Pretty Pink Flamingo Cake

I recently saw this amazing recipe (again) and since I'm in Florida and 

my home and yard are decorated with all kinds of flamingo decor, I thought 

this would be perfect to take to a recent potluck in the RV park where I live for the winter. 

(The cake was actually thicker than it looks!)

(hover over photo to pin) 

It's a Southern Plate original, but I changed just a couple of 

things (which I will tell you as we go)....

What a F-U-N cake!  Big kids as well as little ones will love the

bright color and the combo of cherries and pineapple in the 

frosting...made with Cool Whip. 

Do hope you enjoy soon - it would be awesome for a pool party,

picnic, or summer potluck!  AND...you can make it ahead!!!

It's all very simple, delicious and refreshing, so let's get to it....

(hover over photo to pin) 

PINK FLAMINGO CAKE 

CAKE: 

1 box (15 ozs) white cake mix 

1 sm. box (4-serving size) cherry jello, dry 

3/4 c. vegetable oil 

(or use 1/2 c. applesauce and 1/4 c. oil) 

3/4 c. buttermilk

3 eggs

1 tsp. real vanilla

(I added for a 'pop' of flavor) 

FROSTING: 

8 ozs. crushed pineapple, with juice

(I used half a 20 ozs. can)

1 sm. (4-serv. size) instant (french) vanilla pudding mix

16 ozs. Cool Whip, thawed  

(I used 12 ozs.)

8 ozs. jar maraschino cherries, chopped in half

(you may want to save a few to top the cake) 

Preheat oven to 350*. 

Spray a 9" X 13" baking pan with non-stick spray. 

In a large mixing bowl, add cake mix, jello, (applesauce, if using), oil, buttermilk,

eggs and vanilla.  Beat with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes

until smooth and well blended.  Pour into prepared pan. Bake 30 - 35 minutes 

until cake pops up when touched.  Cool completely. 

In medium bowl, place the pineapple and juice in a bowl; sprinkle dry pudding mix over the top and

stir until blended.  Stir in whipped topping. Add chopped cherries and 

some cherry juice until 'frosting' turns pink, about 1/4 c. juice.  

Spread topping evenly over the cake. Cover and refrigerate up to 3 days before 

serving.  

This is the doormat at my front door at my FL paradise...

​

Flashback Friday - Tasty Dishes using Canned Biscuits

Cream cheese and chicken wrapped in crescent rolls...

what's not to love???  This dish is fit for kings...and company too. 

Amazing Chicken Squares

I grew up on apple dumplings made with pie crust,  but these are so much faster, and mighty tasty. Pour (diet) soda around them to make a beautiful sauce. I won't make them any other way!

Simple Apple Dumplings

WOW oh WOW!  This is one of my all time favorites - EVER!

You can't believe how scrumptious this is til you've tried it. 

Cherry Pie Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

These simple creations are delightfully delicious! Bite sized

anything is always a special treat! 

(Paula Deen's) Upside Down Pineapple Biscuits

A delicious meal or appetizer...the kids can help you make

this simple dish that any age will love....seasoned ground beef fills the cups, topped with cheese...try them soon...

Farmhouse BBQ Cups

Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bars & Weekend Potluck #207

WELCOME TO WEEKEND POTLUCK!

So glad you joined us today...

AND..

When I share something worth sharing...again...

With Valentine's Day just around the corner, these fabulous bars
would be a special treat to serve your sweetie...or anyone else you love!
Cause they are SURE to love you more after enjoying them.  
Only 5 simple ingredients!

Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bars

Now, let's take a quick peek back at last week...

The recipe with the most clicks was...

Taco Chicken Casserole by The Better Baker
(thankyouverymuch)

Recipes that caught our attention ~

Pineapple Upside Down Donuts by Tornadough Alli

Classic Beef Stew by Lisa’s Dinnertime Dish

Featured Hostess Recipe ~

Chicken Parmesan Casserole by The Country Cook

Your hostesses ~

• The Country Cook~ Brandie
• The Better Baker ~ Marsha
• Sweet Little Bluebird~ Mary
• Served Up With Love ~ Melissa

Remember that when you link up, it shows on all FOUR blogs. Plus…

We TWEET. We PIN. We LIKE.

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If you wish to be a featured recipe or for us to promote your recipe either on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest, you MUST follow these instructions.

1. Please link up to your exact post and not the main page to your blog.
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Cherry Pie Cream Cheese Coffee Cake

You're not gonna believe how extraordinarily awesome this dish is!  It would be a special addition to any holiday brunch or party!

This is a favorite recipe that I decided to 'dress up' a bit.  I've seen recipes on the net adding pie filling, so I wanted to give it a try. 

