Ice-Cream Sandwiches with Opa's Cookies

This was a delicious treat for me and my family.  I made these with Opa's Cookies that I made before.  I used my mom's camera for this picture!!!  My mom helped put in the ice cream but I did the rest myself. 

Ice-Cream Sandwiches with Opa's Cookies
adapted from Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook
12 chocolate-chip cookies
ice cream, slightly softened (any flavor)
sprinkles

1.  On the bottom of half of the cookies, place a scoop of ice cream.  Top with the other halves, bottom-side touching the ice cream.  Push ice cream out to edges and roll edges in sprinkles so that they stick on the ice cream. 

Opa's Chocolate Chip Cookies

These are delicious cookies that make really good ice cream sandwiches.  That's what we made them for, and we had a hard time not eating them all before that.  This is my Opa's (Grandpa's) recipe.  We only made a half recipe because the whole one makes a lot. 

Opa's Chocolate Chip Cookies
from my Opa; this is a half-recipe

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
2 1/2 cups flour
1 1/2 cups oatmeal (like quick oats)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 (10-12 oz) package chocolate chips
3/4 cups chopped walnuts or pecans, optional

1.  Preheat oven to 400 F.  Mix butter, sugars, vanilla and eggs.  Mix well until smooth.  Add flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder, and oatmeal.  Mix in.  Stir in chocolate chips and nuts.  Shape into golf ball size balls and mash down slightly on lightly greased cookie sheet.  Bake 6-8 minutes.  Do not overbake.  Makes about 3 dozen. 

Egg Cream

This was a delicious treat for me and my smaller brother. 

Egg Cream
adapted from Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook

1/2 cup cold milk
1 cup cold seltzer water (sparkling water)
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup

1.  Pour the milk into a tall glass.  Pour the seltzer water on top.  Stir in the chocolate syrup with a long spoon.  Drink right away.

Roast Chicken Salad

Me and my mom made this for dinner one night.  It was very delicious!  The original recipe called for fried chicken, but we used roast chicken (from a grocery store roast chicken).  We used this homemade Buttermilk Ranch dressing, that I blogged about before. 

Roast Chicken Salad
adapted from Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook
roast chicken breast from a rotisserie chicken
1 head romaine lettuce, washed
1 cup cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
6 Tablespoons Ranch dressing

1.  On a cutting board, use a butter knife and fork to cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.  Put the chicken into a bowl. 

2.  Tear the lettuce into bite sized pieces and add to the bowl.  Cut the cherry tomatoes in half and add them too.  Then add the cheese and dressing.  Mix well using wooden spoons. 

Indoor S'Mores

Indoor S'Mores
from the Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook

chocolate frosting
marshmallow creme
graham crackers

1.  Break graham crackers in half to make two pieces out of each one.  Spread one side with chocolate frosting, and the other side with marshmallow creme and press them together.  Serve.

Brownies

My Mom and I made these together.  We all liked them and wanted more.  My mom used her own frosting instead of the recipe's frosting.

Brownies
adapted from Joythebaker.com

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
3 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated white sugar
2 eggs
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Grease an 8-inch baking dish with butter or shortening.

2. Prepare the brownies: In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.  Melt the butter and chocolate together in a pan set on top of a pot of simmering water. Remove from heat. Whisk the sugars into the mixture. Then whisk in the eggs, yolk and vanilla. Stir in the flour mixture until well incorporated. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 to 30 minutes. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the brownie comes out clean. Remove from the oven and cool completely before adding the frosting.

Chocolate Frosting

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)
3-4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
milk

1.  Cream the butter and sugar together.  Add vanilla, and as much milk as you need to make it smooth. 

Homemade Ranch Dressing

I liked this and it was easy to make.  My mom really, really liked it too.  It makes a lot.

Ranch Dressing
adapted from Do It Myself Kids' Cookbook

1 cup buttermilk
6 tablespoons mayo
2 teaspoons lemon juice
sprinkle paprika
1 teaspoon fresh or dried dill
1 tablespoon snipped fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1.  Place a bowl securely on your work surface.  Add the buttermilk and mayo.  Using a wooden spoon, mix together well.  Add the paprika and lemon juice and stir some more. 

2.  Over a cutting board, use scissors to cut the dill (if using fresh) into tiny pieces until you have enough to fill 1 teaspoon.  (If using dried, just measure out 1 teaspoon).  Cut enough parsley to measure 1 tablespoon. 

3.  Add the dill and parsley to the buttermilk mixture and mix.  Stir in the garlic salt and mustard into the dressing and mix well.  Store in the fridge.