I love a good baby shower. I mean, who isn’t a fan of welcoming new life into the world? There’s just so much to celebrate when a new baby is due. So when I found out a blogger I totally love was having a baby, I had to make some special mints to celebrate! These pumpkin spice cream cheese mints are perfect for welcoming autumn babies, but also for any celebration (like a football watch party, a Halloween bash, or Thanksgiving). Plus, they’re so easy to make that you’ll find any excuse to make them. But this time, I’ve made them to celebrate Katie from Clark’s Condensed as she welcomes her new little boy!
5 ingredients or less
Pecan Chicken
I’ve said it a few times before– I love digging through the stacks of old recipes I inherited from my grandfather. Not only does it have some of his favorites, but also favorites from my grandmother and from my great grandparents. Sometimes, these old, frail recipes are just spot on, and sometimes, they take a little bit of modification to get just right. After giving this recipe a go, I figured out the best way to make it work perfectly, and I cannot wait to share it with you today. If you love pecans, you’re going to love this Pecan Chicken recipe. It’s going to be a dinnertime staple– it’s a little sweet, a lot of savory, and so delicious your whole family will love it! Perfect chicken recipe for dinner.
Lemon Icebox Cake
I hate turning my oven on in the summer if I an avoid it. For me, summer is the time for fresh salads, using the fridge, and sometimes the crock pot, as my main source of cooking power. That’s why I love this lemon icebox cake– it takes no heat at all, meaning you’re staying nice and cool while cooking and while eating. Plus, it’s semi-homemade, so it only takes a few minutes to prepare. What’s better than that?
Start the cake by placing a layer of graham crackers (honey flavor works best!) in the bottom of a 9×13 pan.
Here’s the hardest part of the recipe… are you ready? The hardest part of this recipe is to mix powdered sugar, softened cream cheese, and whipped topping.
That’s it. Simple enough for a busy summer day?
Spread the mixture onto your graham crackers to form the second layer of the cake.
Top that with a layer of graham crackers. I seriously love graham crackers for snacking, but they become the perfect substance to this cake to make it a delicious treat.
You can use homemade lemon curd here, but that kind of defeats my “no heat” mantra, and it’s kind of a pain in the booty, so I just use my favorite store-bought lemon cream for this recipe! You’ll want a full can of it.
Spread that evenly over your graham cracker layer. Look at that beautiful lemon yellow! Doesn’t it look refreshing? I fully give you permission to lick the spoon after this layer– I know I did (I promise I got a new spoon to finish the recipe!)
Top the lemon layer with… you guessed it, more graham crackers. You see, the graham crackers make the “cake” layers as they soften between the creamy layers, making a perfect layered cake with NO baking. Hooray for staying cool!
Top the whole thing with the rest of your whipped topping, then place it in the fridge for about 2-3 hours before slicing and serving.
To me, there’s just something really summery about lemons. Probably the thought of sitting on the front porch sipping a tall glass of lemonade, or just enjoying a lemon sorbet. It just whispers “summertime,” and that’s what makes this dish so special– the hint of lemon just makes it so summery.
- 1 box Honey Graham Crackers
- 1 cup Powdered Sugar
- 1 package Cream Cheese, softened
- 1 can Lemon Curd or Lemon Creme Pie Filling
- 1 (8 oz) container Cool Whip or other whipped topping, divided
- Place 1/3 of the crackers in a single layer on the bottom of a 9x13 pan.
- In a bowl mix 1 cup Cool Whip, 1 cup powdered sugar, and 1 package cream cheese, reserving the remainder of the Cool Whip.
- Spread mixture on top of graham crackers carefully.
- Top with a second layer of graham crackers.
- Spread entire contents of lemon pie filling over cracker layer.
- Top with a third layer of graham crackers.
- Top with remaining Cool Whip.
- Chill for 2-3 hours before serving, or until graham crackers are slightly softened.
If you LOVE all things summer, you’ll love these Bacon Wrapped Cheeseburger Dogs, another make-ahead dish perfect for summer cookouts. Don’t forget to try my Crystal Light Ice Cream, too (I used a sour apple flavor, but try it with a lemonade packet instead!)
