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Delicious & Easy Ice Cream Pound Cake

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SunsOutSpoonsOut #CollectiveBias

Summer is the time for desserts that really provide a break from the heat. It’s also a great excuse to walk down the ice cream aisle at the grocery store (let’s be honest, we all do it!). Recently, I swung by my local Walmart and was inspired with a great idea – a Blue Bunny ice cream pound cake!

It really began when I saw a demo booth for Blue Bunny Ice Cream. Teaming up with Chips Ahoy cookies, they were making cookie sandwiches. These Blue Bunny demo’s will be going in Walmarts between July 9-12th! Be sure to swing in and try out these delicious Chips Ahoy & Blue Bunny ice cream sandwiches! (Check here for locations.)

I began thinking about how I can make something tasty but on a slightly bigger scale for a group. Ta-da, the idea was born and it’s super simple! This Blue Bunny Ice Cream Pound Cake can be made in ten minutes and prepared well ahead of time. Just be careful you’re not too tempted to grab a bite out of the freezer!

Ice Cream Pound Cake
***This is a great recipe to incorporate your favorite flavors. Choose the pound cake, ice cream and topping flavor of choice.

1. Using a bread loaf dish, cover the dish in plastic wrap leaving enough around the edges to cover the dish when complete.

2. Using pre-sliced pound cake, place a slice to cover all edges of the sides and bottom of the pan.

3. Add Blue Bunny ice cream to the bottom and fill the dish 1/3 to 1/2 way, depending on how many layers of toppings you’d like to include.

4. Spread topping across the ice cream evenly.
Need some ideas? Rum, chocolate syrup, vanilla syrup, sprinkles, fruit or even another flavor ice cream.

5. Add more Blue Bunny ice cream (and/or layers) until the dish is full. Top with two remaining pieces of the pound cake.

6. Using the excess plastic wrap, fold the plastic wrap tightly around the pound cake. This will bind the cake together.

7. Place in the freezer until ready to serve.

8. When ready, unfold the plastic wrap from the top of the cake and flip onto a serving plate. The cake will pop out of the dish. Remove the plastic wrap completely and top with garnish of choice. Slice & serve!

This is great to get really creative and colorful. Napoleon ice cream with chocolate, vanilla and strawberry? Vanilla ice cream with strawberries in the middle? I chose to go with vanilla pound cake, Blue Bunny Vanilla Bean ice cream and chocolate syrup. The vanilla on vanilla really hit the spot.

What would be your favorite combination?

10 Minute S’mores for Weeknight Dessert

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #LetsMakeSmores #CollectiveBias #sponsored

The summer brings cool evenings out on the deck. It’s one of my favorite things after a long day at work. While meal prepping for the week, I often look for quick and easy meal ideas leaving more time to relax and enjoy with friends. While shopping at Walmart, I came across the in-store display for S’mores. How convenient everything that I would need to build my s’mores be in one location. Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares, Kraft Jet Puff Marshmallows and our favorite Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bars. You don’t always need a campfire to make s’mores, I had a new idea. S’mores on a Stick!

These S’mores on a stick are incredibly easy to create and it’s great because you can prepare them ahead of time or within 10 minutes.

1. Crush the Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares. This can be done in a bowl, food processor or even in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. (Maybe get some aggression out after a long day.) Set aside.

2. In a double boiler or pot, melt the Hershey’s Milk Chocolate Bar(s), stirring frequently. Once melted, remove from heat. A little goes a long way here so you’ll be amazed on how many you can make with just a couple chocolate bars.

3. Place Kraft Jet Puff Marshmallows on a stick (kabob sticks are they are what I had available).

4. Dip the marshmallow in melted Hershey’s chocolate. Cover completely.

5. Immediately roll in the crushed Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares.

Ta-da! You are finished. These are great to set aside in the fridge for later or eat them right off (the warm chocolate will make the marshmallows a soft for that smooth texture).

How do you love your S’mores?

