Famous Chocolate Icebox Cake

Every since I was little I can remember my grandma making this amazing Icebox Cake’s and if you talk to my mom she can remember her grandma making them as well. They are super simple to make and only require a few ingredients but they will defiantly have people coming back for more. I made these to take to an event and my husband got so upset that I was taking them and not keeping them at home. The next day I had to go out and get some more Chocolate Wafers to make them again for him.

The key to this recipe is finding the Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers. They are usually in the cookie aisle and usually on the top shelf. Now not all your local grocery stores will carry them so don’t be surprised if you have to go to a large chain. My local Winco didn’t have them but Savemart did.

Famous Chocolate Icebox Cake

~ 1 1/2 cups cold heavy cream, plus additional for thinning

~ 3 Tbsp. powdered sugar, plus more to taste

~ 1 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

~ 1 (9 oz.) package of Nabisco Famous Chocolate Wafers

For Garnish: chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate shavings, or leftover ground wafers

1. In a large mixing bowl, whisk the heavy cream until it just starts to thicken. Add the sugar and vanilla and continue whisking until soft to medium peaks form; the cream should be floppy and light.

2. Place a chocolate wafer on a sheet pan. Drop a rounded teaspoon of whipped cream. Use the back of the spoon to pat the mound of whipped cream into a flattened disk, leaving about 1/8 inch space around the edge of the cookie. Gently press another wafer on top of the whipped cream until the frosting is flush with the edges. Continue until you have stacked 3 cookies to make one “mini” cake, finishing off with a coat of whipped cream.

3. Repeat the process with the remaining chocolate wafers. If the whipped cream starts to firm up while you are assembling the cakes (you want it to be fairly loose), stiff in a tablespoon or two of heavy cream as needed to keep it malleable.

4. Transfer the sheet pan to the refrigerator and chill for a minimum of 6 hours, but preferably overnight. Garnish cakes with chocolate covered espresso beans, chocolate shavings, or leftover ground wafers before serving.

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Famous Chocolate Icebox Cake

Bacon Gorgonzola Chicken Salad

I know I have been missing in action for a bit. Things have been crazy and really I have just been cooking some of our favorite recipes and not trying a lot of new stuff lately. However when ever there is a potluck or reason for me to bring some food I tend to try new dishes to see how they turn out. This Bacon Gorgonzola Chicken Salad that I found over at Picky Palate was one of those.

Since I first made it I have made it at least 3 more times and every time it has been a hit. If you are short on time stop by your local grocery store and pick up a rotisserie chicken to make things even quicker. I baked a few chicken breasts seasoned with salt and pepper and then shredded it up since I had the time and the chicken already.

If you are worried about the gorgonzola over powering this chicken salad, don’t be. That was one of the things that I liked the best about it, there was just enough flavor from the gorgonzola without it taking over. Even my husband who is not a fan loved this recipe so give it a try and you might be surprised!

 

Bacon Gorgonzola Chicken Salad

~ 3 cups cooked shredded chicken breast, about 2 chicken breasts

~ 8 strips cooked crumbled bacon

~ 1/4 cup crumbled gorgonzola cheese

~ 3/4 cup finely chopped celery

~ 1/2 cup mayonnaise

~ 1/2 cup prepared blue cheese dressing, I used Bob’s Big Boy Blue Cheese dressing

~ 1 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice

~ 1 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves, finely chopped

~ 1/4 tsp. salt

~ 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

~ 1/4 tsp. garlic salt

~ 1 pkg. King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls

1. Place all ingredients into a large bowl. Stir to combine. Taste and season with additional seasonings if needed.

2. Slice King’s Hawaiian Sweet Rolls and place a heaping tablespoon of Chicken Salad on each roll to serve.

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Bacon Gorgonzola Chicken Salad

Gumball Machine Candy Dish

Valentine’s Day is almost here and if you are still looking for a cute gift that is pretty simple to make look no further.

I remember making these one year when I was growing up and they couldn’t be easier. So this year I decided to have my 5 year old help me make one for her teacher for Valentine’s Day.

There are so many variations for this craft so change it up to fit your needs. What you need to make this is a terracotta pot and saucer, glass candle holder, wood knob for the top, wood wheel for the front, paint, and paint brush. I have been able to pick all of this up at the local walmart so don’t be worried about finding what you need. I have also used the candle holders with the scalloped tops and they work just fine, this time I decided to try something different.

