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Incredibly moist Dark Chocolate Cake iced with a Whipped Cappuccino Buttercream icing and served with chocolate ice cream drizzled with chocolate syrup… 

We used to have this great restaurant in Huntsville called Darryl’s. Everyone loved that place. As a teenager, anytime homecoming, birthdays, or any other eating out occasion rolled around, we all went to Darryl’s. It got to be kind of funny because you’d show up with a date or a group of friends and it would turn out more like a class reunion with practically every other table filled with folks you know.

Unfortunately, Darryl’s closed a good while back. There is only one remaining in North Carolina, but I live in Alabama so I’ve spend over ten years pining away for my very favorite thing on their menu – Cappuccino Cake.

Cappuccino Cake was one of their signature desserts and they always brought out a huge wedge of it for birthdays and special events. My sister got her first job working there as a hostess and we’d never been more proud of her than when we’d come home on the rare occasion and find an entire cappuccino cake in our refrigerator! They served it cold (I think it is better that way) with a side of chocolate ice cream and generously drizzled chocolate syrup over the whole thing.

This is a deep dark chocolate cake iced with a whipped cappuccino buttercream icing. Does it get any better than this? Maybe, but not right now because right now, we’re focusing on this little side of heaven .

After pining away for over a decade, I decided it couldn’t be that difficult to duplicate the recipe so I set out to do just that. You can’t find a copy anywhere on the internet so I went by memory and a basic starting point of dark chocolate cake, coffee infused buttercream – and we have a winner. We have  grand prize winner. This puppy deserves one of those 6 foot tall trophies.

If I didn’t share this recipe I could retire and just bake Cappuccino cakes the rest of my life. But it’s not nice not to share recipes and I don’t really want to wash that many dishes. 

I hope you get to make this soon. It is definitely a showstopper cake perfect for any special occasion.

Come to think of it, today seems pretty special to me, doesn’t it to you? 

For the cake part, you’ll need: 

Chocolate Cake Mix*, milk, sour cream, eggs, dutch process cocoa powder (dark cocoa powder), and oil. 

*You can use any dark chocolate cake mix such as devil’s food, dark chocolate, or even regular chocolate if you like. You can also use your favorite chocolate cake recipe if you like but I like this one because it is dense and extremely moist.

In a mixing bowl, place all of your ingredients. 

Mix that with an electric mixer until well blended and smooth, about 2-3 minutes, scraping down sides as needed. 

Some folks have you add gradually but unless you’re just now joining this party, you know I’m really not a gradual person. 

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While that is mixing, grease two or three 8 inch round cake pans. I’m only using two. 

To grease my pans I fold up a paper towel and dip it in vegetable shortening and then smear it around real good.

Instead of flouring our pans, since this is a chocolate cake, I like to use cocoa powder. Just put a tablespoon or so in your pan and then…

 tilt your pan all around while patting it to distribute it evenly like this. 

Dump excess out into the trash or back yard. Squirrels need chocolate too. Just kidding. It may be bad for squirrels and then I’d get all sorts of squirrel rights activists boycotting my website and such, which is utterly ridiculous considering I’m practically running a squirrel wildlife refuge here at my house considering I have two of the biggest pecan trees you’ve ever seen in my yard but have gotten a grand total of two pecans in the past three years. The squirrels sure are plump though. And happy. In fact, I don’t think they could be any happier unless I started giving them chocolate…

Then you divide the batter evenly between your two baking pans.

This batter is going to be really thick and will likely remind you of jello.

Remember, never ever eat raw cake batter. 

But I don’t count licking it off the spatula as eating it. 

So many things are all about perspective…

~grins~

Bake cake layers in the oven at 350 for about 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

Note: If you are making more than two layers, check on them after twenty minutes. Mine are thicker since I’m only doing two layers so they will need to cook longer.

Once they are finished baking, remove from oven and let sit in the cake pans for ten minutes. 

After ten minutes, turn cakes out and allow to cool completely. 

I like to let mine cool and then wrap them really well and refrigerate overnight for easier icing the next day

Time to make Cappuccino Buttercream Icing!

You’ll need: Butter, milk, instant coffee, vanilla, and powdered sugar. 

I only use instant coffee for recipes such as this so I got those neat little packets that have a sleeve you open for each cup. They were just $1.00 for a box of seven so that seemed like a pretty good deal to me and my instant coffee stays fresh for whenever I need it.

When it comes to my daily coffee, I need the hard stuff. The real stuff. I’m talking coffee so strong you’d have to put quarters on your eyelids if you wanted them to shut anytime in the next eight hours. 

Take the instant coffee and stir it into your milk until dissolved.

 This may take a minute. 

You don’t have to heat your milk first though.

Place your well softened butter in a mixing bowl. 

Important: Don’t be tempted to soften your butter in the microwave, on the stovetop, or any other trick we use to soften it when we’re in a hurry for this recipe. We really want to just leave our butter on the countertop for a few hours until it softens on it’s own for this recipe. Normally, I’m all about shortcuts but this one is important because we’re gonna have us a whipped icing in the end so bits of melted butter won’t help us achieve our purpose

.

Beat for a minute or two, until fluffy like this. 

Add in all other icing ingredients. 

and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides as needed (like in this picture)

Now crank up that mixer again and beat this icing until it is fluffy, 5-7 minutes. 

If you haven’t tasted this icing by now, I’d sure like to know where you get your willpower from.

Time to ice the cake!

This cake is best if made ahead and refrigerated until good and cold. 

I know that is torture but just try it for me once, it’s totally worth the wait!

Serve with chocolate ice cream, chocolate syrup (I used Hershey’s) and a strawberry.

Eat the strawberry last – your body might get confused and think you just finished a fruit plate

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

 “Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones.”

Proverbs 16:24

The honeycomb is one of the strongest structures designed. Strengthen those around you with uplifting speech. Everyone needs cheerful words these days. Life and death are in the power of the tongue, Choose LIFE.

~Submitted by Marilyn Miller. Click here to submit your quote.

I’m doing my last minute running around before both of my kids are out of school and so my friend, Stacey, offered to share one of his recipes with you to give me a little more time to get my Christmas ducks in a row. This is his special Christmas story and I know you’ll enjoy it! Be sure and head on over to read My family’s Christmas story when you’re done, the Seven Cakes of Christmas (I have a free little ebook for you there, too!).

And I also want to share with you my Good Morning message that I posted on the Southern Plate Family Facebook page this morning if you’ll indulge me. Each morning I post a positive or uplifting message to get our day started right and today’s was a little more special to me.

“We’re in the home stretch with Christmas right around the corner! Don’t sweat the small stuff this week – seriously. I know this is the time where we all run around fretting and driving ourselves bat crazy over the tiniest details, doing everything we possibly can to make Christmas “perfect” for our families and those we love. But guess what? No matter what we do, how beautifully presents are wrapped, how much food is cooked, or what is beneath the tree – *You* and *I* will never be able to make Christmas perfect. God already did that  
Now breathe in..exhale…and enjoy this beautiful season. GOOD MORNING!!! ~Christy” 

Gratefully, 

Christy

Now take it away, Stacey! 

