Breakfast Ice Cream Party with Brownie Waffles #IceCreamTreat

Posted by brandie in Breakfast, Desserts | 12 comments

When was the last time you had spontaneous fun with your kids and did something against the so-called “rules”?

We did something recently with our kids that I just know will be a awesome memory that they will always remember. It was different. It was new. It was something they didn’t expect.

When our kids woke up this weekend, they were surprised to find out that we were having a Breakfast Ice Cream Party — complete with brownie waffles and bacon waffles!

Our secret event started with a trip to Smart & Final to pick up everything we needed. We bought two kinds of First Street ice cream: vanilla bean and rocky road.

We bought lots of other stuff too: brownie mix, whipping cream (to make homemade caramel sauce), aerosol whipped cream, bacon, boysenberry syrup, chocolate syrup, peanuts, butter, brown sugar, strawberries (for homemade balsamic strawberry sauce) and more. You can see lots of photos of my shopping trip here.

The night before our big surprise, I started making a balsamic strawberry sauce. No one paid much attention to me tinkering around in the kitchen as it’s a usual thing around our house. I sliced up 4 pounds of strawberry and then placed then in a pot with sugar, water, and white balsamic vinegar.

They strawberries were cooked on the stove until they broke down and it slightly thickened. It was so delicious! Such a perfect sundae topping.

The next morning, I got up early (as usual) and started working on the rest of the items for our breakfast. Using Smart & Final’s First Street Brownie Mix, I mixed up enough batter for an 9″ square pan…however, I added 3/4 cup water, rather than 3 tablespoons as the directions stated.

I used approximately 1/4 cup of batter per waffle and cooked them until they were done in my waffle maker. When they were done, I carefully lifted a corner of the brownie waffle with a fork and then used a spatula to carefully lift the waffle. Brownie waffles are very soft before cooling, so take great care while removing them!

Note: see my full instructions for Brownie Waffles at the end of this post

When finished, you have these holey looking brownie waffles – they are so good!

Even thought this was a untradtional  breakfast, I thought bacon would still be a nice addition. However, strips of bacon on a plate just won’t do for this meal, so I decided to add the bacon right into our waffles! I cooked a package of bacon and then roughly chopped it into pieces. I sprinkled some bacon into each section on my waffle maker and then added a regular waffle batter right on top.

When they were done, we had waffles with bacon baked right inside!

Waffles need syrup, right? Well, in addition to the balsamic strawberry sauce, I also made a homemade caramel sauce (I used Ina Garten’s Caramel Sauce recipe). I also bought First Street Chocolate Syrup and First Street Boysenberry Syrup. Smart & Final has a 6-pack of dispenser bottles that is very inexpensive, so rather than having the actual product bottles on our table, I poured the syrups into the bottles.

The dispenser bottles are so inexpensive and I like how they give a unified look to a party table. Later, I ended up wrapping a bit of colored paper around each bottle to dress them up a bit.

We also had lots of sundae toppings, like sprinkles, nuts, granola, and cherries. Those were placed in plastic souffle cups and displayed on a small cupcake stand.

With my waffles and everything else ready, I set our table. I used bright colors. Initially, I set it up with the waffles, syrups, and toppings (things that wouldn’t melt). After the kids woke up, I brought out the ice cream.

The kids were so excited and totally shocked! They got started right away making their waffle sundaes.

The brownie waffles were a major hit — I think everyone picked those. The ice cream went on top of the waffle and then syrup, whipped cream…whatever they wanted.

It was so much fun seeing how everyone made theirs — each one was unique. Most everyone took one waffle….

…but a certain 20-year-old in our house decided he wanted 3 waffles and declared his the best creation.

I thought mine looked pretty awesome!

Needless to say, our kids loved every minute of our breakfast #IceCreamTreat party! I’m so glad we did it. Sometimes it’s important to set the “rules” aside and live for the moment.  It creates awesome memory making opportunities!

