Banana Royal Ice Cream Cake

Happy Friday!  I know everyone says that middle of September is the end of summer; but that’s not the case here in San Diego.  This month has been crazy hot.  Last weekend it was 105 degrees and everyday is consistently at least in the 80s.  The way we beat this heat is with fans, hanging out in the pool, and ice cream – and lots of it! 

One super hot day recently, I wanted to create an ice cream cake to keep us cool.  I didn’t have the time to make an ice cream cake completely from scratch, but what I did have was some ice cream sandwiches on hand.  I ended up coming up with a cake made of layered ice cream sandwiches, whipped cream, and bananas.  The flavors I used resembled a Banana Royal dessert – a dessert made of vanilla ice cream topped with bananas, hot fudge, whipped cream, and a cherry – so I ended up calling this a Banana Royal Ice Cream cake.

For added sweetness, I drizzled caramel sauce on top of each slice.  But of course this isn’t necessary. 

This cake is easy and uses very simple ingredients.  It’s the perfect ice cream cake that will impress everyone without having to much work into it. 

Enjoy!

Pregnancy Update: 36 Weeks!

Photo by Jackie Wonders at 30 Weeks

4 Weeks!  Our little baby Ezekiel will be here in 4 weeks or less!  I seriously can't believe it.  

We have been doing SO much to prepare for this little boy.  We've taken our Childbirth class, had the baby shower, purchased all the little and big items we need, packed our bag for the hospital, and much, much more.  Of course you can never truly prepare for your first baby, but I'm trying to do my best to get as much done as possible before he arrives.  Really there are 2 big things left - 1) To move into our home, and 2) Set up his nursery.  Both of those things should be happening very soon too!

As you can imagine at 36 weeks, my belly is getting huge!  I'm all belly and it's definitely the first thing you notice.  Because I'm getting so big, I've purchased a belly band to help "hold" up my belly and not put so much pressure on my back.  It helps, but my back still hurts - It's only natural.  Sleeping is still hard.  I definitely need to put my feet up more often and try not to be on my feet to long.  And I definitely walk slower, although I haven't started to waddle!  But I truly do feel great - Thank God!

At 30 weeks, 6 weeks ago, we took professional pregnancy photos.  They were taken by our very, very close friend, Jackie Wonders.  She's an amazing photographer and always takes the most perfect pictures.  It was so much fun taking these pictures and I'm so glad we took them when I was only 30 weeks.  My belly has gotten SO much bigger since then and I would've been way more uncomfortable if I waited until now.  Here are some of my favorites:

Be back soon with a recipe!  I'll also be back with some pictures of my baby shower and of the dessert table I created :).  

Soft S’mores Cookies

You think that before you have a baby you try to soak everything in and just sit back and relax.  But my life has seriously been the exact opposite.  Steve and I have been on a total whirlwind.  From preparing for the baby, buying a house, and working, life has been jam-packed.  We’re so close to actually moving into our house and having baby Ezekiel in our lives, we only know that things are going to get even crazier!  But even with all the craziness going on we’re creating memories that we are going to remember forever.  There is only one time in your life you buy your first home and have your first baby, and we’re so blessed that both of these things are happening at the same time!

With everything going on it’s hard to find time to bake as much as I normally would.  But I love baking so much that I can’t go too long without it.  So one night when I really wanted to bake I decided to whip up a quick batch of cookies.  I’ve wanted to make these S’mores cookies for quite some time and this was the perfect time.  

These cookies are incredibly soft and are filled with all the flavors of a delicious S’more – chocolate, graham crackers, and marshmallows.  They only take minutes to whip up a batch and within no time you have a cookie reminiscent of your favorite summer-time treat.  Enjoy!