The name Dole Whip will be familiar to any Disney fans. Disneyland started serving this fantastic ice cream treat back in 1986 at the Tiki Juice Bar which is part of The Enchanted Tiki Room. The popularity has grown so much over the years it’s now considered an iconic refreshment at the Disney Parks. There’s even Dole Whip merchandise for super fans.
You don’t need to take a vacation to enjoy a Dole Whip. You can make this easy frozen treat at home. All you need is a blender and three simple ingredients. Pineapple juice, frozen pineapple, and vanilla ice cream combine to create a delectable flavorful dessert.
Pineapple soft serve is refreshingly cool and sweet on a hot day, or any day. This version of Dole Whip is absolutely delicious with the same wonderful texture and flavor as the original. Enjoy this delightful frosty treat.
Happy Eating!
For the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10
Dole Whip
Ingredients
½ cup pineapple juice (4 oz.)
2 cups frozen pineapple chunks (10 oz.)
1 large scoop vanilla ice cream (approximately ¾ cup)
Yield: 2 large servings or 4 small servings
Directions
Put pineapple juice, and frozen pineapple chunks in a blender and pulse for a few minutes to chop the pineapple. Add vanilla ice cream and blend on medium high until combined. Stop every so often and give it a stir and keep blending until everything is smooth and creamy.
Place the finished mixture in the freezer for 30 minutes.
Scoop into bowls and enjoy. If you want the iconic swirl, then use a piping bag with a star tip. Pipe into serving bowls just like soft serve.
Notes
After you fill your piping bag, place it in the freezer for a few minutes before making each serving. It’s very soft ice cream and melts quickly.
You can use fresh cut pineapple. Just freeze it before making the soft serve.
You can find this recipe and all my monthly recipes at Mustard Seed Sentinel, Meghan’s Corner. Mustard Seed Sentinel is an online Christian magazine filled with articles on books, entertainment, and so much more. Subscribe today.
Tiny newborn Dylan wrapped his little baby hand tightly around his dad’s finger. Only days old and the love of a father for his child was immediate. Not a lot changed over the years except the chubby baby hand grew, and so did the love.
Dylan would follow Tom everywhere, and wanted to do anything his dad was doing. If Tom was in the garage and using tools, Dylan wanted to use tools too. Tom would hand Dylan pliers or wrenches and let him play along. When Tom mowed the lawn, Dylan mowed right next to him with his toy lawn mower.
At two-years old Dylan loved wooden trains, especially Thomas the Tank Engine. There was always wooden track set up on his bedroom floor. Dylan would wait patiently all day for his dad to get home from work to play with him. Tom would create elaborate train track arrangements. Dylan would say, “every piece of track”. So Tom would oblige and use every single piece of track.
When Joshua came along our life was different. Tom was back in school, but the deep abiding love for his second born was the same. As a newborn Joshua was colicky, so Tom held him all night until he fell asleep. I’d find baby Joshua snug between his father’s legs. Like a little nest. I’m not sure how Tom had the energy to do that since he was working full time and in school full time, but he did.
Tom takes fatherhood seriously and loves our boys deeply. Tom has always made everything fun for them. Even picking out candy was a fun adventure. Every summer there were father son camping trips filled with junk food and campfires. He has enjoyed taking our boys on adventures and showing them how to explore, and learn, and just be themselves.
Our boys aren’t little anymore but the foundation of love has been built upon over the years with layer upon layer of precious memories. Some difficult memories too. All the good and bad have come together, being used by God in a beautiful plan to shape our sons. Tom helped lay that foundation as their dad.
Thank you Tom for:
Loving our boys.
Loving me.
Loving Jesus.
Sacrificing for us.
Working jobs you hated to provide for our family.
Fixing all the broken things in our house.
Repairing all the cars.
Holding croupy babies in steamy bathrooms.
Taking the boys everywhere and showing them all the cool things.
Showing the boys what it means to be a Godly man.
Discipling our boys and teaching them the difference between right and wrong.
Thank you for the joy, fun, and perspective you give the boys.
We love you Tom! You’re the best dad.