I used my 'old' recipe...the one from my first cookbook that I love so well, and just added some pie filling before adding the top crust.

It was awesome and we enjoyed every single bite.

Using crescent rolls for the crust makes this easy and oh so delicious. If you decide to try cranberry sauce instead of pie filling, I'd love to know how it turns out for you.

CHERRY PIE CREAM CHEESE COFFEE CAKE  

2 (8 ozs. each) pkg. refrigerated crescent rolls

(I would suggest purchasing the sheets of crescent rolls if you can find them)

2 (8 ozs. each) (reduced fat) cream cheese, softened 

1-1/2 c. sugar (or xylitol), divided

1 egg, separated

1 (20 ozs) can (lite) cherry pie filling

(or your favorite flavor)

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 c. chopped nuts 

Preheat oven to 350. Spray a 9" X 13" X 2" baking dish, lightly with cooking spray. Spread first tube of rolls in bottom of pan, sealing perforations. Beat cream cheese together with 1 cup sugar, egg yolk and vanilla. Spread evenly over base. 

Dollop the pie filling over the top of the cream cheese. Spread evenly then place second tube of rolls evenly over cream cheese mixture, sealing edges to pan.  (Don't worry if it isn't all sealed to the sides of the pan). 

Mix remaining 1/2 cup sugar, cinnamon and nuts. Beat egg white slightly and brush evenly over rolls. Sprinkle with sugar-cinnamon-nut mixture and bake 30 - 35 minutes. Serve warm.

Can be made a day ahead and refrigerated overnight. Sprinkle cinnamon/sugar mixture over top just before baking.

TIP: No Sugar Added Pie filling has more water than the regular pie filling, and I suggest NOT using that in this recipe. 

 

Linked to Weekend Potluck

Two Awesome Cookies made with Prepared Frosting

I know many of you are involved in the game...either watching, hosting, or eating....so I thought I'd share these recipes from my archives.

OH MY are they yummy! 

These scrumptiously delicious cookies will rock your socks off!

They're easy to make with only a five ingredients in each recipe. 

Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies & Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bars

Top 4 'Most Viewed' for 2012

I have really enjoyed seeing other bloggers post about their "Best" recipes for 2012.  

This lovely dish is the 'HIGHEST ALL TIME HITS' recipe...and it's wonderful! 

ONLY 3 INGREDIENTS! And it's a Weight Watchers recipe - you can't go wrong. 

Serve it to anyone and they will never know it's one of those 'healthier' dishes.

It's gorgeous too...just look. 

Weight Watchers Cherry Pie Fluff




Another recipe using 3 main ingredients....plus food coloring....
oh how fun!

Peanut Butter Pumpkins




This one had the most Pinterest hits..

Oven-Fried Bacon




Simple cleanup and very tasty....

Simple Crockpot Brownies



ENJOY!!!!!!!!

Cherry Pie Fluff {Weight Watchers}

Did you eat too much on Valentine's Day?  We had a lovely lunch out, and then kinda snacked for dinnertime.

This is a wonderful and LIGHT dessert you can whip up in no time at all.

It really doesn't get much easier than this!

Only 3....yes, THREE, ingredients to concoct this yummy dessert.

I had most of a can of leftover cherry pie filling from another dessert that I'd made (I'll be sharing that recipe soon), and was so pleased with how deliciously yummy this turned out.

Give it a try.  You're gonna love this combo! It's so creamy and smooth.

It can be ready in just a couple of minutes!!!  How can you beat that?

It's delicious enough I would gladly serve this to company!

Optional additions that I haven't tried, but think would work:
drained crushed pineapple, coconut, nuts, marshmallows, etc.

CHERRY PIE FLUFF

1 (20 ozs) can (no sugar added) cherry pie filling

1 (4 serv. size) box (sugar free) cheesecake pudding mix

8 ozs. (fat free) cool whip

Combine cherry pie filling with pudding mix.  Fold in cool whip.

Chill and enjoy.

Points (Prior to Points Plus):

heaping 3/4 c. = 3 points

2/3 c. = 2 points

Linked to Weekend Potluck
Fit & Fabulous Friday
The Sweet Spot
Mrs. Fox's Sweet Party
Crazy Sweet Tuesday
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Sweets for Saturday
Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Shortcuts
      Gooseberry Patch Roundup - 5 ingredients or less
Foodie Friends Friday
GBP Roundup - Lightened Up
Meal Plan Monday

Chocolate Swirl Cake {Lighter Option}

From my "365 Reasons to Eat Chocolate" Calendar...

YOU WILL ONLY PASS THIS WAY ONCE. SO GRAB THE CHOCOLATE BEFORE THE NEXT GUY DOES.

