Heinz 57 Kabobs, Darn Good Baked Beans, Meatball Appy & Labor Day Weekend...

I'm guessing there will be a few BBQ's this weekend and folks might be looking for a little inspiration... May I suggest these Heinz 57 Chicken Shish-Ka-Bobs:@) Easy and very tasty, and if you're not inclined to skewer the kabobs, simply grill up some chicken breast and slather it with the sauce. Good stuff folks:@)

And one of my favorite side dishes are these Darn Good Baked Beans with Bacon and Brown Sugar. This is a very nice recipe that starts with three types of canned beans, and will appeal to most folks in the crowd.

Bringing the appetizer? These Three Ingredient Hawaiian Meatballs couldn't be easier. Heat in slow cooker, microwave, or in a disposable pan on the grill.

Whatever you are doing this Labor Day Weekend, whether firing up the grill (free apron pattern here), or going out to eat... 

We here at Pig In Mud hope you have a swimmingly good time:@)

Dollar Tree pool and outdoor table set.

🌞Have a great weekend:@)

Ham & Pineapple Dinner

This Ham and Pineapple Dinner is an easy meal that comes together quickly, pretty much in the time it takes to cook rice or maybe even noodles. This is another one of those mild recipes that should appeal to most, and would be a good choice for those that are just learning to cook. I chose to add red pepper and toss in some peas and cooked carrots to make it more of a complete meal, you could serve broccoli or a salad on the side as well. Tuck this one away for a weeknight meal folks, maybe not company fare, but it will certainly get the crew fed on a Monday night:@) It's a great use for leftover freezer ham too.

Ham & Pineapple Dinner-from here

2 Tblsp butter

2 1/2 C cooked, cubed ham

2 green onion, chopped-I used regular onion

1 C pineapple chunks, drained

1 1/3 C pineapple juice

4 tsp cider vinegar

2 Tblsp brown sugar

2 tsp yellow mustard

2 Tblsp cornstarch

1. Melt butter in skillet, add ham, onion and pineapple, cook for 5 minutes.
2. In bowl stir together pineapple juice, vinegar, brown sugar, mustard and cornstarch.
3. Pour into skillet, stir, heat and thicken sauce about 5 minutes.
4. Serve over starch of choice.

Eat Well and Have a Happy Day:@)

Grilling Season! Pineapple Marinade, BBQ Sauce Pineapple Slices & Pina Colada Carrot Salad

I thought we'd kick of grilling season with a little round-up of pineapple recipes, sound good? Good:@) Let's pick up a can of sliced pineapple and use the juice in this three ingredient Pineapple Marinade for Chicken or Pork. It's a quick marinade that's a little sweet, a little savory. It's good for kabobs or bigger pieces of meat.

As for the slices, let's grill them too... This Savory Grilled Pineapple with BBQ Sauce makes a great side dish that's a little unexpected. Simply use your favorite bar-b-que sauce. Even if you opt out of the sauce, toss some slices on the grill to get a nice char. Good stuff folks!

If you happen to reserve a slice or two, dice it and add it to this Pina Colada Carrot Salad for a refreshing side dish:@) This salad would be perfect with any grilled meal, and is extra easy if you start with store bought shredded carrot. 

My Pineapple Pinterest Board here.

And I'm still lovin' this Pineapple Coconut Water at Walmart, 

splash of rum optional:@)

🍍Let's Fire Up the Grill and,

Have a Great Weekend:@)

Welcome Sign Update & Leftover Ham, Pineapple and Noodle Casserole & Spinach Plants...

I've been having fun with my new Welcome Home Sign, and now that Easter is over the next holiday icon isn't until Memorial Day. So I decided to look around the house for an idea and made this little Phillies O to hold me over until I come up with something I like better... Logo fabric from my stash (thank you Ma) and I simply glued it to a wide mouth metal canning lid. The best part, the lid automatically sticks to the magnet on the sign, didn't even have to add another magnet. Life is good:@)

And speaking of Easter being over... Have leftover ham? This Ham, Pineapple and Noodle Casserole is a great way to use some up! My ham was huge this year, this might just be Sunday dinner on the next cool day when a little oven heat would be welcome in the house.

