Fruit Pizza

This is a crowd pleaser! You can make it the long way with all the fruit...or substitute it for pie filling! It's still very tasty and can cut down on a lot of prep time. Which, I'm doing today since my children are very needy at this present moment!

Fruit Pizza

Crust:
2 rolls sugar cookie dough

Spread dough on greased cookie sheet. Bake according to directions on package, approximately 12 minutes. Cool and cover til use.

Sauce:
2 8-oz cream cheese, softened
2/3 c sugar
2 tsp vanilla

Mix and spread over cookie.

Topping ideas:
Bananas, strawberries, pineapple tidbits, kiwi, blueberries (and any other fruit you can think of!)

Keep refrigerated until use!

Strawberry Punch

This punch was served at our wedding. It's delicious!

Strawberry Punch

6 oz strawberry Jell-O
2 c hot water
1 c sugar
4 c cold water
1 10-oz can frozen strawberries
1 16 or 20-oz pineapple juice
3/4 c lemon juice
2 2-liters Sprite or 7 Up

Combine Jell-O, hot water and sugar. Stir until dissolved.
Add strawberries, lemon juice, cold water, and pineapple juice. Freeze until ready to use.
Thaw for 1 hour. Slush with knife or potato masher.
Add Sprite.
Serves 25.

Banana Split Cake

Words do not describe this dessert. I crave it in the early spring/summer. I thought I was crazy because I do get a serious hankering (???) for this. And, then, come to find out it was my great-great uncle CC's favorite dessert! My Mom remembers her mom carrying it out on the back porch to serve it to the family when he visited! Isn't that fantastic?! That's what baking is all about. That's what family is all about. Love.it. And, I love this recipe!

Banana Split Cake

Crust:
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup melted butter (do not use whipped margarine)
1/4 cup sugar

Mix together and press into 13x9x2 baking dish (glass works best). Chill for 1 hour.

Filling:
2 cups powdered sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup butter, softened

Cream together and spread over crust. Chill for 1 hour.

Topping:
4-5 ripe bananas, sliced
fresh strawberries, sliced
1 16-oz can crushed pineapple, drained
Cool Whip
1 cup pecans, chopped
1 jar maraschino cherries, drained and chopped

Layer the toppings over the filling in the order listed. Refrigerate.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

I emailed this to a friend tonight and decided it needed a place on the ole blog. My Mom makes this a lot. As the note on the recipe I have says (from Mom), "I am famous for this cake." So funny! But, it is seriously delicious and beautiful. All things a good pound cake should be.

Sour Cream Pound Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2 1/2 cups sugar
6 eggs
3 cups flour, sifted
1/4 tsp soda
1 8-oz sour cream (or buttermilk or sour milk)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp lemon juice

Cream butter; gradually add sugar.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
Combine flour and soda; add to creamed mixture, alternating with sour cream. Mix well.
Stir in flavorings.
Pour batter into a greased, floured 10" tube pan.
Bake 350 for 1 hour, 15 minutes.
Cool 10 minutes in pan and invert on cake plate.
*Bakes well in two loaf pans and freezes well.

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

I found this recipe in the latest Vera Bradley catalog...so, how can it not be fantastic?! I made it for a family dinner and it was a big hit. Lots of chopping...but it's colorful and very tasty!

Shrimp and Corn Chowder

2 sticks butter
3 cloves of garlic
1 bunch celery, chopped
1 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
3 cups corn
2 lbs shrimp
5 Idaho potatoes, diced
1 large yellow onion, diced
1 sweet red pepper, diced
16oz chicken broth
3 cups water
2 quarts 1/2 and 1/2 (yikes!)
8 tsp corn starch

In stock pot, melt butter. Add celery, onion, and pepper. Saute until tender.
Add next 4 ingredients.
Add potatoes, corn, water, and broth. Cook until potatoes are tender.
Add shrimp. Cook for 5 minutes.
Add 1/2 and 1/2. Cook for 5 minutes.
Mix corn starch and 1/2 cup COLD water.
Add slowly to soup, continue stirring.
Cook and thicken for 10 minutes.