Once you get all your supplies paint the pot, saucer, knob, and wheel all the color of your choice. I picked red because it went with Valentine’s Day and because it reminds me of the red gumball machines.

Make sure you give the paint plenty of time to dry. Mine sat for a couple of hours. Then you need to glue the knob to the bottom of the saucer to make the lid. Then flip the pot upside down and glue the candle holder to the top of that. Finally glue the wheel to the front to look like the place where the gumball drops out once you pay your money.

Now in the past I have used hot glue to glue this together and for some reason it just doesn’t stick well. So this time I used Weldbond and it seems to have done the job. What ever glue you use make sure that it has time to dry.

Once everything is dry fill it with candy and tie a ribbon around the middle. We filled ours with Hershey Hugs and Kisses again to go along with the Valentine’s theme. Hope you have fun crafting and have an extra special Valentine’s Day.

World Nutella Day

Happy World Nutella Day! Today is the day to enjoy the goodness of Nutella. Since it is World Nutella day I think that everyone has an excuses to eat Nutella for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner. Nutella is such a wonderful treat in our house and if you are looking for a great recipe check out a couple of my favorites below. Enjoy World Nutella Day!

Peanut Butter Nutella Swirl Cookies

Grilled Nutella & Raspberry Sandwich

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

So in my house we eat a lot of chicken. I really don’t have a reason for why we do, seems that everyone likes it and doesn’t cry or complain to much when I serve it. I especially like to find good chicken recipes that I can make extra and then use it on top of my salad for the next few days. This turned out to be one of those recipes. It was really simple to make and I pretty much always have the ingredients in my house so extra bonus not to mention the kids ate it! I hope it is a hit in your house to.

Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

~ 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts

~ 4 garlic cloves, minced

~ 4 Tbsp. brown sugar

~ 3 tsp. olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease a casserole dish.

2. In a small saute pan, saute garlic with olive oil until tender.

3. Remove from heat and stir in brown sugar.

4. Place chicken breasts in prepared baking dish and cover with the garlic and brown sugar mixture.

5. Salt and pepper to taste.

6. Bake uncovered for 15-30 minutes or until juices run clear.

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Baked Garlic Brown Sugar Chicken

Super Bowl Recipe Run Down

The super bowl is only a day away and if you are looking for some great recipes to serve while you watch the game look no further. Most of these are super easy to make and will please any crowd.

Black-Eyed Pea Dip

 

Easy Blender Salsa

 

Black Bean, Corn, & Avocado Dip

Blue Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms

 

Cream Cheese-Bacon Crescents

 

Guacamole

 

Mini Florentine Cups

 

Pepperoni Pizza Puffs

 

Potato Skins

 

Ranch Crackers

 

Warm Bean Dip

 

Taco Chili

French Dip Sandwiches

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

If you are like my house and have somebody who is totally obsessed with Cinnamon Rolls then this cake is for you. My husband loves cinnamon rolls and while homemade are amazing they take a lot of work that I am not willing to put in early in the morning. Bonus of this recipe was that it made such a big pan that we were also eating it as dessert in the evening. Not sure that fits into healthy eating but hey it was homemade so I controlled the ingredients, right?

I found this over at Six Sisters Stuff and to be honest I am kind of obsessed with their blog. They have some amazing recipes that are super easy and are right up my families alley. I can’t wait to try out a few more of their recipes.

Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake

~ 3 cups flour

~ 1/4 tsp. salt

~ 1 cup sugar

~ 4 tsp. baking powder

~ 1 1/2 cups milk

~ 2 eggs

~ 2 tsp. vanilla

~ 4 Tbsp. butter, melted

~ 2 sticks (1 cup) butter, softened

~ 1 cup brown sugar

~ 2 Tbsp. flour

~ 1 Tbsp. cinnamon

~ 2/3 cups nuts (optional)

Glaze:

~ 2 cups powdered sugar

~ 5 Tbsp. milk

~ 1 tsp. vanilla

1. With an electric mixer, mix flour, sugar, salt, baking powder, milk, eggs, and vanilla. Once combined well, slowly stir in 4 Tbsp. melted butter. Pour batter into a greased 9 x 13 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, mix the 2 sticks softened butter, brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts until well combined. Drop evenly over cake batter by the Tbsp. and use a knife to marble/swirl through the cake. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out nearly clean from center.

3. Place powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla in a large bowl. Whisk until smooth. Drizzle over warm cake. Serve warm or at room temperature.

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Cinnabon Cinnamon Roll Cake