Strawberry Pie, Cooking with Spencer

Welcome Home, Cecilia & Mom

After much anticipation, my little granddaughter arrived right on schedule.  

She is beyond beautiful.  

She might be the littlest, but our world revolves around her.  

My grandson, Spencer, made a welcome home surprise for Mom and baby Ceci. 

Strawberry Cool Whip Pie 

I am pretty certain that from here on out, Spencer's world will have more pink in it than previously.  Little sisters change everything.  So, for the occasion, we found a delicious recipe with pink to celebrate the baby, and a lot of flavor for a perfect welcome-home dessert.

This recipe is a conglomeration of several I looked at on line.  It is simple and tastes delicious.

Ingredients:

• 1- 8 oz. container Cool Whip Non-dairy Whipped Topping
• 1- 8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1- pkg. fresh strawberries (1 1/2 to 2 cups)
• 1- prepared graham cracker pie crust

Wash and stem and slice the strawberries.

Put in a bowl and add 1/4 cup sugar to macerate.

Macerate:
When you macerate something, you soften it by soaking it in a liquid, often while you're cooking or preparing food.
To macerate strawberries, all you have to do is sprinkle sugar on them, which draws out their juices
so they become soft and sweet and deliciously saucy.
Macerate is sometimes also used to mean "cause to grow thin or weak," or in other words,
to make someone feel like a soft, squishy strawberry.
(from vocabulary.com)

 Combine the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl.

Beat with an electric mixer until well blended.

 Add the Cool Whip topping and blend until incorporated.

 Licking the beaters is good.

It makes me want to do a 'Happy Dance."

 Add the strawberries to the cream cheese mixture.

 Mix with a rubber spatula.

 Pour into the prepared graham cracker crust.

 Ready for Mom's "Welcome-Home " dinner.

Always lick the spatula.

They are home!

Cute Little Baby Pacifiers.

 These are made by "gently" twisting a spice gum drop 

through the center hole of a round sugar cookie.

 Did I say "gently"?  

You might break a few of them until you get the knack of it.

Enjoy!

Spencer, what a great chef you are becoming!

"I just can't stop smiling!"

Mom & Ceci.

About Spencer...

 ...is learning to play the piano.

...is learning Tang Soo Do.

 ...is an exceptional student.

 ... is a Lego robot builder.

...and, is a GREAT big brother.

Three Musketeers Cocoa Krispie Bars- Cooking with Dane & Duncan

Cocoa Krispie Treats

Our days are filled with outdoor activities
as we wait for the birth of my granddaughter.



Each day we wait with eager anticipation of her arrival.

It is not rainy today, so we spent some time at the park. 

 Here are some photos...

 Duncan.

Dane

Graham.

Spencer.

Time to make the Three Musketeer Cocoa Krispie Treats.

Dane's drawing of a Musketeer.

It was my inspiration for choosing this recipe.

 Dane & Duncan.

Dane, Spencer, & Duncan.

I found a recipe on Pinterest and we tried it, but it was too dry.

I then used the recipe on the Cocoa Krispies box and added a few 

Miniature Three Musketeers Bars.

 It turned out very well.

So those are the measurements I will be giving on this blog.

The revised version.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons margarine
• 1 package (10-oz.) large marshmallows
• 6 cups Cocoa Krispies
• 15 miniature Three Musketeers Candy Bars

In a micro-wave safe bowl, heat butter and marshmallows and Three Musketeer Bars on high for 2 minutes.

Stir, then microwave another 30 seconds or so until just melted.

Stir until smooth.

Add cereal and stir to coat well.

Press into greased pan.  Cut into squares when cool.

Cooking with Grandma

Dane's caricature of me.

Unwrap the Three Musketeers Bars and put into a microwave-safe bowl.

Add  10-ozs. marshmallows which would be the whole package.



Graham is watching as Dane measures the margarine.

Add the candy bars, marshmallows, and margarine to the bowl.



Microwave for 2 minutes, then stir.  Then microwave for 15-30 seconds longer

 until mixture is melted.

Stir until smooth.

Add the Cocoa Krispies 3 cups at a time, 

Stir until cereal is coated.

Add the other 3 cups of cereal and keep stirring until all the cereal is coated.

Press mixture into a greased pan. We used a 9x9 in. pan.

We melted 1/2 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips and drizzled on top.

Enjoy!

Dane as Captain America.



Graham as Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle, Michelangelo.

 Dottie & Graham, still waiting patiently for baby sister to arrive.