I'll leave you with a garden update: I took a quick pic of the spinach in my raised bed garden. I planted these seeds in the fall, the few plants that came up literally wintered over on their own (no cover or cold frame, with freezing Philadelphia temperatures and snow covering the plants). They are hearty little things:@)

All Pig In Mud Pinterest Boards-click here.

Have a great weekend:@)

Jello, Pineapple & Maraschino Spring Flowers

As I was revisiting an old Jello post, Bloggy Buddy Sandi's comment stuck out... She said her mom would add maraschino cherries to the hole, and the thought occurred to me... The contrasting center would kinda look like Jello & Pineapple Spring Flowers. Talk about a pretty addition to your Easter dinner or Mother's Day brunch:@) Any holiday or occasion really... And no Jello mold needed, this is made right in the pineapple can, and is a very old idea from Dole. My best suggestion: Do gently warm the outside of the can before trying to release the Jello, don't try to push it out as they say in the vintage ad here. Trust me folks... 

Above pic is with lemon Jello.

Do you have any green maraschino cherries?

Yep, that would work great too:@)

I used orange Jello in my first post.

I like the orange best:@)

Jello, Pineapple & Maraschino Cherries in a Can

20 oz can pineapple slices in juice

Enough maraschino cherries to fill center hole-approx 8-9

Four serving size Jello, any flavor

1/2 C boiling water

1/2 C cold water

1. Open can of pineapple, leave slices in can and drain juice. (Use juice in this great marinade for grilling here.)
2. Dissolve Jello in boiling water, stir in cold water.
3. Blot cherries on paper towel and fill center hole of pineapple to the top.
4. Carefully fill can with Jello, give a little shake, top off with Jello, you may have a little left over. Make sure it fills the center around the cherries too.
5. Center pineapple in can and place in refrigerator until set. At least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
6. Unmold: What I did... 
7. Open other end of can with can opener. Place plastic wrap over each open end. Run hot water around the can for a few seconds.
8. Dry can well, remove plastic wrap and shake out of cut end of can. I then allowed it to re-chill a little longer in the fridge.
9. Use pineapple slices as your guide, cut with sharp knife and enjoy!

It's an oldie but a goodie!

Have a Happy Day:@)

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:@)

Winter Projects-Pineapple Jam, German Red Cabbage & Fast Rise Yeast Rolls

The holidays are over, it's cold outside, and we're looking for new things to try indoors. May I suggest a few cooking projects... I chose Pineapple Jam because it's made with canned pineapple that's easily accessible year-round. I have a Small Batch recipe here, and a robust Pineapple and Citrus Zest Full Batch here. Both are very good:@) Need to use up a different fruit, or want a different flavor? My Jelly and Jam Pinterest board can be found here.

This German Red Cabbage can be made either in a slow cooker or on the stove top. But no matter how you make it, it's very tasty and I encourage you to give it a try:@) 

And even though I know some folks might still be on their New Year's diet, I did want to add a bread project... These Classic Dinner Rolls are a ~faster~ version because we use rapid rise yeast. They do still require planning, but it is well worth the time! Or maybe you're curious about the Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day, you can find that here.

So there you have a few ideas to try something new

 and help make the house smell great!

Have a fun weekend:@)

Hawaiian Pizza Dip -Oven or Little Dipper Crock Pot

Can you feel the excitement of playoff football in the near future??? Big games call for great snacks and this Hawaiian Pizza Dip is a winner! Mix, do a little layering and bake (or add to your Little Dipper Crock Pot) and you'll have a hearty munchie that's ~almost~ as substantial as lunch... It's also a nice way to use up some leftover ham. I whipped this up as an appy for Sunday dinner and it was a big hit, my favorite dipper was the bagel chips, you can even find them at Dollar Tree. Don't hesitate to give this a try folks, it's good stuff:@)

Recipe is easily cut in half or even less, 

just guesstimate, it doesn't need to be exact.

