Yet another...okay I think I am just going to wait to post the one until I am super done...but I think I'm excited for summer to come! Plus I love strawberries so this is a nice easy cake...I think you know the drill, if you make it let me know how it went! :)

No-Bake Strawberry Icebox Cake

adapted from The Kitchn
makes 12 servings

ingredients:

3 lbs. fresh strawberries, sliced
2 (8 oz.) tubs fat-free whipped topping (or use regular or light)
1 (14.4 oz.) box graham crackers
1/4 cup milk chocolate chip morsels

directions:

1. Spread a small amount of whipped topping on the bottom of a 9x13-inch baking pan. Place 5 graham cracker sheets down the middle and break 2 more sheets into crackers to fit down the sides. Lightly cover the top of the graham crackers with more whipped topping and then a layer of sliced strawberries. Repeat three times, until you have four layers of graham crackers (you may be a few crackers short on the top layer, but that's ok). You'll end with a layer of strawberries on top.

2. Place milk chocolate chip morsels in a plastic bag. Microwave in 10 second intervals until melted. Snip the end of the plastic bag and drizzle chocolate over top of cake.

3. Refrigerate covered for at least four hours, or until the crackers have softened completely. Cake will last well for two days. It will still be good on the third day, but the strawberries will start to get juicy and leak into the whipped topping. It will still taste good, but it won't be as pretty.

and there is this one....

 Gluten-Free Baked Oatmeal Casserole
Total Time: 50 minutes
Serves: 6

Ingredients
2 cups gluten-free rolled oats
1/3 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup walnut pieces
1 cup raspberries {any berries work}
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
2 cups milk
1 large egg
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 ripe banana, peeled, 1/2-inch slices

I'm sure you could use regular oats...but it still looks really good and easy too!

• When browning the butter, make sure to pay close attention.  The 'turn' happens quickly and before you know it, you'll have extra burnt butter, which is not good...

From The Girl Who Ate Everything

Ingredients:

Banana Bread Bars:

1-1/2 c. sugar

1 c. sour cream

1/2 c. butter, softened

2 eggs

1-3/4 (3 or 4) ripe bananas, mashed

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 c. all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. chopped walnuts (optional)

Brown Butter Frosting:

1/2 c. butter

4 c. powdered sugar

1-1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3 tbsp. milk

Directions:

1.  Heat oven to 375F.  Grease and flour 15x10-inch jelly roll pan.  For the bars, in a large bowl, beat together sugar, sour cream, butter, and eggs until creamy.  Blend in bananas andvanilla extract.  Add flour, baking soda, salt, and blend for 1 minute.  Stir in walnuts.

2.  Spread batter evenly into pan.  Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

3.  Meanwhile, for frosting, heat butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until boiling.  Let the butter turn a delicate brown and remove from heat immediately.

4.  Add powdered sugar, vanilla extract and milk.  Whisk together until smooth (it should be thicker than a glaze but thinner than frosting).  Using a spatula, spread the brown butter frosting over the warm bars (the frosting will be easier to spread while the bars are still warm). 

Yield: 2 dozen large bars

I'm so excited to make these the next time I have ripe bananas...that won't be for another month or so but HOLY COW! Talk about delicious! :) Okay so I have more recipes, but at least I'm keeping it to one post right?!?! haha

Strawberry Glazed Doughnuts

Servings: 10 doughnuts

Ingredients:

Doughnuts:

1 cup flour

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/3 cup milk

1 egg

1 tbsp melted butter

10 strawberries, pureed with 2 tsp seedless strawberry jam

1 tbsp pure maple syrup

Glaze:

3 cups powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

1/2 cups cold milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Grease a 6-doughnut pan with baking spray.  To make doughnuts combine dry ingredients in a large bowl and whisk together.  Create a well in the center of the dry ingredients and add in milk, egg, butter, and maple syrup.  Stir until well combined.  Stir in strawberry mixture, starting with 1/2 of it and adding more only if needed.  Batter should be wet, but not runny.  Put dough into a pastry bag or plastic bag and snip approx 1-inch off end.  Pipe batter into each well, reserving extra batter.  Bake for 7-9 minutes until doughnuts spring back when touched.  Let cool five minutes and turn onto a cooling rack to cool completely.  Spray pan again and continue with the rest of batter until all doughnuts have been made.  While doughnuts are cooling make glaze.  To make glaze, stir all ingredients together until smooth.  When doughnuts are cooled dip each into glaze (twice if you want to be naughty about it) and place back on cooling rack to let glaze set.  When glaze has set enjoy!

