Small Any Fruit Pie Filling Dump Cake Recipe -Jiffy Cake Mix

Every once in a while I like to make a fast dessert using minimal ingredients, and this one only calls for three things. I'd also prefer that it only be for dinner, not temp me for days:@) That's exactly what this Small Any Fruit Dump Cake is, and we all thought it was pretty darn good. Maybe not Easter buffet glamorous, but nice for Sunday dinner. Especially with a little scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side. Start with any canned fruit pie filling you'd like, and it really doesn't matter what size... This will work best with 20 oz, but I think we can get away with 15 oz if that's all we have. And instead of a regular cake mix, I used the smaller Jiffy size, it worked great. 

Note: 9x13" crowd size would require two cans of pie filling, a full size cake mix, and 1/2 C butter.

Small Any Fruit Dump Cake

20 oz can pie filling

Jiffy yellow cake mix

1/4 C butter, cut into thin pats

1. Pour pie filling into pie dish.
2. Evenly sprinkle cake mix over filling.
3. Add pats of butter all over top.
4. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35-45 minutes or until top is golden brown and bubbling at edges.
5. Serve with ice cream if desired.

Let's try something new, and

Have a Happy Day:@)

Dollar Tree Holidays: Spiced Peaches, Dyed Popcorn & Barbie Angel Tree Topper

These Quick Spiced Peaches from Canned Peaches make a very nice holiday side dish, and come together in no time. Although you will need to plan a few days for marinating in the fridge. This is a wink and nod to the canned peaches Grandmoms used to put-up back in the day:@)

If you've ever seen Dyed Popcorn Gifts in retail, you know they can be expensive, but honestly, they are easy to make. DT has popcorn, the little bottles of food coloring, ~and~ cute jars for gifting. The key to this craft is allowing plenty of drying time after adding the food coloring. Wa-la, a perfect seasonal treat:@)

And I'll leave you with... I'd been looking at the angel wing ornaments with this Barbie Angel Tree Topper in mind. I picked up the wings and (sometimes) they even have the long dresses, that made this project way too easy! I happened to use my Dollar Tree doll too, but any Barbie type doll would look great.

If your girl already has a wedding gown, that would be pretty. The only other craft item you need is one tinsel pipe cleaner. Half for the halo and half to be used as a choker necklace to hold the wings on.

1. I made a circle from the pipe cleaner and bent the end down to stick into her hairband for the halo.
2. The wings have a hole so they can be hung from the tree. Wrap the pipe cleaner around the doll's neck (like a choker necklace), and push both ends through the hole in the ornament. Twist the sides of the pipe cleaner together to hold the wings up.
3. That's it folks, you can just nestle the doll on top of the tree, or secure her by wrapping another pipe cleaner around her legs and the top of the tree.
4. Perfect for a girl's room, or I'm predicting there might just be one or two Barbie trees this year:@)

The items I started with:

You might be surprised by what you can find at the humble dollar store to help make the holidays more fun!

🦃🎅Happy Holiday Planning, and

Have a Great Weekend:@)

Peach & Pumpkin Spice Meatballs -Slow Cooker Appetizer (Little Dipper or Larger)

These Peach and Pumpkin Spice Meatballs disappeared very quickly folks! (Ha, ha, I even saw my son looking into the Crock Pot for more:@) Sweet, fruity, and the warm fall spices will play nicely right through the holiday season. They can be made with either peach or apricot jam, whichever you have on-hand, I used peach this time. If you're looking for something a little different for your next gathering or game day snack, this is a nice four ingredient slow cooker appy that comes together in no time and basically cooks itself. 

This is a very crowd friendly recipe, no hot sauce or garlic, just jam and spices:@)

I'll list what I did for my Little Dipper Crock Pot, 

recipe easily increased.

Peach and Pumpkin Spice Meatballs

7 oz of frozen cooked meatballs

3/4 C peach or apricot jam or preserves

1 tsp pumpkin spice

1 tsp cornstarch

1. Place meatballs in slow cooker.
2. Mix everything else, pour over meatballs.
3. Place paper towels under lid, cook on low, at 2 hours stir well, cook for about 3 hours total or until heated through. 
4. Stir and serve with fun food picks.

