Frozen Club Specials in the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker

 Mr. Devilish Dish and I have been working quite a bit in our backyard this year.  We added some really cool cafe lights around our deck and a couple of fun flower beds (even one that is fishing themed!) Since we both enjoy fishing so much, we try to stay acclimated to the heat.  We spend a lot of time sitting on our patio.  We've created quite the little oasis, and sit out there in the evenings and watch TV or listen to music.  All of this made more enjoyable with a cold beverage.  For my birthday this year, I treated myself to the Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.  It features 5 unique presets that use a RapidChill Technology to determine the perfect temperature for the ideal frozen drink.  Translation: It is not a blender, no ice is involved.  The results are the perfect textured frozen drinks that are not watered down.  They don't have to be adult beverages either, with settings for milkshakes and non-alcoholic slushes.  I've shared with you before that Oklahoma has a famous drink called the Club Special  It was invented at a golf course, and has grown in popularity, so much that you can pretty much order one anywhere around the state.  A few places even feature a Frozen Club Special, which is the more attractive older brother of a Club Special on the rocks.  The day we took our Ninja Slushi out of the box, we were determined to create our favorite cocktail in frozen form.  Success!  The Frozen Club Special is our favorite summer beverage on our patio. It is sweet and tart, from Sprite and citrus juices and so refreshing on a hot day.  

The Famous Oklahoma Club Special-
made even better in frozen form with the 
Ninja Slushi Professional Frozen Drink Maker.

The ideal patio beverage on a hot summer day!

FROZEN CLUB SPECIAL IN THE NINJA SLUSHI (MODEL FS301)

40oz Limeade (made from frozen concentrate)
7.5-8oz Sprite

4 oz vodka

4 oz club soda

1 oz fresh lime juice

1 oz fresh lemon juice

Combine ingredients and pour into the Ninja Slushi vessel.  We like to choose Setting 8 as anything higher tends to come out like a dry snow.  We also like to make the concentrate ahead of time and store in the refrigerator so we can have a frozen club special at a moments notice.  

Everything is so easy to assemble, operate and clean.  The folks at Ninja Slushi have so many videos and additional recipes at the Ninja Test Kitchen.

Slow Cooker Mississippi Meatball Subs

 Twelve weeks of recovery from major hand surgery is extremely boring.  And I'm not one to ask for help.  Thank goodness I've spent over 31 years with Mr. Devilish Dish.  You don't want just any old stranger to help you fasten your bra every morning.  Other than extreme pain, not being independent was one of my biggest frustrations.  Hubs did all of the cooking.  He did almost everything all by himself for three months.  When I got a little bit more healed, I was really anxious to get back in the kitchen.  There weren't many things I could do, and to this day almost 5 months later I'm still stymied by lids and zip-style packaging.  But I was determined to make a meal for him, just to give him one night off from being my full-time nurse, bartender, bra fastener and more.  I've made Mississippi Roast in the slow cooker before.  It's delicious as a sandwich, and even better on mashed potatoes.  I knew we liked the flavor combination, and with a handful of ingredients dumped into the slow cooker this was my first foray back into the kitchen. It was warm and hearty and best of all, easily prepared with one hand.  

These turned out pretty darned good.
You could serve the meatballs as an appetizer
or on mashed potatoes or noodles, but we 
enjoyed them on a toasty roll as a sandwich.

Simply combine the short list of ingredients
in your slow cooker and cook.

The meatballs get piping hot and the other
ingredients combine to make a great
au ju-style sauce for dipping, or great
over mashed potatoes.

Delicious, and so simple you can almost 
make it with one hand like I did!

Slow Cooker Mississippi Meatball Subs


(1) 32-ounce bag frozen meatballs
2 cups beef broth
(1) packet Ranch seasoning
(2) packets brown gravy or au jus mix
(1) jar pepperoncini peppers (whole or sliced)

(1) stick unsalted butter

In your slow cooker, add your meatballs.  In a separate bowl combine beef broth, ranch seasoning, gravy mix, and pepperoncini liquid from the jar.  Mix well and pour over meatballs.  Add in peppers and top with the stick of butter.  Cook on low 3-4 hours, stirring occasionally until meatballs are piping hot and sauce has thickened a little bit.  Serve on toasted rolls with sauce for dipping.