Hawaiian Pizza Dip-from Three Boys and a Dog

8 oz cream cheese, softened

2 C shredded mozzarella cheese-divided

1/4 C parmesan

14 oz jar pizza sauce

1/4 C diced onion-I forgot this

1 tsp garlic powder

8 oz ham, chopped

8 oz crushed pineapple, drained well

1 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes-optional

Dippers: Crackers, Frito Scoops, French bread, Melba toast, bagel chips, etc.

1. Mix cream cheese, 1C mozzarella, parmesan, pizza sauce, onion, and garlic powder. 
2. Pour into sprayed baking dish. I used a shallow 23 oz Corelle dish for half of the recipe. I'm guessing a 1 quart to 1 1/2 quart would be fine for the whole recipe. Or even a pie dish.
3. Sprinkle on top, ham, pineapple, the other 1C of mozzarella, top with the Italian Seasoning and pepper flakes if using. I just added a few shakes of the pepper flakes.
4. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until top is lightly browned. 
5. Alternately: Mix everything, add to Little Dipper Crock Pot, place paper towels under lid, plug in for about 2 1/2-3 hours.

Enjoy a snack and have a happy day:@)

Amish Yum-Yum Jello Fluff Salad

These Jello and Cool Whip, Ambrosia, or Jello Fluff Salads have been around, well, since the beginning of Jello... I wanted to try this Amish Yum-Yum Salad because it just sounds fun:@) Add it as an easy side dish, or to the dessert bar, for any holiday meal and I'm sure the kids will all love it. Use any flavor of Jello (although orange, strawberry and lemon seem the most common), and you can even mix up the fruit as desired. There really aren't rules folks, I see some only use 8 oz Cool Whip for a more pronounced Jello flavor, some add maraschino cherries, etc. You know your crowd...

The Jello dissolves more as it sits in the fridge,

I took this pic shortly after mixing everything.

Amish Yum-Yum Jello Fluff Salad-from Taste of Home

16 oz Cool Whip, thawed-that's the big one folks

Four serving size Jello

20 oz crushed pineapple, drained-I even pressed some of the liquid out of mine

11 oz mandarin oranges, drained

2 C mini marshmallows

1/2 C chopped pecans or pistachios-optional

1. Set aside 1 C Cool Whip to garnish top if desired.
2. Add Cool Whip to large bowl, sprinkle with Jello. Stir to mix until combined.
3. Fold in fruit, marshmallows and nuts.
4. Add dollop of Cool Whip to top for garnish (and maybe some seasonal sprinkles for pizzazz:@)
5. Best eaten the day it's made.

🌷Let's add to those special occasion side dishes and

Happy Holiday Planning:@)

Creamy Carrot and Pineapple Jello Mold -Easter or any day

What makes this Creamy Carrot and Pineapple Jello Mold a little different than the traditional Sunshine/Sunset Salad is, yep, you guessed it... The addition of cream:@) And I just ~love~ the color for Easter! I used the clear top to one of those 7"-ish plastic Easter eggs, you know the ones, they're at Dollar Tree and Walmart. The top holds 3 cups. I sprayed it well and laid it in an oval bowl for stability, then unmolded it like any Jello mold.  Use any fresh greens for the top, parsley, chives, dill, I used some leaf lettuce from my Aerogarden. The only thing I might do differently, use orange Jello if making a carrot for Easter next time. Or, maybe add a drop of red food coloring to the lemon Jello. 

Don't want to make a carrot shape?

The recipe below fills a 3 C bundt pan or any bowl.

Double, etc. for larger molds.

The Easter egg,

I used the clear top for the mold:

Have room on the buffet for two (or more) Jello side dishes?

This Two Ingredient Jello & Cream Cheese Salad couldn't be easier:@)

I made it in the bottom half of one of these eggs.

And my Jello Pinterest Board can be found here.

