Chocolate Picnic Cake

1 (5 ounce) package non-instant chocolate pudding mix
1 (18.25 ounce) package chocolate cake mix
1 cup mini chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups chopped walnuts

…

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9×13 inch pan.

In a large saucepan, prepare the pudding according to the instructions on the box. Remove from heat. Mix cake mix into the hot pudding and stir until blended.

Pour batter into prepared pan, and sprinkle with the chocolate chips and walnuts. Bake in the preheated oven for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool before serving.

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This month, the Lifestyles channel decided to have a little fun with one of summer’s favorite pastimes – a picnic!

Let’s start with dessert first!

Strawberry Rhubarb Crunch by Robust Cooking

Watermelon Raspberry Lemonade at All Holiday Cafe

Rice Krispie Treats at Keeping the Castle

Homemade Oreo Ice Cream at Chocolate Bytes

Cool Summer Snacking at Inside Motherhood

Baking Delights is bringing enough chocolate for everyone to catch a chocobuzz with her favorite brownies

Nothing like sweet tea on a hot, summer day…Wait..I taste lime..mint…is that a non-alcoholic Mojito?  Kettle and Cup has the answer.

Blogfabulous is serving up a super easy, keep your butt out of the hot kitchen solution to Hors’ devours.

Weary Parent is serving Chocolate Puppy Chow, a snack that’s bound to be popular with the kids

Offbeat Homes is sharing details on how to hold an offbeat picnic in four easy steps.

Tree Hugging Family shares 10 tips for an easy green picnic or green potluck

Just because you choose to live thrifty doesn’t mean you have to throw a thrifty picnic.  Simply Thrifty shares tips for an elegant and inexpensive potluck

What fun is a summer BBQ if you feel disorganized and in disarray?  Declutter It shares five tips to help you organize your summer BBQ.

10 Summer party ideas and themes for your next backyard barbecue, or potluck.

Add some backyard Olympic games to your next barbecue, in honor of the Summer Olympics

And speaking of games, Marriage Actually is bringing a fun game for the grownups.  Life Stories – a fun way to find out more about your spouse, friends and extended family.

Cyndi won’t go anyplace to picnic unless she can grill, but she doesn’t want to spend all day doing it.  Try her tips for Grilling Chicken Fast, and get a jumpstart on your next picnic!

Who says picnics have to be complicated affairs?  Keep it simple with cheeses, meats and homemade bread.  Brewha-ha.com has a few suggestions – including a recipe for Polish beer rye bread

Whether you’re having a picnic, a barbecue or just looking for a fun activity to do with your kids outside, Susan at PlayLibrary offers a list of 50 outdoor toys and games that are perfect for summer.

This time of year there are bugs everywhere, don’t forget to bring the bug repellent along with your favorite dish to your next cookout.

Christine at Mad Cropper not only shares her favourite winter or summer recipe but also shares that you can turn recipes into creative works of arts. Find out how!

And while you’re out having all the fun and good food you can handle, don’t forget your pets – they enjoy special summer treats too!

At Quilting and Patchwork enjoy an array of potluck foods and memories from the Food Bloggers.

You never know what medical emergency could happen while your are picnicking…Marye at Simply Home Remedies is bringing the antidote for nearly anything!

Eliza at Babylune provides a checklist of tips to consider when taking baby picnicking.

Finally, when it’s all said and done, kick back with a nice frozen beverage.  MomGadget prefers the Dominican Coco Loco

[image: flickr]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

What better way to end a summer picnic than with a nice big batch of homemade ice cream? A mix-in of chopped and crushed Oreo cookies makes it extra special. Keep it tucked inside the cooler with a lot of ice or ice packs and it should be just about right for dessert!

I use about six cookies total for a 1.5 quart batch of ice cream. I like to quarter about three of the cookies for some nice chunks, and then crush the rest with a mallet to make sure there are cookies throughout all the ice cream! Hot pink bowl is optional.

Oreo Ice Cream

2 large eggs (or 1/2 cup Egg Beaters)
3/4 cup sugar
2 cups heavy whipping cream
1 cup milk
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
6 chopped/crushed Oreo cookies

Put the chopped Oreo cookies in the fridge. In the meantime, whisk the eggs in a mixing bowl for about one minute until light and fluffy, add sugar a little bit at a time until dissolved and continue whisking another minute. Pour in cream, milk and vanilla and whisk to blend. Pour into prepared ice cream maker and follow manufacturer’s directions. During the last two minutes of the cycle add the chilled Oreos.

I actually forgot the vanilla the last time I made this and the ice cream was so delicious that I don’t think I’m going to use it again! It produced a simple, sweet cream ice cream – a really nice, refreshing change from vanilla. And of course, the Oreos add a bit of flavor anyway!

Post from: Chocolate Bytes

This is a fast and easy treat to make for a Fourth of July picnic or barbecue. An added bonus is that you can get the kids to do it and keep them occupied while you finish preparing the rest of the meal!

All you need are some cleaned, fresh strawberries, blueberries and white chocolate (or substitute vanilla chips if you don’t like white chocolate). Melt the white chocolate in the microwave in one minute increments. Make sure the strawberries are completely dry and lay them on wax or parchment paper.

Either dip the strawberries halfway into the white chocolate (you still want to be able to see the berry!) or, after it’s cooled a bit, put the white chocolate into a piping bag or a plastic baggie with a corner snipped off and pipe in lines over the strawberries. Let the the berries sit on the paper until the chocolate is completely set and then arrange on a plate or platter. Sprinkle the blueberries into and around the dipped strawberries and enjoy!

[image: sxc]

Post from: Chocolate Bytes