Fluffy Fruit Salad

Posted on December 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Fluffy Fruit Salad

I love this!  It’s not great for my blood sugar levels but a little of it doesn’t hurt 😉

Ingredients:

  • 2 large cans of fruit cocktail
  • 2 small cans of Mandarin oranges
  • 2 tubs of Cool Whip
  • 1 package of banana pudding mix (I had Dr. Oetker on hand)
  • 1 package of vanilla pudding mix

Mix the Cool Whip and pudding mixes together until well blended. Drain fruit cocktail and Mandarin oranges and add to the Cool Whip mixture. Coat well. This makes a lot.  Mmmmm it’s so good!  Next time instead of using vanilla, I’ll see how it is with chocolate pudding mix 🙂

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Posted in Desserts, Recipes

Nanny’s Chocolate Icing

Posted on December 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Nanny’s Chocolate Icing

I originally had this with Nanny’s Chocolate Cake recipe but have decided to give it its own post.

Ingredients:

  • 1/2 c whipping cream
  • 2 tbsp cocoa
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together. Let stand in fridge for 1/2 hour. Beat until stiff and pile onto cake.

 

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Posted in Desserts, Recipes

Nanny’s Cream Cheese Icing

Posted on December 26, 2014 | Comments Off on Nanny’s Cream Cheese Icing

I originally had this in Nanny’s Carrot Cake recipe and decided to give it its own post.

Ingredients:

  • 4 ounces cream cheese
  • 2 tbsp margarine
  • 2 c icing sugar (I would just use Splenda)
  • 1 tsp vanilla

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients together until smooth. Spread onto a cooled cake.

 

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Posted in Desserts, Recipes

Things to remember for next year – flowers

Posted on August 2, 2014 | Comments Off on Things to remember for next year – flowers

Begonias do very well in pots at trees

Don’t bother planting sunflower seeds early, plant directly in ground

Plant wild flowers in flats

Buy bulbs and seeds early

  • Glads
  • Dahlias?
  • Hollyhocks
  • Orange lillies

 

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Posted in Gardening

Things to remember for next year – fruit & veggies

Posted on August 2, 2014 | Comments Off on Things to remember for next year – fruit & veggies

Corn – plant peas with it

Plant Superior potatoes near strawberries

If we want green onion from seed, they must be started in flats in advance

Buy pepper plants

Get fruit trees in

Veggies:

  • Tomatoes (get 2 or 3 cherry tomato plants early so they’ll produce early)
  • Green peppers
  • Red peppers
  • Cukes
  • Corn
  • Peas
  • Green/yellow beans
  • Lettuce
  • Spinach
  • Yellow onion
  • Red onions
  • Green onions
  • Potatoes
  • Beets
  • Radishes
  • Celery
  • Carrots
  • Pumpkin
  • Spaghetti squash
  • Winter squash
  • Herbs:
    • Dill
    • Thyme
    • Rosemary
    • Chives

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Posted in Gardening

Easy Nutella Brownies

Posted on August 21, 2012 | Comments Off on Easy Nutella Brownies

I’m going to make these this weekend and Brad will be the guinea pig 😉  Oh woe is him!  hehehehehe  I will be modifying it so that it’s a pan of brownies rather than individual ones.  They’ll be so easy to make.  This recipe calls for 1 c Nutella, I’m going to try 3/4 c Nutella and 1/4 c peanut butter.  Mmmm should be good!

Ingredients:

  • 1 cup nutella
  • 2 eggs
  • 10 Tb all purpose flour (or 1/2 cup plus 2 Tb)
  • 1/4 tsp salt (optional)
  • 1/4 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a regular (not a mini) 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Mix together eggs and Nutella in a medium bowl until smooth. Add in flour and mix until just combined. Evenly spread into prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle each with a few chocolate chips, if desired. Bake 12 minutes

Notes:

If you microwave the Nutella for a few seconds, it will soften it and allow for easier mixing.

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Posted in Desserts, Recipes

Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Posted on January 28, 2012 | Comments Off on Orange Creamsicle Smoothie

Carolyn posted this on Facebook and it just seemed so good, I had to put it up here.  Mmmm I loved creamsicles…  She made it (I haven’t yet) and said it was good but not very “orangy”.  Maybe a little more orange juice and and a little less milk would change that.  Anyhow, here’s how she made it.

Ingredients:

  • 1 c. Soy Milk
  • 1 c. Orange Juice
  • 1 c. Frozen Pineapple
  • 1 c. Frozen Apples
  • 1/2 c. Frozen Lemon wedges
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth and drink cold.

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Posted in Drinks

Beet Cake

Posted on December 26, 2011 | Comments Off on Beet Cake

A friend of mine saw this recipe and thought of me since I had been talking about beets so often lately.  I bet it’s good since a lot of veggies make good desserts like potato donuts, zucchini muffins, carrot cake…  The original is at http://www.food.com/recipe/dont-knock-it-until-you-try-it-beet-cake-63346 but since links change and no longer are valid, I’m keeping it here so I can find it when it comes time to make it.

Ingredients:

  • 4 eggs
  • 2 cups sugar
  • 1 cup vegetable oil
  • 2 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 3 cups shredded fresh beets
  • 1 cup chopped walnuts

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 °, grease and flour 13×9 baking pan. Beat eggs, sugar and oil until light and fluffy. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to egg mixture and mix well. Add vanilla, beets and walnuts.Beat for 1 minute on medium speed.Pour into pan, bake for 45 minutes, or until a a pick comes out clean.

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Posted in Desserts

Easiest Chicken Pot Pie

Posted on December 25, 2011 | Comments Off on Easiest Chicken Pot Pie

I got this recipe from the Cook With Campbell’s web site, but made a couple of modifications to it.  It really is super easy and probably the most time consuming part of it is cutting the chicken up. I didn’t have time to make a roux, but this was a very tasty alternative.  I made this for Christmas eve dinner with 7 other people and it got rave reviews.

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 cup cooked cubed or shredded chicken
  • 2 cup frozen mixed vegetables
  • 1 can cream of chicken soup (use reduced-sodium if you can get it)
  • 1/3 tsp garlic powder
  • 1/3 tsp onion powder
  • 1 pie shell
  • 1 thawed roll of butter puff pastry

 

Preparation:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a mixing bowl.  Transfer ingredients from bowl to the pie shell.  Unroll the butter puff pastry and place on top of the pie shell.  Remove excess puff pastry from the edges and pinch against the pie shell.  Make a small hole the size of a quarter in the middle to let it vent.  Bake at 400 for 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven) until the bottom and top pastry is cooked.

Optional:  To get a golden top on the puff pastry, brush an egg wash on it, but it’s really not necessary.  It will still turn a golden brown on the edges a bit and taste as good.

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Posted in Main Course, Sides and Sandwiches

Ranjiv’s Grandparents Beet Salad

Posted on December 8, 2011 | Comments Off on Ranjiv’s Grandparents Beet Salad

Ranjiv’s grandparents would always make this when they cooked fish.  His tip for removing the beet’s skin:  boil the beets with the skin on….  After boiled, let cool and just sqeeze the beet in your hand and the skin will just slide off.

Ingredients:

  • Finely sliced green onions or chives
  • Beets
  • Salt
  • Pepper
  • Pinch of sugar, vinegar, caraway seeds, olive oil
  • Small spoon of horseradish

Preparation:

Boil beets, let cool, grate on coarse side of box grater, add salt/pepper/pinch of sugar/vinegar/caraway seeds/olive oil/onions or chives and a wee spoon of horseradish…  Mix and let sit for a while.

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Posted in Salads, Dressings, Sauces, and Spice Mixes