Dessert... Yummy

On a budget

How to host an Ice Cream Bar

How am I going to impress 20 people for less than $30?

So what does a food and travel blogger write about when she hasn't been anywhere new lately and has nothing to review?  Well, she talks about something a little closer to home.  Let me tell you about the Ice Cream extravaganza I got to share at my family reunion this past week.

After too much good food, fun, laughing and catching up with aunts, uncles, 1st, 2nd and 3rd cousins, waterskiing and dodging thunderstorms it was time for my annual ice cream bar presented on a budget!  

Well, the planning starts early.  Almost everything I put on the buffet-of-yumminess can be bought early, when there are sales and with coupons.  First things first, I am a Turkey Hill Ice Cream lover.  There is no substitute for me.  And thanks to the economy, a half gallon is no longer really a half gallon. (1.89 liters is now 1.50)  Anyways, earlier this year I wrote Turkey Hill a “fan” letter and they sent me a bunch of coupons, adding those coupons to Big Y’s Buy One Get Two sale, I got six containers of ice cream for $0.89 each!

But we all know that the ice cream is just an medium for carrying toppings… so it was sales and coupons at Target, Stop and Shop and even CVS to get mini Rolos, Recess Peanutbutter cups, York Bites, (3 for $8 + my 5% prescription reward coupon at Target) nut toppings, Smuckers strawberry, caramel and hot fudge, sprinkles, maraschino cherries, whipped cream in a can and  Magic Shell.  4^th of July sales got me the bowls and sugar cones I would need.  Homemade brownies made with Ghirardelli mix was a great base for brownie sundaes. 

Not on sale were the Thin Mint Girl scout cookies that I had stored in my freezer as well as the bananas.  So with it all laid out and ready to go, my family dove in head first and didn’t stop till the whipped cream was gone!  I hope today’s blog will inspire you to bring your ice cream sundaes to a new level.