Hot for Blogging

If you are in the Northeast or any other place where it's smokin' hot, then please join me in saying:

"IT'S SOooooOOOOooo HOT!!"

Now that we got that out of the way.  One good thing about the heat is that it's driving me out of the garden, away from outdoor things, and into the house to blog.

Yup, finally time to browse through all the stories I have captured lately and share some.

I can't keep all this happiness to myself.

Can we play a little game?

What's the first thing you think of when I say...

Hot?

How about ice cream?

Ice cream rocks.  And recently I made a homemade ice cream cake for my dear Mr. Happy's birthday.

Here's how you make a football shaped ice cream cake.

You need the following things:

- 2 flavors of ice cream that compliment each other (I used chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate)

- chocolate graham crackers (I bet you could use oreos or other chocolate cookies instead -- use what you have on hand)

- chocolate chips (if you like, or even nuts  -hahaha, who am I calling nuts!)
- complimentary frosting (in a can or homemade)
- serving plate big enough to accommodate completed cake
- spatula (you know... scraping thingy on a stick)
- willing assistant to help make cake! (bet you can't guess who my assistant was)
- cake pan in any shape (I used a football... oh I bet a palm tree, teddy bear, or even a dolphin would be so adorable!)

- plastic wrap

- ice cream scooper

- freezer shelf empty enough for cake pan filled with ice cream (trust me, people.  Prep the shelf FIRST. Or, your cake will melt while you look for a place to put your frozen pea stash)


Here comes the fun part.  Assembly!  

1. Take your first ice cream flavor out while you do the next step.  This will let it soften so that it can be worked into your shape.

2. Line your cake pan with the plastic wrap.  This is going to make it possible for your final cake to slide out of your mold and on to a serving plate as easy as butter!  Don't be stingy on the lining.  I used two big pieces and overlapped a generous amount.

3. Then begin scooping and mushing the first flavor into the cake pan.  You can use the scooper or spatula (or washed fingers) to mush it into the corners.  Fill the cake pan half way.

4. Crumble the graham crackers (or chocolate cookies and nuts) and sprinkle a generous layer onto the ice cream.  When I do this again I would make the layer at least 1/2 an inch.

5. Cover your progress with plastic wrap and pop it into the freezer for at least 1 hour (should be nice and frozen when you begin creating the next layer).

Here is what mine looked like to this point: (Nom, nom, nom)

6. Put your second flavor out to let is soften.  When it's workable (on a day like today that would be about 30 seconds), pull out your cake and begin to do more of the same. 

Plop, plop the ice cream on the top, top!!

Mush, mush your ice cream with a squish, squish!

Spread, spread your ice cream with your bread, bread... I mean spatula.  (ugg. spatula doesn't rhythm with a whole lot. Hahahaha, spatula, dracula.)

7. Finish with chocolate chip and more crushed graham crackers.

8. Be sure to treat your assistant like gold.  Doesn't hurt to let a piece of graham cracker slip into your assistant's mouth.

9. Cover the cake (not your assistant) with the plastic wrap again.  Put your ah-mazing creation into the freezer overnight.

10.  When you are closer to serving your cake... take a can of frosting (or the homemade kind -- I cheated with a can of milk chocolate) and micro-zap (that's southern for put in microwave for a bit) it until it's runny.  Pull your cake out of the freezer, remove from the mold gently tugging on the plastic wrap and place it on your serving plate. Then immediately dump your runny frosting onto the cake. 

[No pictures available here. Although, I ended up with frosting on my hands, shirt, pants, feet, assistant, table, cake pan -- it's a talent.  Happy to report I didn't end up with any on my camera.]

It's really fun to watch your frosting harden quickly!  I made an absolute mess, but loved every second of it!  Quickly pop your cake back into the freezer.  At this point I am sure your assistant will be in stitches!

11. I did some piping to write on the cake which proved challenging since the frosting was too warm compared to the cold cake.  I need some practice in that area.

12. Next load up the cake with tons of candles to represent all the super years your darling husband has been around.  (tease, tease, poke, poke!)

13. Light all those candles (fire extinguisher on standby) and sing a goofy HAPPY BIRTHDAY and MANY MORE to the most favorite person in your life.  Count your lucky stars that he has an amazing sense of humor and lets you tease him.

I love you Darlin'!  I enjoy every minute we have together and can't imagine sharing this adventure with anyone else.  *kisses*

Now dash off and have some of your own ice cream!! Muah!