Cranberry Crumble

I am all for easy recipes for Thanksgiving. My husband has a sweet tooth and after a big dinner, he is always looking for something sweet. I tried this cranberry crumble using fresh cranberries on a whim, and he said it was one of the best desserts I have ever made. So... it is going on the turkey day menu.This is so easy to put together. Just mix, throw into a pie pan and bake. Tart cranberries in a sugary, cakey crumble. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream. Happy husband :)

Cranberry Crumble 

Ingredients:
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup white sugar
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 c butter , melted ( 1 stick)
2 cups fresh cranberries
1/2 c chopped pecans
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp almond extract

Directions:
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9" pie plate and set aside.
2.In a medium bowl, combine the flour, sugar and salt. Stir in the cranberries and the pecans and toss to coat. Stir in the butter, the eggs and the almond extract. Spread the batter into the pie pan.
3.Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes, or until the center is cooked through. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

Strawberry Pie

We love strawberries ! We eat them right out of the fridge, and I make jam, strawberry coulis, muffins, shortcake and our favorite, strawberry pie. I have to say, this is one of my favorite desserts to make . The glossy strawberries and their gorgeous red hue ! Perfection!  This recipe so easy to make. I make the crust with graham cracker crumbs , but you can definitely use a store bought crust. It makes this recipe even easier. Top the pie with whipped cream and  a bit of shaved chocolate and you have a beautiful, tasty dessert to serve to friends and family.

Strawberry Pie

Ingredients

1 9" pie crust or make your own

1 cup water

1 cup sugar

3 T cornstarch

1/4 cup strawberry gelatin (Jell-O)

1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled

Directions

1.Prebake pie crust and set aside to cool to room temperature .

2. In a saucepan over medium high heat, stir together water, sugar, cornstarch and the gelatin. Bring to a gentle boil while whisking constantly,

3. When the mixture comes to a boil, remove it from the heat  and allow the glaze to cool . as it cools, it will set and thicken a bit.

4. Add your strawberries to the pie crust.

5. Stir the glaze well and gently pour it over the strawberries, coating all of the berries, and in between them as well.

6. Chill the pie in the refrigerator or a few hours. serve with whipped cream .

Mini Blueberry Galettes

I seem to always have blueberries in the refrigerator. I think they secretly multiply in there :) I love blueberries and eat them every morning. Problem is, no one else will willingly grab them out of the fridge and snack on them. So I have to make something that involves sugar and butter to sway their taste buds. I usually just end up making blueberry muffins, but every now and then I will make these galettes. They are perfect for a small dessert, travel well and make great gifts for friends and neighbors. And you can use any fruit you have on hand. Strawberries, raspberries, peaches. Yum! They are super easy to put together , especially if you use a package of store bought pie crust.

Mini Blueberry Galettes
Ingredients
1 box refrigerated pie crust ( or handmade)
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
1 lemon
1 egg
1 T water
cinnamon sugar, for dusting

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 425*. In a large mixing bowl, stir together the blueberries, sugar, cornstarch, 1 tsp lemon zest, juice from 1/2 of a lemon, vanilla, salt. Combine well and set aside.
2. Unroll the 2 pieces of dough. Using a 5" bowl, trace 3 circles on each round disc of dough. Reroll the leftover dough and make 2 more circles.
3. Place the dough rounds on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Using a 1/4 measuring cup , place a mound of blueberries in the center of each piece of dough. Fold the edges of the dough over the blueberries , creating a crimp.
4. In a small bowl , whisk the egg and water. Brush the edges of each galette with the egg wash and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.
5.Place the baking sheets in the oven and bake at 425*  for 15 minute, or until the crust is golden and the filling is hot and bubbly. Remove from the oven and let the galettes rest on the baking sheets for about 5 minutes to cool.
6. Serve with ice cream or whipped cream.
* you can garnish with fresh herbs for a pop of color. I used mint in the picture.

Rustic Strawberry Galette

This is one of my favorite desserts to make with fresh strawberries.I love , love love making these! I use blackberries, blueberries, peaches and cinnamon apples to make these all year round.  Galettes are so easy to put together and you can't mess up the presentation. Just flip over the dough onto the fruit and brush with egg wash and dust with sugar. Enjoy!
*If you do not care for balsamic vinegar, just omit it from the recipe. It is sill super yummy without it.

