About a year ago I had a good friend of mine tell me how she made banana ice cream for her kids with nothing but bananas. I was intrigued by this one ingredient, so called, "ice cream" but never made it. Until now...

Ladies and gentlemen, want to wow your kids with this creamy, healthy, oh sooo good banana ice cream? It's simple!

Penelope moved up to the next level in swimming. Yeah! She is now a sharkie and is sooo excited. She can swim freestyle across the width of the pool on her own and knows how to flip over onto her back from a swim and then flip back over into a swim. So proud of my little fish!

Top Tier: Shark shaped tuna fish sandwich, goldfish crackers

Bottom Tier: Smoked salmon and cream cheese dip, carrot dippers, crackers, olives, and mini fudge stripe cookies.

And Spongebob banana sauce on the side.

Penelope started a new dance class last week, it is a combination tap, ballet, and tumbling. After leaving class today she asked if I could make her a special surprise lunch. Since it's Monday and I haven't made a muffin tin meal in awhile this is what I made her.


Top Row: Fruit punch, raspberries, yogurt
Bottom Row: Strawberries, turkey and cheese sandwich shaped like what's supposed to be a ballet slipper, diamond ring and lipstick candy treats.

This was my free hand attempt at a ballet shoe, terrible. She ate the candy lipstick which she thought was a vampire finger and said it tasted funny. She decided to give me the diamond ring so I could save it somewhere special forever and ever.

I know this is not the best or most creative lunch, I am a little rusty. ;)

Check out some more muffin tins here.

Last month Chris and I went to a taping of Jay Leno. We spent the weekend with my parents who watched Penelope while we had some grown up time. Chris also took me to The Melting Pot. In case you are not familiar The Melting Pot it is a fondue restaurant. You get to choose from a selection of appetizers, entrees, and desserts that are presented to you around your very own fondue pot for your dipping enjoyment. This was my first time partaking in The Melting Pot experience, Chris' second. The highlight of our meal was the Chocolate S'mores dessert which was flambeed right at our table. Creamy milk chocolate topped with graham cracker crumbs and served with cheesecake, pound cake, brownie, marshmallows, strawberries and more for dipping in. Sooo good...

I enjoyed our fondue date night out so much that Chris bought me my very own fondue pot for Christmas.


Here is Penelope enjoying some cheese fondue with cubed french bread and green apple dippers.

Cheddar Beer Cheese Fondue

Beer
Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 tsp. Minced Garlic
A few shakes of Worcestershire Sauce
A few sprinkles of Mustard Powder
Pepper to taste

Start off with about half a beer and add in the cheese and stir till melted. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. If it is too thick then add a bit more beer to thin out, if it is too thin add more cheese. Start Dipping!

I think we will try a chocolate dessert fondue next!

Another good thing about being down in the lower 48 versus Alaska? Penelope can do this mid winter.

I received a new crockpot from Chris for Christmas, among other things,  and the other night for dinner I made a beef stroganoff in it.

Welcome to 2013! Hope you all had a fabulous Christmas, we did! We spent it with family, ate too much food, and were showered with gifts. I will post pictures soon. Until then enjoy our origami fashion accessories that Chris, Penelope and I created today with one of the gifts Chris bought me. I love origami but I am a little out of practice so it's going to be fun getting my paper folding art on again.

High Heels, Bowties, and Clutches, Oh My!