Strawberry Nutella Milkshake

It's summer time and the perfect time to make milkshakes.  Ok...my family would think anytime of year is perfect for milkshakes.  I doubled this batch to share as a family.  It was a huge hit.  Big smiles all around!

Recipe from: two peas & their pod

1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup strawberries
2 big scoops of vanilla ice cream
1/4 cup Nutella

Add milk, strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and Nutella to a blender. Blend until smooth.
Pour the milkshake into the glass. Garnish with whipped cream and serve immediately.

{No Bake} Reese's Peanut Butter Bars

I was looking for a no bake recipe to take to a good friend of mine and looked through her pins on pinterest to find this sweet recipe.  This size recipe makes a 9x13 pan, my family was pleased that there was some to eat for several days even after delivering a plate of these yummo treats.  They taste like a Reese's PB cup and they are very simple to make.

 

Recipe from:  Bakerlady

Ingredients
1 cup butter melted
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (use the boxed kind, or grind them in a food processor. Tiny granules.)
2 cups confectioners’ sugar
1 cup + 4 tablespoons peanut butter
1 1/2 cups semisweet chocolate chips
Directions
In a medium bowl, mix together the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs, confectioners’ sugar, and 1 cup peanut butter until well blended. Press evenly into the bottom of an ungreased 9×13 inch pan. In a metal bowl over simmering water, or in the microwave, melt the chocolate chips with the peanut butter, stirring occasionally until smooth. Spread over the peanut butter layer. Refrigerate for at least one hour before cutting into squares.

Maple Twists

There are so many tempting recipes out there I bookmark or pin and then they sit, forgotten.  That was the story for this recipe until she reposted it and reminded me of my desire to make it.  My family loved this!!  The maple and cinnamon flavors were great together.  I made this on my pizza stone.  You can bearly see it peeking through...

 Recipe from: The Farm Girl

 Dough:
1 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp maple extract
1 Tbsp yeast
1 egg, beaten
4-5 cup flour

Filling:
1 cup sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tsp maple extract
1/2 cup butter, softened

Glaze:
1/2 tsp maple extract
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp butter, melted
1-2 tbsp milk

1.  Heat milk, butter, salt, water, sugar and maple extract until warm.  Pour in the bowl of your stand mixer that is fitted with a dough attachment.  Add yeast and eggs.  Let sit until frothy (1-2 minutes), then add enough flour to make a soft dough.  In my mixer, this is when the dough pulls away from the side.  Cover and let raise until double in size.

2.  Preheat oven 375°F.  Mix sugar, cinnamon, and maple extract in small bowl.  Punch down dough and divide into 3 equal parts.  Roll each part into about a 12 inch circle.  Place first circle on greased baking sheet (I used my round pizza stone), spread with 1/3 softened butter and sprinkle with a 1/3 of sugar mixture.  Place second circle on top of the first and repeat with butter and filling.  Place the third circle on top of the other two and spread with remaining butter and filling.

3.  Place a 2-inch glass, top down, in the center of your dough circle and press down lightly, making ONLY an indentation.  Cut (I used my pizza cutter) 16 equal wedges from indentation to outer edge.


4.  Each piece should still be attached to inner circle.  Pick up each wedge and twist five times, creating the look of a poinsettia.  Let rise 30-45 more minutes. Bake 18-20 minutes or until top is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool 10 minutes.

5.  While twists are cooling, combine glaze ingredients and whisk until smooth.  Drizzle over warm maple twists and serve.  Enjoy!

Orzo with Parmesan and Basil

This pasta had great flavor and was easy to make.  Perfect side dish for all the grilling we've been doing.   It was also a hit with the kiddos.
John's Rating: 8...almost 9

Recipe from: My Tiny Oven

3 Tablespoons Butter
1 1/2 cup Orzo
3 cups Chicken Stock
6 Tablespoons Fresh Chopped Basil
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
1/2 tsp. Salt
1/4 tsp. pepper

Melt the butter over medium heat. Add the orzo and saute for a few minutes, until the orzo starts to get golden brown. Add the broth and cover and simmer for 20 minutes, until all the broth has been absorbed. Remove from the heat, add the basil and Parmesan and salt and pepper to taste.