No Bake **EASY** Ice Cream Cake

There have been many times where I've had the urge to bake a cake and then, of course, I'd want some ice cream. I don't keep ice cream in my freezer because I have 3 kids and between them and me it would be gone in one sitting.

I was out grocery shopping one day and had that craving. I love my pinterest boards and remember seeing a ice cream CAKE! It satisfies both of my cravings in one. And of course, the cake was SO EASY to do. Technically it's not a cake but when you put it together, the flavors blend just right and you can't really tell.

First you need:

One box of ice cream sandwiches (at least 9 in the box)
One container of whipped topping
Sprinkles!! (optional)

My husband and I unwrapped 9 sandwiches. They are stacked in layers of 3. The first layer, once set on the plate, spread whipped topping on it. The second layer, stack in the opposite direction (think of Jenga blocks), spread with whipped topping. Then the third layer, same thing. Stack the sandwiches in the opposite direction and spread with whipped topping.

Place your "Cake" in the freezer and your whipped topping in the refrigerator. You want your whipped topping to not be completely frozen when you spread it around the rest of your cake. I waited about 10-15 minutes before moving forward. Whip it really good in the container before spreading it on. It does not need to be pretty. I then gave it a pretty sprinkle covering and put back in the freezer to finish chilling. Total time with freezing and covering was about 2 hours.

It was DELICIOUS! I will be making it again soon. :)

Quick Week Night Meal Cheeseburger Casserole

Finding a quick, easy and family friendly dinner can be a challenge.  I try really hard to avoid take out and fast food, but some nights I do give in.  Well here is a quick and easy recipe that your kids will love like their favorite fast food cheeseburger but will leave you feeling good about servings it. Another thing I love about this recipe is that I usually have all of these items on hand in my pantry.

Cheeseburger Casserole
Prep and Cook Time Aprox 30 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups (6 ounces) uncooked rotini pasta (spiral pasta)
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 1/2 cups onions, finely chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound 95% lean ground beef
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
2 tablespoons ketchup
4-5 large Roma tomatoes, deseeded and diced
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
2 cups low fat cheddar cheese, shredded
1/4 cup dill pickles, finely chopped
*I added about 1/2 cup of diced bell pepper and 1 cup minced cabbage with my onion and garlic.
*My family likes a more saucy casserole so I would add a can of diced tomatoes or a can of tomato sauce next time.

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Prepare a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray.
Boil the pasta in a large pot according to packaged directions until al dente. Drain and set aside.
In a large skillet on medium-high heat, warm the oil. 

Add the onion and saute until onions are transparent. 

*Add bell pepper and cabbage and cook still soft.

Add the garlic and stir about 30 seconds until fragrant.
Stir in the ground beef and fully cook through until brown. If using 95% lean ground beef, there is no need to drain. But if you are using a less fat version, drain the fat and return to the stove.
Stir in the seasoned salt, ketchup and mustard until well combined. 

Add the chopped tomatoes. 

Reduce heat and simmer for approximately 2 minutes or until the mixture is thickened.
Add the cooked and drained noodles to the meat and stir well. 

Pour into the prepared baking pan and evenly sprinkle the cheese across the top. 

Bake in the oven for approximately 15 minutes or until cheese has melted. 

Remove from the oven and slightly cool before serving. 

Top with chopped dill pickle.

*Alternate to diced pickles would be dill relish

Recipe Inspired by Bakerette.com

Homemade Blueberry Muffins Recipe *Yummy

I'd love to say thank you to a fellow city mommy for this recipe. My family and I went blueberry picking about a month ago and walked away with 6 lbs of blueberries. And while myself and my kids LOVE blueberries, I have been scratching my head trying to think of some things to make with them, or just some decent recipes.

I now have a reason to pull some out of my deep freeze and do some baking. I can not wait to see how mine come out!! I know my kids will just die for them. Haha

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 cup white sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

1/3 cup vegetable oil

1 egg

1/3 cup milk

1 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup white sugar 

1/3 cup all purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, cubed

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 400, grease muffin cups or line with muffin liners

Combine 1 1/2 cup flour, 3/4 cup of sugar, salt and baking powder.  Place vegetable oil into a 1 cup measuring cup; add the egg and enough milk to fill the cup.  Mix this with flour mixture.  Fold in blueberries. Fill muffin cups right to the top, and sprinkle with crumb topping mixture. (my batter was a little thick so I added some more milk)

To Make Crumb Topping: Mix together 1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 cup butter and 1 1/2 cinnamon.  Mix with fork, and sprinkle over muffins before baking.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until done.

Thank you http://www.mymusiccitymommy.com/!!

Peach Crumble Recipe

Peach Crumble

Peach Filling:

2 3/4 cups peeled and sliced fresh peaches

Pinch of ground cinnamon

Pinch of nutmeg

2 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cornstarch

Crumble Topping:

3 tbsp. quick–cooking oats

Pinch of ground cinnamon

1/4 cup unbleached all–purpose flour

1 tbsp. whole–wheat flour

1 tbsp. plus additional 1 tsp. packed brown sugar

2 tsp. apple juice

1 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened 

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.

2. Lightly spray 6 custard cups with non–stick cooking spray.

3. To prepare the filling, combine the peaches, cinnamon, nutmeg, sugar, and cornstarch in a bowl and mix well.

4. Spoon the mixture into the prepared custard cups.

5. Bake in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes, or until the liquid begins to bubble and thicken.

6. While the peaches are baking, prepare the topping: Combine the oats, cinnamon, flours, and brown sugar in a small bowl and mix well. Stir in the apple juice and butter.

7. Remove the custard cups from the oven and sprinkle the topping over the peaches. 

8. Return them to the oven and continue to bake for 10 more minutes, or until lightly browned.

Makes 6 servings. One peach crumble per serving.