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

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Quick Holiday Spiced Peaches from Canned Peaches -Thanksgiving or Christmas Dinner

I love that we can even find large cans of peaches at Dollar Tree and thought it would be fun to share a recipe for some Quick Spiced Peaches for the holidays. They come together in no time, from opening the can to doing dishes is less than 30 minutes. The key is that they do need marinating time in the refrigerator though. So we do need to do a little planning... The can I had were sliced peaches, you only need 2-3 days for them, the halves would require longer and would be fine for up to a week. I'd just whip the halves up the weekend leading to Thanksgiving:@) This made the house smell vinegary and spicy and we all really did enjoy this tasty side dish!

One summer I did make an old recipe for Canned Spiced Peaches here. 
That one is a true canning recipe that starts with fresh peaches right off the tree:@)

Quick Holiday Spiced Peaches-slightly adapted from Deep South Dish
For each 28-29 oz can of peaches:
1/2 C brown sugar
1/2 C apple cider vinegar
10 cloves or up to 1/2 Tblsp whole cloves if your crew ~really~ loves them
2 sticks cinnamon, broken in half
1/8 tsp nutmeg, freshly grated if you can
juice from one slice of lemon-optional-no measurement, like you might add to a glass of iced tea
small pinch allspice-optional

1. Drain juice from can into pot. Set peaches aside in a bowl or whatever you will store them in.
2. Add everything else to pot, bring to a boil, stirring constantly, boil for 5 minutes.
3. Pour over peaches, cover bowl or jar.
4. Place in refrigerator for at least 2 days to a week.

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Happy Holiday Planning Everyone:@)

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Inside Out Jello Turkey Mold -Thanksgiving or Christmas

Oh I do love me some Jello fun folks and my Jello Turkey Mold would be a big hit at the kiddie table! It couldn't be easier, it's formed in any smaller deep bowl you have, no special mold required-gotta love that. Simply whip up some Jello Jigglers, create feather skewers and figure ~something~ out for the head. Inside out because we're adding a little fruit to the serving tray instead of in the Jello. I went totally retro and used well drained canned fruit cocktail. Maybe serve with a can of whipped cream on the side and... Wa-la, a cute side dish sure to make the kids giggle:@) 

What I learned:

I would just use regular size marshmallows for the tail feathers.

The fruit is heavy, the skewers need to be straight up and down and more towards the center,

not leaning or they'll begin to fall and cut the Jello.

My stryrofoam ball was 2", I'd use something smaller.

I really wanted the head made from food but nothing popped out to me.

Want a bigger turkey? Make more Jello and use a larger bowl, do use a deep bowl though.

These Candy Corn Turkey Toes, complete with silly poem, are another fun idea for the kids.

Inside Out Jello Turkey Mold

2 packs (4 serving size) Jello, any flavor desired
2 C boiling water
Feathers: Marshmallows would be best.
Fruit for platter: Anything you'd like or might find in Jello salads. I used a can of fruit cocktail.

1. Mix Jello with boiling water until dissolved.
2. Spray mold with cooking spray, pour in Jello. Place in fridge until set, at least 4-6 hours.
3. I dried the wet fruit for feathers a bit on paper towels. Skewer your feathers, I used shish-ka-bob skewers cut to size, you want them to go all the way through the Jello to the platter. Set aside on paper towels to drain some more.
4. Create your turkey head. I hot glued googly eyes and felt gobble thingy onto styrofoam ball, then glued on the candy corn for beak.
5. Dip bowl in warm water, dry bowl and turn Jello out onto serving dish.
6. Stick skewers into Jello, aim for the deepest part and try to keep more straight up and down. If you're not working quickly, place Jello back in fridge for a bit, then complete the project.
7. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and store in fridge until ready to serve. Be gentle transporting to table.

Make something just for fun and have a happy day:@)

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Saturday ReView: Canned Peach Upside Down Cake & Barbie Long Dress and Capri Pants from Headband

This Peach Upside Down Cake is a nice little treat any time of year because it uses readily available canned peaches. I also like that it makes a smaller, one layer 9" cake. This was a big hit with my crew at Sunday dinner, and I do highly recommend giving it a try folks:@) I'd love to see some red (and maybe even green) maraschino cherries added for a pop of great color too!

Barbie says check print and plaid really never go out of style folks... So, I grabbed a cute black and white headband at Dollar Tree as soon as I noticed the checks were a perfect 1:6 scale. 

A full view of the dress.

I think this can be both dressed up fancy ~or~ rather casual, cool and breezy for the summer.

And of course a 3" wide headband in any color or design would work great.

My headband inspiration:

Cut the scrunched part off of the headband. You'll see that it's gathered and sewn to the elastic on the ends. 

