Nothing says "Summer" like nachos & margaritas on the patio

We have Jimmy Buffett to blame for this post. Like I mentioned when I blogged my Key West trip, I am a proud Parrothead. And it was at Jimmy Buffett’s Margaritaville restaurant in Las Vegas that Jared and I decided nachos were an acceptable dinner. The Margaritaville restaurants have something on their menu called “Volcano Nachos”. These nachos are basically a huge pile of tortilla chips topped with chili, cheese and all the standard nacho fixins’. They’re served on a platter, and are piled high enough that they actually do resemble a volcano. Also, they’re awesome. Then again, I’m not sure there’s such a thing as a bad nacho.

Anyway, we certainly couldn’t finish the whole appetizer, much less eat a meal on top of it. So we decided to make the nachos our meal that night. And, every once in awhile, usually on a Sunday when we want to drag out the weekend, I’ll make a plate of nachos for dinner. Healthy? Not at all. Yummy? Oh yes. So, in continuing with my summer isn’t over theme, here’s a recipe for some great, Key West-inspired nachos I made a few weeks ago.

Tilapia Nachos
Serves 2-4 as a meal, more as an appetizer

Nacho Ingredients
Yellow corn tortilla chips
2 tilapia fillets
1 lime
Goya brand Adobo
1 15 oz. can black beans, rinsed & drained
1 bag shredded Mexican-style cheese
2-4 jalapeño peppers, sliced thin
1/4 red onion, diced
Kernels from 1 grilled ear of corn (optional)
Pico de gallo & guacamole for garnish (my recipes follow)

Pico de Gallo Ingredients
2-3 large tomatoes, diced
1-2 jalapeños, seeded & diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
Juice of 1 lime
Salt & pepper to taste

Guacamole Ingredients
2 avocados, peeled & seeded
1/8 onion, diced
1/2 jalapeno, diced
1/2 tomato, diced
Juice of 1 lime
1 tsp. fresh cilantro
1 tsp. minced garlic
Splash of tequila (optional)
Salt & pepper

Directions
1. Make the pico de gallo by combining all ingredients in a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours. The longer you refrigerate your pico de gallo, the better it will taste.
2. Lightly coat tilapia with lime juice and a light sprinkle of Adobo. Broil for 3-4 minutes per side. Chop broiled tilapia and set aside.
3. Reduce oven heat to 350°. Cover a round pizza pan with aluminum foil and coat with non-stick cooking spray. Layer tortilla chips on the foil-covered pan. Follow with a layer of tilapia, jalapeños, cheese, beans, corn, onions and pico de gallo. Add a second, smaller layer of tortilla chips and top with remaining nacho toppings. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until cheese is melted and other toppings are heated.
4. While nachos are baking, make the guacamole. The easy way to do it is to throw all the ingredients in a 2-cup food processor and turn it on. If you’re into manual labor, mush (yes, that’s a technical term) everything together with a fork.
5. To serve, top nachos with guacamole and enjoy with a margarita!

My thoughts & suggestions

• For once, I don’t have many suggestions. They’re nachos. For dinner. Anything goes!
• That being said, here are some notes and explanations. I put the pico de gallo on before baking the nachos because I like the taste & texture of warm tomatoes on nachos. I know there are people who put more or less things in their pico de gallo. I roughly follow what my host mom in Mexico did when she made hers. This recipe is heavy on jalapeños because Jared & I like hot food. Feel free to reduce or eliminate them if you’re not a fan. I have to admit that I feel like a bit of a slacker because I didn’t shred my own cheese after going through the trouble to make my own salsa & guacamole. But part of the point of this meal was to use up leftovers & staples before they went bad. One final note about the guacamole. I do sometimes put tequila in mine. It’s a suggestion I came across on the internet a few years ago. You can’t taste the tequila; but it definitely enhances the flavors of the other ingredients.

This summer, I've started almost every work day with an iced version of my morning coffee

Attention retail stores, parents, teachers and food bloggers! Summer is not over yet! As a matter of fact, it’s not technically over for another month. And even if we go with the unofficial summer end date of Labor Day, there’s still over a week of summer left. So please stop with the Fall recipes, clothing and whining about how Summer is over. It’s annoying.

