1 box of yellow cake mix (and the eggs and oil, etc. that it requires)
1 small box of whatever flavor Jell-o you want
1 cup of boiling water
About 4 ice cubes and enough cold water to make that into 1/2 cup
1 tub of Cool Whip

Bake the cake according to package directions in a 9×13 pan and let cool. Leave it in the pan. Poke a bunch of holes all over the top of the cake, using a fork.

Boil 1 cup of water and mix it with the Jell-o. When the Jell-o is all dissolved, add the ice cube/cold water mix and stir until the ice cubes are all melted. Pour over the top of the cake, making sure to get Jell-o into all the holes. Refrigerate the cake for a few hours and then frost it with the Cool Whip and devour. Refrigerate the leftovers.

Strawberry Jell-o is divine. Peach is amazing – peaches and cream! Chocolate cake with cherry is yummy. I’ve heard spice cake with orange Jell-o is good, but I haven’t tried it yet.

We loooove poke cake around here!

Pineapple-Pistachio Pie

Pistachio pudding mix
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
10 oz. can crushed pineappel, drained
Chocolate cookie crumb crust

Mix the pudding mix into the Cool Whip. Fold in the drained pineapple. Fill crust with mixture. Chill for at least two hours.

Olive Garden Tiramisu Dessert
Serving Size : 6 Preparation Time :0:30

1 Sponge Cake (10-12 Inch) — about 3″ tall
3 Ounces Strong Black Coffee — or instant expresso
3 Ounces Brandy Or Rum
1 1/2 Pounds Cream Cheese Or Mascarpone — room temperature
1 1/2 Cups Superfine/Powdered Sugar
Unsweetened Cocoa Powder

Cut across middle of sponge cake forming two layers, each about 1 1/2
inches high. Blend coffee and brandy. Sprinkle enough of mixture over
bottom half of cake to flavor it strongly. Don’t moisten cake too much
or it may collapse on serving.

Beat room-temperature cheese and 1 cup sugar until sugar is completely
dissolved and cheese is light and spreadable. test for sweetness during
beating, adding more sugar if needed. Spread cut surface of bottom layer
with half of the cheese mixture. Replace second layer and top this with
remaining cheese mixture. Sprinkle top liberally with sifted cocoa.

Refrigerate cake for at least 2 hours before cutting and serving.

Some highlights:

Ted prefers mashed sweet potatoes, although I like them whole. NONE of us like marshmallows on them. I mashed them in deference to Ted, and added just about 1/2 cup brown sugar to the large can of Bruce’s (drained). I also added some butter and milk and cinnamon. They were delicious.

The spiced pecans (both kinds) went over very well. Also, inexplicably, my children went nuts over the canned baby corn, just drained and put on the relish tray.

I used the foil tent method of cooking the turkey, and as usual, it made a wonderful turkey. Our turkey was 26 pounds. I wanted to try the cooking bag, but they are only for turkeys for up to 24 pounds. I slightly overcooked it, because when we tried to lift it to the platter, the legs stayed behind! LOL! But everything was still moist and we’ve been enjoying lots of turkey sandwiches since.

I made blueberry cheesecake and frozen pumpkin pie. I used the Mrs. Smith’s Custard-Style Pumpkin Pie, and it was FABULOUS, but I should have read the directions the day before – it cooks for 75 minutes and has to cool for 2 hours.

Here’s my blueberry cheesecake recipe (it’s really a blueberry cheese pie):

8 oz. cream cheese (room temperature)
1/3 cup lemon juice
2 tsp. vanilla
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 can blueberry pie filling

Graham cracker crust (either store bought or preferably homemade)

Beat the cream cheese then add the sweetened condensed milk. Beat till smooth. Add the vanilla and then the lemon juice, beating the whole while. Beat a bit more for good measure and then pour it into the crust. Let it set in the fridge for at least a few hours, then pour the pie filling over the top. Let it set some more till it’s time to eat it.

My mom got that out of a magazine when I was a kid, I think, only it was cherry. We much prefer blueberry, but cherry is very good too.