Strawberry Pretzel Salad!

Pretzel Salad is an old southern favorite that you used to find at a lot of holiday meals or church potlucks.  I think we have forgotten about this yummy recipe a little in recent years though.  Maybe it's just in my family that we don't make it as much anymore.  I am not really sure why though, because most everyone loves it.

 It's actually not a salad, but more like a dessert that goes really well with the other holiday selections.  This recipe can also be lightened up quite a bit without sacrificing much of the flavor at all by using light cream cheese, light whipped topping and sugar free Jello..

Here is what you will need for this Pretzel Salad:

1 stick butter, melted
2 cups crushed pretzels
1 cup chopped pecans
3 Tbs. sugar
1 cup powdered sugar
1  8oz. pkg cream cheese, softened
1  8oz. frozen whipped cream
1 16 oz. box frozen strawberries
1 large strawberry flavored jello
2 cups boiling water
1 1/2 cups cold water

Spray a 9"x13" baking dish with nonstick spray.   Mix together butter, crushed pretzels, 3 Tbs. sugar and chopped pecans.  Press into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 10 minutes at 350 degrees.   Let cool.

Beat cream cheese and powdered sugar together and then beat in frozen whipped topping. 
Spread over the cooled crust.   Place in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Dissolve Jello in 2 cups bowling water,  add 1 1/2 cups of cold water and the strawberries.  Stir until it starts to slightly thicken.   Pour over the  cream cheese layer, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight until Jello sets completely. 

Serve cut in squares with a dollop of whipped cream on each piece. 







Strawberry Fruit Pizza!

Not long ago I worked in long term care for a couple of years.  Each month we would have a big birthday party celebration to honor all of the residents who had birthdays that month.  My mother and my Aunt Mary, were so kind to bake and donate all sorts of sweets...cakes, cookies, cupcakes and this fruit pizza, to serve at these parties.  Needless to say, the residents looked forward to these days and didn't fuss over their lunches too much on that day, because they were saving room for their sweet treats.  Anyone who has ever worked with the elderly knows if they won't eat anything else, you can usually get them to eat something sweet.   The staff looked forward to it about as much as they did also.  I have had several staff members say to me lately that they are dying for a piece of my mama's fruit pizza.  So I am posting this recipe for them! 

Here is what you'll need:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookies
1 8oz cream cheese (softened)
2 cups confectioners sugar
1 cup refrigerated whipped topping
1 tsp vanilla flavoring
1 (15 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (3 oz.) pkg. instant vanilla pudding
3-4 bananas
approximately 4 cups large strawberries, sliced
1 pkg. strawberry glaze

Leave the roll of cookies out of the refrigerator to soften a bit.  Spray a pizza pan with baking spray, then pat the roll of cookie dough on the pan to the edges.  Bake as directed on the package minus just a few minutes of cooking time...just until the cookies are starting to brown.  Remove from oven and cool completely. 

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese and confectioners sugar together, beat in the whipped topping, then add the vanilla and mix.  Spread this mixture over the cookie crust to the edges.

Next mix the pineapple (don't drain) with the instant pudding until well blended then spread over the cream cheese layer.  Slice the bananas and place in a single layer over the pineapple.  If you are making this ahead of time, you might want to squirt some lemon juice over the bananas to keep them from turning dark.  If you are serving  within a few hours, this isn't really necessary though.

Slice strawberries in half and arrange over the bananas with the large ones in the center and fanning out to the smaller ones on the outer edges.   Cut the end off of the strawberry glaze just enough to drizzles it over the whole thing starting in the middle and working your way out to the edges.  If you have a squeeze bottle, you can put the glaze in it and use it to squirt it on the pizza. Works beautifully!

Voila...strawberry fruit pizza! 

Strawberries and Cream Butter Cake!

This recipe is one I found in the Pillsbury 45th Annual Bake-Off Contest publication.  My husband loves strawberries and this is the time of year they are best, so I wanted to make him a really good strawberry dessert.  

 To be honest you can put fresh strawberries and whipped cream on those little round cakes you buy at the store (the ones they keep next to the strawberries) and he is happy as a clam.   However, I didn't think that was blog worthy...lol.  

