Ice Cream Tunnel Cake

I found this recipe in the July edition of Parenting magazine.  It's a 4th of July-looking dessert, but since we didn't have any big plans on Independence Day, I decided to make it for a dinner with friends.  It's easy to make, and very good to eat!  The final product didn't turn out as pretty as the picture (I think they staged it differently than it's actually made.), but it was definitely tasty!

ICE CREAM TUNNEL CAKE

1 lb. strawberries, sliced

2 T sugar (I used Splenda), divided

2 C. fresh blueberries

1 prepared angel food cake (the bigger the better, I think)

2 C. strawberry ice cream, softened

Toss the strawberries with 1 T of the sugar.

Toss the blueberries with the remaining 1 T of sugar.

Using a serrated knife, slice off the top inch of the cake and carefully set it aside.

Cut a "trench" into the bottom part of the cake- leaving an inch on either side and an inch or more on the bottom.

Layer strawberries, ice cream, and blueberries into the trench.

Try to stay level with the top of the "trench" wall- you'll have some fruit left over.

Place the cake "lid" back on.

Freeze for two hours or overnight.

Just before serving, spoon remainig fruit over top of cake or serve with each slice.

Strawberry-Limeade Punch

I got this recipe from a recipe card in the produce section of the grocery store.  I thought it looked good & easy, so I gave it a try. One of my favorite drink treats is a strawberry-limeade from Sonic, and this is a great homemade alternative.  Next time I'll make sure & buy some pellet ice from Sonic and it'll be even better!

STRAWBERRY-LIMEADE PUNCH

1 package fresh strawberries, stems removed

1 12 oz. can frozen limeade concentrate, thawed, undiluted

5 cups cold water

Fresh mint sprigs

Place strawberries in a food processor to puree

Lightly pulse until smooth

Pour pureed strawberries through a strainer into a bowl

In a large pitcher combine limeade and water

Stir until limeade dissolves

Stir in pureed strawberries

Pour over ice & top with mint sprigs

Cake Mix Cookies

My childhood best friend's mother used to make these cookies & my mom got the recipe from her.  They are so tasty, and you can make them with any flavor.  Folks are always surprised that these cookies are made from cake mix.

CAKE MIX COOKIES

2 eggs

1 package cake mix (any flavor)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

Mix together eggs, cake mix & oil in a bowl

Place heaping spoonfuls of batter on cookie sheet

Bake at 350 for 8-10 minutes

Chicken Baked Ziti

This recipe is a new creation of sorts & I have to say, it is one of the tastiest dishes I've cooked in a while.  I wanted to use up some food I had in the fridge & pantry, so I typed my ingredients into Supercook, and while I didn't find an exact recipe for what I wanted to eat, I got some ideas and fell into cooking.  I had 2 chicken breasts, so I decided to make just enough for me & Stephen to eat that night.  However, this recipe ended up being plenty for leftovers as well.

CHICKEN BAKED ZITI

2 chicken breasts, cooked & sliced

1/2 box of penne pasta, cooked & drained

1/2 jar of pasta sauce

1 package mozzarella cheese (I had slices, so I cut all but 4 slices into small pieces- you could obviously use shredded cheese too)

*parmesan- I didn't end up using this ingredient, but you could easily put it on top before baking

Combine chicken, pasta, sauce & pieces of mozzarella in a baking dish.

Top mixture with slices of mozzarella

Bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Mint Oreos

In the winter, my dad told me about this chocolate treat & I made them with Hershey's chocolate.  Then I saw them at a Super Bowl party & they were made with Andes Mints.  Stephen loves chocolate & mint, so I thought this would be a fun anniversary treat for him.

CHOCOLATE MINT OREOS

1 package Andes Mints

1 package Oreo Cookies

Unwrap mints (this is the only slightly time-consuming thing in the whole recipe)

Put mints in a double boiler to melt.

Once mints have melted, use a spoon to dip an Oreo in the chocolate.

Move Oreo around so that it is covered with the chocolate

Put on wax paper (on a plate or container) and repeat with other Oreos

Put plate or container in fridge (or freezer) to cool

This recipe makes about 14 covered Oreos

Tilapia Veracruz

I found the recipe for this meal on the back of a Kraft cheese package!  I thought it sounded yummy, so I gave it a try.  It really was easy to make, tasted good, and it gave me lots of ideas for future dishes I could  make based on this one.  While this recipe calls for sun-dried tomato dressing, I'd love to try a lemon-based vinegairette next time and see how that goes.  This dish was definitely a winner!

TILAPIA VERACRUZ

1/2 cup sun-dried tomato dressing

2 T. fresh lime juice (about 2 limes)

2 tilapia fillets

2 large tomatoes, chopped

1/2 cup pimento stuffed olives, halved

1/2 cup cheddar/monterey jack cheese

Mix dressing and lime juice

Place fish in a baking dish and drizzle with 1/2 the mixture

Toss the tomatoes and olives with remaining dressing mixture

Bake fish at 400 for 20 minutes

Take out and top with remaining dressing mixture and cheese

Bake 5 minutes or until cheese has melted

Mediterranean Chicken

I tasted this scrumptious dish last weekend at the beach while celebrating my friend, Gretchen's upcoming nuptials.  Gretchen's friend Blythe created this herself and it is so yummy.

 MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN

Skinless, boneless chicken breasts (I used strips)

1/2 bottle Annie's Natural Roasted Red Pepper Vinaigrette (I accidentally used the whole bottle & it was fine)

1/2 red onion, chopped

1/2 bell pepper, chopped

feta (about 3/4 cup)

Marinate chicken in dressing for at least 30 minutes (I put it in a Ziploc bag to marinate in fridge for a few hours)

Add onion, pepper and feta to marinated chicken and mix ingredients (I added ingredients to the bag & "smushed" it all around in the bag.)

Pour into baking dish and cover with aluminum foil

Cook at 400 for 15 minutes.

Uncover dish and cook for another 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked thoroughly