Be sure to cut it off ~after~ the seam so it stays gathered. 

Trim the cut ends to about 1/8"-1/4".

Hot glue (or sew) velcro to the ends of the gathered piece. 

The cut ends are kind of thick, so I glued velcro directly onto the cut ends.

I used hot glue for the whole dress, you could use Liquid Stitch or sew the rest of the dress on.

I started with a little hot glue on the center front.

 Then I glued the ends to the center of the back.

 A few other dots of glue around the gathered band, cut dress to desired length and it's done!
This project would be easy to sew too,
simply gather the opening of the dress and sew it loosley to the elastic band top.

A quick pic of the back:
(Please note: I knew the back seam would not be centered, 
I purposely wanted the plaid to be off center on the front.)

Slip the dress on your Barbie, add a little blingy jewelry and admire your new 50¢ gown😉

Beaded necklace tutorial HERE.

These Capri Pants were made from the 5 1/2" leftover piece of headband. Before we get started I wanted to say, this isn't an exact pattern, it's just something fun to make for Barbie play. The pants are a little roomy up top (easier to get on) and fitted to the doll's legs at the bottom.

Standard or Curvy Barbie top from ruffle HERE.

Fold tube of fabric inside out, arrange so seam is down the center. You'll notice that the seam doesn't lay flat, that's ok, it will be the back of the pants and actually help with the fit.

Measure down 2 1/2" from top.
Measure 1" from each side on the bottom. I added a pin to each side to try to keep each leg the same width.
Draw line from 1" mark up to 2 1/2" mark on each side

Sew 1/4" seam up both lines, cut excess fabric from the center V.
Flip top down about 1/2", sew seam but leave a 1/2 opening so you can feed elastic through hole.
Snug up the elastic and tie or sew it closed, trim loose ends, finish sewing the waistband seam closed. 

Turn inside out and dress doll.

Make something just for fun and have a great weekend:@)

Saturday ReView: Swing Top for Barbie & Ham and Peach Shish-Ka-Bobs

I'm lovin' this super easy, really cute swing top for Barbie! This is another project that comes together in minutes and would be great for a girl's birthday party or sleepover. The key is to use a nice old t-shirt that's well worn, really soft, and drapes easily. It gets dressed up with some bling from diamond mesh ribbon, and the cherry on top... This is a no-sew craft.

I found the diamond mesh ribbon at Dollar Tree. You can get it in three or five row width, I think three rows is best for this top.

Swing Top Supplies: soft knit fabric, diamond mesh ribbon, velcro, glue.

Directions:

1. Save pattern to your computer, use the scroll button on your mouse to make the line equal 1". Print or gently trace the pattern onto paper and cut out.
2. Cut one piece from soft knit fabric.
3. Cut approx 5" strip of diamond mesh (24 rows long).
4. Glue diamond mesh onto the straight top of the fabric. The glue I used to hold the diamond mesh to the fabric was Aleene's Fabric Fusion. It worked very well!
5. Glue small piece of velcro to the back to close the top. Hot glue works best for attaching the velcro (unless you want to sew it on).
6. Tip: If planning a group craft project, it's always best for you to make a test shirt ahead of time.

A quick pic of the back.

And the side... 

I have another no-sew diamond mesh top tutorial HERE.

Barbie says: A girl can never have too many cute tops😉

And the ten day forecast says it looks like temps are cooling down into the 80's here in Philly, and I for one, am grateful! It has been a little ~steamy~ here for a long time. So, what do nicer temps mean? Grilling! If you've never added some peaches to your kababs before, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised folks, they are perfect with ham, and ham on the grill is a beautiful thing too:@) HERE.

Have a great weekend everyone:@)

Jellickles -Sugar Free Jello Flavored Dill Pickles -Southern Treat or Bloggy Blooper?

I hear there's a snack that originated in the south called Koolickles... It's a dill pickle flavored with KoolAid here. The KoolAid makes it a fun color and adds a burst of fruity flavor. Most recipes call for sugar so I decided to try Jellickles, a Sugar Free Jello Flavored Dill Pickle! I used strawberry Jello and simply poured it into a 17 oz jar of dill pickle spears (and shook like crazy:@). They had color and flavor after a couple days, these pictures are over a week. Aim to serve them in about a week. Did I expect these to be a big hit here in Philly, especially with ~my~ crew? Honestly, no. But I will say, I placed some chunks with toothpicks out during Sunday dinner and each son did try them...