This cake is best served warm from the oven, either by itself or with fresh strawberries, that have been sliced and macerated, which just means sweetened and refrigerated for a couple of hours to release their juices.  I just use plain ole sugar.  I see recipes for honey and liqueurs and such though. I still use plain ole sugar.

 If I got all fancy with it, my husband would say 'What's wrong with the strawberries?'   Some things need to be left alone...lol.  Add a  dollop of whipped cream and it is wonderful!   You can serve it as a coffee cake or breakfast/ brunch cake by itself and it is also really good.

Ingredients:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookies

1 cup softened butter (2 sticks)

3/4 cups sugar

3 eggs

3 tsp vanilla

2 1/4 cups flour

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/3 cup strawberry jam (or jelly)

fresh strawberries and whipped cream for topping

Here is what you need:

Roll of sugar cookies, can of sweetened condensed milk, eggs, strawberry jam (or jelly), flour, butter, sugar, and fresh strawberries and whipped cream for topping.

 

Leave the roll of cookie dough out on the counter for about 30 minutes to soften.  Spray a 9"x13" baking pan well with baking spray.  Press the cookies in the bottom of the pan.

Beat together the softened butter and the sugar until it is whipped and light.  Add the eggs and vanilla and beat. Using the low speed of your mixer, add in 1/3 flour, 1/3 condensed milk alternating and ending with flour.   Pour the batter over the cookie layer.

Drop the strawberry jam by teaspoonfuls over the batter and then drag a knife through it lightly to swirl.  You want it to stay on top so be gentle.  Place in a preheated 350 degree oven for about 45 to 50 minutes.  At 45 minutes test it with a toothpick inserted in the center, it should come out clean. All ovens vary and this is a dense cake so it could take the center a few extra minutes.

 

 

Blueberry Salad!

We always refer to this as "Aunt Mary's Blueberry Salad", because when we have a get together this is the salad Aunt Mary prepares most of the time, by popular request I might add.  My Aunt Mary is my mother's youngest sister, and like all of my mother's sisters, she is a really good cook also.

This is probably my husband's favorite gelatin type salad, which is odd because he says he doesn't like blueberries.  Sometimes I am not sure he knows what he likes..lol. I keep him as confused about that as I can.   I love blueberries so this is definitely one of my favorites. I like this, because it's a little something different .  Like so many of our  holiday 'salads', this is much more like a dessert.  It does go well with holiday foods like ham and turkey. 

 Here is what you will need:

2  (3 oz.)  pkgs. blackberry or raspberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 (8 oz.) can of crushed pineapple, undrained

1 can blueberry pie filling

1  8 oz. package cream cheese, softened

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup sugar

1 tsp. vanilla flavoring

2 cups chopped pecans

Mix gelatin and boiling water until it dissolves.  Add in the crushed pineapple with it's juices and the pie filling.  Pour mixture into a 9"x 13" glass baking dish. Chill for at least 2 hours or until it has set up. 

Mix together cream cheese, sour cream, sugar, and vanilla.  Spread over the gelatin once it has chilled and set up.  Sprinkle the top with chopped pecans.

You can put this in a gelatin mold, but if you do, don't add the topping until you unmold it onto your serving platter.  We always do it in a baking dish.



Aunt Mary's Blueberry Salad!



Fruit Pizza!

This "Fruit Pizza" is a fun dessert that is loved by all ages!  It's great for children's parties and teen activities or church events and such, but the older folks will love it also.   This is a great recipe to get the kids in the kitchen and let them work on with you, because you can't really mess it up!  

 I made one large fruit pizza this time, but you can let the kids make their own individual pizzas and add the fruit they like most.  They can get very creative making their own designs and faces.  Or you can turn this into a "Fruit Pizza" bar or station and provide the sugar cookies already baked, the cream cheese to ice each one and bowls of fruit for garnishing each pizza.  Those are just some ideas for variation, depending on your group or function! 

Here is what you need for this:

1 roll refrigerated sugar cookies

2 (8 oz.) pkg. cream cheese (softened)

1 cup powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

2 cups fresh strawberries, halved

2 cups fresh blueberries

2-3 fresh kiwi fruits, peeled and sliced thin

1/2 cup apple jelly

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Spray a 12 - 14 inch pizza pan with nonstick spray.