Once again, Christy has asked me to share one of my family’s favorite recipes with the Southern Plate family.  It’s a pleasure to do this every day over on Southern Bite, but I’m always humbled and overwhelmed when I get asked to share my food on what is arguably the BEST food blog on the net.  When Christy asked me to post something that was holiday themed, I knew exactly what it had to be.   But if you know me, then you know that no special post comes without a story…

My grandmother grew up poor.  But just as Christy would say, she was rich in every way that mattered.  And her story to me about her favorite Christmas was perfect evidence of that.  She was one of six children.  Out of necessity, both her parents worked to make ends meet and she was raised by her older siblings, as was so common in those days.  Her father was a night watchman at a saw mill and her mother worked at a plant nursery.  When Christmas would roll around though, poverty took nothing away from them in the way of magic and excitement.  Every year, each child would be presented with one toy, an outfit their mother had made, and a small assortment of fruit, nuts, and peppermint candies.  It was always her father’s job to go out and hunt the perfect Christmas tree.  That was his big contribution to the celebration and he took great pride in presenting the perfect cedar tree for trimming.

 Of course, running down to the tree lot was out of the budget, so he would set out in the woods to track down a prime specimen.  One year in particular, they were living in Bay Minette and after several trips, he wasn’t able to find a cedar tree to suit.  In a last ditch effort to provide something, he cut down a holly bush he found.  He brought it back to the house and feeling a little embarrassed with his haul, set out to make it a little more special.  Finding a can of silver paint, he painstakingly brushed every single prickly holly leaf with a shiny coat.   The result, as my grandmother would put it, was the most beautiful, amazing Christmas tree she’s ever had.  The love he put into that tree made it beautiful.   They added the few ornaments they had and one small strand of bubble lights (that’s all they could afford).  That tree went down in history with her and her family.  And something that he thought inadequate, became the main focus of one of the most fond Christmases they ever shared.

As a child myself, I remember trying to figure how someone could be so excited about a silver bush and only one toy for Christmas.  I mean she would reflect on Christmases past with the same starry-eyed look that I’m sure she had when they first happened.  Today, as an adult with my own child, I have a much better understanding of the importance of a simple, but impactful holiday.

So often we get caught up in the holiday season that we fail to realize the simple things that make it so special.  We focus our attention on buying the best gifts and decorating the perfect tree, when the real  importance of the holiday lies in sharing the time with our loved ones.  I grew up pretty poor myself and it’s one of the things in my life that I am most thankful for.  Thankful for being poor, you ask?  Yep!   When you’ve had little, it help you appreciate when you have more and keeps you pretty grounded.

This holiday season, I hope that you’ll take the time to pay attention to the simple things.  For one day, you’ll look back and realize they were the big things.

This recipe is one of those simple things that have always made holidays special in our family.  Every Thanksgiving and Christmas would find this on my grandmother’s table.  And now, I get the opportunity to share her recipe with y’all.

You’ll need: graham crackers, pecans, maraschino cherries, shredded coconut, raisins, mini marshmallows (yeah, I know I totally left them out of the picture – sorry), sweetened condensed milk

Crush entire box of graham crackers.

I used my food processor but you can also pop those crackers in a zip top bag and crush them with a rolling pin.

Coarsely chop pecans and cherries (saving the cherry juice).

Combine everything in a large bowl.  Mix well.

You may have to use your hands for this – it’s messy but you get to lick your fingers afterwards so it’s totally worth it.

Add three tablespoons of the leftover cherry juice and mix well.

(You can add more if it seems too stiff.)

Turn out into a lightly buttered 9X13 pan and press flat.  Chill at least 6 hours.

Remember, if you don’t have Christmas in your heart, you won’t find it under a tree.

]]> http://www.southernplate.com/2011/12/icebox-fruitcake.html/feed 46 http://www.southernplate.com/2011/12/fruitcake-bar-cookies.html http://www.southernplate.com/2011/12/fruitcake-bar-cookies.html#comments Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:41:42 +0000 Christy Jordan http://www.southernplate.com/?p=17632 Pin it

Stay tuned for my Favorite Holiday Gifts Guide and lots of giveaways coming up in a few days! 

We’ve never been fruitcake fans, but we do love our fruitcake cookies! Dried fruit layered with cinnamon, brown sugar, and just enough flour and butter to hold it all together until it reaches your mouth! Mama has made fruitcake cookies each year for as long as I can remember. She goes shopping for the candied fruit each year *after* Christmas, when it is on sale, and stores it in her freezer until the holidays roll around again and we all get to craving the brown sugar/fruity goodness of these yummy cookies.

Mama’s recipe is traditional and wonderful, but this year I worked up a simpler version with less fuss. I sent a platter of them to my mother’s house for her approval and she called this morning to get the recipe. She said she’s gonna make my version instead of hers this year to give herself a little break because “They taste every bit as good and sure are a lot easier!”.

So here is my easier version. No dropping dough or cookie sheets. Just pat it all into one pan, cook and let it cool and rest overnight, then cut into little bites and enjoy. Because we all have Christmases when we really want the fruitcake cookies, but a little break would be nice, too!

You’ll need: Baking Mix, Margarine, Chopped walnuts, sliced almonds, raisins, dark brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, one egg, and Candied Fruit Mix or chopped candied dried fruits of your choice.

Notes about ingredients and substitutions: 

Baking Mix – Some folks aren’t familiar with “Baking Mix”. Bisquick is a brand of baking mix and that usually strikes that note of recognition with them Bisquick is not my favorite baking mix. I prefer House Autry (which can’t be found where I live) or Pioneer Brand. I do get Bisquick if I have to make a really large quantity because it comes in larger boxes, or if I can’t find the other two that I prefer. You can also make your own homemade baking mix by using one of the gazillion recipes found on the internet

Nuts - I’m using chopped walnuts because they are so much cheaper than pecans. Feel free to use whatever nuts you have on hand.

Dried and Candied Fruit – My mother doesn’t like the fruit cake blend of candied fruit as much as I do so she uses only candied cherries in her fruit cake cookies. I love the added citrus fruits in the candied fruit mix Please tailor this to your own preferences and taste.

Brown Sugar - I’m also using dark brown sugar because I just really like dark brown sugar. You can use light if you prefer.

Margarine - You can substitute butter for margarine in this recipe but I prefer margarine in this one. These cookies have a longer shelf life and ship very well thanks to the margarine. Note: If shipping, be sure and let them sit for at least a day before cutting and package in a single layer so they have less chance of being smooshed.

Vanilla - I’m using real vanilla because someone gave it to me. For those of you purists, enjoy this picture but don’t get too comfy. You’ll see me using bargain imitation vanilla again soon enough I’ll cheerlead your personal choice all the way but we’re running on a two way street here

Melt your butter in a large mixing bowl.