Summer is my favorite time of year. So I refuse to hop on the apples and sweaters bandwagon in August. I’ll enjoy my flip-flops, sunshine, warm temperatures and cold drinks as long as possible, thankyouverymuch. Which brings me (almost) to Iced Coffee.

First, let me say that, just like I don’t know much about wine, I also don’t know much about coffee. However, I do know what I like and don’t like. I like my coffee strong and sweet; and I enjoy flavored coffees. I love coffee shops, but try not to go more than once or twice a week. I can’t stand Starbucks. When I do go to a coffee shop, I stop at Staufs in Grandview for a coffee and a bagel or scone. That’s also where I usually buy my coffee beans, which finally brings me back to Iced Coffee.

Last summer, I cold-brewed my iced coffee using this method. But it was kind of a pain, and I didn’t like the flavor as much. This summer, I’ve made my iced coffee by brewing a super strong pot of coffee, adding sugar, and keeping it in a pitcher in the fridge. Here’s how I do it.

Iced Coffee
Makes 6-8 glasses

Ingredients
Whole coffee beans
1/4 cup white sugar (if desired)
Skim Milk
Ice

Directions
1. Fill a standard, 8-cup drip coffeemaker with the maximum amount of water.
2. Coarsely grind coffee beans. Add coffee to coffeemaker, using 2-3 tablespoons of coffee per 6 ounce cup of water. Brew coffee as usual.
3. When coffee is done brewing, pour into a pitcher and mix in about 1/4 cup of sugar. Adding sugar while the coffee is still hot will help it dissolve completely.
4. To serve, pour over ice and skim milk. Stir and enjoy!

Quick Note: I usually use flavored coffee for this. I’m partial to Coconut, but Staufs Snickerdoodle and Highland Grog also make great iced coffee.

In the summer, my diet revolves around fresh veggies like these I recently picked up at the Grandview Farmer's Market*

Soup isn’t something I typically eat in the summertime. To me, it’s a hot food meant to be eaten on cold days. I’m not even a fan of gazpachos and other cold soups because I don’t like their texture. But sometimes, a soup recipe catches my eye in spite of the high temperatures, especially if that soup focuses on seasonal produce (aka corn, tomatoes, zucchini and/or summer squash). The most recent Food Network Magazine has a recipe for Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup that I had to try ASAP. I already had tomatoes that needed to be used up and Jared made this incredible Savory Zucchini Bread from the “What Geeks Eat” blog the other day. I just needed to pick up the Muenster and I was ready to make this recipe.

Grilled cheese and tomato soup is comfort food to me. It always has been. Like many Americans, I grew up eating the tomato soup in the red and white can accompanied by melted American cheese on white bread. If that’s what you’re expecting, this is not the meal for you. For one thing, it’s much less salty. For another, this soup actually tastes like tomatoes! Jared and I both really enjoyed this meal, especially once we had doctored the soup a little bit.

Triple Grilled Cheese with Tomato Soup
Makes 4 servings

Soup Ingredients
1/4 c. extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
2 lb. tomatoes, chopped
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. chipotle chile powder
1/2 tsp. cumin

Sandwich Ingredients
1/2 c. shredded mozzarella cheese
Kosher salt & black pepper
4 slices muenster cheese
1 c. mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/2 c. Parmesan cheese, grated
8 slices thick bread
2 tbsp. unsalted butter, softened

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine olive oil, tomatoes, garlic, onion, sugar, chile powder, cumin and one teaspoon of salt. Cook over medium heat for 25 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir occasionally. Add cheese and stir to combine.
2. Puree soup with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper. Return soup to stove and keep over very low heat while making sandwiches.
3. Combine mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses. Split equally among 4 slices of bread, and use one slice of muenster for each sandwich. Top with remaining slice of bread. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat. Cook sandwiches, adding more butter as needed. Sandwiches should be done after 4-5 minutes per side.
4. To serve, dip sandwiches in soup. Enjoy!

My thoughts & Suggestions

• As usual, I made some changes to the recipe. After combining the original ingredients, Jared and I decided the soup needed more flavor. So I added cumin and chipotle chile powder. I also thought it needed a little creamier texture. Since I had no cream, I melted a little cheese into the soup instead.
• Like I said, we used homemade savory zucchini bread for this recipe. You could use any good sandwich bread. But I think a homemade or artisan bread elevates this above plain old grilled cheese.
• Since there are only two of us, I did cut the sandwich recipe in half. I made the full soup recipe, providing us with leftovers to take to lunch. I don’t usually cut recipes since Jared & I are both fans of leftovers for lunch.

