I hope you all are having a wonderful July 4th weekend. This holiday was very different than the past years and is definitely one for the record.
My kids all did their own thing this year with their friends and other family members. We normally all get together at my mom and dad’s house. They have an enormous backyard that gives all the grandkids lots of room to run and play.
This year since we were on our own, why stop a lovely tradition? We decided that spending time with my parents is a gift that I don’t take for granted. And recently we haven’t spent as much time with them as we normally would.
Mom had decided they wanted hamburgers and baked beans. I made hash brown casserole and brought a chopped salad. This year it was really nice to keep the menu simple, and it was far less work. Duh. I will remember this next July 4th (for many reason), because in years past I’ve made this far more complicated then it really needed to be. It would stress me out and make time spent together far more crazy. I guess this year getting together is such a treat, that fretting over the menu wasn’t nearly as important.
We always bring wine, and this year was no exception. Matt loves cabernet, so we grabbed a bottle at our local and favorite wine store. While I was in there, I saw a pouch wine that was a Rosé. When it’s warm out, I want something cooler or cold to drink. I asked Niko (the owner of the wine shop and a good friend) about this particular wine. He mentioned he had just gotten it in and hadn’t had a chance to try it, but it was a French wine. I grabbed it and decided to try it and can I share with you all that it’s delicious! I want to tell you guys the name as well. It’s called French Pool Tote, I took a picture and added it to my Instagram stories, it might be gone by now though. I haven’t tried a lot of pouch wines, but if you are going to the beach, concert or even to a summer party, I do believe this is great way to carry your wine. This pouch is the equivalent of 2 bottles/10 glasses of wine and costs $22. This isn’t anything I’m paid to share, but when I find a nice wine with a good price, I always tell a friend.
Another thing I was going to share with you all, was that we made homemade ice cream this year. Here’s a little back story to this ice cream.
When I was younger, (I think I was in junior high), my mother got this recipe from my daddy’s sister, Betty. I call her, Aunt Betty. Well, this particular summer we made this ice cream, and like most kids I fussed, because it wasn’t chocolate. This ice cream is a fruity ice cream with bananas, oranges and lemons. I was very surprised though at how wonderful this tasted and hence every summer would put my request in for this flavor. It’s one of those wonderful favors that when you taste it, it brings me back to the time when I first had it. We’ve tweaked the recipe over the years, because we are trying to be and eat a more healthy. This year, oh my, it was so yummy. It’s so easy to make, all you need is an Ice cream churn, a bag of ice and rock salt. Here are the ingredients:
4 Ripe bananas (the riper the sweeter they taste) smashed
4 large oranges (juiced)
4 large lemons (juiced)
1 1/2 cups of sugar
1 pint heavy whipping cream
2 pints of half and half
2% milk, fill to pour line
You combine and mix all the ingredients except the milk and pour it into the ice cream churn. Then add the milk to the pour line in the churn and mix. Next you’ll need to add the dash that helps mix the ice cream, put the lid on and start churning. It’s simply fantastic! You’re welcome.
Let me know how your 4th went, and I’ll see you back here soon!
XO
Photographer/Sam Moore
Knit top/here
Headband/similar here and here