*you can use heavy cream to brush the crust instead of egg wash.


Rustic Balsamic Strawberry Galette

1 pie crust ( homemade or store bought)
2 cups fresh strawberries, stemmed and sliced in half
1 T balsamic vinegar
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp sugar

Preheat oven to 35 degrees.
Place the piecrust  on a  lightly greased cookie sheet (or you can use parchment paper)
In a medium bowl, stir together the berries , balsamic vinegar, cornstarch and sugar.
Place the berries in the center of the pie dough.
Pull up the corners of the dough around the berries and pinch to hold together.
Using a pastry brush, brush egg was over the dough and sprinkle with sugar.
Bake in the oven for 40-45 minutes, or until the crust is golden and the filling is bubbly.
Let the galette sit for about 5 minutes before cutting.

The Best Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

These are my tried and true oatmeal raisin cookies.I always like to have snacks on hand when the boys come home from school,and these are on my regular rotation.I make them for get togethers and there are never any left over.I soak the raisins,which might be the secret.Who knows! Moms, these are great treats for lunchboxes too!



Oatmeal Raisin Cookies


3 eggs, beaten
1 c. raisins
1 t. vanilla extract
1 c. butter
1 c. packed brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
2 1/2 c. all-purpose flour
1 t. ground cinnamon
2 t. baking soda
2 c. rolled oats
1 c. chopped pecans

Combine eggs, vanilla and raisins in a small bowl; cover and let stand for about 4 hours.The longer the better.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a large bowl, cream the butter, brown sugar, and white sugar together. Sift together the flour, cinnamon, and baking soda; stir into the creamed mixture.
Stir in the raisin mixture, rolled oats, and nuts.
Drop by teaspoonfuls onto an ungreasrd cookie sheet.
Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

Chocolate Cobbler

Oh my goodness, I have a favorite new dessert! This cobbler is wonderful. It is cake on the top and a layer of fudgey goodness on the bottom. I do  want to mention that is not overly sweet. The recipe uses cocoa powder and not chocolate, so it has an old fashioned taste to it. But warm out of the oven, with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side, it is a perfect way to end a meal. I   will definitely be making this again in the future.

Chocolate Cobbler

1 Cup self Rising Flour
3/4 Cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Cocoa

1/2 Cup Milk
1 teaspoons Vanilla
2 Tablespoons Vegetable Oil
3/4 Cup Brown Sugar
1/4 Cup Cocoa
1 3/4 Cup hot tap water
1 Cup chopped pecans (optional)

Mix together flour, sugar, and cocoa. Add milk, vanilla, oil, and nuts (if using). Mix well. Pour into greased 8×8 inch pan. Mix 3/4 C brown sugar and 1/4 C cocoa together. Sprinkle over batter. Pour, very slowly, hot tap water over dry mixture and batter. Bake in 350 oven for forty to forty five minutes.

Eggnog Pound Cake

I love the holidays. One of the best parts is all of the baking I do. This year I  decided to concentrate less on cookies and more on cakes. I found this pound cake recipe in an email  and immediately knew that I had to make it. So glad I did. This pound cake is perfect! Soft, spongy and egg nog tasty! And...it is easy! When I went to pick up egg nog at the store, there were different flavors of egg nog on the shelf, like pumpkin egg nog and red velvet egg nog. I think I might pick up a pumpkin one  and make this using that to see if it changes up the flavor a bit.  This recipe is a keeper for parties and to give as gifts. 

Egg Nog Pound Cake

recipe from Southern Living Magazine

 1 box pound cake mix

1 1/4 cups eggnog

2 eggs

 1/2 tsp fresh grated nutmeg

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees and lightly spray a bundt pan with cooking spray. Set aside.

In a large bowl with an electric mixture on medium speed, mix all of the ingredients together until

incorporated, about 2 minutes. Pour into the bundt pan and bake for 1 hour, or until the cake is

 cooked through. Let cool and release from pan.

