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.

 

Post Christmas 2011

Are you taking it easy today, or do you have big plans for the day after Christmas? Shopping?

Its Monday and I should be going to do my regular weeks grocery shopping, but I have so much in the pantry that I didn’t use, I better just stay home and make the dishes, that I either didn’t want or have time to make or wanted to try this past week;  going to try and use up the stuff that I have on hand.

Christmas dinner didn’t go as planned, mine rarely do, no matter how much planning I put into a party, something will inevitably, go wrong. I had to throw out so much food yesterday, more than ever before. So, I’ll be making new lists for next year and cutting the New Year’s brunch menu in half.  Note to self: Next Christmas: Buy 6 dozen eggs & 2 bottles of canola oil. Skip the baked beans completely – no one eats them, but me and wrap all gifts as soon as you buy them, so that nothing gets left to chance.

I’ll be rounding out my day today by laundering the holiday linens… putting away all Christmas presents… hanging clothes…putting underclothes in drawers and breaking down the boxes. (Always a fun thing to do – NOT).

Mandy gifted me a Craftsman ratcheting rotary wrench (8-in-1 tool) for Christmas, I guess, I’ll have to find some use for that; hum…

I’ve been making jokes all day about dropping a match and walking away. Just doesn’t seem practical somehow, so I’ll be here plucking away (is it plucking or plugging?).

What’s on your post-Christmas agenda?

Sometimes the most urgent thing that you can possibly do is take a complete rest. ~ Ashleigh Brilliant

 

Eggs Baked in Bacon Rings

Ingredients
8 slices bacon
2 ½ slices bread
5 eggs
Salt and Pepper
Parsley

Directions
Pan-broil bacon until half done and remove to a plate. Pour off all drippings except 1 teaspoon. Cut bread in rounds with a biscuit cutter, to fit in the bottoms of rings in a muffin pan. Brown the bread rounds on both sides in the fat, then place in bottom of muffin cups. Line sides of cups neatly with 1½ strips of the bacon. Break an egg into each ring and season with salt and pepper. Pour ¼ teaspoon drippings over the top of each egg. Bake in a moderately slow oven (325° F.) for 20 minutes, covered or uncovered to the desired stage of doneness. Remove carefully with spatula to serve. 5 servings.

 

Sausage Dumplings

1 pound sausage
Your or My favorite Surefire pie crust recipe
2 medium onions, chopped
2 tablespoons flour
½ to 1 cup or more of milk or water

Make sausage into 12 balls and brown; cook thoroughly. Wrap balls in dough made from pie crust.  Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes.
While baking, saute onions until brown in sausage grease. Add flour and water to make gravy. Pour gravy over dumplings and serve.

Laughter springs from the lawless part of nature. ~ Agnes Repplier

 

PUMPKIN MOUSSE WITH VANILLA SAUCE

INGREDIENTS

1 Tbsp Gelatin
2 Tbsp Cold Water
3 Egg Yolks
1/3 c +1 Tbs. Sugar
1 ¼ c Pumpkin
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg
1 tsp Allspice
1 c Heavy Cream, whipped

In a small bowl, sprinkle gelatin over cold water. Place bowl in simmering water and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Beat egg yolks with sugar. Stir in pumpkin, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, and dissolved gelatin. Fold whipped cream gently into pumpkin mixture. Pour mousse in mold or bowl and chill thoroughly. Serve with vanilla sauce. Serves 8.

VANILLA SAUCE

Scald milk and light cream with vanilla. In double boiler, beat egg yolks
and sugar and a pinch of salt. Gradually beat in hot milk mixture. Cook sauce over hot water, stirring constantly until it thickens and coats a spoon. (If it does not thicken, add a little flour.)  Strain sauce to remove lumps.   Chill.

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Source: “MOUNTAIN MEASURES” A Collection of West Virginia Recipes
~ The Junior League of Charleston, West Virginia
ed. 1974

 

Meatloaf

Ingredients

3 pounds ground chuck
1 medium onion, chopped or minced
1 egg
¼ cup ketchup (3 or 4 big squirts)
¼ cup milk
½ sleeve of  saltines (about 15-20), crunched
1 dash pepper
¼ cup parsley flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large bowl, combine the your hands, beef, onion, egg, ketchup, milk, pepper, parsley flakes and cracker crumbs. Season with pepper to taste and place in a lightly greased large loaf pan, OR press into a * round jello ring form and turn out loaf on a lightly greased 9×13 inch baking dish.
3. Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for 1 hour.

*After cooking: carefully drain off excess fat, turnout meatloaf on a decorative platter, and fill the center with mashed potatoes. Garnish the top with Ketchup, Chives and/or Parsley, whatever your family may like.

The only genius that is worth anything is the genius for hardwork. ~ Kathleen Winsor