Pretzel Berry Jell-O Salad

This is my own version of the Pretzel Jell-O Salad.  It can be served as a side-dish or dessert; it's THAT good! ;)

2 1/2 - 3 cups crushed pretzels (I like to lean closer to 3)

3 tsp sugar (no more, Kalli!)

3/4 cup melted butter

Mix those in a bowl and then pour it into a 9x13 dish (I spray mine with a little Pam so it doesn't stick.) Spread it around and pack it in the bottom. Then let it cool.

1 - 8oz. pkg Cream Cheese

1 cup sugar

1 - 12oz. container Cool Whip

Whip cream cheese and sugar together, then fold in the Cool Whip. If the pretzels are cool, then pour this on the top of the pretzels and spread out evenly to the edge of the pretzel crust making sure the pretzels are completely covered. Then cover and set aside in refrigerator.

1 - 6oz. box or 2 - 3oz. boxes Cherry (or black cherry) Jell-O

2 cups boiling hot water (I think I added twice that amount last time and that's why it was soupy...)

1/2 - 1 Lg. can crushed pineapple, drained  

1 - 2 cups Costco's frozen mixed berries (blueberries, raspberries, & blackberries)

(sorry, I don't usually measure the pineapple and berries)

Stir and dissolve Jell-O in boiling water, then add pineapple and mixed berries. Mix again and then cover and let sit in the fridge for about 30 min or until it just starts to set up .

Pour thickened (mostly set-up) Jell-O on top of cream cheese mixture and spread evenly.  Then cover and return to fridge until fully set-up.  Mmmm!!!! SO GOOD!!!

Fresh Tomato Sauce

1/3 c. olive oil (I only use about 2 Tbsp)
2 lbs roma tomatoes peeled, seeded, and cut into large dice
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2-1 tsp. salt (to taste)
1/4 tsp. red pepper flakes (or to taste)
15 fresh basil leaves
2 Tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

To peel tomatoes, bring a large pot of water to boiling.  Cut a shallow X in the bottom of each tomato.  Place them in the boiling water for about a minute.  Remove the tomatoes and place in a bowl of ice water.  The skins should peel off easily.

Heat oil over medium heat in a medium sauce pan.  Add garlic and red pepper flakes.  Saute for a few minutes.  Don't let it burn.  Add the tomatoes and salt.  Bring to a low boil.  Reduce heat to medium low, cover with a lid, but leave it ajar.  Simmer for 30 minutes.  Remove from heat, chop basil and parsley and add to the sauce.

This sauce is good for pasta, pizza, or dipping.  It can turn out too watery if using the wrong type of tomato.  Sometimes I drain the sauce a little if that happens.

Cherry Squares

(I'm posting this for Mom since she hasn't figured out Blogspot yet.)


This Cherry Square Recipe was originally from a friend of Grandma Joyce's- Maxine Taylor. At the time, she measured her cherries into a Tupperware Bowl (the melon colored one)... I figured out that it is about

    8 Cups of rinsed and pitted pie cherries in a large glass bowl  

    2 Cups of Sugar

    2 Tbs. Tapioca

    1/2 tsp. Almond Extract (you can wait till just before you put the filling in the crust to add
                                           the extract)

    Combine these and set aside for 2 hours, stir occasionally.

    Put pie pastry on the bottom and sides of a Large Cookie Sheet- try to make sure and cover the entire pan with one piece, otherwise it will leak and stick to the pan. Leave a small amount of pastry dough along each edge so that you will have something to attach the top to. Before putting the top on, brush a little water along the edge so it will stick together.

    Fill with the cherry filling that has been sitting, then place the top pastry sheet on and press to make sure it is sealed. Trim and finish as desired. Cut small slits in the top to allow steam out. You can brush the top with a beaten egg or cream, but it is going to be covered with icing, so it is not necessary.

    Bake at 375 or 400 degrees for about 30 to 35 minutes.  Cool and Glaze.

    The Pastry Recipe that I like best is the one in the Better Homes and Gardens Cook Book:

Plain Pastry

5 Cups of All purpose Flour (I used 2 cups of Self Rising Flour and 3 cups regular and it
                                              made the crust lighter.)

2 1/2 tsp. Salt

1 2/3 Cups Butter Flavored Shortening

18 Tbs. Cold Water*

3 Tbs. Vinegar

Put the water and vinegar in a cup and add two or three ice cubes, let it sit and get cold.

   Combine Flour and salt in a mixing bowl then add the shortening and cut in with a pastry blender till shortening is the size of small peas. Sprinkle a small amount of cold water/vinegar mixture into the flour and toss with a fork, continue until the flour is incorporated, but not too wet. You don't have to use all the water if it starts to get sticky. Form into two balls, one for the bottom crust and one for the top. Roll out to needed size, roll onto rolling pin then gently unroll onto the pan.  Make any patches that are needed, fill and then place top crust on and seal....  Voila!

    After the cherry square is cooled, make a glaze of 2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup butter and 1/4 cup milk.  I warm this up a little in the microwave then stir into powdered sugar adding about 1/2 tsp. vanilla. Stir till smooth and spread over the top of the squares...

*In case anyone was wondering, 18 tablespoons is 1 cup + 2 tablespoons

FAVORITE Spaghetti Sauce and Meatballs Recipe

I begged to get this recipe from our good friend, Kristie, after she fed it to us last winter.  It's delicious!  Sometimes I will just make the spaghetti sauce and double the recipe.  Then we put the rest into the freezer (using smaller containers so we only have to thaw out one at a time).

