Hi. My daughter and her friends and dates are planning to have a supper/barbeque get-together with their parents after prom next weekend. Will probably will be 40-50 people.

She has volunteered to bring the dessert. She'd love to be able to bring a large wedding-like cake, but realizes that baking this might be beyond her expertise, and purchasing one beyond her budget.

So, she's looking for some other idea. Something sort of elegant. Perhaps a layered cake, of some kind.

I can follow a recipe, but have pretty much been a cake mix/brownie kind of mom.

Anyone have a suggestion for an attractive-looking cake that would be "special" for our senior prom kids?

~ Faith

Make a big sheet cake.

Buy any chocolate cake mix, or vanilla cake mix and add some pudding.

Many cake mixes already have the can of pudding in the box.

Make two of these so it can feed everybody (I'm sure there will be other desserts there as well).

So get two of those aluminum 9 X 13 pans. Pour in the batter.

Bake the cake according to directions.

Then spread some chocolate frosting.

Get some confetti sprinkles. And pour all the sprinkles on the top of the cake.

This is so easy to do. Takes no time. The confetti makes it party-time.

And the kids can have fun eating the sprinkles.

It's a very festive looking cake!!!

Dorothy’s Fresh Dill Pickles

Recipe for one quart

2 c water
1/3 c white vinegar
2 T salt (kosher, pickling or sea salt)
1 medium clove fresh garlic, peeled
Fresh dill plant or dill seed
Fresh sliced or quartered cucumbers

Scrub cucumbers and cut as desired.
Measure water, vinegar and salt into jar; add garlic and dill.
Fill jar with cut cucumbers.

To hold cucumbers below liquid, push in a round piece of plastic that is a little larger than the neck of the jar.

Set out on counter for 2 days; then refrigerate. Will keep for several months.

Thanks faith. My ds5 and I are planning on making dill pickles(his fave)
this weekend. I think I have enough cukes from the garden and will try
this this weekend.

Sox:

Recipe is from my MIL. She says the garlic is important -- helps to keep pickles crisp. They're good, and really fast and easy.

I have a large, 1/2 gallon jar that I use, and I make a double batch. They sure don't last several months here!

~ Faith

Got the stuff and will make them with my son today. I will let you
know how they turn out.

Thanks.

Sox-- We ate our first pickles today, after letting them sit 2 or 3 days. They were just as good as my MIL's, aqnd so quick to make. Hope yours are good.

Here's another recipe:

~ Faith

Summer Smoothie:

Fill blender 1/4 full with no-fat strawberry yogurt. 1/4 full with orange juice. 4 ripe bananas. 1 c crushed ice. Blend. Good!

Can substitute other ingredients. Other flavors of yogurt. Ice cream instead of yogurt. Other kinds of juice. Other fruit. Very versatile.

they are on the counter faith. We have to wait till at least tomorrow
afternoon. I made a quadruple batch. I have to admit I snuck a
taste today and they are already yummy.

They were delicious.(the pickcles). Our quadruple batch is almost
gone. I did add extra garlic as my family loves garlic.

Great recipe. Thanks Faith.

Hi All.

Just got my computer back and I have QUESTIONS!!! about PIMENTOS!! lol

I love the inside of the olives. I know this is called a pimento. I just learned it's a form of red bell pepper. I bought something by Goya called Fancy Pimientos (thinking it was the same as the inside of the olive). It was not.

The thing inside of the olive
'see this:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pimento

This is what I am trying to find in a jar. I want to buy pimentos.
My friend says she has seen this in jars.

I have been to many places many supermarkets and no one knows what I'm talking about.

So do any of you know if there is a product that consists only of the stuffing that is inside the olives? It tastes completely different than red peppers.

Thanks much

Melody