Gelatin Poke Cake

Here is a true summertime favorite, Gelatin Poke Cake.  A friend from church made this for potluck.  Recently, I made it for a ladies group.  It's super yummy, moist and easy to make.  This recipe can most likely be found in church or community cookbooks.  I found mine online at Duncan Hines

Ingredients

• 1 Small Box of Strawberry Flavored Gelatin or other favorite flavor ( You could do orange and do a pineapple/coconut topping with the whipped cream).
• 1 Box Duncan Hines White Cake Mix
• 1 1/3 Cups Water
• 1/2 Cup Vegetable Oil or Apple Sauce 
• 3 Eggs
• 1 Cup Boiling Water
• 1 Cup Cold Water
• 1 Container  Light Whipped Topping
• Sliced strawberries or sprinkles for topping

To Make

Prepare the cake mix as directed on the box and pour the batter into a 13" x 9" greased baking  pan.   Bake as directed. 

After it is baked, take it out and allow the cake to cool.

As the cake is cooling, you can prepare the Jello. 

To do this,  dissolve package of gelatin in 1 cup of boiling water.  Then, add 1 cup of cold water. 

Now, you want to take a skewer (some people use a fork) and poke holes all around your cake.   Pour the gelatin mixture evenly over the cake.  Now, cover and put in the frig for a couple of hours to set. 

When you are about to serve the cake, top it with the whipped cream and berries or other decorations.  Enjoy!

A quick snack

We just got home from a long two weeks mostly away from home. I say mostly because when we were at home, I was either at a friend's baby shower or at the hospital with my mom (who was very, very sick, but is now home getting better there).  We came home to nothing in the pantry or frig that I wanted.  Then, I remembered something my friends make for our Bible study group: Homemade cinnamon tortillas.  Super easy to do too.

Here's what you need:
Tortillas (I cut up 3, but I think 1 or 2 would do just fine)
Pam or other spray oil that is butter flavored
Cinnamon
Sugar or Splenda

Cut your tortillas in pieces 

Arrange on a cookie sheet and spray with your butter flavored oil

Generously sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar/Splenda

Bake at 350 for 12-15 minutes or until they look toasted. Warning, if you are really hungry for a snack like I was, the amazing scent is almost too much to bear.  I couldn't wait to get my hands on the chips! Kinda think of it, if you are trying to sell your home or are having people over and you want your home to smell good, bake some of these babies up. 

In the past, I've had these when they are cooled.  But they are really yummy warmed up and fresh from the oven.  These keep pretty well in an air tight container for later snacking. 

Baking With Ben

When Ben was 2, a good friend who I grew up with was telling me about classes her son started taking when he was 2...cooking classes!  I was so surprised.  I didn't realize a little one could pay attention so well and would actually do good in the kitchen.  So I tried it out.  You know what?  Since we tried it out, he has been my little helper ever since.  He loves to bake. 

Try it with your kids. 

First, get everything set up like they do on cooking shows that you watch on TV.  Get everything pre-measured and in containers that little fingers can grab.  I even crack open eggs and put them in a plastic mug so it will be easy for him to dump. 

Next, get your child so they are at a level that is easy for them to work. Here, I have Ben set up on a high stool up against the counter top. It may be easier to put them in their high chair or at the family dinner table. 

Then, I point to whatever the recipe calls for and let him put it in the bowl.  He likes to stir the mixture too. 

The best part is licking the spoon afterward, but make sure there aren't any raw eggs in your mixture.  Raw eggs can contain salmonella and make you sick.  

When it comes to putting things in the oven or taking it out, that is for grown ups or big, big kids to do.  Always be cautious with little people around an oven...and teach them to not play with the door.

Have you tried to cook with your little person?  How did it go?  Do you have a favorite thing that you make together?  

Fruit Pizza

This recipe is one of my favorites.  I love it when others bring it to meetings.  Tonight, I have L.I.F.T. (Ladies in Faith Together) at church.  We always bring a snack to share.  When I was making it, I thought it looked very patriotic.  So, if you wanted, you could use it for Memorial Day coming up!
If you have a recipe like this, but it's different a little, I'd love to hear how you fix yours.  I'm always tweaking recipes that I find.
Ingredients:
* sugar cookie dough package (18 oz)
* 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 tsp. vanilla
* 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (it was too sweet for me, so I used the lemon juice to cut it a bit).
* small can crushed pineapple, try to get out the juice.
* berries and other fruit like kiwi, grapes, oranges (I don't use oranges because I'm allergic to them)

1. Roll out cookie dough onto pizza pan and bake to the directions on the package.  Let cool completely.

2. Mix everything but the fruit together. I used a folk to really mix it well. Place in frig until ready to use. 

3. After the cookie is cooled, smooth mixture on top. 

4. Now, mix in your pineapple

5. Top with fruit

6. Refrigerate to set.  My mom taught me to use toothpicks before placing plastic wrap on food so that the wrap doesn't stick to the food.  Enjoy!

p.s. If you aren't yet, I'd love for you to be my friend here in blogland :) You can find me on Blogger or on FB or through e-mails. 

Red Day

As a way to teach Ben his colors, I have decided to spend a full day focusing on each one. I won't be able to do it every day (just a day here, a day there). My mom did this with me when I was little. And recently, I've seen them featured on various blogs. Here is our take:

 

First, we wear red clothes. 

Then, we read books with the color red like this one about the ladybug and of course Clifford the Big Red dog. I found these at our library. 

I also got videos with the color red: Elmo is red and so are firetrucks.

We ate red foods on a red plate. I got lucky having a red plate :)

Here we have strawberries, apples and tomatoes. He also got a red icee pop and red Jello. 

 

We'll do another Red Day and have beets, red peppers, spaghetti, etc. 

And finally, we did a craft. I want to do a ladybug out of a paper plate. But we had church stuff going on tonight, so we did a simple craft instead. 

I took red construction paper, wrote "Red" on it,  cut out pictures of things that were red and just red paper out of a magazine. Then, I let him glue stick it all on the red paper.

He had more fun with the glue stick, but oh well. 

Don't forget to hang the artwork on the frig :)