Magic Milk Shakes

I got this recipe from The Hillbilly Housewife. It's a really good alternative to using ice cream and it really does taste like a Wendy's frosty!

1-1/2 to 2 cups ice water
1-1/2 cups nonfat dry milk powder
2/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 to 1-1/2 trays of ice cubes, as much as you can spare
2 tablespoons corn oil plus a 5-second squirt of non-stick spray for emulsification purposes

Place all of the ingredients into the blender, including the oil and the non-stick spray. Use less water for thicker milk shakes and more water for shakes that are easy on your blender motor. The blender should be about 3/4's full. Place the lid on. Process for a full 2 minutes. Pour into cups and serve. Makes 4 - 12oz servings.
I love this recipe because it makes very rich milk shakes without any ice cream. I don't always have ice cream in the house because the kids eat it so fast. With this recipe we can have delicious frosty milk shakes for a fraction of the cost of those using ice cream. And all the ingredients are on the pantry shelf.

Layered Ice Cream Cake

This past Saturday, May had her American Girl Club and Birthday party. It was a surprise and I wish I'd had the camera ready when she found out! She picked out her birthday cake in July. You might have seen it on the cover of Family Circle.
15 Oreo cookies
1 Tablespoon milk
8 to 9 ice cream sandwiches
1 pint mint chocolate chip ice cream
1 pint vanilla ice cream
1 pint strawberry icecream
(or make your own mix of ice creams)
1 container (8 oz) whipped topping

1. Coat bottom and side of a 9 inch round springform pan with nonstick cooking spray. Line side with waxed paper suing spray to hel adhere to pan. Trim paper to height of pan.
2. Finely crush 12 of the cookies in a food processor. Add milk; pulse just until mixture holds together. Set aside.
3. Unwrap 4 ice cream sandwiches. Working quickly, cut each in quarters. Stack them around the edge of the wax paper lined pan, up on the small end, packing them snugly together. Spoon cookie crumbs into center of pan; press firmly over bottom. Freeze 1 hr.
4. Remove all three flavors of ice cream from freezer and let soften for 15 minutes at room temperature. Transfre mint ice cream to a small bowl and stir until good but firm spreading consistency. Repeat with vanilla and strawberry. Remove pan from freezer. Spread mint ice cream on bottom, then top with vanilla and strawberry. Top with thawed whipped topping, swirling top decoratively. Crush remaining three cookies and sprinkle over cake. Return to freezer. Freeze overnight.
5. To serve, remove side of pan, then waxed paper. Cut into wedges
6. ENJOY!!