We all Scream for Ice Cream!

Thanks Angie! We all went away "screamin" about your cake...
Ice Cream Cake by ANGIE F.

1 box cake mix (any flavor EXCEPT ones that call for Butter)
2 eggs
1 1/2 C water

*1 gallon any flavor ice cream (rectangle cardboard box type is the easiest to use)

Mix cake ingredients well in a bowl and pour into a foil or parchment paper lined jelly roll pan.
Bake at temperature stated on cake mix box for 15 minutes.
Remove from oven and let cool.
Place into a freezer overnight, or if you baked it in the morning, you can freeze it until late afternoon.Remove cake and cut in half.
Take ice cream and unwrap the box.Cut ice cream into 1 inch slices and layer on one of the cake halves.Once ice cream is all on the cake, use a rubber spatula and smooth out/fill in the seams.
Place other half of cake on top and press down lightly.Use a rubber spatula to smooth out the ice cream on the sides of the cake.
Fold paper/tinfoil back around the cake, put in a pan and freeze until center is frozen again (about half a day).1 hour before serving, pour chocolate ganache (cooled enough so it won't melt ice cream) over top and smooth down over sides with spatula. Work quickly because it will harden as you spread. Make it as even as you can.
Place back in freezer until ready to eat.

* COMBINATION IDEAS:
1- Mint chocolate-chip ice cream with chocolate cake,
2- Chocolate cake bottom, strawberry ice cream middle, yellow cake top and topped with sliced strawberries and bananas, then covered with chocolate ganache.

Chocolate Ganache

2 C heavy whipping cream
1 1/2 C chocolate chips (milk chocolate goes w/ chocolate cake, semi-sweet for other flavors)

Melt chocolate chips and whipping cream in a double boiler over medium heat.
Stir until smooth.
Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Can be refrigerated until ready to use, but you will need to heat it in the microwave for about 20 seconds before using.
Excess can be refrigerated.
*Can also make white chocolate ganache by using white chocolate chips or almond bark.
**Ganache makes great filling for truffles by rolling into balls and covering with cocoa powder or powdered sugar or dipping in chocolate/almond bark. Can also flavor with peppermint oil or other flavor.
***Works great for dipping fruit in like fondue!Such a crowd pleaser! So easy and so delicious! Keep in FREEZER--- DUH!

THE DON'T PAY $5.00 FOR COLD STONE /LEFTOVER DESSERT SOLUTION
by Hollie
I like to do this when you have extra dessert laying around that either you are sick of or you shouldn't really eat the rest of it cause it would be overdosing on the calories. But it takes care of it for later when you just have that craving for a dessert but you don't want the whole pan of brownies. Just eat your previously mixed and frozen brownie chunk ice cream. SO GOOD. Just put in a cute container if taking somewhere and they will think it is homemade! Such trickery, I love it.

*3 Basic Steps:
1. Cut mix-ins to about 1 inch each side.
2. Freeze so that they keep stay intact chunks when you stir them in the ice cream.
3. Stir frozen mix-ins into slightly thawed store-bought ice cream and put in a freezer safe container to refreeze. (Don't thaw ice cream too much or it will be all hard and crystalized when you eat it. Thaw just enough so that stirring is pretty tough.)

BEFORE:
DURING:AFTER:Mix-in ideas:
anything they do at COLD STONE!
birthday cake- (cake batter ice cream)
Marie Calender's Razzleberry pie
cookies
candies
caramel
peanut butter softened with some vegetable oil We like Cherry Pie too!

Bagels by Cassidy

Cassidy had us over to her new house and showed us all how to make bagels. It was awesome. Who knew that boiling the raised bread dough before you put it in the oven to bake is the secret to getting that bagel texture? Cinnamon and Raisin Bagels
1/2 cup raisins, pre-soaked*
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tbsp sugar

1 cup lukewarm water
3 cups white flour
3 1/2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp salt
3 1/4 tsp active dry yeast

Directions:
* Soak the raisins in warm water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry. Toss with combined cinnamon and sugar, then place in bread machine with rest of ingredients.
1. Put ingredients in bread machine adn press start. Remove the dough from machine after the first knead, approximately 20-30 min. If you don't have a machine, combine ingredients as if you are making bread.
2. Palce dough on a floured surface. Divide into 6-8 parts. Form balls. Gently press thumb through center of ball and slowly stretch into bagel shape. Let rise 10 minutes.
3. While bagels rise, bring three quarts of water adn one tbsp. of sugar to a rapid boil.
4. Using a slotted spoon, drop 2-3 bagels into the boiling water. Boil on each side for 1/2 minute. Remove and cool on rack for 1 minute. Brush with egg white.
5. Bake at 400 degrees F on a baking sheet with cornmeal or parchment paper, approximately 15 minutes.

