It's National Ice Cream Day! Celebrate with Us.

I received information and coupons in exchange for posting about National Ice Cream Day. All opinions and experiences are my own. 

With all the heat of summer bearing down on us here in Oregon, it was time to break for a cold treat. Luckily, it also happens to be National Ice Cream Day. Will you be celebrating along with us today?

Grab your spoon or your favorite Popsicle or frozen treat and let's celebrate! There are many choices to keep you cooled off today.

Okay, during summer we don't really need a reason to enjoy a cold, sweet treat, do we? No. there is always a reason for enjoying one of the many Unilever brands of cold treats.

What is your ice cream personality? Here are a few suggestions depending on what you enjoy.

• Salty and Sweet: Klondike Caramel Pretzel, MAGNUM Double Peanut Butter, and MAGNUM Almond and are just a few which master the timeless combination.
• Mint and Chocolate: Some of the new varieties in 2015 include Good Humor Girl Scouts Thin Mints Bar, Breyers Gelato Indulgences Mint Chocolate, and Klondike Mint Fudge Cookie Kandy Bar. 
• Fruity Desserts: Fruttare frozen fruit bars are made with real, delicious fruit, and this year, the brand is moving towards sustainably sourcing every piece of fruit. Flavors include Strawberry, Coconut & Milk, Banana & Milk, Mango, and more.  (Bonus: they start at only 60 calories a bar!) 
•  Candy: Popsicle Tootsie Pop – one of the brand’s newest varieties – surely won’t disappoint; for non-Tootsie Pop lovers, try Popsicle Airheads or Popsicle Sour Patch Kids.
• Anything Vanilla: Breyers offers several varieties: Natural Vanilla (America’s favorite Vanilla!), French Vanilla, Extra Creamy Vanilla, Homemade Vanilla, ½ the Fat, Sugar Free, etc.
• The Classics: Take a trip down memory lane and enjoy same of the classics – Good Humor Strawberry Shortcake Bar, Good Humor Chocolate Éclair, Giant Vanilla Sandwich, Cherry Popsicle, and more.

Today my kids enjoyed their favorite flavors of Popsicles and later tonight, I will be curling up with a little bowl of Breyers Mint Chocolate.

What cold treat will you enjoy today?

Blackberry Vanilla Bean Milkshakes

This Blackberry Vanilla Bean Milkshake recipe shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SunsOutSpoonsOut #CollectiveBias

As a child we spent many summer weekends exploring the trails and waterfalls around southern Oregon. After a long morning hike, we would head in for lunch or dinner at a little place on the way home called, Munchies. They specialized in big hefty portions and catered to the log truck drivers passing through their rural community as well as hikers and tourists like us, In a tiny unassuming building you could enjoy fresh cut fries and burgers well suited for big appetites."Munchie", the stuffed beaver mascot was always dressed differently, and yes, that is still a vivid childhood memory. You don't soon forget a beaver wearing shades and a sun hat!  I loved several of their menu items but always looked forward to their seasonal blackberry milkshake.

It wasn't just a regular milkshake. No, it was bursting with seaonal Oregon blackberries, had ribbons of thick blackberry syrup and lots of big fresh blackberries in the milkshake cup. The milkshake itself was thick and smooth, just dotted with plump fruit.

It was the stuff childhood dreams are made of...

The nearby burger and sandwich hut has changed hands a few times and gone are the seasonal treats like fresh blackberry milkshakes. *sigh*

But, I still wanted to share the experience with my kids. So this past weekend we jumped in the car and headed to the berry patch to pick fresh blackberries for a special summer treat. Cold milkshakes are one of my favorite parts of summer fun. It has been a scorcher so far in Oregon. We don't typically get this hot, this fast. So both the people and berries have suffered a little. As you can see, picking was a little slim...

But, you promise 3 kids ice cream and then send them out to pick and somehow... they find enough berries for milkshakes.

My daughter is always fashionable, but we all had glasses and hats to stave off the hot weather we have been experiencing.

