S'mores Bars

I have been on the hunt this summer for my favorite s'more treat! Yes, they are best when made traditionally . . . but I wanted an easy way to make them indoors at home. I have tried several recipes and even thought I could make up my own recipe (which turned out okay, but not great . . . what was I thinking)! Finally, I stumbled upon this recipe and tried it out. I LOVE it! It is a basic s'more treat you can make inside. Enjoy!

2 C. graham cracker crumbs

1/3 C. sugar

1/4 tsp. salt

1 stick (1/2 C.) unsalted butter, melted

1 lb. milk chocolate

2 C. mini marshmallows

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine crumbs, sugar, salt and butter. Press crumb mixture into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish. Bake 12 minutes or until golden brown and let cook on a rack.

Melt chocolate in microwave on 30 second intervals, stirring in between. Pour melted chocolate over crust, spreading evenly. Sprinkle marshmallows over chocolate; press lightly. Broil under preheated broiler for about 30 seconds or until the marshmallows are golden.

Allow to cool on countertop for 1 hour. Refrigerate until chocolate is set, 30 minutes to 1 hour. Cut into squares.

Thanks Shine Your Light!

Marshmallow

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

I don't have too many recipes that I like to make with kids, but here is one of the few that I have. If you have little kids, this will be SUCH a BIG HIT!

My grandma sent this recipe to me a year or two ago. We gave it a try, and the kids LOVE how the batter looks like it will completely overtake your microwave. The batter literally rises SO HIGH up above the top of the mug! I was nervous the first time I made this . . . thinking about all the mess I would have to clean up. Suprisingly, there was NO mess, and never has been!

Usually, I leave out the chocolate chips, and it turns out fine. But last night, we decided to make one cake using chocolate chips, and one using mint chips. Now that I have made this super easy chocolate cake with and without chips, I recommend using them! I think the cake tasted better. Both chocolate chips and mint tasted great! Have fun!

You'll need:

1 coffee mug

1/4 C. flour (plain, not self-rising)

1/3 C. sugar

2 TBS. cocoa

1/4 tsp. salt

1 egg

3 TBS. milk

3 TBS. oil

small splash of vanilla

3 TBS. chocolate chips (optional)

Add dry ingredients to mug, mix well with a fork. Add egg, milk, oil, and vanilla. Mix well.

Add chips, if using. Put mug in microwave, and cook on 1000 watts for 2 minutes and 45 seconds. (3 minutes, cake will be dry).

Cake will rise over top of mug, and look like it will spill over. DO NOT BE ALARMED! Allow to cool a little; tip onto a plate if desired.

Note: This can serve two if you want to feel slightly more virtuous!

Thanks Grandma!

Raspberry Pretzel Dessert

I had this dessert for the first a little over a year ago . . . at a funeral. I must have had 3 or 4 servings of this raspberry treat! My kids have actually eaten food they claim that they "DO NOT LIKE" in order to be able to eat this dessert. This is saying a lot . . . as it seems like a lot of times, my kids are perfectly fine going to bed hungry if they don't like dinner. I have a "take it or leave it" policy . . . so . . . okay you get the picture. I hope you enjoy this one, it's great for summertime!

2 C. crushed pretzels

4 TBS. sugar

10 1/2 TBS melted margarine or butter

8 oz cream cheese, softened

1 C. powdered sugar

12 oz. Cool Whip

2 small raspberry flavored Jello packages

1 1/2 C. frozen raspberries (12 oz.)

Mix pretzels, sugar, and margarine or butter together and press into the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 7-10 minutes. Set aside and cool completely.

Mix cream cheese, powdered sugar and 1/2 of the Cool Whip. Spread in an even

layer on top of the cooled crust. Put in fridge for an hour.

Dissolve the 2 packages of jello in 2 C. hot water, stir until dissolved. Add frozen raspberries. Once it starts to set up, (which can take longer than you think), pour over the

top of the cream cheese layer. Refrigerate until firm.

Top with rest of Cool Whip.

Thanks Mom and Grandma!

Eclair Cake

I came across this recipe around 9 years ago. It is one of those desserts that I feel like isn't "quite as bad for you to eat" as other desserts! It contains pudding, and graham crackers . . . oh and a chocolate topping! So good! In addition to me loving this recipe, it has been a HUGE hit with my kids. This has been requested as "the birthday cake" for two different birthdays. Enjoy!

1 lb. graham crackers

2 (3 oz) pkgs. instant vanilla pudding

3 1/2 C. milk (2% or whole works best)

8 oz cool whip

3 TBS. melted butter

1 1/2 C. powdered sugar

1/2 C. cocoa

1 tsp. vanilla

1 TBS. corn syrup

3 TBS. milk

Mix the pudding and milk. Fold in cool whip. In a 9x13 pan, line bottom with whole graham crackers. Layer crackers and pudding so you have 3 layers of crackers and 2 layers of pudding.

Mix melted butter, powdered sugar, cocoa, vanilla, corn syrup and milk until smooth and spread over the last layer. Chill for 24 hours.

Thanks Laura A!