Summer Food

Last week I hit the strawberry field - two baskets for me, one for an older lady I know.  The berries are plentiful and the picking was easy.

I made my usual two batches of jam when I got home.  

My little rhubarb plant actually had enough to pick yesterday so I made a rhubarb strawberry crunch dessert and was it good!!  I pinned it a few days ago, the original recipe comes from All Recipes - you can see it right here - I didn't make any changes to it, it's delicious.

I bought a new small kitchen appliance that is going to be so great for summer - Yonanas- The Healthy Dessert Maker - have you heard of it?  I hadn't until a few weeks ago when Joann wrote about it on her blog - Woman in Real Life, I took the plunge last week and bought one - we tried it out yesterday - it's going to be great and so nice for a hot summer day.  

It uses all frozen fruit, the main base is the frozen banana - it makes a fat free dessert, a dairy free dessert and it's all fruit - what could be better!  The worst part is waiting for the bananas to get to the cheetah stage - at that point, you freeze them and then wait....

We made banana strawberry - we shared it for lunch - it was just enough and so cool and refreshing.  

I bought mine at Walmart, it was $29.94CDN - it was less expensive than when I looked at them in June.  I think we'll get our money's worth - peach, raspberry, pineapple, chocolate - I want to try them all!!!

Annie Beck's Chocolate Cake

I've been making this recipe ever since I started baking, Mom used to make this cake, she got the recipe from Annie Beck, who lived down the road!   It's the easiest recipe for chocolate cake, one bowl that makes a 9 x 9 pan - what's not to like?

Annie Beck's Chocolate Cake

1 cup white sugar

1/3 cup shortening

1 egg

1 1/3 cup flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa

Combine the white sugar and shortening, then add other ingredients.  After that is all mixed together, add 1 cup of boiling water.

Place in greased 9 x 9 pan, bake at 350 for 30 minutes.

I always make a white icing for this cake, a little margarine or butter, a little shortening, icing sugar, milk and almond flavoring.  I also use ruddy red cocoa powder from the Bulk Barn, it is more expensive than regular cocoa but so much better!  I don't buy anything else now but if you can't get that, any cocoa will do - the cake will still be good!!

Hey, this is Annie Beck, her recipe is still in circulation, after all these years.

I'm linking this chocolate cake up with Weekend Potluck and Melt in Your Mouth Monday

Raspberry Meringue Squares

These squares are too good to not share - I must have made them years ago because there was a check mark on the recipe, it wouldn't have been a regular because neither one of my children ate jam and I guess they still don't!  This recipe comes from Company's Coming - 150 Delicious Squares.  These squares are every bit as good as the Raspberry Coconut Swirl Cookies I made back in January - I'll definitely be making them again - they're easy and they're good.  I'm linking this recipe with Weekend Potluck at the Country Cook and Open House Party

Raspberry Meringue

Bottom layer:

1 1/2 cups flour

2 tsp. baking powder

3/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 egg yolks.

Crumble all 5 ingredients together.  Press into ungreased 9 x 9 pan.  Set aside.

Filling:

1 cup raspberry jam or red jam of your choice, I used my homemade raspberry jam.

Begin by dropping small blobs of jam here and there over the bottom layer.  Then carefully spread.

Top Layer:

2 egg whites

3/4 cup packed brown sugar

1 cup regular coconut

Beat egg whites until frothy.  Add sugar and beat until stiff.  Fold in coconut.  Spread over jam layer.  Bake in 350 oven for 35-40 minutes.  Keep covererd.