Add in baking mix, brown sugar, cinnamon, egg, and vanilla.

Stir that up until well combined.

Now add in all of your nuts and dried fruit. 

And stir that up really well.

This will take some elbow grease (just a little bit) to get it all incorporated because your batter will be absolutely

filled with chunky goodness but that’s what is going to make it taste so stinking good!

Now spray an 8×8 pan really well with cooking spray.

Yes, this only makes one 8×8 pan, lol. We’re going to cut them in little squares though so it will end up with a lot.

Dump in all of your dough. 

Pat it out a bit with your hands to fill the pan.

Bake at 350 for 35-40 minutes.

Allow to cool completely.

Let rest overnight before cutting.

“Its a good day to have a good day!”

Thanks to LAuren for submitting this quote. Click here to read more (there are over 1400 so far!) and add your own!

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I asked if there were any events coming up in the Football Realm on the Southern Plate Facebook Page this morning an got all kinds of comments about Gators, Bulldogs, Tigers, Eagles, Dawgs, Knights, Elephants, Colts, Rebels, Ducks, Vols, Falcons, and even Huskers (wait a minute, do they shuck corn for ya? Oh I’m all over that!). Suffice it to say, I am now aware football season has begun! ~grins~ I later asked a follow up question and found out that Yes, there is at least one football team with a bunny mascot!

Well folks, when it comes to football I’m on the side of any team whose fans like to serve food – so with that in mind, here are some recipes that might come in handy!

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork BBQ

Pulled pork barbecue is pretty much heaven on a bun as far as I’m concerned and it seems every region has their own way of doing it. Where I am from, the barbecue is smoked and juicy, served as pictured here or with a little bit of clear mild vinegar sauce poured over it. Here is how to

Tender Babyback Ribs – in the oven!

 Love me some Babyback ribs – especially when they’re this easy!

Little Pigs in A Blanket

My daughter’s favorite, these are always a hit with the kids!

Stuffed Pizza Sticks

My dad read this post on Southern Plate and immediately printed it off for my Mama to make for him. Since then he’s asked for it on a regular basis.

Mama, you better go get more pizza sauce!

Click here to browse through SIDE DISH RECIPES on Southern Plate.

~~~~~~~DESSERT~~~~~~~

For Quick and Easy desserts, why not try a cake that you can make ahead of time?

If you’re traveling, just pop it in the cooler and off ya go!

Miss Mary Anne’s Twinkie Cake

Chocolate Sundae Cake

For more of my favorite Refrigerator Cakes, be sure and check out:

Elvis Presley Cake

Butterfinger Cake

Daddy’s Coconut Cake

Mandarin Orange Cake

Don’t forget the Sweet Tea!

No matter the season, Sweet tea is always the beverage of choice at our house.

To get my recipe for perfect sweet tea every time and watch a video of how to make it , click here.

Do what you can, where you are, with what you have.

~Robert Schuller

Submitted by Amy. Submit your quote by clicking here.

~~~~~~~~

Got a question that needs a quick answer? Need help or some suggestions for an upcoming meal? Wanna share a victory in your life, or just check in and chat about your day?

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Southern Plate’s Front Porch Forums are where we all congregate to sit a spell and chat a bit with each other. We share recipes, stories, and so much more. We already have over 22,000 posts so there is always a conversation to join in. Membership is free! Just click here and register in the top right corner. All memberships are manually approved (it may take a few hours for yours to become active), so register now to be able to chat with us anytime you like!

Click here to visit the Front Porch.

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~~~~~~~~~~~~GREAT NEWS ABOUT NURSING HOME ADOPTION PROJECT!~~~~~~~~~~

I’m thrilled to announce that Donny’s Diamond Gallery has signed on as our first local business to serve as a drop off point in our  Nursing Home Adoption Project! To find out more on Donny’s Diamond Gallery is located, visit his Facebook Page.  

Please visit this link to learn more about adopting Nursing Homes and how you can start a project in your area!

If you’re on Facebook, please click the “like” button above if you can. Thanks!

Today one of our family’s dear friend, Kate Burhop, was gracious enough to share her Grandmother’s Peanut Butter Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting recipe with us. She even brought me a piece, too! It was absolutely amazing and I’ll soon be making one of my peanut butter loving family. This is similar to my Old Fashioned Yellow Cake With Peanut Butter Fudge Icing but the from-scratch cake and cream cheese twang in with the peanut butter icing really differentiate it and I know you’ll love it as much as I do! Thank you so much, Kate!

Gratefully, Christy

From Kate:

My mamaw passed away when I was just a little girl, but since then there are two major things I’ve learned about her from my family.

1. She was shorter than your average woman.  She was 4’11’’ if she stood up as straight as she could, which was a big difference from Papaw’s height of 6’6’’. But just because Mamaw was short didn’t mean she couldn’t hold her own. Papaw would call her “Banty Rooster” because she had red hair and a temper to match.
2. She could cook like no one’s business.  Mamaw was a true Southern cook with a natural know how in the kitchen. She knew all of her recipes by memory and was never once seen with a measuring cup.  Intuition was a large part of her cooking, which made it difficult for anyone to borrow her recipes.

Mamaw was particularly well known for making a to-die-for peanut butter cake and frosting.  When asked to write down the recipe with ingredient measurements, she never could.  She would say, “Just do it ‘til it looks right.” Finally, people realized that the best way to copy her cooking was to watch her firsthand.  That’s how the family finally managed to get her “Peanut Butter Cake” and “Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese Frosting” recipes on paper.

This is the first cake that I learned to bake from scratch, and I can say that it is absolutely the most requested dessert recipe from my family. It’s stick-to-your-mouth good and never leaves a crumb to spare!

For the cake and frosting you’ll need: Self Rising Flour, Sugar, Baking Soda, Peanut Butter, Cream Cheese, Powdered Sugar, Butter (Mamaw liked Blue Bonnet), and 2 eggs.

Place sugar, butter, peanut butter and eggs in a mixing bowl and mix up with an electric mixer until well combined and smooth.

Mix self-rising flour with baking soda. I don’t sift. Neither did Mamaw. A spoon works just fine for this. Add flour to wet mixture alternately with the buttermilk.

Frost your cake however you wish!

I assure you it will taste just as good if not better slopped on the cake as it will neatly decorated.

Don’t forget your glass of milk!

I’d like to hear from you in the comments below!

Kate’s Family calls it “Frosting” and my family usually calls it “Icing”. What does your family call it?

If you aren’t grateful, you’re not paying attention.

This is the second coconut cake recipe on SouthernPlate.com. To see my recipe for Daddy’s Coconut Cake, please click here.

Today I had planned on impressing you with my detailed listing of the name of every teacher who has ever taught me. I even had the entire post written up in a rough draft, weaving a storyline in betwixt of the impact all of my teachers have had on who I am today. But sometimes, just because you are ready to tell a story, doesn’t mean it is time for that particular story to be told.