One said he tasted pickle first, strawberry after. The other Strawberry Jello first, pickle second.

So... If you're looking for a conversation starter, or something different to talk about,

this little project is less than $2. It's a good one to get the kids involved in too.
If you make a batch today, you'll have something fun for the 4th of July BBQ!

Oh, and speaking of that dinner conversation?
I was asked "Um, does Jello sponsor your blog Mom???"

Try something just for fun and have a happy day:@)

Retro Cream Cheese Stuffed Peach Salad for the Summer Holidays

I made Miz Helen's family version of this Retro Peach Salad and gave it a little summer holiday twist by adding some fun red, white and blue sprinkles. If you make it with pear halves you'd have a true RW&B dish! The peaches are sweet, cream cheese tangy and lettuce adds a little crisp crunch. This is a great idea for folks that don't bake but want to bring something a little sweet and refreshing to a party or BBQ. Don't hesitate to give this a try folks, I know my crew thought it was very good:@)

I wanted to be able to shape the cream cheese a bit, so I cut back on the peach juice and only used 1-2 tsp.

I used a cookie disher and love that it looks like little scoops of ice cream:@)

This side dish ~or~ light dessert is very affordable. 

I found the peaches at Dollar Tree and it's not unusual to find cream cheese for 67 cents a pack at Walmart. 

Retro Peach Salad-from Miz Helen's Kitchen
Lettuce for lining serving dish-I also added a few spinach leaves from my planter
29 oz can peach halves-could use pear halves and I'd imagine apricot halves would be good too
8 oz cream cheese, softened
2 Tblsp sugar
3 Tblsp peach juice-I used 1-2 tsp

1. Line serving dish with lettuce.
2. I chose to fish my peaches out of the can and turn them upside down (pit side down) onto paper towels to drain a bit.
3. Using mixer, add cream cheese, sugar and peach juice, mix until smooth and creamy.
4. Fill center of peaches with cream cheese mixture.
5. Chill at least two hours.
6. Right before serving add sprinkles if desired.

Try a new (retro) treat and have a happy day:@)

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Double Apricot Bread -1 lb Bread Machine Recipe

This Double Apricot Bread is a great way to use up some extra dried apricots. It's fragrant and slightly sweet, and perfect toasted with some peanut butter for breakfast:@) This is a hybrid recipe, I started with my favorite Panettone and added elements from Hodgson Mill's Absolutely Apricot Bread. I love these recipes that call for an egg, they really make a nice hearty loaf of bread. Don't hesitate to give this a try folks, I think you'll like it!

 In case you're wondering, yep, I am still loving my mini one pound Zojirushi bread machine. 

I use it at least every other week and some times twice a week!

1 lb Double Apricot Bread for Bread Machine
1/2 C water
2 Tblsp butter, softened
1 egg
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
2 C + 2 Tblsp A/P flour-might need a little more
2 Tblsp apricot jam
2 Tblsp powdered milk
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp yeast-I used 1 tsp regular, 1/2 tsp rapid rise
generous 1/2 C dried apricots, rough chopped

1. Add everything to pan of bread maker (except apricots) in order given. 
2. Press light setting. Look at the dough after it's been mixed a couple minutes, add a little more flour if it isn't making a nice smooth ball.
3. Add apricots at beep.
4. Pour a cuppa, enjoy the fragrance and love life:@)

Eat well and have a happy day!

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February Little Red Truck and Heart Shaped Spritz Cookies for Valentine's Day

I kept the Little Red Truck pretty simple for Valentine's Day this year. Added a heart ornament I made a few years ago to the grill and loaded the back up with candy:@) I'm still tickled with this fun purchase, and I think it looks great on the coffee table.

You can see my post about crafting this (and another) cute Valentine's Day Ornament from foam heart shapes here.

Ha, I wouldn't mind seeing this truck backing into my driveway:@)

Have you tried these Andes Cherry Jubilee candies???

OMG, yummy!
I found them at Dollar Tree at Christmas and ~may have~ squirreled a few extra bags away:@)

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

And I wanted to send a little reminder that Spritz Cookies whip up in no time...
Can be easily decorated with nothing more than a light dusting of sugar (maybe red for Valentine's Day)...
And every press does come with a heart shape... Just sayin':@)

You can see all of my Spritz Recipes and decorating ideas at a glance on my Pinterest Board HERE.
They are also in my Recipe Index up top in the cookie section.