Peach Cobbler in a Jar

These peach cobblers are a favorite here. My family loves the fact that they are single servings and they can be warmed  in the microwave and have peach cobbler in about 30 seconds, right from the refrigerator. This recipe is so yummy! And you can make it with apples,blueberries,cherries...anything that would make   a great cobbler.

This recipe is super easy using canned pie filling.Whether it  be peach or another fruit. I usually use the canned pie fillings in the fall and winter months,whether they be store bought or a product of my own home canning. But this time I used fresh peaches.I peeled and sliced 3 large peaches,cut them into 6 slices per peach, and heated them up in a skillet with butter,sugar and cinnamon,on medium heat, until they were soft.Then I proceeded to add them,3 slices each,to the jars.

As a side note, I try to have at least one can of pie filling in the house,just in case someone wants dessert and I don't want to slave over making crusts,meringues etc.;) Also, I have always found my 1/2 pint jars at Wal Mart. I use them for all sorts of things.Cobblers,jellies and jams,snacks for the road,individual banana puddings.The list is never-ending.




Peach Cobbler in a Jar
makes 5 1/2pint jars

21 oz jar of peach pie filling (or other fruit filling,if you prefer)
1/2 cup bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter,melted
Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Spray 5 1/2 pint mason jars with cooking spray.Set them inside a casserole dish big enough to hold all five,without touching.
3.In a medium bowl, add the  bisquick ,milk,sugar and salt.Mix well to incorporate.Add the melted butter and stir well to mix.Set aside.
4.Add 3 peach slices to each jar.
5.Pour about a Tablespoon or so of batter on top of the peaches.There should be a small amount of headspace.If you fill it to  the tippy top,the batter will bake over the jar and it will be hard to get the tops on them.
6.Bake for about 30 minutes,until the batter is rich and golden,and the peaches are bubbly.
7. You can serve these a few minutes after pulling them from the oven,or you can put the jar lids on top  when they are still hot and use them within the next 3 days  or so,if they last that long.
8.Optional: I always shake cinnamon sugar on top  of the batter before it goes in the oven.We are huge cinnamon fans around here!

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

About a year ago I purchased two doughnut pans because my kids love doughnuts. So on lazy weekend mornings I make up a few batches of doughnuts to feed the kids for a late breakfast/brunch. They usually snack on them until lunch. I have made quite a few different kinds of doughnuts these past few months, but they all ask for the cinnamon sugar ones. The batter is so easy to make and once they are in the doughnut pan and baking it goes fast. If all the boys and my husband are home I double the recipe. 2 dozen doughnuts seems like a lot, but with teenagers , they go fast.

Baked Cinnamon Sugar Doughnuts

Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon mace
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1 large eggs, beaten
• 1 1/4 cups milk
• 2 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• TOPPING
• 3/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 cup butter, melted

Directions

1. Mix all 7 dry ingredients in a medium size bowl.
2. In a smaller bowl, beat egg. Mix egg with milk and melted butter. Add vanilla.
3. Stir milk mixture into dry ingredients until just combined being careful NOT to overmix. Pour into greased donut baking tin, filling approximately 3/4 full.
4. In a shallow bowl, mix cinnamon into brown sugar . Set aside . I another shallow bowl, melt 1/4 c butter.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-18 minutes.
6. Let the doughnuts cool for a few minutes. While still warm, dip each doughnut into the melted butter, then into the cinnamon sigar mixture. Serve while warm. 

Happy Eating,

Liz

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Caramel Pumpkin Spice Cookies

These cookies are easy to make from a boxed cake mix. I have been making these for a few years

now and they are a hit with everyone who tries them. You can mix up the flavor of Hershey Kisses

and the sugars that the cookies are dipped in before baking. These I chose pumpkin spice sugar and

caramel Hershey Kisses. You could also use Pumpkin Spice Hershey Kisses and regular granulated

sugar. Lots of options!

Caramel  Pumpkin Spice Cookies

1 box Spice Cake Mix

1/3 c vegetable or canola oil

2 eggs

Pumpkin Spice Sugar ( recipe follows)

Caramel Hershey Kisses

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside.

