Smooth vanilla ice cream meets the vibrant flavor of sweet, ripe cherries in every bite of this Black Cherry Ice Cream. And, the second spoonful? Irresistible.

Black Cherry Ice Cream

This homemade black cherry ice cream recipe became an instant new family favorite as soon as I scooped it into bowls after dinner one night last week.

With an abundance of saucy cherries swirled into rich vanilla almond ice cream, what’s not to love here? I’m not at all surprised my family went nuts over it.

Do you love black forest cake? Each cold and creamy scoop of this almond cherry ice cream delivers that same deep cherry flavor. And, the hint of almond in it is an unbelievably tasty match for the tart-sweet cherries.

I am absolutely over the moon with how this one turned out. It’s rare that I’m still grinning when I write about it. But, this one is truly spectacular.

Almond Cherry Ice Cream

With over 70 ice cream recipes here to choose from, there’s sure to be an ice cream for everyone! If you’re new to making ice cream, the best and easiest vanilla ice cream is a great place to start.

These are my favorite inexpensive containers for

Sharing some tips on how you can use FAM (fertility awareness method) for period prediction for yourself, or for your tween/teen daughter! 

Hi friends! I hope you’re having a wonderful day so far! We’re living the summer life: swimming all day, meeting up with friends, hitting up the arcade, and packing for a fun trip. What have you been up to?

For today’s post, I wanted to talk a little bit about Fertility Awareness Method and how you can use this amazing tool for period prediction. Once you have the hang of it, it makes life SO much easier.

As you guys know, I’m a huge fan of Fertility Awareness Method. It’s my primary method of birth control and I’ve been practicing since I went off birth control back in 2008. Over time, it’s evolved so much! I used to have to track my temp and cycle signs on a paper chart and now they have amazing apps and technology.

****I only recommend FAM as birth control if you’re in a monogamous relationship and with the understanding that there is a learning curve. Also, remember that it doesn’t protect you from any sexually transmitted diseases or infections. It may take you a while to *get* your cycle, so just a heads up that you may want to use a backup method if you’d like to use FAM as a birth control method.***

While Fertility Awareness Method can be an amazing birth control tool, it can also be used for something incredibly valuable: accurate period prediction. If you practice Fertility Awareness Method, you’re able to know the exact day that you’ll get your period.

I was thinking about FAM and how much I love it… and then a little light bulb clicked in my head. It could also be used to know when a tween or teen girl is going to have their first period ever. How freaking amazing is that?! I’m going to share all of the details + how you can use this for accurate cycle prediction in this post. I wanted to share this info for my mama friends out there, or for those who are curious about tracking their cycle.

Using Fertility Awareness Method for period prediction

When I first discovered Fertility Awareness Method, I WISHED I would learned all about this when I was growing up. It turned my body from a complete mystery into something that I was empowered and informed about. What was happening inside my body wasn’t completely random each month; it was entirely predictable. I just had to track it and understand my cycle.

If I would have known about this information, it would have saved me from a particular instance in middle school when I was wearing white shorts. Ughhh.

Each month, we have distinct phases of our cycle:

1) Menstruation: day 1 of full bleeding (may be preceded by spotting but that’s not technically the first day of your cycle)

2) Follicular phase: follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) prompts the ovaries to prepare and release an egg

3) Ovulatory phase: this is when the egg is released and can potentially be fertilized

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Creamy, spicy, pasta with bell peppers and sausage is a 20-minute meal that everyone loves. My family will happily eat this Cajun sausage pasta any night of the week.

Cajun Pasta with Sausage

I love the ease of using seasoning mixes for simple recipes like this one. Technically, there are only five ingredients in this recipe, but with a great seasoning mix there is an abundance of different flavors in the dish.

I shared this Cajun Seasoning Mix in The Weeknight Dinner Cookbook. The seasoning blend has been a staple in my pantry for quite a few years now. I figured it was long past time to share it here so that I can more easily link to it for easy access.

After you whip up that Cajun spice blend (it only takes a minute), you’ll be ready to make this delicious pasta.

Pasta with Bell Peppers

My family loves creamy pasta dishes, but I sometimes find them to be a little too bland. The bell peppers and the sausage help keep things interesting. This recipe satisfies both my family’s love of cream sauces and our need for a little more heat.

This meal starts by browning the sausage in a pan. Because spicy sausage already has so much flavor, it’s the perfect foundation for so many of our favorite meals.

Add in a few bell peppers for color and flavor, plus heavy cream and Cajun spices and you get an extra creamy sauce to toss with your pasta.

With regards to the cream in this recipe

Fresh strawberries are tossed with sugar and cinnamon before being layered under a sweet biscuit crust to make this Strawberry Cobbler. If you’re a fan of classic strawberry shortcake, this berry-filled dessert is going to thrill you.

This cobbler is loaded with strawberries and then topped with a generous cinnamon sugar crust that is both buttery and flaky while never becoming soggy, even after a day or two in the refrigerator.

I like to top each serving of Strawberry Cobbler with fresh Vanilla Bean Whipped Cream or Homemade Ice Cream. Don’t get me wrong though, storebought whipped cream and/or ice cream works beautifully too.

There is no wrong way to eat a fruit cobbler! While the Peach Cobbler of my dreams will forever rule fruit desserts, the Strawberry Cobbler is rapidly becoming a close second.

How to Make Strawberry Cobbler

I try to freeze a few cobblers worth of fruit each year, so we can enjoy this fresh taste of summer throughout the year.

To freeze strawberries for cobbler, combine the filling ingredients: strawberries, sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a gallon size zip-close freezer bag.

Add the lemon juice to the berry mixture and stir to combine. Alternatively, you can seal the bag and shake gently to coat the fruit.

Place the bag flat in the freezer. I like to prepare and stack several bags of cobbler filling in the freezer each summer.

When you’re ready to bake the cobbler, thaw the fruit mixture in the refrigerator. Pour the strawberries and all liquid from the bag into the baking pan. Bake the fruit and proceed with the recipe as written.

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Sweet and slightly tart fresh blueberries are lightly covered in dark chocolate to create an irresistible sweet snack that doubles as a quick and easy dessert too.

Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Have you ever had that crazy “aha” moment where you wonder why you never thought of something before now?

My sister, Jenny, called me a few days ago and told me that she had been craving a dessert and there was nothing sweet in her house, so she melted a few chocolate chips and poured them over blueberries.

When she couldn’t stop talking about this new treat, I decided I’d better try it right away. She was right, oh so very right.

Who knew that chocolate-covered blueberries would be even more tempting than the ever-popular chocolate covered strawberries?

Dark Chocolate Covered Blueberries

Having made my share of desserts in the past, I can say that these chocolate-covered blueberries are one of the easiest recipes I’ve made.

All you’ll need to do is lay out your blueberries, prep a simple chocolate sauce, and pour it over the berries. Chill the berries in the refrigerator, and you’re done!

And what a delicious contrast! The combination of rich, creamy dark chocolate and sweet, refreshing, mildly tart blueberries is a match made in heaven. Serve these sweets while they’re slightly cold, and the flavor of the