I know, some of you are more prepared for triple digits during summertime. Here that isn't supposed to be a common occurrence. Oregon is usually a bit cooler... and a whole lot wetter!

My oldest is such a big help when it comes to picking. He is also very good about sampling as he picks. I love the tell-tale berry streaks on his sun-kissed cheeks.

Of course, to make the perfect Blackberry Vanilla Bean Milkshake you need to use the best ice cream. I went with Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean because a milkshake is only as good as the ice cream used in it. It was also an excellent way to motivate my picking crew!

I recently stocked up on several flavors of Blue Bunny Ice Cream because, well... it is summer! There are so many fun ways to enjoy ice cream on a hot summer day. I also picked up regular vanilla and will be using that for a fun bundt cake recipe next week. I love the idea of using ice cream for baking. Stay tuned for all the fun and a new recipe coming soon.

Okay, back to that amazing milkshake!  Nothing is better than a sweet blackberry vanilla bean milkshake at the peak of berry season! And I love Blue Bunny because of it's rich flavor and smooth texture. I also appreciate how easily it scoops.

Let's get started, shall we?

Blackberry Vanilla Bean Milkshakes

You will need:

• 3 c. fresh blackberries, rinsed + a handful for garnishing
• 1/4 c. sugar
• 2 Tbsp. corn starch
• water - enough to dissolve the cornstarch
• 3 large scoops of Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
• 3 oz. milk

Place 2 cups of fresh blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan. Let the berries come up to a simmer, stir to dissolve the sugar. Add more sugar as necessary for your berries. Add a little water to the cornstarch and dissolve completely with your finger to break up any clumps. Stir the cornstarch slurry into the berry sauce until thickened. Set the pan aside and allow to cool.

In a blender add the Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean Ice Cream and milk, pulse till smooth. Add in 1 cup of fresh berries and pulse slightly to break up the berries.

To serve, add a little milkshake mixture to your cup and then add a heaping spoonful of berry sauce, keep alternating until the glass is full. Top with a fresh blackberry and a straw or spoon.

Enjoy!

I have to admit, a hot day of picking berries is much more enjoyable when it ends with ice cream. I am pretty sure as long as I have Blue Bunny Ice Cream on hand, my kids will help me with all our local farm adventures.

You can find a big selection of Blue Bunny Ice Cream, like Vanilla Bean, at your local Walmart. Also be on the look-out for 4th of July in-store demos with Blue Bunny and Chips Ahoy. Oh, boy! Doesn't that sound amazing? Check the store list to see if there will be a demo coming to a Walmart near you.

Be sure to check out all the flavors at BlueBunny.com. You can also check out all the other great #SunsOutSpoonsOut recipe ideas. I'd love to hear your favorite!

Fresh Strawberry Basil Ice Cream - #HotSummerEats

I received complimentary products from Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices to help me create my recipe for #HotSummerEats. All experiences and opinions are my own and were not influenced by the products I received.

Summer! One of my favorite things to enjoy during the warmer months is a bowl of homemade ice cream. I must admit that my tastes have changed as I have gotten older.

I no longer get excited to see how many pieces of bubble gum I and find in a bowl of bright pink bubblegum ice cream. In fact, I really enjoy a custard style vanilla with simple additions like seasonal fruit.

But the fabulous bag of Gourmet Garden Herbs and Spices I was sent to use for my #HotSummerEats recipe left me wondering... what about some of the more savory flavors I enjoy?

Yes, this fabulous soft cooler arrived on my doorstep just packed with stir in pastes and lightly dried herbs. All great flavors perfect for my kitchen. They are definitely an answer to my problem of wilted herbs and unused leftovers.

As for my ice cream creation?

Well, with strawberries currently ripe and fresh in our fields I decided to pair them with the lightly dried basil for a more savory, yet still sweet treat.

So what does it mean by lightly dried? Gourmet Garden Lightly Dried are simply fresh herbs which have been lightly dried (just enough) to stay fresh for 4 weeks once opened and refresh in cooking.

Besides using the ripest berries, I grabbed fresh eggs (just the yolks for this recipe) from the hen house. My free-range birds produce the deepest golden egg yolks.

