Creamy Cheesy Pie, Yum!

The past few days here in Western MA, as in so many other parts of our country, have been hot and humid.  Even with A/C, forget turning on the oven for any baking.  Life is good using our outdoor grill at dinner time.  Ice cream is just plain refreshing later in the evening!  Vanilla is my favorite flavor, what is yours?  Orange Pineapple is so good, but not always available!

Speaking of the flavor vanilla, vanilla Creamy Cheesy Pie is not baked in a hot oven!  I was introduced to this delicious, no fuss recipe many years ago by my mother-in-law.  Before tasting her quick make pie, I always baked a cheesecake using a couple of packages of cream cheese, a spring-form pan and directions that needed to be followed.  

While we were down visiting quite a few years ago she opened her fridge after dinner and out came a cheesecake.  It was vanilla flavored and had a graham cracker crust that was purchased.  She served it with fresh berries and whipped cream.  It was mighty fine!  So, I did what one does when something looks and tastes really good...I requested the recipe - much to her great joy!  It was already a fact to her and to my father-in-law that I cooked.  They had never met anyone (before me) who prepared fresh corn and stored the kernels in freezer bags for meals in the winter.  They had lived in NYC in an apartment before relocating to FL.  I grew up in Western MA and my family had two large gardens.  :)

This "easy does it" delicious cheesecake requires 4 ingredients:  (1) package of Cook & Serve Pudding Mix, Milk, 8 oz. Cream Cheese and a Graham Cracker Pie Shell. 

Creamy Cheesy Pie 

 Ingredients:

(1) pkg. Cook & Serve Vanilla Pudding Mix
(1) pkg. 8 oz. Cream Cheese
(2) Cups Milk
(1) Pre-made Graham Cracker Pie Shell

Method:

1. Prepare Pudding according to package directions.
2. Place Cream Cheese in a medium bowl.
3. Pour hot Pudding over Cream Cheese and whisk until smooth.
4. Pour mixture into Graham Cracker crust.  Smooth mixture to crust edges.
5. Cool - maybe 30 minutes and cover with plastic wrap.  I leave small amount unwrapped on edge.
6. Refrigerate overnight.
7. Cut into slices.  Add whipped cream on top.
8. Place berries on the side.
9. Refrigerate remaining pie to enjoy again.  Yum!

**My family uses 1% Milk, so I add 1 Tablespoon powdered milk into pot before making pudding.  

**I use Jello brand pudding mix, because when using the Jello brand I do not burn the pot.  :) 

Yesterday afternoon Vanilla Creamy Cheesy Pie was prepared and tonight we will enjoy it after dinner.  :) 

My son has prepared this yummy dessert using Jello chocolate pudding and the word is, "It tastes great!!!"

Do you make easy, no fuss, delicious desserts during the summer?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

 

Blueberry Season is here!!!

The local blueberries are available at roadside stands!  On Friday afternoon it was time to stop working on my sewing project.  My blue shorts were put on hold.  My DH & I drove out to Calabrese Farms in Southwick to purchase our year's supply of blueberries.  For me it is a tradition started in  my childhood to prepare & freeze the sweet, juicy, blue fruits of the summer.  Years ago (we'll forget about the number), my family would spend a day in August picking these tasty small pieces of fruit and pay for them by the pound.  There was a procedure involved - first the buckets were weighed after arriving at the blueberry fields.  I prefer my new method - purchase a large quantity of quarts already picked.  :)  

Later on Friday afternoon a large amount of the scrumptious berries were prepared to be frozen.  After going through them, they were double washed, drained, packed in Ziploc Freezer bags, labeled and dated.  

Now, Blueberries are also in our fridge!  Who can resist reaching into a container and getting a handful, especially when so many are available?  Rinse and a tasty, healthy snack awaits!  Oh, there has been snacking.  One batch of Blueberry Freezer Jam was made yesterday and another today.  

I also see a batch of Yummy Blueberry Muffins on the horizon.  If you'd like my recipe, click and print a  recipe card.  I use an Egg and also Egg Whites when baking these light, yummy muffins.  Cinnamon is also added.  One batch yields 22 muffins and they also freeze very well!  So good!       

Are local blueberries available to you?  Do you add them to cold cereal?  Have you made Blueberry Freezer Jam?  It's easy to make and tastes delicious!  Does you family like Blueberry Muffins?

Yummy!
Enjoy!

                     



               

Nice and easy!

Last week’s heat wave resulted in totally appreciating our A/C. Since keeping cool was the top priority, it was the perfect opportunity to thread a bobbin or two and start my Janome humming. Over the years I’ve always believed that one needs to be “in the mood” to sew, just in case a seam or two need to be ripped out. :) 

Grilled fish was the perfect choice for dinner and there were choices. “Wild caught” fresh Sockeye Salmon or “wild caught” fresh Swordfish were featured at my local grocery store, Big Y. Just the selection for dinner on a very hot evening!

Fruit salads at lunchtime tasted so good and still do this week! Yes, Banana slices were included along with the sweet red grapes and pieces of juicy cantaloupe. We devour much more fruit in the summer. Do you?

Summer is the time to take it easy! It is nice!

Sockeye Salmon Will Be Grilled Tonight!

It’s July! It’s hot and humid outside! It’s time for fresh "wild caught” Alaskan Grilled Sockeye Salmon for dinner! My local grocery store (Big Y) is featuring this delicious, healthy, colorful fish in the Seafood Dept. Last Friday at dinnertime we enjoyed this very tasty dinner and tonight will be a repeat. Yummy!

The preparation is so easy. Neither fancy sauces nor salty additions are needed to accent the taste of this scrumptious fish. A metal grilling basket or container is needed. It prevents the fillet from dropping down into the grill. :)

Grilled Sockeye Salmon

• Spray grilling basket (container) with PAM.
• Heat grill.