Creamy Carrot and Pineapple Jello Mold

4 serving size lemon Jello

1/2 C boiling water

3/4 C ice water

8 oz-ish can crushed pineapple, with juice

1/4 C cream, light or heavy whichever you have

1 C shredded carrot

1. Dissolve Jello in boiling water.
2. Stir in ice water and pineapple, then cream. 
3. Place in fridge until partially set, approximately 30-45 minutes.
4. Fold in carrots, spoon into mold sprayed with cooking spray.
5. Cover and place in refrigerator 4 hours, overnight is always best.
6. Dip mold in warm water, dry outside of mold. Plate on top, turn mold upside down to release Jello.
7. Poke greens under rounded side of "carrot" for garnish.
8. Cover and store in refrigerator until serving.

Have a happy day:@)

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Strawberry Jello Mold with Cranberry, OJ & Pineapple

I changed up the flavors in this year's holiday Jello mold a bit and have to say, this is a very nice flavor combination. Strawberry Jello Mold with Cranberry, OJ and Pineapple will be great with Thanksgiving dinner, but I think would work even better for Christmas because of the pineapple. And of course, the color is just amazing. While the molds add a little fun to the festivities, please don't let not having one stop you from making a Jello salad folks, simply use a bowl, baking dish, bundt pan, etc, anything goes... And it's sure to add a little chatter to the dinner table:@) Please note: The color is off in the pics, it's a very deep ruby red.

Recipe below makes approximately 5 C.

Tip: Don't worry about using a smaller mold 

(I'm thinking about the iconic Tupperware 4 C mold).

Simply pour any extra Jello into another bowl or cup,

think of it as the cook's treat:@)

Here I used a 3 C bundt pan and 2 1/2 C mold.

Came up a little short on the mold, but it still worked out!

Some folks will eat this as a side dish, some as dessert.

Having a little whipped cream on-hand is never a bad idea...

Just sayin'.

Strawberry Jello Mold with Cranberry, OJ & Pineapple
2 (3 oz, four serving size) strawberry Jello-regular or I used sugar free this time
1 C boiling water
15 oz can whole cranberry sauce
8 oz crushed pineapple, undrained
1 C orange juice

1. In large bowl, dissolve Jello in boiling water.
2. Stir in cranberry sauce until dissolved, add pineapple and orange juice, mix well.
3. Pour into 5 cup mold sprayed with cooking spray (or two smaller bowls/molds).
4. **Note: I poured mine into the molds right after mixing, the fruit settled a bit and is concentrated more towards the top (in the pictures). If you'd like your fruit to be more evenly distributed throughout the whole mold, allow mixture to partially set in fridge, about 30-40 minutes, give a good stir and then spoon into the mold.
5. Cover and refrigerate until set, at least 4 hours, overnight is always best.
6. Dip mold in warm water, dry outside of mold, put plate on top, turn upside down to unmold.
7. Cover and store in refrigerator until serving.

Make something just for fun this holiday season,

and have a happy day:@)🦃🎅

Sweet Pineapple Meatballs -Little Dipper Crock Pot (or Stove Top) Appetizer

I wanted to try an appy that was a little different than sweet and sour, but still used pineapple... These Sweet Pineapple Meatballs were a big hit at Sunday dinner! Four ingredients, which includes the frozen meatballs, and about five minutes time... That's pretty easy folks:@) Since I wanted each bite to have both meat and pineapple, I cut the meatballs in half. My Little Dipper Crock Pot only holds up to 2 cups, so the leftover pineapple was stored in the fridge to have as a snack at another time. I made them in the Little Dipper Crock Pot, but it would be even quicker and easier on the stove.

Sweet Pineapple Meatballs

7 oz frozen meatballs

20 oz pineapple chunks, reserve 3/4 C juice

3 Tblsp brown sugar

1 Tblsp corn starch

1. Pack slow cooker with meatballs and pineapple.
2. Heat pineapple juice, brown sugar and cornstarch in small pan. Bring to boil, cook until it thickens.
3. Pour into Crock Pot.
4. Place paper towel under lid, cook 2.5-3 hours. 
5. Stir and serve.
6. Alternately: Stove Top= Brown meatballs, thicken sauce, stir together, serve!

