WHAT TO DO WITH AN INHERITED HOME
Strawberry Shortcake Ice Cream Bars
Turning Emotion Into a Plan
Inspired by ThePioneerWoman.com
Ingredients
Lately, I’ve worked with a handful of families who inherited property and weren’t sure what to do next. It happens more often than you’d think. The parents pass, the kids live out of town, and suddenly there’s a house sitting there. It’s full of memories and stuff with no real plan in place. Most people mean to take care of it quickly, but they’re grieving, busy, or simply don’t know how or where to start. So, time passes — a month, three months, a year — and the house just sits. That’s when little problems start turning into big ones. Landscaping grows wild. Tree branches start scraping against the roof. The crawl space gets moldy. I’ve seen it happen more than once. The biggest thing I’d tell anyone in that situation is to talk to a professional early on. It doesn’t have to be me, although I’d be happy to help, but someone who understands the process and can help you make a plan. In a lot of cases, you don’t need to figure everything out on your own. You need someone to walk you through it and connect you with the right people. That might mean cleaners, movers, estate sale contacts, or even a contractor. When families are overwhelmed, I’ve found that one of the most helpful things I can do is take the emotion out of the logistics. Once you decide you’re not keeping the house, it becomes a business decision. It sounds a little harsh, but treating it that way gives you clarity. It helps you avoid value loss or damage from neglect. I know it’s hard and understand the weight this kind of thing puts on people. But I’ve also seen the relief once they start moving forward. If you or someone you know is in this boat, you’re not alone. You just need a little help — and it’s out there.
• 1 pt strawberry ice cream • 1/4 cup strawberry preserves • 1 pt vanilla ice cream
• 1 5.25-oz package crispy sugar cookies • 1 0.8-oz package freeze- dried strawberries
Directions
1. Stir strawberry ice cream in a large bowl until spreadable. Fold in preserves until evenly streaked throughout. 2. Stir vanilla ice cream in a separate large bowl until spreadable. 3. Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of the strawberry mixture into the bottom of 8 (1/3-cup) popsicle molds. Spoon 1 1/2 tbsp of the vanilla mixture on top of the strawberry mixture into the molds. Repeat, alternating the 2 mixtures, until each mold is full. 4. Place sticks into the popsicles and freeze until solid, 4–6 hours. 5. In a large zip-lock bag, crush sugar cookies with a rolling pin until pieces are rice-size; pour into a shallow dish. 6. Repeat with freeze-dried strawberries and stir the pieces together. 7. Run the ice cream molds under warm water to release popsicles from molds. 8. Coat bars evenly with cookie mixture. 9. Eat immediately or place on a cookie sheet and freeze.
Solution on Page 4
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