Teacher Gifts - Valentine's Day

A little late, but can certainly be adapted for end of year gifts, birthdays or appreciation days.  

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So for my wonderful teachers this year I thought I would try to make somthing. So many great ideas out in blog land.

I decided on some chalkboard frames and some heart chalk.

Supplies:

Frame

Chalkboard paint

Chalk Hearts

Ribbon

First paint your frames with chalkboard paint. I used the spray kind.  I put 3 coats to make sure it was good and covered.  Following the directions on the can let it sit and then cure it.

Next up, make chalk hearts following this great tutorial or get lucky and find a 3 pack of heart chalk at Michael's for a whopping $0.49! that is $0.17 a heart! Go me :)

Then decorate the frame. I went with hearts to go with the theme. Write a cute message in chalk.
Last wrap your frame and chalk with pretty ribbon and Voila you are done!

Summer Love

Kitchen Aid Mixer, how I love thee!!

I bought my stand mixer about a year ago when we bought our house. It was my present to myself. Now, I have made many baked confections much to the dismay of my and my husband's waist line.

So it was time to branch out...

Duh Duh Duhhhhh.....Enter the Ice Cream Maker Attachment. Purchased at Amazon

OH MY GOD, it was delicious. Like never going to buy ice cream delicious!

I have some leftover vanilla beans from my homemade Vanilla extract and went to town!

1 pint of Heavy Cream
1 cup of Half and Half
3/4 cup of Sugar
Pinch of Salt
1 Vanilla Bean, split lengthwise
3/4 tsp of Vanilla Extract (used my homemade version)

Pour 1 cup of Cream in pan and add the sugar and salt.  Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean and add the pod to the pot.  Warm over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved.

(Side note about the Vanilla Beans...they are sticky and tended to clump.  I found that if I smeared them a bit they did not end up in large clumps...my hands smelled like vanilla for a day but there are worse things!)

Remove from heat and add the remaining cup of Cream and the cup of Half and Half.
Add the Vanilla extract.

Put the batter in a air tight container and in the fridge.

Next Day, add batter to your frozen bowl according to directions.  I ended up mixing for about 40 min. (The book says 20-30).

Throw it into a flat tupperware and put in freezer for a few hours.

Dish it out and top with fresh berries....OMG it was inhaled by all.

Next up, Lemon Sorbet!