Welcome to the weekend, my friends! Despite the rain in the forecast, we’re hoping to sneak out for a short hike today whenever the weather gives us a break and we might get in some Frisbee golf too. (FYI I’m awful, but it’s still fun.) This is an Easter weekend full of family and friends for us.

I’m simmering some green chile stew for dinner tonight and tomorrow will be a waffle brunch after church followed by country-style ribs for dinner. We don’t have a traditional menu for Easter most years and it’s fun to play it by ear.

ON THE BLOGS THIS WEEK: Whether you’re dressing up a salad or slathering it on a burger, Thousand Island brings a punch of flavor that’s downright irresistible. Creamy mayo meets tangy ketchup along with the pop of diced pickles and a sprinkle of zesty onions in this recipe for Thousand Island salad dressing.

Want to know how to make perfect French Bread Pizza? This method creates cheesy pizzas with a crispy crust. It’s homemade pizza that’s fast enough for a quick lunch or casual dinner.

Smashed Brussels Sprouts with balsamic glaze are the candy of the vegetable world. I simply can not eat just one!

Hash Brown Waffles are hot, crispy potato perfection. They’re perfect for breakfast, lunch, or dinner and they make a terrific base for all kinds of toppings.

Topped with warm blueberry compote, these crepes are a breakfast that my kids would love to eat every day. Blueberry crepes are a breakfast lover’s dream come true.

Chocolate dipped Coconut Macaroons are rich, sweet, chewy cookies that are almost candy-like. While they’ve been a holiday favorite for as long as I can remember, coconut macaroons are a treat we enjoy year-round.

Vanilla sweet cream ice cream filled with chunks of birthday cake and plenty of sprinkles is as much fun to make as it is to eat! Birthday cake ice cream is my current favorite flavor. And yes, I just declared a new favorite ice cream for at least the 10th time on this website. How could I possibly choose a forever favorite when I’m constantly trying new flavors to share with you?

What I’m CRAVING: All the s

Weekly Menu Plan – Apr. 1 to Apr. 7

This week are using up some Easter leftovers, trying out a newly posted recipe, and rounding out the week with some old favorites! Happy April!

Monday: Pollo a la Crema

Tuesday: Ham Hock Soup

Wednesday: Egg Salad Sandwich

Thursday: Ground Beef Stroganoff

Friday: Pizza Night

Saturday: French Toast

Sunday: Korean Oven Braised Short Ribs

READ: Weekly Menu Plan – Apr. 1 to Apr. 7

Vanilla sweet cream ice cream filled with chunks of birthday cake and plenty of sprinkles is as much fun to make as it is to eat!

This birthday cake ice cream is my current favorite flavor. And yes, I just declared a new favorite ice cream for at least the 10th time on this website. How could I possibly choose a forever favorite when I’m constantly trying new flavors to share with you?

Prior to making this ice cream, I don’t remember the last time I tasted a funfetti cake topped with sprinkles frosting. Let me tell you, this cake was a time machine back to my childhood. I remember enjoying these cakes so very much at birthday parties. (And there simply aren’t enough opportunities for funfetti cakes as adults – let’s change that, ok?)

Could I have made the cake and the frosting from scratch for this ice cream? Absolutely! Could you do that? You bet! That said, there are a couple of reasons why I didn’t mess with doing that for this ice cream. First, if I’m being honest, it felt like overkill for a batch of ice cream.

And second, I don’t think it will make that big a difference. Might it be even tastier? Maybe, but not enough that I was willing to work through three different recipes just to make the ice cream I was craving.

Birthday Cake Ice Cream

You’ll need the following ingredients to make this recipe:

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No Bake Banana Pudding Pie with Nilla Wafer Crust

Indulge in this delicious no-bake banana pudding pie with a crunchy Nilla wafer crust. It’s the perfect dessert for any occasion and requires minimal effort to make.

I know it’s kind of a long title, but I wanted you to know that’s it not a graham cracker crust (which you can totally use instead if you want). And technically it’s not no bake pie either because you do have to bake the crust. Well, no you don’t. Oh gosh, this no bake banana cream pie with Nilla wafer crust is getting confusing let’s just shoot through a few facts (I’m channeling my inner Dwight Schrute from The Office)…

1. Fact~ I’ve never seen all of The Office, but I have seen episodes and it was hilarious.
2. Fact~ This crust uses Nilla Wafers not Graham Crackers.
3. Fact~ I have called them Vanilla wafers my whole life until I made this recipe and realized that is not the name on the box.
4. Fact~ You totally do not have to bake the crust. It just won’t be as hard on the bottom but it’s still wonderful.
5. Fact~ The rest of the pie is no bake and I mean it. It just whisking and stirring and folding.
6. Fact~ I actually made, photographed and wrote this post in December, but I’m posting in spring because I couldn’t justify one more treat during the already full schedules of desserts.
7. Fact~ I love pie. And the number 7.

Ingredients for a Banana Pudding Pie

It’s surprising how few ingredients you need to make this super easy banana pudding pie recipe. Here is what you will need:

Crust

• Nilla Wafer Crumbs: I like to grind the cookies in a blender. A food processor would work great too.
• Sugar: adds a little sweetness to the crust
• Butter: binds the cookie crumbs and sugar all together to form the crust

Filling

• Banana Cream Instant Pudding: grab the 3.4 ounce box of instant pudding mix and make sure it isn’t the sugar free kind
• Milk: helps create the banana pudding
• Cream Cheese: adds richness and creaminess
• Sweetened Condensed Milk: adds sweetness and creaminess to the filling
• Cool Whip: feel free to use sweetened whipped cream if you prefer not to use Cool Whip
• Bananas: adds natural banana flavor to the pie
• Nilla Wafers: adds texture to the filling and looks pretty scattered on top

If you are looking for a traditional banana cream pie with everything made from scratch, we have that recipe for you too

Always a hit when tucked inside boxes of Christmas sweets, chocolate dipped Coconut Macaroons are rich, sweet, chewy cookies that are almost candy-like.

Coconut Macaroons with Chocolate

I like to use dark chocolate when making these, as the bittersweet chocolate balances the sweetness of the coconut, and the flavors work very well together.

I’ve made these macaroons at Christmastime for the past 15+ years. (In addition to making them for pretty much every other occasion too.) If you love coconut anywhere near as much as we do, you will fall in love with these cookies.

How To Make Coconut Macaroons

There are a few different ways to make macaroons and I’ve tried plenty of them. Many of the macaroon recipes that I’ve seen require beating the egg whites before adding them to the mixture. I’ve tried this method myself.

In the end, I don’t find it makes enough of a difference to justify the extra effort. They will turn out just a tiny bit lighter, but like I said, for me? Part of the fun in macaroons is in how simple they are to make.

All you need to do is dump all of the ingredients in a bowl, give it a quick stir with a spoon, and scoop them out onto a tray. Easy peasy and you’ll be enjoying the macaroons before you know it.

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