Melt by amr

FLASHBACK: Tis the season for pool parties and I thought about some great pictures I hadn't posted from Max's 4th birthday clear back in March. Although it was cool in UT, it was HOT in Palm Springs and fortunately for Max his birthday happen to fall during Spring Break so we were able to have a pool party. We had a lot of fun creating a tropical theme for his birthday and the menu fell right in place. Chicken teriyaki sandwiches, fresh fruit and veggies, and sand cake. I wish I had more summer birthdays in my family because of the simple ease and summer fun of having an outdoor party.

The recipes are simple and are as follows:

Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich:
One Grilled and Marinated chicken breast (your choice of teriyaki sauce)
One slice of swiss cheese (place this on chicken breast and grill for the last minute or so to let it get melty)
One grilled pineapple slice
BBQ Sauce
Perfect artisan bun

Real Simple Sand Cake: (in my humble opinion, best sand cake recipe ever)

1 12-ounce box Nilla Wafers 1 8-ounce container Cool Whip
2 3-ounce packages cream cheese, softened
1 4-ounce package vanilla or chocolate instant pudding mix
1 1/2 cups milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Make the "sand" by crushing the Nilla Wafers with a potato masher or in a food processor. With a mixer, combine the Cool Whip, cream cheese, pudding mix, milk, and vanilla. Layer a fifth of the crumbs in the bottom of a large, clean sand pail. Top with a third of the pudding mixture, then a layer of crumbs. Continue layering, ending with crumbs. Cover and refrigerate at least 30 minutes.

Yield: Serves 6 to 8

-amr