It’s National Ice Cream Sandwich Day

so we are making an ice cream sandwich cake… and you are welcome

Oh, sweet summertime…well, what’s left of it.

Can you believe we are on the cusp of the holidays?

Well, that’s not really true, but we are on the cusp of fall, which is right before the holidays, so yeah, we are on the cusp of pre-crazy town.

What about you, readers? Is that how the holidays are for you and your family?

I try every year to make it less stressful and more enjoyable but I always look forward to the day after so I can rest.

You with me?

But this year, I’m starting early and I’m going to be very proactive in how I approach the holidays and I am taking you along for the ride.

We are going to tiptoe right through the holiday season… and we are doing it together.

AND, I’m going to be practicing what I preach…and teach…and I will be offering lots of helpful suggestions, recipes and ideas.

In fact, I’ve already been working on it, so you can say I’ve had sort of a Christmas in July.

So Merry Julymas.

Or something like that.

But putting on the brakes for today, what do you say we try and enjoy what’s left of our summer?

The kids start back to school in a few weeks and I am not ready. My daughter is, she already has the outfits organized she will wear for the first 30 days.

She gets her organizational skills from me, in case you are wondering.

Also, in case you are wondering, we are going to do a little ramping up for the holidays in a few weeks, and you are going to ramp up with me.

How so?

I’m going to host a DECLUTTER CHALLENGE and you may not know it yet, but you are going to participate with me.

Yes, yes you are.

I do realize I just put DECLUTTER CHALLENGE in all caps, but I purposefully did it so you would know I was shouting.

I’m shouting because wouldn’t it feel great to DECLUTTER our lives just a bit, especially right before the holidays?

I mean, we work out with friends, we entertain with friends, we travel with friends…why wouldn’t we DECLUTTER with friends?

We are, I tell you, we are.

So, get ready to hear more about it over the next few weeks and start stocking up on some things you will be needing…BIG BLACK TRASH BAGS, Rubbermaid(s), fumigation masks, commercial grade gloves.

You get the picture?

So, readers, start firing up your engines and get ready to PURGE.

Don’t you love the way I swing from the vines around here? Ice cream sandwich cake…holidays…purging your clutter…back to ice cream sandwich cake?

You have to hold on tight some days to keep up.

So, today is Happy National Ice Cream Sandwich Day…what a great “national” holiday. I wonder who created this one?

The ice cream sandwich people? It’s smart if you ask me, even though you don’t really need a holiday to eat an ice cream sandwich.

But it does give us a great occasion to make an ice cream sandwich cake.

Wait.

That sounds like a creamy, dreamy dessert if I have ever heard of one. And let me tell you, it is.

Back in the olden days, when my son was playing high school sports, the parents routinely fed the players the week of the game.

Which is why we live in a cardboard box under the interstate because it cost a million dollars to feed all those boys.

That’s not entirely true. It’s a tent, not a cardboard box.

But it has a wraparound porch and a hot tub.

Anyway, one of the favorite desserts among the players was an ice cream sandwich cake.

My friends, Kellye Hoogland and Amy Adams, always made sure the boys had an ice cream sandwich cake, and there was never a bite left.

When I was making one for this blog post, it was my virgin voyage, and let me tell you, I didn’t realize what I was missing.

And neither did my family.

In fact, when I mentioned this cake was a great summer dessert, my dad, aka Big Daddy, promptly told me he ate ice cream sandwiches ALL year long, so I shouldn’t just limit this dessert to summer.

Looks like the cool whip will be tinted red and green with sprinkles in a few months.

And the greatest thing about this dessert? There is VERY LITTLE preparation and absolutely NO COOKING.

Yes, I am screaming again.

That’s right, you can make this dessert in a FLASH. The only time it takes is for the assembly, and SHAZAM…you have a dessert that will make their tongues wag.

And your booty sag.

But not too worry, I’ll have you so busy in a few weeks DECLUTTERING that you will work your calories off.

So here’s what you need: ice cream sandwiches (18-24 depending on the size of your dish), Cool Whip, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and a candy topping of your choice.

I chose mini M&M’s, but Snickers, a Heath bar, Reece Cups, any of those will do.

Be sure to let your cool whip thaw out, you don’t want to worry about having a whipped cream berg (kin to the onion berg and ice berg) to spread on your cake.

So, let’s get started. First, layer a Pyrex dish with your ice cream sandwiches. Easy.

Sometimes, the ice cream cake gods just smile down on you, and they did for me last week and here’s what happened.

Anybody use the Wal-Mart grocery pick-up yet? If you don’t, I’m not sure we can be friends.

It’s the most amazing service… you order online, pull up to the store and wait on their staff to bring you your groceries.

But this isn’t a plug for Wal-Mart.

What it is a plug for is how, when you order something they are out of, they will substitute it…for the really HIGH END stuff.

Thank you, Lord! Because THIS caramel and THIS chocolate…

Next, squeeze the desired amount of chocolate and caramel on top of your first layer of sandwiches. Easier.

The next layer…Cool Whip, so just cover your sandwiches and sauces. Easiest.

Then REPEAT…a layer of sandwiches, caramel, chocolate, and Cool-Whip.

And because you might want an extra layer of chocolate and caramel, top your dessert with it one more time. For good measure and all.

Finally, add your candy topping…I chose M&M minis.

You can send me a thank you note when you are done.

Question: Are you a dessert or chip and dip reader? Comment below!