Blackberry Cheesecake Float

You guys! I have an awesome summer drink recipe to share with you that is so easy and literally only requires 2 ingredients!

I have been craving all things blackberry lately. Normally I am not the biggest ice cream eater, but this little pint of blackberry cheesecake ice cream practically fell into my cart and begged to come home with me.

Immediately I knew how I was going to enjoy this treat! In an ice cream float!

Ice cream floats completely change the ice cream game in my book. I cannot resist them and love to try different flavors! They can be as simple as root-beer and vanilla or as complex as you care to make them.
This one is not too wild in terms of the combination, but it is wildly delicious!

To make a Blackberry Cheesecake Float you will need:

2 scoops of blackberry cheesecake ice cream
1 can of Cream Soda {I used Diet A&W}

optional:
graham cracker crumbs
whipped cream

Directions

Add ice cream to a tall glass
Top with cream soda

Optional:
Top with whipped cream and 1 teaspoon of graham cracker crumbs

This was a fantastic flavor for a float for a summer indulgence that took only a moment to prepare and share!


You might also like this Strawberry Shortcake Float recipe.

Easy Xylophone Craft

It is summer, my kids would live in the pool or perched on a swing, with possible breaks for snacks, lemonade and some screen time if given the opportunity. While I am a firm believer in the importance of play, I am a firm believer in learning year round and brushing up on the things that kids already know too.

One afternoon we were talking about instruments and toying with a few drums, triangles, and maracas when I mentioned a xylophone. My son couldn't picture what I was explaining so I decided to make a quick craft with the kids to see if it would refresh his memory without grabbing the ipad to give him a visualization.

This craft took about 4 minutes for my speedy little boy. It would have taken half of that time had I not nudged him to color the sticks completely.

You will need
6 craft sticks
markers
glue



As you can see I placed 2 of the craft sticks at vertical slants almost mimicking a V

I had Roo color 4 of the sticks in whatever colors he liked


Next we placed the sticks horizontally on the vertical sticks, like rungs on a ladder, securing with 2 beads of white glue per stick

By the time we had placed 3 of the 4 sticks on the frame, Roo remembered what a xylophone was. This was easy to make and the kids had fun banging on the craft stick xylophone. I enjoyed that part too because it was quieter than the real deal.

This was also a great way to discuss colors, shapes, ladders and how one might use a ladder as well as how rungs are like steps in a trickier way. I loved that so much conversation happened around one simple project, involving 6 craft sticks!





Don't miss this fun paper sandwich craft for kids!

Peanut Butter and Jam Pound Cake Parfait Inspired by Hagensborg Chocolates

 This recipe was inspired by friends at Hagensborg via samples received. 

A few weeks ago, I partnered with my friends, The Chocolate Princesses at Hagensborg Chocolates to bring you a really sweet giveaway! We loved hearing all of the ways that you guys are making the world a sweeter place. It was truly inspiring!

Last week was rough for my husband. Mr. Sweet Silly Sara was wrapping up the year at his job as a school librarian and he had not been getting enough sleep. We were busy every night of the week and despite his long week and his weariness, he was on a baseball field, volunteering to help coach a team of 3-6 year old kids.  I  was inspired by Hagensborg Chocolate truffle pigs in peanut butter and jam flavor to make a sweet dessert that would bring a smile to my husband's face.

This is such an easy recipe. I normally would have baked a sponge cake to use, but as I mentioned we had several weeknight games! With that in mind, I had picked up a sponge cake to serve with berries one evening. The berries were consumed but the cake was stashed in a cabinet and forgotten about for a few days.

I put the cake to good use and created a 5-minute recipe that anyone can make and will love!

