Ice Cream Crunch Bars

O summertime. What a great excuse to eat ice cream on a daily basis...you see I  live in the middle of hot, humid nebraska and I play outside with my boys all day!! I am usually not the type to dish up a bowl of ice cream, but make it taste like deep fried ice cream without all the work, and I’m in. You can make up to 15 bars at a time, freeze them, cut them, and throw them each in an individual zip-top bag and your grab-n-go ice cream is ready!

Ice Cream Crunch Bars

Printable Version

3 cups Rice Krispie Cereal

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

3/4 cups brown sugar

8 tablespoons butter melted

1 cup mini chocolate chips

1/2 gallon vanilla ice cream, softened to the consistency of soft serve

Optional but even more delicious: Heat a large skillet over medium low heat and add coconut. Toast, stirring constantly, until golden brown. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.  Line a 9×13 inch pan with foil, extending a little over the edges of pan.

Place Rice Krispies, coconut, and brown sugar in pan.  Drizzle butter over mixture and combine well. Bake for about 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes during cooking time.  Remove from oven when toasted and golden brown and let mixture cool completely.

Remove half of crispy mixture and spread remaining half in an even layer on the bottom of prepared foil lined pan.  Gently spoon softened ice cream on top of mixture.  Use a spoon and very gently spread mixture, being careful to not lift up crisp from bottom of pan.  Spread ice cream out evenly and then top with mini chocolate chips, then remaining crisp mixture.  Gently press top crisp into ice cream with hands.  Cover pan with plastic or foil and chill until firm (preferably overnight.)  When ready to serve, use foil to completely remove ice cream from pan.  Slice into 15 squares and serve.

Recipe from Our Best Bites

Makes 15 bars.

Broccoli Summer Salad

How many get togethers will you go to this summer and bring the same old side dish? Boring green salad, jello, and baked beans are always on my list. However, I always WANT to bring the show stopper. Well, I just found it! My sister in-law sent me this recipe and honestly, I have made it 3 times this month! It is so refreshing and filling as well. I will admit, women seem to be drawn to it a little more than men, but even my husband tried it and liked it! Feel free to add some grilled chicken to make this a main dish rather than a side.

Broccoli Summer Salad

Printable Version

1 large broccoli crown

4 ounces fresh mozzarella cheese

7 ounces chick peas or garbanzo beans

20 cherry tomatoes

¼ head purple cabbage

½ avocado

5-8 ounces creamy balsamic dressing (I used Brianna’s)

Dice all ingredients into smaller than bite-size pieces, and combine in a large bowl. Toss together and chill. Prior to serving, add avocado and add desired amount of dressing.

Recipe from Sheridan

Serves 6-8 as a side dish

Lime Coconut Chicken

I have been in a food slump...well, maybe not quite a slump, but we have had so much going on in the past 6 weeks of our lives I have barely entered my kitchen let alone tried to whip up a new recipe. We found out that we are expecting another BOY into our family! My twin boys will be 19 months when our next little dude comes along, so our lives are about to change significantly! I wouldn’t have it any other way. We love crazy!

Next. my AMAZING husband just graduated from dental school!  I couldn’t be more proud of his accomplishments. It has been a long 4 years and a ton of hard work, but it will pay off before we know it.

The day after graduation we took off for our new adventure in a new city...45 minutes away! My husband is doing a post-graduate oral surgery fellowship that we are both so excited about.

A few days after moving we headed on a big vacation to Lake Tahoe and Puerto Rico! WHEW...long explanation to my absent recipies...but the important thing is that we had a lot of fun in the past month and a half, and that...

I’M BACK!!!!!

I asked my best friend for a few delicious recipes she has found in the past few weeks, and she gave me quite a few to try. She claimed this was her all-time favorite, and I KNOW WHY! These bold flavors pop out in every single bite. Both my husband and I were loving every single bite. It is amazing how different flavors can all come together and create such a perfect blend on your palate. AND, And...it is so easy! One quick marinade and cook the chicken and you are ready. I love meals that I can think of that day, and I have all the ingredients on hand.

Lime and Coconut Chicken

Printable Version

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

3 tbsp oil, for cooking

Marinade

zest of 2 limes

2 tsp ground cumin

3 tsp ground coriander

4 Tbs soy sauce

3 tsp kosher salt

4 Tbs sugar

4 tsp curry powder

1 cup coconut milk

pinch cayenne (optional)

Garnish

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

Fresh limes, cut into wedges

Trim fat from chicken breasts.  Starting on thick side of the breasts slice the chicken breasts almost in half, then open each like a book.

Place each open breast between two pieces of plastic wrap and lightly pound out each breast into even thickness.

Mix all remaining ingredients, except the garnish, in a large bowl.

Add chicken to the marinade and chill in the refrigerator for up to two hours. (Really 2 hours is all you need, I did 1.5 hours and it was plenty!)

Remove each breast from the marinade, making sure to get off as much excess marinade as possible. When sauteing, extra marinade will burn a little. (It’s not a huge deal, just the less marinade in the pan the better!)

