Peanut Butter Pudding Pie

This pie is the second thing I ever baked in my new kitchen. This pie was me saying "I have leftover homemade graham crackers from the s'more cupcakes. I have peanut butter out the whazoo. I have peanuts....there's a recipe for pb pie I haven't tried yet....and I have all the ingredients already."

And then I made it. And then I said, "Mmmmmm..."

I've made a few different peanut butter pies in the past, and I have loved them. (Because....peanut butter. In pie.) But I'm always up for trying a different kind! 

(Except for kinds with cream cheese in 'em...I steer clear. I'm not a fan of cream cheese in my desserts. #sorryimnotsorry) 

What's cool about this recipe is that the filling is essentially peanut butter pudding. Which is freaking awesome. It's rich and thick and full of peanut butter flavor! Then, to contrast the pudding texture, the buttery graham cracker crust and the crunch of the peanuts on top are just perfect. I'm definitely a fan. As was evidenced by the empty pie plate some days later.

No shame.

Peanut Butter Oat Balls

I have an irrational fear (ok...I have many. But today we're just discussing one).

I am terrified of having a child with a peanut (or any nut) allergy. Because...um...would I have to give up peanut butter? I CAN'T DO IT GUYS! I CAN'T! I don't even know what I would feed my childrens. So...this is a very real fear that I think about a lot (because I'm neurotic.) And it's so sad because some kids can't even be NEAR peanuts. And it's like...how can they go out in the world? In Disney World, my brother and I were snacking on some peanuts before Fantasmic! when a mother asked us to please stop eating them because her son (who was in line near us) is allergic. Apparently she had an Epipen just in case but...still. Like....she has to try to make sure no one eats peanuts around her kid. That is rough. So..I'm scared.

(and I hope no one with nut allergies or children with nut allergies take offense to this, I'm merely recognizing the challenges I imagine you must face)

Anyway. Currently, there's nothing in my life impeding me from my beloved peanut butter. Which is good because...not only is it gosh darn delicious, it's pretty darned healthy (if you use the right kind any way). So with the assistance of that magical spread, you can make healthy little treats that taste like cookies or candy.

My kind of healthy eating.

This recipe is SO. GOOD! The perfect breakfast or snack: they're bite sized, chewy, full of filling fiberlicious things like oats and flaxseed, and they have tasty chocolate and peanut butter. WIN. They're miraculous little bites. You can take them on the go for an easy breakfast or quick treat. BUT WAIT-there's more!

It takes like....10 minutes to make these yummy little balls of goodness. And there's no baking. You just mix em up, roll them into balls, and eat or store them! THE END. It doesn't get any simpler. So. You're smart people. You're probably going to go make these now, yes?

Dark Chocolate Dreams Icebox Pie-31 Days of Dark Chocolate Dreams Cookbook Review

I'm feeling prettyyyy cool. Wanna know why? I got to check out an ADVANCE copy of Peanut Butter & Co's new cookbook "31 Days of Dark Chocolate Dreams" (written by Peanut Butter & Co. founder and president, Lee Zalben)!! The cookbook released on January 27th (but I received it a couple weeks before) and features a whole month's worth of delicious, crazy, fabulous recipes using PB&Co's most popular (and my FAVORITE) peanut butter: Dark Chocolate Dreams (remember when I did that full scale review, back in the day?)

When PB&Co approached me about the opportunity, I mean..it was a no brainer. I LOVE them. They have this amazing sandwich shop here in NYC and...I mean...their peanut butters...AHHMAZING. And Dark Chocolate Dreams is the best: chocolate + peanut butter=goodness. Duh. Bonus: it has no cholesterol, no trans fats, no hydrogenated oils, and no high-fructose corn syrup. It is also gluten-free, certified vegan, and certified kosher pareve. Awesomeness, right? And a whole cookbook using this nectar from heaven...whoa!

There were so many delicious options, flipping through this cookbook, that I didn't know where to start!

Fortunately, Michael very succinctly made up my mind. He pointed to the icebox pie and said, "That one."

...ok then

My boy loves pie. So do I. And this, this is the embodiment of everything I want in a pie. After his first bite, Michael said, "Ohhh....this is so good...I take back what I said about the soup." He then proceeded to savor each bite, very slowly. And when the day came that he had to finish the last piece...he was a sad Michael.