🍍Enjoy a snack and have a happy day:@)

Saturday ReView: Barbie Beaded Necklace Halter Top & Pineapple Marinade for Grilling

We're into the dog days of summer folks... Here's a quick little halter top that's just a tad fancier because there's a beaded necklace that holds it up around the neck. I found these aqua beads in the 98¢ bin at Walmart and thought they were the perfect color for summer. One pattern piece, a few hems, string some small beads on wire and wa-la, we have a cute Barbie shirt! The most involved part is adding the shirt to the necklace... But it's really not difficult.

What I did:

1. Cut one piece.
2. 1/4" hem all around. Suggested sewing order: Sides, bottom, under arms.
3. Fold tip towards inside, with needle and thread, gather the very top and scrunch it together, sew it together.
4. Create necklace using my technique HERE, being sure to keep your beads to an odd number**.
5. Sew top onto middle bead of necklace. You have options... Sew thread around each side of the middle bead as I did for this top. **Or, when you're making the necklace add a long piece of string to the middle bead ~before~ you add it onto the wire. You'll use that string to sew the top to the necklace.
6. Add a snap or velcro closure to the top of the back.
7. Done😊

The pattern:

The finished top:

(I sewed my bottom first on this one, I do suggest the order given above.)

The back:

How to make a super easy, no hem, Ken tank top here, 

Now Barbie and Ken have matching outfits for the luau😎

And this Three Ingredient Pineapple Marinade for Grilling Chicken or Pork couldn't be easier and was very good! Sweet, salty and fruity... What's not to love:@) Be sure to give it at least 30 minutes of marinating time, but longer would be even better. Good for kebabs, cubes of meat, thinner cuts of meat, or butterflied chicken breasts. And if you use the pineapple juice from canned chunks you can use the pineapple on kebabs or in a grill pan too.

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🌴Make something summery and have a happy day🌴

Pineapple Basil Salsa for Grilled Meat & Leftover Salsa Rice

I was grilling a couple ham steaks and wanted to serve something a little summery as a condiment to go with them. This Pineapple Basil Salsa was perfect. Why basil instead of cilantro or parsley? Because it grew very well in the planter with tomatoes this year:@) This was super simple using canned pineapple, I just had to cut up a few vegetables and squeeze a lime. Wa-la, dinner was served. Now, you know your crowd, not jalapeno fans? Use all sweet peppers. Fire lovers? Use all hot peppers. This is a nice fresh tasting side dish, perfect with grilled ham, chicken or pork. It's probably pretty good as a dip with tortilla chips too.

Salsa Rice:

I'd guess one 20 oz can of pineapple made about 3 C of salsa.

I had 1/2 C salsa leftover.

Cooked 1/2 C long grain rice with 3/4 C water in my 3 quart ♥ Instant Pot.

Then mixed it with the salsa. 

A very nice way to use up leftover salsa folks, any flavor of salsa (Pico de Gallo Rice here).

Pineapple Basil Salsa

20 oz can crushed pineapple in juice, drained (a mesh strainer is best)

1/2 C peppers, any combination-I used 2 jalapenos and some red bell pepper for color

1/2 C diced sweet onion

juice from one lime

1-2 tsp sugar

2 Tblsp fresh basil, minced ~or~ fresh cilantro ~or~ fresh parsley

pinch salt and some freshly ground black pepper

~Mix everything and serve.

Eat well and have a happy day:@)

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Pineapple and Jalapeno Guacamole with Bacon-for One or a Crowd

Oh this was nice folks, really nice. I was aiming for a bright and fruity guac and this Pineapple and Jalapeno Guacamole with Bacon really hit the spot! You'll notice I didn't add any raw garlic, one: to keep it light, and two: this meant it didn't need any mingling time in the fridge. Just mix and serve. Perfect as a last minute snack for impromptu drinks (or I may have even called it lunch on a lazy weekend day:@) I also purposely cut back on the cumin, oh you'll taste it, but it's just a hint in the background. With no garlic, mild onion and well cleaned jalapenos, the sweetness of the pineapple really comes through. Don't hesitate to give this a try, it might just become a summer favorite!

