Berry-Chocolate Fools (Strawberries & Creme)

I love this as a sweet, light, cool summer desert.

Toss 1 quart quartered strawberries with 2 tablespoons granulated sugar (or agava sweetener) in a bowl, return to refrigerator. In a separate bowl, beat 1 cup heavy cream with 2 tablespoons confectioners' sugar until soft peaks form. Optional: Mealt 3 ounces finely chopped semisweet (or dark) chocolate in the microwave and cool slightly. Fold into the whipped chream. Layer the berries in a glass. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

The dark chocolate is option, since if your family is like our's the dog will hijack the chocolate (and eat the entire bar) before you get a chance to put it in your berries and cream. Don't worry, we called the vet and the dog ended up being fine.

Thespian Cake

Yes, THESPIAN, not lesbian, as some men in my family like to refer to this recipe. So, one time in high school, we hosted this huge convention, which means our mom's got to provide dessert one night. Everyone had to make the same thing, and here is what it was.

1 Yellow Cake Mix (cook as directed)
1 can crushed pineapple
1 can eagle brand milk
1 container coolwhip

While cake is still warm, poke holes in the top. Now, my brother, being the bright thing he is, did this once and used his finger. Not smart. So, I will revise the directions to say, poke with something that is not your finger.  Pour eagle brand milk over top, then top with pineapples (juice, too.) Refrigerate, then add cool whip when you are ready to serve. Yum!

Weekly Challenge- Dessert Again!

Ok, so with this dessert challenge, I want you to give us a recipe with fruit.

Pea Picking Cake

This is my all time favorite cake. My grandmother always made it at family gatherings, and it was something I always looked forward to. When I moved far enough away that I wouldn't be able to attend many of those gatherings, I asked for copies of some of her recipes, so she let me borrow her ancient tin box full of her favorites. I found that she had clipped this recipe from a newspaper forever ago. It has ingredients that are very common to me but that probably were really special and novel in my grandmother's day.
In recent years, I have seen other versions of this cake by other names, so it may seem familiar. I'm giving it to you the way I always had it, but add coconut and/or pecans as you like, make it into cupcakes, or call it whatever you want! Either way, I hope you treasure it the way I always have!

I pulled this image off another site. You may notice nuts and coconut. They are not in my recipe, but you can add them if you like! I'd toast them both, but that's just my preference. I make it without anyway.

Pea Picking Cake (Grandma calls it Pea Picker Cake)

For the Cake:
1 yellow cake mix
1 stick margarine
4 eggs
1 (11oz) can mandarin oranges, with juices

Preheat oven to 325, and grease and flower 3 9-inch cake pans.
Mix together the cake ingredients until smooth (about 3 minutes w/an electric mixer), pour evenly into pans, and bake 25-30 minutes.
Remove cake from pans when cool enough to handle and allow to cool all the way before frosting.

For the Frosting:

1 (8oz) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
1 (15oz) can crushed pineapple, with juices
1 (3.4 oz) box instant vanilla pudding mix

Mix pudding and pineapple and juice together in a small bowl, then fold in whipped topping. Spread between and around cooled cake layers.
Refrigerate cake until serving.

Sock It To Me Cake

This is my fiance's favorite cake (and he doesn't really like cake, so it's a winner). Plus it's a bonafide Southern dish.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/neelys/mama-neelys-sock-it-to-me-cake-recipe/index.html

Delicious! I usually make it in a bundt pan for the looks of it.

Gooey Butter Cake

So easy, so good, so fattening. Oh, and it is better the second day.

 

Ingredients

• 1 (18.25 ounce) package yellow cake mix
• 4 eggs
• 1 cup butter
• 2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 8 ounces cream cheese

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Butter one 9x13 inch cake pan.
2. Melt the butter slightly. Mix it with 2 of the eggs and cake mix. Pour batter into prepared pan. Mix the remaining 2 eggs with the cream cheese, and the confectioner's sugar. Pour this mixture evenly over the first mixture. Do not stir.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 45 minutes.

Weekly Challenge...Dessert

Ok, for this challenge, I am going to choose my favorite part of the meal. Dessert! And, not just dessert, but CAKE. So, what is your favorite cake??

Also, feel free to go in and add weekly challenges (just use the post options to set it to publish for the next available week.) What have you been wanting to get new recipes for?

Homesteader Cornbread

I'm going to cheat, because I've already used one of my two crockpot recipes and the other is chili, which is *not* a summer recipe.

However, one does generally want some sort of bread to soak up the decliciousness of a crockpot meal, so here's a tasty cornbread recipe. To me, it's got just the perfect amount of sweet. I could just eat the bread, actually....

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups cornmeal
2 1/2 cups milk
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup vegetable oil

1.Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In a small bowl, combine cornmeal and milk; let stand for 5 minutes. Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.
2.In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Mix in the cornmeal mixture, eggs and oil until smooth. Pour batter into prepared pan.
3.Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Creamy Crock Pot Chicken AKA Bag of Puke

I missed last week's pantry meal, but it turns out that my crock pot go-to is also my pantry meal go-to. So, here we go.
My kids call this Bag of Puke when we have it because I once took it in a gallon sized freezer bag to a friend's house and said to her, "I know this looks like a bag of puke, but it's my kids' favorite meal."
I randomly found this a couple years ago when I was searching for meals I could make ahead and freeze, and it was an instant hit that I've shared with lots and lots of other families. So, it goes without saying now that you can make this ahead and freeze it, right?
Rather than type it out, I'm just going to give you the link. You'll notice it is a very popular recipe, and I promise it is better to eat than to look at. You can leave the chicken big, cut into chunks, shred it, eat it over rice, in tortillas, or make it your own!

http://www.food.com/recipe/crock-pot-chicken-w-black-beans-and-cream-cheese-yum-89204

p.s. I don't actually own a crockpot. I make this in a heavy pot on the stove top over med/low heat with the lid on. Works like a charm, and dinner is done in under an hour!

Weekly Challenge: Crock Pot

I want to hear your favorite summer crock pot recipes! It seems like often crock pot recipes are associtaed with heavy, hearty meals, but they don't have to be! They are a great way to cook in the summer so that you don't have the oven on, plus you have the added bonus of being able to throw something in first thing in the morning, play all day, then come home to dinner. Ready, GO!