Double Strawberry Delight

Double Strawberry Delight
Dorcas Annette Walker

Ever since I was a small girl and planted my first wild strawberry plant in a sty foam cup placing it on my sunny bedroom windowsill, I have been enchanted with strawberries. Each day after school the first thing I did was to check on was my strawberry plant talking to the green leaves and making sure to keep it watered when the soil dried out. I still remember the excitement of seeing tiny berries form and slowly redden after the white flowers had died. My mother was quite impressed with my green thumb as every plant died on her. In fact that tiny plant became the conservation piece of our household. It was triumph indeed when my father actually came to my bedroom to see my strawberry plant. The day I harvested tiny strawberries and shared them with my family clinched my fascination with plants. From one strawberry plant on my windowsill my love of living green things grew to covering every available space in my house with plants as a young housewife until my husband complained that we lived in a jungle. Today the lure of seeing things grow has stretched outside to several gardens that I delight to work in.

Early this spring, Dana built a wooden fence to protect my newest flower garden in front of our woods where we keep my two German Shepherds. At one end of my garden is a steep hill where I planted several strawberry plants that thrived and produced strawberries. It was delightful to go out first thing each morning and see which strawberries were ripe. So you can imagine my shock when one morning I discovered that my two “wolfies” had jumped the wooden fence and dug out several of my strawberry plants killing them. I loudly scolded Shep and Natasha severely wagging my finger threatening in front of their long black noses telling both what bad dogs they were for getting into my strawberry patch. Even though they whimpered and apologized by licking my hand to reassure me that they had learned their lesson, I decided to take no chances on further raids in my garden and had Dana run electric wire around the fence. Some folk might claim that strawberries and German Shepherds don’t mix, but I am determined to have a patch of strawberries regardless of having German Shepherds in the same area.

My Double Strawberry Delight is an excellent simple light summer dessert with fresh strawberries, angel food cake, and cool whip. You can substitute other fruit in season like peaches or raspberries coordinating the jello as well. The Double Strawberry Delight is a colorful dessert that also can be served year round using canned or frozen fruit. Preparation time for my Double Strawberry Delight is fifteen minutes (not counting baking or cooling time) and this recipe serves twelve.

Double Strawberry Delight

1 angel food cake mix
1 (3 oz) box of strawberry jello
1 (16 oz) container of cool whip
1 lb fresh strawberries

Prepare the angel food cake mix according to the directions folding in the strawberry jello before baking. Tear the cooled cake in half placing bite-size pieces in the bottom of a glass dessert bowl. Layer half of the cool whip on top. Hull and slice half of the strawberries on top of the cool whip. Repeat using the rest of the cake, cool whip, and strawberries. Chill and serve!

Weekly tip: Strawberries do not ripen after harvest so choose ripe strawberries. Medium to small berries usually taste better than large ones. Use strawberries as soon as possible, but leave the caps/stems on and do not wash the strawberries until ready to use. You can store strawberries in the refrigerator for several days if you layer them with paper towels!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Chocolate Angel Lightning Cake

Chocolate Angel Lightning Cake
Dorcas Annette Walker

I finally had a more normal week- meaning that I was able to stay home for a change instead of running my husband to one of his numerous doctor appointments, cardio rehab, or having another hospital episode- spending the week catching up on several things indoors and out that needed urgent attention when my week ended in a big bang. Saturday evening right after supper my husband and I were relaxing in the living room. A summer storm had arrived, thunder was rolling, and lightning flashing. I was enjoying hearing the sound of rain falling outside envisioning all my thirsty plants greedily drinking when suddenly right out of the blue a loud noise exploded and lit everything up like the noon day sun. Living here on the mountain we’re used to having violent storms come through- not to mention having a neighbor, who loves to shoot guns until it sounds like a war is in progress some days- but when I heard this explosion I knew something close by had been hit.

