Summertime Strawberry Icebox Cake

Summer is officially here!!!  

Our family is so happy about that.

This is the season iconic for it's hot, humid days filled with sunshine and muggy nights lit by stars and twinkling fireflies!

Relaxed schedules with easy-going mornings begin the day and late nights outside with later bed times for kids and parents alike!

Swimming, beach towels, popsicles, the scent of coconut, lemonade, watermelon, baseball, the county fair, and the drive-in movies make their way into our lives like a brand new dress we can't wait to try on!!

The itch for vacation, staycations, long weekends, and road trips, finally come to fruition as we've waited through to the end of the school year.

 

The food gets a little bit lighter, fresher, and healthier as farmer's markets come alive and family gardens over flow with tomatoes and other delectable vegetables and fruit.

Although we love tradition and look forward to the season's favorites, summer seems to whisper, change.  

We are ready to try a new or the latest ... Haircut, paint color, polish color, bathing suites, book series, and recipes!

Speaking of food, this no-bake dessert is a true taste of fresh summer fare!  Strawberries, whipped cream, and graham crackers are layered up and topped with a drizzle of chocolate before getting comfy together in the fridge.  This is a very easy dessert to make, because you basically just layer everything up and it requires no oven.  The texture is obviously different than a regular cake, but more like a pie or trifle.  Best of all, it's really delicious!!  Refreshing strawberries, creamy whipped cream, sweet graham crackers that become soft and of course chocolate that's always a good match with... Anything! 

My family raved over this one and seconds may have been had. :)

Strawberry Icebox Cake with Chocolate Drizzle

Original recipe from: The Actors Diet

1 box graham crackers

2 lbs. strawberries

2 containers Cool Whip or *homemade whipped cream* 

1 c. Bittersweet chocolate chips or 1 bar of chocolate, melted (I used Ghirardelli)

Homemade Whipped Cream (if using):

With a mixer, beat a quart of cold heavy whipping cream with about 1 T. Sugar and 1 t. pure vanilla extract until you achieve a firm whipped cream.  Please don't make butter, just watch it. :) Set this aside until ready to assemble.

Get out a 9x13 inch dish.

Slice the strawberries.  

Spread a layer of whipped cream on the bottom of the dish, next a layer of graham crackers; then more whipped cream, strawberries, and so on with the layers so you end with strawberries on the top.  Drizzle on the melted chocolate all over. 

Refrigerate for 4-12 hours. 

Eat up soon, but that's the really easy part!

**The original recipe calls for Cool Whip, but I whipped homemade cream.  This way it tastes best to be eaten over the next 12 hours or so after assembling, but it's oh-so good.  Also, I didn't have to use quite an entire box of crackers.  Lastly, use whatever kind of chocolate is your favorite, to drizzle over top.  (You can't go wrong with chocolate.)