This is a wonderfully fabulous dessert and no one will be able to tell it's 'light'. 

(And that's one reason why it's in my cookbook!)

It is delicious enough I have served it to company. So many others are careful about what they eat too, and it's great to have recipes like this in our files to serve to those who want lower sugar desserts.  

This does use a cake mix and a can of cherry pie filling...reduced sugar.

And anything you can add cream cheese to is a winner in my book.

(Literally!=)

Would be a great dessert to serve your family for Valentine's Day, and they will think you're treating them royally.

I haven't tried it, but I'm guessing this would make an awesome dessert using a red velvet cake mix too!

CHOCOLATE SWIRL CAKE

1 - 18 ozs. box chocolate cake mix

(50% reduced sugar if you can find it)

1 - 20 ozs. can reduced-sugar cherry pie filling

5 egg whites

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 - 8 ozs. pkg. 1/3 reduced-fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 c. sugar substitute (Xylitol or Splenda)

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 egg whites

Preheat oven to 350. Spray 9" X 13" X 2" baking dish with cooking spray.  In large bowl, combine cake mix, pie filling, 5 egg whites and vanilla; beat just until moistened.  Spread in prepared pan; set aside.

TOPPING:

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar substitute and vanilla until smooth.  Add remaining 2 egg whites; beat on low speed just until combined.  Spread over batter; cut through batter with knife to swirl. Bake 35 - 40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean and topping is set.  But be careful not to overbake. Cool on wire rack. Store in the refrigerator.

Yield: 15 servings

Linked to Weekend Potluck
Fit & Fabulous Friday
Mop It Up Mondays
Mix it up Monday

Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bars - A Contest-Winning Recipe (5 Ingredients)

PSALM 34:8 - O TASTE AND SEE THAT THE LORD IS GOOD!

I'm so honored and thrilled to be able to share with you my prize winnings from a recent dessert contest online at The Book Club Network!

I will share the winning recipe at the bottom of this post.  One of my all-time faves!!

Cherry Chip Cheesecake Bars.

I won a $100 gift card to a high-end kitchen store online - Chef's Resource - where they advertise 'tools for the serious home chef', and I also received two autographed books.... 

"Always the Baker and Never the Bride" is a humorous book written by Sandie Bicker. The other is a mystery - "Deadly Ties" - by Vicki Hinze.  I've been privileged to get emails from both these gals too.

I'm looking forward to reading both of these special gifts.

I decided I should get a 9" X 13" dish to bake the winning recipe in, so this is what I settled on...it is seriously gorgeous too!

It has glazed enamel on the inside and outside. I love that it has a gasket around the top so it fits tightly onto the bottom.  You can write on it with permanent marker and it washes off!  What a great feature!  It's also microwave, dishwasher and freezer safe. 

You can't beat that combination!

I'm loving it! in my red, white & blue kitchen!

I also chose this set of star shaped ramekins by Le Creuset suitable for baking. Oh what fun it will be to use them all year long, but especially for patriotic celebrations!

Adorable aren't they???? I'm soo tickled for them.

Now for the winning recipe! It has only 5 simple ingredients! And it's easy to make too.

(I made them in the new dish the day after it arrived....what fun!)

WARNING:  This is not a low sugar recipe. =)

CHERRY CHIP CHEESECAKE BARS

1-18 oz. pkg. cherry chip cake mix
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 - 8 ozs. pkg. cream cheese, softened
1 - 16 oz. tub cherry ready-to-spread frosting
3 eggs

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat cake mix (dry) and butter in large bowl on low speed until crumbly; reserve 1 cup. Press remaining crumb mixture into the bottom of an ungreased 9" X 13" X 2" baking pan. Beat cream cheese and frosting in bowl together on medium speed until smooth. Beat in eggs and blend well. Pour over crust - sprinkle with remaining crumb mixture. Bake about 45 minutes or until set; cool completely. Cover and refrigerate at least 2 hours. Cut into bars (or small squares as they are rich)  - refrigerate any leftovers.

(My daughter-in-love, Kym, has made this recipe using cream cheese frosting and it was wonderful too!)


I won $100 from the national publication - American Profile - a few years ago - for an awesome butternut squash casserole. I've been told it tastes like dessert.  *-*

AP has published 6 of my recipes in their Hometown for the Holidays cookbook also.

​


Linked to A Themed Bakers Sunday
         Ingredient Spotlight
                Gooseberry Patch Roundup
    Recipe of the Week
   Mop it up Monday
       Gooseberry Patch Roundup - Memorial Day
Weekend Potluck
Full Plate Thursday
Meal Plan Monday