Then after bringing the cream and sugar up to a light simmer, I removed the mixture from the heat and added in the lightly dried basil. It was left for an hour to be infused with the basil flavor.

And it smelled amazing as it was steeping.

The result was a creamy and rich custard style ice cream with bits of fresh strawberry, and a lovely hint of basil.

Overall an amazing flavor combination.

You can follow all the Gourmet Garden fun on Twitter, Instagram and Pinterest, too!

Fresh Strawberry Basil Ice Cream

You Will Need:

• 2 c. heavy cream
• 1 c. milk
• 1/2 c. sugar + 2 Tbsp.
• 1/8 tsp. salt
• 1/4 c. Gourmet Gardens lightly dried basil
• 7 egg yolks
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 c. fresh, sliced strawberries

The night before, sliced a cup and a half of fresh strawberries. Sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. sugar and refrigerate.

The next day, start by making the custard. In a heavy bottom saucepan, Combine the cream, milk,1/2 c. sugar and salt. Over medium high heat, bring it up to the start of a simmer. Then remove from the heat and add the lightly dried basil. Let this sit, covered, for about an hour.

Bring the milk mixture back up to a simmer then temper the beaten egg yolks very slowly with half the cream mixture, whisking constantly to keep the eggs from scrambling. Pour the warmed eggs into the saucepan over medium heat until the custard begins to thicken. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract.

Pass the mixture through a fine mess strainer to remove any bits of basil. Add the pan to an ice bath to start it cooling. Once cooled, place this in the fridge for at least an hour to chill through.

Add the custard mixture to your ice cream maker and let it run until it starts to solidify. Then gently spoon in half the strawberry mixture into the chilled bowl and let it run a little longer. Transfer it to an airtight container and gently fold in the remaining strawberries.

Freeze until your ice cream has set up completely. Serve and enjoy this refreshing treat!

Be sure to check out all the amazing sponsors, and learn more about the giveaway prizes in my #HotSummerEats Sponsors and Prizes Post.

An InLinkz Link-up

New Tillamook Tillabars and the #BacktoSummer Contest

I received samples in order to facilitate an honest review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

It has started to heat up around here. Lase week we even reached 96 degrees, for Oregon in May, that isn't so common. It was hot and we were all eager to get outside and play. For days like these I like to keep an assortment of frozen treats in the freezer.

Of course, my tastes are a little different from my kids'. I like something with a little chocolate, or a little salted caramel, or even with a little coffee flavor.

These Tillabars were everything I wanted and then some. My ultra picky husband was pleasantly surprised at the high quality chocolate and smooth ice cream. I would say that kids would love them (ice cream, chocolate, what is there for them not to love?), but these are a great treat for more mature tastes as well.

Ice cream bars just grew up.

The Tillabars come in 4 lucious flavors:

• Lemonilla 
• Mooocha Latte 
• Old-Fashioned Vanilla 
• Salted Caramel Swirl

And though I adore high quality chocolate, the Lemonilla Tillabar blew me away! I was sure the Mooocha Latta would have been my favorite since I adore coffee flavored anything. It was good, and a close second, but the Lemonilla stole my heart. It wasn't the usual artificial lemon flavor found in sweets and ice creams. It was tart, but slightly sweet and perfect for me. The tart lemon sorbet perfectly complimented the white chocolate coating. 

Just a little happiness on a stick for Mom.

So while my kids enjoy their cold treats this Summer, I will be keeping a stash of Tillabars reserved just for me and my husband. He can have the Old-Fashioned, the Lemonilla are all mine.

You can check out all the nutritional information and ingredients for the Tillabars, as well as all their other delicious products on the Tillamook website.

Check out the #BacktoSummer Contest

From now until Monday, May 26th, you can enter for a chance to win a Summer supply of Tillabars! Yeah, that is over 45 bars. Join in the fun on Instagram and Twitter.

I know you are already sharing your warm weather fun on both Twitter and Instagram, so why not follow Tillamook, tag your shares with #BacktoSummer and see if you come into an ice cream bar windfall. You can find more information and rules in the Tillamook community.