2. In a medium  mixing bowl, mix together the cake mix, oil and eggs  until completely blended.

3.Roll into quarter sized balls. Roll each ball into the pumpkin spice sugar and place on the cookie

sheet. Slightly flatten each cookie with the bottom of a glass.

4.Bake at 350 degrees for 10-11 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool for about a minute. Place a

Hersheys Kiss on top of each cookie. Transfer cookies to a cooling rack to let cool.

Pumpkin Spice Sugar

1/2 c granulated sugar

1 T pumpkin pie spice

Mix the sugar and the pumpkin pie spice in a bowl.

Liz

Mini Marshmallow Ghosts

Now before you guys start rolling your eyes because I am posting about Halloween already, there is a method to my madness.  I have so many Halloween posts in my queue and I want to share them all with you in time for you to enjoy them. Not just a few days before the holiday, when you will not have time to enjoy any of the recipes, crafts and decorations I have in store for you!  See, method!

These mini marshmallow ghosts are one of my favorite October treats for my kids. I pop a bag in lunchboxes and have them as after school treats as well. And put them in mugs of hot chocolate . And they are easy. You just need a bag of mini marshmallows and a food marker. You can find the food markers at Michael's. Hobby Lobby, even Wal-Mart. Just look in the cake decorating section.
Draw dots with a black marker for the two eyes and mouth. Your kids will love you for it.

So stay tuned , my friend, for a fun filled October here at The Fresh Plate. If you haven't  bookmarked the blog, then do! I don't want you to miss any posts! And you can also find me on Facebook ! Wishing everyone an great week!

Spooky Eye Brownie Bites

Today I made these spooky eye brownie bites for the boys after school snack. I was at Michael's Craft Store this weekend  , and I saw Wilton makes these cute candy eyes and I picked up a pack , knowing I would find something to do with them.  Last night I was brainstorming and came up with brownie bites with the eyes glued on top. I made boxed brownie mix per the package directions and baked them in a mini muffin pan. When cooled, I used a small amount of cream cheese on the back of each eyeball and stuck them to the brownie. So easy and my kids are going to love them when they see them this afternoon!

{ Cherry Cobbler in a Jar }

I am a huge fan on foods in jars. With 3 kids, I like the idea if baking  one day a week, in jars, and when the boys want something sweet, they grab a jar , pop the lid off and put it in the microwave for a few seconds. Their favorite is monkey bread in a jar. When I make that, all 8 jars are gone in a flash. I usually make monkey bread on Friday mornings because our weekends are so hectic, they can grab a jar as we walk out the door and eat it in the car.  Today , I made up a batch of these adorable cherry cobblers. These are super easy to make. In fact, I make them using apple pie filling, blueberry pie filling  and peach pie filling. By far the favorite around here among my kids is cherry.  The kids usually just add vanilla ice cream to theirs, but for hubby, I usually make coconut whipped cream to top his. Just because I know he loves anything coconut. These little jars are great for lunches, picnics and to take to the park . One of my favorite desserts to make.

FYI - The awesome recipe box in the picture is from a great etsy store rfrantzdesign . One of my favorite items in my kitchen. ( I also have her address box in my office)


{ Cherry Cobbler in a Jar }
                makes 9  1/2pint jars

  1  (21 oz)  jar of  cherry  pie filling
1/2 cup bisquick mix
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/4 cup unsalted butter,melted
Cinnamon Sugar (optional)

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2.Spray 5 1/2 pint mason jars with cooking spray.Set them inside a casserole dish big enough to hold all nine,without touching.
3.In a medium bowl, add the  bisquick ,milk,sugar and salt.Mix well to incorporate.Add the melted butter and stir well to mix.Set aside.
4.Add enough cherry pie filling to fill each jar half full.
 5.Pour about a Tablespoon or so of batter on top of the cherries.There should be a small amount of headspace.If you fill it to  the  top,the batter will bake over the jar and it will be hard to get the tops on them. Sprinkle the top of the batter with cinnamon sugar. (optional)
6.Bake for about 30 minutes,until the batter is rich and golden,and the cherry filling  is bubbly.
7. You can serve these a few minutes after pulling them from the oven,or you can put the jar lids on top  when they are still hot and use them within 3 days.

