A Mermaid Picnic

To go along with our mermaid theme this week, I made my girls a surprise mermaid picnic.

I Scream... I Need Ice Cream!

Can I be honest for a minute? Will you allow me one little rant before I climb back onto the mommy-blogger pedestal?

My kids are driving me crazy.

It's hot and humid and we're bored. At the moment I would much rather drop them off on my in-laws front porch than come up with another fun and enriching activity. I've had it with swim lessons and hotdogs and sweltering visits to the zoo. I've had it with whiny children and pushed-back bedtimes and loads of dirty laundry. I want to grab my husband and run away for a week of blissful selfish adult fun!

But it's not going to happen.

So what does a mommy do when she's about to lose her mind? She eats ice cream. And if that mommy wants to entertain her 5 year old during nap time, she makes ice cream.

Ben & Jerry's French Vanilla Ice Cream

Ingredients:
- 2 eggs
- 2 c heavy whipping cream
- 1 c milk
- 2 t vanilla extract

1. Whisk the eggs 1-2 minutes until light and fluffy.

2. Slowly add the sugar until fully incorporated.

3. Pour in the milk, cream, and vanilla and whisk to blend. Make sure you take time to smell the vanilla! (Yes, folks, that's homemade vanilla extract, thanks to my MIL extraordinaire!)

4. Transfer to your ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions. (I swear, it really wasn't that loud.)

Our ice cream took 25 minutes to form. Homemade ice cream is softer and melts faster than store bought, so be prepared to eat quickly or store.

If you want firmer ice cream, than simply place it in a sealed container and stick it in the freezer.

This recipe comes from the experts on ice cream:

Ben & Jerry's Homemade Ice Cream & Dessert Book by Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield

So I know it's not technically a kids book, but you can always use your children as an excuse to buy it. "I'm making ice cream for the kids, sweetie. You said we should cut out high fructose corn syrup..."

The book contains 90 recipes, including all of the best Ben & Jerry flavors over the years. I admit I haven't tried many of them, but I hold to the rule #2 of ice cream making: "There's no such thing as an unredeemingly bad batch of homemade ice cream." The book is illustrated adorably with colorful B&J-style cartoons on every page. The recipes are easy to follow, and scattered throughout are helpful tips, tricks, and nuggets of information regarding the ice cream making process.

If you don't have an ice cream maker, then may I recommend...


I found this puppy for half off a couple years ago at the end of summer, so keep your eyes open as you run errands these next couple months. If an electric ice cream maker isn't your style, than you can always try one of these ice cream balls. Just add your ingredients and get the kids to roll it around for 15 minutes!


So what ice cream-themed books did I miss? Do you have any picture books based on this delicious treat to share?

A Mermaid Tea Party

The Book - Mermaid Cookbook by Barbara Beery

Are you familiar with Beery's cookbooks? If not, you're in for a treat, literally! Her books are full of eye candy and delicious recipes kids love to make and eat. I have given several of her cookbooks as gifts to my nieces, and they loved them. Although geared towards older children (9-12), I see no reason why preschoolers wouldn't enjoy helping to make - and consume - these recipes. The Mermaid Cookbook is on-par with Beery's other books, containing sea-themed recipes like sea turtle cookies and maiden mermaid salad.


The PARTY!!! - An Under the Sea Mermaid Tea

I can't finish off our mermaid week without telling you about the party we had a few months ago. When Little Page turned 4 I threw a party combining two of her loves: mermaids and a tea party. We invited all the ladies in her life (grandmas, aunts, cousins) and had a wonderful time celebrating Little Page's birthday.

We dined on mini muffins, multiple types of tea sandwiches, caprese skewers, and delicious scones, all served on tiered platters made from plastic vases hotglued to plastic platters.

Crepe paper streamers formed the waves and paper fish swam above our heads.

A mermaid cake completed the tea. My sister made this cake, baking it in a bowl to create the rock. She had a mermaid barbie in her house, which she decorated with icing and placed on top of the cake. You could also use a regular barbie, insert the legs into the cake and pipe a tail onto the rock. After icing the rock, she piped waves along the base, added some flowing icing seaweed, and stuck in a few goldfish. It looked phenomenal and Little Page was over the moon about it!

Edited: I'm linking up this oldie but goody at ABC and 123