Of course, you can also check out this awesome pinterest board with some of the best summertime eats!
Follow MamaPlusOne’s board Summertime Gladness: Eat on Pinterest.
What flavor screams summertime to you? Let me know in the comments below!
Strawberry Banana Dessert Egg Rolls
In college, my friend Drew and I used to do this fun thing where we’d travel to a local town and spend the day exploring. We’d start off with appetizers at one restaurant, continue with lunch at another, and finish with dessert at yet another, strolling through antique stores, record shops, bookstores, and little foreign marketplaces. One restaurant had a dessert that definitely always hit the spot– a small Asian place that served banana egg rolls. They’d wrap bits of banana in fried pastry with nuts, and they’d drizzle caramel on top, serving it with ice cream. It was so mouthwatering! But honestly? I thought it was missing one thing… fresh strawberries!
Just-Like-Freddy’s Fry Sauce and Seasoning
Oh, Freddy’s… if you haven’t been to Freddy’s, you are SO missing out. A steakburger and frozen custard chain started in Wichita, Kansas, Freddy’s has great food all around… but there’s one thing that they’re known for. Fry sauce. In fact, the first time my mom and brother went, they didn’t grab fry sauce from the counter, and an employee physically brought them some. My mother, a tried-and-true ketchup hater, was skeptical… but like everyone else, she quickly converted to the “fry sauce is basically tasty, tasty crack” camp. This stuff? It’s irresistible. And because our trips to Freddy’s were becoming all-to-frequent thanks to Fry Sauce, I had to do something… and by something, I mean learn to make it at home. Not only is it the perfect recipe for enjoying with family, but it’s also great for serving at cookouts– you’ll be the star of summer if you make this sauce for your summer party!
Blended Strawberry Mock-aritas and Hot & Spicy Cheese Dip for Cinco de Mayo!
This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #DelimexFiesta #CollectiveBias
I’m coming at you today with not one, but TWO recipes that will be perfect for your Cinco de Mayo fiesta! You’ll love these recipes for sharing with friends, or even enjoying yourself after a long day. The first is a perfect blended strawberry mock-arita (it’s alcohol free, so even your littlest sippers can enjoy some this summer!) and the second is a hot and spicy cheese dip that will be the hit of the party, whether you’re dipping chips or the Delimex Taquitos and Rolled Tacos that pair perfectly with it!
How to Make Sponge Cake from ANY Cake Mix!
You know what I love? That perfect, light, airy sponge that you can get from so many bakeries. You know what I hate? Trying to duplicate that at home– it never seems light enough, airy enough, sponge-y enough. But those times are behind us, my friend… because you can take your standard boxed cake mix and create a delicious, moist, light, sponge cake at home. That’s right, I’m going to show you how to make sponge cake from cake mix, and it doesn’t really take any longer than just baking it by package directions. I’m serious.
DIY Color Bubbles
I’m sure by now you’ve seen the colorful bubbles in store sold by some big-name brands. But did you know it’s easy to DIY color bubbles yourself? It only takes a few ingredients– things you already likely have around your house– and a few minutes to make the BEST color bubbles on the planet!
3 Ingredient Chocolate Truffle Pudding
What’s better than a chocolate truffle? A chocolate truffle that you eat with a spoon, of course! This chocolate truffle pudding is essentially the same thick ganache you’d expect from the inside of a delicious truffle, but instead, this is in spoon form and can be easily shared with someone you love.
It has to be impossibly difficult, right? WRONG. At only 3 ingredients, you don’t even need to turn on your stove to make this recipe. All you need is a microwave and a few items (and a refrigerator helps, too, of course!)
3 Ingredient After-school Snacks with Honey Maid Go Bites
After school snacks are difficult. I mean, it’s easy to provide wholesome meals to your kids, and it’s easy to pick delicious snacks, but it can be hard to pick a delicious snack that’s also wholesome and doesn’t take forever to prepare, because let’s face it, we’re all tight on time as we’re rushing from class to the soccer game to the grocery store and everywhere else. That’s where Honey Maid Go Bites come in. Not only are they awesomely delicious pockets of graham cracker-y goodness, but they’re wholesome and perfect for creating some fun recipes with!