July 2nd, 2010
Happy 4th of July weekend everyone. May you have a fun-filled celebration! We are going to be spending time with family this weekend while indulging in barbecues, fireworks, firefly watching and some good ol’ patriotism. I’m also really excited to make these ice cream sandwiches. We made them last weekend and they were such a hit, we’re making them again. Super easy and super yummy. That’s pretty much my cooking motto.
Easy cake mix ice cream sandwiches
- 1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
- 1/2 cup butter, softened
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- Your favorite ice cream
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease baking sheets.
- In a large bowl, mix together the cake mix, butter, vanilla extract, eggs. Use a cookie dough scoop or roll dough into 2-inch balls and place them onto the prepared baking sheets. If you don’t have a cookie dough scooper, get one! I can’t live without mine. Bake for 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Do not over bake. The cookies should be set, but still soft. Let cool in on the baking sheet then transfer to freezer for at least 1 hour before filling.
- Scoop ice cream and place between two cookies and gently press together. Fill all of the cookies, lay out on a baking sheet, and place in the freezer to harden. If you’re having a party, you can make this a day in advance. They can also be stored in the freezer for up to 2 weeks.
Enjoy!
July 5th, 2009
I hope you all had a wonderful 4th of July. Ours was very relaxing and quiet. We just hung out in the back yard, had a simple barbeque and before it got too dark we went hunting for fireflies. I always enjoy doing this with the kids. After our hunt, we sat down for a very yummy ice cream cake dessert. We ended the night watching fireworks of course. I’ve included my hassle-free barbeque recipes below.
Our pups enjoying the beautiful weather
Flowers in the yard
Barbequed pork tenderloins- Boil 2 lbs of pork tenderloin for about 10 minutes in 1/2 cup water and 1/2 cup soy sauce ,1/2 cup bbq sauce, kosher salt and pepper then finished them up on the grill. Occasionally brush the pork with sauce it was cooked in.
Cilanro and chive tilapia- Marinade tilapia (3 filets) with 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro, 1/2 cup of chopped chives, sprinke with garlic salt and kosher salt, pepper and drizzle with olive oil
I bought this antique looking canning jar holder and jar for .50 cents at a yard sale. Wasn’t sure what I was going to use it for but I like the rustic look of it. Now it’s our firefly jar. We always let them go after their light show. 
There’s a great little parkway whith a brook just down the hill from our house where there’s an abunant of fireflies not to mention, deer, fox, turtles, hawks, squirrels, chipmunks, and there is even a family of blue heron. We take the binoculars with us to see how big the babies are getting. Such a strange place to find these birds. They are usually found near lots of water not little, itty bitty streams. It’s nice that they are gracing us with their presence. Oh, did I mention we live in the city, just a couple exits from Washington DC’s National Mall? You’d think we lived in the country.
We gathered 8 very shy fireflies. Not much of a light show from out bug friends tonight but that’s okay, we got our light show watching fireworks later in the evening.
Very easy to make ice cream cake. 1 box chocoloate cake and prepare as directed. Bake in a 9 x 13 pan. Let it chill in the fridge for at least 2 hours. Let your favorite flavor 1 gallon ice cream sit out until it softens a bit and it becomes easy to spread. Take the chilled cake and place it on foil or plastic wrap large enough to enclose the entire cake for storage. slice top half off gently. Take your ice cream and spread it on the botton half. Replace the top and wrap with foil or plastic wrap. Place in the freezer until the ice cream hardens. This is so easy and so good. The kids always want seconds. You can top with whip cream or leave plain for more of an ice cream sandwich. 
