I Can Has Autism: 07/04/10

Happy Fourth of July!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

AMERICA!!!

(a day late)

So, I attempted to take some decent shots of the boys for the fourth of July.... the above 3 pictures were what I got, in addition to the winner of the day, the photo that is standing in as the header for my blog. My guys are just so handsome!! :) Ashton wasn't in the mood for smiling but I still love the pictures. The top one here cracks me up because neither was looking at me and they were both looking in opposite directions... haha... silly kids! :)

I hope you and yours had a wonderful Fourth of July....

Hand-tossed ice-cream = FUN!!

Thanks to Kate & Sara over at "Our Best Bites" for the recipe for this wonderfully delicious, hand-tossed ice cream recipe.

I had been actually googling for pudding pop recipes to use in the old (and I *do* mean, old....) tupperware popsicle molds that my mother-in-law gave me. By old, I mean as in .... my husband is nearly 38years old and his brother will be 33years old in December; these babies are a rare breed! ;) LOL!

It's been unusually ~~warm~~.... errr, scratch that, HOT this summer, already. With many days over 90 degrees and some days even topping out at over 100 degrees, it's hot and not too fun to go outside and play for the boys. So, when I began looking for pudding pop recipes, I happened to fall upon the gem "hand-tossed ice cream". At first I thought, "what in the world...? hand-tossed ice cream?" But as I read the page, and looked at the ingredient list and looked at the wonderful photos, I am like, "we have to do this!" My older son can't have dairy, but I thought he might have fun tossing the ice-cream around or at his younger brother, but I was wrong; he wanted NO part of it. *shrugs*

So, I asked my younger son if he wanted to try this activity; I figured 1.) it looks like a lot of fun 2.) it gives us something to do OUTSIDE 3.) we get a yummy treat after all the hard work. He said yes, he wanted to do it so I rounded up the few ingredients I didn't have (whipping cream) and the supplies (freezer bags, ice cream salt) and we set off for some fun out in the backyard! He wanted chocolate ice cream (he is his mother's child, after all... lol) so we used chocolate milk. I suggest that if you want a really chocolatey-tasting ice cream that you add chocolate syrup.

It was a lot of fun with a lot of giggles and running around and throwing it (hey, that's what boys love to do most!) and after all the work, he got to taste the ~~fruit~~ ice cream of his labors. He loved it and it was a lot of fun! We're going to experiment with some other flavors later this week and will post the results then. Until then... enjoy the pictures and the recipe below! :)

The following is a direct copy from the Our Best Bites blog......

Hand-Tossed Ice Cream

INGREDIENTS
2 c. 2% milk
2 c. whipping cream
1 c. sugar
1 1/4 tsp. vanilla
Desired ice cream toppings and mix-ins (we used sugared strawberries, blueberries, and crushed or chopped Butterfingers, Twix Bars, York Peppermint Patties, Reese's PB Cups, and Skor Bars)

SUPPLIES
2 1-quart Ziploc freezer bags (I used Walmart brand and wished I'd sprung for the big guns)
2 1-gallon-sized Ziploc freezer bags (ditto on the name brand)
10 lb. ice
2 c. ice cream salt
Waterproof tape (like duct tape)
Gloves (optional, but I don't think anyone would have minded a pair today!)

WHAT TO DO
1. In a large bowl, combine sugar, milk, whipping cream, and vanilla. Have one of your larger little helpers hold open one quart-sized bag and pour half of the mixture into the bag and zip shut, squeezing out all the air. Use duct tape to tape the opening shut (we actually, in a pinch, used electrical tape and it was fine!). Repeat with second bag.

2. Place one filled bag inside one gallon-sized bag and sprinkle 1 c. of ice cream salt around each smaller bag. Add as much ice as you can comfortably fit into the gallon-sized bag, squeeze to remove excess air, and zip shut. Maneuver the ice around to make sure there's ice on all sides of the smaller bag inside. Place in freezer while you repeat the process with the second bag.

3. When the second bag has been prepared, head outside. Be sure to bring the leftover ice and rock salt because you're probably going to need to drain some of the salty water and replenish the ice supply while you're tossing the ice cream. Let each kid take a turn (or a couple) tossing the bags of ice cream into the air or to each other. It gets C-O-L-D, so a pair of gloves won't hurt anybody!

4. After about 10-15 minutes, remove the quart-sized bag and rinse off the saltwater. Cut a hole in one corner of the bag and squeeze the ice cream into individual dishes. Let everyone add their desired toppings and have at it! It might be a little melty, but I promise, not a single person will complain! :)

Pics from May to June .... LOTS of PICS

Well, I haven't been posting here since Mother's Day (whoops!) so I thought I'd catch you all up with a great plethora of pics of the boys! there are a TON of pics! Maybe I should have done a slideshow instead? LOL! :) Anyways.... enjoy :) Will post a real update shortly :)