Strawberry Dessert

1 white cake mix made as directed and cooked in a 10 x 15 pan and let it cool

Mix
12 oz Cool Whip
2 8 oz cream cheese
2 c powdered sugar

Spread on the cooled cake-at this point you can refrigerate until the next day or use right then

Mix
1 package of Danish Dessert (I like the raspberry kind but have used strawberry too) made with 2 c of water
Frozen berries with the liquid-i thaw in microwave keep the juice and dump this in the Danish Dessert and stir together

Cut the cake with the topping and spoon the raspberry stuff over it

Some people make the raspberry stuff more stiff and layer it on the cake but I like it thinner and spooned over

Grilled Chicken and Pineapple Quesadillas

These looked wild and exciting so I had to try them out. Mmm grilled pineapple. They were a little messy but quite good. And different. I served it with pico de gallo, refried beans, and chips. Yum!

I tried it with the jalapeno, but with cayenne/ cumin spiced chicken, it made it quite warm. So either cook the jalapenos before or omit them.

http://thepioneerwoman.com/cooking/2010/05/grilled-chicken-pineapple-quesadillas/

Ingredients

• 8 whole Flour Tortillas
•  Butter Or Margarine
• 2 cups Grilled Pineapple, Sliced
• 3 whole Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts
•  Salt And Pepper, to taste
• 3 cups Monterey Jack Cheese, Grated
• 1 whole Jalapeno, Sliced
•  Cilantro
• 3 Tablespoons Barbecue Sauce

Preparation Instructions

(To grill pineapple: cut wedges, stick on skewers, and grill over low heat. Cut into slices.)

(To pound chicken, place inside a Ziploc bag and pound with a mallet or large can to flatten to uniform thickness.)

Sprinkle with salt and pepper and Cajun spice (or cumin/cayenne, etc.) Drizzle olive oil on a grill pan and grill on both sides until done, brushing with barbecue sauce. Set aside and slice into very thin slices.

Warm griddle over medium heat and put sizzling butter or margarine in the pan. Slightly warm and toast tortillas on both sides, then remove from griddle and set aside.

To assemble, sprinkle four browned tortillas with grated Monterey Jack. Arrange chicken slices evenly over the surface. Add pineapple slices and jalapeno slices. Sprinkle on cilantro. If desired, drizzle extra barbecue sauce over the top. Add second browned tortilla on top of each one. (You'll have four complete quesadillas at this point.)

Add to oven to warm, or back to skillet to warm, until cheese is melted. Cut each quesadilla into six wedges. Serve with sour cream, pico de gallo, and lime wedges.

Key Lime Tarts

So these are adorable and really, really easy.  Also, I didn't use key limes, I just used normal limes and normal lime juice.  They are good without the raspberries, but I think the lime slices need to be there because they are cute :)

We also mixed in some coconut extract, but if you don't like coconut extract don't add it.  

http://www.tasteofhome.com/Recipes/Key-Lime-Mousse-Cups

Ingredients

• 4 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup sweetened condensed milk
• 1/4 cup key lime juice
• 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream, whipped
• 2 packages (1.9 ounces each) frozen miniature phyllo tart shells
• Fresh raspberries and lime wedges, optional

Directions

• In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, milk and juice until smooth; fold in whipped cream. Pipe into tart shells. Garnish with raspberries and lime wedges if desired. Serve immediately. Yield: 2-1/2 dozen.
• And we did this differently too.  We whipped the cream to a medium peak, added everything in and whipped it some more.  We also spooned them into tarts, not pipe them b/c I didn't want to pull out my frosting stuff

Lime Coconut Cheesecake

Yes, I know, Danielle you won't like this.  But for the rest of you non-coconut haters this cheesecake is incredible!  So the opinion poll was that the chocolate one was probably better but since you can't really compare chocolate and fruit fairly, this one gets first place in its own category.  

I may have been singing praises to the whipped topping, who knew that adding coconut extract would make me so in love with it?