The Easiest Turtle Candies Ever!!!!

 

I am one of those people who like to have sweets around for last minute guests  or as a pick me up for teachers and friends. I have used this recipe (if you can even call it that,it is super easy) and variations of it many times in the past. For this batch I used Rolo candies as the chocolate.I have also used Hersheys Kisses in milk chocolate and in white chocolate.All of them were so good. The sweet/salty combo is awesome. I always include these i my holiday cookie trays. And it only takes a few minutes  to make them!

Turtle Candies

Ingredients
    20 small pretzels
    20 chocolate candies (I used Rolo)
    20 pecan halves

Preheat oven to 300 degrees.
Arrange the pretzels in a single layer on a parchment lined cookie sheet. 
Place one candy on each pretzel.Bake for 4 minutes.
While the candy is warm, press a pecan half onto each candy covered pretzel. Cool completely before storing in an airtight container.*I pop them in the fridge to set.

Pumpkin Pie Chex Mix

This is the first time I have made this chex mix ( I printed it last fall from the Pillsbury site) . I never got around to making it but decided to make it today to usher in the freezing cold weather   as a treat for the family. And I have to say, it rocks! The house smelled amazing while it was in the oven and it was so easy to put together. I did not add the pecans this time. I didn't have any , so I left them out. My husband mentioned the omission, so next time there will be pecans. I think next time I will also double the recipe. My kids inhaled it when they got home from school.

Pumpkin Pie Chex Mix

adapted from Pillsbury

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
3 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon plus  pumpkin pie spice
2 cups cinnamon Chex cereal
2 cups wheat  Chex cereal
2 cups Honey Nut cheerios
1 cup pecan halves

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees. Place parchment paper on a cookie sheet and set aside. In small bowl, mix brown sugar and pumpkin pie spice; set aside. In small microwave-safe dish, microwave butter on High about 30 seconds or until melted. Stir in vanilla. In large  bowl, mix all cereals and pecans. Pour butter mixture over cereal mixture, stirring until evenly distributed. Add sugar and spice mixture and stir until coated.

2. Place the mixture on  the parchment lined cookie sheet and spread evenly . Bake at 250 for  about an hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so. Let it cool and store in an airtight container.

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Old Fashioned Candied Apples

One of the best things about the holiday season ( I think of the holiday season from October  to New Year's)  is making goodies for my family and friends. We live so near the apple orchards of Northern Virginia and I knew that this year I would be going to visit the orchards to get apples to make so many yummy treats. On my short list are candied apples. Our family loves these things They are so easy to make. All you need to make it work is a candy thermometer. You just add ingredients to a saucepan, bring to a boil, wait for hard crack stage ( which is where the thermometer comes in handy) and start dipping. They turn out wonderful every time! One thing I do want to mention. If you do make these apples, use a sweet/tart variety like granny smith, braeburn, fuji or gala. Red Delicious and other soft apples will get mushy. Choose ones that are firm and ripe. You will want to run them under hot water and gently scrub the layer of wax off if you buy the apples from a grocery store. The wax will make the candy coating slide off. If you use local apples from an orchard ( buy local!!!) you will not have to scrub them. Just make sure they are dry.

Old Fashioned Candied Apples
Ingredients
3c sugar
1 c water
1/2 c light corn syrup
1/4 c cinnamon red hot candies
1/4 tsp red food coloring
8 wooden sticks
8 small apples

Directions
1.In a heavy bottomed saucepan combine the sugar, corn syrup, candies, food coloring, and one cup of water.
2.Place over medium heat and bring to a boil without stirring.
3.Set a candy thermometer in the side of the pot , and continue cooking, without stirring, until the temperature reaches 290F (18-20 min)
4. Meanwhile, grease a cookie sheet. Remove the stems from the apples and insert a wooden stick into each apple.
5.When candy is ready, remove pan from heat and remove thermometer. Swirl each apple into the candy syrup  until it is coated and hold the apple over the pot to allow any drips to fall back into the saucepan.
6.Place apples on the cookie sheet to cool.
* Work fast. The syrup begins to harden fast. If the syrup hardens, place the saucepan on low heat to loosen it up.
7.Let cool completely. wrap tight.

