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Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad

This easy Bacon Ranch Pasta Salad is loaded with bacon, spinach, and tomatoes giving it a delicious BLT flavor.  This easy pasta salad recipe is a great side dish to share at summer picnics or barbecues.

A white bowl filled with a creamy ranch BLT pasta salad and cut avocados behind it

Summer Pasta Salad

Pasta salad is my go to during the hot summer months.  If we get invited to picnics or dinners it is safe to say I will be bringing some type of easy pasta salad recipe.

I also make a Caprese pasta salad or this Veggie Salad when I have no idea what else to make for dinner.  It's safe to say veggies and pasta are always my go to.

It's ok though, because pasta goes with just about any meal, right? Burgers, pulled pork, chicken tenders...it all goes together.

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Banana Nutella Snack Cake

This Banana Nutella Snack Cake is so easy to make. Adding swirls of Nutella and a drizzle of glaze to this soft banana cake recipe makes it the perfect treat to enjoy with your morning cup of coffee.

Stack of four banana nutella snack cake squares on a cream plate

Whenever I have to bring a baked item for a breakfast or brunch, I usually make this Lemon Strawberry Snack Cake. It is such an easy cake to change up the filling on.

This week we had a bunch of over ripe bananas sitting on our counter that needed used and a jar of Nutella in the pantry that was calling my name.

I love tweaking and changing recipes, so this week I decided to make a banana cake using my favorite snack cake recipe as the base.

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Peaches and Cream Cake Roll

This beautiful Peaches and Cream Cake Roll has whipped cream and cinnamon sugar-coated peaches all rolled up in a sweet sponge cake. If you are looking for peach recipes this summer, this is the one you need.

A white plate with a slice of peaches and cream cake roll on it and the rest of the cake roll behind it

I love learning all about baking. One thing I had always heard was that cake rolls had to be rolled up immediately after baking, so they could "remember" their shape. 

But I recently learned that rolling it warm for memory is a bit of an old wives' tale.

The amount of sugar in the batter and the chemical reaction while baking actually determine whether a cake will be pliable or tender.

This particular cake roll has just enough sugar that it can be rolled warm, OR you can flip the pan over and let it cool flat with a pan over it. Either way, you can roll it up with your filling, and it will not crack.

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Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake

This Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Ice Cream Cake has two layers of ice cream on top of a crunchy cookie crust.  It is an easy frozen dessert that can be enjoyed all year long.

A white plate with a slice of chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream cake on it and cake behind it

Ok, so I'm kind of sort of obsessed with ice cream cakes lately.

Although, I kind of feel guilty calling these "recipes". I mean can you really call it a recipe when you open two cartons of ice cream and layer them in a pan?

The answer to that is yes, yes you can. At least that's my take on the question.

Plus, after one slice of this cookie dough ice cream goodness, you will be happy for this non-recipe.  

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Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake

This easy Strawberry Cheesecake Poke Cake topped with a fluffy cheesecake mousse, graham cracker crumbs, and fresh strawberries will make you the star of every summer picnic. 

A blue plate with a square of strawberry cheesecake poke cake with a strawberry on top.
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By now you know that I am slightly obsessed with poke cakes.  It all started with this chocolate coconut cake years ago, and I haven't been able to stop making them. Or eating them...

There is just something about the chilled cake drizzled with milk and topped with a fluffy mousse frosting that gets me every single time.

Why Make a Poke Cake

If you love tres leches cake, you will adore a strawberry poke cake. They have the same gooey consistency.

  • Easy to make. All you need are a few store bought ingredients to make a cake that everyone will enjoy.
  • Gooey and delicious. Sweetened condensed milk and strawberry topping add a moist and amazing texture to the soft cake.
  • Great spring or summer dessert. The strawberry flavor and cheesecake topping will make this sweet cake disappear at any party, picnic, or event.

So, take our word for it and make this strawberry cheesecake poke cake for your family this week.  I think they will love it just as much as we did.

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Pina Colada Bundt Cake

Pineapple and coconut add a fun summer twist to this easy Pina Colada Bundt Cake. It is a delicious tropical dessert for summer picnics or barbecues. Watch everyone smile as they grab a slice.

If you love pina coladas, make sure you try out these Pina Colada Sugar Cookie Bars too They are another crowd pleasing dessert.

