Homemade Ice Cream

Recipes.

When I was a kid, I remember that on hot summer days we would bring out the old ice cream maker. And when I say old, I mean old.

We'd all take turns cranking away at at a contraption that looked like an oxygen tank landed in a wooden bucket of ice. But all of our efforts were so very much worth the results. The homemade ice cream that resulted was so delicious that it made the stuff from the super market seem very sad.



Now there are a ton of ice cream maker options that don't cost a fortune or require a family of 4+ taking turns cranking a handle forever. And I'm dying to make some fun and unique flavored ice cream. Here are some that I found recently that have definitely peeked my interest:

Pine Nut Rosemary Ice Cream

Candied Apple Ice Cream

Cookie No-Dough Ice Cream

Cherry Bourbon Ice Cream

Maple Walnut

Raspberry Ice Cream

Fourth of July Invites in a Flash

DIY.

Throwing a 4th of July bash but running low on time to prep?



Follow these easy instructions to create the adorable invites above using clip art. And then you can spend your time focusing on the most important part of a good party...the food, drinks, and entertainment.

Link Love

Tuesday Inspiration.

Dabble
If you want to test the waters in learning about a skills such as making pasta, portrait drawing, or knitting, this Chicago-based company is the place to go.



A Continuous Lean
The image of these umbrellas under the Cote d'Azur sky make me want to take a holiday STAT!!



Lara Ferroni
I love cherries. I love doughnuts. I’m pretty sure that I would love Cherry Cake Doughnuts.



Charles Luck
This stone vanity is absolutely stunning.

Jello Shot Jury

Don’t let the sheep in wolves clothing fool you on this one. At first glance it seems to be an elegant dessert, but in fact, it is a Jello shot. It seems that the 80’s Jello shot craze is coming back and being taken to a whole new level.

I’m having a hard time with this trend. Even though they might not admit it, most people secretly love Jello shots. But they require some slurping and some not so pretty Jello eating faces when consumed. My question to you fellow Hip Hostess’, “Will the Jello shot ever really become acceptable at a high end event?”

Wicked Watermelon

Cocktail Recipe.

When I go to the supermarket and see watermelons on sale, I nearly do a happy dance. I then proceed to cradle my prized (and heavy) possession up several flights of stairs to our apartment and then cut the whole thing into large chunks to store in the fridge.

And for the next few days, I swarm like a shark around said fridge…resisting the urge to eat the whole bowl in one sitting. To make myself feel better, I’ll spoon it into smaller bowls…several times a day…until it is gone.

photo courtesy of flickr.

My husband thinks I’m crazy. He is OK with watermelon, but not a fanatic like me. But I think I have a sure fire way to bring him to the dark side. Add booze.

The trick is that it can’t taste TOO much like watermelon for my husband to like it. But I still want to impart the sweet refreshing quality of the fruit that makes me go gaga.

So I was pretty psyched to find the perfect recipe when I was cleaning out files this week and a random sheet from an old Glamour Magazine “magically” appeared. And it has a great name too: “Forget the Mistake You Made at Work Margarita”. Looks like I’ll be cradling another watermelon up the stairs for this weekend’s newest libation experiment…



Forget the Mistake You Made at Work Margarita
serves 4-6

Ingredients
3 cups chopped watermelon
Juice of 10 lime
1/3 cup sugar
2 cups ice cubes, plus more for serving
1 cup white tequila
1/2 cup Grand Marnier (Cointreau or Triple Sec is fine too)
Kosher Salt

Directions
In a blender combine watermelon, lime juice, sugar, and 2 cups of ice. Blend until smooth. Add tequila and Grand Marnier, pulsing to blend.

Using leftover portions of limes to run along the rim of tall glasses, and then dip in a small plate of kosher salt. Fill each glass with ice and top with blended margarita and serve.

Daniel Boulud Breakfast

Recipe.

If you've ever been fortunate enough to eat at a Daniel Boulud restaurant, you probably have as much respect for him as I do. Which is why I LOVE his food features in Elle Decor.

This a fabulous breakfast idea, Ultimate Scrambled Eggs with Creme Fraiche and Caviar.



I know that scrambled eggs may seem pedestrian, but the truth is that most people over cook their eggs ending up with something akin to rubber.

The trick is to SLOW DOWN when cooking them and you'll end up with rich and creamy deliciousness. And because Monsieur Daniel dressed eggs up in this recipe, you can easily impress your sweetie with breakfast in bed...even if you operate a little less efficiently in the morning (like yours truly). Enjoy!

Ikat Crazy

Design.

Ikat (ee-kaht) designs have long been popular in interior and fashion design, but that popularity has completely spiked in the last year. And I'm absolutely loving it!!



Not to be left behind, graphic designers are employing this technique in invitation design now as well, with an effect that is so chic. And with the prevalence of this pattern in clothing and other textiles, you could easily weave them together for a fabulous event aesthetic.

Here are some of my favorite invite designs that could set the tone for your big day...

Minted


KM Calligraphy


Bow & Arrow


Red Stamp


Minted

Father's Day Download

What a great “wow” factor from The Idea Room for your Father’s day celebration. This is a fun project for the kids and you get a great presentation for your party. No matter what the beverage, these tags are sure to make dad feel extra special.

Link Love

FoodNetwork
Delicious snowcones on a hot summer day.





DesignSponge
Cute invites for a summer soiree.




CasaTia
Proof that a table doesn't have to be expensive to be chic.





Always with Butter
Summer hostess gift...great with ice cream.

Vegetable Paradise

Who needs flowers when you have fresh vegetables? I love the look of this table, by Marie Claire Maison. Many great ideas to borrow for you summer soirees.