Simply Sweet

Was very good. I used cherry gelatin, a big can of fruit cocktail and about 3/4 cups of nuts stirred in. Might try peach jello with peaches or orange with canned oranges.


16 ounce container frozen whipped topping thawed
6 ounce package favorite-flavor gelatin mix
15 ounce can fruit cocktail, drained
1 1/2 cup chopped nuts, divided

Combine whipped topping and gelatin in a large bowl, add fruit. Stir in one cup of nuts - mixing until well blended. Sprinkle with remaining nuts. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

Cheesy Potato Puffs

I tried these on 5-31 and they were okay but not as good as I thought they would be. I am not a fan of bacon bits so if I would do them again I wouldn't roll them as thick in the pieces.



4 ounce package instant mashed potatoes
1/2 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
1/2 cup bacon bits

Prepare instant potatoes according to package directions and let cool. Stir in cheese, roll into 1 1/2" balls. Roll balls in bacon bits, arrange on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 18 minutes. Serves 4.

Strawberry Pie

Some of you might have this, it was 1 of the 3 recipes that I sent out in my Christmas cards last year. My boss gave it to me last year and we really like it.

1 small box strawberry jello
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons cornstarch
12 ounces 7-Up

Cook till thick. Cool completely. Then add 1 quart strawberries that have been cut up. Put into a baked pie crust. Serve with cool whip if desired.


I have started using graham cracker crust and people really like it.

Shredded Beef Sandwiches

I made this today for supper and everybody liked it.

1 can (10 1/2 oz) condensed beef broth undiluted
1 cup ketchup
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup lemon juice
3 tablespoons steak sauce
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 beef eye round roast (3 1/2 pounds) cut in half
1 teaspoon salt

In a small bowl, whisk the first eight ingredients. Pour half of mixture into a 5 quart slow cooker. Sprinkle beef with salt, add to slow cooker and top with remaining broth mixture.

Cover and cook on low for 10-12 hours or until meat is tender. Shred meat with two forks and return to slow cooker. Using a slotted spoon place 1/2 cup beef mixture on each bun. Top with pickles if desired.

(Mine took about 9 hours)

This is my baby.

The red flower basket DH got for me and the last 2 I purchased yesterday.

Picture of our frontyard fish pond. Haven't worked on it yet this year besides the four pots of flowers that I planted today. Pond has to be pumped out and cleaned and the rocks for the waterfall will get redone. Normally our fish live thru the winter but this year we lost all. 1 pot is all hummingbird--pinapple sage, cigar plant, and hummingbird sage, another is a red ger., one is lantana, creeping zinna, verbera and some type of blue flower and one is the red million bells. Day lillies need to be divided this year. The other plant is a spinning evening primrose that I got starts from my grandma from. It blooms yellow and opens its flowers at about 8 p.m. at night. Smell great when they open. Blooms drop off next day. They spin open.

Simple Chocolate Cheesecakes

24 vanilla wafer cookies
2-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup cocoa
2 tablespoons flour
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
Topping (recipe follows)
canned cherry pie filling, chilled

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin pans with foil baking cups. Place one vanilla wafer in the bottom of each sup. In large mixing bowl beat cream cheese and sugar. Add cocoa and flour. Add eggs, beat well. Blend in sour cream and vanilla. Fill each cup almost full with cheese mixture. Bake 15-20 minutes or just until set. Remove from oven, cool 5-10 minutes. Spoon heaping teaspoonful topping on center of each cup. Cool completely and chill. Garnich with cherry pie filling before serving.

Topping
In a small bowl combine 1 cup sour cream, 2 tablespoons sugar, and 1 teaspoon vanilla, stir until sugar dissolves.

The same co-worker brought these and the Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars (recipe below) to work today. Both were VERY GOOD!

Double Chocolate Fantasy Bars

1 chocolate cake mix
1/3 cup oil
1 egg
1 cup chopped nuts
1 (14 oz) Eagle Brand Milk (sweetened condensed)
1 (6 oz) pkg. semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
dash salt

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix, oil and egg on meduim speed until crumbly. Add nuts. Reserving 1 1/2 cups of the crumb mixture, press remainder firmly on bottom of greased 13 X 9 baking pan. In a small saucepan, combine remaining ingredients. Over meduim heat, cook and stir unti ships are melted. Pour evenly over prepared crust. Top with reserved crumb mixture. Bake 25-30 minutes or until bubbly. Cool. Cut into bars. Store loosely covered at room temperature.

I am posting a few pictures that I took today. Remember if you click picture it enlarges. See the bluebird better. That is my favorite bird.

Orange Poppies
1 of our 5 Clematiss that is blooming
Eastern Bluebird by our pasture
Eastern Bluebird our one of the blackberry post. We are taking those post out and putting it up on hedge post
5 baby bluebirds--the first fledging of the season. They will leave soon. The parents weren't happy with me messing around there.
Our kitten. It is named "Little Tommy" She just had 1 and my DH totally has taken to this one. He is even considering putting a kitty door in the new shed we are putting up for it.