A few days ago, I wrote about Play and Freeze Ice Cream Balls. I think these are SO neat, a great summertime activity for the kids.

After doing a bit more research, I stumbled upon the following information which I found quite helpful.

If you have smaller children who will be using the ice cream ball, you might want to go with the pint sized version. Why? The small ball weighs 7 pounds, when full. The mega (quart) size ball can weigh up to 10 pounds, when full.

It’s very important to remember that you need to leave at least an inch of ‘free space’ in the ball to allow for expansion.

You can use almost any type of cream in this ice cream ball. Lighter varieties, such as half and half, will take a few minutes longer to freeze and will produce a lighter ice cream.

For those of you who have never purchased rock salt, it is inexpensive and easy to find. I buy mine at grocery store. It is usually located in the spice and seasonings aisle.

The basic vanilla ice cream recipe, for the pint sized ice cream ball, is as follows:

• 1 pint heavy cream
• 1 ½ t. vanilla
• 1/3 cup plus 2 T. sugar

That’s all there is to it. What could be easier? You can, of course, add in whatever extras you’d like.

Photo by: Francis Bourgouin

I just baked a yummy loaf of bread in my Zojirushi bread machine. My house smells WONDERFUL and my dog is looking at me like I baked it just for him.

While I was putting the ingredients into the bread pan, I realized that I’ve never tried one of the many Bread Machine Mixes available today. I honestly can’t tell you why. They certainly are convenient.

Mixes like this are pretty much ‘dump and bake’. Dump in the mix, dump in the liquid, turn on the machine and you are go to go.

The variety pack, pictured here, would make a great gift. Don’t you think? Especially if the recipient is new to bread machine baking.

Mixes include: honey wheat bread, New England herb bread, Idaho potato white bread and country farm white bread. Each mix makes a large loaf.

I also ran across a fruity sample pack that includes the mix to make one loaf each of knobby apple cinnamon bread, prairie sunflower bread, California raisin bread and cranberry nut bread.

These bread machine mixes all get rave reviews. They are convenient to keep on hand and so easy to prepare. You’ll consider yourself lucky if it isn’t all gobbled up, before it gets cool.

When I look at an Ice Cream Ball, one of the first things I say to myself is ‘why didn’t I think of that?’ It’s a neat product that your kids will love. I can almost guarantee it.

This ice cream ball is great to take to the beach, on camping trips and on picnics. You can even use it right in your own backyard. Making ice cream, in this manner, is a nifty way to get a bit of exercise and have fun doing it.

The ball comes in two sizes… pint and quart capacity. You place rock salt in one side of the ball and ice cream ingredients in the other. Then you pass, lightly kick or toss the ball around, for 30 minutes. It’s as easy as that!

You can use virtually any ice cream recipe in an ice cream ball. If you purchase a few smaller size balls, you’ll find that it really won’t take much extra effort to make two or three kinds, in a single ‘exercise session’.

If you are interested in making ice cream in a more traditional manner, please read my post on the Cuisinart ICE-45 Ice Cream Maker. It makes soft serve ice cream, sherbet and yogurt. All I can say is… YUM!

There are several companies that make old fashioned Apple Peeler Corer Slicers, like the one pictured here. Honestly, looking at it makes me feel a bit old, since my mom and grandma both owned one. That being said, it really is a nifty contraption to have on hand… especially during apple season.

As the name implies, this appliance peels, cores and slices apples (and potatoes). Believe me; the kids will LOVE to help you with this once tedious task. They’ll probably eat more apples, as well.

This particular apple peeler, brought to you by Back to Basics, is constructed out of cast iron and should last for years. It either attaches to the edge of your countertop or table or ‘suction cups’ to the top of a flat surface.

(Yes, I just made up and used the term ‘suction cups’. What can I say except that it’s been a strange week.)

The peeler also features a thumb screw that allows you to choose a thin or thicker peel option.

If you prefer an electric apple peeler that doesn’t slice or core, feel free to read my post about the Rotato Express Electric Peeler. Although this one looks like its more fun to use, don’t you think?

In a previous post, I talked about the many benefits of owning an Aerogarden. But for those who don’t want to invest that much, when it comes to growing their own parsley and such, I think Herb Garden Kits are the next best thing. They are available in many different varieties and price ranges and are just plain fun to use.

It you live in a cold winter climate, like I do, indoor herb gardens come in SO handy during that time. This is especially true if you are an avid cook.

The herb garden kit, pictured here, would make a great gift. It’s larger than some and provides an excellent variety of herbs to choose from including: thyme, parsley, dill, basil, cilantro, oregano, chives, sweet marjoram, savory, sage, garlic chives and mustard. Honestly, who could ask for more?

You might say that this herb garden kit is ‘the king of all kits’. It gets really good reviews and is very sturdy. There are even enough seeds and soil plugs (starter pellets) to do a second planting.

Herb gardening is a wonderful, not to mention educational, project for children of all ages. It’s suitable for scout troops, homeschooling families and future farmers alike.

I’ve been feeling a bit nostalgic this week. I’ve also had quite a craving for popcorn… ‘old-fashioned’ non microwaved popcorn.

I’m happy to report that my problems are almost over. I just ordered a Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper.

