chocolate dream pie

folks, if you need something quick and easy for a summer cookout, church social, or just to treat the family, whip up this chocolate dream pie. it is so easy and so tasty. this recipe has been around for a gazillion years right on the back of the ole dream whip box. you remember dream whip, don't ya? it came before cool whip. i can see my mama right now whipping up a batch to top my dad's saccharine sweetened jello. mmmm, mmmm good. my mama also used to make this pie for us kids. i had forgotten all about this simple sweet treat until i spotted a box of dream whip at the market. i just had to make a chocolate one for my youngin's and it was a big hit. no one ran screaming in horror, but all smacked their lips in approval. heck, i already got plans for a coconut one. holey moley. enjoy.

dream pie

2 envelopes of dream whip
2 3/4 cup cold milk(separated)
1 tsp. of good vanilla
2 small boxes your flavor choice of instant pudding
one baked pastry crust or a graham cracker crust( i went with graham cracker myself)

with mixer, beat the two envelopes of dream whip, one cup of milk and the vanilla till stiff peaks form, about five/six minutes. add in the two boxes of pudding and the rest of milk(1 3/4 cup) and continue to beat about two minutes. scrape down the bowl at least once. spoon into crust and chill at least four hours. top with whipped topping if you like.

this would also be good as parfaits! yum.

sugar crinkles

i love these. sugar crinkles are some of the best cookies i think i have ever made. they are so easy, in fact, i bet you have the ingredients in your cupboard right now. these little babies are sweet and tender with hints of lemon and vanilla. they are slightly undercooked for a chewy bite and pair well with both coffee and tea, or diet coke. also, they make your kitchen smell like a bakery. i hope you give these easy little treats a try. enjoy.

sugar crinkles

1 cup shortening
1.5 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tsp pure lemon extract
2.5 cups of all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
extra sugar to roll in

preheat oven to 350 degrees fahrenheit. beat with an electric mixer till fluffy the shortening and sugar. add in the eggs and extracts. in a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder and salt, now slowly add to the egg mixture. once thoroughly blended, chill your dough for a half an hour. now form the cookie dough into a walnut sized ball and roll in the extra sugar. place on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake about 13 minutes or so. allow them to cool a few minutes before moving to wire racks to cool completely.

kitchen sink cookies

i made these today and have to admit, they are not my favorite. i am a purist at heart, straight ole chocolate chip is what i prefer. i thought big j might enjoy these especially since they included two of his favorite ingredients, coconut and walnuts. i intended on making them for father's day, but didn't get around to it until this morning. it is a martha stewart recipe found on her site. they are easy enough to whip up and are moist and cakey, but i an not sure i would make again. if i do, i would cut the chocolate chips back to one cup. i don't know what it is, but i just don't have good luck with martha's recipes, yet i keep going back. enjoy.

"key lime" pie

no key limes were harmed in the making of this pie, but a few plain ole ones were juiced. whip up this pie is minutes and then sit back and watch others eyes roll, lips pucker and moan in delight. i made this one for big j's father's day because key lime pie is one of his favorite things. usually i make my own graham cracker crust, but i grabbed a prepared one this time and grabbed the wrong size. i like a thicker pie, so i stick with a nine inch crust, but accidentally bought a ten inch. although thinner, it still tasted goooood. also, i topped the pie with some sweetened vanilla whipped cream to help round out the tartness. holey moley! you know, i could eat whipped cream by the spoonful, but that is a whole other post.

anyway, make one of these babies today for someone you love, that includes yourself. enjoy.


in a food processor pulse till smooth:

1 8 oz. block of cream cheese, softened
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup lime juice, about six limes(i am sure key limes would be fine, but have you ever seen how tiny those suckers are)

once smooth, pour into a graham cracker crust of your choice and chill for a few hours till firm. this pie couldn't be easier and more refreshing.

simple soda

three ingredients are all you need to make a simple and refreshing summer soda; seltzer water, flavored syrup and ice. grab your favorite glass, add a generous splash of flavored syrup, (i like raspberry), add some seltzer and ice. now give it a quick stir and viola. you have a sweet, bubbly soda.

you can find a large assortment of syrup flavors at your local mega mart. i like to keep a variety on hand because they are also great for snow cones and iced tea. enjoy.

"make'em think they're special" meatballs

these are delicious meatballs full of flavor from fresh garlic and parsley. these little meat nuggets can make any jar of sauce and box of dried pasta taste homemade. you make these and your family will love you for life. the best part, they won't have a clue as to how easy these guys are to make and what little effort you've really put into their "homemade" spaghetti and meatball dinner. all they will be thinking as they greedily slurp clean their plates how special they must be for you to go through such trouble. only we know better. okay, let's do it.

in a big ole bowl, mix the following:

1.5 lbs. of ground beef or your favorite meat mix, i like a beef/pork combo(1 lb. beef and .5 lb. pork)
1 egg
1/3 cup italian bread crumbs, give or take, you need enough for it to bind the mixture
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp. of salt
1/2 tsp. of black pepper
1/2 tsp. dried oregano
1 clove of garlic minced fine, or more if you like garlic
1/4 cup of fresh chopped parsley
and a big jar of your favorite spaghetti sauce

i do this by hand, just until well blended. make into balls roughly the size of a golf ball and drop into your favorite sauce. simmer until done, probably about 30 minutes. don't stir you meatballs for the first 15 minutes to keep them from falling apart. enjoy and remember to just nod your head when your family tells you just how much they love you.

aw mom, you're the best. yes, yes i know. now mangi, mangi!

open face cucumber sandwich

help, i can not stop eating these. i gobbled this one right after i snapped the photo- gone, history, sayonara. it is not my fault, i have no control. it's, it's, it's lauri's fault, yeah, that's right, sounds good. you see my lifelong friend created this lovely combo, so i blame her(someone's gotta take the fall). she makes these little babies for her "talk of the town" tea parties. i tell you there is nothing, next to boiling water, that could be simpler to do. all you need is a few slices of your favorite bread. i prefer bakery pumpernickel. you can cut it into any shape or size you would like or not. spread vegetable cream cheese straight from the philly container and pile on the cukes to your liking. oh mama, these are goooood and oooooh so addicting. the only thing better, will be homegrown cucumbers, courtesy of my brother's garden. meanwhile, i guess i have no choice, but to make do with their pale and less tasty grocery store cousins. enjoy.