Today is Carter’s 10th birthday so Josh took the boys to a movie (Hoodwinked 2 — something about Red Riding Hood. Who knew there was even a first one?) and I stayed home with the baby. Something about paying money to chase her around the lobby of the movie theater wasn’t really appealing since I’ve done that before. Did you see The Santa Clause 2? Me neither, thanks to a toddler that wanted to run up the aisle, shrieking with laughter, every time I tried to catch 5 minutes of the movie.
Well that toddler is 10 today and I’m home making our traditional birthday breakfast (dinner). We have our bacon ($8 for 1/2 a pound) and I’m making chocolate chip waffles with strawberry ice cream.
I wasn’t sure whether we were going to have pancakes or waffles so I started with the sure thing: whipped cream. I pulled out my kitchen aid mixer and saw the ice cream maker sitting next to it. Hmm, I bet Carter would like ice cream with his breakfast . . . so while the whipping cream was beating, I pulled out frozen strawberries and my hand blender.
I made up the ice cream base with milk (lowfat), frozen strawberries, sugar and lemon juice. I pulverized the frozen strawberries with the hand blender until the mix looked like a strawberry milkshake. Then I poured it into the ice cream maker and started it up.
Pancakes or waffles? Lucy made pancakes for breakfast yesterday (crepes, actually) so I got out my waffle iron and have the batter ready. When they walk in the door, the waffle cooking will commence. I have the European version of M&Ms– Smarties (not the little pellets of candy that I love on Halloween. These Smarties are made of chocolate), so I’m going to try making Smartie waffles. I did make them with 1/2 whole wheat flour, so they aren’t completely unhealthy.
I’m thankful for my modern conveniences of a waffle iron, hand blender, mixer, and ice cream maker, but there’s one thing in my kitchen that is old school and can’t be improved upon — the cast iron skillet. Josh, the bacon pro, will pull out one of our many cast iron cooking devices and cook the bacon while I do the waffles and then we’ll throw the dirty dishes in the dishwasher. Did you hear we finally got a dishwasher? Someone moved out so one became available and they installed it last week. Happy day.
Since dinner is all prepped I think I’m going to relax with a drink using my newest gadget. An ice shaver/sno cone maker. My mom and dad saw my sister using one with her kids and thought the boys would love it so they sent it as a surprise. When Camille hears the ice grinding she comes running. Kris, if you haven’t tried DP over shaved ice yet, you’re missing out. Dr. Pepper slushie . . . mmm.