Whipped Up Fruit

With summer fast approaching (although this Roswell, N.M. weather has been all over the place), I am so excited for the BBQs! So hopefully the wind will die down and the warm weather will stay. I have heard several old young people who said they have lived their whole lives here and have never seen this much wind in Roswell! One reason I actually enjoy Roswell is because there is not a whole lot of wind. I moved away from Clovis. N.M. for a couple of reasons but one reason happens to be the horrible winds. So enough of my chit chat.  So anyways as I was saying...who doesn't love friends and family gatherings? One of my favorite things about summer is the fruits :) Strawberries happens to be one of the favorites in the Secret household. So today I am going to share with you a family favorite to take to a BBQ!

 

So since I have no idea what to call this I'm going to call it 'whipped up fruit'. You can whip it up in minutes and it's made with whip cream (I call it whip cream but the 'right name' is whipped topping. Yum. You will need:

 

• 2 - 8 oz tubs of whip cream (whipped topping)

• 4 -6 yoplait yogurts

• 1 - 1 oz package of cheesecake pudding

• strawberries (I use about 20 of them)

• bananas (I use about 4 of them)

 

So lets get started ! Let your whip cream thaw just enough so you can stir it. Put in your yogurt and pudding. I like to let it sit for a couple of hours in the fridge but you can actually whip this up and go right out the door with it. I just like it really cold, it just seems right for hot weather. While you are letting the mixture sit in the fridge I like to put the bananas in the fridge so they are nice and cold when I put them in the mixture. After you have let it sit in the fridge for your choice of time and you are ready to walk out the door and head over to your BBQ add the strawberries and bananas!

 

Last minute note: I like to use strawberry flavored yogurt but you can use any kind. Same goes for the instant pudding...I like the cheesecake. You can also change the fruit. Say you want to use raspberry yogurt with raspberries. Or mix and match...blueberry and raspberry yogurt with fresh blueberries and raspberries. You get the idea right? Any type of yogurt with any type of fruit? Whatever hits the spot! It's good any way and the best thing about it is you can make it just about any flavor you want and change it up every time you make it! Also you can half this recipe but still use the full packet of pudding. Hope you enjoy.

 

This is a recipe you will keep forever. I love to whip this up at any given second because it's so easy and taste so good. The kids love it and I don't feel real guilty that the kids are eating way to much sweets because it has fruit in it! Welcome to my way of thinking, it has fresh fruit in it...it's good for you! Well leave me some feed back if you give it a try. I'd really like to hear if you have tried any of my blog post and your opinion. I don't have any followers yet on my blog and hope to get some soon, so if you are reading this and have been following my blog, I'd really like to have you join my blog. I promise you won't be sorry!

Click here for printable version of this recipe



My Mac~n~Cheese Must Have

Who wants to eat my homemade Macaroni and Cheese? I must say I make the best mac~n~cheese or at least everyone who taste it thinks so! Yes that is a challenge, if you think your homemade mac~n~cheese is better send me your recipe so I can taste test. Better yet you make mine and let me know what you think! Sound like a plan?

 

 

So sometime ago I needed to come up with a mac~n~cheese recipe. If you have children you know what I am talking about. Children could live off of mac~n~cheese but that nasty stuff you get in a box just don't cut it as a meal! Of course you could use Velveeta but it just don't taste like a homemade mac~n~cheese recipe. So I had to put my mind to work.

 

So the first key to making homemade mac~n~cheese is a soft cheese! Hoffman's Cheese is just that and it comes in a huge variety of flavors! I wanted a real distinct taste and the Hickory Smoked Swiss and Cheddar Cheese has a real powerful flavor that I like. I wanted it to be real cheesy so I picked up another Hoffman's flavor. I have played around over the years and I like the Pepper Jack and Hickory Smoked together. The key for me is the hickory smoked cheese, that's a must have, but you can play around with the other flavors and see what you like best. Although I think the hickory smoked is a must have the other flavors are good as well.

Now lets get to making some homemade mac~n~cheese! Boil a pot of water. When the water comes to a boil add 4 cups of elbow macaroni. I make my mac~n~cheese as a casserole so I need plenty of macaroni to fill a 9 x 13 casserole dish. While your waiting for your macaroni, grate your cheese. I use 8 oz. of each, but I'm sure you can use less if you like. When your macaroni is done cooking drain it. Bring your pot back over to the stove and add a cup of milk and your cheese. Melt your cheese and then add your macaroni back to the pot. If you are going to make this as a casserole dish make sure your mixture is creamy but yet liquidity because when you stick it in the oven you don't want it to dry out.

 

 Now when you have a husband mac~n~cheese is not good enough for a meal, so I like to add ham to it. I like to used leftover ham but we don't eat ham all the time so I like to use Farmland Fully Cooked Diced Ham as the other option.

Now mix it all up. You can eat it like this or make a little casserole with it.

 

 I then add it to a 9 x 13 casserole dish a sprinkle some Italian Style Bread Crumbs over the top of it for some added flavor and texture (see first picture above). Now stick it in the oven at 350° for about 15 minutes or so.

 

 

Take it out and I'm sure your little ones will be as happy as mine are. It's their favorite meal! And I'm sure your husband won't be disappointed either with the added meat.

 

So let me know what you think! I promise it's pretty yummy :)~  It's a great meal and it's great for a side dish also. I've brought it to many occasions and came home empty handed. Oh and if you have leftovers I like to use it for a side with hamburgers or hot dogs. There is so much you can do with this recipe it's a must have. I hope you enjoy this meal as much as my family does!