*As you’ve seen in several of my past photos, my everyday dishes are black. I’ve been meaning to buy white plates and bowls. While I love my black ones, they’re not so conducive to food photography. I couldn’t get a decent shot of tonight’s meal. But I prefer to use my own photos whenever possible. This is why you’re getting a photo of seasonal veggies instead of soup and a sandwich.

Recipe Source: Adapted from Food Network Magazine, September, 2010

A colorful cake for a whimsical bridal shower (made by yours truly & her mom)

A few weeks back, I wrote about my sister’s upcoming bridal shower. At the time, I didn’t want to reveal everything I was doing because I wanted Ashley to be surprised. Now that the shower is over, I can finally blog about it. First, a quick reminder of what I had planned. For her bridal shower, Ashley wanted a tea party, complete with the traditional High Tea menu of tea sandwiches, scones, and pastries. I decided to make it more Alice in Wonderland/whimsical and less Queen of England/formal, with a bit of a garden party feel.

The Shower Site - The Carriage Barn at Mill Hollow Metropark in Vermilion, Ohio

When I started planning, I had a million ideas bouncing around my head. And I wasn’t entirely sure I could use them all. I was also a little nervous, as I had never thrown such a big and important party. And, in addition to planning and hosting the shower, I was determined to make the food and the cake. Fortunately, the wonderful ladies in my family were there to help me pull everything together for Ashley’s shower. I am happy to say that it turned out exactly how I’d pictured it in my head.

Teapot Centerpieces & Lollipop Flower Favors

Click below for my tea party menu and lots of pictures of the event. Maybe they’ll inspire you to host your own tea party!

Tea Party Menu

• Cucumber Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Dill
• Tomato Sandwiches with Cream Cheese & Italian Parsley
• Mini Egg Salad Croissants with Green Leaf Lettuce
• Tortilla Roll-ups
• Raw vegetables with Dill Dip
• My Tropical Fruit Salad & Key Lime Dip



• White Chocolate Cranberry, Orange & Maple Scones from Avenue Fine Pastries in Lakewood, Ohio, served with clotted cream & preserves
• Strawberry Cake with Buttercream Frosting
• Chocolate-Cherry Cupcakes with Almond Whipped Cream Frosting

• White Cherry & Lemon-Mint Iced Teas, Raspberry Limeade & Coffee

With the exception of the tortilla roll-ups, scones and raspberry limeade, everything was made from scratch by me or one of the ladies in my family. I used cake recipes I had tried before, though they were in a different form. For the cake, I used this Strawberry Cupcake recipe. I like it because it does not call for cake mix or strawberry-flavored gelatin, which a lot of strawberry cake recipes do require. Also, it isn’t overly sweet which is nice when you’re using a frosting that’s as sugary as buttercream. For the cupcakes, I used this recipe for the Great American Chocolate Cherry Cake. Both recipes turned out moist & fluffy cakes that were easy to frost and work with. (A quick aside on the cake. It’s maybe the fifth cake I’ve ever made and the first tiered one. Considering this, I’m extremely happy with how it turned out!)

The Beautiful Bride showing off her edible cake topper

Of course, we had to play a game. I hate the majority of shower games, especially the one that involves making a wedding dress out of toilet paper. Instead, I decided to do a quiz called “Getting to Know the Bride & Groom”. I asked 21 questions: 7 about Ashley, 7 about Justin & 7 about them as a couple. The questions asked about things like his winter hobby (snowboarding), her (a daycare) and where they’re honeymooning (Ocho Rios, Jamaica). The winner was the person who got the most questions right.

After the game, my grandma (Honey) cut and served the cake. Everyone had cake and chatted while Ashley opened her presents. Unfortunately, we didn’t know that someone had booked the Carriage Barn for right when the shower was scheduled to end. So we had to leave in a bigger hurry than I would have liked. But the rest of the day went so smoothly that I couldn’t be too upset over it. I am so thankful that I had the chance to throw this shower for Ashley, and that it allowed so many wonderful ladies to get together and enjoy good food and celebration on a Saturday afternoon.

