Yummy Fresh Fruit Salad

from the kitchen of Michelle

Raspberries
Blueberries
Blackberries
Strawberries (sliced)
Banana's (sliced)

White Sugar
Lime Juice

Mix desired amount and variety of rinsed fruit together in a large bowl. Sprinkle with equal amounts of the sugar and lime juice (for a large bowl of fruit about 1/4-1/2 cup of each). Mix well. Serve immediately. Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator.

Cookie Salad

from the kitchen of Stephanie

2 small (3 oz) pkg vanilla instant pudding
2-2 1/2 c buttermilk
1 8 oz Cool Whip
1 can pineapple chunks
3 cans mandarin oranges
1 pkg fudge striped cookies

Mix pudding and buttermilk together.  If too stiff add a little more buttermilk.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Drain fruit and add to pudding mixture.  Just before serving break up 3/4 pkg of cookies and mix into salad.  So yummy!

Fruit Slush

from the kitchen of Stephanie

1/2 gal pineapple sherbet
10 oz frozen strawberries or raspberries in syrup
3-4 bananas
Unthaw sherbet until soft. Add fruit, syrup and all; mix well and freeze. Unthaw 1 hour before serving or until soft. Does not require any soda pop! Wonderful!

Mini Apple Pies

from the kitchen of Stephanie's Kitchen
makes about 16 or so
*You can either make your own pie dough, or buy a box of pre-made dough from the store. Take your pick. Either way, it is delicious!
If you make your own, to make around 16 mini pies, use a recipe for a double crust pie.
For the apple filling:
3 small granny smith apples, peeled and cubed
1 1/2 tablespoons all purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

For the egg wash:
1 egg
splash of water
Sugar for dusting the tops of the pies
For the icing:
1 1/2 cups confectioner’s sugar
dash of milk
1. In a small bowl, mix the cubed apples, flour, sugar and cinnamon until each apple is evenly coated. Set aside.
2. Roll out the dough to about 1/16 in thickness. Use a 3 inch circle cookie cutter and cut out the dough circles. You will need two circles for every pie. Place the circles onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Scoop about 1/2 tablespoons of the apple filling into the center of the dough circle. Make the egg wash and using your fingertip, brush a light layer onto the very edges of the circle. (this will ensure that the top circle will stick to the bottom circle.) Place another dough circle on top, over the apple filling. Lightly press down around the edges.
3. Using the prongs of the fork, press along the edges of the pie to seal the edges.
4. Brush a light layer of the egg wash on top of the pies. Sprinkle with sugar. (I like to use turbinado sugar, you can find it in any grocery store labeled as raw sugar.)
5. Bake at 350 degrees for about 15-20 minutes or until the tops are golden.
6. To make them extra fancy, drizzle a little icing over the tops. Serve warm.
Enjoy!

Berry Delight

from the kitchen of Sherry
My grandkids call this the blue goo, but they love it. I call it Berry Delight!
1 can eagle brand milk
1 frozen package of mixed berries from Costco
1 8 or 12 oz container of cool whip
Take berries from freezer 1 hr before mixing.
Mix eagle brand milk and cool whip together.
Stir in fruit
Makes a lot.

Easy Strawberry Cheesecake

from the kitchen of Stephanie

Crust:
1 pkg graham crackers, crushed
1 cube butter
1/4 c sugar

Melt butter, mix in sugar and add cracker crumbs.  Press in greased 9x13 pan.

Filling:
2 pkg 8 oz cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 c sugar
1 8 oz tub Cool Whip

Beat cream cheese until smooth, add sugar and mix.  Fold in Cool Whip.  Spread over crust.

Topping:
1-2 lbs fresh strawberries, sliced
1 pkg strawberry Danish Dessert

Mix Danish according to package directions for pie.  Let cool a few minutes.  Mix in strawberries and layer over cream cheese mixture.  Let set in fridge for a few hours. Delicious!!!

Cranberry Pretzel Salad

from the kitchen of Rona

First Layer:
2 C. coarsely-crushed pretzels,
1/2 C. chopped pecans,
2 TBL sugar,
3/4 C. melted butter (you can substitute cold-milled
flaxseeds for the butter-follow directions on pkg.)

Combine & press into 9X13 pan & bake @ 400 for 10 min. Cool.

Second Layer: 1- 8 oz. regular cream cheese-softened,
1- 8 oz. Cool Whip (OR 8 oz. whipping
cream whipped with 1/2 C. sugar)
Add cream cheese into whipped topping or cream & spread
over cooled crust.
Third Layer: 1 C. boiling water - add 1- 6 oz. cranberry jello plus 1/4 C. strawberry or cranberry jello & 1/2 C. sugar - dissolve. Rinse 1 - 1lb. bag cranberries & pick out any bad ones. Place them in blender with 1 C. cold water. Pulse to chop. Thickly slice 1 lb. frozen strawberries, or frozen raspberries and add to the dissolved jello with the cranberries. Pour over cream layer. Allow to set for several hours.

Apple Crisp

from the kitchen of Sarah

3 lbs apples
2 T. lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 cup flour
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup rolled oats

Peel, core, and chop apples, tossi n bowl w/ lemon juice. In separate bowl mix brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir into apples. In another bowl, mix flour, sugar, and oats. Cut butter into eight pieces and cut into flour mixture till crumbs. Butter 10x10 baking dish. Spread apples in bottom ans sprinkle with flour mixture. Bake at 375 degrees for 30-45 minutes.

Brown Bag Apple Pie

from the kitchen of Sarah

Crust:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tsp. salt
2 T. cold milk
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
1/2 cup oil

Combine and pat inside of bottom of 9 inch pie pan.

Filling:
2 Tbsp. flour
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 tsp. nutmeg
Combine and toss with 4 cups sliced and peeled apples.
Pour into crust.

Topping:
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter (at room temp)

Combine with fingers until crumbly and sprinkle on top. Put inside brown paper bag (staple if it won't stay shut) Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. (Make sure the bag doesn't touch sides of oven). Let cool in bag. Serve with vanilla ice cream or whipped cream. Our family likes this pie better than traditional apple pie and it is really easy!

Strawberry Sheet Cake

from the kitchen of Sarah

1 box white cake mix
1 pt. whipping cream
2 cups powdered sugar
1 (8oz) pkg. cream cheese (softened)
1 pkg. Danish Dessert (strawberry)
2 cups fresh strawberries

Make cake mix. Bake in cookie sheet pan. Let cool. Whip the cream. Put powdered sugar in a little at a time and beat, then add cream cheese. (I stir the cream cheese first to cut down on lumpiness). Beat it well to make it creamy. Spread over cool cake. Chill in fridge. Cook Danish Dessert as directed on package. Let cool. Spread on top of cream topping. Slice strawberries and place on top of cake. May also use reasberries, peaches, cherry pie filling, blueberry pie filling, etc. YUMMY!

Fruit Dip

from the kitchen of Sarah

1 (8 oz) package cream cheese
1/4 cup white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. lemon juice

Add sugar a little at a time to cream cheese. Then add vanilla and lemon juice. Whip until smooth and creamy. (The recipe says to store in fridge overnight but we can never wait that long!) Serve with apples, bananas, grapes, oranges, etc. This is so good!