Scrumptious Sundays

Ice Cream Cake

(minus the cake)

You will need 3 containers of ice cream, any kind. We did 3 different kinds to get a variety. You will also need one package of Oreo cookies.

Let the ice cream get soft enough you can scoop it out into a saran wrap lined round cake pan. It doesn't have to be completely melted; it actually melts better once it is in the cake pan. The saran wrap will come in VERY handy later so don't forget that step.

As the ice cream continues to melt more, smooth out the top with a spatula.

Oreo cookies come 3 rows to a package. Take one row and place in a ziploc bag. Seal, then roll with a rolling pin until cookies turn to crumbs. Top the ice cream with the crumbs.

Place each pan in the freezer and let harden completely. We did ours over night to make sure they were good and frozen. You may want to put another layer over saran wrap over the top to avoid freezer burn in your ice cream.

Now it's time to stack. Take each pan and pull on the saran wrap. The frozen cake will pop right out. You will loose some of the cookie crumbs because they didn't stick to the ice cream, that's okay there will be plenty still attached to the ice cream. Stack one on top of the other to create 3 layers. Mmmmm, it's starting to look delicious!

Melt semi-sweet chocolate chips to use as 'frosting'. I spread mine on like frosting, but you can actually melt more and

Scrumptious Sundays

Easy Italian Sausage Pie

Makes: 8 servings

Prep: 20 minutes

Cook: 5 minutes

Bake: 375 for 1 hour 15 minutes

Recipe:

1 lb. Italian Turkey or Chicken Sausage, cut into 1" pieces

5 eggs (we used egg beaters)

10 oz. frozen chopped spinach, drained

2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese

2/3 c. ricotta cheese

1 shallot, finely chopped

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 package refrigerated ready-to-roll pie crusts

1 egg beaten lightly with 1 Tbsp. water

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 375. Place sausage in a nonstick sillet over medium-high heat and cook 5 minutes until browned on all sides. We actually cook ours on the BBQ.
2. In a large bowl, combine sausage, 5 eggs, spinach, mozzarella, ricotta, shallot, pepper, garlic powder and salt. Line a 9" pie plate with 1 of the pie crusts. Spoon in the sausage-and-spinach mixture. Top with the remaining pie crust; seal and crimp the edges. Poke a few holes in the center of the pie crust and brush with the egg-water mixture.
3. Bake at 375 for 1 hour, 15 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.

We've made this for dinner twice but discovered via leftovers that it's a great breakfast dish as well.

Surprise!

Throwing a surprise party for someone that lives in your house is not an easy thing to do...but we did it. Thanks to all Patti's friends and family that helped we were able to pull it off. It was a great afternoon of friends, eating, drinking, and celebrating. Happy Birthday to mom, mom-in-law, grandma, and Patti!!

Fit Tip Thursday's

Week #10 Tip - Stick With It

Well my biggest loser contest has come to an end. Hopefully you learned a little about your strengths and weaknesses when it comes to healthy choices and losing weight. The trick now is to play on your strengths but always be aware of your weaknesses. Don't let the things that constantly bring you down be your focus. For example if you hate exercising, then don't...not yet anyway; focus on food and making other healthy choices; exercise will come in time. We've talked about water, food, exercise, simple changes to an already busy life. If you stick with the changes you've made you will continue to lose weight and be a healthier, happier you!! Good luck with your new choices and your new you!

The Tornado

Gavin's new nickname!! It applies to lots of aspects of Gavin's day-to-day routine. We've documented just a few. He is going, going, going all the time. It's super speed or sleep speed - those are the only 2 speeds he knows.

Our future chef. Loves to help in the kitchen whenever he can - typically his helping is pulling things out of the cupboard and spreading them throughout the house.

Anything becomes a toy. If you don't want him to have it, it better not be in his reach. This bucket has been a boat, a stool, a stage, a cowboy hat - he really does have a great imagination.

The maniac pool boy! Gavin loves the water so much!! Sprinklers, fountains, pools - if there is water he wants to play in it. A couple weeks ago he was jumping and playing with noodles at the pool. One jump came a little too close to the edge of the pool and turned into a face plant into the cement. That cute little smile now just has a little more character with a chunk missing :)

The calm after the storm. He loves to take his toys and kitchen and just throw them all over the living room floor. He will pick up a box of legos and throw it on the floor and then say "uh-oh!" or "oh-no!". Not quite sure why he likes this, but he does all the time. We can't help but laugh. He's learning how to help clean up after himself.

Vertuccio Farms

U-Pick peach season is here in Phoenix. Thanks to a recommendation from Samara, we decided to try Vertuccio Farms right down the street from our house. WOW! This hidden gem is right off of Power Road between Warner & Elliot. Who knew it was so close and so awesome! We went to pick peaches and we found our very own local famers market, open 7 days a week! Love this place. They will be seeing a lot more of the Hendricks'.

Scrumptious Sundays

Stuffed Portabello's

No meat here! It really isn't much to the recipe and it seems hard to believe this would fill you up. But even Jason gets full on just veggies. It really has great flavor!

Saute garlic in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add 1 can of diced tomatoes (with juice), and one small eggplant (diced and peeled). Cook down for about 20 minutes until most of the juice is gone.

Prepare mushrooms: clean, scrape out centers, sprinkle with salt & pepper and drizzle with Balsamic Vinegar. Cook mushrooms: 5 minutes each side on the BBQ/grill. Just to soften them up enough that they are cooked rather than raw.

You need probably 2 bags of fresh spinach (depends on how many mushrooms you are making). 1 bag cooks down to about enough spinach for 4 mushrooms. It looks like a lot of spinach, but once you saute it, it really, really shrinks down.

Assemble your masterpiece. Place mushrooms on a baking sheet top side down. Fill the shroom with the tomato/eggplant mixture, then a layer of sauteed spinach. Top with a slice or two of fresh mozzarella.

Bake in the oven at 350 for 5 minutes, just enough to get the cheese to melt.

We serve with a side of pasta and more veggies. Pasta is tossed with olive oil and parmesan cheese.

Simple and delicious!!

Marathon Man Turns Triathlon Terminator

As you may remember Jason completed a full marathon in January here in Phoenix. With no urgency to complete a full marathon again, he decided to take on a new challenge...a triathlon. He doesn't take on new challenges lightly. Jason doesn't own a bike, but he borrowed one from our friend Jeff and tried to get in as many practice rides as he could. He would go to the pool twice a week and get in a swim. And then of course on all the other days he continued his running. Sunday May 15th he competed in the Seville Sports Club Maxi Sprint Triathlon: 300 yard swim, 15 mile bike, and 2 mile run. Sure it may not seem like much compared to running 26.2 miles...but you try getting in the pool and swimming 300 yards - holy cow!! Then you follow that with a ride and run.

His first triathlon ever and he came out on top - we all knew he would. Jason actually placed first in his age division. FIRST PLACE in his FIRST RACE. What a superstar!! We are all so proud of him. He is an amazing swimmer and really stepped up his pace in the run. He is, of course, now hooked and looking forward to entering many more triathlons in the future.

Next goal - working on that tan!!

He was a little too nice during some portions of the swim; he got caught behind a few female swimmers and didn't push them out of the way...what a gentleman.

Determined and focused. (it was so hot as a spectator, Gavin and Barb got sunburned...forgot the sunscreen)

The final leg, finishing strong.

And a first place metal to go home with. GREAT JOB JASON!!