You see I just returned home, and now I have another story.

This morning Brady had to go take a placement test at his school so I took my computer up there with me, thinking I’d sit and work on my blog post while I waited – but apparently that wasn’t what I was meant to do today. I just love it when our own plans are pushed aside for something better, don’t you?

I learned back on my book tour how important it is to pay attention to people who are placed right in front of you, or in many cases beside you. Up until last October, I was not well acquainted with traveling by myself and had never thought I would be. But I found myself on countless flights that month, each time traveling alone, and just about every time sitting  right next to the exact person I needed to be sitting next to. At the start of my tour I would carry a book as a backup plan but by the time the end of my tour rolled around I would just get on the plane, situate my stuff, and sit and wait to see what was in store for me. I’d watch the door  as other passengers boarded and got so in tune with the ebb and flow of fate that oftentimes I instantly recognized who my seatmate was the moment they came on the plane. “Well, lets see what I’m gonna learn on this leg of my trip” I’d think to myself.

Sometimes it would be a person I would have an opportunity to help in some way, sometimes it would be a person who was there to help me in some way, but each time I sat beside someone with an open and receptive heart, I was able to glean the wisdom they were there to give and as a result, each time I got off an airplane, I was a better person than when I had boarded.

Interesting point: Every time this has happened to me, it has always begun with the other person looking me straight in the eye and smiling. Perhaps that single gesture is the divine prompting or introduction saying “Alright Christy, here we go..”

It’s amazing how many people like this are put into our lives every single day. It’s like a fishing pole with bait is placed right before us all throughout the day and whenever we bite, whenever we pay attention to it, we get the benefit of the worm. I shudder to think of how many times I’ve waded right through water infested with worm filled hooks just waiting on me and I never noticed a single one because my mind is too busy with tasks at hand or worries of the day.

Like most other fish in this big ocean of ours, I’ve suffered some severe malnutrition in my time simply by not taking notice of the worms around me.

And so, as I’ve grown in years and lessened slightly in my own foolishness, I’ve learned to be more receptive.

Such as today, when a lady walked into the empty art room I was busy typing away in and sat down, looking into my eyes with a smile and a whispered “I’m sorry, is it okay to wait in here?” I smiled back and said “Oh sure, and don’t worry about being quiet. I’m so used to having kids hollering about that the quiet actually bothers me to work in anyway.”

Her smile had come just as easily as my own and over the next few minutes we struck up a conversation that had me closing my computer and leaning in on it as she spoke. It was one of those conversations where a stranger begins suddenly sharing their heart with you and every word seems to echo one that was already in your head. Definitely not a coincidence, but a meant-to-be.

Teresa and I were both still talking when her son got finished with the test and came in to patiently wait on us. We were still talking several minutes later when Brady came in and sat down to patiently wait on us. When we finally rose to exit, we continued talking down the hallway, down the stairs, into the lobby, and down the front walkway of the school. She encouraged me, she enlightened me, she shared with me words of wisdom that echoed thoughts already in my head and words of wisdom that turned on light bulbs.

I had expected to get some work done but I didn’t realize when I woke up this morning and someone else was planning on orchestrating an encouragement session for me through the guise of a stranger waiting in an empty classroom.

I don’t believe in coincidences. I believe in meant-to-be. It’s not only early birds who get the worm. It’s the person who has the sense to see it when it looks them in the eye and smiles.

I think we’re all offered worms each day. It is our own fault if we go away hungry.

This cake is from another gem of a person who was placed into my life, Miss Patsy McGough. We had a ladies meeting at church this past Sunday and everyone was asked to bring a dish. Lo and behold, I ended up with a piece of one of the best coconut cakes I’ve ever had on my plate and guess who should make it but Miss Patsy herself!

I chatted with her a few precious minutes and it turns out she follows Southern Plate. I said, “This cake is wonderful” and she replied “Aw honey, I hate to tell anyone the recipe because it’s just too easy!”. I assured her that the recipes I always thought of as “too easy” were the ones that were the biggest hits on Southern Plate and when she shared it with me I remarked about how it was very much like my Butterfinger cake, which is one of the most popular recipes on the website. She was kind enough to give me permission to share her recipe with you and I know you’re going to enjoy the ease and amazing coconut infused taste of this light tasting cake.

Miss Patsy, just getting to talk to you those few minutes made my step a little lighter and my heart a little happier. I hope you read this post and understand that when I say you were definitely a worm for me that day, I mean that in the best kind of way!

You’ll need: Yellow Cake Mix (which you will prepare according to package directions), Cream of Coconut, sweetened flaked coconut, sweetened condensed milk, and some whipped topping*.

I’m using Dollar General generic whipped topping because I’m all elite like that ~grins~

Prepare your cake according to package directions.

Normally, we’d make a 9×13 cake but with only four of us and all of the baking I do, that is just too much cake. So today I’m dividing it up and making two 8×8 cakes instead, then I can send the other one to a neighbor, friend, or family member. Whoever picks up the phone when I call

Pour your sweetened condensed milk in a bowl…

You know, any time a recipe calls for a whole can of sweetened condensed milk, I always add almost a whole can…because I have to have a little bit for myself! I love this stuff.  A few folks have posted on Facebook and in comments that they use it in my iced coffee concentrate to make the perfect cup of coffee and that is at the top of my to do list to try one of these days.

Add your cream of coconut.

Give that a good stir

As soon as your cakes are done, poke holes all in the top of them with a fork.

I am using a plastic fork because I was photographing this and sent Brady into the kitchen to get me one and this is what he brought back.

For a moment I paused and thought about “Now it won’t look very nice if I’m using a plastic fork in the photos on Southern Plate”. Then I immediately got over myself and just used it. We’re all family here, anytime we feel the need to put on airs we’re just wasting energy that can best be spent cleaning our kitchens anyway.

Pour the mixture over your hot cake.

Like so.

It’ll all soak in there real good over time. Now cover your cake and let it cool, then put it in the refrigerator until it is completely cold.

Once your cake is good and cold, ice with whipped topping.

If you want, you can make this from scratch but I usually opt for doing it the easy way because it saves a lot of money and is one less dish to wash.

My recipe for homemade whipped cream is on this post (click here).

Now we need to toast our coconut. You can add it on there as it is but toasting it gives it a neat, nutty texture and a beautiful color. Either way, just go with what you’re in the mood for but I’m gonna show ya how to toast it just in case.

Place coconut on a baking sheet and put it in a 350 degree oven.

Watch this carefully and stir it often until it is nice and uniformly brown, anywhere from 10-15 minutes.

Here it is, all done! You can toast it more or less, depending on the level of patience you have at the time you are fooling with it.

Let it cool for a few minutes when you’re done before moving on to the next step.

Sprinkle that on top of your cake and you’re ready to go!

Enjoy – and share!

