Grasshopper Pie

Grasshopper Pie is a delicious summertime dessert but also a favorite at Thanksgiving and Christmas. It's a creamy frozen pie made with creme de menthe, creme de cocoa, and marshmallow creme and no cool whip over the top of a layer of minty fudge in a Oreo cookie crust. 

I had seen Grasshopper Pie a few weeks ago before my accident over at That Skinny Chick Can Bake.

I knew I had to make it. I have a serious love for mint and chocolate and knew this pie would hit the spot on a hot summer day with a Oreo cookie crust, a minty layer of fudge and a creamy frozen mint layer topped with a little whipped cream and chocolate shavings for garnish.

The mint fudge wasn't part of the original recipe but was the perfect addition to this recipe.

This pie has already been requested for Thanksgiving and Christmas from my family and we can't wait to enjoy another slice. Thanks Lizzy for a great recipe! 

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Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie taste just like the childhood favorite Orange Creamsicle Ice Cream. It's makes the perfect healthy breakfast or dessert treat! 

This post was written by my sweet friend Sonja Sarr of Practical-Stewardship.com. I met Sonja around a year ago when she was kind enough to invite me over for lunch and made an Amazing  Chocolate Cheesecake that was Gluten Free and Dairy Free, let me tell you it was amazingly delicious and a definite must make!

Sonja was kind enough to stop by the other day with some wonderful homemade baguette still hot out of the oven with some fresh bruschetta for my family, what a wonderful afternoon lunch for us to enjoy and offered to write a guest post to help me out, such a blessing!

Please stop by Practical-Stewardship.com and tell Sonja hi, she has tons of delicious recipes, tasty healthy meal plans and workouts on her site! She's on my list of must read blogs!

I have felt truly blessed to have the support and prayers of all of my friends and family during this time and feel truly grateful for each and everyone of you. I can't wait to be back to regular posting and cooking in my kitchen but for now I feel grateful and blessed for all of the help I received.

Thank you again Sonja you are such a blessing! 

Did you ever have those orange creamsicle ice cream treats as a child?  How about those little portions of orange sherbet and vanilla ice cream with the little wooden spoons?

Well, an orange creamsicle smoothie taste just like those orange creamsicle treats and hits the spot with this nice, warm stretch of weather we've been having in the Pacific Northwest.

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Chewy Brownies With Marshmallows And Almonds

I don't know whether to call this a recipe fail or a brilliant accident.

I've been making brownies a lot lately and I mean a lot. 

We've also had this little problem I write about a lot that I make something turn around and the kids and Colt have devoured about 3/4 of what I've made before I have a picture..

Ugh.. They just don't understand..

So after the last brownies with pecans that were amazing  but eaten in 2.2 seconds I thought I had this brilliant idea to make some Rocky Road Brownies.

We'll the idea was brilliant but the marshmallow melted into the brownies leaving them a little extra chewy.

Not what I planned but deliciousness none the less.

A must make anyway.

In case you're looking for other brownie recipes make sure to try out a few of my favorites: Brown Butter Brookies, Fudgy Black Bean Brownies , Fudge Brownies With Caramel Swirl, and Fudgy Brownies With Peanut Butter Swirl.

The hardest part is deciding which ones to make first.

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Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad With Basil Vinaigrette

The weathers been warm in Seattle and for some awful reason I have more laundry than I know what to do with. So I decided to make Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad with Basil Vinaigrette for an easy dinner.

Does it multiply in the heat or is it just my house?

I've avoided turning on the oven whenever possible or our house is like 900 degrees and it takes well into the next morning to cool off.

Sorry the heat must be getting to me..

So we've been enjoying a lot of salads like this Italian Antipasto Pasta Salad and bbq.

Italian Antipasto Salad has been a staple in my summertime dinner favorites for years simply because it's easy, I can make it in the morning when the house is cool, be gone all day and return to an amazingly delicious dinner.

