Strawberry Rhubarb Crumb Cake

Filed under: RECIPES - Treats

If you have never tried rhubarb before, this recipe is the perfect introduction. This recipe is from makeandtakes.com.

Cake:
3 cup flour
1 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp soda
2 tbsp butter/margarine, softened
2 cups buttermilk
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 t. vanilla

In large bowl, sift dry ingredients together. Cut in margarine, to resemble fine crumbs.
In a separate bowl, mix together the buttermilk, eggs and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients. Spread 1/2 batter in greased 9 x 13″ pan or dish. Add filling then spoon remaining batter in small mounds on top of filling.

For the Filling:
3 cups fresh unsweetened rhubarb, cut into 1/2 pieces or 1 (13 oz) pkg frozen unsweetened rhubarb
2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced or 1 (16 oz) frozen sliced strawberries, thawed
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup sugar
1/3 c cornstarch

In saucepan on low heat, combine the rhubarb and strawberries. Cook fruit covered about 5 minutes Add lemon juice. Add the sugar and cornstarch. Cook and stir 4 – 5 minutes or until thickened and bubbly. Cool. Spread over the bottom layer of batter.

Topping:
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup margarine

Combine sugar and flour; cut in margarine. Sprinkle sugar crumb topping on top of batter in pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and devour!

Technorati Tags: cake fillings, crumb topping, desserts, RECIPES, rhubarb, rhubarb cake, strawberries, strawberry cake, summer fruits

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Pepperoni Pasta Salad

Filed under: RECIPES - Main Dish, RECIPES - Soup / Salad

This is my personal favorite pasta salad. It’s easy, filling, tasty, and a cinch to make!

1 pkg. Spiral Pasta (Rotini)
1 pkg. Italian Salad Dressing Mix (Plus enough Oil, Vinegar and Water for the mix)
1 pkg. Pepperoni
2 Cups Cheddar Cheese Chunks
1/4 Cup Sun-Dried Tomatoes, cut up
1 Cucumber
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
Shredded Parmesan Cheese

Cook pasta according to package directions. Rinse pasta with cold water. Meanwhile, chop up pepperoni into fourths, cheese chunks, dice tomatoes, quarter cucumbers, and dice bell pepper. Prepare salad dressing according to package directions. Mix it all together in a big bowl and chill before serving or serve immediately.

Technorati Tags: cucumber salad, pepperoni, RECIPES - Soup / Salad, sun dried tomatoes

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Seven Layer Salad

Filed under: RECIPES - Soup / Salad

This is one of my all-time favorite salads. The recipe was given to me by a very good friend but she was vague about the amounts so use as much or as little as you prefer.

Iceberg Lettuce, chopped
Celery, chopped
Peas
4-5 Hardboiled Eggs, sliced
Mayonnaise with a little sugar
Grated Cheddar Cheese
Crumbled cooked Bacon

Layer salad into a bowl in order listed with lettuce first and bacon last. It’s beautiful to look at through a glass bowl and a tasty salad to serve at parties!

Technorati Tags: bacon salad, RECIPES - Soup / Salad

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Orange Julius

Filed under: RECIPES - Beverage

Some of my best memories of summertime included my dad making Orange Julius for everyone. It’s a simple recipe and better than the kind you get at the mall in my opinion.

1 1/2 Cups Water
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 tsp Vanilla
1/2 Cup Milk
1 tray Ice cubes
6 oz Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate

Blend together all but the Orange Juice first, then add the Orange Juice Concentrate and blend well. Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: frozen drink, julius, Orange, orange juice, orange julius, slush, summer drink

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Texas Blue Bell Dump Cake

Filed under: RECIPES - Treats

At the time I was living in Texas, Dump Cake and Brisket were the stars of many a backyard barbecue. The cake mix dotted with butter creates a rich crust similar to a Betty or cobbler; but extremely rich. The religious rite required a scoop of vanilla Blue Bell ice cream to top it off.

1 box pudding in the box yellow cake mix
1 can chopped pineapple
1 can cherry pie filling
1-2 sticks of butter or margarine

Preheat oven to 350°. In a 13X9 baking pan pour in cherry filling and pineapple. Casually stir around. Pour dry cake mix over fruit, completely covering fruit. Slice butter into thin slices and place over cake mix, slices should touch. Bake for 1 hour until top is browned. Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Technorati Tags: barbeque desserts, cake mix, cobblers, dump cake, quick easy cake, summer desserts

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Lemonade Floats

Filed under: RECIPES - Beverage

This recipe is from the Martha Stewart website. Tastes similar to a punch I have had at many party’s. The one with ice cream and ginger-ale. This recipe calls for raspberry or strawberry sorbet. We tried it with a mix of lime, raspberry and orange. Cheers.