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

This recipe format and the “save recipe” feature (see top of recipe above) is brand new to Southern Plate! You can now save Southern Plate recipes to a recipe box and use that box to add ingredients to a grocery list as well. There is even a free corresponding iPhone app that allows you to access your recipe box on your telephone (Just search for ZipList in the app store). I am in the process of coding every single recipe on SouthernPlate.com to work with this great new feature so in the meantime you may notice that some recipes do and some don’t as of yet. I hope to have them all converted in the next few weeks so stay tuned!

“Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns what we have into enough, and more. It turns denial into acceptance, chaos to order, confusion to clarity. It can turn a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow.”

~ Melody Beattie

Submitted by Michelle. Submit your quote by clicking here (I always need more quotes!)

]]> http://www.southernplate.com/2011/08/miss-patsys-too-easy-coconut-cake-and-a-tale-of-meant-to-be.html/feed 97 http://www.southernplate.com/2011/07/what-youre-cooking-this-4th-of-july.html http://www.southernplate.com/2011/07/what-youre-cooking-this-4th-of-july.html#comments Sat, 02 Jul 2011 14:20:18 +0000 Christy Jordan http://www.southernplate.com/?p=15498 Pin it

A lot of us have big cooking plans over this wonderful holiday weekend so I asked on Facebook the other day what Southern Plate recipes folks were planning on making. Below you’ll find their answers along with a few pictures (just to liven things up a bit) to help inspire your menu, should you need just a little inspiration. ~grins~

Just click on the recipe name to go to the tutorial for that recipe and even print it off if you like! Recipe names in red are exclusive to the cookbook. For more great ideas, check out the index of SouthernPlate.com. So far I’ve got over 400 family recipes here with full photographic tutorials of each one.

Have a wonderful 4th of July and don’t forget to show your appreciation for our wonderful armed forces, past and present, who have given so much to ensure we can live in freedom.

Gratefully,

Christy

Alabama White BBQ Sauce

Cathie - Crockpot pork, Alabama White BBQ sauce, Coleslaw, Elvis Pressley cake!

Amanda – Lemon Meringue Pie.

Catherine – I’m making Beefed up Baked Beans and peanut butter cake.

Fresh Strawberryade

Monica – Strawberryade is a must!

Fresh Strawberry Pie

Jill – I’m seriously considering that Fresh Strawberry Pie!

Mandy – That strawberry pie you posted!

Lisa – I made the new baked bean recipe last night, mm mm, yummy! We will have mandarin orange cake, fire and ice salad, more baked beans and the best grilled steak.

Alana – Trying the Elvis Presley cake for the first time!

Becky - Beefed up baked beans!

Easy and Eggless Peach Ice Cream

Lauren – Homemade Peach Ice Cream, Fire & Ice Salad, Strawberry Pretzel Salad

Angie – the easy peach ice cream for one… =)

Debra- funny you should ask, I was thinking about the no egg peach ice cream.

Beth -Lemon Chess Pie….yum

Sweet and Sour Green Beans

Heather – Sweet and Sour Green beans! Made them last night – put them in a zip lock for traveling

Christi – Cobbler with strawberries and I’ve never made one w/ strawberries before, so this could be interesting!!

Southern Style Pulled Pork BBQ in the Slow Cooker

Ginger – Beefed up baked beans and the slow cooker Southern pulled pork for sandwiches!

Becki – Baked beans for sure, and sweet tea of course!

Vikki – Decisions . . . decisions!!

Miss Mary Anne’s Twinkie Cake

Mary Anne – That delicious baked ham from your recipe book. And my Twinkie Cake.

Denise – Crock pot pulled pork sandwiches, coleslaw, Mandarin Orange cake, beefed up baked beans & relish tray!!

Dalene – Mandarin orange cake!

Sandi – We are going camping, so river food will be on the menu!

Christa – Diet Dr Pepper congealed salad...yum. Can’t wait!

Ronda - Butterfinger cake!

Sharon – Sweet and sour green beans

Jody – Been looking at the baked beans recipe think i will make those

Christy – Mandarin Orange Cake…yum,yum!

Sharon -um, oh? You mean I have to cook/make something?????? Um…..welllllll, lets see here………will have to think on that one! LOL

Carrie – Mandarin orange pie! And sweet and sour green beans.

Grandmama’s Orange Supreme Cake

Ana – I am going to make Grandmama’s Orange Supreme Cake for the first time! I have all the ingredients…now just need a bundt pan

Sandra- Strawberry Cake!!!!!!

Danielle – Banana Puddin‘!

Sharon – Corn Bread !!

Demetra – Butterfinger cake

Judith – Another batch of Jordan Rolls and Daddy’s Coconut Cake.

Terri – Mandarin Orange pie and the Hash Brown casserole

Amanda – Im not doing anything i have to go the next day to have a baby im just going to relax (Christy – Congratulations! We’d love to see photos on the Facebook page!)

Debbie – Kind of off topic, but not really, because I MIGHT make it if I could….but do you have a recipe for dirty rice?? Since moving back to Upstate NY from Virginia a few years ago, I’ve tried to recreate it, and just can’t get it right. I miss Southern food more than anything…except my son….who was smart enough to stay put when Mamma move back north! Christy – Debbie, here is the link to my Dirty Rice recipe. Hope you enjoy it! Anytime you are looking for something you can either browse the SouthernPlate.com index or use the search box in the top right corner. I’ve got over 400 of my family recipes up here so far and still growing!

Kay – Going to a barbecue, asked to bring side dishes,taking Ms.Millies best coleslaw, Aunt Looneys Macaroni Salad and deviled eggs. Have a Happy ,Safe 4th !!!! We are celebrating our 51 st wedding anniversary on July 2nd.

Mary – Hodge Making the Chocolate Sundae Cake for a cookout tomorrow night, and the Fresh Strawberry Pie and the “Grilled” Chicken Tenderloins for a get-together on Saturday night.

Marsha -making your Daddy’s Coconut Cake tomorrow, so its ready Monday…oops, I mean Saturday, teehee:o)

Debbie – What is fire and ice salad? i would love to make this for the 4th thanks

Christy – Here ya go Debbie! It is one of my favorites Fire and Ice Salad

Welcome to another edition of the Southern Plate Digest! I had so many great submissions and I’ve been working on getting them all linked to the recipes most of the day today. I ended up only doing about half of them because my kids really want me to get off the computer .

I want to thank everyone on the Front Porch Forum and Facebook who contributed and I hope you’ll enjoy the comments and discover some new recipes below! Simply click on the recipe name to go directly to that post. While many of the recipes can also be found in my cookbook, some are exclusive to the cookbook and can’t be found online. These are typed in red.

Did you know that SouthernPlate.com has well over 400 of my recipes right now? Each with photos of every step. Anytime you see me post a link on Facebook or The Front Porch and can’t find it later, simply visit Southern Plate and use the search box in the top right corner or browse the index.