This one is a slightly revamped version of the popcorn maker my Mom used, when I was growing up. Talk about yummy memories!

Let’s face it; the Stir Crazy Popcorn Popper makes popping just plain fun. It is capable of making both theater style popcorn and kettle corn. The motorized stirring rod is the key to popcorn perfection.

Preparing it this way is SO much easier than making it on the stovetop. The best part is there are almost NO un-popped kernels. In fact, the Stir Crazy Popper successfully pops approximately 25 percent more popcorn than other machines using the same amount of kernels.

I always loved the built in butter well and the fact that you just flip the popped corn into the cover that magically turns into a bowl… well, maybe not magically…

It has a heat resistant base and handles. The power cord is removable, for easy storage, as well.

Popcorn, minus the butter, is a very healthy treat. One cup of air popped popcorn contains only 31 calories. All I can say is GET POPPIN’!

The Coleman Road Trip Grill gets excellent reviews. If you are in search of a portable gas grill, believe me when I tell you that it is well worth your consideration. It can even be used as a smoker. How cool is that?

This grill features 24,000 BTUs of cooking power. The Coleman Road Trip is anything but wimpy. It has a huge (well almost) 345 square inch cooking surface, great for neighborhood BBQ’s. The surface is porcelain coated, making clean up a breeze.

It also features 2 completely adjustable burners, an InstaStart matchless lighting system, movable heat tents, a stainless steel hood for durability, self storing side tables and cart, tool holders, removable grease tray and three year warranty.

The grill is very easy to transport and sets up quickly. There are several optional accessories available, as well. These include: a wheeled carry case, a grill cover and a full size aluminum griddle. The Road Trip Grill runs on either a 16.4 ounce propane cylinder or 20 pound tank.

The Coleman Company has been manufacturing dependable products since 1900. They invented the fold-up camp stove and are responsible for the high tech coolers, of today.

If this isn’t the portable grill you are looking for, please read my post about the Outdoor Chef City Grill with Cradle. Happy grilling!

Approximately 3 months ago, I won a coupon for a free jar of Emerald Almonds. Needless to say, I was quite excited because I rarely win anything. It was a good day.

When I received the coupon, in the mail, I was even happier to learn that it could be redeemed for any variety of Emerald Nuts. My first thought was to pick up a jar of cashews.

I finally got around to using the coupon, today. (About time, huh?) I have to tell you that Emerald Brand nuts are some of the best I’ve eaten. I kid you not.

I ended up getting mixed nuts, because that’s all my local Kroger store had on hand. They are fresh, crunchy and have been sprinkled with the perfect amount of salt.

The greatest thing about my canister of Emerald Almonds and other mixed nuts is the fact that it isn’t overwrought with peanuts… like some other brands tend to be. At this point, I can honestly say that I will probably never buy another brand again.

There are several yummy varieties available. They include: Cocoa Roast Almonds, Sea Salt & Pepper Cashews, Raisinberry Nut Trail Mix, Apple Cinnamon Walnuts and many more. On the count of three… everyone say YUM!

I have owned several Hamiliton Beach products, over the years. I’ve been quite pleased with all of them. (I guess that’s why I’ve owned several!)

The Hamiliton Beach Mealmaker Multicooker is another great all-in-one appliance especially suited for small kitchens. It’s large enough to accommodate a whole 4 ½ pound chicken, a 2 pound bag of frozen French fries or 10 ears of corn.

The Multicooker can handle almost every task that requires steaming, baking or frying. Have you ever deep-fried a whole chicken? (Think turkey fryer only much smaller.) With the help of this cooker, it can be done in approximately 35 minutes. That’s faster than cooking the same bird in a roaster or rotisserie.

Since the fryer basket can be lowered and raised, with the lid on the unit, there is no need to worry about dangerous splattering. The basket also has a hook that holds it above the oil (or water in the case of boiling or steaming) for proper food drainage.

The Hamiliton Beach Mealmaker Multicooker features a cooking timer, adjustable temperature controls and a ‘ready’ indicator light. This nifty appliance also has a break-away cord that will prevent it from tipping should said cord get tangled.

I’m adding this cooker to my wish list. Care to join me?

If you have never done any convection oven cooking, I hope you will consider the purchase of the model pictured here. The Avanti Convection Oven with 2 Burner Cooktop would be great to use in apartments, dorm rooms that allow them or RV’s, as well.

This nifty appliance does it all. It bakes, broils and can handle rotisserie, convection and stovetop cooking tasks. It features a 60 minute timer and multiple heat settings. I really can’t think of anything that this convection oven couldn’t accomplish, with the exception of microwaving.

It also features a tempered glass door, automatic shut-off and a slide out rack for added convenience. The Avanti Convection Oven comes with a rotisserie kit, baking-broiling tray and crumb tray.

The top burners consist of one 600 watt burner and one 1,000 watt burner. The inside oven area is large enough to hold up to four pieces of toast or comparable products.

If you have a teeny tiny kitchen, like I do, this Avanti oven is ‘just the ticket’… as my grandma used to say. It measures approximately 25 inches wide by 16 inches tall by 16 inches deep.

Unfortunately, I don’t have any experience with convection oven cooking and would love to hear your thoughts on the subject.