Mango Ice Cream Balls - From The Grand Wailea

Hands down, even though there is just a smidge

of chocolate in the coating, I think this must be

our family's favorite dessert.

We first had these at the poolside restaurant

at the Grand Wailea on Maui.  They have stopped

serving these, so we are glad we came home and 

developed a copy cat recipe

so we could continue to have them.

Mango Balls - that is what we call them.  

They are a lusciously simple ice cream dessert

made by combining scoops of rich vanilla 

ice cream and scoops of mango sorbet.

The balls are then rolled in chopped chocolate

covered peanuts, refrozen, then served with

a tangy raspberry sauce.

Mango Ice Cream Balls  - Grand Wailea

1 large container Haagen Dazs vanilla ice cream

2 small containers mango sorbet (don't get mango ice cream)

2 - 6 oz. pkg. chocolate covered peanuts

12 oz. frozen raspberries

3/4 C. sugar

Scoop equal sized balls of vanilla ice

cream and mango sorbet and refreeze

until solid.  Cut each ball in half and

then stick one half  of a scoop of vanilla

together with one half of a scoop of mango.

Freeze again until solid.

Finely chop the chocolate covered peanuts

in the food processor.  Roll the firm balls

in the peanuts, pressing to make the nuts

adhere to the balls.  Return to the freezer.

We do everything one ball at a time so

that the balls don't melt.

Before serving, thaw and blend the 

raspberries then press through a sieve

to remove the seeds.  Blend in the sugar

until dissolved.  

To serve, cut the Mango Balls in half

to display both flavors then drizzle with

raspberry sauce.

This dessert is so easy and yet so different.

It always is a favorite with company.

I will be posting this with

Recipe Sharing Monday

On The Menu Monday

Foodie Friday

Sweets For A Saturday

End of Summer "Blues" Tablescape

The lazy days of August are disappearing so

rapidly.  The kids start school next week.....

Come sit in a beach chair, maybe for the last time,

as we enjoy

a seaside tablescape.

There is something so wonderful about being

barefoot during the summer.

I love the heat of summer, the lessening of schedules,

the family time, the swimming, the sun, the

food; I guess I love it all.

It truly is my favorite time of the year.

Take some moments to run your feet through

the sand before summer ends

and enjoy my tribute to summer.

Fun, casual pieces make up the table's

centerpiece.

I found these incredible bowls with seahorse handles

at the beginning of the summer and  finally

got them on the table.

They are so beautiful.  I purchased some in aqua

and some in white, enough to feed the whole

family.

A fan of coordinating napkins that I made

fill the bowls.  Napkins are so easy to make

using a serger.

My favorite charger begins the stack and is followed

by graduated sizes of textured white plates.

This is one of my favorite seascape plates.  I was also 

able to get enough of these over 2 years to serve

16 (the whole family when everyone comes.)

Pretty turquoise goblets with a clear

stem are perfect for today's table.

"Sea glass" fills the goblets just for fun.

This net captures all of the found treasures

from the seashore.

I just turned a large urn on its side filled with

sand and added aqua balls and  shells.

Fun pewter picks are so fun for the table.

Marinated cheese tortellini and cheese cubes 

are threaded on the fun picks for our appetizers.

The picks make a simple appetizer special.

I just love this fun heavy plastic flatware -

fun, inexpensive yet not disposable.

Perfectly colored aqua seascape cupcakes 

are the ultimate finish to this soothing

event.

Some simple molded white chocolate

starfish are easy to make using white chocolate coating.

To get just the exact color of aqua 

use Duff''s Electric coloring gels mixing sapphire

and teal (from Michael's Craft Store).

 The finishing touch are pearls

from the sea.

Even though it is almost time to say goodbye

to summer, wonderful memories remain.

This table will be posted with

Tablescapes Thursday

FeatheredNest Friday

White wooden chargers - Pier 1

White dinner and salad plates - Tai Pan

White shell plates and starfish plates - Home Goods

Seahorse bowls - Home Goods

Aqua glasses - Tai Pan

Aqua placemats - Home Goods

Clear Plastic flatware - Tuesday Morning

Pewter picks - Williams Sonoma

Ceramic spreaders - Williams Sonoma

Shells - Wal Mart

Beach chairs - Home Goods

Sign - Home Goods

Aqua table topper and napkins - Fabric from JoAnn's Fabric

http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com

Fresh Corn On The Cob Cupcakes

The garden vegetables are beginning to ripen

and we can't wait to eat them.

