INGREDIENTS:

• 1 graham cracker pie crust
• Chocolate pudding mix
• Milk (amount listed in pudding mix directions)
• Chocolate candy bar or chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate chips)
• Strawberries
• Whipped Cream

DIRECTIONS:

Mix the pudding according to directions and pour into pie crust.  Cut up chocolate into small chunks and scatter across the top of the pie.  Wash strawberries thoroughly and completely (remember strawberries are in the top 10 for high amounts of pesticides), cut in half, and decorate the top of the pie with them.  Add whipped cream.  Enjoy!

Note:  I made this for my husband for Father’s Day.  So very simple, but he was impressed and loved it!

Happy 4th of July to everyone here in the states!  Hope you have a wonderful weekend and enjoy being together with family &/or friends.  To those of you in other countries, hope you have a great weekend too!

I wish we could sit down at my table and have some homemade chewy fudge brownies and fresh-made lemon tea together.  I would tell you about the Mickey Mouse high chair that you can see in the picture.  It was our daughter’s and then our son’s high chair many years ago.  The last couple of years, it was used by our grandson “J,”  and then baby “C” came along and “J” graduated to a booster seat.  So now, “C” sits in the place of honor where his mommy sat 28 years ago.

Then I would probably show you the blue pottery between the plant and lamp.  Our son-in-law made that for me one time, I think for my birthday.  It’s one of my treasures because it was handmade by him.   There are a lot of other things we could talk about and I would love to hear about you!  That’s one thing I miss about the internet.  Everything is usually so fast paced and people are so far apart.  But I’m thankful that I’ve gotten to make new friends, and at least we can “talk” to each other online.

Here’s an easy recipe for the reduced-fat brownies you see pictured.  You cannot tell they’re reduced-fat. Our son (college age)  even commented that they were good brownies! (I used to always make things from scratch, but this past year I have gotten to the point sometimes of needing something easy and quick.  Walmart had these mixes on sale for 75 cents a while back, so that was really a great deal.)

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• Duncan Hines Chewy Fudge Brownies mix for 13″x9″ pan
• 1 egg  (instead of 2 eggs – these were gooey brownies so you might want 2 eggs if you prefer a more cake-like consistency)
  
• 1/6 cup unsweetened applesauce
  
• 3 tablespoons water (instead of 1/4 cup)
  
• 1/4 cup oil (instead of 1/2 cup)

Mix the above ingredients until well mixed, about one minute.  Bake in greased 13″x9″ pan at 350 degrees according to directions on the box.

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Using the microwave makes this fudge super easy!  Great for Valentine’s Day!

INGREDIENTS:

• 12 ounces semisweet chocolate chips
• 14 ounces sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (optional)

In a microwave-safe bowl, combine the chocolate chips, milk, and salt.  Microwave on 50% power for 1 minute.  Stir.  If not melted completely, heat at 15 second intervals until completely melted.  Take out of microwave and add vanilla and nuts.   Pour fudge into 8 or 9 inch square pan, lined with wax paper.  Chill in fridge until firm.

Val from Val’s Kitchen writes “But Isn’t Eating the Dough Half the Fun?“ Even though I grew up eating raw cookie dough, all the talk about not eating raw cookie dough makes me hesitant and so I refrain from eating it.  Good news, though!  I have a delicious cookie recipe for Eggless Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookies that our daughter gave me.  And this raw cookie dough is safe to eat because it does not contain eggs.  Now we can safely eat the dough!  Yay!

I really like the taste of fudge and pecans together, so this recipe sounds delicious to me!  

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups pecan pieces, toasted on a cookie sheet for 5 or 6 minutes at 350 degrees
• 16 ounces confectioners sugar
• 1/4 cup cocoa
• 8 ounces cream cheese
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 cup chopped nuts, your choice (optional)

Mix sugar and cocoa.  Place cream cheese in double boiler, stirring until melted but not bubbly.  Do not let it cook!  Remove from heat and stir in sugar/cocoa mixture.  Add vanilla, toasted pecans and chopped nuts.  Place in a greased pie plate or dish.  Cool completely and then cut into bite-size pieces.  Store tightly covered in fridge.

My mother-in-law has been interested in Amish people, factual and fictional books about Amish people, and Amish cooking for many, many years.  She even has a beautiful quilt on her bed that she bought in an Amish store.  Knowing this, a friend of my mother-in-law’s sent her this Amish recipe.  I think it sounds delicious and thought I would share it.  Someone might want to make it for a New Year’s Eve party coming up in a couple of days.  (Our son-in-law really likes peanut butter!  C, do you think he would like this?)  

Here’s the recipe:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 pounds white chocolate
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 cups peanuts
• 2 cups marshmallows
• 3 cups rice krispies

Using a double boiler or the microwave, melt white chocolate.  Stir in peanut butter until well mixed.  Stir in the remaining ingredients.  Pour into a 9×13 pan.   Wait until it has cooled completely and then cut into squares.

Healthy Eats has a recipe for sugar cookies that is a healthier version.

INGREDIENTS:

• 4 cups flour
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 3/4 cup canola oil
• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 2 large eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• Sprinkles

Mix together first 3 dry ingredients.  Use a mixer to mix oil, orange juice, eggs, and vanilla on low speed.  Slowly add dry mixture and mix until dough forms and pulls away from the edge of the bowl.  Cover and chill dough in fridge for 1-2 hours.

Roll out dough to 1/4 inch thickness.  Cut out with cookie cutters.  Top with sprinkles.  Bake on greased cookie sheets at 350 degrees for 15-20 minutes or until edges are brown.  Let cool for 10 minutes.

This is definitely a recipe for holiday occasions.  I’m not sure if this is a recipe they use in their bakery or one they recommend.  Either way, it sounds delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups sugar
• 1 cup shortening
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• 5 cups flour

Cream sugar and shortening in a large bowl.  Add eggs.  Blend in salt and vanilla.  Mix baking soda and buttermilk in a bowl.  Add flour and buttermilk to sugar mixture, alternating until the dough is stiff enough to handle.  Take some of the dough and roll out on a floured surface.  Roll it out to 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick, depending on how crisp you want the cookies.  Cut out with cookie cutters and place on cookie sheet that has been covered with parchment paper.  Sprinkle with colored sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for a few minutes, until lightly browned.  Let cool on cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing them.

This sounds like a fun recipe to make with children:

• 1 cup of your favorite ice cream – NOT ice milk
• 1 cup self-rising flour

Let ice cream set out at room temperature until thoroughly melted, but still cold.  Fold in the flour.  Do not overstir.  Pour into greased muffin tin.  Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes.   Makes 6 muffins.

These sound so good plus they have healthy ingredients:  pumpkin, dates, walnuts, and spices.  A perfect muffin to serve guests for breakfast during the holidays:

INGREDIENTS:

• 2/3 cup milk
• 3/4 cup canned pumpkin
• 1 large egg
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup dates, chopped
• 1/2 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 1/2 cup flour
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/3 cup butter, melted

Beat milk, pumpkin, and egg.  Add spices, salt, dates, and nuts.  Mix flour, sugar, and baking powder together.  Blend pumpkin mixture into flour mixture.  Fold in melted butter.  Pour into muffin tins.  Bake at 400 degrees for 20 minutes.  Makes 12 muffins.