Blueberry Wedding Cake

So, the recipe this week is a dessert that I call Blueberry Wedding Cake.  I didn't make up this recipe- someone told me how to do it years ago and I've just never forgotten (not that it's that difficult).  The reason I call it Blueberry Wedding Cake is because that is what we served the guests at our wedding nearly 15 years ago.  FYI, it looks nothing like a wedding cake.  You can also make Cherry Wedding Cake by substituting a can of cherry pie filling for the blueberry.

I don't have a picture of this because it was gone about 10 minutes after I made it last week.  That's what happens when you have 8 people and one cake.

Anyway, enough rambling- here it is:

Blueberry Wedding Cake

1 white cake mix                             1 8oz pkg cream cheese
1 8oz cont whipped topping             1 cup powdered sugar
1 can blueberry or cherry pie filling
Make cake according to package directions in 13x16 pan.  Bake and cool.  Beat cream cheese, whipped topping, and powdered sugar together until smooth.  Spread over cooled cake.  Top with pie filling.

Yum!

Enjoy,
Korrina

P.S. NOT a good recipe for those on a diet!  Although, substituting fat-free neufchatel cheese and whipped topping will help.

Super Easy No-Cook Fudge

You don't want to miss this one!

The holidays are upon us and in our house, holidays mean goodies!  I may be jumping the gun just a tiny bit but I want to make sure I have time to share all of my favorites.

This recipe has been a favorite in my house for many years.  I think my mom originally got it off of a product label, but I'm not sure.  (We memorized it the first year and never looked back!)  The variations, however, are entirely mine.

So, without further ado, here it is!

Super Easy No-Cook Fudge

1 cup milk chocolate chips
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 14-oz can sweetened condensed milk
1/4 cup chopped walnuts
Melt chocolate chips in microwave-safe bowl for a couple of minutes- stirring after every 30 seconds just until melted and smooth. Quickly stir in the milk and then the nuts.  Spread the mixture in the bottom of a foil-lined and greased 8x8 inch pan.  Chill for a couple of hours.  Cut it into pieces and leave out for an hour or so. (This step will keep the pieces from sticking together when stored.  Of course, if you live in my house, the fudge won't make it past the first hour after I make it!)

Try other variations-

Mint Fudge:
Replace the milk chocolate with mint chocolate and leave out the nuts.

Coconut Fudge: (this one's Rock's favorite!)
Replace all of the chocolate with white chocolate, replace the nuts with coconut and add 1/2 teaspoon coconut flavoring.

Cherry Fudge:
Replace the nuts with chopped maraschino cherries and add 1 teaspoon cherry flavoring.

Peanut Butter Fudge:
Use all milk chocolate, replace the walnuts with chopped peanuts, and add a 1/4 cup peanut butter with the milk.

Enjoy!

Korrina


Fruit Bars

This is a recipe I got from my mom. She used to make these for us all the time when we were kids.  She usually made them with some of her homemade raspberry jam.  I made them today with the store-bought stuff since I'm pretty much out of any homemade jams.  Also, I usually double the recipe but again, there are eight of us.

Fruit Bars

1 1/2 cup flour                       

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt                   

1 1/2 cup quick rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar                 

3/4 cup margarine

1 cup jam or preserves, any flavor

Sift together dry ingredients. Add the oats and the sugar. Cut in the margarine to make a bowlful of crumbs. Press half of the crumbs in the bottom of an 8x8 inch pan. Spread the jam over the top and sprinkle on the rest of the crumbs.  Pat them down a little to make a top crust.  Bake at 375F for 35 minutes.  Cool before cutting.

Enjoy!

Korrina

Marshmallow Bird Nests

I know this recipe has been around forever but it's one of my favorites for Easter.  Of course, I love cereal treats any time of year but this is when I get to put jelly beans with them.

Marshmallow Bird Nests

3 tablespoons margarine or butter
40 regular marshmallows or 4 cups mini marshmallows
6 cups chow mein noodles
jelly beans

Melt the butter in a big saucepan over low heat.  Add the marshmallows and stir until melted and smooth.  (I overheated the marshmallow in the batch I photographed and they did not mix up well, but I'm sure you get the idea.)  Add the chow mein noodles and stir well.  Spread some foil out on the counter and spray it with cooking spray.  Butter your hands and grab a small handful of the marshmallow mixture.  Working quickly, form the handful into a nest shape and lay on the foil.  Put a couple of jellybeans on the nest while it is still warm so they will stick.  Repeat for the rest of the mixture.  Wrap the nests in plastic wrap and put them in your kids' Easter baskets so you don't eat them all yourself. :P  (That's the only problem I have with these!)

Enjoy!
Korrina

Jello Parfait

This recipe is not all that healthy but you can help it along by using low- or no- fat sour cream and whipped topping.

Anyway, here it is:

Jello Parfait

(Hmm, I should have saved a strawberry to put on top...)

1 sm. Jello (any flavor, I used strawberry)
1 c. sour cream
1 (8 oz.) container whipped topping
1 cup fresh, frozen (thawed) or canned (drained) fruit to match Jello flavor (I used frozen mixed berries)
Mix the Jello packet with the sour cream. Fold in Cool Whip. Layer fruit and Jello mixture in parfait glasses (or fold the fruit into the Jello mixture like I did.)  Chill. Serve cold.

 It's also good with orange Jello with mandarin oranges or mixed berry Jello with huckleberries (if you can get them - we go up in the mountains and pick them).  Try other flavors and comment here to let me know what other flavors are good.  Ooh, maybe lemon Jello and raspberries, for a raspberry lemonade-type flavor?

Enjoy!
Korrina