Birthday Bash!

Did everyone have a wonderful Easter?

This year, Easter fell on my Birthday!  What to do?  MGG didn't want me cooking all day on my special day..sooo we went out and celebrated instead!

To my surprise he took me to the El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood.  The El Capitan is a "themed" theatre which debuted on May 3, 1926, as "Hollywood's First Home of Spoken Drama." It's an amazing old building filled with the ornate art deco styling in which Disney has restored it to it's former grandeur.

The next surprise was that we were going to see "African Cats".  Disney's new documentary about two sets of cat families and their trials through life in Africa.  A MUST SEE!

We even saw some live wild animals on stage.
How cute are they?

So for the encore we had a wonderful dinner at Trastevere across the street in the Hollywood & Highland Center.

Delish...that's all I have to say. 
See for yourself.

MGG got Linguine Pescatora and I got Bistecchina alla Fiamma.

Fabulous!

Another great year...another wonderful birthday!

Who's this??

Next week we'll celebrate Easter!  I won't tell if you won't!



Homemade Ice Cream - Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

In my house we can't have Easter without Homemade Ice Cream.  My mom has made Homemade Ice Cream since the beginning of time!

I have such fond memories of Easter...all the Easter Egg Hunts, the games, lots of friends, the Easter Egg Hunts...oops!

So every year my mom would have an Easter dinner, and homemade ice cream!  She usually made vanilla cause that is her favorite.  Remember those old time ice cream makers?  With the hand crank?  I used to have to sit on ours just to keep it down in the ice and salt...LOL!

I kinda like to mix things up now and then.  So I took a poll and my sister, Sue, suggested that I made Cookies & Cream.  One of my favorites!

This is a sugar-free ice cream.  Trying to cut the carbs you know.  But you can make the full sugar, full fat...whatever version your little heart desires.  Ice cream is to die for!  Especially homemade...it has that, that...je ne se qua.

So I didn't do a step by step for this, sorry.  But it's easy to put together.  You HAVE to try this..if you've never had homemade ice cream...this needs to be on your list of things to do before...Indulge, Indulge, Indulge!

 

Cookies & Cream Ice Cream

1 ½ c 2% milk

1 1/8 c splenda

3 c half & half

1 T pure vanilla

15 Sugar-free Oreos, crushed

Place milk and Splenda in a boil.  Using a hand mixer, mix until Splenda is dissolved, about 3 min.

Add the half & half, and vanilla.

Pour the mixture into the ice cream machine.  Follow the directions of your ice cream maker.  Add crushed Oreos during the last 5 minutes of the churning.

Remove to container and place in freezer to set up.