Cake by the Ocean drink

Ingredients:  (All ingredients should be chilled)

2 cups cake flavored vodka (may substitute vanilla or whipped cream flavor)

2 cups coconut rum

2 cups pineapple juice

2 cups orange juice

Ice or frozen pineapple to keep it chilled

Club soda or 7-up, optional

Maraschino cherries, pineapple, and orange slices for garnish (optional)

Directions:

Add vodka, rum, and both juices to a pitcher filled with ice or frozen pineapple.  Add 2-4 cups soda to make it more like a punch, or to feed more people, if desired. Place some orange slices and pineapple wedges in the pitcher.

No Bake Crunchy Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

Ingredients:

1 stick butter

1 C. peanut butter

2 C. crushed graham crackers (1 pack or 9 graham crackers)

1 C. powdered sugar

2 C. chocolate chips

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Spray 9x13 pan.  In a saucepan, melt butter and peanut butter, stirring until smooth.  Remove from heat and set aside.  In a large bowl, mix the crushed graham crackers and powdered sugar.  Once mixed, add the peanut butter and butter mix.  Stir.  Spread the mixture evenly into the pan. 

In a pot over medium-low heat, combine the chocolate chips and vegetable oil.  Stir occasionally until the chocolate is melted and smooth.  Pour the chocolate over the peanut butter layer.  Cover the pan and refrigerate for 30 minutes.  Cut bars and enjoy.  

Rhubarb Dream Bars

Ingredients:

Crust:

2 C. flour

¾ C. powdered sugar

1 C. butter

Mix crust and press into 9x13 pan.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Filling:

4 eggs (beaten)

2 C. sugar

¼ C. flour

½ tsp. salt

4 C. rhubarb

Mix the filling ingredients and fold in the rhubarb.  Pour on top of the crust and bake at 350 for 40-55 minutes or until the edges begin to brown.  

Mustard Dip

I will be the first to admit that when you look at this recipe, it seems like a very odd combination of flavors and ingredients BUT this dip is incredible. Warning, once you start, you can't stop. So addicting! 

Ingredients:

1 C. yellow mustard                                                                       

chopped onions

1 C. mayonnaise                                                                              

1/3 C. sugar

1 C. sour cream                                                                                

horseradish to taste                                                      

1 envelope hidden valley ranch mix (dry)

                               

Mix together and refrigerate.  Serve with pretzels. (Makes a large batch). 

Fresh Broccoli Salad

2 heads fresh broccoli                                                                   

1 C. mayonnaise              

1 red onion                                                                                        

1/2 C. white sugar

1/2 lb. bacon crumbled                                                                 

1/2 - 1 Tbsp. white vinegar

handful sunflower seeds

Cut broccoli in bite size pieces, chop onion and prepare bacon and crumble.  Mix all together.  Mix the mayonnaise, sugar and vinegar and mix with broccoli mixture.  About an hour before serving add sunflower seeds and stir well. Chill and serve.

Asian BBQ pulled pork

Marinade Ingredients:

1/2 cup soy sauce

2 Tbsp. brown sugar

1 Tbsp. sriracha

1 Tbsp.  chili sauce

2 Tbsp minced garlic

1 Tbsp. chopped onion

1 tsp. ginger

1/2 cup BBQ sauce (I used sweet baby ray’s)

1 boneless pork ribeye roast (2-3 lbs)

Guy Fieri Asian BBQ and Wok sauce

Mix all ingredients (except for roast and Wok sauce) together in a bowl.  Set aside.

Place roast in crockpot with 2 cups of water.  Sprinkle with pepper.  Place minced garlic and onion on top of roast.  Pour half of the marinade mixture over the roast.  Cook on low for 8 hours.  Add more water to the bottom of the crock if needed. 

Place roast in a bowl.  It will be tender and fall apart.  Shred with two forks.  Add the rest of the marinade and mix.  Add ¼ cup Guy Fieri Asian BBQ and Wok Sauce and stir until meat is coated. 

Serve warm plain or as a sandwich. I put my meat on a toasted garlic bun and added a bit more wok sauce.  Completely amazing!!!  Perfect blend of sweet and spicy Asian flavors. 

Pioneer Woman Strawberry Shortcake Cake

Ingredients:

Cake

1-1/2 cup Flour

3 Tablespoons Cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon Salt

1 teaspoon Baking Soda

9 Tablespoons Unsalted Butter, Softened

1-1/2 cup Sugar

3 whole Large Eggs

1/2 cup Sour Cream, Room Temperature

1 teaspoon Vanilla

Icing

1/2 pound Cream Cheese, Room Temperature

2 sticks Unsalted Butter

1-1/2 pound Powdered Sugar, Sifted

1 teaspoon Vanilla

1 pound Strawberries

Directions:

IMPORTANT: Be sure to use a cake pan that’s at least 2 inches deep! Before baking, the batter should not fill the pan more than halfway.

Sift together flour, salt, baking soda, and corn starch.  Cream 9 tablespoons butter with the sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well each time. Add sour cream and vanilla and mix until combined. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix on low speed until just barely combined.

Pour into greased and floured 8-inch cake pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 to 50 minutes, or until no longer jiggly like my bottom. Remove from cake pan as soon as you pull it out of the oven, and place on a cooling rack and allow it to cool completely.

Stem strawberries and slice them in half from bottom to top. Place into a bowl and sprinkle with 3 tablespoons sugar. Stir together and let sit for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, mash the strawberries in two batches. Sprinkle each half with 1 tablespoons sugar and allow to sit for another 30 minutes.

Make icing: combine cream cheese, 2 sticks butter, sifted powdered sugar, vanilla, and dash of salt in a mixing bowl. Mix until very light and fluffy.

Slice cake in half through the middle. Spread strawberries evenly over each half (cut side up), pouring on all the juices. Place cake halves into the freezer for five minutes, just to make icing easier.

Remove from freezer. Use a little less than 1/3 of the icing to spread over the top of the strawberries on the bottom layer. Place the second layer on top. Add half of the remaining icing to the top spreading evenly, then spread the remaining 1/3 cup around the sides.

Leave plain OR garnish with strawberry halves.

IMPORTANT: Cake is best when served slightly cool. The butter content in the icing will cause it to soften at room temperature. For best results, store in the fridge!

This cake was amazing! No ifs, ands or buts about it.  A must try summer dessert!