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies

Autumn is just around the corner and that puts me in a happy place. It is my favorite season of the year. I have been making these pumpkin Whoopie Pies for a few years now and they are great. My kids love pumpkin flavored foods, so this is  a treat for them. Easy to make, and so easy to eat :)

Pumpkin Whoopie Pies
recipe by Rachael Ray

1 1/2 sticks (6 ounces) unsalted butter, 1 stick melted, 1/2 stick softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
2 large eggs, at room temperature, lightly beaten
1 cup canned pure pumpkin puree
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 teaspoon plus 2 pinches salt
1 2/3 cups flour
4 ounces cream cheese, chilled
1 cup confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together the melted butter and brown sugar until smooth. Whisk in the eggs, pumpkin puree, pumpkin pie spice, 1 teaspoon vanilla, the baking powder, the baking soda and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour.
3. Using an ice cream scoop or tablespoon, drop 12 generous mounds of batter, spaced evenly, onto each baking sheet. Bake until springy to the touch, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
4. Meanwhile, using an electric mixer, cream the softened butter with the cream cheese. Add the confectioners' sugar and the remaining 2 pinches salt and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla; mix on low speed until blended, then beat on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 2 minutes.
5. Spread the flat side of 12 cakes with the cream cheese frosting. Top each with another cake.

Oreo Fluff

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This is a super easy treat that I make sometimes for the kids. They use it as a dip with Nilla wafers or graham crackers. Me, well. I eat it with a spoon! ;) You can put it between two cookies for a filling too.

Oreo Fluff
1 box white chocolate flavored pudding mix
2 cups milk
1 8oz container whipped topping (Cool Whip)
1 package Oreo cookies, crushed

In a medium bowl, mix together the pudding mix and the milk until it thickens.  Fold in the whipped topping. Mix well, then fold in the crushed oreos. Chill until firm.

Chocolate Brownies with Peanut Butter Frosting

These are my absolute favorite.You can't go wrong with chocolate and peanut butter in my opinion.I totally cheated on these brownies and used a box of Ghirardelli Brownie mix. But I did make the peanut butter frosting from scratch. The frosting has the perfect sweetness and peanut butter ratio.You can add more peanut butter or more powdered sugar to your taste. The frosting is awesome for great cupcakes too! I have a bit of icing leftover, so I will make a batch of chocolate /  peanut butter whoopie pies tonight for hubs to take to work tomorrow. I am pretty sure these brownies will be gone by morning.

*Prepare your favorite brownie mix per package instructions. Let cool and frost with peanut butter frosting.

Peanut Butter Frosting

1/2 cup butter, softened

3 tablespoons milk, or as needed

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 cup creamy peanut butter

Place the butter and peanut butter into a medium bowl, and beat with an electric mixer. Gradually mix in the sugar, and when it starts to get thick, incorporate milk one tablespoon at a time until all of the sugar is mixed in and the frosting is thick and spreadable. Beat for at least 3 minutes for it to get good and fluffy.

Orange Fluff Salad

This salad is one that I make very often. It is orangey (is that a word?) and creamy and so simple to make. I love to keep it in the fridge for quick school morning breakfasts. You know, on those mornings when you don't want to make a real breakfast with eggs,bacon and toast, but don't want to throw sugar laden cereal down their throat. Just serve with fresh fruit and a glass of milk or juice and they are off. The recipe I grew up with calls for regular small curd cottage cheese and a separate can of pineapple tidbits . But I do not care for the large pineapple bits in my salad, so I buy the tub of cottage cheese with pineapple . Feel free to use  the tidbits, just make sure they are drained well ( the oranges too) or the salad will become very watery and will separate when refrigerated. (It will still get slightly watery after a day or so, just stir gently to recombine). This salad is also great for a mid afternoon snack.


Orange Fluff Salad

1 box orange flavored jello
1 small container cottage cheese with pineapple
1 can mandarin orange segments, drained well
1 container fat free cool whip

In a large bowl, mix the jello powder into the cottage cheese,mixing well. Add the orange segments and fold in the cool whip. Mix well.Refrigerate until chilled.