5.0 from 3 reviews

10 Minute S'mores for Weeknight Dessert

Recipe type: Dessert

Prep time: 10 mins

Total time: 10 mins

Ingredients

Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares
Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar
Kraft Jet Puff Marshmallows

Directions

Crush the Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares. This can be done in a bowl, food processor or even in a plastic bag with a rolling pin. (Maybe get some aggression out after a long day.) Set aside.
In a double boiler, melt the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar(s), stirring frequently. Once melted, remove from heat. A little goes a long way here so you'll be amazed on how many you can make with just a couple chocolate bars.
Place Kraft Jet Puff Marshmallows on a stick (I used kabob sticks are they are what I had available).
Dip marshmallow in melted Hershey's chocolate.
Immediately roll in the crushed Honey Maid Graham Cracker Squares.

Date Night for Two with Kingsford Original

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This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #KingsfordFlavor #CollectiveBias

It’s hard to believe that it’s already July! The time has just flown by with get-togethers and trips leaving little time to just enjoy our surroundings and relax. One thing that we always say we’re going to do is stay home one night and cook dinner. Recently, I was at The Home Depot and saw the Kingsford Original Twinpack and decided it’s time to have that dinner.

That sweet scent of the grill is the best. With the cooler night air, it’s nice to just take it easy outside with some home cooking. The Home Depot is currently running a special on the Kingsford Original Twinpack – 2 bags for $9.88!!! Found in the camping/outdoor grilling section (right as I walked in) and huge in-store displays. The price is great too as The Home Depot is currently running a special that has nearly cut the cost in half! (The timing is perfect for this holiday weekend!)

Once I had the Kingsford Original charcoal, it was time to get the food in gear. We headed to the grocery store determined it was going to be our best, first home grilled dinner. We went home, ready to prepare delicious and easy portions to cook out. What’s great for cooking with charcoal is that you can take it essentially anywhere. A small grill in the back deck / patio or even venturing out to the park to enjoy the fresh air.

How to use the charcoal: If you’ve never grilled using charcoal before it’s incredibly easy. Place the briquets close together on the bottom of the grill (about 40 pieces). Light (with newspaper or lighter fluid) and let them burn for 10-15 minutes. They’ll be ready for cooking once the they are lightly covered in ash and gray in color. Ensure this is done prior to any food being placed on the grill. (There are directions to reference on the back of the bag.)

Charcoal is great because it allows you to control the heat. We kept the charcoal mostly on one half of the grill for high heat and allowed the other half to have a bit of a lower temperature. This is dependent on what’s being placed on the grill. The following items were prepared ahead of time – easy preparation and transportation to the grill.

Grilled potatoes is one of my favorites.
1. Chop potatoes into small bite-sized portions (the smaller the size, the quicker they will cook). 2. Season evenly with Montreal Steak seasoning, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and a couple small scoops of butter on top.
3. Don’t be afraid to get your hands in there to mix them around. Wrap / seal in aluminum foil. These will take a little longer so be sure to throw these on the grill first.

This grilled corn on the cob is also my favorite. Who am I kidding, I was all about the veggies! 1. Prior to placing the corn on the cob on the grill, soak in water for 10 minutes. This will prevent the corn from drying out (unless you’re going for popcorn). The corn will also take some time so place shortly after the potatoes and rotate frequently.
2. Check the corn by opening the husks and checking the tenderness. This will be the best corn you’ve ever had. Pretty sure, I surprised Spencer with this one. He loved it!

The grilled zucchini and asparagus were easy as well.
1. Slice, drizzle on the olive oil and sprinkle with season salt (on one side).
These will be the quickest items that we cooked so only give them 8-12 minutes so so. Ensure they’re rotated while on the grill.

The steak! We picked up this great steak and it was really fit for two people. Seasoned with season salt and/or fajita seasoning and thrown right on the grill.
The tip to grilling steaks is to not touch them very often. Let them sit and cook to your preference on one side and flip. Remember, they’ll continue to cook once taken off the grill.
The best in our opinion is medium-rare, and Chef Spencer aced this one.

This was the perfect date night for us after ending a busy weekend. Sometimes it’s nice and relaxing to just make the meal yourself and stay closer to home, enjoy your surroundings and the ones you are with. We’re already planning the next grilling night!

Are you now in the mood to grill? What’s your favorite grilled dish? Head on over to your nearest The Home Depot store to pick up Kingsford Original Twinpack. (Click here to find the store nearest you.)
Find more creative recipe inspirations here.