Lemonade
Raspberry or strawberry Sorbet

Use a melon baller to make scoops from sorbet. Drop sorbet into individual glasses of lemonade.

Technorati Tags: easy recipes, Lemonade, sorbet, summer treat

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Refreshing Homemade Summertime Lemonade

Filed under: RECIPES - Beverage

I bought a huge bag of lemons with the idea that it would be fun to make lemonade with the kids. I only have a hand reamer, nothing fancy, powerful or fast. My son was anxious to get to the good part, drinking it. We tried several ratios to get it just right. First we started with 1 1/2 cups of lemon juice (my son wanted to use all the lemons) plus 1 cup of sugar and 1 3/4 cups water. Then we tried 1 cup sugar and 4 cups of water but the little chef thought it was still too bitter. Finally, we went to the internet and found a recipe and it worked.

Source: AllRecipes.com
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice (about 8-10 lemons)

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.

Remove seeds from lemon juice. In a pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water.

Alternatives:
Pink Lemonade – 1/4 cup cranberry juice

Ginger ale

Strawberry Lemonade – 1 pint strawberries, 8 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons superfine sugar. Puree strawberries and sugar in a blender.

Try making Lemonade Floats or set up a Lemonade Bar. Set out the simple syrup, lemon juice, water and ice. Grab a glass and make your own cup of lemonade.

Technorati Tags: Lemonade, lemons, RECIPES, summer drink

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Baked Summer Veggies

Filed under: BUDGET MEALS, RECIPES - Sides

This recipe is from the Rodriquez family in Freemont Texas. We had it with Posole, a soup with pork and hominy.

Zucchini, sliced
Yellow squash, sliced
1 small can of corn, do not drain
Salt and pepper, to taste
Mozzarella cheese, shredded

Pour corn into a casserole dish. Add other ingredients on top. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake 350 until top is melted and bubbly.

Alternatives: From time to time I add something new.
1 small onion, sliced (optional)
Mushrooms (optional)
1-2 cloves garlic, minced (optional)
Green and red pepper, sliced (optional)

Technorati Tags: baked squash, Baked summer vegetables, corn, mozzarella, RECIPES, Squash, vegetables, zucchini

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How To Make Homemade Rocket Pops

Filed under: RECIPES - Snacks

I found this recipe, along with several other cool treats, on the internet some time ago. Sorry I do not remember the site.

2 Cups boiling water
1 Package Jell-o Gelatin Dessert, any red flavor
1 Cup sugar, divided
2 Cups cold water
Ice cubes
16 Paper Or Plastic Cups — (5 oz)
1 Package Jell-O, Berry Blue Flavor
8 Oz Cool Whip

STIR 1 cup of the boiling water into red gelatin and 1/2 cup of the sugar in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Mix 1 cup of the cold water and ice cubes to make 2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until ice is melted.

POUR about 1/4 cup gelatin into each paper cup. Freeze 1 hour.

MEANWHILE stir remaining 1 cup boiling water into blue gelatin and remaining 1/2 cup sugar in medium bowl at least 2 minutes until completely dissolved. Mix remaining 1 cup cold water and ice cubes to make 2 cups. Add to gelatin, stirring until ice is melted. Refrigerate 1 hour.

PLACE about 3 tablespoons whipped topping over red gelatin in each cup. Carefully pour about 1/4 cup blue gelatin over whipped topping. Freeze 1 hour or until almost firm. Insert wooden stick into each cup for handle.

FREEZE 4 hours or overnight until firm. Place bottom of cup under warm running water for 15 seconds. Press firmly on bottom of cup to release pop. Store leftover pops in freezer. Makes 16 pops.

Technorati Tags: keeping cool, popsicles, RECIPES, rocket pops, summer treat

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Raspberry Shrub

Filed under: RECIPES - Beverage

This recipe came from my sister-n-law Emily.

4 packages (10 oz each) frozen raspberries, thawed
1 can (6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed
2 quarts ginger ale, chilled

Cook raspberries 10min. Rub through strainer with wooden spoon. Cool. Add lemonade concentrate; stir in ginger ale. Serve immediately with crushed ice. 12 servings (1 cup each)

Technorati Tags: fun drinks, ginger ale, holiday drinks, Lemonade, party drink, raspberries, Raspberry Shrub, RECIPES

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