Delicious Homemade Ice Cream Cakes

Looking for a fun, delicious, and super easy treat to serve on your next date? This is definitely what you're looking for... yummm.

Ingredients:
4 ice cream sandwiches
4 ounces whipped topping
3 ounces fudge topping, room temperature
1 7 oz. bar chocolate candy bar, grated

Directions:
Unwrap and place an ice cream sandwich on each of two dessert plates. Spread evenly with 1/4 of fudge sauce on each, then 1/4 of whipped topping on each. Repeat with the remaining sandwiches and toppings. Sprinkle with grated chocolate bar.

Cover and freeze for at least 1 hour before serving.

Want to change it up? layer in grated Butterfinger, chunks of peanut butter cups, strawberry or raspberry sauce, or caramel sauce.

Dig in! You won't regret it!

Margarita Bars to Die For

Extra Lemon Lime Margarita Mix? Good! Here is a recipe for the yummiest things ever! See for yourself. It's a deliciously limey treat for those well deserving taste buds!

Margarita Bars

1 box vanilla wafers
6 tbsp butter, melted
1 1/3 c margarita mix
2 cans sweetened condensed milk
6 egg yolks or 3 eggs

Process cookies into fine crumbs. Mix crumbs with melted butter. Press crumbs into jelly roll pan. Blend rest of ingredients until smooth. Pour over crust. Bake at 450 for 15 minutes. Grab a fork, and don't forget to share!

Creative Date Idea...Snuggling and Smoothies

There may still be snow on the ground where you live(there will be for a few more months for me!!!), but its March and that means spring! In honor of spring I found a great spring smoothie recipe so you can enjoy snuggling, sipping this spring smoothie with your sweetie!

Berry Banana Smoothie

1 small banana, peeled, cut up, and frozen

1/4 cup fresh or frozen assorted berries (such as raspberries, blackberries, and/or strawberries)

1 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons vanilla low-fat yogurt

Fresh mint (optional)

Fresh berries (optional)

Directions

In a blender container combine the frozen banana pieces, desired fresh or frozen berries, orange juice, and yogurt. Cover and blend until smooth. To serve, pour into glasses. If desired, garnish with fresh mint and additional berries. Makes 2 (8-ounce) servings.

Your Snookems Will Be Begging For S'more!

Ok, so I don't know about you guys, but it's officially winter here in Minnesota and it is COLD! There's nothing like winter time to make you want to light a fire in the ol' fireplace. And if you're going to light a fire, you may as well make it delicious!

So we've all had the old school version of s'mores- chocolate and marshmallow squeezed between 2 graham crackers- but what about some delicious new twists on this old favorite. I mean, let's be at least a little bit adventurous!!!

Peanut Butter S'mores-
Take your graham cracker and spread peanut butter on one side, then sandwich your chocolate and toasted marshmallow as per usual. Yummm.

Caramel S'mores-
Take your graham cracker, topped with chocolate and your toasted marshmallow, then drizzle with a caramel dessert topping (ice cream topping works great!). Squish and chow down.

Cherry S'mores-
Take your graham cracker, top with chocolate and your toasted marshmallow. Squish down marshmallow with the back of a spoon and place a small spoonful of cherry pie filling on the top. Eat open faced.

Peanut Butter Banana S'mores-
Take your graham cracker, top with a peanut butter cup and a slice or two of banana. Finish off with your toasted marshmallow and squish with the other half of your graham cracker. Try not to swallow it whole! (Because I guarantee you're going to want to!)

Strawberry S'mores-
Take your graham cracker, top with chocolate and a couple of slices of strawberry. Top with your toasted marshmallow and squish with the other half of your graham cracker. Chow down.

Funky S'mores-
Take a gingersnap cookie, top with a square of caramel-filled chocolate and your toasted marshmallow and squish together with another gingersnap. I'm salivating already...

Get creative! You can swap out graham crackers for Petit Ecolier French schoolboy cookies, chocolate covered graham crackers, chocolate wafers, gingersnaps, peanut butter cookies, or anything else that sounds delicious! The more toppings you have, the better! Grab a bunch and have a blast exploring different combinations. You never know what is going to be totally delicious until you try it!

And last but not least, don't have a fireplace? Have no fear! You can make s'mores in your microwave (just don't over cook- 10-12 seconds should do it, just wait for it to double in size so it's nice and soft, but not to the point of becoming rubbery!) or for an even more quirky experience, cook them over votive candles! I guarantee your date won't have done that before!

Homemade Hot Chocolate That Will Change Your Life...

Once the temperature hits below about 50 degrees, I think it is safe to pull out your favorite hot chocolate and grab your faux fur throw and get snuggled up. So here is a FANTASTIC recipe from Our Best Bites (www.ourbestbites.com) for hot chocolate that will make you drop your Swiss Miss in the trash for good!

Ultimate Hot Chocolate:

2 1-oz. squares of unsweetened baking chocolate

1 14-oz. can sweetened condensed milk

4 c. water

1 tsp. vanilla

In your microwave or in a small saucepan over medium heat, heat the chocolate and the sweetened condensed milk until the chocolate is completely melted (about 2-2 1/2 minutes in the microwave). Whisk in vanilla until combine completely , and set aside.

In a larger saucepan, bring 4 c. water to a boil. Remove from heat and whisk in chocolate mixture.

Either way you make it, serve in mugs with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Serves about 6.

**If this seems way to hard or you don't have the time or the energy to whip this up let me suggest the Hot Chocolate from Williams Sonoma at http://www.williamssonoma.com/ or your local store. It retails for $19.50 but is worth every penny. It's literally shaved chocolate that melts in your mouth!