1. On a large dish pour about 2 TBS. Olive Oil.
2. Sprinkle a little Paprika on top.
3. Rinse a Salmon Fillet in running cold water, place on the Olive Oil/Paprika.
4. Turn the fish over to coat the skin side.
5. Place the Salmon Fillet in grilling basket on grill.
6. Half way through, turn over and grill the other side.
7. Enjoy!

• The amount of needed grilling time depends on the size of the piece of salmon and the grill.
• A 1 lb. piece requires 5 – 7 minutes on each side.

*** Note: With our grill we usually grill each side 7 minutes. The 1 lb. fillet is usually thick.

A microwaved “Baked Potato” and Sauteed Combo served along with Grilled Sockeye Salmon is a meal we enjoy often during the hot summer months. With the local Zucchini available at our roadside stands, it’s great to eat these colorful prepared fresh veggies.

This is another family favorite that I posted almost two years ago and we still enjoy this scrumptious dinner! I wait for our local grocery to have a special on this “Wild Caught” fish.

Do you/your family enjoy fish? Do you prepare it at home? Do you like Alaskan Sockeye Salmon?  It’s easy to prepare and tasty to eat!

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Enjoy the 4th of July!

This morning we savored the combination of a slice of melted American Cheese and a fried Egg sandwiched between a toasted Raisin English Muffin. Usually, I use as few whole eggs when cooking/baking as possible, but for a quick and easy breakfast, this combination is the best!

About two years ago I posted Egg Cheesy Raisin Muffin. This simple breakfast still remains a family favorite. The only difficult obstacle in preparing this yummy, quick and easy breakfast is remembering to add Raisin English Muffins to my grocery list!

Enjoy!

Yummy!

On this special day in July have a good and safe holiday.

Happy Fourth of July!!!

Strawberries!

It’s June and definitely Strawberry season! Hmm, perhaps I should clarify this a bit – the end of June is approaching and the local fresh Strawberry season will be coming to a close soon. Every year, as far back as I can remember, I have prepared and then placed fresh Strawberries in the freezer. While growing up it was a tradition of summer. My sister & I would help our mom with the Strawberries detail. Then, came the Blueberries.

(File Photo)

Knowing how much my family enjoys Strawberries on Oatmeal Pancakes, ice cream, or in fruit salads throughout the year, Meadowbrook Farm in East Longmeadow was my destination on Monday morning. An overflowing 8-quart container plus two additional quarts were purchased.

Most of these delicious, juicy, fragrant, red berries were placed in Ziploc Freezer Bags. However, first the tops were removed. The berries were double washed in cold water, sliced and then packaged and dated.

Today was the day for Strawberry Freezer Jam. Certo, Lemon Juice, Sugar and 1-cup freezer containers are also needed. Freezer Jam is great! The directions are located inside a box of Certo.

After getting the 2 batches completed, the containers will sit undisturbed for 24 hours on my Dining Room table. Tomorrow after the 24 hours pass, they will be placed in the freezer.  June has been a very busy month, but the desired trip to Meadowbrook Farm for Strawberries was made. Nothing compares to fresh local fruit or produce!

Now, I will also be able to bake Strawberry Banana Bread, again!

Do you purchase local fresh fruit?  Do you make Freezer Jam?

Enjoy!
Yummy!

Strawberry Banana Bread, Yum!

In the past I’ve mentioned that Bananas are not a favorite fruit of mine. Well, that certainly is in the past. Yes, every day I do savor the sweet taste of a potassium filled Banana, because it is healthy. But somehow there usually is one remaining Banana in our fruit bowl that is spotted. That is a “Baking Banana”.

The Blueberry Banana Bread is a big hit with my family. Now, Strawberry season is here, but in our freezer there was one last remaining Ziploc Freezer bag containing halved Strawberries. And, lo and behold there were three overripe Bananas waiting!

You guessed it! I substituted the defrosted Strawberries that were cut into ¼’s and into the batter they went. Strawberry Banana Bread sure tastes mighty fine! Do you enjoy the combination of Strawberries and Bananas? Yummy!

Strawberry Banana Bread

Oven:  350ºF     Time:  55-60 minutes
Yield: 2 Loaves

Ingredients:
2 and 1/2 Cups Flour
1/2 Cup Sugar
1/2 Cup packed Brown Sugar (I used Brownulated.)
1 TBS. Baking Powder, plus
1/2 tsp. Baking Powder
1 tsp. Salt
1/8 teaspoon Cinnamon
1/8 tsp. Nutmeg
3 TBS. Olive Oil (for Sauteeing and Baking)
1/3 Cup Milk (I used Soy Milk.)
1 Egg
2 tsp. Vanilla
3 mashed Bananas
2 cups defrosted Strawberries cut into ¼’s

Method:

1. Combine all dry ingredients in large bowl and stir well.
2. Mash Bananas in small bowl. Add cut Strawberries to small bowl.
3. Beat Egg and add with liquid ingredients to Flour mixture.
4. Add in fruits.
5. Stir all until combined.
6. Spray 2 Bread Pans (8 and ½ “ or 9”) with PAM and pour in batter, evenly.
7. Bake 55 – 60 Minutes or until cake tester (toothpick) comes out clean.
8. Place pans on wire rack. Cool in pans 10 minutes.
9. Remove from pans and cool.
10. Enjoy after slicing!

While these breads were baking, the aroma in my kitchen floated out to our Family Room. The combination of Strawberries, Cinnamon, Nutmeg and Bananas smelled so good! Yes, I did say Bananas.

I will surely be baking these again. Tonight, there are a few slices of this scrumptious treat left. The second wrapped bread will not last too long with Father’s Day tomorrow.

To all the Dads – Happy Father’s Day!!!