The trip I made home on March 3rd was a much different trip for me, as it was the first trip I made on my own from my new home in Rochester, MN. After completing a quick class in the morning, I began my 6 hour trip. Surprisingly, the trip went much quicker than I had originally expected, and I only started getting antsy with an hour and a half or so to go (I don't think it helped that I was also trapped on a two lane highway behind a truck pulling a horse trailer, 2 utility trucks, and a semi).
After the 6 hour drive, I was glad to get out of my car and stretch my legs, but more glad to be home with my family, as we had a few things to celebrate. My dad had recently retired on February 28th from the Highway Patrol after 27 years, and that also happened to be my mom's birthday (I won't say a number on that one. You're welcome, mom).
My mom made dinner on Friday (so thankful for her cooking ability) and then I was able to visit my grandma that lives in Macon. We also went out and got milkshakes at Sonic, mainly because I have really been craving one after I discovered Rochester doesn't have Sonic (What kind of place did I move to?!).
Saturday we all stayed busy with various things. I was able to get my hair cut by someone I actually knew for once, and visit with some coworkers from when I worked at the salon in high school. Then, my dad decided my car needed cleaned (As you can tell by the picture below, I barely lift a finger when I'm at home... I don't complain too much about that). After finishing the detailing, dad and I decided it was a beautiful day for some fishing. My dad was anxious to show me his new fishing boat and we even convinced my mom to come along for the ride. For it being so early for the crappie to start biting, we had great luck and caught 24 in about 2 hours.
That night, I was able to make dinner with my mom and also prepare her a special dessert for her birthday. Mom decided to make one of our go-to pasta dishes for dinner: Linguine with Shrimp Scampi. We have pretty much mastered this dish as a team, it often headlines for our Christmas Eve dinner.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/linguine-with-shrimp-scampi-recipe3
For dessert, my mom really shocked me and asked for an ice cream cake (she is always cold and microwaves her ice cream anyway!), but you might understand why after seeing this cake. It is quick and easy, made with a base of ice cream sandwiches. Between the layers of sandwiches is a hearty layer of peanut butter, caramel sauce, hot fudge, and chopped up Reese's. After the stacking, the cake is simply covered with a layer of whipped topping and put into the freezer. It doesn't get much easier than that, or much better tasting!
While I'm mainly making this blog to document some of the tasty treats I bake, I'm not at all ashamed to have this delicious frozen dessert as my first post. Quick, easy, and enjoyed by all. It was a great way to end my Saturday night on my quick trip home.
