Meal Plan Monday---5 Simply Satisfying Summer Desserts

 In honor of my birthday this last weekend, a day I seriously enjoy as I am SO thankful that I am here and so blessed with so many things--health, family, friends, a home, food, rabbits, the ability to garden, the country I live in, etc-- I decided this week we are going ALL OUT and having some fun. SO--if you are looking for regular, run-of-the-mill food recipes for dinner or lunch, or even snacks....

SORRY.

This week is going to be all about the things in life that give us that delight to be alive , just like a child, and help smooth out the rough edges on those tough days and years.

I have been seeing SO MANY fantastic desserts all over Facebook and Pinterest, and other amazing sites, that I just had to devote today to showcasing some of them. Many are from times gone by, and are so simple to make that once you see the process you will wonder why you have not used these recipes before.

And for the dear reader who alluded to the fact I am solely responsible for the expansion of her derriere.....I love you and am glad you get so much out of my blog posts! :)

 And one more thing.

Dont shoot the messenger. :)

Are you ready?

Here we go!

In most parts of the country berries are coming in like crazy! Strawberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Mulberries, etc etc etc. The first dessert uses berries, pound cake cubes, and homemade custard (or store bought yogurt) in layers to make a beautiful and MOST DELICIOUS warm weather dessert!

Feast your eyes on a gorgeous Raspberry Trifle Dessert:

image courtesy

The recipe is ridiculously easy---you start with cubes of cake (it is easiest to simply make a 9X13 pan of cake and freeze it as it cubes much easier---plus then it is cold, which is a bonus in the summer heat), fresh washed berries, and your choice of yogurt or custard. Start with the cake, then a layer of berries, then a layer of yogurt. Keep going until your bowl is filled, and decorate with mint leaves or just with fresh sugared berries. Impressive and tastes amazing, so you will love it! Here is another fantastic option that uses chocolate cake instead of pound cake or regular cake: click right here

My second idea is not for the faint of heart....or for anyone who has a hard time resisting the combination of Peanut Butter and Chocolate. This one is a relatively new idea on our table, but it is so incredibly simple to make that I couldn't resist adding this to the summer dessert list.

Feast your eyes on the Chocolate-PB Refrigerator Cake:

click here for recipe

Yep. 

3 ingredients. 

And the longer it sits the easier it is to cut. 

So make it up the night before and serve it for dinner the following evening.

Click on the link below the pic to go straight to the recipe.

 Since earlier this week was National Peaches and Cream Day, and one of my very favorite pages on FB posted this simple but AMAZING recipe for  Peaches and Cream Pops, I knew I had to share it with my lovely readers. So easy, and SO delicious. Ours were gone within a couple hours, as the color is SO appealing to children, and seriously, I only have 8 popsicle molds. And three children.

Do the math. :)

http://www.facebook.com/SweetHeatChefs

 Peaches and Cream Pops

Ingredients
1/2 cup peeled, chopped fresh California peaches
1/3 cup peeled, pureed fresh California peaches
2/3 cup vanilla yogurt
Preparation
Lightly swirl all ingredients together in small bowl.

* Spoon into 4 Popsicle molds and insert handle. Freeze at least 4 hours.
Preparation Time
10 minutes

Chill Time
Freeze time: At least 4 hours
Makes 4 pops

*For extra sweet pops, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of honey to yogurt before swirling.

My fourth Simply Satisfying idea is a simple Fruit Pizza.

Just the colors on this are so refreshing and beautiful, arent they?

A simple shortbread crust, sweetened cream cheese,

 and sliced fruit make for

a gorgeous dessert that anyone would be proud to serve their company.

Now, in our house it would never look like that because everyone would insist on helping, and I would be hard-pressed to make sure that the sliced fruit actually went ON the crust,

but for those of you in a different stage of life, 

this is a beautiful, simple, cool summer idea.

Click on the link below the picture to be taken to the totally awesome site that came up with this idea and took pictures of it.

http://pinchofyum.com/fruit-pizza

Finally, what summer dessert buffet would be complete without an amazing recipe and picture of simple No-Bake Cheesecake?

I have used this recipe for many years, and top it with berries, or chocolate and PB cups,

 pecans and caramel sauce...the varieties are endless.

The link below takes you straight to Martha Stewart's simple recipe on her site, which is almost like eating a treat because there are so many beautiful things there for those of us who love simple, classic beauty!

http://www.marthastewart.com/858246/no-bake-cheesecake

I hope this inspires you to choose one and serve it up to the family later today. All of these take only a few minutes to make, and just time to sit and chill. Some are as simple as making a batch of Jello, while that is something kids love, often can be something that gets old for adults who like an occasional dessert with a meal.

I hope you have a wonderful Monday, and be sure to check back tomorrow as we are going to be having our very first Too-Much-Fun Tuesday, with great ideas and fun recipes for those kids and grandkids in your life!

Many Blessings to you and yours, 

Heather

Linked up to: many of the blogs on my blog roll to the left, and A Wise Woman Builds Her Home Blog