Welcome to the weekend, my friends! As I sit here sipping coffee and writing today’s newsletter, my youngest son is making a pot of blueberries and cream oatmeal for our breakfast – and I’m thinking how awesome it is to have older kids now. Younger years are their own kind of fun, but middle school, high school, and college age kids? I just love it so much.

Today’s plan is a whole lot of home organization and cleaning out closets, a trip to drop off donations at the thrift store (thrills a minute here for sure), maybe a car wash, and hopefully a bike ride too. There’s something especially peaceful in knowing I don’t have to be anywhere special or accomplish anything specific this weekend. I’m wishing you much of the same, or as active and busy a weekend as your heart desires.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK:  What’s not to love about a fully loaded ranch potato salad filled with bits of bacon and chunks of egg? This has been my kids’ favorite potato salad for over 10 years now. This is a super easy-to-make potato salad with bacon, eggs, and ranch dressing and it’s been a huge hit with everyone who tries it.

Fresh corn, bell peppers, jalapenos, cilantro, and onion are tossed with lime and a sprinkling of spices to create this Southwest Corn Salad. You’ve likely heard it said before that something is “more than the sum of its parts.” Well, this salad, it is absolutely more than the sum of its parts.

This Zucchini Stir Fry with Chicken is an easy dinner that delivers a whole lot of great flavor. Served on its own or over rice or noodles, this is a meal that always satisfies.

Move over chocolate, there’s a new player in the flavored milk lineup. Fresh blueberries are a total game changer. Sweet and tangy, they bring such a refreshing taste to each sip of this Blueberry Milk.

Juicy blueberries and hearty oats come together with the perfect blend of sweet and tangy in these chewy Blueberry Oatmeal Cookies.

Perfectly chewy, fudgy brownies, topped with fudge frosting and a sprinkling of candies, these Cosmic Brownies are better than the original! Just a warning here, it turns out that these brownies are my kryptonite. I have to force myself to give away half the pan every time I make them because I can not stay away from them if they’re in the house.

And yes, I DID make those brownies just so I could make this Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream

Weekly Menu Plan – Apr. 22 to Apr. 28

Another week and another menu to figure out! We have got you covered! I feel like we are finally cruising into grilling weather here in Utah, so there’s a burger on the menu this week! We also have a couple of our tried and true chicken dinner recipes in the rotation and our brand new pesto lasagna.

Monday:  The Best Roasted Chicken

Tuesday: 20 Minute Creamy Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Pasta

Wednesday: Teriyaki Beef Wrap

Thursday: Quick & Easy Creamy Creamy Chicken Pesto Lasagna

Friday: Leftovers

Saturday: Tillamook Bacon Cheeseburger

Sunday: Panko Chicken with Lemon Cream Sauce

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – Apr. 22 to Apr. 28

Freshly churned chocolate ice cream is layered with bite-size chunks of Cosmic Brownies and scattered with miniature M&M candies to create this super fun Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream.

Cosmic Brownie Ice Cream

I’ve been on a kick lately making Little Debbie copycat ice cream recipes. When I first spied Little Debbie’s line of ice creams in the grocery store, I did a double take. And then I immediately put them all on my must-try-soon list.

Little Debbie’s brownies were always a fun treat growing up and I couldn’t resist turning that nostalgic treat into a bowl of ice cream. I started this ice cream by playing with a copycat recipe for those brownies.

We absolutely love these ultra fudgy brownies topped with a layer of fudge frosting and a sprinkling of candies, but if you aren’t in the mood to bake? Just grab a box of Little Debbie’s brownies and you’ll be churning ice cream in no time at all.

Little Debbie Ice Cream

You know how much I love trying new flavors of ice cream and recreating them at home. Check out my son’s favorite Nutty Bars Ice Cre

Perfectly chewy, ultra fudgy brownies, topped with a layer of fudge frosting and a sprinkling of candies, these brownies are a better-than-store-bought copycat of Little Debbie’s Cosmic Brownies!

The rave reviews of these brownies have been nonstop, my friends. I’ve made them a few times now to make sure the recipe is perfect and it truly is.

Side note: it turns out that these brownies are my kryptonite. I force myself to give away half the pan every time I make them because I can not stay away from them if they’re in the house.

I tested a few different fudgy brownie recipes (heaven knows that there are a LOT of brownies here to choose from) before I settled on this ultra-fudgy flourless brownie recipe. It’s easy as can be to make and the brownies turn out perfectly every time.

Cosmic Brownies

There are a couple of things to note about this particular brownie recipe. Served warm, room temperature, or cold, these cosmic brow

Creamy Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

Creamy strawberry cheesecake bars start with the most delicious flaky crust topped with a sweet but tangy cream cheese layer all topped with gorgeous juicy strawberries! Life will never be the same!

I’m closing down the blog and walking away. I’m living my life out as a middle-aged Momma who wants nothing more than to LIVE and PLAY and EAT. These bars are one of the best recipes we will ever share on Oh Sweet Basil.

I mean, I’m not really shutting down the blog. I couldn’t ever be as fulfilled without a creative outlet, but these strawberry bars are one of the best desserts I’ve ever brought to the site. If it’s the only spring dessert recipe you make, you will be forever happy. Once again, we have Megan to thank, so let’s all give her a little praise for continuously sending amazing recipes to us! If you haven’t tried the mixed berries version of this recipe, do that asap!

The crust is a flaky, perfectly made crust but the best part is, in my opinion, making the dessert a day ahead so that it softens a stitch. Oh my goodness, my mouth just started salivating! WHAT IS MY DEAL?! I’m obsessed! 

The filling is the most delicate cream cheese, almost cheesecake filling, while the topping is a burst of vibrant strawberries, reminiscent of a strawberry pie! It’s honestly like a creamy strawberry shortcake, which happens to be my most favorite dessert ever.

Ingredients for Strawberry Cheesecake Bars

I’m going to divide up the list of ingredients by layer so it’s easy to see what is needed for each step. Here is what you will need…

Crust Layer

• Flour: regular all purpose flour
• Salt: enhances all the flavors
• Sugar: adds a little sweetness to the crust
• Vegetable Oil: the fat needed to create the flaky but strong base for the bars
• Milk: helps bind all the ingredients together

Cheesecake Layer

• Cream Cheese: you can use full fat or 1/3 fat but I do feel like the full fat sets up better, make sure it is room temperature so the cream layer isn’t lumpy
• Powdered Sugar: adds sweetness to the filling
• Heavy Cream: helps thin out the filling a little
• Vanilla: adds flavor

Strawberry Layer

• Strawberries: fresh bright red ripe berries
• Sugar: adds sweetness to the topping
• Ultra Gel: my preferred way for thickening the strawberry topping, see recipe card for using cornstarch the thicken
• Lemon Zest and Juice: balances the sweetness of the berries
• Water: thins everything out to create