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Southern Summer… Making Homemade Ice Cream

Southern Summer Mornings

The summer season is here!!! The Dog Days of Summer are quickly approaching and this Southern Summer has already been hot! What summer cold treats do you offer to family and friends to cool down?? Homemade ice cream is definitely a Southern favorite.

The only thing that could make this hot summer day better is ice cream! 🍨🍨🍨🍨

Nothing seems to excite my family more than the treat of homemade ice cream. Homemade Ice cream just simply tastes like a southern summer at its best. Last year, I posted my favorite vanilla homemade ice cream on Pinterest and it has definitely been a hit!

As the July 4th holiday approaches, I thought it would be a great time to share this very simple recipe with y’all today. This recipe works well with my current ice cream maker. You can add fresh summer fruit into the mix or simply sprinkle across the top as a beautiful garnish.

Fresh peaches or strawberries are amazing with Homemade vanilla ice cream
Gather your ingredients…
I use whole milk
1 cup will give you a very sweet cream mix
Mix together all ingredients and make sure sugar is fully incorporated into milk/cream mixture. Pour into 2 quart ice cream maker.
I have one that is similar to the ice cream maker on the left. These are currently available for purchase at WCH!
Life is like ice cream, you need to enjoy it before it melts 🍨

Dog Stories

“The best therapist has four paws and fur.” Sometimes after the long, hard days all I need is the endless love of my sweet pups.

I believe in our entire married life, Richard & I have always had at least one dog. Most of them rescues.

The first house we purchased in North Wilkesboro, literally came with a dog! That was totally an unexpected surprise when we went to closing and the previous owners asked us to care for the neighbors dog that virtually lived at our new “soon to be home”. The seller was crushed that the neighbors were unwilling to sell the dog to him, hence the request to us. We could tell that the seller was very attached to the dog, so we agreed to care for the dog and keep him updated on the dog, which we all called Sugar Bear…our very first rescue pup. Sugar Bear quickly became a cherished pup. We all loved her dearly and she was a fantastic guard dog.

Sugar Bear loved to be inside as well as outside.
A pic of our first kitchen… Sugar Bear was terrified of thunder storms. She would try to crawl inside my bottom kitchen cabinets or bathroom cabinets during a bad storm

Today is National Rescue Pup Day. Over the years, we have had the opportunity to bring a few special rescue pups home. The joy & memories of these furry friends still linger. Here’s a glimpse back into time to our “fur babies” that we loved dearly and a small portion of their rescue stories.

Elvis & Gigi were adopted at the same time. They were definitely a dynamic duo.
Elvis never missed the opportunity for a good costume change. He had a great personality and loved his people.
Elvis loved a good nap
Elvis loved to spend time with us at the hardware store sniffing out all the good things
Gigi was our little diva dog.
Gigi had a severe burn that was healing on her back when we brought her home.
Gigi loved photo time
Annabelle “Bella” came to us after losing an eye. Eventually she lost her other one too. Blind Basset Hound was a first for our family. Bella navigated our home effortlessly. She was amazing
Bella would smile when she was happy.
Naps and love… Bella was always ready for both .

Our current rescue pups…

Joy is a fireball of energy. She loves to play all day long. Joy was rescued with her brothers and sisters… nine total.
It’s all about bones & finding a good blanket
Joy is definitely a mom’s girl…
Cookie came to our house to live with us this January. She was found abandoned at a car wash in town. So hard to believe how much she has grown since this original photo
Thus sweet pup loves to be close to us, scouting the neighborhood for any movement of cats, or people, and definitely playing with Joy.
Cookie loves snacks too & mom.

Our lives are definitely rich with love with memories of our former rescue pups and they are dearly missed. Cookie and Joy keep us active and busy now.

Each rescue pup came to us with a definite need, love & healing. All of these sweet babies found love and new home. Their story should not end. Their stories should be told so more rescues can find homes.

We are truly blessed and thankful for the Humane Society of Wilkes. The volunteers, & foster pet parents work tirelessly to keep local animals safe and happy. Consider supporting your local rescue organizations if you can.

Hardware Life… Home


Place where you find the puttering of little puppy dog feet…
Shoes on the floor…
Flowers growing outside on the porch…
Thrifted & family pieces are treasured…
Family photos are in abundance…
Life with boys… what can I say, I’m out numbered… ☺️
Coffee is always brewing in the morning…
& DIY projects are always in the works 🙃…

And blessings are around everywhere… Home