My husband asked, “What in the thunder was that?” as I jumped out of my recliner and ran to the back of the house. Rain was pouring down making it hard to see in the darkened twilight, but I noticed that the henhouse lights were out. My heart sank as I figured that my henhouse had been struck by lightning since I couldn’t see damage anywhere else. It was still storming when we went to bed. I was heartsick imagining discovering fried chicken the next morning in the henhouse. Nothing like a bolt of lightning rattling the henhouse and killing hens to put off egg laying for any of the surviving chickens left.

The next morning as soon as I awoke I ran to check the henhouse. My heart gave a leap of joy when I saw fat hens waddling around the pen busily scratching for worms looking quite unconcerned over their death-defying experience of the previous evening. While I fixed Sunday dinner, Dana went outside to investigate. A couple of minutes later Dana came back inside shaking his head telling me, “You’ve got to come outside and see this for yourself.” Lightning had struck the huge tree at the front corner of Dana’s workshop splitting it, ran down the tree, put a hole in the roof of the workshop, went inside blowing out paneling, insulation, window trim, light switches, etc (knocking out the henhouse lights that run from the workshop), then traveled across the yard to the main pole beside out house, flipped a main switch, and disabled our phones. The miracle is that nothing caught on fire, not a feather was singed, and we are still all in one piece.

My Chocolate Angel Lightning Cake will zap your taste buds with an explosion of melting chocolate, Carmel, and crunchy peanut butter surrounding the velvety angel food cake texture filled with chocolate chips that with either turn you diabetic or send any chocolate lover into orbit. The Chocolate Angel Lighting Cake has the appearance of a lightning strike right down the center. Preparation time for my Chocolate Angel Lightning Cake is around fifteen minutes (not counting baking or cooling time) and serves twelve.

Chocolate Angel Lightning Cake

1 angel food cake mix
1 c chocolate chips
½ (11.75 oz) jar Carmel ice cream topping
2 c powdered sugar
4 tb cocoa
2 tb crunchy peanut butter
1 tb shortening
¼ c hot water

Prepare angel food cake mix according to the directions folding in the chocolate chips before baking. Let cool. Spread melted Carmel topping over the top of the cake. In a small bowl mix together the powdered sugar, cocoa, peanut butter, shortening, and hot water with a Wisk until smooth. Pour over the top of the cake letting the frosting run down the sides and serve!

Weekly tip: When adding chocolate chips or nuts to a batter first dust with flour to prevent sinking to the bottom of the cake!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Triple Layer Fruit Fluff

Triple Layer Fruit Fluff
Dorcas Annette Walker

This month I am sharing some summery dessert recipes that I am experimenting with myself. So welcome to my air conditioned kitchen as we mix together some ingredients to help beat the heat. Right now a lot of fresh fruit is in season and can be bought at a low price making it not only healthy for your family, but economical as well. Last night I served this week’s masterpiece and as we taste tested it, we were tossing names around that would aptly describe this fruity dessert. My son, Dwight, came up with the winning title: Triple Layer Fruit Fluff. Normally Dwight is rather picky about eating fruit so I wasn’t sure how he would like a bunch of fruit all mixed up together, but he was quite enthusiastic over my Triple Layer Fruit Fluff.

It used to be that when making an Angel Food Cake cooks had to save up a dozen eggs first. Now-a-days you can whip up an Angel Food Cake with a box mix or buy one already made. Speaking of eggs, I was quite excited to find the first egg laid by the chicks we bought and raised this spring. The way they gobble up the food and scraps I throw them these past months have turned them all into fat hens. Lately I’ve been given them broad hints about laying eggs as the reason for their feathery existence in my hen house. I’m reserving dark threats about wringing their necks and putting them in the pot for any laggards that show up in the flock. So I was quite pleased to discover a few bright ones (my Cornish Rock hens) amidst my mixed group of chickens that decided to start laying. The way I lavishly praise the sight of an egg, you’d think that there would be a mad rush of hens to sit on the nests and lay eggs, but unfortunately chickens are a bit bird witted at times. It was a sad day about a month ago when my huge majestic rooster (about the size of a small turkey) suddenly died. I miss his loud crow early in the morning, although my large white ducks- Daffy Duck, Quack Quack, and Snow Queen- do their best to fill in the gap. Whenever I stick my head out the back door it is amazing the racket those ducks make trying to get my attention. We bought a small plastic kiddie pool that we keep filled with water in the chicken yard, which the ducks enjoy splashing around in. Romeo, my male Mallard duck’s head is turning a gorgeous shade of green while his feathers are starting to sport brilliant colors. Sweet Juliet looks rather drab blending in with the dirt where you usually find her sitting contently while her mate struts around the pen.