What more could a girl ask for?

Did I fail to mention the Basil Vinaigrette has a nice tang that puts this salad over the top.

We've already enjoyed this pasta salad several times this summer and the recipe makes plenty for the lunch the next day.

I'm off to have another bowl before the kids devour what's left.

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Mixed Berry Pie Recipe

Mixed Berry Pie or we also call it Very Berry Pie is a favorite pie recipe anytime of the year since it can be made with fresh or frozen berries. Blackberries or Marion berries, Blueberries, Raspberries and Strawberries are mixed with brown sugar for a delicious berry filling recipe then placed in a flaky buttery crust.  

Mixed Berry Pie is a favorite in our house for the holidays including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and 4th of July. 

Who can resist a slice of Mixed Berry Pie with blackberries, blueberries, raspberries and strawberries? Not anyone who's been in our house!

This recipe for Mixed Berry Pie is a year around favorite. It can be made with frozen berries when fresh isn't available or a mixture of both like I used.

It's a must for just about every holiday and a must have for the Thanksgiving Pie table and 4th of July  when the berries are ripe.

I think I was lucky to get a picture before the last piece was gone. I think the rules of food blogging no one eats until the pictures been taken is ignored on a regular basis in our house.

I love all the berries that are in season right now and I couldn't think of a better treat to make than a Verry Berry Pie and a large scoop of vanilla ice cream! Colt and I enjoyed our pie on The Fourth Of July on our rooftop watching the fireworks once the kids went to bed. It's a yearly tradition.

I was lucky to have a slice of Mixed Berry Pie left for a photo, and to enjoy for breakfast with my coffee.

Here's how I make Mixed Berry Pie using frozen berries or fresh depending on what's available.

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Flaky Sour Cream Pie Crust

Sour Cream Pie Crust is an easy homemade pie crust recipe that is extremely forgiving. It makes a delicious buttery pastry crust that is so tender, and flaky. It's so simple and I absolutely love that it makes a great first time pie crust recipe. The fat in the sour cream takes the place of water that can contribute to a tough pie crust from the gluten in the flour being over developed during rolling and shaping.

Sour Cream Pie Crust is one of my go to pie crust recipes along with my other favorite Flaky Pie Crust Recipe and Gluten Free Pie Crust for when we have guests with dietary restrictions. Sour Cream Pie Crust is one of my staples for Thanksgiving and Christmas pies! 

This pie crust recipe came about after heading to the grocery store and picking up everything to make a Very Berry Pie, came home and I discovered I had no shortening to make my traditional Flaky Pie Crust.

What to do, what to do..

Then I debated making an all butter crust but my luck in the past hasn't been so lucky with that one and then I remembered how deliciously flaky the crust was in the Flaky Blackberry Turnovers I adapted last year from Dori Greenspan.

It was flaky, light and shattered nicely. So I adapted the recipe to make a double 9 inch pie crust.

Amazingly delicious and easy... Enough said!

Here's how to make Flaky Sour Cream Pie Crust:

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Fourth Of July Fun

I hope everyone had a safe and fun Independence Day! 

How was your day? Did you stay home or venture out?

I hope whatever it entailed you enjoyed plenty of good eats! 

We were going to head out and enjoy the fireworks else where but decided the show from home we couldn't miss!

Our town really knows how to blow some things up and we didn't want to miss out this year so we lit off a few fireworks and climbed up on our roof with some Very Berry Pie and Vanilla Ice Cream to enjoy the show! 

We sit on the top of the hill overlooking town so its quite a firework spectacular! 

There's nothing like family food and watching the fireworks! 

It was a perfect night no rain and a gorgeous sunset!

This was lit by L.J. his very first year Dad allowed him to lite some stuff up! 

The joys of turning 10..

I struggled through every minute of it!

I have an over protective problem, at least I can admit it!

I'll be back tomorrow with a few tasty treats! 

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