Ice Cream Sandwich Dessert

This is kind of a last minute, after thought of a post. We had the missionaries over for dinner tonight, (they are a couple of young men from another part of the country who came out here to help teach people about our church) and I made this super easy, yet seemingly impressive dessert. I was half way through putting it together when I thought about posting it. So the pictures start in the middle, but don't worry, it is way easy!!!! My 5 year old put it together for me!

The ingredients I used were Vanilla Ice Cream Sandwiches
                                           Cool Whip
                                           Hot Fudge topping
                                           Caramel topping

This is where I decided to take picture so I can blog about it. The first layer is done here and we are about to start on the second layer. Oh, and pay no attention to the clutter in the background! OOPS!

Adding the second layer. My son decided he needed to be in the pictures too, even though it was Danica who put the dessert together. :-)

All you need to do is put it all together in layers. I used a 9x13 glass dish, but you could use any size you want. As long as it is square or rectangle.

First - Put down a layer of ice cream sandwiches. Fill in as much of the pan as you can, even if you have to cut the sandwiches to fill in any small spaces. My pan fit 91/2 sandwiches.
Second - Spread a layer of cool whip over the sandwiches. This can be as thick or as thin as you like, but we like a thick layer of the stuff!!!
Third - Drizzle the caramel and hot fudge toppings over the cool whip. Again, as much or as little as you like. This is also a good spot to add whatever other "ice cream sundae" type toppings you like. I have done fresh strawberries (YUM) or crushed Heath bars (OHHHH). You could do chopped peanuts, or Maraschino Cherries, or heck, why not a drained can of crushed pineapple and sliced bananas? Anything really.
Fourth - Start the process all over again! Layer the sandwiches, then cool whip, then toppings! 
Last - Freeze the dessert for at least 3 to 4 hours before serving to let the ice cream re-harden. (Tip: Keep the sandwiches for the second layer in the freezer until you are ready to use them. They melt fast and can become very messy!)

Adding the second layer of Cool Whip.

Finished product! I usually do a pretty design with the drizzled toppings, but my 5 year old had fun doing her own design this time!

Notice the different layers? People will be impressed and wonder how you made cake layers so thin! at least, that has been my experience! Good Eats!

Orzo Salad

      I wanted to post this a few days ago, but I am still getting used to finding time to blog. My family (mostly my husband) is trying to get used to me wanting the computer more often. :-)  They are not sure what to do with the fact that mom is now trying to be a computer person! Ha-Ha!
      Anyway, I had a wonderful Memorial Day. We headed over to my brother-in-law's house where we enjoyed swimming, B-B-Q, family, friends, and a lot of sun! My job was to bring a salad of some sort, and my hubby asked for it to be potato salad. I love potato salad, but I have just been told that I have gestational diabetes, so I can't have much of it. I also have to be careful with b-b-q sauce, so I know there wasn't going to be a lot of stuff there that I could eat. So how was I going to navigate through Memorial day with out having a huge sugar spike? I needed to bring something that I liked just as well as all the other food, but that I could eat with no problem. What could that be? I know, Orzo salad! My husband does not like it very much, but I love it. And because it went so fast on Memorial Day, I thought I would share it with you. (Oh, and yes, I made potato salad too.)

So here are the ingredients:

I seasoned this with onion powder, garlic salt, and dried parsley.

You will need :

                    2 cups uncooked Orzo (found in the past isle - it is a small pasta that looks like rice)
                    fresh spinach
                    crumbled feta cheese
                    olives - sliced or whole depending on your preference
                    sun dried tomatoes packed in oil - drained and chopped
                    1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
                    1/2 cup olive oil
                    pine nuts (not pictured, and optional, but really good!)
                    1 large grilled chicken breast, cubed (optional)

What to do:

                  First you need to cook the orzo according to package directions. This will not take long as it is a  small pasta. Once it is done, drain and rinse under cold water. Normally I would not rinse my pasta, but in this case, the cold water stops the cooking right away, and washes off some of the starch so the little pasta pieces don't stick together. Let it drain well, so it gets nice and dry, then put the orzo in a medium mixing bowl. Add all the other ingredients, except the spinach and toss.(The amount of feta, olives, tomatoes, and pine nuts is up to you. I like a lot of stuff in my salads, so I add quite a bit.) Then add the balsamic vinegar, and the olive oil, and toss. It will seem like a lot, but don't worry, it works out. Then add as much spinach as you like and toss it again to coat it with the dressing. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for a few hours, or over night. Then... Enjoy!!!!

Yummy!