Dreamsicle Salad

This is a lot like my Orange Fluff Jello that I have on this blog, but this is even quicker to make.  You can use any combo of fruit and jello. I got this quick recipe from a very cute blog, One Crazy Cookie.  Tiffanee has some wonderful recipes on her blog and she is so nice!
Dreamsicle Salad
1large box, or 2small boxes, instant vanilla pudding
1small box strawberry jello
13/4C water
2C strawberries, cut up
8oz cool whip light
Boil the water. In a large bowl add pudding and jello mixes and stir to combine.  Add boiling water and mix well.  Add fruit and stir and then cool a bit.  Add cool whip and stir well and refrigerate.
You can use raspberries with raspberry jello, mandarin oranges with orange jello, etc etc

I think this is my worst picture yet! LOL We had bad lighting and I just couldn't get a good one...sorry!
It tastes MUCH better than this looks! I'm hoping someone will feel sorry enough for me for the camera that I own
and send me a nice one!

Easy Strawberry Pie

I would like to start listing some summer recipes for when the kiddos are home. This includes quick and easy recipes! My favorite! If you have a favorite summer recipe that is quick and easy leave me a comment!  The recipe below could be used for any fruit and jello combination!
Easy Strawberry Pie
1 graham cracker crust
1small pkg strawberry jello
4C strawberries, sliced
1/4C sugar
1T cornstarch
1C water
In a saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch, and water and bring to a boil, stirring constantly for about 2minutes until thick. Remove from heat and stir in jello pkg and stir until dissolved.  Cool for 15minutes. Place sliced strawberries in graham cracker crust and pour jello mixture over the top and refrigerate for atleast three hours, or until set.

Orange Fluff Jello

Boo Hoo....Kansas Jayhawks lost last night...what an upset! But, another great basketball season!  Since there has been no sun outside for awhile I made this bright and cheery jello.  I call it orange fluff, but I know there are many versions and names to this dish.  It is very versatile and you can use any flavor of jello along with the corresponding fruit.  Our favorites are the orange and strawberry. 
Orange Fluff
1small pkg orange jello
1small pkg tapioca instant pudding
1small pkg vanilla instant pudding
(I sometimes don't have tapioca, so I use two vanilla)
3C water
2 (15oz)cans mandarin oranges, well drained
1 (8oz) tub cool whip, lite
Combine jello and both puddings with the water and heat in saucepan until thickened, this takes several minutes and lots of stirring.  Cool mixture and stir in oranges and cool whip and refrigerate.  Try using strawberry jello with strawberries, yum!  You could even use one can mandarin oranges and one can fruit cocktail, just drain them well.

Old camera+dark cloudy day=bad picture! But, I'm sure it still tastes cheerful!

Cranberry Jello Dish

The Sunday school teacher asked my 5yr old daughter a couple weeks ago, who St. Patrick was and she told the teacher, "that is Spongebob's friend!" How cute! I'm so glad the teacher came over to tell me that story after church, I think I will write that one down in her baby book! Yesterday she told me that she was learning about dinosaurs in preschool and that there are tons of bones in the dirt from them and she told me that there aren't any around our town anymore, they are totally INSTINCT! She is quite the crack up! She just got done telling me that she was naming her stuffed animals(AGAIN!) and she named one  cat Amber and she said it just didn't go over so well with that cat, so she just HAD to change it for the cat because the cat was throwing a fit, so she named it something different and the cat started licking her and that meant the cat was then happy with its new name! Darn stuffed animals, they sound like a bunch of work to me! What an imagination that daughter of mine has! HMMM....I wonder where she gets it? If I wasn't crazy before kids, I am now! I have always told my husband that I am so glad he has never installed spy cameras around the house, or he'd think his wife has gone crazy! The things he would see me doing during the day to entertain a child! I didn't even know I had that craziness in me...it just kinda comes out when we are using our "imaginations!"  Oh, it has been so fun staying home with our children...the things I would have missed if I wouldn't have been here all day with them! And to think it is coming to an end next fall when my youngest goes to Kindergarten! UGH! Who am I going to play "crazy" with and use my "imagination" with? Then when I do those things during the day, I won't have an excuse that my 5yr old made me do it! Then I will have to go to the funny farm! Oh well, I will probably end up there anyways from heartache after dropping my baby off at kindergarten on her first day!
Anyways, enough on that subject, I'm gonna start getting sad if I keep thinking about that!
This recipe is really light and refreshing and you can use different flavors of jello, like I used cherry today, because I had no other flavors. Cranberries are very good for you too!
Cranberry Jello Dish
1large(6oz)box raspberry jello, or cherry, strawberry,etc
1 small can crushed pineapple,drained ( I used a large can)
1 8oz tub of cool whip
1C chopped walnuts, optional
1large can whole-berry cranberries
Make the jello using 2C boiling water and then add your 2C cold water.  Use pineapple juice that you drained in place of the water if you want.  Let the jello set until slightly set, not solid.  Stir together can of cranberries, cool whip, drained pineapple and nuts in a large bowl and add the jello and mix it all together. Refrigerate atleast a couple hours.