I’d love to get to chat with you sometime! I’ll be hosting a live chat on Thursday June 23rd from 7:00-8:00 PM Central time over on the Southern Plate Front Porch. If you’d like to participate, head on over and join! Membership to Southern Plate’s Front Porch is entirely free but each account is personally reviewed (to make sure you’re a real person) before approved so register today so I or one of our great Admins can approve ya! There are OVER 17,000 posts on the Front Porch already. We share recipes, stories about kids and grandkids, talk gardening, offer and answer prayer requests, and more! To register, just click here and look in the top right corner for the registration link.

Gratefully,

Christy

P.S. If you find that one of the links below isn’t going to the right post, please leave me a comment and let me know which one so I can fix it. I’d love to hear from you in the comments section in addition to that though! I really enjoy getting to read each comment left by you. Y’all know all about me and I want to know about you, too! Thank you for being such a wonderful part of the Southern Plate Family.

Now let’s see what Southern Plate Recipes you’ve been cooking up! HERE WE GO!

Kim Johnson – The very yummy Strawberry Pecan Bread and my Dad’s favorite Rise and Shine Biscuits.

Ruth Dennison – My friend made me the Mandarin Orange Frozen Pie, it was sooooo good.

Veronica Farrar – Absolutely love the chicken and dumplings.

Joanna From the Front Porch – In the last couple of weeks I have made the following: The Strawberry cake and the Butterfinger Cake for a few birthdays at work recently. They were such a huge hit! I have been asked by all grade levels to make all birthday cakes from her on out  Fire and Ice Salad for a teacher luncheon….everyone loved this too! Deep Dish Pizza and my step daughter says this is the best pizza ever!

SundayCook from the Front Porch -I made Kathy’s country casserole this week. It is so good and filling! The only thing I added was a drained can of Rotel for a little spice.

Terrigodawgs from the Front Porch – Squash casserole and Daddy’s coconut cake

Hope from the Front Porch – I made the No Bake Cafeteria Peanut Butter Bars. They were my favorite in school! I remember watching the cafeteria menu to see when we were getting them next. ~giggle~ They were so easy to make and they taste even better the second day!

beebee751 from the Front Porch – I made the Butterfinger Cake to take to a pot luck at church this Wednesday night. It was a big hit! I had to give the recipe to several people and told them about Southern Plate. I stopped last week and bought a flat of fresh home grown strawberries and I have made the Fresh Strawberry Pie and the Simply Easy Pound Cake to help use them up. With fresh home made whipped cream they both were delicious! My family loves the Chicken and Dumplings and I make them at least twice a month. Another favorite at our house is House Autry Pork Chops.

Jen from the Front Porch – Here are some of your recipes that I have used recently: Dishpan cookies, chicken and dumplings, vegetable salad with the shoepeg corn, slowcooker chicken/wildrice, fire & ice salad, broc/cauliflower salad with purple onion, vanilla wafer cake, mandarin orange cake (a makeahead for Easter, since we are working). Thanks for all the great recipes, Christy! 

Deb from the Front Porch- I made the laundry detergent today with the Fels bar soap and it smells so yummy! my bedding from the pad up is being washed. Can’t wait to go to bed, i love clean sheets enough to do them ~2x/week…this may make it more often! 

Sonya from the Front Porch - I make the kraut and weenies when I’m too busy to cook anything complicated! I like to mix half plain cabbage and half kraut so it’s less sour. The lemon chess pie is one of my husband’s favorites! He loves lemon and that one is easier than a lemon meringue pie! I made Daddy’s Coconut Cake for Easter- half as cupcakes to take to the extended family gathering and half as a 9″ single layer cake. I just happened to have all the ingredients!

Christy from the Front Porch – I have been reading your cookbook in bits and pieces and find myself laughing, crying, and feeling a little homesick. I can’t wait until my sister gets her copy – I think she’ll enjoy it as much as i do. The story you wrote about listening to the old folks was wonderful. I suspect the rest of the women in the family will be getting a copy for Christmas or sooner – they’re all there in your back yard. Have a wonderful weekend.

Kim Stone - I made your yummy hamburger steaks recently for my husband who LOVED them along with the fried cabbage! I also made your strawberry-pecan bread a few weeks ago for decoration at my church & everyone raved about it. Being a newlywed I need all the meal-inspiration I can get & SouthernPlate.com never fails to deliver!

Veronica Farrar – I know the lemon poppy seed bread was not yours, but it’s a hit here at home

Kristan Stanton – Well I’m always cooking the pb fudge iced brownies (its a no fail crowd pleaser-its also REAL impressive to be so easy!) I also made the mandarin orange pies and those were the easiest pies EVER! My 5 year old just might be able to make them Your orange cake with the mango necter so moist so good a refreshing summer dessert! I served the pie and the cake at the same function to give people options and they all had to have “a little sliver of both” which turned into seconds!

Kimberly Bird - Butterfinger Cake is a favorite around here now, I mean, it’s an addiction.

Veronica Farrar - The no bake cafeteria peanut butter bars are to die for!! I’ve renamed them the Reese Cup Bars!!

Sandy Combs - We’ve been eating lots of Texas Caviar this week. So cool and yummy. A great summer side dish.

Betsy Brown - Your coffee concentrate! It’s easy, delicious, and it’s saving me a TON of money! I make it strong and pour it over ice with milk. Delicious!

Marina Kutsch - The chicken stew was just what my sick teenager needed to feel better. When our guest from out of town got here late tonight I served them the rest of stew with grilled cheese sandwiches. They loved it.

Diana Casabar - That iced coffee was to die for!

Jeanine Wilson -Love the Crunchy Beef Casserole, hamburger steaks & the cubed steaks w/gravy were so good! OH that pimento cheese was awesome… great appetizer w/wheat thins!! I especially love the stories in the cookbook, very sweet…the CZ one.. Awwwww!!

Wendy Slopsema - I know I’ve used a bunch, but the ones that I have bookmarked are MeMe’s mashed potatoes, Thanksgiving Menu Bonanza, and your Holiday Fruit Salad! They were delicious! Whenever I want a recipe for anything, I first search your site before trying anyone else!

Bettielou Welch - laundry soap made it last night all ready washed 3 loads love it

Alisha Courtney - Fresh strawberry cake with cream cheese icing. Everyone loves it and asks for the recipe. One friend even said it was better than her Grandmother’s!

Jill Sanders - My family LOVED The Apple Doozie! Will definitely be a staple on my menu from now on and so easy!

Shelby Henderson My daughter and I made your corn casserole last night, and we are having your Chicken Planks tonight! My children love them with milk gravy. Thank you Christy & Southern Plate!

Susan Helton I keep a bowl of Texas Caviar in my frig at all times so good I eat it for a quick lunch.

Virginia Edmunds Hamburger steaks, tater tots casserole, pulled pork.

Joyce Kaiser Chocolate Sundae Cake…big hit with my family…thanks Christy!

Mary Harris My favorite all time recipe is the chicken chicken. It was delicious! of course, almost everything else I tried was wonderful as well. I have bought your cookbook and given it as a gift many times over!!!