Prep Time: Approximately 10 minutes Cook Time: Approximately 4 hours

Strawberry-Banana Cheesecake Fluff

Remember all of those potluck dinners as a kid?  And the cute lil' 'ol ladies brought those wacky combinations of fruit and Jell-O with marshmallows?  And someone called them salads, but you couldn't for the life of you understand why anything with marshmallows would be considered a salad.  Well, that's kind of what this is.  The day I made this recipe Little Devil asked, "What's for dinner?" and I told her what we were having along with "And this strawberry cheesecake salad thing."  She made the most awful face and repeated, "Cheesecake.  Salad.  Have you lost your mind mom?"  She's obviously not a child of the 70's and never experienced the whole marshmallow/salad confusion of my childhood.  To avoid that debacle for future generations I decided to call this Fluff and serve it as dessert.  It's got fresh strawberries and bananas, along with Cheesecake-Flavored Jell-O pudding and of course no 70's flashback salad/Jell-O thing would be complete without lots of fluffy marshmallows.  For someone who made such a face when I mentioned it, I'm happy to report Little Devil not only ate seconds, but leftovers as well.  If you're looking for something new and a little sweet for a potluck side or dessert, this is it!

Call it Fluff.  Call it Salad.  Call it whatever you want.
It's so good!

Strawberry-Banana Cheesecake Fluff

1-pint heavy whipping cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 (3-ounce box) Cheesecake flavored instant pudding
3 (6 ounce) containers strawberry-banana flavored yogurt
1 carton fresh strawberries, sliced
3-4 bananas sliced
3 cups (I used a whole bag) miniature marshmallows

With a mixer, combine the heavy whipping cream and sugar to create whipped cream.  (You can substitute a 12-ounce container of whipped topping here, but we prefer real whipped cream at our house.)  Combine the whipped cream with the yogurt and pudding mix.  Refrigerate until serving time.  Just before serving, fold in the berries, bananas and marshmallows.  Garnish with a strawberry and enjoy.

Prep Time:  Approximately 10 minutes     Cook Time:  0

Copycat Hillstone Crisp Martini: AKA The Sauvy B Martini

As I mentioned in my Lemon Bars post, I had major hand surgery on New Year's Eve.  It was 12 weeks of down time and since it was also winter, there wasn't much to do.  Mr. Devilish and I spent a lot of time watching TV, specifically Bar Rescue re-runs, and trying new cocktail recipes.  We got some new cute cow print barstools, and I sat on them and imbibed while Mr. Devilish played pretend bartender.  I'd seen the video for this martini making the rounds on social media and it looked to delicious not to try.  I love the flavor of St. Germain, which is an elderflower liqueur, with a sweet, floral and herb flavor.  And I do like Sauvignon Blanc.  I've never been much of a gin drinker, but I saw this beautiful blue bottle of gin and couldn't resist.  Our weekly outings during the recouperation period were usually to the liquor store to stock our bar with new and interesting libations.  The resulting martini was delicious.  The flavors of the St. Germain and the gin really complement each other, and it all pairs perfectly with the citrus juice and rind.  And I'll never complain about topping anything off with a splash of Sauvignon Blanc.  Just like the name, this cocktail is cool and crisp and will definitely be made often this summer.

Here it is.  In all the crisp, refreshing 
deliciousness.  Will definitely be enjoyed
on the patio this summer.

I totally chose this because of the beautiful
bottle, but now I feel like a little bit of a 
gin drinker.  

Here is our very full bar.  Fun fact, this old 
"buffet" was a shoe display in Mr. DD's parents'
clothing store when he a little boy.  They let us 
have it when we got married.  It's never been used
like a buffet, it has always been our "bar" even when 
we didn't have much to put on it.  The storage below is 
ideal for our cocktail glasses and the drawers hold our 
bar tools.  We had it painted a few years ago.  It is a great
conversation piece for sure.

Copycat Hillstone Crisp Martini:  AKA The Sauvy B Martini

1.5 ounces Gin
1 ounce St. Germain liqueur
1/2 fresh lemon, juiced
1 ounce Sauvignon Blanc wine
Lime peel/twist for garnish

In a cocktail shaker with ice:  combine gin, St. Germain and lemon juice.  Shake and strain into a martini glass.  Top with Sauvignon Blanc and garnish with a lime peel.  

Neiman Marcus Dip

I have no idea why this is called Neiman Marcus Dip.  It's not expensive to make or luxurious like a dark chocolate sauce.  It's just a super tasty dip that's awesome on crackers, great for snacking and a hit at any party.  A great friend of ours celebrated a birthday a while back.  I asked his sweet fiancée (now wife) and his sweet mother how I could help for the surprise party they were throwing him.  They know I love to cook, and asked if I could bring some chips and dips.  I wanted a great variety, so I decided on three hot dips and three cold dips.  Queso, Hot Spinach and Artichoke Dip, and Buffalo Chicken Dip when into my three-section slow cooker.  Fresh salsa, Homemade French Onion Dip, and Neiman Marcus Dip went into my favorite crystal bowls I received as wedding gifts.  While everything was a big hit, I have to say the Neiman Marcus Dip was the biggest hit of all.  Well besides surprising the birthday boy.  And the giant ice carving luge for doing shots in the backyard.  If you don't have a surprise and an ice luge, then this is sure to be the BIGGEST hit at your next get together!

