Ice Cream Recipe

I had some requests for my homemade ice cream recipe so here it is.

Girl Scout Thin Mint Ice Cream

3 boxes (3.5 ounce) instant chocolate pudding

3 cans (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk

@ 7 cups whole milk (depends on how much to get to your "fill line")

1/3 to 1/2 a cup crushed thin mints (or grasshoppers or any chocolate and mint flavor cookie)

ATTN: I have a maker that MAKES 4 quarts of ice cream - you only actually put about 3 quarts of liquids in before you start freezing.  If you have a larger or smaller maker you can adjust the recipe.  

Wisk instant pudding into milk.  I usually start with about 5 cups of milk and add the rest "to the fill line" in the maker so that I don't overfill my maker.  

Add in the sweetened condensed milk and wisk until thoroughly incorporated. 

DO NOT add the thin mints yet!

Pour into your ice cream maker and fill to the "fill line" with remaining milk.

Start your freezer like normal.  

About 15 minutes into your freezing cycle wipe all the salt and ice from the top of your canister.  VERY carefully remove the top.  Your ice cream should be starting to thicken. 

Pour in your thin mints.  

Then take a wooden spoon or spatula and push the cookies down through the ice cream. 

Replace the top and continue your freezing process per the manufacturers instructions until frozen.

As much as you may want to add extra, PLEASE fight the urge to add TONS of thin mints.  It is better (more is always better) in reality but your ice cream won't freeze right.  I say that from experience.  About a 1/2 a cup is all the maker can handle before it bogs down.  Then your ice cream doesn't freeze the rest of the way.  

I am adapted this recipe from one that we found a couple years ago on www.food.com
 

The adapting part is what flavors you put in your ice cream.  The first time we tried this it was with white chocolate pudding, macadamia nuts, and white chocolate chips.  

 Next time I am thinking peanut butter pudding and chopped up Hershey's bars for a Reece's cup type ice cream.  Really the options are endless.  So pick up a few ingredients and head to your own back porch to make some ice cream, watch the sunset, and listen to the crickets chirp.  That's what summer is all about.  

Stacey    

Pharamacy Prices

Have you ever called and checked for different prices at different pharmacies?

I never have but now I think I should have because I was mighty surprised.  

I ALWAYS just went to whatever pharmacy was closest or most convenient or where I might be picking up something else.  Well - I need 2 prescriptions filled so I decided to make some calls.  

Here is what I found:

Rite Aid - 

Prescription #1    $21.99

Prescription #2    $188.99

Kroger - 

Prescription #1     $7.29

Prescription #2     $198.29

Walgreens - 

Prescription #1     $15.19

Prescription #2     $175.99

Publix - 

Prescription #1     $5.95

Prescription #2     $149.95

Walmart - 

Prescription #1     $5.72

Prescription #2     $152.40

 

I was quite surprised - I say that because I normally have prescriptions filled at Kroger or Walgreens....now I will be leaning toward Publix or Walmart and when it is a prescription that I am not on my death bed for I will probably call and check the pricing.  

I also found out that:

 Publix provides some different antibiotics for FREE.  Yes - I said free so if you are getting an antibiotic you might want to check their list.  

Walmart has lots of different prescriptions for $4.00. And they have a prescription finder online where you can look up some meds and their costs. 

Kroger also has some $4.00 prescriptions and a look up for those.....but you can also get your pet meds from Kroger Pharmacy as well. 

I guess that this whole blog comes down to - Take your prescriptions into your own hands....If you are paying out of pocket and aren't knocking on death's door - take a minute and call the pharmacies to see exactly how much you will be paying.  

Happy Wednesday. 

Stacey

 

   

Happy belated Father's day to all the dads

Happy belated Father's Day to all the Fathers in my life. 

We celebrated father's day with my family at Mom and Dad's house. We played in the pool and grilled lunch.  We celebrated father's day with more grilling with Russel's family.  Nothing like a good cookout to celebrate the men.

It was also our last significant rain fall.  Of course we were in the pool AND trying to stay dry from the rain.  

 TL - Jessica, Mark, Ross, Russel, Hudson, & Ryan
TR - Brad, Papa, Phillip, Russel, & Ethan

BL - Brad, Papa, & Phillip
BR - Ross, Russel, Hudson, & Ryan

 TR - Russel with our nieces and nephew

TL - Hunter taking it all in

BL - Trying not to get rained on

BR - I swear I will melt

June is Dairy Month

Every year Dorris Milling Company in Springfield, Tn puts on a June is Dairy Month celebration.  We take a cow and calf for the weight guessing contest and ice cream for the ice cream making contest.  There is also an ice cream eating contest and adult & kid milk mustache contests.  It is a good way to promote milk and milk products to the community and we thank Houston for his continued support in doing this.

 

Elizabeth got second in the ice cream eating contest.
Rachel won the kids milk mustache competition.

Mom, Rachel, Elizabeth, and I got matching (temporary) Got Milk? tattoos.

Tracey and Brad had been talking crap back and forth with Russel and I about who would win the ice cream making contest.  Well Brad had to eat his words because our Girl Scout Thin Mint ice cream (that we made with girl scout cookies bought from Rachel) won the contest.  All the ice cream was good.  Here's the results:

1st - Girl Scout Thin Mint - Stacey

2nd - Vanilla - Nanny

3rd - Hot Chocolate Heath Bar - Tracey

4th - Peach - Mom

So as you can see our family swept the board....but we were also the only ones that brought ice cream...except the strawberry that was made by Art who works at Dorris Milling and didn't enter in the contest.  But as I said - with a full tummy of ice cream - ALL the ice cream was great.  I wouldn't turn down a bowl of any of them / any day/ anytime.

WHHS Class of 1997 15 Year Reunion

We held our 15 year reunion at Dave and Busters at Opry Mills.  We had a great time singing, dancing, catching up, and playing pool.  Only 33 grads in attendance but it was enough to have tons of fun. 

Russel and I graduated together so that makes it easier...no having to explain to each other who someone else is.