Let's break it down: homemade, crunchy, buttery, chocolate cookie crust. Then a rich, thick, creamy, heavenly, dark chocolate peanut butter filling that will make you just want to let it sit on your tongue so you can just enjoy every moment. Then, on top, the perfect bit of texture is added by garnishing with peanuts and chocolate chips. Just....ahhh....so good you guys. I'm not even kidding. You need this pie in your life, NOW.

Just ask my poor, broken fiance', crying in the corner because there is no more pie*.

*this is a slight exaggeration. Slight.

((Keep on reading after the recipe for a GIVEAWAY!))

Nutella "Candy" Bars

Can you remember the first time you tried Nutella (or some kind of chocolate hazelnut spread)?

I can.

I was living in Brooklyn with my soon-to-be estranged roommates, but at this stage we were still getting along. One of these girls had a container of nutella and told me to try it, and I was hesitant. Like "umm...I don't think I like hazelnuts." (WHAT? I LOVE HAZELNUTS! Stupid past Kayle) But I tried it because...well...chocolate. And then I was like "Oh this pretty much just tastes like chocolate." (IS YOUR PALATE SO UNREFINED PAST KAYLE?! CAN'T YOU TASTE THE DIFFERENCE?!)

Anyway, so, I ate more of it over time, and my love grew and grew. The end.

Anyway. These bars. They've got a serious punch of chocolate hazelnutty flavor. 

But, for me anyway, they were meessssyyy. So ya know, keep that in mind. I was going to give a few of these to my aunt, but by the time I got them to her, they were so mushed she literally thought they WERE my homemade chocolate hazelnut butter. I had to inform her that they used to be candy bars. Oops.

Whatevs. Still tasty. Very sweet but very tasty and crunchy!

Salted Caramel Ice Cream (No Ice Cream Maker!)-Stef's Virtual Baby Shower

EEEEE!! OMG...you guys...Stef, from Sarcastic Cooking, is gonna have a BABY BOY!!

yayyy!!!

I'm baby obsessed (seriously ask anyone, I ADORE babies. If I see your photos of your baby on facebook or instagram...that just like...makes my day. I fully intend to have a bunch of little ones myself someday and I just love em!) and Stef obsessed, for that matter, so when Stephie (my girl from Eat Your Heart Out) asked if I wanted to join in on a virtual baby shower for Stef, I immediately said YES!

Food bloggers (or maybe just bloggers in general) are weird creatures. I know that.

Nobody outside understands. I tell them I'm a part of a virtual baby shower and they're like "...so...they don't actually get to eat the food you're making for them?" and I'm like "well...no...but it's in spirit...just..ya know...ugh you don't get it." It's a thing though, ok? Just trust it is our way of saying WE LOVE YOU to our bloggy buds!

This is Stef and her husband Mike's first child, and I am just so psyched for them. I honestly can't even imagine how overwhelming and exciting this time must be for them! Stef seems totally cool as a cucumber though, and I know she's gonna make an amazing mom. When trying to brainstorm ideas for what to make for this post, I asked Stephie for any ideas, if Stef was craving anything in particular, etc. etc. and she mostly just said she's been a pickle fiend. Which of course made me think of the old pregnant woman stereotype of pickles and ice cream. And I figured well...if she's gonna eat her pickles, she might as well enjoy some spectacular ice cream as well, right? So I asked Stephie if she thought Stef would like the idea of salted caramel ice cream to which she responded, and I quote, "That's gonna get a resounding YES YUM ALL THE CARAMEL ICE CREAM THINGS response from her, haha!" So...there ya have it.

And, BONUS, since I'm sure Stef is busy preparing to be a mom, and will be even busier BEING a mom, this ice cream recipe is the no ice cream maker method. Which is the super easy, super quick way of making ice cream that I am addicted to! 

And we all remember that amazing salted caramel sauce recipe I shared on Monday? Yeah this ice cream tastes exactly like that...but in ice cream form (although feel free to use any caramel sauce you like). So prepare for incredibly rich, delicious, salted-caramel-flavor-packed ice cream! 

(and um...sorry for the not so inspiring photos. This particular ice cream recipe turned out rather soft so it didn't make for the most attractive pictures. Still looks delicious though, right? Right.)