The best dip and biggest hit at the party!

Well except for that ice luge...

What's a birthday party without
some Neiman Marcus Dip AND
and ice luge???

Here's the birthday boy, Ross
his beautiful fiancée, (now wife!)
The got married quite a while ago.
I've had this recipe in draft form for ages.

Make your next party special

Griddled Twinkie Strawberry Shortcake

 It's National Strawberry Shortcake Day, and do I have a treat for you today!  If you thought a Twinkie was tasty by itself, imagine how insanely delicious it is after it has been lightly toasted in butter on a griddle?  Mr. Devilish Dish and I are fairly healthy eaters.  We try to eat mainly low-carb meals during the week, and I usually don't even eat much gluten.  But every once in a while, we go off the rails and when I say go off the rails I mean we get crazy creative and eat crap lol.  We had seen a similar recipe circulating on social media a while back and joked that it sounded delicious, but we were trying to behave so we had no plans to make it.  Then I saw a (probably fake) study that said, "Couples that do unhealthy activities together, like eating junk food, feel closer than those who choose healthier activities." So, for the sake of a successful marriage, we bought a package of Twinkies.  Mr. Devilish Dish simply placed them on his preheated Blackstone griddle, with a little bit of melted butter and let them brown about 1 minute per side.  The result is like a really good piece of sponge cake with an extra brown, caramelized crust.  The cream filling got hot and melty and was extra delicious topped with fresh strawberries and whipped cream.  This was such a fun twist on a traditional Strawberry Shortcake, and I might even make it tomorrow for Father's Day because it is so simple but fun! The only thing I can say about this is 1) Do not knock it until you try it and 2) This is definitely splurge-worthy for a rare little treat!

This spurge-worthy dessert was so fun 
to make and made such a fun variation
of a Strawberry Shortcake Dessert.

Just 3-ingredeints.  Well 4 if you count
the butter for the griddle.

Unwrap those Twinkies and 
slap them on a hot griddle.

Cook approximately 1-2 minutes per
side, or until they start to look golden and 
a little crispy like this.

I haven't had a Twinkie in years,
and boy was this worth it.

Look what a pretty little dessert it makes
and I think it looks gorgeous on these plates.

This is such a fun variation of a traditional
Strawberry Shortcake.  So worth it!

Who am I to argue with science lol...

GRIDDLED TWINKIE STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE

1/4 cup unsalted butter

4 Twinkies
1 small package fresh strawberries, sliced
fresh whipped cream (I always use my ISI Professional Whipped Cream Dispenser)

Preheat your outdoor griddle (or indoor griddle or cast-iron skillet) and add butter.  When butter is hot and melted, add Twinkies and grill approximately one minute on each side, or until they start to get golden in color and the edges get a little crispy.  To serve, place 2 griddled Twinkies on a plate and top with sliced strawberries and whipped cream.

Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 4-8 minutes

Gluten Free Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies

One of the hardest thing to give up when I went gluten-free was baked goods.  Yes there are some good baked goods out there that don't contain gluten, like my Nutella Brownies  or my Gluten Free Peach Fritters.  They are both delicious enough you would never miss the gluten.  But a lot of recipes are just so-so substitutes for the real thing.  And most of the time I don't want to make Mr. Devilish Dish eat gluten-free just because I'm craving a sweet treat.  And I'll admit most of the time I'm too lazy to make two different things just so I can have a handful of gluten free cookies.  The exception to this is when I make my Easy Peanut Butter Cookie Ice Cream Sandwiches.  A simple 3-ingredient gluten free cookie, filled with ice cream and rolled in mini chocolate chips.  It is a real treat and one Mr. Devilish Dish totally enjoys because Peanut Butter Cookies are a favorite of both he and my dad.  They happen to be my all-time favorite too, but sadly, gluten filled so I don't make them much anymore.  The 3-ingredient peanut butter cookies are a tasty substitute, but face it they aren't the real deal, and they aren't the same texture.  They are absolutely wonderful as the ice cream sandwich, but I don't particularly love them as just a cookie to eat by themselves.  Mainly because I enjoy a soft, chewy peanut butter cookie.  Which I thought I would never enjoy again until now.  A few tweaks on the 3-ingredient style peanut butter cookie has resulted in a gluten free SOFT and CHEWY peanut butter cookie!  It's a 4-ingredient cookie, simple to make and the soft, chewy texture I love! I'm so excited to have a cookie that Mr. Devilish Dish, my dad and I can all enjoy.  

Only 4 ingredients

Soft and Chewy Peanut Butter Cookies
AND
Gluten Free!

A cookie everyone will enjoy.

A few tweaks on a simple recipe.
The result is a wonderfully chewy cookie
that is soon to be a favorite with everybody!