birthday boy

Jared has now caught up with me again and we are both 23. It definitely was not the most extravagant birthday since we both had to work (opposite schedules) but Jared said he enjoyed it. We had a few friends over on Sunday for treats and games to celebrate a little. On his actual birthday I laid out his presents before I went to work so that they would taunt him until I returned. Since Jared is obsessed with baseball he asked for a few new hats and a shirt and then I surprised him with a new xbox game. We are both really excited for him to try out his new life jacket and bindings next week at Lake Powell. Thanks to Jared's parents for those gifts!

oh boy!

Today was the half-way mark ultra sound. What a day! We got to see our little baby up close and personal. After showing us all of the limbs and vital organs, the technician finally showed us that we are having a little boy. That kid is going to be quite the tease because he was squirming around and putting his hand in all the shots to mess up the tech. It was so crazy to see everything so clearly. Even though the nausea and weight gain have proved to me that I am pregnant, things didn't feel absolutely real until I saw that little guy today. Our healthy little boy will be coming to us this fall with October 20 as my due date. We could not be more excited!

*Jared wanted to post the picture that proves he is a boy but I thought I would spare my son the indecency of having that posted on the internet. But if you want to see proof, come on over, we have it!

harry potter ice cream

I have recently rejoined the cooking class circle thanks to my mom and was able to go to an ice cream making class. The class was taught by Kezia Whitteker and her website is www.distractedhomemaker.com if you want to see more from her. Most of the recipes were from a custard base. And while good, that is just too much work for me. She did teach us how to make a really tasty ice cream that she calls "Harry Potter ice cream" (aka vanilla citrus blast) because she uses dry ice to freeze it. That gives it a sort of fizzy taste. You can make it in a machine as well. It is definitely worth a try if you're in the mood for some homemade ice cream.

Here's the recipe:

Juice of 6-7 lemons

Juice of 6-7 oranges

3 1/2 cups of sugar

1 pint whipping cream

1 quart whole milk

Mix cream, milk and sugar together. Set aside while juicing oranges and lemons. Mix juice into cream in a LARGE metal bowl...RIGHT BEFORE freezing. Place 1-2 lbs of dry ice in bowl and stir until desired consistency. Wearing garden gloves to protect your hands is highly recommended. Remove excess ice chunks before eating.

*There is a lot of stirring involved to get it hardened. Make sure you have help!