Oops, that isn't an ear of corn, that's a

 fool the eye

 cupcake and boy did it fool the eye

at 

Purple Chocolat Home.

The little two year old got up on the counter

and saw it and said, "CORN!"

The 17 year old walked through the door

and said, "Gross corn - oh, ha ha, that's not

corn, that's a cupcake."

Pretty convincing!

I made my cupcakes using my favorite

yellow cake recipe again from Betty Crocker.

Betty Crocker's Bonnie Butter Cake Recipe

2/3 C. butter

1 3/4 C. sugar

2 eggs

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

3 C. cake flour or 2 3/4 C. all purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1 1/4 C. milk

Heat oven to 350.

In large mixer bowl, mix butter, sugar, eggs and vanilla

until fluffy.  Beat 5 minutes on high speed, scraping

bowl occasionally.  On low speed, mix in flour, baking

powder and salt alternately with milk.

Pour into prepared cupcake pans.  Bake for 20-25

minutes or until they spring back.  Let cool.  

Frost.  

Butter Frosting Recipe

1/2 C. softened butter

4 C. powdered sugar

1 tsp. clear vanilla

2-3 T. water

In mixing bowl with wire whip on, beat the

butter and powdered sugar together with the

water, adding additional water if needed one

tablespoon at a time.  Whip until fluffy.

Just tint your frosting a little yellow, spread

three cupcakes with the yellow frosting

and begin playing with your food.  

I bought a variety of yellow Jelly Bellys

and arranged them randomly.  Let your frosting

set up a bit before you begin decorating or

they might want to slide off.

I will be posting this with

Foodie Fridays

Sweets for a Saturday

Recipe Sharing Monday

Crunchy Chicken Salad on Croissants

This recipe was new to me this summer.  The girls

had chosen these for girl's camp.  I got the recipe

off my neighbor's wonderful family recipe blog

Lowe Family Recipes.

All of their family are great cooks and I have

loved everything I have tried from their blog.

We tested the recipe out before camp and

loved it so much I have already made it 

several times, including a dinner party.

You don't have to serve it on croissants.  It is

great just as a salad too.

Crunchy Chicken Salad on Croissants Recipe

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

or the meat off 1 rotisserie chicken

salt to taste

1 purple onion, chopped finely

3 C. red and green grapes combined, cut in half

3 stalks celery

2 sm. cans mandarin oranges

6 oz. slivered almonds

6 oz. pkg. chow mein noodles

2 C. sour cream

2 C. fresh ranch dressing

(made with buttermilk and mayo)

fresh croissants

Salt, then boil the chicken until cooked

through.  Let cool and shred, or shred the meat

from 1 rotisserie chicken (I used the rotisserie chicken.)

In a large bowl combine everything but the

almonds and chow mein noodles.  Refrigerate

until ready to serve.  Just before serving, stir in 

the noodles and the almonds and then serve

on split croissants or as a salad.

The beautiful thing about this salad is that it

makes a huge amount.  We served 18 people

with 1 recipe.  It is perfect for a large gathering.

It will seem really wet, but once you add the noodles,

they soak up the moisture quickly.

I prefer to just eat it with a fork - it really is

a wonderful recipe.  The ranch dressing is

the secret. (Don't use bottled ranch!)

If you use the rotisserie chicken, this is a quick, no cook
summer recipe.

 Give it a try.

I will be posting this on
 On The Menu Monday
Foodie Friday

Romantic Places

Imagine having this fantasy tub with this view.

It is just inspiring!

Today I decided to share

a selection of Romantic Places from

my Pinterest Board including some tablescapes.

A blue misted fairy tale castle

A chippy aqua blue door

(I have to say that turquoise and aqua are

my favorite shaes of blue - like the ocean.)

Rest with me on this fabulous hammock in this perfect

setting.

Such a fun table for a romantic party.

And now a romantic table for a crowd.

I wonder if they really used this for a party.

Enter paradise through these palm fronds.

Such gorgeous water and a gorgeous dress.

Now there is a romantic getaway tub.

Just a touch of aqua here.

I couldn't resist hopping in this cool pool bed.

And I love this ruffled umbrella.

Here we are (I wish) just dreaming of

romantic blues.

I will be posting this romantic escape 

with

Tablescapes Thursday

Blue Monday