By Guest Bloggers Andrew McMillan and Laurie Southerland at The Stocked Pot and Company

It’s August, which means the summer is winding down and it will soon be time to send the kids back to school. How about an easy summer recipe to make for the kids so they can savor every last bit of summer enjoyment? All kids love ice cream and muffins—so how about a combination of the two? Below you will find a wonderful recipe the kids (and adults) will enjoy during the last lazy days of summer…Blueberry Ice Cream Muffins! When you are using the recipe below, you can always change the flavor of ice cream and add or change the fruit to make your favorite combinations:

Blue Berry Ice Cream Muffins

Ingredients:
1 pint of your favorite flavor of quality ice cream (Haagen Dazs Vanilla Bean is our favorite)
2 cups of self raising flour
1/2 pint of fresh blueberries or your favorite berries or fruit
(You can change the ice cream and delete the blueberries to change the flavor of the muffins.)

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees
Melt the ice cream
Add the ice cream to the flour
Combine but don’t over mix
Butter or spray muffin tin
Spoon into muffin tins
Bake in oven for 20 to 25 minutes
Test one by inserting a toothpick or skewer in the center; if it comes out clean they’re done.
Cool in muffin tin before eating

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Also marking the end of the summer is the quickly approaching Labor Day weekend. It is always sad to say goodbye to summer, but how about making the day a celebration with a gathering of your friends and a DELICIOUS dish of Oysters Rockefeller to celebrate. Oysters on the half shell are topped with a butter and herb puree and baked, creating one of America’s iconic dishes!

Oysters Rockefeller

Ingredients:
2 cups rock salt, or more as needed
1 cup chopped watercress
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons minced green onion (white and pale green parts only)
2 tablespoons chopped celery
1 clove garlic minced
2 tablespoons chopped fresh tarragon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
2 tablespoons anise-flavored liqueur (such as Pernod®)
1 pinch cayenne pepper, or to taste
*can also add bacon
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
36 oysters on the half shell

Preparation:
1. Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C). Pour rock salt into a large, shallow casserole dish.
2. Combine watercress, butter, bread crumbs, green onions, celery, tarragon, Italian parsley, anise-flavored liqueur, salt, black pepper, and cayenne pepper in a food processor; blend until smooth. Add cream if necessary.
3. Place 8 to 12 shucked oysters on top of the rock salt. Spoon 1 to 2 teaspoons of watercress mixture a top each oyster.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until oysters are firm and butter has melted, about 5 minutes. Repeat with remaining oysters.
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Oysters are not always a favorite of children, so to satisfy their appetites and ensure they enjoy the day with you, hot dogs should always be on the menu. And what goes great with hot dogs? Bacon! This is a quick and easy recipe that Laurie Southerland’s mom, Gail Peake, used to make when she was little—it has everything kids love: hotdogs, bacon and cheese!!

Bacon and Cheese Hot Dogs

Slice open the center of the uncooked hotdog with a knife. Insert American or cheddar cheese. Wrap cheese-filled hot dog with raw bacon. Place bacon-wrapped hot dogs on grill or under broiler and serve by themselves or on a bun with condiments. Guaranteed to put a smile on their faces!

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Catering by Simple Elegance and The Stocked Pot ​and Company Cooking School and Culinary Team Building. We would  Love to Hear From You, Get In Touch With Us!

Please send us an email and ​ask us a question about a recipe you are working on or need help with at http://thestockedpot.com/contact/

The Stocked Pot ​and ​Company ​Cooking School​, Culinary Team Building and Catering by Simple Elegance​​, Serving the entire Triad area; Winston Salem, Greensboro and High Point, Charlotte and Raleigh and all surrounding cities. Located at 381 Jonestown Road, Winston-Salem, NC 27104.