Berry Trifle

I made this for Memorial Day. I wanted something patriotic and was feeling semi-crafty (or whatever you wanna call trying to make a pretty dessert!). I googled Memorial Day Desserts and stumbled upon this. Patriotic Berry Trifle Recipe

Needless to say. It was yummy.

Berry Pie

I got this recipe from my parents MB church newsletter...I've learned anytime a dessert recipe gets posted in it that I must try it. This has been a hit for us for awhile now.  I must confess...it's actually a boysenberry/blackberry pie recipe. :) I've only ever used strawberries...maybe this summer I can get some fresh ones and bust it out though. :)

9" pie shell
5 cups fresh or frozen* berries (i prob did closer to 4 c)
  *thaw in lg saucepan over low heat stirring occassionally
1 c sugar + 1 T.
4 T cornstarch + 1 t

Streusal topping:
1/2 c. butter at room temp
1 c flour
1/2 C brown sugar, packed


heat the berries till hot and completely thawed. Mix 1 c. sugar and 4 T cornstarch and add to berry mixture. Cont heating on med heat till thickened and bubbly.
Prepare pastry shell. Sprinkle shell with 1 T sugar and 1 t cornstarch. Fill shell with berry mixture (carefully, it splatters and burns!). For the topping mix it well till crumbly using pastry blender. Carefully place on top of filling. Bake at 400 for 20 min. YUM!

Peppernuts

The recipe I used is:

5 1/2 C flour
1 1/2 c cornstarch
6 t baking powder
1 1/2 t salt
1 t black pepper
1 1/2 t ground cardamom
1 1/2 t ground cinnamon
3/4 t ground cloves
3 c butter or margarine
3/4 t vanilla extract
3 c sugar
3/4 c cream or canned milk
2 c finely chopped blanched almonds (I omitted these)

Blend the first 8 ingredients together and set aside.

Cream butter with extract. Gradually add sugar, beating till light and fluffy after each addition.

Alternately add dry ingredients in fourths and cream in thirds to creamed mixture; mixing until well blended. Stir in almonds. Chill dough. ( If you chill for too long it gets flaky and makes it hard to work with...so I would say no longer than an hour for chilling.)

Shape into small balls about 3/4 in in diameter or roll dough into long skinny snakes and cut into 1/2 in pieces. (I did the later.) Place 1 in apart on ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake at 350 for 9 min or until golden brown. Transfer to cooling racks or dish towel.

DisneyWorld Cheddar cheese soup

This is a recipe out of our Disneyworld cookbook. We ate this soup at an international dinner at Epcot just before watching the fireworks over the lake. There were sooooo many good foods there, but this soup stood out as everyone's absolute favorite. It's not for the calorie conscious, but in small portions with crusty bread and salad, it's fabulous.

Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup
1/2 Lb bacon, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
1 Medium red onion
3 celery ribs, cut into 1/4 inch pieces
4 tbsp butter
1 Cup all-purpose flour
2 Cups chicken stock
4 Cups milk
3/4 Lb grated white cheddar cheese (we use Tillamook vintage white)
1 tbsp Tabasco sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt, and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1/2 Cup warm beer
chopped scallions or chives, for garnish

1. In a 4 or 5 quart dutch oven or stock pot, cook the bacon, stirring over medium heat about 5 minutes or until lightly browned.
2. Add the red onion, celery, and butter, and saute until the onion has softened, about 5 minutes.
3. Add the flour and cook, stirring constantly, for about 4 minutes over medium heat. Whisk in chicken stock and bring to a boil for 1 minute. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally.
4. Add the milk and continue to simmer for 15 minutes. Do not boil after you add the milk.
5. Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, Tabasco sauce, Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper until the cheese is melted and the soup is smooth. Stir in warm beer. If the soup is too thick, add some warm milk.
6. Serve the soup hot, garnished with the chopped scallions or chives.

They suggest drinking a double-fermented, dark, Canadian beer with this soup because its robust flavor compliments the smooth, earthy flavor of the soup.

I hope you enjoy it as much as our family has!!

Grilled Pork Tenderloin with Pineapple Salsa

We are NOT pork people. Not because we don't like it, but because we just don't know how to cook it and never think to buy it. We recently found this recipe in "Cook this, Not that" and we really like it.

1 Lb Pork tenderloin
1 tbsp Dijon or grainy mustard
1/2 tbsp honey
1/2 tbsp chili powder
salt and pepper to taste
4 (1/2 inch thick) slices pineapple, core removed
(Fresh or canned works fine)
1 Red onion, minced
1 Jalapeno pepper, minced
1/2 Cup chopped fresh cilantro
Juice of 1 lime

Preheat grill. Combine the mustard, honey, chili powder and a good sprinkle of salt and pepper and rub all over the tenderloin. Place the pork and the pineapple slices on the grill. Grill the pineapple for 2-3 minutes per side, until lightly charred and softened. Grill the tenderloin, turning once or twice, for about 10 minutes, until lightly charred and firm (but yielding) to the touch (an internal thermometer should read no more than 160F). Let the pork rest for at least 5 minutes.
While the pork rests, chop the pineapple into bite-sized pieces. Combine with the onion, jalapeno, cilantro and lime juice. Season with a bit of salt and pepper. Slice the pork and serve with salsa on top.

This is such a fresh and light tasting meal. And only 210 Calories per serving! It's also a great change to your normal grilling foods.

Shwartzie Potatoes

I don't know why, but this is what my friend Tara calls them.

1 Can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 Can (10.75 oz) condensed cream of chicken soup
1 container (8 oz) sour cream
1/2 Cup milk
1/4 Teaspoon pepper
1 Package (30 oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes (we prefer to use diced for texture)
8 medium green onions, sliced (1/2 Cup)
1 Cup Shredded cheddar cheese (4 oz)

Heat oven to 350F. Grease 13X9 casserole dish.
Mix soups, sour cream, milk and pepper in large mixing bowl. Stir in potatoes and onions. Spoon into baking dish.
Bake uncovered for 30 minutes. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered for 15-20 minutes until golden brown on top and bubbly around edges.

Au Gratin Potatoes

This is a recipe I've recently found on Allrecipes that I love. For all those holiday and family gatherings when you're asked to bring a potato dish, this one gets rave reviews and you never have leftovers.

4 Russet potatoes, sliced into 1/4 inch slices
1 Onion sliced into rings
Salt and Pepper to taste
3 Tablespoons butter
3 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 Teaspoon salt
2 Cups Milk
1.5 Cups of Shredded cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Grease a 1 quart casserole dish. Layer the bottom with 1/2 the potatoes. Place all the onion rings on top of the potatoes and cover with remaining potatoes.
In a medium-size sauce pan, over medium heat, melt butter. Whisk in flour and salt and stir for one minute. Stir in milk and cook until mixture is thick. Stir in 1 Cup of cheese until fully melted. Pour mixture over potatoes. Sprinkle remaining shredded cheese over top and cover with aluminum foil.
Bake in oven 1.5 hrs or until potatoes are soft.