For more creative First Street Ice Cream Parties, be sure to check out the links below:

For more info on Smart and Final, you can find them on Twitter at: http://www.twitter.com/SmartFinal and on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/SmartFinal.

Note: I am a member of the Collective Bias™ Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias™. #CBias #SocialFabric All opinions, as always, are 100% my own.

Grilled Chicken Fajitas #GrillingIsHappiness

Posted by brandie in Main Dishes, Mexican | 7 comments

We are a year-round grilling family.

Generally, it’s low-key. Just my husband and I, and the kids too. It usually consists of a main dish and then two side dishes — anything from beans to fruit to salads. Our everyday grilling is easy going, no stress, and I love it!

DIY Craft: Decorated Metal Recipe Box #ExpressYourself

Posted by brandie in Crafts, Recipe Keeping | 10 comments

I have a bit of a compulsion with metal boxes. If I find a metal box — with a lid — at a thrift store, you can be almost certain that I will buy it.

My favorite way of using thrift store metal boxes is by making them into recipe boxes. With a can of spray paint and Elmer’s Painters Paint Markers, I was able to decorate a hinged metal box fast and easily.

Here’s how to do it…

The Container Store Las Vegas – Opening Saturday! #containlasvegas

Posted by brandie in Las Vegas | 0 comments

In 2009, I wrote:

“I’m a bit obsessed with organizing. I love containers that hold things. A friend told me about “The Container Store”. I had never heard of such a place, but I imagine it would be quite heavenly.”

The only problem was that, in 2009, there was no Container Store’s close to me in my small town in Virginia. And a move to Las Vegas didn’t help that either….until now!

On Saturday, May 12, 2012, The Container Store is opening in Las Vegas! I’m so excited I can hardly contain myself! They will be located at Town Square, which just so happens to be one of my favorite places in Las Vegas. It’s right off both the I-15 and the 215, on the south end of the Vegas Strip.

Memories of Mom’s Cooking – Link Party

Posted by brandie in Food Memories, Link Party | 7 comments

So many of us have powerful memories of our mom’s cooking. Remembering the food our mom cooked or baked transports us back to our childhood and can bring back that love we have felt from our mom.

For me, my mom cooking her spaghetti sauce always holds a special memory.

My mom’s spaghetti sauce is one of the most amazing things she made and I can close my eyes and remember her standing in the kitchen, stirring a big pot of it. It almost always had lots mushrooms (one of my favorites), onions, and it was also slightly sweet.

I remember tasting it one time and her telling me that she has a “secret” ingredient that she put into it. I asked her what it was and she said she would tell me someday. It was later that I learned that the secret ingredient was sugar — probably not the greatest culinary secret, but her calling it a secret made it even more special to me.  And, the honor of her sharing that secret meant the world to me.

In honor of my mom’s spaghetti sauce and Mother’s Day, I invite you to link up a blog post that you have on your own blog that shares a food, or recipe memory of your mom, grandmother, aunt, or anyone else who has had a motherly influence in your life. The post doesn’t have to include a recipe, but it must share a memory that is special to you in some way.

Cinco de Mayo Recipe Round-Up

Posted by brandie in Cinco de Mayo, Holidays, Mexican | 1 comment

Favorite foodie holiday: Thanksgiving.

Second favorite foodie holiday: Cinco de Mayo!

It really doesn’t get better than eating — and cooking — Mexican food. It will always be my favorite cuisine. I don’t think I could ever get tired of it.

My Afternoon Pick-Me-Up Secret: International Delight Iced Coffee

Posted by brandie in Beverages, Products I Love | 2 comments

Do you have an afternoon pick-me-up?

I have one. And it’s mighty delicious.

Since a lot of my work at home is done on the computer, I am find that by the afternoon, I’m starting to drag. With David at work, this means I am car-less since we are a one-car family, so I’m not always able to leave and head down to the local coffee shop. My solution: International Delight Iced Coffee. I pour it over ice,  and then sip and enjoy right at my desk.