The father of a righteous son will rejoice greatly, and one who fathers a wise son will delight in him. Proverbs 23:24,HCSB
Happy Father’s Day to all the dads. God bless you abundantly!
This is my favorite pound cake. It’s delicious and easy. I found this scrumptious dessert years ago in SouthernLiving magazine. I get asked for this recipe every time I make it. I shared this pound cake when I first started writing for Mustard Seed Sentinel, and wanted to share it again with new followers.
Enjoy this delightful sweet treat. Life is short. Have a piece of cake.
Happy Eating!
Cream Cheese Pound Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cups butter, softened
1 (8oz.) package cream cheese, softened
3 cups sugar
6 large eggs
1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
3 cups all purpose flour
⅛ teaspoon salt
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 300°
2. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until creamy; gradually add sugar, beating until mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Add eggs one at a time, beating until combined. Add vanilla extract, beat until blended.
4. Combine flour and salt in a small bowl; gradually add to butter mixture, beating at low speed just until blended after each addition. Don’t over mix.
5. Pour batter into a greased and floured 10-inch bundt pan or tube pan.
6. Bake for 1 hour and 25 to 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for 15 minutes. Remove from pan, and let cool completely for about an hour.
Notes:
~I prefer to use three loaf pans. Cooking time drops to approximately 1 hour 5 minutes when using loaf pans. You can freeze the loaves. Thaw before serving.
~Reduce the sugar to 2 ½ cups or 2 ¾ if 3 cups is too sweet. It still comes out yummy.
The first morning glory of the season greeted me bright and early today in the garden. It’s fun to grow a new variety like these gorgeous pinkish purple ones. Tom gave me these seeds among others at Christmas. I love watching seeds sprout, grow, and eventually flower. It’s very rewarding.
A new flower gives me hope. My garden is no longer a brown desolate wasteland. Now it’s full of new life. Vegetables, herbs, flowers, and fruit are thriving. I didn’t have much hope of planting anything just a few months ago. I didn’t think I would have a garden this year with Tom’s hospitalization and health issues.
God brings hope and blessings in the midst of trials.
Since you all have graciously followed along on our journey of my car accident, and Tom’s hospitalization, and a lot of unknowns, I wanted to give you a little update. Tom had his hernia surgeries yesterday. I sat in the surgery prep area with Tom as nurses came and went asking questions, taking his vitals, and getting him ready.
The anesthesiologist came in, looked over Tom’s blood draw results, and was very concerned with his kidney function. He let us know that Tom is high risk, and rattled off a bunch of potential really horrific things that can happen going under anesthetic and having surgery. My heart sank. Fear whispered in my ear, “something bad is going to happen to Tom“.
Tom was not worried and reassured me that he will be alright. I told fear to take a hike, like forever. The Holy Spirit said to me, “I’ve got Tom. Do not fear“. It was another faith test. I could not see the end result and I was told awful scary things. But God said, “Keep trusting Me“.
The surgeon stepped in the room and went over the anesthesiologist’s serious concerns and asked Tom what he wanted to do. Tom told him that he felt good, and healthy, and that he was ready. The surgery was a success and went better than the surgeon expected. That’s a big praise.
Tom came home last night. There are all sorts of tubes and pumps in his three large incisions. He’s in a lot of pain, no surprise there. He’s been very nauseous and thrown up several times. Sorry if that’s too much info. Gotta keep it real. You have to go through the hard ugly stuff to get to the good.
Today is a new day with new hope just waiting. New opportunities for God’s grace and mercy are here. I’m praying Tom will have less pain today on his path to healing. I’m still praying for his kidneys to completely recover.
The Lord can breathe new life into anything. What appears to be a lost cause can be fertile ground for new life, for hope.
We stand on The Rock. We trust God to completely heal Tom. Through the ups and downs God is faithful. Thank you so much for your prayers!
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13, NIV
We wanted to hike to the top of Diamond Head on our Hawaiian vacation. Our itinerary was filled with snorkeling, kayaking, and sight seeing. Hiking to the top of an iconic volcanic crater was a must. The path started out at the ground level smooth, paved and relaxing. Within minutes the path began to curve and wind. No longer paved, it became rocky and uneven.