So Stefanie, CONGRATULATIONS on your pregnancy, and your soon to be new little baby boy! I hope that all of us telling you you're amazing makes you smile, and that you want to eat your computer screen. Because of all the deliciousness we've made for you. <3!!!

Salted Caramel Sauce

I don't even know who I am anymore. 

I don't like caramel. I don't hate it but it's like eh...

or so I thought.

Turns out I freaking love caramel--salted caramel specifically, and especially if it is THIS salted caramel sauce. Where all other caramel seemed blah and so-so, this caramel is an explosion of heavenly rich and buttery and CARAMELIZED flavor! It's like...I never really had caramel before. We're starting over, caramel and I, turning over a new leaf and beginning a bigger. better, more amazing relationship.

I was definitely intimidated by the idea of making homemade caramel sauce, but was pleasantly surprised by what an easy time I had making this recipe! For one thing--this is the simplest recipe for caramel I've ever seen in terms of ingredients (gotta love a short ingredient list full of real things...like sugar...cream...butter), and really, once you're in it you just need to stay by the caramel on the stove and don't leave it and don't look away from it. Just follow the directions and be attentive, and make sure you already have all your ingredients ready. And use a saucepan that is deep enough that it doesn't splatter and burn you. Those are pretty much the rules of thumb and you should be good (that said um...I may have just gotten lucky...and everyone says this is really tricky so if at first you don't succeed, don't be discouraged! Just keep on trying! Get back on that caramel horse!) It's totally worth any and all effort. I meant to take step by step photos for you guys but....well...I was nervous to stray from the stove. If I ever get the courage and take those photos I will put them on here, I swear!

Also, side note: in these photos the sauce looks pretty thin, and it was--it was still pretty fresh. It will definitely thicken up as it cools (especially if/when you refrigerate it) so do not be worried about that at all. I worried about it at first, I was all "Uh...what did I do wrong?" and then a day later I was like "Yay! I did nothing wrong!"

I've used this salted caramel sauce in tons of things already (which you will be seeing on here) and I cannot wait to use it in more stuff (that I had previously always dismissed because uh...I didn't like caramel...supposedly?)! Honestly though, guys, I have to tell you...

I just ate this stuff with a spoon/my finger. Because...holy cannoli it is good. And addictive. And just like...when you taste it...you make a sound. You know the kind of sound I mean. Like just...mmmm so good! You know how I feel about the addition of salt with the sweet and this is the perfect marriage of those flavors. HOWEVER-if you're a crazy person (jk no judgsies here) and don't want the salt up in your caramel, go ahead and omit it. But you shouldn't. You should use the salt. Preferably something awesome like fleur de sel that is delicate and dissolves instantly. Because then you just have smooth smooth caramel and sweet sweet, almost burnt, just PERFECT flavor.

You know you want it.

Chocolate Raspberry Ganache Pie

I'm a mean old lady...

It's taken me over a month to share this recipe with you. And that's not cool, guys.

This pie was Michael's birthday dessert this year and it could not have been a better choice. First: it represents 2 of Michael's favorite flavors, dark chocolate and raspberry. Second: THIS PIE IS SO EASY IT'S INSANE! Oh hey, can you use a microwave and do you have a refrigerator? Yes? Fab. You can make this pie.

Now, I mean...I can never really make anything too easy for myself. So I made my own crust (although honestly, that's pretty simple too....although I did make my own cookies to make my own crust....#ihaveaproblem). But you can totes just buy one. No judging here. This is a safe space. But yeah, anyway, throw some stuff in a microwave, stir it, pour it in your crust, refrigerate, and you have yourself an amazing pie!

A pie that, I might add, prompted my friend Molly to call me a "goddess". So yeah. It's impressive.

And OF COURSE the birthday boy loooved it! He told me so, repeatedly. The ganache gives you the most amazing, silky, texture and then there's a beautiful raspberry glaze on top to give an extra punch of fruity flavor. And there's nothing more delicious (ok that's prob. a big statement but....it's up there) than a cookie crust!

You're gonna love this one.

Salted Browned Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

There's fancy, and then there's fancy. These truffles were pretty amped up to begin with but I maaay have taken them to the next level. Oh yeah.