From L-R: Me, Mom & Ashley modeling our tea hats

Finally, I can’t thank my Mom, Honey, Aunt Ruby and Cousin Dianna enough for helping me make this such a special day for Ashley. They put up with my bossiness and helped me with anything I asked them to do. Without them, this wouldn’t have been such a success.

I think I’m not so great with short titles.  However, I’m pretty good with beer and this is an outstanding one that you must try.  Now.  Why are you still reading this?

A trappist style dubbel made in New York

I’m a big fan of Trappist beers but not necessarily of their prices.  This cheap Trappist ripoff wonderful Trappist style abbey dubbel is reasonably priced and full of complex flavors. RateBeer gives it a 99 (100 in it’s own style) out of 100 which for the math impaired is really good. It’s hearty with a mix of sweetness and richness and now I really wish I had bought more than one.

Bridal shower supplies & inspiration. I couldn't resist buying the coordinating tissues because my sister is a crier.

This September, my little sister Ashley is getting married! She and her fiance, Justin have been together for several years. They are one of the cutest, most loving couples I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t be happier that they’re starting their life together as husband and wife in less than 8 weeks.

Justin & Ashley

Of course, I’m thrilled that Ashley asked me to be her matron-of-honor. Not only do I get the privilege of standing beside her while she says her vows, I also get to plan her bridal shower! As soon as Justin and Ashley got engaged, I started scheming and dreaming about this shower. I knew immediately that I wanted whatever I did to scream “Ashley” ~ a sweet girl who loves to garden and appreciates all things whimsical and colorful. Her only real request was that we have a tea party.

I toyed with the idea of hosting an actual High Tea. But my family just isn’t that stuffy or formal. Also, the shower is in late July, which isn’t exactly hot tea weather. So I came up with the idea of a Mary Engelbreit-Inspired Tea Party. Ashley loves her illustrations; and I think they’re the perfect inspiration for a whimsical bridal shower. Originally, I didn’t plan to use much actual Mary Engelbreit branded stuff. I’d just planned on something involving cherries, teapots and daisies in primary colors and checkerboard patterns. Then in March, I went to Michael’s to get new gel food colors for my Easter cookies. Ashley’s shower wasn’t even on my mind until I spotted the perfect Mary Engelbreit invitations ~ blue and white with cherries. It was the exact color scheme and design I’d had in mind for her shower cake and decorations!

For this tea party, I’m serving a traditional menu of tea sandwiches, scones and pastries. Instead of hot tea, I’ll be making iced teas. Of course, there will also be a whimsical, colorful cake, which I plan to make and decorate. It will have 2 tiers and a topper. For the topper, I’m using a Teacupcake from Fred & Friends. I must admit I’m a little nervous about the cake. I’ve a made a few layer cakes and countless decorated cupcakes. But I’ve never made a tiered cake by myself, nor have I ever made a cake for an event as important as this. Fortunately, Mom is a great cake decorator and will be there to help me.

Also, I’m firmly convinced that cooking is a much about one’s mental attitude as it is about one’s ability to follow directions. When I lived in Mexico, my host mom was fond of judging whether food was hecho con cariño, or “made with love”. She always said that food looked and tasted better when it was made with love. Though I’d never thought about it before, I realized it was true. When I put time and care into the food I prepare, it does turn out better. This cake, and everything else I am making, are things that I care deeply about because I am making them for a wonderful girl who is my sister and my friend.

Aside from truly caring about my kitchen creations, I’ve found that confidence does wonders for culinary success. When I approach a challenging recipe or technique, I make it a point to tell myself that it will turn out well. And you know what? It usually does!

My setup for making shower favors. The dining room table often doubles as a workspace for my kitchen projects.

Now I’m dying to share everything I have planned for this shower. But I don’t want to reveal all the surprises yet (especially not since Ashley reads my blog). But I do want to say that things will be pretty quiet here for the next couple weeks while I make the favors, food and cake for this shower. After it’s all done, I plan to write about the shower and some of the things that I’m learning during this time.

Thanks to stock.xchng users nkzs for the Cherries image and cybersnot for the Berry Heart.