Cara Burrows I’m making the strawberry bread today!

Judy  Blaise I made the fiesta chicken on Tuesday night and my DIL and Son really liked it. (My two grandkids even liked it!)

Julie Church My husband asked for chicken ‘n dumplings…”soon!” I love the ease of that recipe and he loves the down home taste!

Tiffany Huffer lots of strawberry shortcake. my 3 rd old loves the left overs for breakfast and i love making the homemade shortcakes and fresh whippng cream – YUMMY

Allison Saylor The baked mac and cheese, chicken and rice in the slow cooker, banana bread, banana pudding, and old timey butter roll dessert!

Beverly Baker I made the Cheesy Chicken and Corn recipe but my husband isn’t crazy about corn so I left out the can of corn and added a can of black beans instead. It was awesome!

JoAnn Walsh I haven’t done a lot of cooking lately, but I will share a comment from my husband about the chicken stew I made….”This is good, keep it in the rotation” which is what he says when he really likes something and he wants to make sure I make it again. He’s actually said that about quite a few things I’ve made from your cookbook. Thank you for the “no fail” recipes Christy.

McKenzie Crisp Made the Apple Snack cake and it was a HUGE hit!

Amanda Fierce Slow cooker BBQ! My family and co-workers can’t get enough. I love how easy it is with spectacular results every time!

Betty Solomon Nothing could be better as a summer dessert than your Fresh Strawberry Cake. I even put a few of the strawberries in the cream cheese frosting, completely ignoring your advice about how messy it can be! Yummy.

Anita Cannaday I live in Wisconson and waiting on our tomatos to grow for “Fried Green Tomatoes” … brings me back to my “Southern” roots ♥

Linda Watters I’ve made your thin boneless fried pork chops, like the ones that you make on a biscuit (minus the biscuit) several times and we really enjoy them. I had never bought them before I saw this recipe because I thought they would be dry and hard. Boy, was I wrong! They are tender and tasty and a quick meal. Thanks for sharing this recipe, Christy.

Darby DeFonzo Strawberry Pecan Bread is amazing….but lately I’ve been making those House – Autry pork chops. And last night I used the same recipe but substituted chicken breasts. Sooooo yummy! My girls had theirs on biscuits. Delish and SO EASY!

Tamara Harris My fav: fruit cocktail cake! I love the recipe on your website! It’s just like the one mom used to make. A great cake to make for those summer picnics and all year around!

Michelle Ryan Love, love, love the Vidalia Honey Vinaigrette Dressing over romaine lettuce, dried cranberries, pecans and chopped green apple. That is my go-to lunch and when I pack it for work, it’s easy not to be tempted to eat out every day. Yum!

Amanda Naff I have made chicken fingers, mashed potatoes, squash casserole and the fried chocolate pies. Not all at the same time though.

Debi Can I just list your cookbook as what I have been cooking? : ) Chicken Planks, Autry Pork Chops, Nilla Wafer Cake, Jordan Rolls, Squash Casserole, Tomato Melts, Fried Corn, Fried Okra, Home Brew, Home Brew, Home Brew and much more…. We Love It All!

Eve Ruth, the Manderin orange pie recipe .I made it earlier this week and it’s fantastic. Perfectly cool and refreshing and just right for summertime! I also made the strawberry pecan bread lately and it’s also very tasty!

Angela Woodie TONS AND TONS of the iced coffee…… my hubby and i are sooooo addicted…… Home Brew is AMAZING!!!!

Teryl  Shields OMW the berry cobbler is to die for! Since reading your cookbook (cover to cover in 2 days!) that one recipe is the one my family asks for at least once a week! Love, love, love the Southern Plate cookbook!

Teryl  Shields Also, had a cooking presentation to do for a culinary class I took in Fall 2010. Made the broccoli salad and won 1st place in the salad division! Thank you Christy!

Lauren Bobo I made the strawberry pecan bread, and it was AMAZING & easy to make!

Carrie Ivy The mandarin orange pie, fried cabbage, brownies w/ pb fudge icing, fried cabbage, cinnamon rolls, fried corn and did I mention fried cabbage?! There is no such thing as too much fried cabbage, love that stuff

Kelly Tagge ‎’Deep Dish Pizza‘ is so easy and dang good too! ‘Strawberry Cobbler’ recipe but I made it with what I had on hand which was blackberries. Ummm goooood!! All your recipes are made the easy way and you can always taste the love in each and every one of them. ;~)

Carolyn Fulton Rise and Shine and biscuits are great! So easy to make and yummy!

Jacquelyn Primrose The Mandarin Orange pie was a hit in our house. It was so easy to make and a bonus because it makes 2 pies at one time. Everyone loved it!

Shirley Reeves The Sweet and Sour green bean’s ….we just can’t get enough of them . They are so easy and yummy .

Gail Caler Ur Crock Pot Lasagna.. it was the bomb !!! my family and i loved it.. it was awesome.. I will never make Lasagna again in the oven.. I wrote the recipe down in my Southern Plate Cookbook, i will make it alot more times in the future.. Thank you for shareing that recipe.. it was great

Mumaw Beth You can win my heart over any day with peanut butter. The no bake cafeteria peanut butter bars are an 11 in my book.

Wendy K Duncan I would like the rerun of freezing tomato’s Please…..and canning salsa if any…..Thank you so much!

Cindy Reed Just got your book yesterday and marking off recipes to try. Today, tomato melts…have some fresh basil to use up..,mmmm

Lydia Cook Strawberry Pecan Bread-my husband’s favorite. We will be spending the next few days at the baseball fields with our boys, so I’m making it in muffin tins so that we can take some with us easily.

Angie Carter Just this week made your Taco Soup and Skillet Chili Bake from your “10 Favorite Quick and Easy Suppers”. Both were a hit…so easy and oh, so good!! Didn’t have to heat up my kitchen by using the oven either since they both were “stovetop” meals! Thanks!! =)

Connie Dockler Uhmm, Squash Casserole with Tillamook Smoked Cheddar Cheese is so, so good.

Rachel  Ashworth I fixed the mandarin orange pie. Absolutely delicious.

Judy Johnson The sweet and sour green beans….they were really good and so easy to fix. Didn’t have frozen beans so I used my home canned Blue Lake…..Yummy

Linda Meyers I made the zucchini bread recently which was delicious!!

Debbie Strum I guess you could smell that I FINALLY made your Butterfinger Cake! But you didn’t have to get organize a parade to celebrate the fact! I DO understand what all the fuss is about that cake, though! It IS deLISH! You looked pretty good in that majorette outfit, BTW! ~snickers~

Happiness keeps you sweet, trials keep you strong,

sorrows keep you human, failures keep you humble.

Success keeps you growing, but only family keeps you going.

Submitted by Susan Crane. Submit your quote by clicking here.

