Our Top 3 Favorite Summer Desserts

Here at Hilltop we LOVE a good dessert. After evening chores & grilling a delicious dry-aged steak or hamburger in the summer time there is nothing better than a tasty treat. We usually are out late with evening chores but that is one of our favorite times of the day during the summer. Late summer evenings. #1. Homemade Ice Cream - Homemade ice cream is a staple in the summer months at the ranch. The Ratzlaff family loves cooling off from summer evening chores with a cold scoop of homemade ice cream. After a long hot day we grill our favorite steak or burger then start up the ice cream maker. It's a perfect pairing!! Our favorite homemade ice cream maker is this one we purchased several years ago from Cuisinart. It's the perfect size for our family of five. Here is our favorite homemade vanilla ice cream recipe: Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream Recipe:

• 1 1/2 cups whole milk
• 1 1/8 cups sugar
• 3 cups heavy cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons vanilla extract

Our Favorite Ice Cream Maker: Amazon.com: Cuisinart Ice Cream Maker, Ice Cream and Frozen Yogurt Machine, 2-Qt. Double-Insulated Freezer Bowl, Silver, ICE30BC,Brushed Chrome #2. Smores - We love smores so much we eat them over the camp fire when we've been fishing at the ranch pond. But did you know smores are so easy and perfect on the grill too. We love them so much I keep the 3 main ingredients stocked up all summer long! Marshmallows, chocolate bars, & graham crackers. We simply thread our marshmallows on our skewers and brown them over the grill. Then enjoy them right outside! Nothing like a smore outside in the summertime! Our Favorite Grilling Skewers: Amazon.com: Kabob Skewers 20 PCS,Flat Metal Skewers for Grilling 15 inch Stainless Steel Grilling Skewers for Kabobs Shish Kabob Sticks Wide Reusable Grilling Skewers Set for Meat,Shrimp,Chicken,Sausage,Vegetable : Patio, Lawn & Garden #3 Watermelon - Yes! Watermelon. It makes the perfect summertime dessert! We love a slice of cold watermelon right from the fridge. It is another perfect pairing with a grilled steak or burger. We slice it up earlier in the day and place it in the fridge. Then after grilling and chores we come up to the back porch in the shade to cool off with a slice of cold watermelon. And the best part is we put the rind in a plastic grocery sack in the deep freezer. After it is frozen we toss it out for the chickens to enjoy frozen on a hot day!