But I'm getting ahead of myself (as I've been known to do).

Obviously, I love cookie dough. And I love cookie dough truffles. But THESE...are just like, in a league of their own.

First...you brown butter. And that butter is not alone. Oh no. While you're browning the butter, there are also vanilla beans in there. If you think brown butter smells amazing...I can't even begin to explain how PHENOMENAL browned butter and vanilla beans smell. It's like...the best smell ever. I wanna bottle it. And wear it....of course then I'd be hungry all day...hmmm.

Anyway, then you make a fairly classic, eggless, chocolate chip cookie dough with that browned butter (and there's some heavy cream in there too...in case it wasn't rich enough before). BUT I added the delicious twist of, instead of chocolate chips, I folded TCHO's chocolate covered cocoa nibs into the dough. This was Michael's favorite part.

And then you coat the little perfect dough balls in dark chocolate and sprinkle coarse sea salt on top.

Perfecto!

The first bite is....dare I say...foodgasmic (it's the best word to describe it).

Just like...the most rich, sweet, salty, flavor explosion.

I can't even get over how amazing these were. 

But, I was worried they'd be too much for Michael, that he wouldn't like them as much or something. But he totally fell in love too. His first bite, I could tell from his face, pretty much changed his life. And he loved the crunch from the cocoa nibs. And ever since, he hasn't been able to stop talking about them. Me either.

Just...stop. Stop reading. Run and make these. You simply must.

Coconut Ice Cream-EASY, 4 ingredients (Edward & Sons Organic Coconut Products Review)

I had a vision in my head of these photos. I knew I wanted a light blue bowl to pair with the creamy white coconut ice cream.

Only problem?

I had no blue bowls.

Luckily for me, I had a babysitting gig where we (yes...2 babysitters...for 2 kids...which trust me, is the only reason I still babysit those children) took the kids to one of those crafty places where you can do things like paint ceramic or whatever. So me and the other babysitter decided to take part as well. So I found a bowl I liked, and painted it in pretty pretty blues. And thusly my vision was able to be realized.

I am a lucky lady and, after meeting them at the SFFS, Edward & Sons sent me some of their amazing organic coconut products. Then I had to decide what to play with first. I knew exactly what to do with their unsweetened shredded coconut (I love using shredded coconut in cookies but I hate how sweetened most shredded coconut-desserts have enough sweet as it is- is and full of goodness knows what. So this stuff is a Godsend!) But I wanted to use more products. And then I saw the coconut cream. And I remember reading you can make whipped cream with it. And my brain jumped to my favorite easy no ice cream maker recipe. And I thought "let's give this a try!" Aaaand (after a moment of panic when I couldn't seem to whip the coconut cream thick enough but crossed my fingers and hoped for the best) it worked! Plus I threw in some of the shredded coconut and topped with toasted coconut flakes, to really punch up the flavor.

Soooo gooood!

I love how summery this ice cream tastes. Like you're laying on a beach in the Bahamas. Just the perfect coconut flavor to evoke all the feelings of beachiness and tropical, summery fun. Also super refreshing on a hot day...which let's face it...it's August. And the toasted coconut adds some really nice crunchy texture. You should seriously give it a try. Or make something else with Edward & Sons organic coconut. You could even win some!! Scroll past the recipe for the giveaway :D

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Truffles

I know I already complained on Monday, but (and Michael will vouch for this) I'm a bit of a whiner.

So excuse me while I whine about the fact that I STIIIIIL DO NOT HAAAAAVE THE COOKIE DOUGH LOVER'S COOOOKBOOOOOOK! It's not faaaaair! whyyyy?! WHY DON'T I HAVE IT?!

I love the blog Love & Olive Oil and when I found out Lindsay (the lady behind L&OO) wrote a cookbook ENTIRELY ABOUT COOKIE DOUGH it became my #1 must have item. 

Then time passed. More time. And then some more.

And I still do not have it. It's like...probably a crime against nature.

I mean, I've been pretty clear about my cookie dough obsession, yeah? Remember that recipe for eatable cookie dough? Or those peanut butter cookie dough brownies? MMm or those chocolate chip cookie dough balls. The only reasons more of such recipes haven't graced this site is because I'm just so depressed over my lack of cookbook.

