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Deliciously Simple Ice Cream Cake Recipes

July 24, 2014 by

Those with a sweet spot for cake know that there's only one possible way to make the dessert even better: Combine it with ice cream! You might think ice cream cake is difficult to make at home, but these three tried-and-true recipes prove otherwise.

Frozen Chocolate Cookie Cake [Food Network]
Taste buds of all ages with do back flips for this recipe from Food Network star Sandra Lee. Requiring only 20 minutes of prep time, the recipe entails baking two chocolate layer cakes, then sandwiching the cakes around a molded slab of ice cream. To make the whole thing even more decadent, a rich chocolate ganache is poured over top. The best part of this recipe is its versatility; you can use whatever ice cream and cake flavors you desire!

Neapolitan Ice Cream Cake [Martha Stewart]
You'd expect a recipe from Martha Stewart to be time consuming and complicated, but this ice cream cake recipe is, well, a piece of cake! To create this neapolitan-style dessert, three different flavors of ice cream are layered within a loaf pan. For that signature cookie crunch that everyone loves and expects from an ice cream cake, chocolate cookie crumbs separate each ice cream layer. The most difficult part of Martha's recipe is just waiting for the cake to set up in the freezer.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Ice Cream Cake [AllRecipes]
To make this cake truly decadent, its crust is crafted from crushed chocolate chip cookies. Then, a layer of hot fudge is poured over top of the crust. After the fudge crust cools, the recipe entails spreading a layer of softened ice cream over the crust, then freezing overnight. A healthy dose of whipped cream on top takes the cake to a whole 'nother level!

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Want to Clean Your Oven Without Chemicals? Here’s How!

June 19, 2014 by

Your secret recipe for lasagna might be a smash hit within your family, but its cheesy, greasy droppings have left their mark on your oven. You don't have to reach for a chemical cleaner, however. Instead, rely on a little bit of elbow grease and these three steps:

1) Gather your supplies.
Here's what you'll need to tackle your oven's caked-on grease and grime: liquid dish soap, white vinegar, water, and baking soda. (You can add a few drops of scented essential oil to the mix, if desired.) Combine the ingredients to form a paste (recipe here).

2) Spread and sit.
Put on a pair of rubber gloves, and spread the paste all over the interior of your oven, avoiding the heating elements. For maximum effectiveness, allow the paste to sit at least eight hours—or longer, if possible.

3) Rinse and shine.
Using a damp cloth, wipe the paste from the oven. This will likely require several wipe-downs, so be sure to rinse the towel frequently throughout the process. Should grease remain in any particular area, reapply the paste mixture to the spot, allow it to sit an additional 30 minutes, then rinse. Repeat as needed.

How to Clean an Oven With Baking Soda and Vinegar [The Kitchn]
How to Clean an Oven Naturally [MNN]
Make Your Own Inexpensive Natural Oven Cleaner [YumUniverse]

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Learn Something New With These Helpful Websites

May 14, 2014 by

Most of us spend at least a few hours a day checking Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and other websites that are known to be "time wasters." Why not balance those social media updates with websites that actually put your time to good use and help you learn something? Here are five of our favorites:

Instructables
Do you see DIY projects on sites like Pinterest and wonder how you can make them yourself? Stop pinning those projects and start making them using the helpful instructions on instructables.com.

Coursera
Colleges all around the country are offering free courses on topics from playing guitar and nutrition to physics. Each class is taught over a couple of weeks via videos and webcasts, and courses involve different amounts of work. Sign up for as many as you want and start learning.

TED Talks
TED is not actually a person named Ted. The acronym stands for technology, entertainment, and design. Watch these thought-provoking videos on all types of topics, like the digital age, violence, and marketing.

Goodreads
Find your next favorite book on Goodreads. Keep a running list of all the books you've read, and the website will recommend books you may like based on past selections. You can also connect with friends to see what they're reading.

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Find Hiking Trails Near You With These Online Resources

May 1, 2014 by

You usually don’t associate browsing the web with hiking outdoors, but these handy websites aim to change that. There are a number of online resources that can help outdoor adventure-seekers to find hiking trails in any city, and they provide a variety of other hiking tips as well. Here are two of the best websites for finding the closest hiking trails in your area.

Trails.com
Trails.com offers a full list of hikes that corresponds with an interactive map of the United States. Simply click on your state (or a state you’re visiting) on the map and the website will bring up a list of trails for hikers of all skill levels. The list is sorted by the most popular trails in the state, trails with recent reviews, and even trails with other outdoor activities such as biking, fishing, waterfalls, or skiing.

Trail Link
Trail Link is a bit savvier than your usual hiking website, with a simple search feature that allows avid hikers to locate trails by zip code, trail name, state, or keyword. Once you enter the search terms, a full, interactive map appears with markers for each trail in the area, as well as high-quality photos submitted by real users. You’ll even find detailed information about each trail, including the terrain, length and difficulty level to make your decision easier.

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Learn to Make Lasagna 3 Different Ways

April 17, 2014 by

Lasagna isn’t the easiest dish to prepare, but like most dinners, having a great recipe can make all the difference. These flavorful, cheesy lasagna recipes will appeal to all tastes and ages, and if you follow the steps, they’ll surely become favorites in your recipe book.