My Triple Layer Fruit Fluff is a light fruity rainbow dessert, easy to make, using fruit, angel food cake, and cool whip that looks elegant in a glass dish. You can mix match all kinds of fresh fruit and substitute the cool whip for vanilla ice cream if you prefer to turn the Triple Layer Fruit Fluff into a frozen dessert. I used sugar-free jello for my diabetic husband. Preparation time for my Triple Layer Fruit Fluff takes around thirty minutes and this recipe serves fifteen.

Triple Layer Fruit Fluff

1 angel food cake
1 pkg (3 oz) of strawberry, lime, and orange jello
1 (10 oz) can Mandarin oranges drained
2 c blueberries
2 c strawberries- hulled and cut into pieces
1 (16 oz) container of cool whip

Divide the angel food cake into thirds and tear into bite-size pieces in three medium bowls. Sprinkle a box of jello over each bowl and toss with a fork until well coated. In the bottom of a glass dish place the orange cake pieces, layer with Mandarin oranges, and cover with cool whip. Repeat with the lime cake pieces and blueberries covering with cool whip, and then the strawberry cake pieces and strawberries covering with cool whip. Garnish with slices of fruit. Chill and serve!

Weekly tip: Crushing strawberries and adding sugar before freezing in zip lock bags gives the strawberries a fresher taste when thawed, saves space in your freezer, and makes an instant filling for pies or shortcake!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake
Dorcas Annette Walker

August is the hot humid month of summer when outdoor temperatures soar. Now-a-days the month of August is also the start of another school year. Each year school is moved up into what we used to consider summer vacation time. Of course back then we didn’t have air conditioning only open windows and fans stirring the hot air as we sweltered in the heat trying to get our minds focused on textbooks once again. I’m very thankful today for modern conveniences such as central air during these hot summer days. This week I made up a Strawberry Ice Cream Cake; an ideal summer dessert.

Aluminum foil is a widely used household item for wrapping food, grilling, crafts, etc. The earliest production of aluminum foil was in France about 1903. Commercial foil was made from a thin leaf of tin in 1910 at a Switzerland plant near the foot of the Rhine Falls that used water energy to produce aluminum since 1886. This foil was pliable and easily bent or wrapped around objects. Here are some aluminum and tinfoil facts:

- Tinfoil is stiffer than aluminum foil.

- Aluminum is prepared in thin metal leaves.

- Tinfoil is fragile and sometimes laminated to plastics or paper.

- In the United States the commercial production of aluminum foil began in 1913.

- Aluminum foil supplanted tin foil in the mid 20th century.

- World War II established aluminum foil as a major packaging material.

- In North America aluminum foil is also called Reynolds Wrap after Reynolds Metals- the leading manufacturer in the USA.

- In 2003 the annual production of aluminum foil was approximately 666,000 tons.

- Aluminum foil is extremely durable and is 100 percent recyclable.

- Americans throw away around three pounds of aluminum foil annually.

- It takes roughly 400 years for aluminum to break down naturally in a landfill.

- Recycled aluminum takes 95 percent less energy to produce aluminum.

