
  5. Daddy makes the best paper rocket ships in the world.
  6. He's a big softy.  Case in point: Chickpea's recent lunch of a corn dog, french fries, and chocolate milk.
  7. Daddy's not afraid to get messy or play rough (but not too rough, of course).
  8. With a fully-stocked electronics lab, he designs the best science experiments.
  9. There's no way Tickle Monster Mommy can get to Chickpea when Daddy's protecting her.
  10. Two words: Unconditional Love


Happy Father's Day!

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How to Keep a Child Amused for $1.84
Kate

10 Easy Steps:

  1. Purchase two bottles of bubble solution from grocery store.  (For $1.84.  Plus tax, I guess.)
  2. Make sure one of the bottles is the child's favorite color.
  3. Surprise child with bubble solution and head outside.
  4. Remind child that blowing bubbles is not like blowing out birthday candles.
  5. Game #1: Create as many bubbles as possible.  Try to catch them all.
  6. Fall on the ground laughing.
  7. Game #2: Try to blow the biggest bubble possible.
  8. Game #3: Play bubble catch.  Child blows a bubble.  Parent catches it on her wand.  Attempts to blow it back to child.
  9. Fall on the ground laughing.
  10. Repeat from step 5 until the bubble solution runs out or gets spilled.  Usually the latter.

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Philippians 3:14 Friday- June 5
Kate

So how did you do on your May goals?  I was doing alright until about halfway through the month, and then I totally forgot about them!  Oops.  So this month, I'm keeping it very simple:

My Goals for June

  • Follow My Weekly Plan
  • Pick 3 MITs (Most Important Tasks) Each Day, and Actually Do Them!
That's it!  Let's see if I can handle it.  I'd love to hear about your goals and the things you're trying to accomplish in your life.  Please sign the Mr. Linky, or find out more about participating.

(Note: The type of Mr. Linky widget I usually use isn't working right now, so I have to use a different one.  Just click on the Mr. Linky icon below and you'll see the list!)


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A Little "Bloggy Love"
Kate

I was delighted when Charlene at "A Virtuous Woman" put me on her "Delightful Dozen" list of blogs for awards!  Thanks, Charlene!

Uber-Amazing Blog Award

Attitude of Gratitude Award

So, to pass on the love, here are some of my favorite blogs to whom I'm passing on the awards:

Thanks again, Charlene, for the nod!
I hope you'll all check out these great blogs.

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