Happy Valentine's Week Everyone-I hope it's a sweet one for you:@)

Date and Nut Bread -And Broadway Basketeers Dried Fruit and Nut Gift Tray Review

A few years ago I started a label called 'new food to me' for things I've never had before. Believe it or not, dates were on that list. But I can cross them off now that Broadway Basketeers sent me a generous dried fruit and nut tray for review. I used the dates to make Bloggy Buddy Kitty's Date and Nut Bread. It's a hearty and moist loaf cake that's perfect with a cup of coffee or tea. And it freezes beautifully, so even if you have a smaller household, you can cover it with plastic wrap and enjoy a slice as desired. Don't hesitate to give this quick bread a try folks, I think you'll like it!

While I'd be thrilled to receive one of these beautiful Dried Fruit and Nut Gift Trays any time of year, I think they are especially nice during winter, and there's a lot of winter left folks... Dried fruit and nuts are perfect for nibbling (how about a healthier treat for the next big game:@) They can also be used in baking and dried apricots are great for making an easy jam. I also like that they aren't quickly perishable, simply store in an air tight container and these goodies will stay fresh for months.

What to do with all that yummy fruit? Besides munching of course... 

I'm here to help ya folks!

1. It would all be good in oatmeal, especially the apples and peaches. 
2. Dried Apricot Jam
3. Brie Dip with Apricot Topping
4. Bread Machine Panettone-I used this recipe with the dried peaches-boy that's good!
5. Date and Nut Bread/Cake
6. Oatmeal Cookies, exchange the Raisinettes for chopped apple, apricot, prunes, peaches or cranberries
7. Bread Pudding
8. Bacon Wrapped Apricots Appetizer
9. White Chocolate and Apple Popcorn

Date and Nut Bread-from Kitty's Kozy Kitchen
3/4 C chopped nuts, either walnuts or pecans-I used walnuts
8 oz pitted, whole dates, chopped-mine were roughly chopped
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 C shortening-can sub butter, Kitty uses butter flavored shortening, I used regular shortening
3/4 C boiling water
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 C sugar
1 1/2 C A/P flour, sifted

1. Combine nuts, dates, baking soda and salt to mixing bowl. 
2. Add shortening and boiling water, let sit for 15 minutes, stir.
3. In separate bowl, beat eggs slightly and stir in vanilla. Stir in sugar and flour.
4. Add wet ingredients to dry, stir to combine but don't over mix.
5. Pour batter into greased 9x5 loaf pan.
6. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until toothpick comes out clean. 
7. Cool in pan for 15 minutes before removing from baking dish onto rack.

I would like to thank Kitty for sharing a favorite family recipe and Broadway Basketeers for gifting me this dried fruit and nut tray. My honest opinion is, it's a thoughtful gift, and a very tasty one too:@)

So why not pour a cuppa and stop by their site to see the great variety of items offered, everything from gift towers to fresh fruit to wine! 

Eat well, gift generously, 

and have a happy day:@)

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Spritz Cookies with Jam Centers

My sons declared these Spritz Cookies with Jam Centers dangerously good! I declare them a winner too:@) They are buttery and delicate with a nice almond flavor and slightly sweet, glossy center. I used apricot preserves, chunky strawberry preserves would be great too and a mixture of both would be very pretty on a cookie tray or dessert buffet. I do highly recommend adding this recipe to your list if you'd like to try a new spritz cookie this holiday season.

A fun tip: Fishing the solid bits of fruit out of the jam to use on the cookies creates a chewier center. 

This is the first time I tried my thrifted battery operated Super Shooter and I'm pleased to report it worked well:@)

I chose what they call the Star Disc and gently pushed an indent into the center of each cookie with my finger tip.

Next time, I'll use a disc that makes a more solid, rounded cookie. Like this maple cookie.

The good news is... There ~will~ be a next time!

You can see my list of helpful Spritz Tips HERE and Spritz Pinterest Board HERE.

Spritz Cookies with Jam Centers-from Grandmother's Kitchen

1 cup butter

3/4 cup sugar

1 egg

2 1/4 cup flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

dash salt

1 tsp almond extract

Jam or preserves for the centers (your choice of jam)

1. In the bowl of an electric mixer, cream butter and sugar.
2. Add egg & beat well.
3. Add flour, baking powder, salt & almond extract and mix well.
4. Fill a cookie press with dough and press out shapes onto a non-greased cookie sheet.
5. Add scant 1/4 teaspoonful of jam to the center of each cookie and bake at 375 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown

Enjoy a cookie and have a happy day:@)

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