Doughnut recipe: A Mary original

Glaze adapted from: The Pioneer Woman Cooks

LOOK AT THIS!!! YUM!

Brownie Batter Dip

by Megan {Crumbs and Chaos}

Ingredients

• 8 oz CREAM CHEESE
• 1/2 cup BUTTER
• 2-3 cup POWDERED SUGAR -- varies by desired consistency
• 5 Tablespoons FLOUR
• 5 Tablespoons COCOA POWDER
• 2 Tablespoons BROWN SUGAR
• 3+ Tablespoons MILK -- varies by desired consistency
• 1 teaspoon VANILLA

Instructions

With a mixer, beat together the cream cheese and the butter. Add 2 cups of the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and 1 tablespoon of milk until combined. Add the flour, cocoa powder, brown sugar, vanilla and 1 more tablespoon of milk if needed. Beat until smooth. Add remaining powdered sugar and milk alternately until dip reaches your desired consistency.

So I copied this straight from the blog and I can't get rid of the random bar in the middle...when I tried ALL of these recipes vanished! I freaked out mildly and then found the 'undo' button and everything returned...but doesn't this dip look delicious?

Photo by Karabea

4 Photos of E-A-S-Y Cake Mix and Cool Whip Cookies

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Rate it! | Read 42 Reviews

Total Time:

Prep Time:

Cook Time:

27 mins

15 mins

12 mins

Mikey Greenberg's Note:

I'm a great cook, but not so great baker, but these come out great every time. My favorite is Funfetti cake mix with French Vanilla Co ...

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Ingredients:

Serves: 24-36

Yield:

  24   24.0

24.0

cookies

Units: US | Metric

• 1 (18 1/4 ounce) box cake mix (any flavor desired)
• 1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip
• 1 egg

Directions:

1. 1
   Mix all ingredients.
2. 2
   Form into balls.
3. 3
   Roll in confectioners' sugar.
4. 4
   Bake at 350°F for 10 to 12 minutes.
5. 5
   Cool in pan a few minutes before removing.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/e-a-s-y-cake-mix-and-cool-whip-cookies-147496#ixzz1yJdtyEdN

This cookie recipe looks good and its really cheap and easy to make! I hope you enjoy these but I feel like I should stop before someone thinks I'm even stranger than what I really am...;) I should go to bed too...haha Thanks for looking! Hope you enjoy the recipes and let me know how they taste!

yet another...

3.70 Mitt(s)17 Rating(s)

Prep Time 5 Minutes

Cook Time 8 Minutes

Difficulty Easy

Servings 

System US Metric

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Recipe Description

The main ingredient is Nutella but there’s only 3 more ingredients in this recipe for a simple chocolate cookie.

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Blend all ingedients together well. Form into 1″ balls. Place on a cookie sheet. Press down firmly with the bottom of a glass. Bake 7-8 minutes or until set. Cool.

Ingredients

• 1 cup Nutella
• ½ cups Sugar
• 1 cup All-purpose Flour
• 1 whole Egg

This one I just copied from the page....I re-pinned this one but I wanted to share this easy recipe on my blog too!! Amazing! I think Whitney would love these cookies! Only problem is that Nutella is UBER expensive!! 

another recipe...

I think I might just have a separate blog/post thing for every recipe...haha this was the recipe that I was looking for and it looks super super easy! If you try it, let me know! I think this recipe I will try before the other! haha

Strawberry Cake Mix Cookies

One box of Strawberry Cake Mix (I've used 'em all, so pick your favorite)

1 egg, slightly beaten

One 8 oz tub of CoolWhip, or any generic frozen whipped topping

2 cups confectioner's sugar

Red food coloring (optional)

Combine all ingredients with an electric mixer.  Now here's where you have a choice:  Either drop by tablespoonfuls onto parchment lined cookie sheet first,   or you can drop tablespoonfuls into powdered (confectioner's) sugar before baking.    I tend to go back and forth.  Up to you.

Bake at 350 for approximately 10 minutes.  Check cookies, at about 8 minutes.  You don't want them to be crisp, just chewy.  Lightly browned around the edges.

Let cool, but when still slightly warm (slightly!) drop into powdered sugar to coat and then place back on cooling rack. 

