Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

Recently we celebrated Little Devil's Birthday.  When I asked her what kind of dessert she wanted, at first she said, "Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cupcakes."  But we had those last year, so I wanted to try something new.  She sent me a few ideas on Pinterest.  Now I've told you before she loves Asian food.  She sent me a bunch of Asian desserts and candy I'm not familiar with.  When I said I wanted to try something new, I meant within my wheelhouse.  Then I remembered my pal Michaela and her fabulous ice cream cakes.  She authors the blog: An Affair From The Heart and she is a wonderful friend and cook.  I knew she had a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake on her blog and I knew it tasted great because I've eaten it at her house!  I didn't even tell Little Devil what we decided on because I wanted to surprise her.  This is such a wow dessert.  Surprisingly simple to make, with semi-homemade style ingredients, but the presentation is stunning and you're guests will think you bought this at a bakery.  It's delicious and over the top.  Perfect for a birthday party!

I got a new phone the day after Little Devil's birthday.
Sadly I lost all of my ice cream cake pictures except
for this one.  But that's okay, you can still
tell how fabulous it looks!

Mason Jar Ice Cream

We recently enjoyed my Mom and Aunt's birthday.  Since they have a June birthday it's always fun to do something that screams summer to celebrate.  Since mason jar everything is all the rage, I thought I'd try the mason jar ice cream.  I love desserts that can be made ahead and that are individually served.  It just looks so cute.  I made these the night before the party to allow time to freeze.  To make things extra simple I used store-bought ice cream toppings and nuts.  Only three ingredients.  So easy!  The only hard part is the muscle power to shake these up.  I made twelve, and should have invited to body builders over to help me.  They turned out great.  It's a smooth, creamy consistency, almost like gelato.  I opted for plain vanilla and let everyone choose their toppings.  Clean up was a breeze, and the folks that couldn't finish their jar in one sitting took them home for later.  Truly a fun party treat!

Super Easy.  You just need muscle power!

Fill the jars with cream, sugar and vanilla.

Shake each jar thoroughly for 5 minutes and then freeze.

Add toppings of your choice.
We chose: Hot Fudge, Hot Caramel, Chopped Pecans
and Whipped Cream.

Top with a cherry of course.
The perfect way to serve ice cream.

Mason Jar Ice Cream

For each individual serving you'll need:

1 cup heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 quart glass canning jar with lid
ice cream toppings optional

Pour the whipping cream in to the jar.  Add the sugar and vanilla.  Place the lid on and shake for 5 minutes.  Place in the freezer several hours or over night.  Serve with the ice cream toppings of your choice.

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time:  Needs to Freeze

{Gluten Free} Mississippi Roast in the Slow Cooker

I've made Mississippi Roast in the past.  I love the ease of opening a few packets and turning on the slow cooker.  I've always served the roast and peppers on sandwich rolls with chips.  Recently I saw it served over mashed potatoes and I thought that might be a nice alternative to sandwiches.  With a little tweaking I was able to find gluten free ingredients that kept this recipe simple to prepare.  Just a few ingredients and a few hours in the slow cooker and we had a wonderful, comforting meal.  Very easy and very tasty!  You'll never miss the bread or the gluten and you'll love how simple this is to prepare.

A comfort meal, gluten free!

Only 5 ingredients...

Serve over mashed potatoes for a hearty meal.

{Gluten Free Mississippi Roast}in the Slow Cooker

1 (3 pound) chuck roast
1 tablespoons olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
1 packet Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing Mix
1 packet gluten free brown gravy mix
1 stick unsalted butter
1 (16 ounce) jar whole Pepperoncini Peppers, drained--reserve half of the brine

In a large skillet over high heat, add the olive oil.  Season the roast on all sides with salt and pepper. Cook the roast in the skillet about 2-3 minutes on all sides.  You want to sear the meat and have a nice brown crust.  When the meat is browned on all sides, transfer to a slow cooker.  Sprinkle the packets of ranch dressing and gravy mix over the roast.  Top with the stick of butter.  Pour the reserved brine over the roast and place the peppers on and around the roast.  Cover and cook on low setting for 8 hours.  Shred the meat, discarding any fatty pieces.  Serve over mashed potatoes.


Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 8 hours
      
           

 

{Gluten Free} Chocolate Cheerios Treats

College football is finally here and I couldn't be happier.  That means lots of tailgating, tv watching and of course: snacking!  My beloved Sooners open their season tomorrow against the University of Texas El Paso and of course our tailgate will be open for business.  Keeping it simple with hamburgers and hot dogs.  I'm making sauerkraut to top the dogs and a big batch of baked beans on the side.  Since it's still hot in Oklahoma I needed a dessert that can stand up to the heat.  (No cupcakes with melting frosting!) Recently my friend Barbara told me about the Chocolate Cheerios  She loves them and I was super excited to have another gluten free item to add to my pantry.  In the past I've made Lucky Charms Bars substituting Lucky Charms cereal for Rice Krispies.  (They are so good too.  More marshmallow!) So this time I'm making the bars with Chocolate Cheerios.  I thought about adding some peanut butter chips or some mini Reese's cups but I figured they might melt in the 85 degree weather, so I opted for a traditional Rice Krispie style treat using the Cheerios instead.  So good!  The Chocolate Cheerios are flavored with real cocoa, lending the perfect amount of chocolate to the treats.  Chocolate and marshmallow are the perfect combination.  Just in time for Kick-Off!

