EASY MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM, AND GETTING READY TO ROCK OUR SHAMROCKS OFF!........

Well, hello there cupcake.........

Been baking up a storm here today for The Ladies Who Like To Partaaaay Their Little Shamrock Arses Off each and every year, St. Patty's Day style......they need sustenance to go along with their jello shots and green beers, no?..........

LOVING the new Martha Stewart cupcake decor collection I discovered at Michael's....the only limitations are your imagination and your budget. OFFICIALLY blew mine last weekend, but so what! It's only $$$$, right?...........

Willie Nelson Willard wants to be in the parade, too--he done told me so! Too bad he's scared of loud noises, like fire trucks and drums and such.........but a boy can dream......

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Even though I told myself this would be a short post this week, I DO have an easier than easy homemade Mint Chip Ice Cream recipe to share with you......

I tell you what...once you get hooked on making your own ice cream, there is NO going back to the grocery store for a half gallon here, a half gallon there! You get to totally control the ingredients, so there's nothing artificial, and the ice cream keeps very well in the freezer. For weeks, probably, but like THAT'S ever going to happen. At least not in our house.....

(little handmade sheep like ice cream too!)

This recipe is for Mint Chip ice cream, but can also be altered any way you like; Wink has requested that I try Peppermint ice cream next, and I cannot wait until fresh strawberries are in season to try real Strawberry ice cream...yum! Anyways, you can be as creative as you want to be, or just stick with plain old vanilla, by eliminating the food coloring and peppermint extract and chocolate chips. What's most important here is the correct ratio of heavy cream to 2 % regular milk....your ice cream comes out JUST creamy enough, but not too heavy.

Here's the recipe....

HOMEMADE MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM

Serves 8

2 cups 2 % milk

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. peppermint extract (I used 2, and it came out perfectly)

green food coloring ( I used 3 drops)

1 cup miniature chocolate chips

In a large bowl, stir together the milk, cream, sugar, salt, vanilla and peppermint extracts, until sugar has dissolved. Color to your liking with food coloring (optional). Pour mixture into ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturer's instructions. After about 10 minutes into freezing process, add chocolate chips. After the ice cream has properly thickened (my machine makes weird noises when it's ready), about 30 minutes, spoon into airtight container and freezer for 3-4 hours.

TODAY I'M SO GRATEFUL FOR.....

****The super fun weekend ahead...in town parade tomorrow (photos coming, soon, hopefully!), then taking in the famed Utica St. Patrick's Day parade on Saturday from the Fort Schyler Club in downtown Utica (complete with an extravagant brunch!) with good friends. All this Irish festive-ness, and I'm not even 1 % Irish...

****I'm starting self-injections (yikes!) of Methotrexate, my life-saver drug, next week with my doctor's help. Hopefully, this will put an end to many of the stomach issues I've been experiencing over the past few (looonng!) months.

****The corned beef that is in my freezer, just waiting for me to cook on Sunday...nothing better than the smell of a good corned beef to me!

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY TO YOU!!!