Oreo Fudge Ice Cream Cake

Easy and good, that's what I was after for my husband's birthday cake.  He loves ice creams cakes, so I thought this one looked really good and would be easy enough to complete during my son's nap.  I cannot say enough how easy this cake was to make.  Some might say it was a piece of cake ;)  All you need are 5 ingredients: 1/2 cup hot fudge topping, 1 (8 oz) tub Cool Whip, 1 (3.9 oz) package of chocolate instant pudding mix, 8 Oreo cookies, and 12 vanilla ice cream sandwiches.


Everyone really enjoyed this cake.  When we sliced it, it looked perfect, just like the picture on the Kraft website.   It had such a beautiful presentation.  (I forgot my camera, so I didn't get any pictures of my sliced cake, but trust me it looked great!)

Although the cake tasted great, I know it could have been better had I grabbed the regular full fat, full sugar ice cream sandwiches that I intended to buy.  In a whirlwind trip through Target with a tired kiddo, I grabbed the first box I found, which happened to be 'no sugar added'.  This essentially translates into 'no flavor' in my book.  Oh well, I'm sure I'll be making this again and will be sure to grab the good stuff!  I wonder how this cake would taste made with Klondike bars and Nutella instead of the hot fudge?  I just might have to try this out ;)

Fudge & Cool Whip; Add the pudding mix; Add the Oreo's;  All mixed up.

Layers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and the Cool Whip 'frosting'.

For the complete recipe, click here.

Chocolate Pistachio Marble Cake

Chocolate Pistachio Marble Cake

I don't make cakes very often, but when I decide to make a cake, this recipe is my absolute favorite!  My mom used to make it every once in a while when I was growing up. 

Sometimes frosting is a good thing, other times (like this) it's so over rated.  Just a little sprinkle of powdered sugar is all this cake needs to bring it to absolute perfection.

I love this cake, not only because it is so simple to make, but because it is so moist and practically melts in your mouth.  Believe it or not, I used a boxed cake mix.  I know, I know it's hard to believe I didn't do things from scratch this time.  Therefore, I dedicate this cake to all my readers (all 12 of them, haha....lol) who say they're too busy to bake. :)  Although, I did use my homemade chocolate syrup in place of the Hershey's stuff. ;)  It worked out beautifully!

Just a few simple ingredients, mix, and pour.

Add the chocolatey goodness, pour, then bake.

Marbled chocolate pistachio cake....yummo!

Click to ENLARGE. 

To print, left click> file> print. To save file to your computer, right click on image, then "save image as".

Sweet as Sugar Cookies is having a linky party, and I was invited!  So, stop by and check out all the other fantastic looking treats!  There are so many delicious treats it's hard to decide which one I should make first! Click on the button below to check it out...

Lipton Cheese Steak Sandwiches

Lately I've been reading a ton of blogs. I can't believe how many talented people out there creating neat stuff!  In addition to my love of cooking, I am a lover of crafts. Lately in my spare time, I've been creating some nifty Halloween decorations that I found on some craft blogs.

Obviously, in addition to reading a lot of craft blogs, I check out a bunch of food blogs too.  I came across this simple recipe for Lipton Philly-Style Cheese Steak sandwiches the other day from fellow blogger Tidy Mom who periodically posts recipes on Unilever's The Family Dish.  I wasn't expecting these to taste like a true Philly cheese steak, but 'wit'* the Lipton Onion Soup mix, it had to be good!

*wit = the term used when ordering a cheese steak in Philadelphia that means "with onions".

Here I am at Pat's in Philadelphia last year eating the real deal.  I love how little man is eying my sandwich.  Don't worry little guy, you'll get your cheese steak soon!

Lipton Onion Soup mix makes everything taste so good!  I mix in into sour cream for a quick onion dip. I also love the recipe on the box for baked onion potatoes. Check it out sometime!

The recipe was simple enough, but I made some changes since I didn't have cube steak on hand.  I had never heard of it before, but found out it's the preferred steak for chicken fried steak, which, believe it or not I've never had despite being one of those GRITS (Girls Raised In The South).  Anyhoo, I used a piece of top sirloin that I found in the back of the freezer. I sliced it about 1/3" thick and pounded it with a meat hammer until it was as thin as it could be.

I also just left the steak in the pan and added the onion soup mix and water. Mixed. Heated for a couple minutes. Done.

My husband and I loved these sandwiches. The meat was so tender and the onion soup mix gave it a great flavor.  I served it with Trader Joe's garlic fries (and yes, wine :) ).  They tasted just like the ones served at the San Francisco Giants games. YUM!

Here's the recipes for these tasty sandwiches... (or link to the original recipe if you prefer)

 

To print, left click >file >print. To save file to your computer, right click on image, then "save image as". 

Quick & Tasty: Penne with Broccoli

Busy days, I love them!  I'm the type that always has to be doing something otherwise I go stir crazy, sort of like my 16 month old son.   So, when it came time to think about dinner, Penne with Broccoli was my ticket.  This is my go-to recipe for quick, easy & flavorful.  It's a solid recipe, but I add some grilled chicken to make it complete.