My Strawberry Ice Cream Cake is a light sweet summer dessert containing rich creamy strawberry ice cream with a crunchy graham/chocolate cookie base surrounded by cool whip. You can substitute the chocolate graham cookies with chocolate or Oreo cookies. Other fresh fruit such as peaches, blueberries, etc could be used instead of strawberries. Preparation time for my Strawberry Ice Cream Cake is around twenty minutes (not counting the freezing time) and this recipe serves twelve.

Strawberry Ice Cream Cake

1 lb strawberries
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (16 oz) container of cool whip
1 (12.5 oz) pkg fudge covered graham cookies

In a medium-size bowl crush ¾ of the strawberries. Stir in the condensed milk and ½ of the cool whip with a Wisk and mix well. Pour into a tinfoil-lined loaf pan. Crush half a pack of the cookies and gently press into the entire top of the strawberry mixture. Freeze overnight (or at least six hours until firm). Turn out onto a serving dish, peel off the foil, ice the cake with the remaining half of the cool whip, and garnish with sliced strawberries!

Weekly tip: For easier lining of tinfoil in a pan cover the outside of the pan first. Also a cardboard covered with tinfoil makes an excellent cake dish!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com

Nutty Cheerio Snack

Nutty Cheerio Snack
Dorcas Annette Walker

I’ve always kept snacks around and carried them with me as I traveled due to the fact that I have hypoglycemia- where my blood sugar can suddenly drop. Snacks were also a lifesaver when my children were young. I think though the biggest fan of my snacks is my husband, Dana. Every time we headed down the road on a trip the first thing- almost before we were out of the driveway- Dana would ask is, “What did you bring along to snack on?” Since Dana’s heart surgery and being diabetic where his sugar swings, having a snack handy has saved the day more than once traveling back and forth to the doctors down in Cookeville. Now that my husband has to be on a strict diet, I’ve been doing research on heart healthy foods. It hasn’t been easy for Dana, who for years ate everything and anything, to switch to smaller portions of food and stay on his cardiac/diabetic diet. After hearing my poor husband complain for the umpteenth time that there was nothing for him to snack on- refusing the baby carrots, bananas, and apples that I keep handy for such a thing- I decide to combine a couple different items together and came up with my Nutty Cheerio Snack that was an instant hit with Dana.

Cheerios was invented in 1940 by Lester Borchardt, an employee of General Mills, after months of trial and error to figure out how to puff the oats into a circular shape. First named Cheeri Oats the name was changed to Cheerios in 1945. By 1954 Cheerios became General Mills’ most popular selling cold cereal partly due to the face that Cheerios sponsored “The Lone Ranger” radio show. Today there are more than ten varieties of Cheerios. In 1999 Cheerios earned the distinction of being the only cold cereal to effectively lower cholesterol. Cheerios have only one gram of sugar per serving, fiber, aren’t made with any artificial flavors or color dyes, are low in fat, is an excellent source of iron, and contains at least 10 percent of your calcium needs.

My Nutty Cheerio Snack is a perfect filling crunchy heart-healthy snack. You can substitute a different kind of Cheerios from regular Cheerios, add other nuts instead of pecans- as nuts are low in saturated fat and beneficial to your heart as well- or use different dried fruit in place of raisins. Preparation time for my Nutty Cheerio Snack is ten minutes and this recipe makes twenty cups.

Nutty Cheerio Snack

1 (15 oz) box of regular Cheerios
1 (16 oz) pkg of pecan halves
1 (12 oz) bag or box of raisins

Combine all three ingredients in a large bowl and store 1-cup servings in a sealed baggie.

Weekly tip: Besides making a healthy snack, you can crush Cheerios and add to flour for homemade baked items or used crushed Cheerios in place of bread crumbs!

Dorcas Annette Walker is a published author, columnist, speaker, freelance magazine writer, and photographer from Jamestown, Tennessee. Contact her at: dorcasannettewalker@gmail.com For more recipes check out her Creative Tennessee Mountain Cookin blog at: www.dorcasannettewalker.webs.com