Slice the cookies or just crumble the dough and press it evenly on the pizza pan to form a crust.  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or just until brown.  Remove and allow to cool completely.

With an electric mixer beat the cream cheese, powdered sugar and vanilla until light and fluffy.  Spread over the cooled cookie crust. 

Arrange the fruit in whatever pattern you choose.  I just sort of place it in alternating circles. 

Heat the apple jelly in the microwave for about 30 seconds or just until warm and stir.  With a pastry brush, brush the jelly over the fruit.   It gives it a nice shine.  

Refrigerate for 2-3 hours before serving.  

Blueberry Pie!

I get a lot of requests for a good recipe for blueberry pie.  Since blueberries are one of my favorites, this wasn't a much of a problem for me.  It's also a really easy pie to make.  I used fresh blueberries and actually I think they are best in this, but you could substitute frozen or canned berries that have been drained.   Here is what you will need:

pastry for a 9 inch two-crust pie
3/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
4 cups fresh blueberries (can use frozen or canned that have been drained)
1 Tbs. lemon juice
1 Tbs. vanilla
4 Tbs. butter, divided

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Line a 9 inch pie plate with one of the pie pastries.  Combine the sugar, flour, cinnamon and salt.  Combine sugar mixture with the blueberries.  Pour into the pastry crust.  Sprinkle with the lemon juice and the vanilla.  Dot the top with pats of 2 Tbs. of  the butter, reserving 2 Tbs. to brush the top crust with.

Cover with the top crust, either whole with some slits cut in it all around for venting or in a lattice pattern.   The lattice pattern tends to not bubble over as much.  Brush the top crush with the other 2 Tbs. of butter melted and sprinkle with about 1 tablespoon of sugar.  Place the pie on a cookie sheet and place in the oven.  Bake for 45 to 50 minutes.  The crust should be brown and the juices just starting to bubble. 

Blueberry Pie!

Orange Buttermilk Salad!

 

 

This is one of those "salads" that is really almost a light dessert, but however you serve it, it's really delicious.  I am not a person who is really crazy about the congealed, creamy, fruity salads, but this one is one of my favorites.  If you are one of those folks who doesn't care for buttermilk, don't worry, you will never know this has buttermilk in it when it's all mixed together.   Here is what you need for this "Orange Buttermilk Salad": 

 

 

1  8 oz. can of crushed pineapple in syrup

1  5 oz. box of orange flavored Jello gelatin

2 cups buttermilk

1 8 oz. container of whipped topping, thawed

1 (11oz.)  can mandarin oranges, drained

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

 

Place pineapple with it's juice in the microwave and cook until it boils...about 2 to 2 1/2 minutes in most microwaves.   Pour orange gelatin in and mix.  Let this cool to room temperature.  Whisk in the buttermilk. Fold in the whipped topping, mandarin orange segments and the nuts.  You can pour this into an 8 cup mold or in a pretty glass serving bowl.  Cover and chill for at least 4 hours or overnight is best. 

 

This basic recipe can be easily altered by to make different flavors.  For example by using cherry gelatin and a cup of chopped maraschino cherries, you can change this to a Cherry Buttermilk Salad.

 

Orange Buttermilk Salad 

 





Grape Salad!

  

This grape salad is going to be one of our new family favorites.  I made this for my annual Christmas bash this year and those who tried it, loved it.  I had made a version of a 'grape salad' in the past and it was also very good, but this one is just as good and just a bit different.

This salad is great served alongside a meal, as a dessert or even as a fruit salad on a brunch menu. This is also as good in the summer as in the winter months.  It's easy to put together and can be made the night before.  Here is what you will need:



1 8 oz. cream cheese, softened (can use light cream cheese)
8 oz. sour cream
1/2 cup sugar
2 lbs. seedless red grapes, sliced in half
2 lbs. seedless green grapes, sliced in half
8 oz. frozen whipped topping, thawed slightly
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup chopped pecans

Blend the cream cheese, sour cream and sugar together until light and fluffy.  Add the sliced grapes and teaspoon of vanilla.  Fold in whipped topping.  Pour into a pretty glass bowl or trifle dish.   Mix brown sugar and pecans and sprinkle over the top.  Chill for several hours or overnight.