Notes:  About food coloring.  This is up to you.  If you don't use the coloring, no biggie,  your cookies will just be pink.  But if you'd like a stronger color, more like strawberries, then I say go for it.  Just a drop at a time though, until you like what you see.  :-)

These cookies can get a bit aggravating because they'll be sticky before baking.  I just coat my hands/spoon/scoop (whatever you're using to drop the cookies) with some powdered sugar to try to help.

Tah-Dah!   You're done.  Enjoy!

Recipes...

So I'm trying to find some recipes that use a lot of milk...we have a lot of milk that will expire in a day or so and I would like to use it besides throwing it out...I've already made three batches of pudding and I'd like to make something more cause I still have a gallon or so left. We can't drink THAT much milk in  a day or so...if you have any recipes let me know! I'd love to try them!

Anyway, as I was on pinterest looking for some recipes that use a lot of milk...I discovered a lot more wonderful recipes and this is one of them...I haven't tried it but it looks delicious and I didn't know what to do with it as it was on a random link in someone's blog...I couldn't just re-pin it as it was not the pin that I was looking at...anywho here it is...if you try it, let me know how it works out! ;)

FAKE SNICKERS CAKE

Frozen pound cake loaf (the recipe said 12 oz. I found a SaraLee that was 16 so that's what I used)

3 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

12 Tablespoons (1 1/2 sticks) butter, room temperature

3-4 Tablespoons milk

One 1 lb box confectioners' sugar

3/4 cup salted, roasted peanuts

2 cans dulce de leche  (I found mine in with the evaporated milk cans)

For the Coating:

10 oz. semisweet chocolate, finely chopped

1 stick cold, butter, cut into pieces

1.  Trim 1/2 inch off the short ends of the pound cake, then trim the dome off the top is there is one, to make it flat.  Stand the cake on it's side and slide in half horizontally to make two equal sized rectangles.

2.  Microwave the chocolate in 30 second intervals, stirring until melted.  Beat the butter, 3 TBSP milk and the confectioners' sugar with a mixer.  Beat in the melted chocolate.  Add more milk IF NEEDED, to make the frosting spreadable.

3.  If you want one long cake, they lay the rectangles *on a rack set on a rimmed baking sheet.  Spread a little of the frosting on one short end of each cake (to act as "glue") and press together to form a long rectangle.

OR, do like I did and make two separate cakes! :-)

* 4.  Spread the remaining frosting on the cake in a 1 inch thick layer, making the edges slightly higher than the center.  Smooth the top and sides with an offset spatula.  Freeze until firm (about 30 minutes)

5.  Mix the peanuts and dulce de leche in a bowl.

6.  Remove the came from freezer and spread the peanut mixture on the frosting in a flat, even layer.  Freeze until the dulce de leche is firm (about 30 minutes)

7.  Meanwhile, make the chocolate coating:  Microwave the chocolate and butter in 30-second intervals, stirring until melted and smooth.

8  Spread the chocolate on the cake evenly over top and sides with an offset spatula.  Freeze until chocolate cools slightly (6-8 minutes)

9.  Now, with the chocolate slightly cooled, you can do little doo-dads on top to make it look like a snickers bar:  Dip the edge of an offset spatula into the chocolate at an angle and gently pull up, repeating along the top of the cake to create a wave pattern.   Chill 10 minutes before serving.  

*Note:  In step 4, I mentioned putting the cake onto a rack.  This is to catch the chocolate that drips off.  But then you have to transfer to a platter so I opted not to do that step and just put it on the platter from the start. You might need to take a little more time in pouring the chocolate to make sure you don't have a big puddle at the base, but it worked fine for me, and I didn't have more things to wash at the end!   I'm just sayin'....

It looks so delicious! :)

update

Well it is June 18 and little Ms. Julia is still now here. I guess that is a good thing as her due date is not until July 3rd. I am so anxious it is unbelievable. We've gone to the hospital a total of 4 times in the last month or so and we've been sent home each time without a baby. However, Friday was our last trip to the hospital and the nurse kept us there because Whitney was having the contractions every 5 minutes lasting about a minute each. This went on for 7 hours. During that 7 hour period we walked up and down stairs, became acquainted with the hospital and then we even walked about 2 miles around town and nothing. Once we got home after walking the 2 miles around town, the contractions stopped. I couldn't believe it when Whitney told me but I was understanding or waiting for it to happen since it has happened many times before. Sometimes I feel that Julia is never going to come and she will just stay in Whitney's tummy forever. It is quite discouraging as we are prepared to welcome this daughter of God into our family and home. I'm not nervous about raising her or about the trials that will come. I am nervous about her arriving safely and that there are no complications with the birth. It is a crazy process but I guess it is quite normal.