Best Lasagna Ever [Pioneer Woman]
This recipe is great for the home chef who doesn’t want to hunt down sophisticated ingredients at fancy grocers. Most of the ingredients are likely already right in your own refrigerator. Using simple ground beef, your morning breakfast sausage, cottage cheese and sliced mozzarella, you can create a decadent lasagna in under an hour.

Simply Recipes Lasagna [Simply Recipes]
This traditional lasagna recipe offers a bit of sweetness for a surprising boost of flavor. It uses the usual Italian seasonings and tomato sauces to appeal to lasagna lovers, but it also incorporates extra cheeses that just about anyone will appreciate.

The World’s Best Lasagna [Allrecipes]
If you want to make lasagna for a large group, this is the recipe to do it with. This meat and cheese-filled pasta dish takes a bit more time and effort than your usual lasagna, but it’s well worth the wait on special occasions such as dinner parties or holidays.

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4 Creative Waffle Recipes to Make at Home

April 3, 2014 by

Whether you prefer sweet or savory tastes, waffles are a versatile dish that can be prepared a number of different ways. Check out these creative waffle recipes before you break out the waffle iron at your next brunch or breakfast at home.

Cornmeal Bacon Waffles with Cheese Sauce
If you’re the type of person who steers clear of sweet breakfast dishes, these cornmeal waffles will delight your taste buds. Topped with crispy bacon and drizzled with homemade cheese sauce, this savory dish is great for a midday brunch.

Pumpkin Waffles with Apple Cider Syrup
Just about everyone loves pumpkin flavor around fall and winter seasons, and these pancakes have the warm and spicy taste that you love on cold mornings.

Chicken and Waffles
Bring the flavor of the South to your breakfast table no matter where you live on the Mason-Dixon line with this traditional Southern dish. The savory taste of fried chicken contrasts the sweet waffles for a unique flavor that’s deliciously decadent.

Whole Grain Waffles
Made with hearty whole-grain instead of regular white flour, these waffles are a nutritious breakfast treat. Top them with a drizzle of honey, fresh fruit, or simple agave syrup for a healthy alternative to sugary maple syrup.

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Healthy Poultry Recipes to Keep Your Diet on Track

March 20, 2014 by

Poultry is such a versatile meat, you could eat it every day of the week and never have the same dish twice. If you’re looking for new and exciting ways to prepare chicken or turkey, here are some delightful recipes from the NIH:

"Fried" Rice and Chicken
Okay, so fried rice isn’t the healthiest food in the world. But in this recipe, it takes on a much healthier role with the addition of brown rice, light soy sauce, and a few assorted vegetables. By using boneless, skinless chicken breast and a low-calorie Hawaiian sauce, this dish becomes a healthy replacement for your favorite takeout food.

Crunchy Chicken Fingers With Tangy Dipping Sauce
A healthier take on the beloved children’s food, this chicken fingers recipe uses whole-wheat flour and corn cereal to achieve the same delicious crunch as the more fattening original. Make a tangy dipping sauce out of ketchup, orange juice, and a few other zesty ingredients for a light lunch that even the kids will love.

Make-Your-Own Turkey Burger
Turkey burgers are becoming increasingly popular alternatives to high-fat beef burgers, and it’s just as easy to make your own at home. This simple recipe uses 99% lean ground turkey and a few common spices to create a juicy burger with a whole 33 grams of protein.

For more healthy chicken, turkey and other poultry recipes, visit the NIH website here.

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2 Fascinating “This Day in History” Websites

March 6, 2014 by

Was history always your favorite subject in school? Do you love to share fun historical facts in conversations with friends? If you’re an avid history buff with a love for learning, these fascinating websites that feature the most important events from that particular day are sure to brighten your mornings.

Computer History
If you’re interested in technology, this site will surely get your gears turning. The Computer History Museum website posts daily facts about that day in history, describing famous inventions, births and deaths of computer scientists, and even product launches that changed the world of computers. If you missed a day, the handy calendar icon even allows you to choose a particular date and read facts that were already posted.

Today in Literature
Bookworms of all ages will love the facts posted on Today in Literature. The site uses short blurbs to describe famous books that were released on each individual day, and it also allows you to backtrack to days you might have missed. If you’re interested in a particular author or book, the site also offers links to check out the full story as well.

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Children’s Toys for Budding Engineers

February 20, 2014 by

Is your little one an engineer in the making? Does he or she love to build with blocks, draw houses, or explore how things work? If you want to instill a love for engineering in your child from a young age, these fun toys will help you do so.

Goldie Blox
Goldie Blox is a company whose goal is to get young girls interested in engineering. The brand’s building games feature strong female characters and help to build spatial reasoning abilities, allowing girls to create structures and machines, learn engineering principles, and build problem-solving skills that they can use for the rest of their lives. Girls ranging from ages four to nine can all participate in Goldie Blox games, though the brand also makes empowering clothing and tees for babies and toddler girls.

Lego Mindstorms
Legos have been around for generations, but the Lego Mindstorms line is a whole new idea. With a variety of products designed to help kids build and operate their own robots, Mindstorms uses 3D building instructions that prepare children for careers in engineering. Kids will learn logic and reasoning skills, and they’ll also become familiar with operating computers and mobile devices by controlling their robots through the Mindstorms app.

 

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Happy Presidents’ Day

February 17, 2014 by

Remembering the courage and vision of past and present leaders, we honor and share the spirit of Presidents' Day together as a nation.

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