And aren't my birthday candles really really cool?  I loved them :)

From: http://www.ourbestbites.com/2010/08/lime-coconut-cheesecake/

Crust:
2 C graham cracker crumbs
1/2 C sweetened flaked coconut
2 Tbs sugar
6 Tbs butter, melted

Cheesecake: 
3 8 oz packages cream cheese, softened
1 C sugar
3 eggs at room temperature
2 Tbs lime zest
1/2 C fresh lime juice (about 4-5 medium limes)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1 C heavy whipping cream
1/2 C powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2-2 tsp coconut extract

1/3 C sweetened flaked coconut, toasted (click here for directions)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Cover the bottom of a 9 inch spring-form pan with a double layer of foil.  Set aside.

Combine graham cracker crumbs, 1/2 C coconut, and melted butter and mix well.  Press evenly into the bottom of the pan and about 1″ up the sides.  Place pan in oven and bake for 5 minutes.  Remove and set aside until ready to use.

In a separate bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.  Add vanilla, lime zest, and lime juice and beat to combine.  Pour batter into prepared crust.  Place spring-form pan into a larger pan, such as a roasting pan and place in center rack in the oven.  Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan until it reaches about half way up the spring form pan.  Bake cheesecake for 75-85 minutes or until center is set and the edges just barely begin to brown.  Leave cheesecake in oven, but turn heat off and crack oven door.  Let sit for 30 minutes and then remove and cool completely on a rack.  When cool to room temp, cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight.

When ready to serve, place cheesecake on serving dish.  Beat whipping cream until soft peaks form and then add powdered sugars and extracts.  Beat until medium peaks form.  Spread whipping cream evenly over cheesecake and sprinkle with toasted coconut.  Garnish with sliced limes if desired.  Slice and serve.

Strawberry Limeade

Last night as I was checking my grocery list (and stalling, because I didn't want to leave my house and go to the grocery store) I decided that I wanted a goblet of something cool and refreshing.  So I was flitting through the Our Best Bites drink section and I found this limeade. It is amazing and incredible.  I just have to say.  I am going to have to go buy more strawberries, since the strawberry sauce I had was left overs in the freezer and it will be gone soon.  Oh well :).

I will also include the recipe for strawberry sauce.

http://www.ourbestbites.com/2011/04/fresh-strawberry-limeade/
http://www.ourbestbites.com/2009/05/strawberry-sauce/

To make the limeade:
Fill a cup about one third to half full with ice
Fill the cup half way up with Sprite
Add the juice of a lime (I actually juiced my lime, but it says you can just squeeze it on)
Add a couple spoonfuls of strawberry sauce
Fill up the rest of the way with Sprite
Drink with a straw.  The straw is important because you can reswirl the strawberry sauce back in

Strawberry Sauce:
1 pint strawberries
1/3 c white sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Chop up strawberries and put them and all of the other ingredients in a saucepan.  Simmer over medium heat for five minutes.  Continually stir and break these up.  Cool until you feel good about putting it into your blender and blend until smooth (or desire consistency).

Bestest Banana Cream Pie

So this is the banana cream pie I mentioned in the previous post.  It is incredible! I loved it.  I haven't made it yet, but I wanted to put it up because I knew it tasted great.

Emilee also says you can put it in a graham cracker crust and it makes a great pie.

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/not-yo-mamas-banana-pudding-recipe/index.html

Ingredients

• 2 bags Pepperidge Farm Chessmen cookies
• 6 to 8 bananas, sliced
• 2 cups milk
• 1 (5-ounce) box instant French vanilla pudding
• 1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
• 1 (12-ounce) container frozen whipped topping thawed, or equal amount sweetened whipped cream

Directions

Line the bottom of a 13 by 9 by 2-inch dish with 1 bag of cookies and layer bananas on top.

In a bowl, combine the milk and pudding mix and blend well using a handheld electric mixer. Using another bowl, combine the cream cheese and condensed milk together and mix until smooth. Fold the whipped topping into the cream cheese mixture. Add the cream cheese mixture to the pudding mixture and stir until well blended. Pour the mixture over the cookies and bananas and cover with the remaining cookies. Refrigerate until ready to serve.