No cows were harmed in the making of this burger

Thursday was a ridiculously long and crazy day. By the time I got home that night, I just wanted to laze on the couch with a book or my laptop. Cooking did not sound appealing at all. Then again, neither did pizza or Thai or any of our usual too lazy to cook standbys.

Black bean burgers had been on my list of things to try making for awhile. So I took my tired self into the kitchen and started chopping and mixing. In maybe 40 minutes, including prep time, I’d made these burgers, plus the guacamole and oven fries to go with them. By the time everything was done, I was nice and relaxed from my time in the kitchen. Then my husband and I sat down to enjoy a meal that was better and better for us than anything we would have ordered from a restaurant.

Southwestern Black Bean Burgers
Makes 2 burgers

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can of black beans, drained and rinsed
1 red onion, half minced and half cut into rings
1-2 jalapeños, minced
1/4 c. breadcrumbs
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. minced garlic

Toppings
Cheddar or pepper jack cheese
Avocado slices or guacamole
Lettuce leaves
Onion slices
Tomato slices
2 hamburger buns

Directions
1. Put all ingredients into a medium-sized mixing bowl. Stir to combine, then mash bean mixture.
2. Form bean mixture into burger patties.
3. Cook patties on the grill or in a skillet for 8-10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking.
4. Place burgers onto buns and top with cheese and vegetables. Enjoy!

My Thoughts & Suggestions

• These burgers are great with oven fries, which are ridiculously easy to make. Just wash a few potatoes and cut them into 1/4 inch thick strips. Coat them with a little bit of olive oil and season with Adobo (or salt, pepper, garlic and cumin. Or whatever). Bake at 450° for 35 minutes, flipping halfway through.


Fries: Ready for the oven

• Because there were lots of veggies and guacamole on these burgers, I didn’t use mayo or any other condiments. A spicy or chipotle mayo would be fabulous on these though.
• I haven’t tried it yet. But I’m imagining these would freeze well. I’ll make extras next time and may even post an update about how that goes.

5:00 on Friday! The work week is over and another wonderful summer weekend begins. Sure, it’s kinda rainy right now. But the weathermen are predicting sunshine and temperatures in the mid-80s for the rest of the weekend. It’ll be the perfect time to sit on your patio and enjoy a frozen concoction. This one has all the ingredients of a classic margarita, plus watermelon to add some sweetness. Also, it’s pink which is always a plus in my book!

Frozen Watermelon Margarita
Makes 4 Servings

Ingredients
3 c. watermelon, peeled, seeded and cubed
2 oz. fresh lime juice
6 oz. tequila
2 oz. triple sec
2 c. ice
1 lime, sliced into wedges, for garnish
1/4 c. granulated sugar, for garnish

Directions
1. Pour the sugar onto a small plate. Use a lime wedge to wet the rims of 4 margarita glasses. Dip the moistened rims of the glasses into sugar to coat.
2. Place all ingredients into a blender, reserving about 3/4 cup of ice. Puree, adding additional ice, until smooth.
3. Pour into the prepared margarita glasses. Garnish with lime wedges and enjoy!

One of my favorite meals

Hummus is a refrigerator staple in my household. Besides being one of my favorite foods, it’s easy to make and stays good for a long time. Served with sliced veggies and pita wedges, it’s is a quick and healthy weekday lunch or light dinner. It’s great to have on hand this time of year, when it can get too hot to cook. And it’s awesome with the fresh, in-season and locally grown tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers that are currently available.

I’ve been eating and making hummus since high school when it was an important source of protein for my then-vegetarian diet. My mom refused to cook me vegetarian food, which meant I had to learn to do it if I wanted to live on more than salads and grilled cheese sandwiches. So I subscribed to Vegetarian Times and bought a copy of their cookbook. I actually keep meaning to get that cookbook back from my mom’s house because it has so many great recipes. Anyway, the first hummus I made used a recipe similar to this one. I’ve been playing with it since then and finally got around to writing it down last week after I made a particularly good batch. This is a fairly classic hummus recipe. There’s no spinach or roasted red peppers, just chickpeas accented with tahini, garlic and lemon.

