Cherry Dump Cake

I was asked today for my Dump Cake recipe. I’ve seen all kinds of variations, from blackberry to blueberry and even peach, I even have an old friend Maxine’s on the blog, only because she loves rhubarb. Me, I actually prefer the plain old cobbler that every woman from church makes. I’ve eaten it for as long as I can remember; it’s just to easy to make. So here it is, hope you all enjoy it.

INGREDIENTS:
1 (20 ounces) can crushed pineapple, undrained
1 (21 ounces) can prepared more fruit cherry pie filling
1 (18.25 ounces) box yellow or white cake mix
2 sticks (1 cup or 16 Tablespoons) of butter or margarine, each cut into 12 slices
1/4 cup chopped nuts (I use pecans or walnuts, but you can use your favorite)

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (325 for glass baking dish).
Dump undrained pineapple into a 9x13x2 baking dish and spread it out evenly.
Using a spoon, dump globs of cherry pie filling evenly on top of the pineapple.
Sprinkle the cake mix evenly over the cherry and pineapple layers.
Cut butter into slices with a butter knife and place slices evenly over cake mix.
Sprinkle nuts on top if you’re using them.
Bake for one hour.
To serve, scoop cake out with a large spoon like a cobbler and add a  scoop of vanilla ice cream. Serve warm or cold.

Yield: about 10 to 12 servings

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Many people miss their share of happiness not because they never found it but because they didn’t stop to enjoy it.

 

Diet Berry Pie

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup sugar substitute
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 cups water
1 (4 oz) pkg sugar-free jello
1 cup each: strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries (can use all strawberries)
1 pre-baked pie shell
whipped topping

DIRECTIONS
Mix sugar substitute and cornstarch in saucepan. Gradually stir in water until smooth. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 minute to thicken. Stir in gelatin until dissolved. Cook to room temperature. Stir in berries and pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until firm. Top with whipped topping.

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Edible, adj.: Good to eat, and wholesome to digest, as a worm to a toad, a toad to a snake, a snake to a pig, a pig to a man, and a man to a worm. ~ Ambrose Bierce

 

Italian Chicken Skillet

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves (about 1 pound)
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 large bell peppers, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 medium zucchini, sliced
1/4 cup sliced pepperoni (about 1 ounce) (1/4-inch strips)
1/4 cup chicken broth
OR
1/4 cup dry red wine (or nonalcoholic)
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme leaves
OR
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh rosemary leaves
OR
1/4 teaspoon dried rosemary leaves
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
4 cups hot cooked vermicelli, fettuccine or linguine
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese

Heat oil in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken and garlic. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, turning once, until juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Remove chicken mixture from skillet; keep warm. Heat remaining ingredients except vermicelli and cheese to boiling in same skillet. Cook and stir 3 to 4 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender. Stir in vermicelli; cook until hot. Serve chicken over vermicelli mixture. Sprinkle with cheese.

Serves: 4

Let’s face it: if you and I have the same capabilities, the same energy, the same staff, if the only thing that’s different between you and me is the products we can get, and I can get a better product than you, I’m going to be a better chef. ~ Thomas Keller

 

Curried Meatballs in Chutney Sauce

Chutney Sauce (recipe follows)
1 pound ground turkey breast
1/2 cup crushed cracker crumbs
1/3 cup evaporated skim milk
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
1 1/2 teaspoons curry powder (1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons)
1/4 teaspoon salt

CHUTNEY SAUCE
1/2 cup plain nonfat yogurt
1 tablespoon finely chopped chutney
1/4 teaspoon curry powder

Prepare Chutney Sauce. Heat oven to 400º. Mix remaining ingredients. Shape into forty-eight 1-inch balls. Place in ungreased rectangular pan, 13 × 9 × 2 inches. Bake uncovered 10 to 15 minutes or until no longer pink in center. Serve hot with sauce.

CHUTNEY SAUCE:

Mix all ingredients. Cover and refrigerate at least 1 hour.

Serves: 48

A great chef is an artist that I truly respect. ~ Robert Stack

 

Chimichinagas

1 pound lean ground turkey
1 small onion, finely chopped (1/4 cup)
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup slivered almonds
1/4 cup raisins
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon ground red chilis or chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
1 medium tomato, chopped (3/4 cup)
1 (4 ounce) can chopped green chilis
8 flour tortillas (8 to 10 inches in diameter), warmed
1 egg, beaten
Salsa, if desired

Cook turkey, onion and garlic in 10-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until turkey is no longer pink; drain. Stir in almonds, raisins, vinegar, ground red chilis, salt, cinnamon, cloves, tomato and green chilis. Heat to boiling; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Spoon about 1/2 cup turkey mixture onto center of each tortilla. Fold one end of tortilla up about 1 inch over turkey mixture; fold right and left sides over folded end, overlapping. Fold remaining end down. Brush edges with egg to seal.

Heat oven to 400º. Spray chimichangas with cooking spray. Place seam sides down in ungreased jelly roll pan, 15 1/2 × 10 1/2 × 1 inch. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until tortillas begin to brown and filling is hot. Serve chimichangas with salsa.

Serves: 8

True love cannot be found where it does not exist, nor can it be denied where it does. ~ Torquato Tasso

 

The Month After Christmas

Here is another little ditty from the inbox that was sent to me by my friend Vena Estridge. I felt it fairly appropriate today, as I sit here writing this in my hubby’s long john’s and long sleeved t-shirt.  I’m taking a break from preparing my taxes, paying bills and cleaning up several Christmas messes, all the while, stuffing my face with spice drops, chips and a tin of caramel popcorn. Oh well, I guess I could always start the Taco Bell drive-thru diet.

Happy January 2010 everybody!

The month after Christmas
‘Twas the month after Christmas,
and all through the house,
Nothing would fit me, not even a blouse.

The cookies I’d nibbled,
the chocolate I’d taste
At the holiday parties
had gone to my waist.

When I got on the scales
there arose such a number!
When I walked to the store
(less a walk than a lumber),

I’d remember the marvelous meals I’d prepared;
The gravies and sauces and beef nicely rared,
The wine and the rum balls, the bread and the cheese
And the way I’d never said, “No thank you, please.”

As I dressed myself in my husband’s old shirt
And prepared once again to do battle with dirt…
I said to myself, as I only can,
“You can’t spend a winter, disguised as a man!”

So, away with the last of the sour cream dip.
Get rid of the fruit cake, every cracker and chip.
Every last bit of food that I like must be banished
Till all the additional ounces have vanished.

I won’t have a cookie, not even a lick.
I’ll want only to chew on a long celery stick.
I won’t have hot biscuits, or corn bread, or pie.
I’ll munch on a carrot and quietly cry.

I’m hungry, I’m lonesome, and life is a bore…
But isn’t that what January is for?
Unable to giggle, no longer a riot.
Happy New Year to all, and to all a good diet.

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We cannot put off living until we are ready. The most salient characteristic of life is it’s urgency, “here and now” without any possible postponement. Life is fired at us point blank. ~ Jose Orgeta  y Gasset