Those of you familiar with the second recipe I ever posted on Southern Plate know how much I love my Mama’s Mandarin Orange Cake. It’s so light and refreshing and the little bits of mandarin oranges taste just like sunshine. This pie combines all the flavors in the Mandarin Orange Icing into the wonders of a pie. The cool thing about it (well other than the fact that is really is “cool”) is that the recipe makes two and you store them in the freezer. So you can have one for dessert and save the other one for unexpected company or little treats as you need them. Summer is prime time for drop-ins and I don’t know anyone in my neck of the woods who isn’t looking for something cool, light, and refreshing in the middle of a sunny day.

Speaking of sunshine, I like to bring my own with me. I’m a firm believer that sunny days have nothing to do with weather and everything to do with mindset. I usually post “Good Morning” greetings on the Southern Plate Family Facebook page but I’m gonna share one with you today. This is what I do each morning. I wake up around five and lay there in bed coming up with what I want to say to people to start the day. I lay there until I find the little bits of wisdom given to me by grace with the rising of the sun. Starting a day out like that really helps get your head screwed on straight.

Here is my lil bit of wisdom for today:

When you wake up to find you’ve been given an entire day, the world and all its possibilities, complete with sunshine, love, and hope -

The best first response would be “Thank you.” ~Me

At the beginning and end of the day, there is so very much for us to be grateful for. Wake up and look for it. Set your alarm ten minutes early if you have to just to give yourself time to lay there and think about it. It’s a crying shame so many folks spend their time counting their sorrows instead of counting their blessings. What you nurture is what you grow. I sure don’t wanna be caught nurturing negativity!

So sit back and count your blessings today. If this isn’t something you normally do each day then I challenge you to try it for a week. One whole week of taking just a few minutes to think on how very good life is right now. Do you have a house? Food on the table? Healthy kids? Some people have more money than we could ever dream of but they still can’t buy the blessings of a healthy child or sitting down to a meal cooked by someone who loves them.

If you have ever found yourself sitting around hoping to someday have more, I’m challenging you to set aside an entire week full of mornings contemplating the abundance you already have. Better yet, join me in posting a positive and uplifting good morning message on your facebook page each morning this week. I’d love for you to link to the Southern Plate page or come post it on my page as well and let’s all just join in lifting each other up all week long.

And while you’re at it, make this pie. Best served with love.

You’ll need: Mandarin Oranges, Crushed Pineapple (if you have chunks or tidbits that’d be fine too), Sweetened Condensed Milk, Lemon Juice, Whipped Topping, and two Graham Cracker Crusts.

Notice that I got the “Lite” whipped topping. Hey, every little effort counts .

Of course, you can make your own graham cracker crust if you want to. On that same note you can also relocate to the rain forest or memorize the entire United States Constitution. It’s a free country. As for me and my house, I’m buying the graham crust. No sense in complicating an easy recipe and just because I can make a graham cracker crust doesn’t mean I hafta!

Place your sweetened condensed milk, whipped topping, and lemon juice in a bowl.

If you don’t get a good taste of that sweetened condensed milk then I’m gonna disown ya here and now.

I love that stuff. Any recipe that has it in there is bound to be good.

Mix that up until nice and creamy.

Don’t blink, we’re almost done.

Drain your mandarin oranges and pineapple and toss them in.

Don’t worry about a little bit of liquid left in there. I know crushed pineapple tends to want to hang onto the juice a bit so no sense in arguing with it. It’ll be fine. You know, most recipes require a lot less fuss than we seem to think. Of course, it helps that I tend to avoid recipes that put on airs anyway. I find them as useful as I do people that put on airs. If it’s someone I can’t serve iced tea in a solo cup, there just isn’t any reason for them to be in my kitchen.

Now stir that up really well with a spoon, it won’t take much.

And spoon the filling into two graham shells. Place lids on and freeze.

Before serving, set out on counter for about ten minutes but even that is optional.

If you don’t feel like waiting, just dive on in.

Oh yum! LOVE this stuff!

Mandarin Orange Pie

• 2 graham crusts
• 1/2 c lemon juice
• 1 -8 oz container cool whip
• 20 ounce can crushed pineapple, drained
• 15 ounce mandarin oranges, drained
• 14 ounce sweetened condensed milk

Mix together whipped topping, sweetened condensed milk, and lemon juice until smooth and creamy. Stir in drained fruit. Fill crusts and freeze. Remove from freezer approximately ten minutes or so before serving.

Note: There is a print link embedded within this post, please visit this post to print it.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed.

Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace, and gratitude.

– Denis Waitley. Submitted by Jenny

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

JOIN IN THE CONVERSATION!

I hope you’ll join us on the Southern Plate Front Porch! Ask questions, chat with other members of the Southern Plate Family, share recipes, and more!

We started it just a few weeks ago and already there are over 16,000 posts!

Click here to visit the Front Porch.

Registration is required to post but anyone can read. Registration is free, of course! Just visit the porch and register in the top right corner.

]]> http://www.southernplate.com/2011/06/mandarin-orange-cream-pie.html/feed 82 http://www.southernplate.com/2011/06/lemon-poppy-seed-bread-from-betty-barnes.html http://www.southernplate.com/2011/06/lemon-poppy-seed-bread-from-betty-barnes.html#comments Wed, 01 Jun 2011 14:28:13 +0000 Christy Jordan http://www.southernplate.com/?p=14925 Pin it

I’m so very honored to have a chance to know each one of you. We’re a family made up of good hearted, hard working, life triumphing, loving people and when we come together on Southern Plate the atmosphere is truly amazing to experience.

Today’s guest kitchens recipe and story are yet another perfect example of that. I’m about to send out another call for submissions to email subscribers so make sure you’re signed up and watch your inbox for details on how to submit your family’s cherished recipe for possible inclusion in Southern Plate Guest Kitchens. I know you’ll enjoy hearing from Pat today and join with me in sending love to both her and her wonderful mother for sharing this delicious recipe with us.

Gratefully,
Christy

My Gorgeous Mom, Betty

Hey Christy!  I’ve been following your blog for a while now and your cookbook release as well.  I’m so excited for you!

The recipe I’m submitting to your Heritage Recipes is from my Mom, Betty Barnes.

Mom is 88 and still quite spry.  She is an excellent cook now, but when she married my Dad in 1942, she couldn’t even boil water. My Dad taught her to cook, bake, and put up canned goods.

I’ve taken over the daily responsibility as her health is beginning to fail.  I graduated from culinary school in 2009 at the age of 47!   The recipe I’d like to share is for “Lemon Poppy Seed Bread” and is one of my best-loved recipes from my Mom.  True, it uses a cake mix, but sometimes you just GOTTA! LOL

~Pat Barnes

Recipe from Betty Barnes, given by her loving daughter, Pat.

Me (Pat Barnes)

To see a complete list of all of the wonderful Guest Kitchens Posts so far, please click here.

I’m a great believer in luck and I find the harder I work, the more I have of it.

-Thomas Jefferson.   Submitted by Amy. Submit your quote by clicking here.

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