Back to Reality with Cherry Yum Yum

Mindy here, fresh off the heels of ten-day visit with our brand new granddaughter, where I, hopefully, helped her and her mama adjust to their new life together. 

If you've ever had children, you, no doubt, remember those first days at home with your newborn. The joy of getting to know one another, adjusting to each other's schedules... Not to mention the sleepless nights. Fortunately, Grammy's an early riser, so she took advantage of some sweet time the baby while Mom got some much-needed rest.

But before I left, we took time to celebrate my SIL's birthday and one of his favorite things is Cherry Yum Yum.

Personally, I think that's a rather strange name for a dessert, but I wanted to make the boy happy.

Actually, this recipe has been given a few other names over the years. It's been around for a while and is so easy to make. The hardest part is waiting for it to chill.

To make it, you will need:

• 3/4 cup butter or margarine, melted (1 and 1/2 sticks)
• 3 cups graham cracker crumbs, divided
• 2 packets Dream Whip (Yes, they still make that stuff!)
• 1 cup milk
• 8 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cans cherry pie filing

Mix melted margarine and 2 1/2 cups graham crackers together and press into the bottom of a 9x13 baking dish.

Beat Dream Whip and milk until soft peaks form.

In a separate bowl, blend cream cheese and sugar.

Add cream cheese mixture to Dream Whip.

And mix until smooth and creamy.

Spread over the graham cracker crust.

Top with pie filling and remaining graham cracker crumbs and put in refrigerator for a minimum of 3 hours or overnight.

Tried and true. Simple and delicious. 

The SIL was one happy camper. However, I think the creamy filling might have tasted even better with a SECOND 8 oz. brick of cream cheese added. I'll have to try that next time.

On my drive back home, I couldn't help noticing how winter had settled over the Texas landscape.

And while there's no pretty snow to look at, the land is at rest. That time between harvest and new growth. Think about that. Don't we all need some time like that?

I have to say, after all the chaos of 2017 and the frantic rush to get into the big house before the holidays, it was nice to have some time away. A time to be still and stare into the face of one so pure and completely innocent.

Unspoiled by the world.

Life in its purest form.

Now it's your turn. Do you have a simple recipe that's been around forever yet stood the test of time? You know, sometimes the simple things are really are the best, no matter how we night try to improve upon them. Have you found that to be true? I want to hear your thoughts.

Mindy Obenhaus lives on a ranch in Texas with her husband, the youngest of her five children and two dogs. She's passionate about touching readers with Biblical truths in an entertaining, and sometimes adventurous, manner. When she’s not writing, she enjoys cooking and spending time with her grandchildren. Learn more at www.MindyObenhaus.com  

Cherry coconut strudel recipe and Happy Fall!!

Hello, everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and I have a strudel recipe to share. Fall has arrived and we're enjoying those chilly evenings. 

The apple orchards have just started selling in bulk so today we went to get some Jonathon and Jonagold and Honey Crisp. Those are just for eating. Although our state is famous for the red delicious and yellow delicious, those aren't the most popular apples here. Early Fuji and Gala are the most popular because they're so good for cooking and eating. Anyway, we haven't made any cider yet, or doughnuts, but that will come soon! 

I have a friend who swears by her slow cooker. So I bought one, and this book. (I had a slow cooker before, but never used it so I gave it to a friend.) Anyway, I bought this book but nothing in there was really for crock pots... Very confusing until I realized that the book was about SLOW COOKING and not crock pot cooking. LOL. The recipes are still good, they just take a really long time. 

We went to a really fun eatery about an hour from us. Fire and Brimstone. Everything comes out of the oven. No French Fries because there's no hot oil! Crazy. But incredibly delicious. 

So, on to the strudel recipe. You need two cups of cherries, pitted. Or, a can of cherry pie filling. We had a terrible year for cherries. Everything froze and instead of our .99 / lb cherries, we had nothing! Tragedy! 

Anyway, the ingredients:

1 egg

pinch of salt

1/2 cup water

Whisk together. 

Make a well with 1 3/4 cup of flour. Pour in the egg mixture.

Make a soft ball of dough.

Kneed for ten minutes or until stretchy and shiny.

Set under a glass bowl for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 375F.

 Take a clean, old pillow case. Lay it on a cookie sheet, sprinkle with flour.
                                 
Roll out the dough as thin as possible. It should be nearly translucent. Of course, I didn't get anywhere near that, but I tried. Cover with a wet towel and let it sit for ten minutes. Take it out an spread with the pie cherry mix.

 Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of sweetened coconut.

 Using the sheet, carefully roll the strudel up and form into a crescent. Brush with 4 TBS of melted butter. Bake for 30-40 minutes or until brown on top.

So, this wasn't exactly the flaky strudel I've had but it wasn't horrible, either. Good thing I have a house full of teenagers because they gobbled it up!

                                       

The coconut added a lovely layer of flavor and texture to the strudel.

 

And just in case anyone is tempted to run right into their kitchen and make this, I'll leave you with this picture of my five year old's best friends. He said, "Aren't they beautiful? I have a whole pocketful!" Yikes...

Until next time! Pop on by my Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits page or my blog at The Things that Last! 

Cherry blackberry jelly and a flashback!

Hi everybody! The Fresh Pioneer is back and we've been having some wonderful fall fun! 

Here's a shot of my little guy (five years old!) on the dirt bike track. I brought a book, but I did more praying that reading. It was SCARY. But everyone survived and had a wonderful time! *whew*

                                       

This is a random picture of the super moon. I didn't even use the zoom. It was JUST THAT BIG.

Here's Mr. Edward at my desk back in 2010. My sister had given me a computer and I spent every nap time writing. I didn't have an office chair so I sat on an old toy box. The desk we got at a yard sale for $10. A steal, even if the drawers didn't really work!  I was finishing up Pride, Prejudice and Cheese Grits while my sixth baby nursed or slept in my arms and the older kids rested in the afternoons. Sometimes I think, "Why did it take me two years to write my first book?" Huh. This is why...
Anyway, I found my then 20 month old "talking" on my mouse. HAHAHA! Kids are hilarious.

Anyway, this post is really about blackberry jelly. If you've ever made it, then you know it's pretty straightforward. Cooking the blackberries with sugar, strain them, add the pectin, maybe boil again if it didn't dissolve enough. Well, my friend in Texas said she always adds about a cup of Bing cherries! She said it adds zip and zing.

                                       
I am here to tell you... I have never had jelly disappear so fast. I think there's only one of these little jars left. I'm going to have to make a much bigger batch next time!
  So, if you're a jelly/jam maker, consider adding some Bing cherries to the mix of your fruit. It's a winning combination!

  Take care and I'll see you all in October!!