Cuban Marinated Shrimp

We love shrimp here, but don't buy it very often because of the expense. I decided to splurge and buy some raw shrimp for a tasty dish. I marinated them overnight in orange juice, lime juice, and spices. It's super easy and yummy.

This marinade is also great for pork and chicken.

Ingredients:

3 tablespoons orange juice
3 tablespoons lime juice
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon pepper


Directions:

Whisk together until well mixed. 

I take my marinade and pour it into a gallon Ziploc bag and then add the meat. Make sure the bag is sealed tightly and place it in the fridge for a minimum of 6 hours, turning the bag every 2 hours or so to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed. (It's better to let it marinate over night).

For the shrimp I made, I soaked some bamboo skewers in water. Then I added about 6 shrimp onto each skewer. 

My grill is out of commission, so I broiled these in the oven. I think the grill adds a nice smoky flavor that goes really well with this marinade. 

Chocolate Quadraphonic Delight

Four, yes... four layers of yummy chocolaty goodness coming at you! My mom has been making this recipe for years with a homemade pecan sandie cookie type crust. Around here, we love chocolate so I figured why not make this with an Oreo crust. That'd be awesome!

Now I know I normally post a pic of the finished item, but this one turned out kinda ugly. I did a bad thing and didn't let my Cool Whip thaw completely and then, I stirred it. You should never, ever stir partially thawed Cool Whip. It does something bad to the Cool Whip and makes it get runny. Learn from my mistakes people and thaw your Cool Whip in the fridge ahead of time (like it says on the container).

Anyways, the dessert still tasted awesome. Just didn't look so pretty.

Ingredients:

1 package Oreos, crushed up
6 Tbs butter, melted
8 oz cream cheese, room temp
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 Tbs milk
12 oz tub of Cool Whip
2 packages chocolate pudding
3 1/4 cup milk

1. Crush your Oreos. I used the food processor, but you can put them in a Ziploc bag and crush them with a rolling pin.
2. Melt your butter. Combine the butter and crushed cookies. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 pan.
3. Combine the cream cheese, powdered sugar, 2 Tbs milk, and 1/3 of the Cool Whip. Beat with a mixer until light and fluffy. Spread over the crust. Place in the fridge to chill.
4. Make the pudding using the 3 1/4 cup milk (yes, this is less than the package calls for). Let thicken for 5 minutes or so.
5. Spread the pudding over the cream cheese layer. Place dish back in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes to let pudding set.
6. Spread the remaining Cool Whip over the top. Cover and chill.

I've found it's best to make this the day ahead of time. You can cut everything in half to make a 8x8 dish if desired.