Pizookie, a.k.a. Manna from Heaven

I was looking for something this weekend on Seriouseats.com and came across this funny post about

THE.BEST.DESSERT.EVER!!

I've had the privilege of having both a Pizookie from B.J.'s and an ORiGiNAL Pizza Cookie from Oregano's. I favor the Oregano's version... but am not embarrassed to admit to loving the B.J.'s version too! It is a fun dessert to enjoy on date night... or for a fun family night treat!! I found 6-inch cake tins at Smart and Final... perfect for a homemade version!

Cool Cones by Jokari

The fun way to eat and store ice cream without making a mess!!

Use Cool Cones to scoop up ice cream and then push up on the handle to eat. Convenient attached lid can be used to store ice cream right in the Cool Cone.

Can be purchased at Organize.com for $6.99 for a set of four. I've read that they are also available at some grocery stores.

Starbucks Blended Creme

A couple of years ago, I received a Starbucks gift card from a friend of mine for my birthday. I was totally perplexed at this gift because I am not a coffee drinker... at all. I don't even like the way coffee smells. I know that puts me in the minority, but... it is what it is.

So, after having this gift card for awhile, I finally mentioned to another friend of mine that I had this card... what did she think I should do with it?

Without even a moment's hesitation... she walked me directly over to the Starbucks kiosk at the outdoor mall where we were shopping.

And she ordered me a Vanilla Bean Blended Creme. With caramel and whipped creme.

I have never spent a gift card faster than that one.

It was so yummy!!!

And then, during the summer they offered some sort of Orange-Creme Blended Creme. It tasted... exactly... like... an... ORANGE CREMESICLE! Not kidding.

These are a guilty pleasure. Very GUILTY, but also a pleasure.

Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

To celebrate this fun holiday (it is a real holiday) I thought that this would make a fun dessert! Enjoy!!

MINT CHOCOLATE CHIP ICE CREAM SANDWICH DESSERT

1 quart mint chocolate chip ice cream, softened*

1 box favorite brownie mix

1/4 cup hot fudge ice cream topping, room temperature

Line bottom and sides of 9-inch round cake pan with 24-inch piece of plastic food wrap, allowing ends to hang over sides of pan. Evenly spread softened ice cream into prepared pan. Fold ends of plastic food wrap over ice cream. Freeze until firm (2 hours). Remove wrapped ice cream layer from pan. Keep frozen.

Prepare brownie mix as instructed on the box. Bake in two greased and floured (9-inch) round cake pans, per box instructions. Cool for ten minutes. Run thin knife around edges to loosen. Invert onto cooling racks. Cool completely. To assemble, place 1 brownie layer onto large flat serving plate. Spread with 2 tablespoons hot fudge topping. Unwrap ice cream layer; place over brownie, pressing gently to adhere. Spread bottom of second brownie layer with remaining topping. Carefully place over ice cream. Press down gently.

Cover with plastic food wrap; freeze at least 5 hours. To serve, place ice cream sandwich in refrigerator 5 minutes. Cut into wedges.

*you can substitute any flavor of your favorite ice cream

Lulu's Cupcakes

Lulu's Cupcakes, located in Scottsdale is a favorite cupcake haunt of mine! I first met the owner, Danielle Lowe, at a fundraiser for the West Valley Child Crisis Center. She had donated cupcakes to be used on cupcake stands for the centerpieces at each table. They were darling to look at and even more delicious to eat! I spoke with Danielle for a bit about a fundraiser I was working on for The Phoenix Girls Chorus. She offered to discount the 250 cupcakes that I needed for my event. The colors for the event that I was working on were pink and brown and we used vanilla and chocolate cupcakes with a selection of white buttercream frosting, pink buttercream frosting and chocolate frosting. They looked INCREDIBLE!


Located at the corner of Miller and McDowell, Lulu's is open Mon-Fri from 8:30 to 5:30. My favorite cupcake is the Blonde Bombshell. It is a vanilla cake, with vanilla buttercream frosting. They are YUMMY!! Each cupcake is $2.95, and there is price break when you order four or more.


All cupcakes are made from 100% natural ingredients! For more information, click here!