Luckily, a few of the recipes from that much desired cookbook have found their way onto the internets. This recipe is one of those recipes. Cookie dough truffles. Oh yeah. 

As I was just typing that line...I had major deja vu. Have you ever had that? So crazy. I literally dreamed like a whole moment of time, and I dreamt it last night and it happened today! Weeeird. 

Anyway, sorry, back to cookie dough. These truffles are great for multiple reasons.Obviously...they're cookie dough...covered in chocolate. WIN. And, no bake, awesome for summertime! And they're so little you can just sit down and pop them in your mouth one by one and then you look down and....

...oops, they're all gone. :)

Chocolate Covered Peanut Butter Banana Pops

I love summer, ok? I do. I wait for it all year round.

But it has been HOT! 

Last week I had to walk for a half hour, dragging a bag with 4 wine bottles, to work, in 100 degree heat (wearing all black). I WAS MISERABLE. Oh sweet lord it was awful. Luckily, it's cooled down a bit since then but...still...hot. And while we're still in the midst of this heat, let's get the most of the frozen treats that both refresh us and make our hearts and tummies happy.

Like with these popsicles.

Do you all remember when I talked about my Zoku Quick Pop Maker? Well, this is another popsicle I made using my beautiful little pop maker. But I made it up. Soo...sorry for the lack of actual written down ingredient amounts...this is sort of a make it up as you go kinda recipe. It's cool though, we don't need to be completely structured here, right?*

*(omg I'm so control freak-y, planner, type A, that just typing that sentence made me feel wrong.)

Growing up, my house was the only house in the neighborhood (in which children lived anyway) that had A/C. My grandpa owned (and my dad worked at) a heating and cooling company so...I mean obviously we had to have a good system. Anyhow, because of this fact, all the neighbor kids congregated at our house to make the most of the cool, cool, air conditioned air. One of those kids, my (still) best friend Alex, who is living at home for the summer, just tweeted at me that I need to move back home so she can come over and bask in the air conditioning...like old times.

Another very strong summer memory I have is of frozen chocolate covered bananas. They were one of my mom's summer staples and I was always clamoring for them, I LOVED em! Couldn't get enough. They were one of my favorite parts of summer.

So, these pops are sort of meant to emulate those flavors. And...I added peanut butter...because...it's never not a good idea to add peanut butter. Plus some people have peanuts on their frozen chocolate bananas (something I never experienced until trying one at a fair) and so you could say the peanut butter adds that flavor element there.

See? Perfect sense. Eat some popsicles, yo' while we still can!

Ice Cream Round Up (Easy, No Ice Cream Maker, 2+ Ingredient Method!)

Hi guys! I'm in Ohio right now, being busy as all get out, but I had to give you a post anyway!

Sometimes certain posts that are older, don't get quite the attention they deserve (largely my fault due to the subpar photography/promoting skills at that time). That is the case for my post about making easy, no ice cream maker, 2+ ingredient ice cream. You guys...I make this ALL THE TIME. Michael virtually always has ice cream waiting for him in the freezer because this is so gosh darn easy, why not? Plus-it's fun! We can sit down and talk and be like "Hmm...what flavor combo should we try next?" So anyway, today I'm re-sharing the method (especially since I just shared that FABULOUS recipe using it on Friday), and telling you about some of the different flavors I've made with it (and tell you how you can make them too! Although bear with me, all the amounts are approximates because I tend to just add things until they taste how I want) Seriously, this one is a game changer.

Easy-NO ICE CREAM MAKER-2+ Ingredient Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk
• 2 cups heavy whipping cream
• Whatever add-ins you desire 

Preparation:

• Whisk condensed milk with whatever add-ins you may have.
• Whip heavy cream until stiff peaks form.
• Fold whipped cream in to the condensed milk.
• Transfer to an airtight container and store in freezer (at least 6 hours)

Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Ice Cream (EASY method!)

You know what's hilarious?

I didn't even like chocolate ice cream growing up.

I know you're all like "Kayle, it's like we don't even know you."

I totally have an explanation though!

You see, chocolate ice cream was never chocolatey enough. I'd never had any that fit the bill. Now, as an adult, I've had a few kinds of chocolate ice cream that were enough to please my taste buds, but my absolute favorite is Ben & Jerry's chocolate peanut butter swirl. Because...you know...peanut butter is always a welcome addition to chocolate.