On the upside, we now know what labor will be like and when it is the real deal and when it is just false labor! ;) You always have to have the positive look on things, right?

As far as my last post goes, I still feel the same way as before but I'm utterly confident that the Lord will use me how He needs me. I am leaning towards a Communications minor and I had the thought on Saturday that it would be cool to work for the Church and be a spokesman or something. Who knows what the possibilities are but all I can see myself doing IS working for the Church. My interests are completely revolved around the Church and I know I am not willing to work on Sundays and I think Heavenly Father knows that. So to make it easier for me, He will provide me with the education and a job that does not require me to work on Sundays as a medical assistant would.

I still don't have answers but I have some guidance that will lead me to be able to take care of my family. I am super excited to be a dad but when everyone was wishing me a happy father's day yesterday I felt strange and old. I was like, "No, my dad is the one that gets these greetings not me. I am not old!" haha but I will be a dad, its still strange. In exactly 2 weeks my daughter will be here and I will have SO many pictures to post it is crazy! I can't wait! Well I will let you go so  I can start doing some homework. Thanks for reading!

Cross-roads

I'm sitting at another cross roads in my life. I just got a score back from my most recent Anatomy and Physiology Exam for the Lab portion and I did not do well at all. I remember while taking the exam(as it was an unusual way to take an exam. It was with about 20 other people and we had to go from station to station.) At any rate, in the middle of the exam I had the thought come to my mind that maybe I'm not cut out for the Medical Assisting route. I'm just not getting it into my brain and its not working. I'm not able to understand it clearly enough to be able to get good grades. I got a 44% on this last exam and I studied for it. I had been studying for some time during the past 3 weeks and I'm not understanding why I did so bad.

I've had the idea run through my mind that maybe I should change my minor but the minor that keeps coming to mind is not an "honorable" minor in my opinion. I guess I just have high hopes for myself. I've been having the idea of opening a family bakery. I am thinking about changing my minor to a culinary arts minor. But how would that help me now or even in a year or two to gain the money that I need to start paying off school loans. I had big plans with graduating with my associates in 2013 and starting to work as a medical assistant to be able to start paying off our loans. As I contemplate my options, I am stuck. I have the feeling that I will be able to do whatever the Lord has planned for me. I know that He won't let me do something that will completely destroy me. Yet, I get excited about the Culinary Arts minor and I am excited about the Medical Assisting minor as well.

I just have this fear that I won't be able to support my family with a good occupation. I want the best for my children and my wife yet I won't be able to start working as a councilor until after I graduate with my masters. What am I going to do until that moment arrives? I can't just open up a shop to have this bakery with a ton of debt and I won't be able to start the business off nicely without money. What am I supposed to do. I sometimes have the thought that I will be able to pass my anatomy and physiology class but then I also have the thought that I won't be able to and that I'm just going to be in deep trouble once it comes time for the end of the semester. I honestly don't have any clue on what I need to do. All I know is that God lives. Jesus is the Christ. I know that I love serving other people and that I want to always give my service and help those that stand in need. I've also discovered recently that I have a hard time receiving help because I feel that I am able to help myself. I know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the only true Church on the Earth. When I say that, I mean that it is the only Church that has the COMPLETENESS of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ will help me through my journey on this Earth so that I can become the best servant that I can be. That I will be able to support my family and give the kind of life to my children that I never had.

Funny thing is, I know that not many people read this blog but it is my way of writing in my journal. I type a lot faster than I do writing and I don't feel like I am using as much time typing as I do writing out in a notebook. I have yet to find the best way to type in a journal but having my entries be organized. I hope that I will be able to find answers to my current problems. Oh did I mention that registration for Fall Semester is next week and I am stuck with this dillemma?!?!? I guess I have to move forward with faith and pray that Heavenly Father will continue to bless me. I need to hurry and finish reading a few articles for an essay that was due yesterday that I wasn't able to finish. Life keeps ticking even when we don't want it to sometimes. Hopefully we'll talk later! :)