Just changing a few things iwth this basic recipe can make all different kinds of bagels. Take out teh raisins and cinnamon, add some honey and substitute 1 cup wheat flour and you have honey whole wheat bagels. The combinations you can create are endless. If you see a bagel you like in the store, you can create it at home.

Suggestions: honey whole wheat, blueberry, cinnamon sugar, chocolate chip, onion, orange cranberry, apple cinnamon, spinach and cheese, etc.

Bagel Hints: Make a bunch of bagels at once and freeze for later.

Quick Bagel Meals:
- Open faced tuna melts: cut bagel in half, throw on a thin piece of cheese to cover teh hole, layer tuna, then another piece of cheeseand broil.
- Pizza: cut bagel in half, add sauce, pepporoni, then cheese, broil in oven
- Egg and Cheese Sandwich: Make eggs as you would an omelette, but fold into square. Layer on bagel and top with cheese. Cover with other half of bagel.

Stawberry Cream Cheese: Mix 8 oz cream cheese with 1 tbsp jam, add more to taste.

Cinnamon Honey Butter: Combine the following with a mixer:
1/2 c. butter, 1/2 c. honey, 1 tsp cinnamon, splash of vanilla

Thanks Cassidy!

Tani was the winner of the roundest bagel contest. She showed off her mad skills and was rewarded accordingly.

Short Demo: Wonders of a Salad Spinner

You missed being enlightened about the wonders of a Salad Spinner by Hollie. She is not a believer in gadgets that do just one thing, except for the Salad spinner. It cuts down on the time it takes to wash and dry lettuce. She just keeps the lettuce in it while in the fridge. She loves it because it makes it so much easier to eat salad instead of junk because it is always ready to eat. Consider looking for a pour spout on one when you shop and also the different motions that you can do to spin it, up and down pumping, or pulling like a lawn mower, or moving in circle like the one in the picture. Several friends have different kinds and they all love theirs. Well worth the $12.00-$15.00.





















Plus, spinning it is so much fun and never ceases to amaze you!











Ode to the Salad Spinner
by Luke Barber per Hollie's crazy request

Ah the luxury of a salad spinner,
while in the kitchen I feel like a winner.
Makes it easy to decide what's for dinner,
and by eating it's contents I stay thinner.
The green leafy goodness contained inside,
takes me on a glorious vegetable ride.
It tastes so good you'd think I had died,
and how ironic that none of it's fried.
It looks so aestethic wiht dressing on top.
It I start eating I'm afraid I won't stop.

Gardening Class by Lynn, Amy's father

Okay..so it is only a vegatable GROW BOX..but for Vegas, in the heat of summer..looks mighty good... if I do say so..

Amy, the lovely daughter that she is...and RS President.. got me lined up to teach a class on Grow Boxes and Vegatable Gardening in Las Vegas..so, with some handouts from LDS.ORG on the importance of gardening and growing your own food..and along with some local information..we proceeded going thru the steps and even did some thinning of the beets, carrotts, and radishes..!..Provident Living in Action!

The Sisters hit PAY DIRT..winning 3 large bags of PAY DIRT..as door prizes..if you will look closely at the bag, you will see the first Relief Society using it in their gardens...okay..maybe not RS sisters..but they are women!

After some instructions and a Q&A period on materials, and "how to's" we had great smoothies and home made muffins from food storage items..bless those RS sisters for always providing DESSERT...all in all a nice cooler early summer evening was spent together in learning and sharing from one generation to the next..

I hope that Amy's Grandpa was smiling about how small the "produce" field was..after all the years he grew and sold produce from horse and wagon up the roads of Utah from Provo to Park City to the miners etc.. Uncle Jesse, his son, in his late 80's, carries on the tradition in Provo, with a large 1/4 acre garden each year!

Nonetheless..following the promptings of the Prophets and doing what you can ..where you are "planted"..is what is important and where the blessings will come.

Thanks for sharing the evening..call anytime for help . Lynn.

Hollie's Favorite Chocolate and Candy Recipes

Go here to see the info and pics from the delicious chocolate class. Find recipes for Almond Joy, Reeses, Butterfinger, Bakerella's Cake Balls/Pops, Oreo Suckers, Chocolate Dipping Ideas, and Chocolate Bowls made with balloons.