No-Bake Memorial Day Desserts with Mariano’s

Last night, I was headed to Chicago to pick my boyfriend up from the airport and his flight was delayed. Seeing as I was in the area, I decided to drop by the new Mariano’s in Harwood Heights and do some grocery shopping. I’m planning a small Memorial Day bash next weekend and I wanted to pick up some fresh strawberries, blueberries, and other produce to test out some recipe ideas.

As usual the selection at Mariano’s was amazing. I cannot say enough good things about Mariano’s. It’s so much more than a grocery store. I look forward to shopping there and taking my family there. It should be noted: I have NEVER looked forward to taking my toddlers into a grocery store. Ever. 

But Mariano’s is different. The employees and even the customers are always super friendly and the store offers a variety of things in addition to just groceries. Like the Vero Gelato, the fresh soup and salad bars, the sushi bar, the amazing selection of hot foods, and let’s not forget the bakery. Sweet baby cheez-it’s… the bakery. It’s something to behold.

As a baker of sorts, I can seriously appreciate the quality of baked goods that Mariano’s offers. And as a human being with two functioning eye balls, I can appreciate the magnificence of the store as a whole. And as a mommy on a budget, I can appreciate the fair prices and I always make sure to use my Mariano’s Rewards Card when I shop. I literally never leave home without it. 🙂

Now, I know you want to see more pictures from my fabulous trip to Mariano’s, so check out my Google+ story.

What’s that old saying… Be careful what you wish for? Well I was wishing for the winter to leave and the sun to come join us a little more often. I got what I wanted. But now I don’t want it. I love whipping up fun desserts for holidays but I cannot stand to use my oven when it’s scorching outside. Yes, I consider 85 degrees scorching. My skin burns just thinking about it.

For this Memorial Day, I thought I would treat you guys with a few healthy, easy, and no-bake dessert ideas that will be a sure fire hit at your parties!

These American Flag fruit skewers are incredibly easy to make. And beyond that they have some serious eye appeal. These are perfect for celebrating Memorial Day. For those of you who may not know the meaning… Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died while serving in the United States Armed Forces. Which is why an American Flag is a perfect fit.

These adorable little parfait cups are perfect for a mess-free clean up. I just bought some small clear cups and a pack of bright red plastic spoons so that my guests could just toss out the cups when they finish their yummy treat. The cups have some store bought angel food cake as a layer but if you prefer pound cake you can definitely use that.

These cheesecake stuffed strawberries are definitely going to be a hit at your Memorial Day celebration. These little strawberries are stuffed with a cheesecake filling (you can usually find this near the cream cheese), I also used some milk chocolate cream cheese filling, and of course you can always use Nutella. Mmm Nutella… 🙂

Yum, indeed.

If you’re interested in new recipe ideas weekly I highly suggest you check out the Mariano’s Community page. If you’re lucky enough to have a Mariano’s in your neighborhood, make sure you stay up to date on everything they have going on by following them on Twitter and liking them on Facebook!

How do you plan on celebrating Memorial Day this year?

I know I’ll be shopping at #MyMarianos for my cook out!