Monday, July 12, 2010

it’s official...

... I am now the Mother of a teenager.

To celebrate, we enjoyed a day of pampering at a local spa, backyard weenie roasting, cake and ice cream eating, and partying with family and friends.

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Every year my Mother-in-law paints a portrait of my daughter. The first six months she painted three... because, well you know how quickly babies change. Don’t they make a nice display? I love the fact that they’re all the same size. I realized when I put these up that we’re missing the three and four year paintings. But no worries, she says she’ll paint them now if I get her some photos.

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I made coffee ice cream (my daughter’s request) to go with the chocolate cake. This time the texture was perfection! I’ve discovered that it’s all about proper chilling.

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Wynonna stopped by for a brief and reluctant visit during the festivities. She was very afraid of the campfire. As well she should be. Have I mentioned that she has yet to lay an egg during her two years of life?

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Happy 13th Birthday Isabel!

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The coffee ice cream makes a good dip for these thin, crisp ginger cookies.

Here’s the ice cream recipe... so simple! So delicious!

Coffee Ice Cream
1 cup whole milk (or half and half if you want it richer)
3/4 cup sugar
2-3 Tablespoons instant coffee (I used Starbucks Via)
2 cups heavy cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
In a medium bowl, use a hand mixer to combine the half and half, sugar and coffee powder until the sugar and coffee are dissolved. About 1-2 minutes on low speed. Stir in the heavy cream and vanilla. Cover and refrigerate several hours. I chilled it overnight.

Pour the mixture into an ice cream maker freezer bowl and mix about 25 minutes or so. Transfer the ice cream to an airtight container and freeze for a couple hours.

Enjoy!

3 comments:

Susan said...

Happy Birthday, Isabel! Wow, a teenager! That's special. The cake and the ice cream look delicious. I may have to spring for one of those nifty machines after all.

My grandson Nathan was arguing with me just the other day about what age constitutes being a teen. He insisted that his teacher told them that it began at 10. I told him that he must have misunderstood what she said. Much upset crying ensued when he accused me of calling her a liar. Lord have mercy on me for dealing with 7-year-olds.

I love the paintings! Your MIL is very talented. What a nice way to commemorate each year.

jazgal said...

Please pass tis along: Happy Birthday Iz! May you travel through your teen years with grace and ease - enjoy your life!

How fun that your mother-in-law has kept up with the annual portraits - that's really a special gift.

As usual, YUM for the coffee ice cream and cake - well played! Desserts always look better on your blog. :)

Sharon said...

Happy Birthday to your daughter, Isabel. Becoming a teenager is so special. That ice cream looks like a good way to celebrate. (Coffee is the best favorite flavor, next to chocolate.)

Your photos are so outstanding! The Wynonna photo and the birthday cake--beautiful!