Lemon-Garlic Hummus
Makes 3 cups

Ingredients
1 15 oz. can chick peas
scant 1/2 c. juice from the chick peas
3 tsp. minced garlic
1/2 c. tahini
1 lemon, juiced
4 tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. black pepper

Directions
1. Place all ingredients in a food processor and combine until smooth.
2. Enjoy immediately with fresh veggies and pita wedges, or cover and refrigerate.

My Thoughts & Suggestions

• I usually eat my hummus with pita wedges, tomatoes, cucumbers and red bell peppers. Other veggies that go well with it are cauliflower, broccoli, celery and green bell peppers. While I’m not a fan of hummus on carrots, a lot of people do enjoy it.
• My other favorite way to use hummus is as a sandwich topping. Spread the hummus on a pita, then add lettuce, tomato, onion, cucumber, bell pepper and feta cheese. Yum yum!
• This recipe is fine to double. I usually make a big batch of it and eat it for lunch all week. As long as it’s kept cold, it stays good for 5-7 days.

Cake & Ice Cream

Once upon a time, I hated ice cream sandwiches. Even as a kid, I didn’t like those thin, soggy “cookies” filled with tasteless ice cream that are sold in grocery stores. Then I discovered the ice cream macaroons at Jeni’s Ice Creams. For the uninitiated, Jeni’s is a company that makes artisan ice creams right here in Columbus, Ohio. They use local, seasonal ingredients and make ice creams that are rich and flavorful, but not overly sweet. Jeni’s ice cream is excellent on its own, and is only enhanced when it’s made into sundaes, floats and other treats. That’s where ice cream sandwiches come in. Jeni’s takes their ice cream and sandwiches it between two handmade macaroons. The first one I ever tried was Double Chocolate Buttermint, which is exactly what it sounds like. Two fudge macaroons are filled with buttermint ice cream. The resulting treat made me realize that ice cream sandwiches, when made carefully and with quality ingredients, can actually be very good.

Of course, I still wasn’t about to go to the grocery store and buy those icky ice cream sandwiches that they sell. I just figured I’d content myself with the occasional Jeni’s sandwich & leave it at that. The idea of making them myself never even crossed my mind, until I came across an article devoted to ice cream treats in the June issue of Food Network Magazine. It has recipes for homemade versions of classic ice cream truck treats, such as Orange Cream Pops and ice cream sandwiches. I plan to make several of the treats featured in this article, starting with these Ice Cream Sandwich Cakes. Sure, they’re not Jeni’s macaroons. But their rich, fudgey cake puts those nasty grocery store cookies to shame.

Ice Cream Sandwich Cakes
Makes 18 sandwiches

Ingredients
4 tbsp. butter
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3/4 c. cocoa powder
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. granulated sugar
1/2 c. coffee, brewed
1/2 c. buttermilk
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
3 pints mint chocolate chip ice cream

Directions
1. Line bottom of two 8″ square cake pans with parchment paper. Preheat the oven to 325°.
2. Sift flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt into a mixing bowl.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter over low heat. Add cocoa powder and whisk about 1 minute to dissolve the powder.
4. Transfer cocoa mixture to a bowl and whisk in sugars until combined. Add coffee, buttermilk, egg and vanilla and whisk until smooth. Whisk in the flour mixture until just combined.
5. Divide the batter evenly between both pans. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes.
6. Allow cakes to partially cool in the pans, then invert onto a rack to cool completely. Transfer cakes to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, cover with plastic wrap and freeze for 1 hour.
7. Take ice cream out of freezer and allow to soften for 20 minutes. Clean and dry cake pans, then line each with plastic wrap, leaving a 4″ overhang on all sides.
8. Scoop all ice cream into one of the pans, packing it to make an even 1″ thick layer. Use a spatula to smooth the ice cream. Fold the plastic wrap over the ice cream to cover it, then freeze until solid, at least 1 hour.
9. Put 1 frozen cake in the remaining cake pan. Unwrap the ice cream and invert it on top of the cake. Remove plastic wrap and cover with remaining cake, pressing gently. Cover cake with plastic wrap and freeze until firm, about 1 hour.
10. To serve, unwrap the cake and cut it into 9 squares. Cut each square in half to make 2 rectangles. Enjoy!

That's a big ice cream sandwich!

Recipe Source: “What A Scream”, Food Network Magazine, June 2010.