Crockpot Blueberry Cherry Dump Cake

If you like the dump cake recipe that uses a can of pineapple and a can of cherry pie filling, you'll like this one, too!  This one is made in the crockpot. Instead of using pineapple, I replace it with a pint of fresh blueberries.

In the bottom of your crockpot, place a pint of fresh blueberries. Add a can of cherry pie filling.  Fill the empty can half full of water and stir it around to make sure you get all the cherry sauce and pour water and all into the crock pot.  Stir the ingredients around to even out the distribution.

Dump a white cake mix on top of the fruit.  Place slices of a stick of butter evenly over the cake mix.  Add a handful of chopped pecans.

Put the lid on the crockpot and cook on high for 2 hours.  That's it!

Read About OUR Chili!

I want you to know a little bit about the history of chili before I tell you my favorite family story about OUR chili!  Chili is a concoction of the Southwestern United States, probably more specifically West Texas. 

My favorite legend regarding the origin of chili is a Southwestern American Indian story about a beautiful nun who shared a recipe in the 17^th century. Sister Mary of Agreda was in Spain. She was a mystery to the Indians, but was known as “La Dama de Azul” … the lady in blue.  Sister Mary went into trances for days at a time and she would tell that her spirit went to faraway lands where she preached Christianity to natives and encouraged them to look for the Spanish missionaries. Sister Mary shared a recipe for a stew that included venison, antelope meat, onions, tomatoes and chili peppers.

What is so mysterious about this legend?  Sister Mary never left Spain. The recipe she shared was one she learned from American Indians. King Philip IV of Spain and Spanish missionaries (in America) were convinced that she was the lady in blue.

The lady I want to tell you about is my mother.  When she was a young bride, she and Daddy lived in a tiny apartment.  They shared a bathroom with another apartment, but they had their own wood burning stove. Mother’s cook stove also heated the apartment. There was no refrigerator.

Hamburger meat in 1940 was 20 cents a pound, but Daddy was in a local grocery store one day and it was on sale for 20 cents for FIVE POUNDS!  Of course, he took advantage of the deal and happily carried his bargain home to their little apartment!  He had his appetite all set for a few days of juicy hamburgers. You might be questioning their ability to keep the meat cold without a fridge! It was wintertime and Daddy had created a box on the outside of a window where they were able to keep their foods that needed refrigeration!

Because she came from a large family, Mother was an accomplished cook. Because she was accustomed to cooking for several people, her first inclination to use five pounds of ground beef was to make CHILI!  Daddy came home from work, expecting hamburgers and sat down to a bowl of chili.  There was nothing wrong with that, except that they had enough chili for three families! That evening, Daddy delivered chili to a few other families!

I heard this story throughout my life.  Daddy loved to tell it!  What I didn’t know, however, was that the little apartment they lived in was a place I visited regularly.  It was on the second floor of a house that is now used as the General John A. Logan Museum in my hometown.  A couple years before he died, I was delighted to be able to take Daddy to see his first apartment.  Once again, he got to tell his chili story to the museum employees!

If you want to read more about the history of chili, visit What's Cooking America

If you are interested in the General John A. Logan Museum visitLogan Museum

YELLOW CURRY CHICKEN

I've recently fallen in love with yellow curry. The oven does most of the work with this easy recipe, but the flavor rings of extensive preparation!

Combine a Tablespoon of yellow curry paste, a Tablespoon of rice wine vinegar and a Tablespoon of golden soy sauce. Make sure the boneless skinless chicken breasts are dry and dip them in the curry paste combination, coating them well. 

Place the chicken breasts on a baking sheet. You can make some wonderful roasted vegetables to go with the chicken.  Chop cabbage, red or green peppers and onions if you like them.  Place the vegetables in a single layer alongside the chicken breasts. Drizzle olive oil over the veges and turn them a few times to coat them.  Roast the chicken and vegetables at 400 degrees for about 15 minutes.   When you plate this meal, use the pan drippings to finish the chicken breasts.  Delicious!

AIR FRIED MUSHROOMS

I love fried mushrooms, but I do my best to stay away from real fried food.  These are air fried and couldn't be easier!

Slice fresh mushrooms and dip them in egg wash. Dredge lightly in flour. Place in the basket of the air fryer and spritz with a tiny bit of olive oil.  Fry them at 356 degrees for 10 minutes.

They are delicious! They are tender inside but crispy on the outside with nearly no amount of oil used.

OLD FASHIONED STRAWBERRY CAKE

When my granddaughter asked for "Grandma's Strawberry Cake", it took us a minute to realize that she was talking about my mother's recipe. Every time one of us bakes  this cake, we talk about "Grandma" and how she used to make it every year for Christmas Eve dinner ... and for every summertime food event we had!

I think the recipe emerged in the 1960s.  I remember having it for the first time at a summertime family reunion!  From then on, it was a huge family hit. 

I was delighted to bake it for Phoebe, and everybody at the party enjoyed reminiscing about the old recipe!

Grandma's Strawberry Cake

Thaw the strawberries and add the first half of the package to the cake mix, oil, eggs and strawberry gelatin.  Mix thoroughly and bake in a prepared 13 x 9 cake pan at 350 degrees for 25 minutes.

1 box white cake mix
1/2 of a 10 ounce package of frozen strawberries
1 cup canola oil
1 box strawberry gelatin
4 eggs

When the cake is done, remove it from the oven and immediately make the icing.  Prepare by adding
the second half of the package of thawed strawberries to 1 pound powdered sugar and 1/2 stick soft butter.  Whip until smooth and pour over the cake while the cake is still warm.

You can also bake this cake in 2 or 3 round pans.  You'll need more frosting for a layered cake, so use the following recipe.  Let the round cake layers cool completely before frosting them.

Big Batch of Strawberry Frosting

Add the second half of the package of strawberries to 8 ounces of softened cream cheese, 1/2 stick soft butter and 2  pounds powdered sugar