Mema Koehn’s Summer Fruit Salad

This has been a favorite fruit salad of ours for a while now that Mema Koehn introduced to us.  So easy!  So yummy! So quick! Perfect for a hot summer day!
 
Fresh strawberry’s cut up
Grapes (green or red or both)
Fresh pineapple (optional)
1 can of peach pie filling

Mix all together and refrigerate until serving time.  YUM!

Pickled Beets

Growing up I remember Mom always making pickled beets during the summer.  I hadn’t had them since I was a kid. Last year we decided to grow some beets for the first time in our garden.  They grew so well and I ended up with quite a few so I went on a search for a good pickled beet recipe.  I found this one and it was DELICIOUS!  I made them again this Summer and they are a big hit…well, at least to the people that have a taste for beets!
 
10 Pounds fresh small beets (stems removed)
2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon pickling salt
1 quart white vinegar
1/4 cup whole cloves

Place beets in large pot with water to cover.  Bring to boil and cook until tender, about 15 minutes depending on size of beets.  If beets are large, cut them into quarters.  Drain, reserving 2 cups of the beet water, cool and peel.

Sterilize jars and lids by immersing in boiling water for at least 10 minutes.  Fill each jar with beets and add several whole cloves to each jar.

In large saucepan, combine the sugar, beet water, vinegar, and pickling salt.  Bring to a rapid boil.  Pour the hot brine over the beets in the jars and seal lids.

Place a rack in the bottom of a large stockpot and fill halfway with water.  Bring a boil over high heat, then carefully lower the jars into the pot using a holder.  Leave a 2 inch space between the jars.  Pour in more boiling water if necessary until the water level is at least 1 inch above the tops of the jars.  Bring the water to a full boil, cover the pot, and process for 10 minutes.

ENJOY!!!

Biscuit and Gravy Breakfast Casserole

This recipe has been a favorite of our family’s for a while now.  It’s fast and easy and the whole family loves it.  This will be what we will be making for Christmas morning breakfast this year.  YUM! 

Ingredients:
1 package of sausage your choice
1 package of Pioneer Brand Peppered Sausage Gravy Mix
1 cup Cheddar Cheese
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
Salt and Pepper
1 can Pillsbury Grand’s Biscuits

Directions:
Preheat oven 350 degrees.
Spray a 9×13 pan with non-stick cooking spray.
Cut the biscuits into 1″ pieces and place in bottom of pan.
Brown the sausage and place over biscuits.
Sprinkle with Cheddar Cheese.
Whisk eggs and milk with a pinch of salt and pepper and pour it over the pan.
Make Gravy mix per package directions and pour over sausage and cheese.
Bake in the oven for about 30-45 minutes.
Enoy!

Summer Layered Peach Dessert

Last week Brad’s Uncle, Leonard Koehn, passed away.  We attended the family Memorial Service and a meal at the Holdeman Mennonite Church on Thursday evening and one of the desserts they served was this incredible peach dessert made from fresh Colorado Peaches.  I made it for the first time for Mom’s 65th Birthday celebration on Sunday and it was a huge hit!  It is now our families NEW favorite Summer dessert!  And, we hear the Colorado Peach Truck is coming to town again this Saturday, so we are making sure we get another box so we can make this dessert again.  It’s Marilyn Leving’s Recipe in the New Holdeman Mennonite Cookbook (The Prairie Range –pg. #315). 

CRUST:

• 1/2 Cup Brown Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cup Flour
• 3/4 Cup Butter

Mix together and press in  9x13 pan.  Bake at 400 for 10 minutes.  Crumble and bake again 8 minutes longer.  Burns easily.  Take out and crumble again. 

FILLING:

• 1 1/2 Pkg. cream cheese
• 1 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
• 9 Oz. Cool Whip

Mix cream cheese and powdered sugar together, then add cool whip. Spread on top of cool crust.

TOPPING:

• 1 1/2 Cups Sugar
• 1 1/2 Cups Water
• 4 1/2 T. Cornstarch
• 3 T. or 1 small box peach Jello
• 4 Cups Peaches or however many you want

Mix sugar, water and cornstarch until thick.  Add jello while hot.  Cool  Add peaches and spread on top of dessert. 
ENJOY!!!!

Apple Nachos

Last Sunday evening I was trying to decided what to make for a fast and easy dessert to go with our Nachos we were having for supper.  I saw I had a couple of apples in the fridge and than it hit me.  I’d seen these on pinterst before but that’s as far as it went.  Most of the recipes on pinterest called for caramel.  I didn’t have caramel so I went with my own recipe.  Let’s just say the dish was empty in no time and the boys have requested them again since Sunday.  YUM!!!!

2-3 Apples sliced
3/4 Cup Peanut Butter
1/2 Cup White Chocolate Chips
Chocolate Syrup

Place sliced apples in bottom of pan.  Put the peanut butter and chocolate chips in the microwave together and melt.  Stir and then drizzle on top of apples.  Sprinkle with some chocolate chips and then drizzle some Hershey chocolate syrup on top.  ENJOY!!!

Ramen Noodle Salad #2

I’ve posted a Ramen Noodle Salad Recipe before but I found this one this past week when I was looking for a quick salad to make.  This recipe I found is much easier than the last one I posted.  Being a busy Mommy, I’m all about EASY and QUICK!  So, here it is…

Head of Cabbage chopped up
1/2 Cup Chopped Onion (optional)
1/2 Cup Chopped Carrots (optional)
2 Pkg. Ramen Noodles Raw and Crushed (I used Chicken flavor)
1 Cup Sunflower Seeds
1 Cup Oil
1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1/2 Cup Sugar

Chop cabbage, onions and carrots.  Mix oil, vinegar and sugar together along with the 2 packets of seasoning out of the ramen noodle packages and pour over the cabbage mixture.  Mix in the sunflower seeds. Stir in crushed ramen noodles and refrigerate.  ENJOY!!!

Mom’s Baked Candy Apples

Every now and then Mom will make this dish for us when she has us over on Sundays.  We’ve fallen in love with it and so this past week I decided to try and make it for our little family.  It is incredibly easy and it is soooo delicious!!!  

1 Cup Water
1 Cup Sugar
2 1/2 T. Cornstarch
3/4 Cup Cinnamon Candy
2 1/2 T. Raspberry Jello
6-8 Apples

Cook water, sugar and cornstarch in dish in microwave till clear and bubbly.  Add Cinnamon Candies and stir till mostly dissolved.  Stir in Jell-O.  Peel and cut up apples.  Place in baking dish (I used 8x8 baking dish and only cut up 3 apples).  Pour Jell-O mixture over the apples.  Bake at 350 degrees until done, which for my oven was about 45 minutes.  Cook until apples are completely baked.  This dish can be eaten cold or hot, whichever you are in the mood for at the time.  Our family prefers it cold so I refrigerate until ready to eat.  ENJOY!