Gearing Up For Summer With S’more Ice Cream!! ~ A Hamilton Beach Giveaway

Sunny days, swimming pools, balmy nights and ice cream.  It’s time to celebrate because it finally feels like summer!  No more countdowns, no more rushing around, and goodbye to the dreaded car-pool!  (well until September!)  It’s time to slow down, soak in the sun and instead of rushing and running, we can relax, enjoy and live in the moment.  Someone once said you only get 18 summers with your children, you can bet I’m going to take advantage of every single one.  One of our favourite summer time traditions; Ice Cream For Dinner.  Every year we throw all the rules out the windows and indulge in a super wicked, ultra fantastic, ice cream sundae for dinner.  (don’t worry, I ply the kids with fruits and veggies all day long to make up for it)  It’s a sweet tradition our little family has adopted that’s easy to do, and one I hope my girls will look back on it with fondness.  This year we will be adding a new twist to our tradition, instead of going out for this ice cream extravaganza, we will be making our own.  Yup, you read that right, we will be creating our very own homemade ice cream!

Thanks to a fabulous new product by Hamilton Beach, making ice cream is easier, and dare I say better than ever before!  Now not just for special occasions, but anytime the need for ice cream strikes, we will be able to pull our 1/2 Quart Ice Cream Maker out of the freezer, get our Martha Stewarts on, and create something swoon worthy!

This weekend my girls and I decided we really needed a trial run, you know, a little practice to get ready for the big ice cream dinner of 2015.  Ever the enabler…er supportive Mom, I might have started it.  We gathered some simple ingredients I already had in my pantry and fridge; vanilla, cream, whipping cream, and sugar and followed the recipe in the Hamilton Beach recipe book to create a simple Vanilla Ice Cream. Then we decided to step it up a notch!!  Here my friends is a fool proof way to create a crowd pleasing S’more Ice Cream.

S’more Ice Cream

You will need:

2 cups half ‘n half

1 cup heavy whipping cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 cup graham crackers (broken into bits)

mini marshmallows (for topping)

Directions:

1. Combine first four ingredients in bowl.  Mix well.

2. Start ice cream maker and slowly pour mixture through hole in lid.

3. Allow to churn for 20 minutes until it starts to thicken.

4. Add in mini chocolate chips and graham cracker bits.

5. Churn for another 20-40 minutes until it reaches desired consistency.

*If you’re not going to use the ice-cream right away you can pop it in the freezer, it will keep for about two weeks!

6.  Scoop and serve!  Garnish with marshmallows for a S’moretastic experience!  If you’re feeling truly adventurous you can add chocolate sauce or mini M&Ms for a little extra wow factor.

The result is smooth, soft ice cream the entire family will enjoy.  The bonus~ you truly know every ingredient your little one’s are putting in their mouths.  The Hamilton Beach 1/2 Quart Ice Cream Maker doesn’t just make ice cream!  You can also create frozen yogurts, custards, sherbets or gelato, the possibilities are only limited to your imagination.  Once your all done it’s quick to clean up and doesn’t take up a ton of cupboard space.

Other bonuses: The Ice Cream Maker does not require rock salt, has an easy to use on/off switch, and the Freezer bowl easily fits in your stand up of chest size freezer so when the craving for homemade ice cream hits, you’re prepared! Learn even more about this great little product by following Hamilton Beach on social on Twitter, Facebook and their new Instagram account!

Fancy whipping up some delish ice cream of your own?  Thanks to the generous people at Hamilton Beach, I have some exciting news! One lucky reader of How To Survive Life In The Suburbs will be ready to gear it up for summer when they win a Hamilton Beach 1/2 Quart Ice Cream Maker of their very own! This giveaway is Open to Canada only and closes July, 13 2015. Please enter using the Rafflecopter form below.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Hamilton Beach Canada. In exchange this review, I have received special perks in the form of products and compensation. All opinions on this blog are my own.