Aunt Vel's Southern Ambrosia!

Ambrosia is a southern classic on the holiday table and there are literally hundreds of variations on the basic idea of ambrosia.  This recipe is my Aunt Vel's and it is a fairly straightforward ambrosia, which I like because it's not too sweet or overly complicated.

 It is great with baked ham or roasted turkey.  My husband is our fruit lover in the family and he really loves all ambrosia and fruit salads. This ambrosia is one of his favorites. 

This is what you will need for this:

1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup pineapple tidbits, drained
1 cup mandarin oranges, drained
1 cup nuts, chopped (pecans or walnuts)
1 cup sour cream
2 cups miniature marshmallows
2 Tbs. powdered sugar
maraschino cherries for garnish (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together until combined, chill and serve. So simple and so good!  If you are looking for a little more variation in an ambrosia type salad, you might also want to check out Pina Colada Ambrosia or Banana Split Salad!

Southern Ambrosia!





Banana Split Cake!

 

This is actually a very old recipe.  I am not sure how old it is, but I know that my mother used to make it when I was still at home and that has been a while.  I made this for my husband when we were just dating and he loved it.  He is the one who suggested I make this and put it on the blog.  I am sure he had his own selfish reasons for mentioning it, but it was a good suggestion.

This is a not actually a heavy dessert and there is no baking required so it's perfect for warmer weather.   I will caution that the recipe calls for two raw eggs and while raw eggs don't bother me if they are extremely fresh or pasteurized is even better, they do bother some people.  Also, this is my disclaimer, pregnant or nursing women should not ingest raw eggs.   I solved this dilemma by using egg substitute.  It is not only pasteurized, it's homogenized, fat free and cholesterol free and it works perfectly in this.

Here is what you will need:

2 cups graham crackers

1 stick butter

4 bananas

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple drained

2 eggs or 2/3 cup egg substitute

2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 cups sliced strawberries

1 large frozen whipped topping

1 small jar maraschino cherries

2 cups chopped walnuts or pecans 

Bananas, graham cracker crumbs, butter, eggs or egg substitute, whipped cream, crushed pineapple, strawberries, confectioners sugar, walnuts, maraschino cherries.

Melt 1 stick butter and mix with 2 cups graham cracker crumbs.  Pat into the bottom of a 9"x13" baking pan.

Mix eggs or eggs substitute with confectioners sugar using an electric mixer.  Beat well and then pour over the graham cracker crust.

Drain the crushed pineapple well and layer it over the sugar/egg layer, next layer the sliced bananas and the sliced strawberries.  Next cover this with whipped topping.  Drain the maraschino cherries and place them on top either randomly or on what would be each serving.  Sprinkle walnuts on top.  Chill for about 2 hours before serving.

 

Banana Split Cake!

 

The Perfect Easter Brunch!

...or Spring luncheon, bridal or baby shower, or afternoon tea (we still have teas in the south). I cooked with my mother to get some of her most requested recipes that should really just be common sense, but for some reason they never turn out quite the same as when she makes them.

Nobody makes pimiento cheese or chicken salad as good as my mother's and after watching her make them, I now realize why. She has a few 'secret' ingredients that I think she might have been holding out on me all of these years. Or maybe I just didn't pay close enough attention or she just 'forgot' to mention these key ingredients that make all of the difference in the world. Anyone that knows my mother, knows that she does not make mistakes often (except that Happy Hanukkah wrapping paper she bought that was on clearance once ...we are clearly not Jewish) , but I digress. Could my dear, sweet Mother have left out a few ingredients on purpose all of this time and now because we are going public it comes out!!! We will never know I guess, but I got the complete recipe for the world to know this time. I am just sort of kidding here, but I really didn't know she put some of the things she does in the chicken salad and the pimiento cheese.

