If you have extra mint from the garden and you’re tired of mojitos or tea, check out this recipe for fresh mint chip ice cream!

Nothing heralds the arrival or warm weather like ice cream sandwiches made with fresh garden spearmint and dark chocolate. Here’s a recipe for fresh mint chip ice cream.

FRESH MINT CHIP ICE CREAM RECIPE

Makes 1 generous pint

Ingredients

• 2½ cups heavy cream
• 1 cup whole milk
• 2 cups fresh mint leaves (spearmint recommended)
• 1 cup sugar
• 5 large egg yolks
• Pinch sea salt
• 3 Tbsp cacao nibs

Instructions

1. In a large saucepan, heat the cream, milk, mint, and sugar over medium heat, stirring to combine. Bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and cover.
2. Steep for at least 20 minutes and up to several hours, tasting until flavor has infused to your liking.
3. In a medium bowl, whisk together yolks and salt.
4. Slowly ladle in about a half cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking constantly to prevent the eggs from cooking.
5. Still whisking, slowly stir the egg mixture back into the saucepan.
6. Return to the pan and cook over low heat until the mixture lightly coats a spoon, about 5 minutes. (A finger drawn across the spoon should leave a clear path.) Don’t let the custard boil or it will curdle!
7. Strain into a clean bowl and cool in an ice water bath, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.
8. Process in an ice cream maker, adding the cacao nibs during the last minute.
9. Transfer to an airtight container and freeze until firm, at least 3 hours or overnight.

Owning a home has great financial benefits, yet many continue renting! Today, let’s look at the financial reasons why owning a home of your own has been a part of the American Dream for as long as America has existed.

Zillow recently reported that:

“With Rents continuing to climb and interest rates staying low, many renters find themselves gazing over the homeownership fence and wondering if the grass really is greener. Leaving aside, for the moment, the difficulties of saving for a down payment, let’s focus on the monthly expenses of owning a home: it turns out that renters currently paying the median rent in many markets could afford to buy a higher-quality property than the typical (read: median-valued) home without increasing their monthly expenses.”

What proof exists that owning is financially better than renting?

1. The latest Rent Vs. Buy Report from Trulia pointed out the top 5 financial benefits of homeownership:

• Mortgage payments can be fixed while rents go up.
• Equity in your home can be a financial resource later.
• You can build wealth without paying capital gain.
• A mortgage can act as a forced savings account
• Overall, homeowners can enjoy greater wealth growth than renters.

2. Studies have shown that a homeowner’s net worth is 45x greater than that of a renter.

3. Just a few months ago, we explained that a family buying an average priced home at the beginning of 2017 could build more than $42,000 in family wealth over the next five years.

4. Some argue that renting eliminates the cost of taxes and home repairs, but every potential renter must realize that all the expenses the landlord incurs are already baked into the rent payment –along with a profit margin!!

Bottom Line

Owning a home has always been, and will always be, better from a financial standpoint than renting.

Baking soda is that classic pantry staple that’s also a wonderful natural cleaner for your home, and you can even toss it into your beauty routine. But did you know it can help out in the garden, too?

Keep Pests Away

Sprinkle baking soda on your soil with a flour sifter to keep ants, roaches and slugs away from your garden. (Be sure to avoid your plants!) It’s a safe way to keep beneficial insects around and say sayonara to the ones you’re tired of seeing.

Kill Crab Grass

Crab grass can take over your lawn and continue growing spring through fall. Did you know you have a defense for this enemy sitting right in your cabinet? First, wet the patch of crab grass with a watering can. Then, sprinkle the patch liberally with baking soda. (Be sure to avoid your surrounding grass.) In a few days, this unwelcome weed will be history.

Prevent Fungal Disease

Nothing can be more frustrating on a beautiful plant than powdery mildrew or leaf spots. Give this natural remedy a try.

MAKE IT: Mix 1 teaspoon of baking soda and 2-3 drops of liquid soap in 1 liter of water. Spray the solution on the infected plants. Baking soda helps the plants become less acidic and prevents fungal growth.

Kill Weeds

Bring beauty back to your sidewalks. Simply pour baking soda into cracks where weeds appear. The baking soda alone should kill any small weeds and prevent new ones from sprouting back up.

Sweeten Tomatoes

Nothing’s better than sinking your teeth into a sweet, juicy tomato right from the garden. Baking soda can actually make them taste even better! Sprinkle a small amount of baking soda on the soil around your tomato plants to lower the acidity levels. (The lower the acid level, the sweeter your tomatoes are.) Just make sure the baking soda doesn’t get on the plant.

Clean Bird Baths

Scrub dirt and stains off your bird bath with a damp cloth and baking soda. After, simply rinse with cool water to ensure safe, clean bathing for your flying friends.

Freshen Compost

Is your compost pile starting to scare the neighbors? Sprinkle baking soda around your compost pile (or in the bin) to eliminate odor.

Keep Cut Flowers Fresh

Fill a vase with water, then mix in a teaspoon of baking soda. Your freshly-cut flowers will thank you.

Clean Dirty Hands

Baking soda is a natural deodorizer, so it’s perfect for cleaning dirty, hard-working hands without the chemicals found in other cleaning solutions. Pour baking soda on your palms, add some water, scrub, then rinse.