We just got back from a week’s vacation visiting family in California. Like all good adventures, this one was filled with laughter, fun, and craziness. And when I say craziness, it pertains to just one thing–children. Ha! I had the brilliant idea of driving, which by map, should have taken about 10 hours, but in actuality, it took a little over 13. In my head, I thought of it idealistically, that driving would be good family fun and bonding, and let me just say, we certainly bonded! I already knew that little ones just cannot sit still for that long, but a long car ride just proved that point even further. (Actually, it wasn’t as bad as I make it out to be. The kids were pretty good in spite of it all; it was me who had to remember they’re only 3 and 5.) The portable DVD player is what saved us.
One day we went into San Francisco. I love that city!
Eric and I had been there numerous times before, but it was fun walking through the city with the kids. They saw things I had never observed before! As we concluded the day, we went and had ice cream at Ghirardelli. Grace and I shared a double scoop cone, and Eric and Matthew shared one. Seems reasonable, right? Apparently, I had NO IDEA just how big a double scoop is. We could have shared one between the four of us!
We had such a wonderful time (despite the car ride) and were so grateful to extended family for hosting us. They cooked us yummy food and kept the kids entertained (which is no easy feat). So, thanks fam!
As a parting gift, my aunt sent me home with a bunch of Meyer lemons and limes from her yard. (My other aunt grows grapefruit, and I came home with about 20+ of those. Trying to think of good desserts to make with that fruit…)
Since it’s summer, I decided to make lemon ice cream. This recipe is so refreshing and sweet. And the added graham crackers make it really seem like you’re eating lemon pie. Just for fun, I kept the ice cream in these cute paper containers. You can find them here. Enjoy! xoxo
Lemon Icebox Pie Ice Cream
3-4 lemons (enough to make ¾ c lemon juice)
2 c half-and-half (NOT non-fat)
14 oz.can sweetened condensed milk
1 c coarsely crushed graham crackers
Roll each lemon on a flat surface to loosen the skin. (It makes it easier to extract the juice.) Grate the lemons peel so you have a heaping 1 tablespoon of zest. Set aside.
Cut the lemons in half; In a large bowl, squeeze the juice out to equal ¾ c of juice. Remove any seeds. Whisk the juice, half and half and sweetened condensed milk. Pour into a freezer container of an electric ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s instructions. At the end of the cycle, add the crushed graham crackers and the zest. Fold into the mixture. Pour into a freezer container and freeze for at least 2 hours. Scoop out and enjoy!
Slightly adapted from Southern Living
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