Good luck!

Homemade Strawberry Ice Cream - Custard Style

I don't think there is a particular season for ice cream. I am just as happy to dig into a bowl in the heat of Summer as I am in the cold of Winter. But, with strawberries ripening in the field, my sweet tooth was calling for a bowl of strawberry ice cream.

Pink, artificially colored or flavored pints need not apply.

No, I was in the mood for a good custard base with real chunks of fruit. Luckily, good ice cream isn't that difficult to make. And with a few simple tricks, you can have a rich and smooth strawberry custard ice cream to enjoy with your family.

First you will need a few simple items.

This is a custard, so good, fresh eggs are in order. I chose to use Nielsen Massey Vanilla Bean Paste instead of beans or extract for the extra flavor. Then you will also need sugar, strawberries, half and half as well as a little heavy cream. Easy enough, right?

Start by separating those egg yolks. You will need 9 of them. After separating, give them a good whisking till they are frothy and lighter in color.

Worried about all those excess whites? Save them for omelettes or try your hand at my Kool-Aid Meringue Cookies.

Then heat up the half and half, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Bring it up to a low simmer whisking to ensure the sugar is completely dissolved.

Next you will need to temper those beaten egg yolks. Start by slowly ladeling some of the hot milk mixture into your eggs, all the while whisking so you don't end up with scrambled eggs. Add a little more and whisk again. This will help to warm up the yolks without cooking them.

And if you want a safety net, pour the tempered eggs through a fine seive or mesh strainer to catch any little bits of cooked egg. This is my little secret for smooth custard!

Whisk in the heavy cream and allow to come to room temperature. Then cover with kitchen wrap and refigerate for at least 2 hours.

You can also chill the base overnight if you want. When you are ready, add it to your ice cream machine and let the mixture firm up.

Then in a blender I will quickly pulse up my strawberries, so there are still chunks of noticable berries, and then fold this into the ice cream base. Serve soft or spoon into a freezer safe container and chill to harden.

Custard Style Strawberry Ice Cream

You Will Need:

• 1 1/2 c. half-and-half
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 Tbsp. vanilla bean paste
• 9 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 c. heavy cream
• 1/2 lb. strawberries, washed and hulled 

In a medium saucepan combine the half-and-half, sugar and vanilla bean paste. Bring it up just below a simmer. The mixture should be hot and the sugar should be dissolved, but it should not be bubbling.

In a separate bowl whisk together the egg yolks till frothy and slighty lighter in color.

Then temper the yolks by slowly pouring in a little of the hot milk mixture into the eggs while whisking constantly. Keep adding and whisking until the eggs are warmed through. Pour this through a fine sieve to remove any cooked peices of egg before adding back into the saucepan.

Bring the mixture up to a simmer to thicken. Keep whisking to prevent scalding. It is done when the mixture will evenly coat the back of a spoon.

Take off the heat and transfer to a bowl. Whisk in the heavy cream and allow to cool before chilling in the refigerator. Chill for at least 2 hours and then add to your ice cream machine according to manufacturer instructions.

Pulse up your strawberries to break them up, but do not puree. Fold these into your ice cream and serve immediately or transfer to a container to freeze until hardened.

Enjoy.

...and Happy Mother's Day! I hope your day was as sweet as mine.

New Breyers Gelato Indulgences - Please Don't Make Me Share!

I received samples in order to write my review. All opinions and experiences are my own.

Call me weird, but I don't only enjoy my cold treats in the warmer months. In fact, I am known to want a bowl of ice cream, frozen yogurt or gelato anytime of year. I am always game for a creamy and sweet cold treat.

But the temperature really heat up here the other week. We got all the way up to 75 degrees. Now, in Oregon, that is crazy for Spring weather. It had me turning on the air, breaking out short-sleeved shirts and hungering for ice cream.

Only I found something better.

Have you noticed the new Breyers Gelato Indulgences in the store?

