Want to vs. Have to...

So, it's not all that easy to balance the want to and have to...especially when you are a homemaker w/ no official "boss" to keep you moving!

I have learned in the past several months how important quality time is...WAY more so than a spotless house, and have been trying to apply that principal to life at the Holts. I really like to spend time doing something memorable w/ the kids either individually or together each day...That is really important to me. Like Monday (I was gone all day Tues) we went outside after nap and made homemade ziplock bag ice cream. YUM! I will put the recipe at the bottom, the kids had a blast doing it...All three of them! ha!

So, since I WANT to just hang out w/ the kids all day, but I HAVE to have some organization around here, the plan is to work all morning, break for lunch and naps, then have time w/ the kids in the afternoon. Which means, I get to tackle the dreaded dirty dish tower in a few minutes!!!

After all, who wouldn't want to spend every waking second ignoring housework and playing w/ these angels??!!!?!

Anyway, here is the recipe, I gotta get my but movin' and shakin'...sorry about the mental image, hope you didn't just throw up in your mouth! lol!

Gracie's Zip Lock Bag Ice Cream

You will need:

thick gloves to wear for shaking
quart sized freezer bags
gallon sized freezer bags

Vanilla-
1 c. whole milk
1 t. vanilla
1 T sugar

Chocolate-
1 c. whole milk
squirt of chocolate syrup

(this basically works w/ any flavor...be creative!!!)

AND
lots of ice
lots of table salt

Directions:
add milk and other flavorings to quart sized bag, seal (removing as much air as possible) and place in a second quart sized bag, seal

fill gallon bag 1/2 full w/ ice (crushed or store bought works best, large cubes are hard to work w/) and pour salt generously over ice (about 1/3 of a cup!)

push bag of ice cream ingredients into center of ice and seal gallon bag.

Now shake shake shake shake shake shake.....you get the picture...for about 5-8 minutes, or until ice cream is desired consistancy.

Remove inside quart bag, snip the corner, and squeeze into a cup or bowl, and enjoy!

Hope you try this, the kids had a ball, and I think kenny and I had more fun than they did!

Well, I better get to work, have a great day!

Peace.