Strawberry Pretzel Salad

A few weeks ago, I made a dinner for a friend who had undergone some surgery and was home recovering. For dessert, I made this Strawberry Pretzel Salad recipe from my aunt, Bev. It's one of my sister and my favorites when we're home for family picnics in the summer! It makes a 9x13 quantity, but I made it in two 8x8 pans. One for my friend's dessert and the other for a stamping workshop here at the house.

Strawberry Pretzel Salad

1st Layer:
2 c. crushed pretzels (pulse in a food processor)
1/4 c. granulated sugar
3/4 c. melted butter

Bake at 400F for 6 min. Cool completely.

2nd Layer:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. granulated sugar
8 oz. Cool Whip

Cream together cream cheese and sugar. Fold in Cool Whip. Spread over cooled pretzel crust.

3rd Layer:
6 oz. strawberry Jell-O
2-10 oz. pkg. frozen strawberries without sugar

Dissolve Jell-O in 2 c. boiling water. Add strawberries and stir till mixed. Chill until almost thickened. Spread over cream cheese layer. Chill until serving time.

Sorry! I forgot to take a picture! Thanks for stopping by!

Veggie Pizza & Orange Cream Fruit Salad

Saturday, I hosted a stamp camp here at the house. I always make a light lunch or snacks for the ladies. This time, I made some Veggie Pizza. I've also heard it called Finger Salad. I had a recipe for this from Pampered Chef, but it used garlic and dill, and I didn't care for the flavor of the spread. My mother-in-law makes it every summer for the family reunion, so I called and got her recipe instead.

Veggie Pizza

2-8 oz. pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese
1 c. mayonnaise
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing
Assorted fresh vegetables, chopped
Shredded cheese

Note: If you purchase dried ranch dressing in bulk to make yourself, use approximately 3 T.

Note: I use broccoli; cauliflower; red or yellow bell pepper; and shredded carrots.

Roll out the crescents on a large baking sheet. Bake 12-15 min. in a 350 oven until light brown. Cool completely.

Combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and ranch dressing mix with a mixer till well combined and smooth. Spread evenly over completely cooled crescents.

Sprinkle chopped vegetables evenly over pizza.

Finish by sprinkling shredded cheese evenly over pizza, as heavily as you like it.

Refrigerate at least 30 min. before serving.

In addition to the Veggie Pizza I served some Orange Cream Fruit Salad for dessert. I was in the mood for light and healthy snacks! I've made this dish before and posted about it previously here. Thanks for stopping by!

Penguins Win the Stanley Cup!

Pittsburgh Rocks!!!

Did I tell ya' I'm a Pennsylvania girl? Woo hoo!! The Pittsburgh Penguins played a fantastic Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals--in Detroit, nonetheless--and won the Stanley Cup!!! Pittsburgh Rocks!! Home of the Super Bowl Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and now the Stanley Cup Champion Pittsburgh Penguins!! Go Black and Gold!!! Thanks for stopping by!

BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups

I needed something quick and easy for dinner last night, so I made these BBQ Cheddar Chicken Roll-Ups. My boys are very picky eaters, and they weren't terribly fond of them, but Jim and I liked them. Have them with a side salad, and it's a great meal filled with healthy vegetables! Thanks for stopping by!

Warm Caramel Bananas

Don't immediately wrinkle your nose and say, "Yuk!" when you read this recipe. It's actually pretty good. I had a sweet craving the other day and some bananas that were starting to get overripe, so I made some Warm Caramel Bananas. I made them once or twice a long time ago, so I made some to use up my bananas and feed my sweet tooth. I don't put the peanuts in this recipe, and I don't add the chocolate or whipped topping at the end either. I just make the sauce/syrup with the bananas. That takes some of the calories out and makes it not quite so sinfully rich, right? Thanks for stopping by!

Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds

I made this Pasta with Zucchini and Toasted Almonds from the June Cooking Light as a side dish with some grilled chicken breasts for dinner. It was great! The almonds and cheese at the end really make the dish. I was curious to see what adding fresh mint to a savory dish would be like, and it was wonderful. I didn't add the extra mint at the end as a garnish, because I didn't want it to be overpowering. This was a great summertime dish. Thanks for stopping by!

Steamwhistle Hot Dogs

These Steamwhistle Hot Dogs were a quick lunch after church Sunday afternoon. No, I don't need a recipe to make hot dogs, but these made something a little more special and tasty than just plain old hot dogs. Give them a try! Thanks for stopping by!

Sausage with Peppers and Pasta

We've been back from vacation for a week now. I made us breakfast and lunch while we were on vacation, but for the most part, we went out for dinner. Now I'm having a little trouble getting back into the routine of cooking dinner every evening! I picked some quick and easy recipes for the menu this week.

The new Kraft Foods magazine was in the mailbox when we got home, so I picked a few recipes out of it to try. This evening, I made Sausage with Peppers and Pasta, and it was pretty good--filling, but not heavy. I couldn't find Italian sausage at the grocery store, so I just used some smoked turkey sausage. I didn't have the exact blend of shredded cheese either, so I just used what I had. It turned out just fine. Thanks for stopping by!

Pens Can Go Up a Game Tonight!

The Pittsburgh Penguins have tied the Stanley Cup Playoffs with the Detroit Redwings at two games each! The Pens can go ahead tonight by winning the 5th game of the series. Go Pens! Thanks for stopping by!