Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

Wrong time of year for this, most likely, although I can eat ice cream cake all year round!

But as I said before I'm working on finally get my 2010 family blog book done and pulling out and re-uploading all my pics to my computer, so I came across this and thought I'd post it.

It's wonderfully amazing!

We had some very special people coming over for their birthdays and they requested an ice cream cake.  It just happened after I got their request I was surfing through some craft blogs and came across an easy recipe for banana split ice cream cake.  I was so excited!  It's super easy.  This is all you need...

Banana Split Ice Cream Cake

Ice cream sandwiches

Heath bits

Carmel and Hot Fudge topping

4 Bananas

Sliced Strawberries

Small can of crushed pineapple

1 container of whipped topping

You open all 12 ice cream sandwiches and lay them on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.  Slice the bananas and put them on top.  The use 1/2-1 cup of Hot Fudge and Carmel (each) and put on top.  Then layer the sliced strawberries.  Mix a small can of crushed pineapple including the juice with a container of whipped topping.  and then put that mixture on top.  Sprinkle a crushed butterfinger or heath bits on top.  And freeze for at least 4 hours.  and wa-la....

A very yummy ice cream cake!!!

Just a tip, leave it sit for a few minutes so you can actually bite into it.  I don't know about you, but I don't like my strawberries to be totally frozen, just a little.

Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

It's a super easy recipe!!!  and it's so yummy and can be low fat if you wish!

I copy and pasted the recipe below or click here to go to the website.  I made this with with full fat cream cheese for general conference weekend when we watched it at Dave's parents house.  And this time I used 1/3 fat cream cheese, 1/4 cup of Truvia in place of the 1/2 cup of sugar and I used coconut milk.  I thought either way tasted yummy!!!

Skinny Frozen Peanut Butter Pie

Ingredients:

OREO COOKIE CRUST

• 24 reduced fat Oreos (or regular Oreos if you prefer)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) light butter, melted (I used Land O' Lakes Light)

FILLING

• 1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup milk
• 8 oz reduced fat cream cheese, softened (may also use fat free)
• 8 oz fat-free thawed whipped topping (I used Cool Whip Free)
• 1/4 cup chocolate syrup (I used Hershey's Sugar-Free)
• 1 cup crushed Reese's Pieces, divided

Directions:

First, make the Oreo cookie crust by crushing the Oreos into a fine crumb using a food processor or blender. Using your hands, mix the crushed Oreo crumbs and melted butter together. It may look like there is not enough butter, but it will come together. Place into a 9 or 10 inch pie pan, pressing the crumbs onto the bottom and up the sides as much as it will fit. Try to make the crust 1/8 inch thick all around. It does not have to be perfect, though. Set in the freezer as you make the filling.
Prepare the pie filling in a large bowl by mixing the peanut butter, sugar, cream cheese, and milk. I used an electric mixer, but a wooden spoon would do the trick. Mix until the mixture is completely smooth. Gently fold in the whipped topping.
Remove pie crust from the freezer and layer 1/2 of the pie filling onto the crust. Sprinkle with 1/2 of the crushed Reese's Pieces. Layer with the rest of the pie filling, swirling to make it completely smooth on top. Top with chocolate syrup and remaining Reese's Pieces.
Freeze for at least 4 hours or overnight. 20 minutes before serving, remove from the freezer and let sit out to gently thaw. This made the pie much easier to cut.

*Feel free to use any candy topping of your choice. Peanut butter cups, crushed cookies, candy bars, coconut, chocolate chips, etc. Layer with caramel sauce, use a graham cracker crust, or use less or more sugar depending on your taste. This is a highly adaptable pie.

Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins

Jayden loves Zucchini Chocolate Chip muffins!  I had posted the recipe on here about 3 years ago.  We love it!  

I had bought some zucchini at the farmers market the other day so Jayden helped me make some muffins.  We froze some so I can throw them in his lunch.   He's becoming quite a helper in the kitchen!
Sorry I don't have a picture of the muffins after they are made.  I used to, but I had deleted the pictures from 3 years ago, so I'll have to take some new pictures when we make some more.  We love these muffins!!!


Zucchini Muffins Recipe

For those of you who prefer to use oil over butter, be my guest (use 1 cup vegetable oil instead of the butter) but I have to tell you, I've made these both ways, and the butter version just tastes better.

Ingredients

• 3 cups grated fresh zucchini
• 2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
• 1 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• Pinch salt
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1 cup walnuts (optional)
• 1 cup raisins or dried cranberries (optional)

Method

You don't need a mixer for this recipe.
1 Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, mix together the sugar, eggs, and vanilla. Mix in the grated zucchini and then the melted butter. Sprinkle baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Add these dry ingredients to the zucchini mixture. Fold in the walnuts and dried raisins or cranberries if using.
2 Coat each muffin cup in your muffin pan with a little butter or vegetable oil spray. Use a spoon to distribute the muffin dough equally among the cups, filling the cups up completely. Bake on the middle rack until muffins are golden brown, and the top of the muffins bounce back when you press on them, about 25 to 30 minutes. Test with a long toothpick or a thin bamboo skewer to make sure the center of the muffins are done. Set on wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. Remove muffins from the tin let cool another 20 minutes.
Note, if you are including walnuts and dried fruit, you will likely have more batter than is needed for 12 muffins. I got about 14 muffins from this batch, and that included filling the muffin cups up as far as they could possibly go (above the surface of the muffin tin).

I didn't put nuts or raisins in it, instead I put chocolate chips. I doubled the recipe and put it in cupcake wrappers. I used a whole bag of chocolate chips since I doubled it. I got 45 cupcakes out of it. I thought they were very yummy.

Julie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

This is my favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe!!!!  I call it Julie's because that is who I got the recipe from, I really don't know it's official name, sorry! 

As you can see in the picture below I'm using the wonderful recipe holder that my husband made me... LOVE IT!

Anyhow... It was my mom's last day at the nursing home, she had been there for 3 1/2 months and the nurses and aides where just so nice I wanted to bake them some cookies to say "Thank you." And I thought I'd share the recipe with all of you as well...

Julie's Chocolate Chip Cookies

1 Cup Shortening (I use butter flavored Crisco sticks)

1 Cup sugar

1/2 Cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 Cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips

Cream shortening and sugars in the mixer, then add eggs & vanilla.  In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients, then add them to the sugar mixture and stir in chocolate chips.  If you let it sit for a few minutes it's easier to just roll it in balls in your hands, no need to use spoons, and you have perfect circles too.  You could try putting it in your fridge for a little too, although I just let it sit on the counter for about 15 minutes.  Or I just dig in and the first set I do are a little sticky on my hands, and the second set aren't so sticky.

Bake at 375 degrees for 10-15 minutes.  and you know the rest... put on a cooling rack to cool... 

Enjoy!