Let's Catch Up...




Hey guys!

Sorry I have been a little MIA lately... this month has just been so busy!
I thought I would do a little life catch up for now because a lot of stuff I wanted to post about is packed away (more on that soon).


So what have I been up to?


Wellll I've been working on redecorating my room, which I am SO excited to share with you guys. I recently painted it and even that has made the hugest difference. I'm just waiting for my new furniture to come in so I can finish it up. Once it's completed, I'll definitely make a post all about my bedroom glow up.


I turned 25 this month! It was a nice low key celebration like I wanted - just dinner with my BF and a small celebration with my family. It was perfect.

I also am starting a new job soon so I had to get some stuff done with that - signing papers, finger prints, etc. It's a government job - a different branch than I was in before. I'm excited to start working again because hello money. BUT it's been nice being off and I'm really nervous because it's a totally new environment and new people. I'm hoping I fit in and can pick up the work quickly. 

My anxiety and over all mental health was a bit all over the place. I'm definitely in a better head space now though. I was just feeling a bit anxious over everything and really just needed some me time. I've been trying to eat healthier and workout because I find that it makes such a big difference in mood. I get into a weird place sometimes where I dwell on negativity and negative situations and it can be hard to get out of that funk. I'm getting there though! It's okay to not to be okay sometimes. It  gets better. Taking time to breathe and enjoy beautiful views (like the photo above - a park in my city) helps a lot!

Tomorrow morning, I am driving to NYC with my BF and our parents. We're going on a cruise, which I am soooooooo excited to for! This will be my 4th cruise. I love being on the ocean and experiencing new places. It's so calming for me. I'll try to do a post about my trip if you guys would be interested in that. It's been a lot of organizing and getting stuff for the trip, but I'm finally all set to go. I'm looking forward to not being constantly plugged in to social media and to take a break.
I am a bit anxious because my brother is staying to watch the dogs and if you didn't know, my dog has epilepsy and I pray that everything goes well. She is my baby and if you're a dog mom like me, you'll get what I'm saying.


My BF's aunt has not been doing the best. She has cancer and things are going downhill, I guess. She's in pain and we're hoping that nothing happens while we're gone and that she'll still be here when we get back. I also found out that my aunt is sick - so please send positive vibes and prayers our way.

Amidst all this insanity, I did manage to treat myself to some new nails and finally changed my boring brown hair to a lighter colour for summer.

I'm sorry if this post isn't really your cup of tea, but sometimes these types of posts are necessary - it's almost therapeutic. Things will still be busy when I get back from my trip with the new job and that, but I do have a lot of great ideas for content. Make sure to stay tuned for that!

I hope you're all doing well!

Until next time,

 

Mint chip ice cream pie

Summer is finally in the air! We’re almost half way through May, and the sun is shining high in the sky. I don’t know about you, but the second it gets warm out, I immediately start wanting ice cream, in any form that I can get it in. That’s what led me to create the recipe for this delicious ice cream pie. It’s been a big hit every time I’ve served it, and I hope you enjoy it just as much, whether you make it for a family BBQ, or a simple Sunday dinner. I promise it’ll be a hit!


Mint chip fudge ice cream pie

Ingredients

Approximately 38 chocolate sandwich cookies
1 bottle of microwavable fudge sauce
1 carton of mint chip ice cream
8 tbsp. butter/margarine

Directions

Take approx. 30 fudge cookies; take out the middle, put them into a resalable freezer bag, get as much air out as possible, and crush with a rolling pin, until they’re fine crumbs.

Melt 8 tbsp. butter/margarine. Pour into a bowl with the cookie crumbs, and stir until combined. You want it to look kind of pasty, so it sticks nicely in the pie pan in the shape of a crust.

Pour into a 9 inch pie plate. Pack the crumb and butter into the sides and bottom into the shape of a crust.
Place in oven preheated to 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on the counter, then chill for half an hour in the freezer.

Take about 8 more cookies with the middle out. Mix with hot fudge sauce. Take blobs of the mixture and put in the bottom of the crust. After you’ve done that, put the crust in the freezer to chill for another half an hour.

While the crust is chilling, take out the carton of mint chip ice cream, and let it soften a bit on the counter.
Remove the crust from the freezer, and scoop almost the entire carton into the crust. It will stick up higher than the crust, but that’s what you want, a nice tall pie. If you find it’s too uneven, you can use a metal cake spatula to smooth it out.

To top it off, microwave some of the fudge sauce and drizzle it over the top. Put it back in the freezer for an hour or two for ice cream to get hard again.

Serve and enjoy!

You can also make other variations, including one with butterscotch ripple ice, vanilla cookie crust, caramel sauce and peanuts, or any other combo that your heart desires. Let me know in the comments below if you try it out, or if you have any other favourite summer recipes!