Beech Tree News Network

I’ve seen strawberries and fresh corn in the grocery store – a hopeful sign that the season of fresh food is approaching! I enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables. They just taste better than canned or frozen. I’ve been looking for recipes that would go well with summer foods and found the following recipes that I plan to prepare soon. I hope you enjoy them, too!

Jell-O Salad
2 small packages or 1 large package of blackberry, grape, or black raspberry Jell-O
2 cups boiling water
1 20-ounce can blueberry pie filling
Topping
8 ounces cream cheese
1 cup sour cream
½ cup white sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
Mix Jell-O, 2 cups of boiling water, and pie filling.  Pour into an 8x12- or 9x13-pan. Let chill until firm. Then add topping,
To prepare topping, cream sugar and cream cheese together until they are thoroughly mixed. Add sour cream and vanilla. Spread on chilled Jell-O mixture.
Options: May substitute strawberry or cherry Jell-O and pie filling.

Pineapple Salad
1 cup white sugar
8 ounces cream cheese
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large container Cool Whip
½ cup pecans
Mix together sugar and cream cheese. Add remaining ingredients to mixture. Chill before serving.

Banana Split Cake
Crust
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/3 cup sugar
1 stick margarine/butter
Mix the graham cracker crumbs and sugar. Add melted margarine/butter and mix. Press into a 9x13-inch pan.
Filling
2 cups powdered sugar
Equivalent of 2 eggs, using Pasteurized eggs or egg substitute
2 sticks margarine, softened
Beat for 10 minutes. Pour on top of crumbs layer.
Topping Layers
3-5 sliced, ripe bananas
1 large can crushed pineapple, drained
1 large container Cool Whip
Layer bananas, then pineapple, then Cool Whip on top of the filling.
Optional garnish: chopped nuts, Maraschino cherries.

Fran’s Strawberry Cake
Cake
1 box white cake mix
4 eggs
1 cup Wesson oil
1 small box strawberry Jell-O
1 cup strawberries
Mix first four ingredients well. Stir in strawberries. Bake in a 9x13-inch pan at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes.
Icing
1 box powdered sugar
1 stick melted margarine
½ cup strawberries
Mix well and pour over cooled cake.