They are currently sitting in my Walmart on the endcap of the freezer section. I took notice because I had a chance to try out two of the 4 flavors, Vanilla Caramel and Tiramasu.

"Indulgences" is the perfect name for this cold treat, because they are not only indulging on the tastebuds (I mean, "Wow!") they are filled with different textures like peices of lady fingers in the Tiramasu or the Caramel shavings on top of the Vanilla Caramel.

There are 4 flavors in total. They include: Triple Chocolate, Raspberry Cheesecake, Tiramasu and Vanilla Caramel. Check them out on the Breyer's website. They come in these great little clear tubs so you can see the ribbons of chocolate, caramel or graham cracker bits right in the gelato.

I loved both the flavors, but was especially smitten by the Tiramasu. Oh, boy! I have already purchased another tub to enjoy. It was the perfect blend of custard, coffee and chocolate to make my little heart sing.

These flavors were definiately sophisticated enough for grown up tastes. I will happily buy my kids their usual tub of vanilla and a round of toppings, but I would rather have all the goodies ready to enjoy in a loaded gelato like this one.

This is one treat I just am not going to be sharing this Summer.

Connect with Breyers on their Facebook page or Twitter to stay up on new products and promotions.

A Simple Celebration to #GrabSummerFun #CBias

Happy 4th of July!

Summer is a great time to have friends over, have fun and play outside. The only problem is as a host I usually spend the whole day (if not more) planning the party, making food, gathering decorations and being cooped up inside. Summer is too short to slave away in the kitchen, so I found a great way to throw a party without all the work.

When planning my party I went from throwing my daughter a birthday party, which we postponed due to my Mom coming for a visit later this month, to gearing up to celebrate the best birthday party of all... Independence Day! This is one of my favorite holidays because I love the red, white and blue, Summer fruit and of course, fireworks.

When I was preparing for my shopping trip I went over to Walmart.com and visited the Nestle Solutions Center. Not only could I look at what my store carried, but find recipes, ideas and coupons. I am always excited to find a bargain.

Our local Walmart carried a variety of inexpensive party decorations as well as the food I needed for our Summer fun. Nothing makes me happier than one-stop-shopping. My children were excited to help me pick out all the decorations and look through the holiday section at the store.

We grabbed boxes of Drumsticks for a cool treat to follow the pizza. I got both the Classic Vanilla with chopped peanuts and the newer Cookie Dipped Drumsticks I highly recommend buying multiple boxes. We had a hard time waiting for the party and I ended up having to make another trip into Walmart for more.

I grabbed Tombstone pizza, the supreme version for the adults because it has such great flavor and cheese pizza for the kids. Check out my entire shopping trip in my Google+ album.

Since the theme for this party was simple and fun, I was happy to have the food taken care of. For this party I was able to put more effort into the decorations and presentation.

Nothing pleases a crowd quite like simple food, pizza, veggies, fresh fruit, drinks and Nestle ice cream.

My veggie platter again was created using my star cookie cutters. I think the fun shapes are not only festive, but a great way to get kids excited about kohlrabi and cucumbers.

I re-purposed the kids' red wagon for a drink chiller. I also put bowls of freshly picked cherries in there.

I jazzed up a simple pitcher of water with a red, white and blue theme. I added frozen blueberries and raspberries, then used a small star cookie cutter to create star shapes in my cucumber slices. The water was slightly sweet and very refreshing.

I made flower arrangements from the roses, gerber daisies and lavender already growing in our yard.

I really enjoyed throwing a pizza party because I was able to sit with everyone and enjoy the company.

Then to top it all off we enjoyed a cold ice cream treat. I was pleased with how well the snow cone holders worked for the cones. Next year I want to locate (or paint) a big batch red.

I haven't had Drumsticks much since I was a child, but I think they have earned a more permanent place in my freezer now.

So this is how we #GrabSummerFun - what about your family? Do you have any plans to throw a Summer party?

Connect with Drumstick on Facebook and Tombstone Pizza on Facebook to stay informed about future promotions, coupons and new products.

Disclaimer: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™ and Nestle #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions are my own