One of the secrets is this:

And the other one is this, but only in the pimento cheese:

Now Miracle Whip is a very southern thing, isn't it? However, I have never liked Miracle Whip. When I was kid, some of my cousins ate bologna and cheese sandwiches slathered with Miracle Whip. They never had mayonnaise, they all ate Miracle Whip. Not me, I only ate mayonnaise and still do. So when I made my mother's pimento cheese or tried to, I used mayonnaise. Guess what? That is why it wasn't as good. That is why I never make it anymore and just get my mother to make it for me. This is one thing you do need the Miracle Whip for instead of mayonnaise. The other secret ingredient is the Worcestershire sauce and she uses a little of that in both. Who would have thought?

Nana's Pimento Cheese

Here is what you will need:

American Cheese grated, Worcestershire sauce, Miracle Whip, pimento and sugar.

Ingredients:

5 cups grated American Cheese

1 cup Miracle Whip

2 tsp. sugar

2 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup chopped pimento

Mix the first 4 ingredients well and stir the pimento in last.

The best pimento cheese ever!

Nana's Pecan Chicken Salad

Here is what you will need:

Chicken breast (you can used canned or cook your own), celery, mayonnaise, grapes, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, pecans, and sugar

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken breast chopped or 2 15oz. cans

1 1/2 cups sliced seedless grapes (red or white)

3/4 cup chopped celery

1 Tbs sugar

1 Tbs. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. lemon juice

3/4 cup pecans

1 cup mayonnaise

Mix all ingredients and stir together. This chicken salad is so good with fresh fruit or on croissants as a sandwich.

 

In the next posts, I will give you the recipes for Fabulous Fruit Dip, Lemon Poppy Seed Muffins, and Bacon Quiche.

Fabulous Fruit Dip!

 

There are several different recipes for fresh fruit dip, and I think all of them are good, but this one is one of the best. 

Here is what you will need:

Cream cheese, whipped cream, strawberry yogurt, brown sugar, and red food coloring.

Soften cream cheese, with mixer whip together cream cheese, brown sugar and yogurt, fold in whipped cream and add a drop of red food coloring.  Mix together and chill in the fridge for at least an hour.

Ingredients:

8 oz. softened cream cheese (can use light cream cheese)

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup strawberry yogurt

8 oz. whipped cream

1 drop red food coloring

Fabulous Fruit Dip!

Strawberry Spinach Salad with Praline Pecans!

I love spinach salads.  I had the idea for this salad several years ago, before so many served spinach salads with fruit and nuts.  I am not sure why I thought of it, maybe I saw something similar in the food magazines I constantly read, but I don't remember ever seeing this anyplace when I first started making it.

Now it seems everyone has some sort of spinach salad with fruit, especially in the spring.  It's just perfect for Easter dinner and I also serve it for Thanksgiving and Christmas sometimes.  I add the dried cranberries to it for those holidays and it's wonderful.

Here is what you need for this: 

1 bag baby spinach

1 bunch green onions

1 cup Parmesan cheese

2 cups sliced strawberries

5-6 slices bacon

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 stick butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1 Tbs. half and half

1 1/2 cups pecans

1/4 cup honey mustard dressing

1/4 cup poppy seed dressing
1/4 cup dried cranberries (optional)  I add them for holidays!!! 







Make the pralines first by melting 1/2 stick butter in a skillet with 1 cups brown sugar.  When melted add 1 tsp. vanilla and about a 1 Tbs half and half...2 if it seems too thick.

Cook this until it bubbles and stir constantly because it will stick.  It is also very hot so be careful.

Add pecans and stir to coat. Once coated spread on waxed paper or nonstick Reynold's Wrap.  These will need to sit and dry for about an hour. Once dry, break apart for your salad into smaller bites.

Next layer spinach, green onions sliced, Parmesan cheese, and sliced strawberries in a pretty salad bowl.

Cook the bacon until crisp and drain on paper towels, add bacon and then praline pecans to salad. Wait to dress the salad at the table or right before serving.  Use 1/4/ cup honey mustard and 1/4 cup poppy seed dressing.  The two flavors really complement each other and are perfect with the salad ingredients.  No need to even mix them.  Just add separately and then toss the salad.

This salad will make spinach lovers out of people who say they do not eat spinach!