A word about the small snack packs of pineapple you can get at the store, even Dollar Tree...

They are perfect if you cook for one or two, sweet and sour chicken, fried rice, etc. 

I like to keep them on-hand and use them all the time.

Pineapple and Jalapeno Guacamole with Bacon

For each ripe avocado:

juice from half a lime

1/8 tsp cumin

4 oz snack size tub of pineapple tidbits, drained and diced

small/medium jalapeno, cleaned and small dice

small roma tomato, cored and seeded, diced

sweet onion, small dice, as much as you'd like, I cut two slices from a small Vidalia onion

1-2 slices crispy bacon, crumbled, mix some in, save some for topping, I used 1 1/4 slices

1. Scoop inside of avocado into bowl, add pinch of salt and mash.
2. Add cumin and lime juice, mix well.
3. Gently fold everything else in.
4. If necessary, push plastic wrap down on top of guacamole and store in refrigerator until serving.

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

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Walmart's Pineapple and Coconut Water Spritzer with Splash of Rum

It's the little things in life folks... I saw a new (to me) flavor in the Walmart brand of bottled waters and it screamed summer, so home it came:@) This Pineapple and Coconut Water Spritzer with a beautiful slice of lime and splash of rum is surprisingly tasty and perfect for a hot lazy afternoon lounging poolside. It's a wink and nod to a Pina Colada, but with ~much~ fewer calories. You could also easily make it a mocktail by using a drop of rum extract, or leave the rum out entirely and you have a refreshing flavored water.

Just wanted to share something I've been enjoying,

get it before it's gone!

Try something new and have a happy day:@)

Three Ingredient Hawaiian Meatball Appetizer -Little Dipper Slow Cooker & Larger

I wanted a nice easy appy and these Hawaiian Meatballs fit the bill:@) Frozen meatballs, BBQ sauce and canned pineapple are all that's required, sesame seeds and chives or scallions for garnish might be a nice touch too. If you're looking for a dinner idea instead of a snack, simply serve over rice and add a veggie on the side. I also liked that this was a slow cooker dish, mix, cover and let cook for a few hours. Slow cookers can be great kitchen helpers in the summer as temperatures begin to heat up. I made a small batch in my Little Dipper Crock Pot, you can click the link for a larger version. 

We were grilling a ham steak for dinner, I just used two pineapple rings for these meatballs and grilled the rest of the can. It's also easy enough to heat these up on the stove top, in the oven (350 degrees for about 30-45 minutes), or even the microwave for a fast treat:@)

Slow Cooker Hawaiian Meatballs-adapted from I Heart Naptime

7 oz frozen meatballs

1/2 C BBQ sauce, your favorite brand

1/2 C pineapple chunks

1 Tblsp pineapple juice

Sesame seeds for garnish-optional

Chives or scallions for garnish-optional

1. Mix BBQ sauce and pineapple juice in vessel of slow cooker.
2. Add meatballs and pineapple chunks, mix well.
3. Place paper towels under lid and cook on high 2-3 hours.
4. Stir, garnish if desired and serve with fun food picks. 

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

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Pina Colada Jello -With Rum or No Alcohol Option

This Pina Colada Jello would be a fantastic dessert for Cinco de Mayo ~or~ any warm day this summer! It's a fun snack that only calls for a few ingredients. Having an adult gathering? Serve it with rum mixed in, or leave it out for a family friendly no-alcohol option. Another great thing, you can even find pineapple Jello in the Walmart brand for about 36¢ a pack... Yep, this is a refreshing seasonal treat that tastes great and is budget friendly to make:@) 

I spooned mine into margarita glasses for Cinco de Mayo:@)

Smaller portions firm up quicker than the larger molds too.