How long does crushed pineapple take to drain? that stuff just keeps draining!



This isn't the prettiest dish to take a picture of, but here it is...with a couple bites missing!



Cherry Cola Jello Salad

I'm not sure I should have even attempted a picture of this dish! I guess it is red and cheerful, but I just couldn't get a picture of this dish that made it look appealing! But, it is yummy and so easy and kids love it.  This is a version of my MIL's recipe.


Cherry Cola Jello Salad
2small pkgs of cherry jello
1(20oz)can crushed pineapple, drained
1can cherry pie filling
1/2C water
3/4C cola
Drain pineapple very well...that stuff seems like it will drain for days! Place the reserved juice in a saucepan along with the water and bring to a boil. Set the pineapple aside.  Once it boils, add the jello powder and stir until dissolved, like 2minutes. Take off of the heat and stir in the cola and the cherry pie filling until combined.  Place in a serving bowl, or a 13x9 dish and refrigerate until slightly set. Then stir in the pineapple to combine and refrigerate until set.  I had to leave the house and the jello was set before I added in the pineapple, so I just stirred it in, not as pretty, but it still works! This jello can be tart for some people, so you could tone it down by layering it with a tub of cool whip, use light to make it healthier.

Jello Pies

What is going on? A week ago it was in the 70s and today it is snowing! I guess I should not be surprised, that is just Kansas weather...and I have seen it do this in a day's time!  But, rats!  For some reason(maybe the snow outside) the cleaning bug bit me this morning, which my husband and I have both been wandering when it would bite me again, so thank goodness!  I have been cleaning those places that don't see daylight...you know, the basement storage room, the cabinets under the sinks, the linen closet! Boy, was that ever needed and I am glad it is done!  How does so much stuff accumulate so quickly? 
Since Spring is in the air(although not today!) I started craving jello salad, pasta salad, all those food items that you eat at picnics and when you are grilling.  Many of you have probably made this before, but it is so simple and so good and low in fat and kids love it and it just helps me feel like warm weather is coming, so I thought I'd spread the sunshine to you too!
Jello Pie
1 graham cracker crust
1C boiling water
1C ice water
1tub cool whip,light
1small pkg strawberry jello(or fav)
1C.fresh sliced strawberries(optional)
Boil 1C water and pour into jello powder and stir until dissolved.  Add 1C cold water and stir until thickened. Add cool whip and stir well.  Refrigerate 15min or until somewhat set up and then spoon into graham cracker crust. Refrigerate for 4 hours or over night.  If adding in fresh strawberries add them in before adding in cool whip. Note: this does make extra, it won't all fit into the crust...bonus!
*Another recipe that is so easy and yummy is pudding pie. Use 1small package of your favorite instant  pudding, we use chocolate, and stir in 1 3/4C milk and pour into chocolate graham cracker crust.  Let set up in refrigerator and before serving spread with a tub of light cool whip.