A white plate on a red and white towel with a slice of pina colada bundt cake on it

Baking always makes me happy. Now I know there are some of you that love baking from scratch.  Now don't get me wrong, I love baking this way too, but I also love doctoring up mixes.

There is nothing wrong with jazzing up a cake mix to give you the look of a bakery style cake, right? I mean look how gorgeous this Strawberry Mousse Cake looks. Yup, it started from a box mix too.

My feelings on the matter is that someone took the time to calculate all those ingredient measurements into a box, so I'm going to go ahead and use them.  

It saves me a little bit of time in the kitchen, which translates into baking a cake faster for my mouth!  You do what you feel is best for you though!

For now I'm going to continue to go the semi-homemade route.  Giving pre-made ingredients that homemade with flair pizzaz is how I like to roll!

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Edible Cookie Dough

Spread some Disney cheer by making a batch of Edible Cookie Dough with mini Oreos on top for dessert. Lots of colorful sprinkles and heat treated flour make this edible cookie dough recipe a fun and safe treat for everyone.

A clear cup filled with cookie dough and topped with two chocolate cookies making it look like Mickey Mouse.

One of our favorite things to do in Orlando is to stop at Disney Springs. It is so fun to walk around the shops and to buy all the desserts...for research. Wink, wink! These Disney marshmallow pops were inspired by marshmallow pops I saw there.

Of course, the Cookie Dough and Everything Sweet food truck was always one of my new favorite places to stop because I have a big sweet tooth. I love that they add chocolate cookies and bows on top of the cookie dough treats to make them look like Mickey and Minnie Mouse treats.

Of course, the truck isn't there anymore, so I decided to make my own edible cookie dough at home.

Why This Recipe is Best

  • Easy to make in minutes!
  • Loaded with colorful sprinkles.
  • Mini Oreos on top make it look like Mickey Mouse.
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Chubby Hubby Ice Cream Pie

Peanut butter swirls and chocolate covered pretzels add a fun flair to this Chubby Hubby Ice Cream Pie. This easy no bake pie recipe is the perfect summer dessert!

A white plate with a slice of chubby hubby ice cream pie and a fork with more pie behind it.

Growing up as a kid, I didn't like ice cream. I know, right? What kid doesn't like ice cream?

I think it was that I didn't like how cold ice cream was. But I always ate Jell-O pudding pops when we were at my grandpa's house. Looking back now, that makes no sense to me.

Both treats are cold, so why was I ok with one and not the other?

Good thing I grew out of that strange phase. I'm all about a bowl of ice cream or a slice of Neapolitan Brownie Ice Cream Cake these days.

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No Bake Strawberry Lemon Cream Pie

Layers of cookies, lemon cream, and fresh fruit makes this No Bake Strawberry Lemon Cream Pie a delicious and easy recipe to make on hot summer days.

A slice of lemon cream pie topped with whipped cream, strawberries, and blueberries with the rest of the pie behind it

Most of the time when crazy dessert ideas go through my head they are full of chocolate and peanut butter.  My husband just shakes his head and asks why everything has to be this combo.

Yes, he is kind of sort of crazy because he would rather have fruit instead of chocolate.

But because I love him, I let crazy fruit desserts enter my mind every once in a while.  He is one heck of a dad to our three kids, takes care of us no matter what, and works hard to provide for our family!

We are blessed to have him in our lives for sure!  So if he wants fruity desserts, I'm there for him! [Read more...]

Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake

This Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake has layers of chocolate and vanilla cheesecake topped with a sweet strawberry pie filling. Make this gorgeous dessert as the perfect ending to any summer dinner party.

A slice of strawberry chocolate cheesecake topped with whipped cream and a strawberry on a teal and white plate

Years and years ago, my husband and I started baking cheesecakes together. We love the challenge of coming up with fun flavor combos. Some of our favorites are this Apple Crisp Cheesecake and this Banana Pudding Cheesecake.

But I have to say that this Strawberry Chocolate Cheesecake was the best cheesecake that we ever came up with.  It combined my love for chocolate cheesecake and my hubby's love for strawberry pie. It is seriously the best of both worlds.

And I'm just now realizing that we have a thing for pie and cheesecake mashups. LOL!

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