Meatballs:

1 ½ cups torn up French bread—I like a lot, and big chunks make the meatballs yummy.  French bread is the best, too, don’t use sandwich bread. 

1/4 cup milk

1 ½ lbs. ground beef (lean or extra)

2 eggs

1/3 cup chopped fresh parsley (I usually use dried—about 2-3 T.)

3 T. grated Parmesan cheese

2 cloves garlic

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Sauce:

2 T. olive oil

1/2  yellow onion—chopped

2 cloves garlic

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes

1/2 cup red cooking wine

1/4 cup water

1/2 tsp salt

1/8 tsp pepper

1 tsp dried flaked oregano, and some dried basil

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine bread and milk, and let sit for  a minute.  Add all other ingredients and form into balls—whatever size you like.  Brown the meatballs in a large deep skillet in about 1-2 T. olive oil. Remove from pan, but don’t drain pan.

In same saucepan, add oil and onion to pan drippings, and sauté until soft.  Add garlic and sauté for a minute, then add remaining ingredients.  Bring to a simmer, and add meat balls.  Cover, reduce heat to low, and cook 45 min. 

Cook 1 pound spaghetti—serve—yum!

The most delicious BANANA CAKE you'll ever taste

I think this must be one of my top 5 desserts ever.  One of my visiting teachers brought us some of this cake in cupcake form after I had Blake and this cake plus brand new baby was pretty much pure bliss :).  
The name Banana cake just doesn't do this cake justice......it's NOTHING like banana bread......I mean, I like banana bread, but this is a heavenly transcendent cake that just gets better after it sits for a day in your fridge. the flavors meld and become even more delicious if that's possible.  
Warning: this recipe makes a TON so you might want to invite people over for dinner so they can help you eat it *Me* preferably ;). Also, I used about every bowl and measuring cup in my kitchen making this. 

Banana Cake

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups bananas, mashed, ripe
• 2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 3 cups flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter, softened
• 2 1/8 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) packages Cream Cheese, softened
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 3 1/2 cups icing sugar

Garnish

• chopped walnuts

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 275°.
2. Grease and flour a 9 x 13 pan.
3. In a small bowl, mix mashed banana with the lemon juice; set aside.
4. In a medium bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt; set aside.
5. In a large bowl, cream 3/4 cup butter and 2 1/8 cups sugar until light and fluffy.
6. Beat in eggs, one at a time, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla.
7. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk.
8. Stir in banana mixture.
9. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake in preheated oven for one hour or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
10. Remove from oven and place directly into the freezer for 45 minutes. This will make the cake very moist.
11. For the frosting, cream the butter and cream cheese until smooth.
12. Beat in 1 teaspoon vanilla.
13. Add icing sugar and beat on low speed until combined, then on high speed until frosting is smooth.
14. Spread on cooled cake.
15. Sprinkle chopped walnuts over top of the frosting, if desired.

Homemade Syrup for Pancakes and Waffles

2 cups granulated sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar
2 Tablespoons honey
1 1/4 cup water
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon maple extract

In a small saucepan, combine all the ingredients except the extracts.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat, cover the pan with a lid, and simmer for 15 minutes.  Do not stir while simmering.  Remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes.  Stir in the vanilla and maple extract.  Store in the fridge. 

Chewy No-Bake Granola Bars

Store these bars individually wrapped and they are great to pack in lunchboxes or for a snack on the go.

adapted from mykitchenescapades.com

2 cups rolled oats
1 cup puffed brown rice cereal (can find near the bagged cereal at Walmart for $1)
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons creamy peanut butter (optional, but makes the bars softer and chewier)
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
your choice of mix-ins

Pulse the oats and coconut in a blender or food processor until chopped into smaller pieces.  In a large mixing bowl stir together the oats, rice cereal, and coconut.  In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the honey, brown sugar, and salt.  Stir, then allow it to come to a boil without stirring.  Let boil for 2 minutes 15 seconds (start timing when bubbling occurs around the entire edge of the pan).  Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and peanut butter, if using.

Pour the butter and sugar/honey mixture over the oats.  Mix well until everything is completely coated.  Add in your mix-ins and press firmly into a lightly greased pan (I used a 7 1/2x11" pan).  Put the bars in the fridge to cool, about 20-30 minutes, before cutting.

The mix-ins I used were: 2 Tablespoons ground flax seed, 3 Tablespoons hemp seeds, 1/3 cup dried cranberries, chopped, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon mixed in with the dry ingredients, and 3 Tablespoons mini chocolate chips sprinkled on top.  (I froze the mini chocolate chips so they wouldn't melt while pressing them into the bars.)  I store these individually wrapped in plastic in the freezer. 

The following mix-ins come straight from mykitchenescapades.com:

Chocolate Chip
Add 1/2 C of mini chocolate chips to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it cool just a bit or you will end up with melted chips.  Sprinkle on a few extra chips over the top after they are pressed into the pan.
White Chocolate Cranberry
Add 1/3 C of white chocolate chips and 1/3 C of Craisins to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan, allowing it to cool just a bit first or you will end up with melted chips.
Candy Bar
Add 1/3 C of Heath bar pieces, 1/3 C of mini M&M's and 1/3 C of chopped pretzels to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.
Peanut Butter
Add 2 Tablespoons of peanut butter (this is the same peanut butter from the ingredients list, don't add more) to the finished sugar mixture before pouring it over the oats.  Once mixed with the oats, add 1/2 C peanut butter chips before pressing into the pan.
Raisin Nut
Add 1/3 C of chopped raisins and 1/3 C of chopped pecans to the finished mixture before pressing into the pan.