Pina Colada Jello

Four serving size Pineapple Jello

3/4 C boiling water

3/4 C coconut milk, shaken well

1-2 Tblsp rum, if desired (taste it, you know your crowd) ~can leave out~

15 oz-ish can pineapple chunks, drained well

Shredded coconut for topping

Maraschino cherry for garnish if desired

1. Dissolve Jello in 3/4 C boiling water.
2. Add 3/4 C coconut milk, mix well. 
3. Chill until partially set, 45 minutes or more. Stir in pineapple.
4. Pour into sprayed mold or individual cups.
5. Chill until set, 4 hours or overnight.
6. Garnish top with shredded coconut, add cherry if desired.

Snack well and have a happy day:@)

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Saturday ReView: Grilled Easter Dinner, Barbie Plastic Egg Bunny Ears & New Garden Gnome

By Easter in Philly, we are all ready for some nicer weather and to start grilling out again. I've changed our Easter ham from being made in the oven, to thick ham steaks on the grill... Boy this makes a nice meal folks! Add some potato salad, deviled eggs (of course:@), a nice glaze for the ham, and dinner is served.

I love quick little seasonal crafts and this bunny ears hat for Chelsea, Kelly or Tommy (Barbie kid dolls with soft hair) is made with the smallest plastic Easter eggs and half of a pipe cleaner. No sewing, no glue, and done in about two minutes-gotta love that:@) I think kids would get a kick out of these easy hats for Easter!

✂What I did:

My eggs were from Dollar Tree and are ~about~ 1 3/4" long.

1. Cut egg in half, use the round end.
2. There will be two holes, or indents, make them both holes.
3. Bump chenille: Cut two bumps long, push points from inside egg, up through the holes.
4. Scrunch excess wire inside of egg so the ears are as long as you'd like, bend ears as desired.
5. Fuzzy pipe cleaners: Cut in half, using one half, push points from inside egg, up through the holes.
6. Bend each side in half and bring back down through holes.
7. Scrunch excess wire inside of egg so the ears are as long as you'd like, bend ears as desired.
8. Push egg onto doll's head-done😎 

And I'll leave you with...

I stopped by the garden center and they had some of these fun cement Rodeo Gnomes-

He's riding a pig!!!

Ha, had to get one, he just makes me smile:@)

🐰Happy Easter Weekend Everyone-enjoy:@)

Vintage Canned Dole Pineapple Slices in Jello-1950's Advertisement

Pineapple and ham are a match made in heaven... How about adding a retro twist to any holiday and serving some Canned Pineapple Slices in Jello. We're basically mixing up some Jello Jigglers and pouring it around the fruit in the can, creating a colorful side dish (and conversation starter:@) I've read that this Dole advertisement is from the 50's. And while Dole says you can simply push the Jello out of the can... Ah, no. As with any Jello mold, it works best to warm the outside of the can first. Your pineapple may come in a can with a pull tab lid these days, that's ok as long as the other end can be opened with a can opener. You'll shake or push it out of the can opener end. This really did look cool folks and the boys got a kick out of it.

No special mold required, it's made right in the pineapple can. Dole obviously made it with lime Jello, I used orange, any flavor would be great. And I'm guessing kids would love this with a Hawaiian Punch flavored red Jello:@)

Pineapple Slices in Jello-from Dole

20 oz-ish can pineapple slices in juice

Four serving size Jello, any flavor

1/2 C boiling water

1/2 C cold water

1. Open pineapple, leave slices in can and drain juice. (Use juice in this great marinade for grilling here.)
2. Dissolve Jello in boiling water, stir in cold water.
3. Carefully fill can with Jello, you may have a little left over.
4. Center pineapple in can and place in refrigerator until set. At least 4 hours, preferably overnight.
5. Unmold: What I did... 
6. Open other end of can with can opener. Place plastic wrap over each open end. Run hot water around the can for a minute or so.
7. Dry can well, remove plastic wrap and shake out of cut end of can. I then allowed it to re-chill a little longer in the fridge.
8. Use pineapple slices as your guide, cut and enjoy!

Make something just for fun this Easter, 

and have a happy day:@)

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