Banana Maple Walnut Ice Cream

Summer sure arrived with a bang this year.  Over night the temperatures when from the 70's to the high 90's!  So it was time to find some cool treats and fast.  Now my family loves treats!  I'm mean who's doesn't.  But this mama isn't always thrilled with all the stuff in commercial treats!  So I really shy away from store pop-cycles and such.  So what's a mama to do?  Whip up some Banana Maple Walnut ice cream of course.  This treat is so quick and easy and healthy too.  You could even serve it for breakfast.  Heck, I had it for dinner tonight while the rest of the family was gone.

Banana Maple Walnut Ice Cream

3 frozen bananas
1/4 cup walnut pieces
maple syrup to taste, about 1-3 tsp depending on how sweet you like it

Put the banana into the bowl of your food processor.  Being to pulse at 5-10 second intervals.  You don't want to let the food processor run continuously as the heat with melt the bananas.  When the banana is about half smooth mush and half chunks throw in half the nuts.  Process in pulses again.  Next drizzle in the maple syrup.  All let's left to do is fold in the rest of the nuts.  If you don't like large chunks of nut you can put them all in earlier.

Scoop and serve!  That's it!  And it it hadn't been 93 degrees in my kitchen, it wouldn't look like such a melted mess.  But do looks really matter when something is this good?  I think not!  This made on BIG serving, two normal servings or three kid size servings.  Adjust the amount of ingredients to your needs.

Of course the options are endless.  You can do peanut butter and banana, chocolate banana, coconut banana.  Really let your imagination and taste-buds run wild.  I'd love to hear what combinations you come up with.

Linking up at Country Mama Cooks, Make Your Own Monday, Homestead Barn Hop, and Scratch Cooking Tuesday.

Summer Solstice

Wishing all of you a joyous first day of summer!  We love celebrating the Summer Solstice.  Rebekah has been counting the days down for over a week now.  Preparations are being made for our dinner of hot dogs, potato packets and grilled corn over the camp fire out back.  And of course there will be s'mores as well.

Photo credit - Perform It! Young People's Stage Company

Here is a lovely little story that Rebekah and I read this morning.  I thought some of you might like to share it with your little ones.  The Return of the Sun King by Christine Natale.

Yarn Along

Joining in the fun of the weekly Yarn Along hosted by Ginny over at Small Things. In Ginny's words:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

I'm still plugging away on Rebekah's Hetty.  Doesn't seem like I made much progress this week.  Really there has been too much pulling me outside, the chickens, the garden and such, that knitting really has taken a back burner.  But that's ok.  As I get older I realize there really is a season to everything.  And while I truly love to knit, there are so many other things I love to do as well.  Things that can only happen during this season.  So I will keep plugging away at the knitting stitch by stitch, row by row.  But I wont get perturbed with myself for not getting more done, because really a lot is getting done.


As for the reading, I did finally get a chance to start The Red Tent.  And I am enjoying it.  Hopefully as we settle into our summer rhythm I will be able to spend more time in the evening reading.  We shall see.  The little one may have different plans.  She thinks that is her time to be read to, and you now she is quite right.


And speaking of the little one.  We have been reading  Three Days on a River in a Red Canoe.  What a sweet book.  Thank you to Annie over at Bird and Little Bird for hosting the Read Aloud Book Along.  This was a new book to us and oh so much fun!  Rebekah is now planning out three day canoe trip and want to paint our canoe red!


Hope you are finding some time this summer to create and read.  Two thinks I truly believe every soul needs.  Please stop by this week's yarn along and share your projects or visit all the talented and creative ladies.

And The Winner Is . . .

Rebekah and I had so much fun making out little ladybug rocks.  But I think she had even more fun hearing all the wonderful comments from those who were hoping a few little lady bugs would come to live with them.  Thank you to everyone who entered for making this such a wonderful experience for my little girl.

Of course she had to be the one to pick the winner.  And so without further ado, the winner is . . .

Nicole Spring of Frontier Dreams!  Congratulations Nicole.  I have sent you an email so we can figure out where to send your little ladybugs.

Weekly Menu ~ June 18th

Monday
Breakfast:  Poached Eggs on Sourdough Toast
Lunch:  Leftover BBQ Chicken and Macaroni Salad
Dinner:  Baked Penne, Garden Salad and Garlic Bread

Tuesday
Breakfast:  Green Smoothies
Lunch:  Hummus and Veggie Sticks
Dinner:  Ham and Potato Fritatta and Sauteed Veggies

Wednesday
Breakfast:  Yogurt and Fruit
Lunch:  Nut Butter Sandwiches and Orange Smiles
Dinner:  Camp Fire Dinner - Hot Dogs, Potato Pockets and Roasted Corn

Thursday
Breakfast:  Swiss Oats
Lunch:  Spinach Salad
Dinner:  Quinoa with Sauteed Veggies

Friday
Breakfast:  Blueberry Banana Sourdough Muffins
Lunch:  Popcorn
Dinner:  Homemade Pizza on Sourdough Crust

Saturday
Breakfast:  Crepes with Ricotta Filling and Fruit
Lunch:  Tuna Sandwiches and Apples
Dinner:  Grilled Chicken Broccoli and Tomato Pasta Salad

Sunday
Breakfast:  Green Smoothies
Lunch:  Left Overs
Dinner:  Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Potato Salad and Alyssa's Special Green Beans

Linking up over at I'm an Organizing Junkies Menu Plan Monday.

{this moment}

{this moment} - A Friday ritual inspired by Amanda, aka Soule Mama. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

~~~~~

~~~~~

In gratitude this week for:

• Some fluffy new arrivals
• Catching up with a friend
• A bit of sun, a but of rain a good mix for out growing garden
• Getting a bit closer to the launch of my big project

Wishing all of you a glorious weekend.

Don't forget my little one's giveaway!  Today is the last day to enter and she'd be thrilled if you'd enter.

Yarn Along

Joining in the fun of the weekly Yarn Along hosted by Ginny over at Small Things. In Ginny's words:

~ Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

Stitch by stitch, row by row this little Hetty is starting to get somewhere.  These days when the garden and chickens are calling us outside, finding time to knit isn't always easy.  But like the tortoise, slow and steady I will win this race eventually.  Of course it doesn't help that Rebekah has requested that this be a dress instead of a top.  Oh how many inches and increases does that add?  Not sure, but I know I'll figure it out.  And so stitch by stitch, row by row I'll keep plugging away.


Oh and just you don't love the mug?  It was my favorite mug and some how got a crack down the side.  Just enough that it wont hold liquid anymore.  I was so sad, but couldn't toss it.  And then I discover that it is just the perfect thing to hold my yarn while I knit.  No more chasing yarn that has rolled across the floor and a a new use for my favorite mug so I don't have to throw it away!


Reading is sort of in the same slump.  My morning Bible and study time are happening regularly, but reading for pure fun, well that is another story.  I pulled The Red Tent off the shelf after it being mentioned at the Herbal Conference I went to a couple of weekends ago, but haven't done anything but move it from desk to table to nightstand.  I really hope I get a chance to start it this week.


Rebekah has kept me busy reading to her.  This weeks favorite is I'll Follow the Moon by Stephanie Lisa Tara.  A cute, simple book about a baby sea turtle who hatches and needs to find his way from the sand to the sea.  Rebekah loves that each page ends with a repeat of prose.  It is a fabulous bedtime story with it's gentle rhythmic prose. 


Don't forget to hop on over to the Yarn Along and see what others are knitting and reading.  Inspiration awaits!


Don't forget my little one's giveaway!  There is still time to enter and she'd be thrilled if you'd enter.