Thanks Lisa for sharing this recipe with me :)

 

Penne with Broccoli (from Hertha Verdurmen, San Francisco, California, Sunset, MARCH 2004)

Ingredients

• 1 1/2  pounds  broccoli florets
• 1/4  cup  olive oil
• 3  cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/2  teaspoon  hot chili flakes
• About 1/2 teaspoon salt
• About 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 12  ounces  dried penne pasta
• 1/3  cup  grated pecorino romano cheese

Preparation

1. Rinse broccoli and trim and discard stem ends. Coarsely chop tops and stems. In a 5- to 6-quart pan over medium heat, stir olive oil and garlic often until garlic sizzles, then stir in broccoli, chili flakes, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/2 cup water. Cover and cook, stirring occasionally, until broccoli is very soft and mashes easily with a fork, 20 to 25 minutes. Add 1/4 cup water to pan if broccoli threatens to scorch.
2. Meanwhile, in a 5- to 6-quart pan over high heat, bring 4 quarts water to a boil; add penne and cook until tender to bite, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain and return to pan.
3. Stir broccoli mixture into pasta along with cheese. Add more salt and pepper to taste.

UPDATE: Want a recipe card? Here you go!

To print, left click >file >print. To save file to your computer, right click on image, then "save image as".

Peanut Butter Balls

I was craving something a little sweet and indulgent tonight, but didn't want to spend a lot of time cooking since my dear husband needed to get in the kitchen to make us dinner.  I love that guy! (He made us sliders and a salad if you were wondering.  It was delicious!)  Anyhoo, an old recipe that I remember making with my mom when I was a wee little one came to mind: Peanut Butter Balls.  

Minimal prep and no baking required! It only takes about 10 minutes to make.

Peanut Butter Balls

1 cup nonfat dry milk powder

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs (about 3 1/2 crackers)

Chocolate sprinkles or powdered sugar

Instructions:

Crumb the graham crackers in a food processor. Add the nonfat dry milk, peanut butter, and honey.  Process until it is well mixed.

 Roll the dough into 1" balls and then roll in chocolate sprinkles (or powdered sugar). 

Keep refrigerated. Makes about 20 peanut butter balls.

I look forward to making these when Aaron is a little older. I think we'll have fun making these together :)

Enjoy!

Update:  If you want something a bit healthier or for the little ones check out this recipe for Almond Butter Balls. I haven't made it yet, but plan to soon!

Summer salads

Ahh another weekend in the books.  This weekend was full of fun summer bbq's with good friends.   I used these opportunities to share some new salad recipes I recently acquired.

Caramel Apple Deconstructed

I'll start with a yummy caramel apple salad that I got a few weeks ago from my mom. She had it at a bbq and was able to snag the recipe.  I would say it's more of a dessert than a side dish since it's pretty sweet. The best part is that I was able to whip it up super quick! What's even better is that I didn't feel a bit guilty while eating a big bowl full. :)

I have made the caramel apple salad using Lite Cool Whip and Fat Free Cool Whip.  I couldn't really tell a difference, but when I made it with Fat Free Cool Whip I only added 1 1/2 cups since I wanted the caramel taste to come through stronger.   I think next time I might chop up a chocolate bar on top. Yummo! Nothing gets better than caramel & chocolate in my book!  One more thing, I used a combination of granny smith and fuji apples.  I thought the tartness of the granny smith apples complemented the overall sweetness of the 'salad' very well.


Needless to say, everyone approved of this salad, well everyone except my husband, but that's because he's not a big fruit kind of guy.  Put some bbq pulled pork in front of him and he's in heaven. I'll get to the bbq pulled pork that has dubbed me the title 'pit meister' another time just to keep you salivating!

Orzo smorzo, but oh so good!
I never know what to do with orzo.  Why use rice shaped pasta when you could just make rice?!  However, I have to say that rice probably wouldn't taste very good in this summer salad that I got from a friend, Lauren Schenke.  It was fantastic and my good friend and Aaron's Godmother, Erica, gave it "two thumbs up".   The picture below just doesn't to it justice.  One of these years I'll get a fancy SLR camera, but for now I have to maximize the functionality of my little point and shoot.

The heirloom tomatoes I got from the farmers market worked out great in this salad since they were firm enough that they didn't squish all over the place.  I used fresh raw corn, but realized after making the salad that I was probably supposed to cook it first.  Oh well, regardless it tasted great!


By the way, if you're ever looking for good recipes, go to myrecipes.com to find all those fantastic recipes published in Cooking Light, Southern Living, Sunset, and others.  It's the first place I go for new recipes. No subscription or registration needed!

Orzo Salad with Corn, Tomatoes, & Basil (recipe link)
Cooking Light, JULY 2001

Yield: 4 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients

• DRESSING:
• 2  tablespoons  fresh lemon juice
• 1  tablespoon  olive oil
• 1  teaspoon  red wine vinegar
• 1/2  teaspoon  salt
• 1/4  teaspoon  black pepper
• 3  garlic cloves, crushed
• 
  SALAD:
• 1  cup  uncooked orzo (rice-shaped pasta)
• 2  cups  fresh yellow corn kernels (about 4 ears)
• 2  cups  chopped tomato
• 1/2  cup  vertically sliced red onion
• 1/4  cup  finely chopped fresh basil

Preparation

To prepare dressing, combine first 6 ingredients in a jar; cover tightly, and shake vigorously.

To prepare salad, cook pasta according to package directions, omitting salt and fat. Drain, and place in a large bowl. Spoon half of dressing over pasta; toss to coat. Cool to room temperature. Add the remaining dressing, corn, tomato, onion, and basil to pasta; toss to coat. Let stand 30 minutes.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

312 (16% from fat)

Fat:

5.4g (sat 0.8g,mono 3g,poly 1.2g)

Protein:

10.1g

Carbohydrate:

59g

Fiber:

5.1g

Cholesterol:

0.0mg

Iron:

2.9mg

Sodium:

318mg

Calcium:

27mg

Cooking Light, JULY 2001