Pour the remaining marinade into a small saucepan and bring to a rolling boil.  Boil continuously for at least 2 minutes, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.

In a heavy skillet or grill pan, heat olive oil over medium high heat and cook the chicken for about 4 minutes on each side, or until slightly golden.

Remove from the skillet, sprinkle with fresh lime juice and cilantro. Serve over rice or quinoa topped with the extra sauce.

Recipe from Chaos in the Kitchen

Serves 4.

Chicken Paillard

I’ve raved about my husbands cooking before, but this really deserves some huge props. I especially love his Homemade Gnocchi, and his Feta Avocado Dip. We probably make this chicken at least 2-3 times a month, with all different sides. This time we chose to add some fresh Parmesan to the chicken and serve it on top of a caesar salad. The chicken has a perfect crisp coating and is extremely juicy, it will make any dinner a treat!

Chicken Paillard

Printable Version

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Wondra flour or all-purpose flour

3 tablespoons unsalted butter

Preheat oven to 400°. Place chicken between 2 sheets of plastic wrap; using a mallet or heavy skillet, pound chicken until 1/2-inch thick (which will help it cook evenly and stay juicy). Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dust with flour; shake off excess.

Melt butter in a medium size saucepan. Spoon off milk solids (the white foam that separates from the butter) to make clarified butter. (It has a high smoke point and won't burn over high heat.)

When butter begins to shimmer, place chicken in skillet. Cook until starting to brown, 5-6 minutes.

Transfer skillet to oven; roast until chicken is just cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Remove skillet from oven; turn chicken breast over. Let stand in skillet for 1 minute. Transfer chicken to a plate and serve..

Recipe from Bon Appetit Magazine

Serves 2

German Pancakes

I have eaten German pancakes forever. Like, since I can remember, forever. Usually it was at my cousin Katie's house...my wonderful aunt would always make these for us the morning after a slumber party. I remember always running up the stairs and smelling these babies cooking. They still are my favorite go-to breakfast whenever I have visitors, and also a sneaky way to get one of my twin boys to eat eggs! These puff up beautifully when the are cooking, so be ready to show them off directly out of the oven...they fall fast!

German Pancakes

Printable Version

6 eggs

1 cup flour

1 cup milk

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. vanilla

1/4 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in 9x13 inch pan. In a medium bowl, mix eggs, flour, milk, salt and vanilla. Pour batter into prepared pan. Bake on middle rack in the oven for 25-35 minutes. Serve with butter, powdered sugar, and syrup.

Serves 6.

Amazingly Moist and Fluffy Cupcakes

O box mixes. What a wonderful thing that these little gems are. Really, they make pretty good cakes for how effortless they are. Recently my sister came upon this Jazzed Up version of a cake mix, and she was freaking out! It is her new favorite recipe, she made it 3 times in one week! So, naturally, I had to give it a shot. I MIGHT have made it twice this week already! The cupcakes are so moist and fluffy, while being dense at the same time. It is really impressive for just adding a few ingredients to a cake mix! I hope you enjoy it as much as we have, and try the cream cheese frosting on top that I posted last week, you won't regret it!

Amazingly Moist and Fluffy Cupcakes

Printable Version

1 (18.25 ounce) box white cake mix (you might need 2 mixes)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup granulated white sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/3 cups water

2 Tablespoons vegetable or canola oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup sour cream

4 large egg whites

Preheat oven to 325°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans, or if making a cake, grease 9x13 inch pan.

In a large bowl, whisk together cake mix, flour, sugar and salt. Add remaining ingredients and beat with hand mixer for 2 minutes, or until well blended.

If making cupcakes, fill prepared cupcake tins, and  fill about 3/4 full. Bake about 18 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

If making a cake preheat oven to 350, pour all of batter into prepared 9x13 inch pan, and bake for 30-33 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.

*Note: Most companies have downsized the size of their cake mix. I recommend buying a 2nd mix and adding in the missing ounces to the first box. Some people have had success with just a small mix, however.

Makes 1-9x13 inch cake or 36 large cupcakes

Recipe from http://www.recipegirl.com

Amazing Cream Cheese Frosting

This frosting is pretty much straight cream cheese, with a little bit of sugar on the side. Can’t go wrong with that, right? I used this to top Marbled Bundt Cake, and some homemade cupcakes that I will be posting SOON, but honestly I will use it to top just about everything from here on out! This is fluffy and has an amazing cream cheese flavor. I loved every bite, and so did all of my friends and neighbors!

AMAZING Cream Cheese Frosting

Printable Version

3/4 C. unsalted butter, at room temp.

3 (8 oz.) packages cream cheese, at room temp.

2 C. confectioners’ sugar, sifted

1 1/2 tsp. pure vanilla extract

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add cream cheese, and beat until combined and fluffy, about 2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the sugar and vanilla, and beat for about another 5 minutes.

Store in an airtight container until ready to use; keeps for about 1 week.

Makes about 5 ½ C. frosting (enough to frost a 9x13 inch cake or 2 dozen cupcakes)

Frosting recipe: slightly Adapted from Martha Stewart’s Baking Handbook