Anyway, usually when I make homemade ice cream (sans ice cream maker, since I currently don't have one) I make whatever Michael wants-because he's the major ice cream lover and it's not usually my fave dessert.

But it's summer, people, and even I want some nice, cold, ice cream.

But...it's me...so obviously I'm not gonna eat the fruity "refreshing" stuff I make for Michael.

I wanted something like that wonderful chocolate peanut buttery goodness from Ben & Jerry's.

Is this ice cream exactly the same?

No.

Is it pretty close and super duper delicious?

YES.

Dark chocolate ice cream with chunks of rich, delicious, salty peanut butter....mmmm. This was an ice cream both Michael and I could love, and seriously, it is so simple to make. It's like crazy. So really what I'm saying is you have 0 excuse as to why you shouldn't just make this as soon as possible. Come on, it's hot out there, make some ice cream!

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Popsicles and @ZokuHQ Review

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Generally, I don't like fruits in my desserts. This is the exact opposite of Michael, he pretty much could always do with a strawberry or raspberry or some such thrown in. Where we meet in the middle is chocolate covered strawberries. Ahhh yes. Nothing better than that, really, now is there? I remember for our 1 year anniversary (which was a picnic at Chelsea Piers) we had chocolate covered strawberries that I made and they were pretty much a major highlight of the day.

Now I know you're probably thinking "Yeah, Kayle, those are great. But um...we're looking at pictures of popsicles."

You're absolutely right. We are. Because, thanks to homemade magic shell and the Zoku Single Quick Pop Maker, I was able to make chocolate covered strawberry popsicles. Welcome to summer.

Oh hey and these popsicles are likely to be way better for you than the kind you buy at the store. We're talking just strawberries and water...and then chocolate. Yes, you can add sugar (Michael requested it), but you don't need to. They're refreshing, pretty (hello pretty pretty red color!), and just like "ahhh."

Can't you just imagine lounging by a pool, enjoying your super tasty chocolate covered strawberry popsicle?

Yeah, me too.

And, since it's just Michael and I, the single quick pop maker worked out perfectly. We were able to make 2 or 3 popsicles at a time, and just stored the rest of the strawberry mix in the refrigerator between popsicle uses. Also, if we made more popsicles then we wanted right then, we could just throw the extras in an airtight container and put that in the freezer until we get a hankerin' for some frozen goodness.

Let's talk about the popsicle maker that made this all possible, shall we?

The Zoku Quick Pop Maker (one of many Zoku products) freezes pops in as little as 7 minutes (usually it takes me around 15, but it's hot in my apartment) and is super easy to use! You just need to keep the pop maker in your freezer for at least 24 hours before using (I usually just always keep it in there), put in one of the 3 popsicle sticks your kit comes with, and then pour in whatever juice, etc. you're using to make the popsicles. Then you just wait for a little while. Once ready you use this cool, aptly named, "Super Tool" to loosen the popsicle, and you lift it out. Put on a drip guard (which also comes with it) in case you're messy, like me. And we have popsicles! Woot!

The pop maker comes in red, blue, orange, lime green, or violet (like my pretty maker) and is BPA and Phthalate Free. My new best friend, guys. I'm having so much fun thinking of fun new popsicle ideas!

If you're looking for more Zoku pop maker info or great recipes, check out Zoku's blog, pinterest, twitter, and facebook!

Idle Hand Bars

Sometimes I sit here, staring at a blog post and...

I can't think of a thing to say.

Like....

nothing.

And I don't want to be a boring blogger who's just like "Look, food. Here's the recipe. The end."

I wanna be like the cool ones who have paragraphs and paragraphs of great stories and hilarious tales and just awesome things to say. I just...for the life of me...

can't think of anything cool to say.

DRAGONS!

DINOSAURS!

DRAGONS ARE TECHNICALLY DINOSAURS BECAUSE THE MYTHS CAME FROM PEOPLE SEEING DINOSAUR BONES! 

Um...that's kind of cool. Unrelated to anything but...yeah...I guess that'll do...

Ok, now let's chat about these bars.

Did you know that I smelled spring yesterday?