The trail was not super difficult, yet not super easy either. I had to pay attention since there were numerous switchbacks along the way. There’s a large steep staircase that brings you up 560 feet. I had to stop and catch my breath after climbing those steps.
After climbing another set of stairs there is a 225 foot long tunnel. I am not a fan of enclosed dark spaces. There was no way around the tunnel. I had to go through it to continue on my journey to the top. Once we made it through the creepy dark tunnel it felt like a small victory.
There are several look out points where you can take a break and enjoy the view. When Tom and I finally reached the top it was all worth it. The views were stunning. We could see Waikiki Beach, and downtown Honolulu. Everywhere we looked was absolutely gorgeous. The beautiful blue Pacific Ocean looked like it had no end. Taking the narrow path was worth it.
Following Jesus is the narrow path.
13 “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. 14 But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.
Matthew 7:13-14, NIV
Jesus is the only way to the Father. “Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6, NIV). Following Him is not the easy road. The narrow road can be treacherous, steep, and winding. To stay on the narrow path we must fix our eyes on Jesus. He is leading the way and we must follow.
There are dark tunnels and the only way through them is to trust where He is taking you, even when you cannot see. Jesus will get you to the other side of that darkness. And when you are tired and cannot take another step He will pick you up and carry you.
When you are afraid as you look at the steep drop-offs, He will comfort you, and reassure you that you can in fact make it. The only way to get through the narrow path is with Jesus.
Our faith is tested on the narrow path. We must humble ourselves, lay down our pride, take up our cross and follow Him. The longer we are on the narrow path the more we become like Jesus. Little by little, step by step.
There are blessings along the narrow path, provision, and beauty. The narrow path leads to life. Jesus is life. Our time here on Earth is brief and it will come to an end. Those who have placed their faith in Jesus will be in Heaven with Him forever.
2 My Father’shouse has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:2-3, NIV
The Broad path leads to destruction.
The road to destruction is wide. There are plenty of people on this path. This road is all about self, and making our own way. Doing our own thing. We have no need for Christ on the broad road.
This wide open path is easy, effortless. There is no thought of the narrow path here. Do what you want. Make your own way. It’s difficult to wander off the wide path. There’s plenty of space to do absolutely anything you want without much consequence.
The way of the broad path is not a happy one. Destruction is where it leads which is eternal ruin in Hell. “But the subjects of the kingdom will be thrown outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew 8:12, NIV)
Jesus is not on the broad path. He is calling us to Him on the narrow road. It’s our choice to make.
I was on the broad path before placing my faith in Jesus Christ. Everything changed once I met Jesus. My eyes were opened to see just how beautiful Jesus is, and how sinful I am. His shed blood saved me and set me free.
Jesus died for all. “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1 John 2:2, NIV) But not everyone will place their faith in Christ.
The only path I want to be on is the narrow one because Jesus is there. No matter the difficulties, no matter the hardships, there is no place I’d rather be then with my wonderful Savior. Jesus is life.
Only a few find Jesus.
I think it’s interesting that the island of Oahu averages around 250,000 visitors per day yet only 3000 each day hike to the top of Diamond Head. It’s a great illustration of the ease of the wide path with very few finding the narrow path. Sure, many tourists see Diamond Head and it’s beauty, yet they go right past it not wanting to take that narrow path to the top.
Jesus spoke the words in Matthew 7. He is telling us to choose Him because He is life. What appears to be hundreds of ways to Jesus is a lie. The narrow gate is the only entrance. That means placing your faith in Jesus Christ. All other ways lead to destruction.
There is hope for those on the broad road to destruction. In Matthew 7:7-8 Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. He is ready and waiting to answer our prayers. Jesus does not want anyone to perish. “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (1 Peter 3:9, NIV)
The narrow path can be lonely and difficult but Jesus is there, and He is leading us home.
Love you all,
Meghan
If you need prayer please email me at meghanewhiteauthor@gmail.com
Meghan E White 