Summer Trifles

Summer means cookouts.  Cookouts mean Trifle Dishes!!  These chilled beauties are so easy, and they represent the lightness and indulgence we expect from our Summer season.  And the leftovers are so good they make you want to cuss!  So I make them all Summer long.  Here's a recipe for the basic chocolate trifle you find at most potlucks.

Chocolate Trifle

~1 Dark Fudge cake mix, prepared according to directions & cooled

~1 Family-size pkg. chocolate pudding, prepared according to directions

~1 big ol' carton of Cool Whip, thawed

~1 can of sweetened condensed milk

~A good portion of crushed candies bars of your choice (Toffee bars are Awesome in this.  Alas, my husband does not like toffee.  But I like him, so I use Butterfingers instead.  And we've managed to stay married so far.)

*Every time I make a trifle I begin by saying I'll use all the non-fat or reduced fat options, since it is such an indulgent recipe.  But I never do.  I find myself staring at all these processed foods and I realize, Who am I kidding?  There's nothing "healthy" about this, so I just go all the way.  We all need a little fat in our diet. ;)

--Once you have all your ingredients prepared, simply layer 1/2 of each in your dish:

      -Cake first

      -Drizzle w/ condensed milk 

      -Sprinkle w/ crushed candy bars

      -Pudding

      -Cool Whip

   -Then repeat the above layers with the other half of each ingredient.

--If you have any candy bars leftover you can sprinkle them on the top layer of Cool Whip.

You can make this dish the day of, but it's also extra yummy to let the layers consummate their relationship over night.  Consummation is in general a very good thing, wouldn't you agree?

Shoulda', Woulda', Coulda'

I should be having a baby this week.  Instead I've been bed-ridden with the World's Worst Migraine.  Just another physical marker of a month with no baby to show for it.  Totally depressing, right? 

Well, whatever.

I've cried enough this week.  And I'm sure there are more tears to come this weekend.

But right now I'm drowning myself in thankfulness. (And there may or may not be a glass of wine involved.)  I'm thankful my two, beautiful girlfriends ARE having their healthy babies this week.  I'm thankful my crazy kids are healthy Cain Raisers.  I'm thankful my husband doesn't seem to mind having a high maintenance wife.  I'm thankful for wonderful sister-friends, because sometimes I really do miss my sisters.  I'm thankful my mom will be visiting soon, and we'll traipse around the city together.  And last, but certainly not least, I'm thankful for food.  Having yummy Indian delivered tonight!

Unlike this week, last week was not a total wash.  We had good lessons and lots of good reading and music--it's Vivaldi this month.  On Friday I took the kids to the Aquarium which they loved.  I loved that it was steps from Rose's Garden and Quincy Market.  But alas.  When given the choice my children chose "regular ice cream" over gelato.  I have failed as a mother.  Failed!  Granted the name of the establishment was "Sprinkles" which obviously influenced their decision.  Still, they should know better.  We need to spend more time with gelato this year.  We've got to get our priorities straight.  

On Saturday we took the kids to a fair, and they rode their first roller coaster and ferris wheel and had a BLAST!  I was on the ferris wheel.  I do not like being high.  In the air, that is.  (This week, I'd consider the other option.)  I focused on keeping the kids on their bottoms and myself from completely freaking out.  I succeeded (mostly) and we all had a good time.  After all the above activity, we spent a splendid Sunday at home just chillin' together.

I wish I could think of a funny kid story right now, but my brain has literally been in pain for three days.  So I'll just leave you guys with some goofy pictures to let you know we're still here and we're still smiling.