Scoff all you want, my nose is never wrong. I can smell it coming. Sure, it's still chilly out, I didn't say it was here I said it is coming. 

Anywho, what does my nose's uncanny ability to predict spring have to do with anything? Well, with spring comes warmth. And one of the few downfalls of warmth/heat is that it can be a bit...overwhelming...to bake in it. These "idle hand bars" (don't ask me about the name, I have no clue...perhaps if your hands are "idle" you should busy them by making these?) are going to be perfect for just such occasions. Yes, you do need to use your stove, but otherwise these are a total no-bake wonder! AND you store them in the fridge, so no worries about any food melt-age either. AND...umm...these are gonna be great for all the picnics and barbecues and the like. Sure to be a hit. 

You have this amazing sweet, salty, crunchy base, then a rich peanut butter-y filling, topped with the goodness of chocolate and a nice salty surprise on top. These are crazy addictive, so, consider yourself warned.

Chocolate Chantilly

While the weather is still warm, I'll share a delicious, refreshing (yet decadent and rich) no bake dessert for you. And it takes like...no time at all. And very little effort. But seems super fancy and like you went to culinary school and stuffff.

This recipe is revolutionary. It takes 3 ingredients. No baking. Just ice water. The result is a beautiful, velvet-y textured chocolate mousse that melts in your mouth. I don't even know what else to say about it. And to be frank, I'm a busy bee right now! So I shall not delay any longer, to the recipe!:

Frozen Strawberry Yogurt Pie

NOOOO! Summer is almost over! (There's only a month left!) I hate fall! Nonononononooooooo! I want sun and blue skies! And warmth! And sundresses and shorts! And flowers and green trees and just happy summertime! I dread the leaves and everything dying and the gray skies and colors shifting from blues and yellows and pinks to oranges and browns. I abhor the idea of wearing a jacket and boots instead of a tank top and flip flops. I am not looking forward to September, nononooo.

To try to hold on to summer a little longer, I'll share a super summery dessert recipe that I recently made for my Michael.

Like me, he hates fall. Loves summer. Especially summery desserts. Michael loves anything "refreshing" and is obsessed with berries-especially strawberries. A couple weeks ago I decided to make myself a s'mores treat (that I'll share later), and Michael is not a s'mores fan. So, I knew I'd have to make him his own special dessert. I also had some extra Greek yogurt lying around that I needed to use up. When I saw this recipe I knew it was sure to be a winner-and I was right! Michael says this may be the best thing I've ever made him. He says, "It's like a cheesecake...but frozen...and more refreshing. So pretty much-perfect." It's everything he loves and wants and needs in a dessert. I've scored major girlfriend points. :D.

Guest Post at Whipped Baking--Peanut Butter Pretzel Truffles!

Today I'm guest posting at the FABULOUS Whipped Baking! The writer, Kristina, and I have become fast friends and I was thrilled when she asked me to guest post on her gorgeous blog while she is visiting NYC (here!). She features tempting treats-but with a healthier edge, you guys should absolutely look around and check her stuff out when you go over there. It's one of my favorites, and I am so excited that I am lucky enough to be guest posting. So, if you want to check out her wonderful blog, and the recipe for those delicious peanut butter pretzel truffles (so addicting--you will seriously eat 10 before you even realize what you're doing), hop on over there! Tell her I say hi! :)

Puppy Chow

I had such a good weekend! Michael and I had a lot of fun meeting with our high school's trip to NY. We saw "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying", starring Nick Jonas (we did not love it.) and "Spider-Man Turn Off the Dark" (so cool! Not spectacular as far as plot and music, but visually astounding!). We also spent a lot of the time just visiting. It was super nice :) And it made me super nostalgic (I went on that trip 3 years in a row, in High School).

This nostalgia brought me back to Puppy Chow. This delightful treat is known by many names (such as muddy buddies), but it's pretty much amazing. It was one of the first things I ever started to make on my own (way back in high school).

I tweaked it to my own personal preferences. I like a lot of chocolate and peanut butter (so I added slightly more of those), and I don't like when there's a lot of powdered sugar (so I use a little less than called for). Those changes are reflected in the recipe below. It's the best. And it's no bake! Ok...so you tech. use the stove. But....who cares!? You should make this. You'll feel like a teenager again ;).