Peanut Butter and Jam Pound Cake Parfait Inspired by Hagensborg Chocolates

Ingredients

4- 2 inch slices of pound cake, cut into cubes

2 tablespoons of raspberry jam

2 tablespoons of peanut butter

1 tablespoon of cold water

4 Hagensborg Truffle Pigs in Peanut Butter and Jam flavor

Chocolate sauce for garnish

Directions

In a small bowl mix the jam and the water together

In a small saucepan melt the peanut butter over low heat, stirring often until it reaches a smooth liquid state

Place several cubes of cake into a parfait cup

Add a spoon full of jam to the top of the cake cubes

Add another layer of cake cubes

Add a spoonful of melted peanut butter to the top of the cake cubes

Drizzle Chocolate Sauce, jam and peanut butter over the top layer

Garnish with a Hagensborg Chocolate

Repeat until the ingredients are gone in additional parfait cups

My husband suggested that whipped cream would be excellent on top of this Peanut Butter and Jam Sponge Cake Parfait! 

How do you like to serve sponge cake? Do you ever garnish it with something fantastic like chocolate? Hagensborg offers so many fantastic flavors. We are hog wild for their Truffle Pigs. It was nearly impossible to pick a favorite. My son loved the milk chocolate and dark chocolate ones. My daughter was all about the Peanut Butter and Jam. My husband liked Caramel and Peanut Butter... Me. I just couldn't decide. I was impressed by each flavor. Look guys, lets be honest. I am a gourmet kind of girl. Hagensborg is the way to go when you want to indulge in something delicious and cute. My tastebuds thanked me after we tried this brand, and yours will too.

You might also enjoy this Chocolate Fondue recipe.

A Stroll At The Kingwood Center

As a family, we love to visit The Kingwood Center in Mansfield several times a year. My husband and I love the flowers and plants. The kids love the statues and we all love the exercise! It is easy to spend an hour strolling the paths with the kids.

The Kingwood was one of the first places Adam and I visited when we moved to Mansfield, pre-kids. Over the years we moved, but we make a point to visit The Kingwood several times a year with the kids, not only for the experience but also to revisit our roots in a way.

The Kingwood Center is a 47 acre estate that is open to the public. The grounds are compromised of gardens that are breathtaking. Kingwood Center Gardens develops and displays exemplary gardens on the former estate of Charles Kelley King for the pleasure and education of its constituents.  While admission is free there is a parking charge. It is minimal and helps to support the operation of this amazing place in Ohio.

If you visit, plan to stop by the greenhouses. It is easy to get swept away in the fun of the outdoor experience, but the greenhouse offers many gems including a fantastic banana tree. We seem to make a purchase of a plant on each visit.

This is a great place to snap some awesome photos of your family. The flowers are awesome in the spring and summer, in the fall the leaves add a lot to the experience.

Be sure to bring quarters to buy a few handfuls of food for the ducks! If you pay attention you may see the peacocks. They were nesting on eggs on our last month so we really hope to make it back this summer to see babies!

Do you have a favorite public garden? I would love to hear about it!

Donut Balls

Sometimes you want something incredible for dessert, but who has time to whip up something from scratch and then bake something?! I mean it is summer. Why heat up the house when you can create these sweet, easy and pretty little treats in no time at all.

These were a huge hit with my family. My husband could not believe I made these with store bought ingredients. I will definitely be making these again- in different flavor combinations for sure!

Donut Balls

Ingredients

1 box of donut holes (about 30) I used glazed original
1 tub of Cool Whip, thawed SAVE the CONTAINER! YOU will use it again!

1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon of milk

1 box of instant pudding mix I used French Vanilla 

Instructions

Mix the milk and the pudding mix, it will be kind of like a blob of pudding. 
Add the Cool Whip and blend well. I used a low setting on a hand mixer and mixed for a minute or so. 
Return the pudding mixture to the Cool Whip container and place it in the freezer for 10-20 minutes.
Make a thin slice on one side of the donut hole.
Then slice in half. 
The slice that is cut on both sides becomes the bottom, separate the 'tops' and 'bottoms'. 
Repeat until all donut holes are ready.
Remove the mixture from the freezer, place a dollop on the 'bottom' section of the donut hole, gently pressing the 'top' section on the pudding mixture.
Serve immediately or refrigerate until you are ready to serve.

These are pretty , easy and delicious!
Next time I will try chocolate pudding and donuts!

You might also enjoy this easy Berry Vanilla Parfait Recipe!

If you are craving all things donut now, grab this free D is for Donut Coloring Page.