Watermelon Sherbet Cake

Upon Scott's request, Scott's mom would make a watermelon cake for his birthday. This is super easy, looks great and is nice and cool for the summer.

Watermelon Sherbet Cake

Lime sherbet

Pineapple sherbet

Raspberry sherbet

Mini chocolate chips

Line a bowl with plastic wrap. Make a layer of lime sherbet about an inch thick. Add a thinner layer of pineapple sherbet. In a separate bowl mix softened raspberry sherbet with mini chocolate chips. Place mixture in bowl over pineapple layer. Freeze to harden softened sherbet. When ready to serve, turn the bowl upside down on a large plate and use the plastic wrap to get the cake out of the bowl. Slice like a watermelon and serve.

 Make a layer of lime Sherbet

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream

One year Scott bought me an ice cream maker attachment for my Kitchen Aid mixer. It might be one of the favorite gifts he's given me. It is so easy to use and makes enough ice cream for the 2 of us. Scott's favorite flavor is mint chocolate chip. This is the recipe that we use and it tastes a lot like Breyer's mint chocolate chip (but better!)

Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream 
2 cups 2% milk
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1 tsp. peppermint extract
3 drops green food coloring if you want, we prefer ours white.
1 cup shaved chocolate (or mini chocolate chips made smaller in a food processor)

In large bowl stir milk, cream, sugar, salt vanilla and peppermint extract (and food coloring) with a spoon until sugar is dissolved. Make ice cream according to your ice cream makers directions. If you're cool like me, yours will be done in 20 minutes and your taste buds will be so happy.

Slow Cooker Liner

Have you ever used a slow cooker liner? They are usually by the foil and plastic wrap at the store and they make cleaning so easy. If I am making a meal in the slow cooker that is creamy I won't use it, but if it's more of a clear liquid, it makes the clean-up a cinch. Just put it in your slow cooker and put the ingredients in and slow cook away. No washing necessary. You're welcome.

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Zesty Shredded Chicken

This is a copy-cat recipe I found for Cafe Rio shredded chicken. Honestly I have never had Cafe Rio shredded chicken (because if you don't get the sweet pork you are crazy), so I can't say it's comparable but I really like it, and it's so easy. We will make burritos, soft tacos or quesadillas with the meat.

Zesty Shredded Chicken
3 chicken breasts
4 oz. zesty Italian dressing
1/2 TBS minced garlic
1 pkg. ranch dressing
1/2 cup water
1/2 TBS chili powder
1/2 TBS cumin

Place all ingredients in slow cooker and cook on high for 6 hours or low for 8 hours. Shred chicken and let simmer in juice another 30 minutes. Makes 8-10 servings. 3 WW SP/8 servings

A Favorite Meal

This is not really a recipe but an idea. We love grilled chicken and in the form of chicken tenders is the best. They are a lot healthier than legs, thighs and wings and if you marinate them right, they are oh so good. And they take less time to cook than a chicken breast.  We love the Lawry's Balsamic Herb marinade. We have tried all flavors and that is our favorite, with sun dried tomato being a close runner-up. We will usually marinate the chicken all day.

One of our favorite meals is grilled chicken tenders, some pasta-roni and grilled asparagus , It is simple and so good. We usually have this a couple times a month.

Zesty Pasta Salad

Confession: I never had pasta salad growing up. If I went to a party and it was there I usually didn't take some. When I married Scott he told me that for his birthday he always got to pick what they had for dinner. He always wanted smokies, pasta salad and potato salad. So I made it a point to learn his mom's recipes when we got married so that he could have these things on his birthday. I still haven't perfected the potato salad, but I make the pasta salad several times a year. It's super simple, it just takes time to chop fresh veggies.

Zesty Pasta Salad
Package of penne pasta (prepared as directed on the package)
1 cucumber sliced and quartered
Can of sliced olives
1 8 oz. cube cheese cubed into 1/2 inch squares- we use cheddar or Colby jack
3 Roma tomatoes diced
Pepperoni quartered
Wishbone Italian dressing

Place all items but dressing into the bowl. Mix well and then add dressing. We usually use about 1/2-3/4 bottle and let it cool in the fridge and add more dressing before serving, as the dressing soaks in and the pasta loses the flavor. I love that it's so colorful! 

Ranch Chicken

Well, it's getting hot here in Arizona and I'm trying really hard not to use my oven anymore. Although it's hot outside, I still like a nice warm meal once in a while. This is one of our favorites.

Ranch Chicken
5-6 chicken breasts
3 cans cream of chicken soup
4 T melted butter
2 packets dry ranch mix

Spray slow cooker and place chicken inside. In small bowl combine soup, butter and ranch. Mix up and place over chicken. Cook on high for 7-8 hours. Serve with mashed potatoes, or in our home, we do garlic smashed potatoes with red potatoes. So yummy!