Pineapple Casserole. It's a Personal Thing.

I know someone (a special someone) who has a relationship with pineapple casserole.  This is a love-love relationship no doubt.  The date when these two first got hooked up is unknown but that's not what matters.  What matters is this special person loves pineapple casserole so much that he will eat it for breakfast (and he NEVER eats breakfast), lunch, and dinner if there's leftovers.  In 2008, this someone married another someone who made this casserole for him at least once a week.  Unfortunately, after a month or two, the cookings decreased due to body fat increase.  Recently, it was prepared for friends at the hunting club and as my special someone sat down with his plate of food, I bet you'd never guess what he bit into first?  Let's just say that he had secretly been experiencing withdrawals and I kind of felt an instant of guilt.  I'm not going to reveal this someone's identity as I would hate to embarrass him but as I write this post, I will admit that I am not sure how I've blogged for almost six months and this recipe has not been featured.  Oh well, just make it and you'll see why it's loved so much.

Pineapple Casserole
Adapted from The Ultimate Southern Living Cookbook, 1999

• 2 (20 oz) cans pineapple chunks in juice, undrained
• 1 cup sugar
• 6 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 2 cups (8 oz) shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
• 2 - 2 1/2 cups buttery cracker crumbs (we use Ritz)*
• 3/4 stick butter, melted

Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup (or just a shade more) juice**.  Combine sugar and flour; stir in reserved pineapple juice.  Stir in cheese and pineapple chunks.  Spoon mixture into a greased 2-quart casserole. 

Combine cracker crumbs and melted butter, stirring well; sprinkle over pineapple mixture.  Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees for 20 to 30 minutes or until top is browned.  Serve hot.  Yields:  8 servings

*Crackers can easily be crushed in unopened sleeve. Helps prevent making a big mess!
**Save remaining juice and add to iced tea; makes a refreshing drink, especially in the summertime.

Mistake Turned Great

Good morning everybody! I am so excited to be sharing a food blog with my daughter, Marie. From the time she mentioned it, my mind has been whirling with all I would like to share with you about our love for food. And eating it is not the only good part.  Do you ever consider how much of our lives center around food? The times spent around the table sharing with family and friends make for wonderful memories.  Food expresses sympathy and comfort in times of grief and illness. It provides nourishment our bodies need for growth and strength. It is the centerpiece of celebrations and the stuff of childhood memories.

Whether I share a recipe you will want to try or one you wouldn't come close to wanting to cook, it will likely be tied to a personal memory or special person who means lot to me. Whatever comes out of this blog, I hope you enjoy it and have fun cooking!

This is going to be a fun week for me because my sister, Marcelle, is visiting. We are also soul sisters where food is concerned. When we are together, we are sharing recipes, reading each others newest cookbooks, and trying new dishes. I'll be telling you alot more about her as time goes on. Well, I was, of course, planning what we would eat last night for dinner. I wanted to do a light meal because I had cooked and served a large lunch to the family. Marie provided her special chicken salad. (She will share that with you later) I made deviled eggs and wanted to do a dip with fresh fruit. While reading Madigan Made I came across her Orange Creamsicle Summer Fruit Dip and thought that sounded great. Well, when I went to make it, I misread the ingredients and didn't realize it until it was too late. But it turned out to be a delicious mistake! I plan  to make her version another time but here is my blundered attempt. Yes, I CAN mess up a recipe with only 3 ingredients!

Fluffy Lemon Fruit Dip

1- 8oz. Whipped topping, thawed

1- 14oz. sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

Fold whipped topping into milk until smooth. Add lemon juice, mixing well. Refrigerate until ready to use. Serve with variety of fresh fruit, thin, crisp cookies, pound cake, and angel food cake cubes.

*Tip:  Omitting lemon juice creates a thinner dip that is too sweet. Lemon juice thickens and sets the dip.

Enjoy!
Nan





Mango-Pineapple Smoothie

McDonald's ain't got nothin' on this!

So I caught a break at work and came home for an hour to let Jasper out and piddle around a bit before going back. I began to get that yearning for something sweet (you know that feeling that you can't ignore?). I ate a Subway salad for lunch without cheese and with fat-free dressing so I thought I deserved something good. Something with some weight.

Several weeks ago I came across a recipe for a mango-pinapple smoothie from Weight Watchers. It just so happened that Publix had mangos on sale that week so I bought one, came home and chopped it up, and put it in the freezer for when the time felt right to make the delicious-looking smoothie. Well, the time was right today because I found that all of the remaining ingredients I needed were in my pantry and frig. I altered the recipe just a bit and instead of drinking the serving size, I proceeded to finish the entire thing (sorry Brandon!). I never thought a smoothie would be the first recipe on our new blog but it seems as though it's worked out to be. I took a quick snapshot and voila...here it is!

Mango-Pineapple Smoothie
adapted from Weight Watchers

• 1/2 cup orange juice
• 1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
• 1 cup canned (or fresh) pineapple chunks, drained, reserve juice*
• 1/2 to 1 tsp reserved pineapple juice (can omit if thicker consistency is desired)
• 1 1/2 cups mango chunks, slightly thawed*

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.
*The great part about this recipe is its flexibility; you can substitute with any fruit desired. I think strawberry-banana-pineapple would be one of my top favorite combos. (And maybe with a hint of spiced rum???)

Drink and enjoy!
Marie