Strawberry Jell-O Cake

I found this on the Kraft website, but I was looking for it because I had this cake years ago at a friend's baby shower and I loved it.  Plus, I had lots of fresh strawberries from our yard to use!  So easy and so delicious!

Ingredients:
1 white cake mix
1 c. boiling water
1 package (3 oz.) Strawberry Jell-O
1/2 c. cold water
1 tub (8 oz.) Cool Whip, thawed

Directions:
Prepare cake as directed in 9x13-inch pan.  Cool cake in pan for 15 minutes.  Pierce cake with large fork at 1/2-inch intervals.  Add boiling water to gelatin mix in small bowl; stir 2 minutes until completely dissolved.  Stir in cold water; pour over cake.  Refrigerate 3 hours.  Frost with Cool Whip.  Refrigerate 1 hour.  Top with fresh strawberries, if desired.

Kraft picture--I forgot.  I topped mine with fresh strawberries, so it was pretty!

Strawberry Cake ~ by Molly

This cake makes up the final layer of Grace's birthday cake. It is probably my new favorite cake recipe and it's made using real strawberries, so it's healthy, right?

I got this picture from the blog where I found the recipe. I used two layers of each flavor of cake. 

Strawberry Cake      

Ingredients:

2 cups white sugar

1 (3oz) package of strawberry gelatin

1 cup butter, softened

4 eggs, room temperature

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 cup whole milk, room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup strawberry puree made from frozen sweetened strawberries (or you could use unsweetened and add a tablespoon of white sugar)

Method:

1. Prepare two 9″ round pans (butter and flour, or parchment lined).

2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter, sugar, and dry strawberry gelatin until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix vanilla and milk together. Combine and whisk dry ingredients, adding to creamed mixture and alternating with milk/vanilla until just combined. Blend in strawberry puree. Pour into prepared pans.

3. Bake in 350 F for about 25 minutes, or until inserted toothpick comes out clean. Allow cakes to cool in pans on wire rack for 20 minutes, then inverting onto wire rack to finish cooling.

Recipe for Strawberry Cake adapted from allrecipes.com, submitted by GothicGirl.

http://sweetapolita.com/2011/01/neapolitan-5-layer-birthday-cake-with-strawberry-frosting/

Fruit Pizza ~ by Sarah

This recipe came from Pioneer Cookbook, a compilation of recipes from people in the North Powder area.  Our family has been enjoying this recipe for years!

Sugar Cookie Crust:
3/4 c. butter
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. flour
1 t. salt
1 t. baking powder

Put butter in bowl.  Add sugar.  Squish with fork.  Add 2 eggs and vanilla.  Blend in remaining ingredients.  Chill 1 hour.  Spread out on pizza pan.  Bake at 400 degrees for about 8 minutes or until the edges are brown.  Cool completely.

Topping:
8 oz. cream cheese
1 c. powdered sugar
1/2 t. vanilla
1/2 of an 8 oz. container of Cool Whip
1/2 c. frozen orange juice, diluted only 1/2 as directed on can
1/4 c. lemon juice
1/2 c. sugar
3 T. cornstarch
3/4 c. water
assorted fruit slices

Directions:
Blend until smooth the cream cheese, powdered sugar, vanilla, and Cool Whip.  Spread evenly over cooled crust.

Give your son the beater to lick:

Place any desired fruit pieces on the filling.  I used strawberries, peaches, and blueberries since that was what the fruit stand had.  We've used huckleberries, bananas, and kiwis, too.

For the glaze, cook until clear and thickened the orange juice, lemon juice, sugar, cornstarch and water.  Cool and pour over the fruit.  (The can be made ahead and refrigerated.)  You are likely to have quite a bit of this left over!

Serve to your bratty younger sister when she finally comes home from Germany.

Strawberry Muffins ~ by Kelsey

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com when I was looking for something to do with some strawberries that needed used up.  They are really good!  This recipe made 12 muffins.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup canola oil
1/2 cup milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
1 3/4 cup flour
1 cup chopped strawberries

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Spray muffin pan or use liners.  Mix the oil, milk and egg together.  Beat.  Mix the flour, salt, baking powder, and sugar together in a separate bowl.  Toss the strawberries in the flour mixture until coated.  Pour the milk mixture into the flour mixture and stir until moist.  Spoon into the muffin pan and cook for about 25 minutes.

Chocolate Strawberry Shortcake ~ by Kelsey

I found this recipe on allrecipes.com.

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
1 cup milk
2 pints strawberries, sliced, with sugar
1 (12 ounce) container whipped topping
2 tablespoons chocolate syrup (I forgot to do this part)

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.  Grease two 9 inch layer pans.  In a large mixing bowl, combine flour, sugar, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Cut in butter until it's coarse crumbs.  Add milk, mixing just until moistened.  Spread the batter evenly in the two pans.  Bake at 400 degrees for 15 or until a toothpick comes out clean.  Cool.  Combine strawberries and sugar (I used a little Splenda).  Cover the bottom layer with whipped topping, then strawberries, then a little more whipped topping.  Put the top layer on and put more whipped topping and more strawberries.  Drizzle with chocolate syrup.

Fruit Salad ~ by Sarah

I got this recipe for a simple, refreshing, delicious fruit salad when I was at a baby shower for my friend, Miriah. Even though every single food item at the shower was delicious, we all kept heading back into the kitchen to fill our plates back up with this. As soon as strawberries are somewhat in season, this is in my fridge a lot!  As a bonus, I make it with Splenda, not sugar, so it's sugar-free!

Here's what you need:

2 green apples (I like Granny Smith)
2 red apples (I like pink lady)
a carton of strawberries
two ripe pears (peeled)
one lemon
one packet of Splenda sugar substitute

Directions:
Start by quartering the strawberries into a medium-sized bowl.  Next, cut the apples into bite-sized pieces and add to the bowl.  (Don't peel them.)  I use my apple slicing gizmo to get nice, uniform slices and then I dice the slices.  Peel the pears and the cut them into bite-sized pieces (I also use my apple slicer with them).

Next is the secret ingredient that makes people think I'm weird when they see me doing it, but, believe me, it's what makes this salad so good.  Zest the peel of the lime into the bowl.  I don't have a zester, so I use the small holes on my cheese grater and it works great.  If you don't have a small-holed cheese grater, I have used a paring knife with success when in a pinch.

 

Next, cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice from both halves into the bowl.  Add the packet of Splenda and mix well.  Taste it.  If it seems too sour, add another packet of Splenda.  I like mine kind of tart, so one is always enough for me.

She loves it.  Gavin spits it out and makes a sour face.

*Note:  This does not keep more than a day or two in the fridge (especially the pears--they get very mushy).  If you're not going to eat it all in a day or two, you can lessen the amount by using just one pear, one red apple, and one green apple.  (I still use all the strawberries, lime, and Splenda.)