Smartgirl Bakes

"Hospitality is making your guests feel at home, even if you wish they were."


Don't be deceived by the quote above... I have loved having so many house guests this summer.  Every weekend it feels like we are preparing for someone to come visit us in AZ, or to go on a trip somewhere else and it's great.

Even though it can get a bit stressful with the obsessive cleaning required and other things, I love being busy and ESPECIALLY love being able to cook for new people.

This past week my bf's parents came to visit from MO.  We also had some celebrities in our home; my bf's sister and brother-in-law came to visit from CA, and they were on the Marriage Ref this season!

Click here to check them out on the NBC website.

We ended up having a really good time hanging around town, visiting Sedona for a day to swim and sight-see, and getting burnt to a crisp while tubing on the Salt River.

The icing on the cake, so to speak, was that they all liked (or at least claimed to like) everything I cooked for them.

I'm not going to share all of my nearest and dearest recipes right away, but these are the menus I prepared.

Overboard?  Maybe.

#1
Roasted lemon chicken
Garlic mashed potatoes
Peas
Cheddar scallion mini cupcakes

#2
Quattro formaggi agnolotti w/ homemade alfredo sauce
Green bean, tomato, mozzarella salad
French baguette w/ homemade dipping oil

Random
Buffalo chicken dip (my bf's fav)
Strawberry italian ice
Strawberry popsicles
Frozen hot chocolate
Oatmeal chocolate chip cookies
Butterfinger cookies
Strawberries dipped in chocolate and filled with sweet whipped cream


What I will share is the amazing (and simple) recipe for Frozen Hot Chocolate which I found in the latest issue of Woman's Day magazine and adapted slightly. 

I had experienced Frozen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity for the first time while in Vegas for my 21st birthday and absolutely loved it, so I was thrilled to find a recipe that tastes almost as good- I don't think anything beats Serendipity!


Topped with homemade whipped cream and possibly some chocolate shavings, this frozen treat is AMAZING!

Frozen Hot Chocolate

Adapted from Woman's Day Magazine

Ingredients


1⁄2 cup chocolate syrup

1 cup fat-free evaporated milk

1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 teaspoon sugar

3 cups ice cubes


Preparation

1. Combine chocolate syrup, evaporated milk, vanilla, sugar and ice in a blender until smooth.

2. Pour into glasses. Garnish with a dollop of whipped topping and/or a sprinkling of chocolate shavings if desired