Chocolate Cheerios Bars

3 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 (10 ounce) package marshmallows
6 cups Chocolate Cheerios cereal


Grease a 9x13-inch pan and set aside.  In a large pot, melt the butter over medium-low heat.  Add the marshmallows stirring constantly until melted.  Stir the Chocolate Cheerios into the melted marshmallow mixture.  Combine and press into prepared pan.  Allow to cool before slicing into squares.

Prep:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 10 minutes

Dad's 80th Birthday Party (with Gifts, Decor & Recipes!)

I've  been absent from The Devilish Dish lately and with good reason! My Dad turned 80 years young last week, and we celebrated this weekend with an old-fashioned party in his honor.  When Mom asked for my help, my best friend since 6th grade Barbara and I were immediately on board.   Mom estimated around 75 friends and family showed up to enjoy homemade cobbler, ice cream and a lot of fun!

This was a party for the ages!
We had so much fun planning this.
Love my Dad!

Barbara designed, ordered and sent out the invitations. They featured a picture of my parents when they were dating.  (They will be married 58 years this November!) My mom had made my dad his first ever birthday cake.  (That's sweet and a little sad all at the same time.)  You can tell by all of these numbers I'm throwing around this was before running to Michael's for cake decorating tools was even possible.  She told me she used a potato peeler to "grate" a Hershey Bar to spell out "Happy Birthday Billy" on that cake.  A true labor of love.  So was this party, but totally worth it.  

Here's the adorable invitation  I'm so glad to have Barb
in my life.  We've been friends since 6th grade,
she's practically my parents other daughter.
She and her husband Keith and their daughter Emily
showed up early to the party and helped in every capacity.
Friends are truly the family you choose for yourself!

My Dad was one of ten children.  Sadly, several of his brothers and sisters including his twin brother are no longer with us.  His twin brother, my "Daddy Vernon" was just as special to me as my Dad.  We wanted to make sure and honor his memory at the party as well without making it too sad.  Vernon was Will Rogers made over.  He never knew a stranger and he would never want anyone to shed a tear at a party.  So we added a few extra special touches to remind everyone to celebrate in his memory too!

Only one picture of my Dad and his twin brother exists from their childhood.  Isn't this exactly how you picture little boys from rural Oklahoma in the 1930s and 40s?  Dusty overalls and hand me down boots.  This picture is very precious to our family and served as the inspiration for the party decor.

Snickers Dip

I took this dip along with a bag of pretzels to one of our very first tailgates several years ago.  And more than once I heard, "Oh my gosh what is in this?" and "You have to try this dip."  Needless to say it was gone before game time, because face it, who doesn't love a Snickers Bar? Years later tailgaters are still commenting on this dip.  It's that memorable!  Even better is the dip only has four ingredients.  It's super easy to make, and you can even make it ahead of time.  Serve it up with some pretzels for the perfect sweet and salty combination.  You'll get your Snickers fix in a cute dessert form!

Get your Snickers Fix in dip form!

The perfect sweet and salty combination!

Snickers Dip

16 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup brown sugar
8 ounces Cool Whip topping
6 regular-sized Snickers candy bars, chopped

Pretzels for dipping

Cream the cream cheese, brown sugar and Cool Whip together with a mixer.  Stir in the chopped candy bars.  Refrigerate before serving.  Serve with pretzels for dipping.

Prep Time:  Approximately 5 minutes     Cook Time: 0 

[Gluten-Free] Black Bean and Sweet Potato Chili

My husband and I were discussing the whole gluten/celiac diagnosis the other night. We both agreed that it's a good thing we enjoy cooking.  The hardest thing I've found about going to an all gluten-free diet is giving up convenience.  It is possible to wake up in the morning and prepare a gluten-free pancake that tastes great.  It's not always convenient to wake up in the morning and prepare a gluten-free pancake.  And dining out simply takes a little research beforehand. I've found that most restaurants have their gluten information posted online.  I can look ahead of time and find something on the menu to enjoy without being a pain in the neck or confusing the servers.  So for the most part, I'd say I'm happily adapting.  That was until I looked at him and realized, "The thing I will miss most will probably be your homemade chili with a big handful of oyster crackers in it."  While I'm sure there are some tasty gluten-free crackers out there, I haven't really searched, nor have I yet to create a homemade gluten-free cracker.  So I decided rather than eat his Award Winning Chili sans crackers, I decided I would substitute a recipe with all the great flavors of chili, but also a super healthy version that doesn't need crackers.  Substitute some vegetable broth for the chicken broth and you've got a great vegan recipe as well.  You'll never miss those crackers once you enjoy a bowl of this hearty, colorful chili. 

So colorful and tasty.
You'll never miss the meat or the crackers!

Serve over basmati rice or grilled chicken breasts.

Garnish with lime wedges and fresh cilantro

Black Bean & Sweet Potato Chili

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 large yellow onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
1 green bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
1 yellow bell pepper cored, seeded and chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes peeled and diced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
3 tablespoons chili powder
1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon cracked black pepper
1/4-1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/4 teaspoon dried marjoram
1 bay leaf
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken or vegetable broth
2 (14.5 ounce) cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh squeezed lime juice
fresh cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a large, heavy stock pot.  Over medium-high heat, add onion.  Reduce heat to medium, cook approximately 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Add the bell peppers and sweet potatoes and cook an additional 5 minutes.  Stir in garlic and cook one minute more.  Add the chili powder and other seasonings.  Stir in tomatoes and broth.  Bring mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook uncovered approximately 30 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender.  Stir in beans and cook another 10 minutes until heated through.  Remove bay leaf.  Stir in lime juice.  Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.  Delicious served over rice or grilled chicken breasts. 

Prep Time:  Approximately 20 minutes     Cook Time:  Approximately 50 minutes