Watergate Salad

This was our dessert for St. Patrick's Day, so we called it Shamrock salad :) Everyone thought it was really good--especially Jace!

Watergate Salad


1 small box instant pistachio pudding mix

8 oz. cool whip, thawed (I used lite)

20 oz. can crushed pineapple, with juice (don't drain it)

1 C. mini marshmallows




Mix all ingredients together & serve immediately. Refrigerate leftovers.






recipe from Lindsey Hopkins

Auntie Shar's Chocolate Cake

I made these cupcakes for a bake sale & they were very good. A very good basic chocolate cake recipe to have on hand. I also think it would be really good with cream cheese frosting.

Auntie Shar's Chocolate Cake


2 1/4 C. flour

1 1/2 tsp. soda

3/4 tsp. salt (I used 1/2 the amount)

1/2 C. cocoa

2 eggs (I used egg beaters)

1 1/2 C. sugar

3/4 C. oil (I used 1/4 C. canola oil & 1/2 C. unsweetened applesauce)

1 1/2 C. boiling water

1 1/2 tsp. vanilla



In a medium bowl, combine flour, soda, salt, & cocoa. Whisk to combine & set aside. In a large bowl, combine eggs, sugar, & oil and beat with a hand mixer. Alternating with boiling water, add flour mixture in 3 additions. Stir in vanilla. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree oven. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. Cool completely before frosting.




Chocolate Frosting


1/2 C. butter, softened

1 C. cocoa, sifted

5 C. powdered sugar

2/3 C. milk (I used evaporated milk--I buy the little 5 oz. cans from Walmart & it's exactly 2/3 C.)

1 tsp. vanilla



Combine butter, cocoa & powdered sugar & mix until butter is smooth. Add milk & vanilla. Adjust with more milk or powdered sugar as needed.




*This made quite a bit of frosting, so I had some leftover--you can always use it with some graham crackers for a tasty treat!





recipe from Rookie Cookie

German Pancakes

There's nothing like a good German pancake every once in a while--or "bumpy pancakes" as Danny calls them :) We're kinda weird though because we always have them for dinner--very seldom do we have them for breakfast.

German Pancakes


6 eggs (I use egg beaters)

1 C. milk (I use skim)

1 C. flour (I do 1/2 C. whole wheat flour, 1/2 C. white flour)

pinch of salt

few shakes of cinnamon




Mix all ingredients together until well blended & until most of the clumps are gone. Pour into a greased 9x13 pan (I like to use glass) that also has 1-2 Tbsp. melted butter in the bottom. Cook at 425 degrees for approximately 15 minutes or until the edges are browned. Serve warm with syrup or powdered sugar or applesauce (my kids love this).





*Danny likes these to be a little on the thick side, so I usually 1 1/2 the recipe and make it in a 9x13 pan (it always takes longer to cook though).






recipe from Mom