I love my kitchen gadgets!

I have many kitchen gadgets, more then my husband would like, but he doesn't complain when he gets to eat delicious food! =) And he loved this ice cream. I used the basic recipe for vanilla ice cream from the booklet that came with my ice cream maker and I just changed a few things. This is a very easy recipe to make and you can change it up to your taste. This would also be a special treat for Valentine's Day!



Mint Brownie Ice Cream

1 cup whole milk, well chilled
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2 cups heavy cream, well chilled
1-2 teaspoons mint extract, to taste
1/2 cup chopped day old brownies

In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer or a whisk to combine the milk and granulated sugar until the sugar is dissolved, about 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in heavy cream and mint to taste. Cover, refrigerate, and chill if time allows.

Freeze according to manufacturer's instructions. Add brownie during the last 5 minutes of freezing.

Dinner for my parents!

Finally, I have a camera to take pictures; might not be the best, but you get the point!

So my parents came to vist my husband and I yesterday; I love it when they visit. They live in Virgina and my husband and I live in North Carolina. They were on their way to Florida so they stopped over night to break up the trip since we are the best Bed & Breakfast they have ever been to! Their words not mine. =) Whenever they come to visit I always make them italian stuffed shells. The first time they came to visit a couple of years ago I made this meal and they loved it, so now you could say it is a tradition that I make it every time they visit. I served it with garlic bread and a side salad. Enjoy!




Italian Stuffed Shells

1 pound ground beef
1 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, minced
2 cups hot water
1 can (12 ounces) tomato paste
1 tablespoon beef bouillon granules
1-1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
2 cups (16 ounces) cottage cheese
2 cups shredded part-skim mozarella cheese, divided
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 egg beaten
24 jumbo shell noodles, cooked and drained

In a large skillet , cook beef, onion and garlic until meat is no longer pink; drain well. Stir in water, tomato paste, bouillon and oregano; simmer, uncovered, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile in a medium bowl, combine cottage cheese, 1 cup mozarella, Parmesan cheese, and egg; mix well.

Stuff shells with cheese mixture; arrange in a 13 in. x 9 in. x 2 in. baking dish. Pour meat sauce over shells. Cover and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes. Uncover; sprinkle with remaining mozarella cheese. Bake 5 minutes longer or until the cheese is melted.

Mmmm...healthy chinese food! It really does exist!

Oops, so it's been a month and a half since my first post. One of the reasons it has taken so long for my second post is because I don't have a camera to take pictures of the food. I know when I am searching for food blogs and they don't have pictures I lose interest. Hopefully I will find a camera I like this weekend. For now I found a picture online so you can get an idea of what it will look like.

I couldn't hold out on this recipe. It was SO good! I don't even like broccoli, but I ate it with this recipe, it was that good! I found the recipe in a Biggest Loser cookbook that my husband bought for me. And no he doesn't think I am a big loser. Ha! He just knows I love the show and I am always in search of healthy food that doesn't taste healthy, and this is one of those recipes. We served it over brown rice. Enjoy!

Szechuan Beef and Broccoli

One 1-pound top round steak, sliced against the grain into scant 1/4-inch-thick strips
1 teaspoon garlic powder
Salt, to taste
Ground black pepper, to taste
Olive oil spray
One 14-ounce bag frozen broccoli (We used fresh broccoli, it was about 5 cups)
1 tablespoon freshly minced garlic
2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1/4 cup bottled Szechuan stir-fry sauce (We used regular stir-fry sauce, we aren't big into spicy food)

In a large bowl, combine the steak, garlic powder, salt and pepper and toss until well combined. Place a large nonstick skillet or nonstick wok over high heat. When hot, mist with the olive oil spray. Add the broccoli and garlic and cook, stirring for 4-6 minutes or until the garlic softens and the broccoli is heated through and crisp-tender, being careful not to burn the garlic. Transfer to a large bowl and cover to keep warm.Return the pan to high heat and add 1 teaspoon of the sesame oil. When hot, add half of the steak in a single layer and cook, stirring occasionally, until lightly browned on both sides, 1 to 2 minutes.Transfer the steak to the bowl with the vegetables and re-cover. Repeat with the remaining 1 teaspoon sesame oil and steak. Return all the steak and vegetables to the pan and remove from the heat. Add the sauce and mix well to coat. Divide among 4 bowls and serve.