Strawberry - Cream Cheese Cake

One Strawberry cake mix

One Strawberry instant pudding mix

Combine the dry cake mix and dry pudding mix. Mix and bake according to the cake mix

directions. The cake pictured was cooked in an 8 inch (upper layer) and a 9 inch (lower

layer) springform pan. Let cake cool completely.

Middle Layer:

1 block of cream cheese, softened

2 tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 teaspoon lemon extracts

1/2 cup powdered sugar

1 small tub of Cool Whip

Beat butter and cream cheese until smooth. Add vanilla and lemon extracts,

beat until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. Beat in Cool Whip. 

Place this between the two cake layers (it will be as thick as the cake). Gently

press down on top cake layer and then smooth out the filling along the edges

of the cake.

ICING

In a saucepan:

melt 1/3 cup butter

Combine 1 1/2 cups sugar with 2 tablespoons of flour and mix well. Add this

to the melted butter. Add 1/3 cup milk. Stir. Slowly bring to a low boil, stirring frequently.

Simmer / boil x 60 seconds. Remove from heat and set the sauce pan in a bowl of

ice. Add 1 tablespoon strawberry extract and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Keep the

pan sitting inside the bowl of ice while using a hand mixer to beat the icing. Beat

icing until it is slightly thicker than syrup. Pour icing over cake. You could beat in a bit of 

food color paste if you want to dress it up a bit.

Mimi's Coconut Cake

French Vanilla or yellow or white Cake Mix

1 box of instant coconut pudding mix

small tub of Cool whip - thawed

2 or 3 packages of frozen coconut - thawed

(frozen coconut is by the cool whip and frozen fruit in the freezer case at WalMart)

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup sour cream

Combine the pudding and cake mix powders, then prepare the cake according to the

cake box instructions. Cook in 2 round pans. I use an 8 inch and a 9 inch spring form

pan, using the wider cake for the lower two layers of the cake. If using regular cake

pans, line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper. Allow cake to cool.

Slice each cake in half so that you have 4 layers.

Mix the cup of sugar and the cup of sour cream with a spoon. Apply a third of this

"syrup" to the top surface of the bottom layer of cake. Sprinkle a bit of the  coconut 

over the syrup. Place the next layer of cake on and repeat the "syrup" and  coconut.

Repeat with the third layer. Top with 4th layer. Use a spatula to dress top and sides

of cake with Cool Whip. Pat remaining coconut along sides and on top of cake.

Cover with plastic wrap. Keep refrigerated.

Cranberry Salad

Large Box Strawberry Jello

2 cups boiling water

1 can cranberry sauce

1 large can crushed pineapple

Dissolve jello in the 2 cups of boiling water. Use a fork to stir and mash up the cranberry sauce as you take it out of the can. Add to the dissolved jello. Stir in crushed pineapple. Transfer to a 9x13 glass casserole dish. Refrigerate until jello is completely set.

Topping:

8 ounce cream cheese, softened

8 ounce sour cream

1/2 cup powdered sugar

Beat cream cheese until smooth. Beat in powdered sugar until smooth. LAST, add the sour cream and beat until smooth. Adding the sour cream last helps make a smoother topping. Spread over set jello salad. Garnish with chopped walnuts or pecans if desired. Keep refrigerated.

Bubba Chow

5 cups multi grain cheerios

5 cups chex cereal (your choice)

2 cups cashews

small bag of butter flavored pretzels (Target sometimes has) - regular will do if you can't find butter flavor; suggest small size sticks or other design

2 - 3 cups regular m & m's

small package dried cranberries / cherry flavor - optional

2 packages of Nestle' or Hershey's vanilla chips

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Slightly overlap two 2 - 3 foot long pieces of waxed paper.

In a huge bowl combine cereals, pretzels, cashews, m & m's and cranberries; stir. In a microwave safe bowl, combine both bags of vanilla chips and the oil. Microwave on high, uncovered, for 1 minute. Stir. Return to microwave for 20-30 second intervals, stirring each time, until chips have completely melted. Pour over cereal mix and stir until coated. Pour out onto waxed paper and spread out mixture to cool and dry. Store in air tight container.

PUMPKIN ROLL

Ingredients

1 cup sugar

3/4 cup flour

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 - 1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 eggs, beaten well

1/2 can pumpkin (about 2/3 cup)

1 teaspoon lemon juice

Prepare baking pan and prepare powdered sugar coated cloth first - see instructions and pictures below. Mix dry ingredients together and stir thoroughly. Add beaten eggs, pumpkin and lemon juice and stir until thoroughly combine. Pour batter into parchment paper - lined 10-11 x 15 inch pan. Bake at 375 for 12 - 14 minutes. Do not overbake as this will cause the cake to break when you roll it. Please see diagrams below.

Filling Ingredients:

1 cup walnuts or pecans, toasted - optional

8 oz cream cheese, softened

4 tablespoons butter, softened

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon almond extract

1 cup powdered sugar

Beat softened cream cheese and softened butter until smooth. Add extracts and beat until smooth. Slowly add in the 1 cup of powdered sugar and beat until well blended. Spread over cake and top with toasted nuts. See diagrams below.

To toast pecans or walnuts: spread nuts in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Place in oven at 250 degrees for about 20 minutes.

Line a 10-11" x 15" pan with parchment paper. If you will lightly spray the pan with cooking oil first, the parchment paper will stay in place better. Trim excessively tall edges of the paper with scissors. Spread raw batter evenly over the parchment paper.

You will need a flour-sack dishcloth that is larger than your cake pan. Spread some powdered sugar on the dishcloth - slightly larger than the cake pan.

Carefully dump the cooked batter out on the powdered sugar area of the dishcloth.

Peel off the parchment paper and discard.

While the cake is still hot, carefully roll it up, dishcloth and all, starting from a short end. Cool completely on a wire rack - you can put it in the refrigerator to speed up the cooling process.

Once the roll has cooled, carefully unroll it and spread the cream cheese mixture over the top. Sprinkle on toasted nuts. Leave about an inch on one short end bare. Start on the opposite short end and begin re-rolling. Transfer to a serving dish. Sprinkle a little powdered sugar over the top. Slice a piece off both ends to improve the looks of it and cover with plastic wrap. Store in the refrigerator. The cake is more moist and tastes best after a day or two in the refrigerator.