Berry Parfait

INGREDIENTS 3 cups blueberries		12 ounces heavy whipping cream
2 cups raspberries		3/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, halved and sliced		Crisp cookies (your choice)
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons confectioners’sugar 1 Place blueberries in one bowl, and raspberries and strawberries in another bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of sugar to each bowl and toss gently. This will help release the fruits' juices and sweeten the berries. Set aside for 15 to 20 minutes. 2 While fruit is macerating, add whipping cream, vanilla extract and the remaining sugar into a medium-size mixing bowl (preferably chilled). Whip until stiff peaks form. 3 Spoon alternating layers of blueberries, whipped cream, then raspberry-strawberry combination into glassware of your choice. Serve with crispy cookies

Berries for Summer

Summertime means fresh and ripe berries. It also means a perfect time to get creative with your desserts. Berries make any dessert look great. For more berry delicious desserts, stay tuned.

Homemade Ice Cream-Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup half and half
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup salt (The bigger the granules, the better. Kosher or rock salt works best, but table salt is fine.)

Instructions

1. Combine the sugar, half and half, and vanilla extract in the pint-size bag and seal it tightly.
2. Place the salt and ice in the gallon-size bag, then place the sealed smaller bag inside as well. Seal the larger bag. Now shake the bags until the mixture hardens (about 5 minutes). Feel the small bag to determine when it's done.
3. Take the smaller bag out of the larger one, add mix-ins, and eat the ice cream right out of the bag. Easy cleanup too! Serves 1.

• Ice cubes (enough to fill each gallon-size bag about half full)
• 1 pint-size ziplock bag
• 1 gallon-size ziplock bag

Homemade Ice Cream

Who needs all those extra ingredients that you cant even pronounce? Make your own homemade ice cream with all natural ingredients.

Easy Lemon Bars

Ingredients

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
•  
• 4 eggs
• 1 1/2 cups white sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 lemons, juiced

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F 
2. In a medium bowl, blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch pan.
3. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. In another bowl, whisk together the remaining 1 1/2 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Whisk in the eggs and lemon juice. Pour over the baked crust.
4. Bake for an additional 20 minutes in the preheated oven. The bars will firm up as they cool. Sprinkle a little confection sugar on top. 
5. Enjoy

Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 teaspoons hot water
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. Cream together the butter, white sugar, and brown sugar until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Dissolve baking soda in hot water. Add to batter along with salt. Stir in flour, chocolate chips, and nuts. Drop by large spoonfuls onto ungreased pans.
3.

Bake for about 10 minutes in the preheated oven, or until edges are nicely browned.

S'more Fun for Summer

S'mores are always a great summertime treat. Who wouldn't love sitting around a campfire toasting up some delicious marshmallows and chocolate,sandwiched between 2 graham crackers. It wouldn't be complete without a scary ghost story.

Summer Sweets

It's getting hot out there. As summertime comes, we like to hit the beach or pool or parks. Portable and cooling snacks are just the ticket. Let me know what types of summertime sweets you like.