By Katie Appleby

If you are looking for an excellent dessert recipe and love southern cooking, this is the recipe for you. This strawberry cake recipe is one of the favorites among the southern states and is perfect for any kind of occasion. This strawberry cake recipe can be made with either white or yellow cake mix and can also be used with any from scratch cake recipe.

Ingredients for Strawberry cake recipe:

• 1 package of white cake mix
• 1 package of strawberry flavored gelatin powder – 3 ounces
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 4 eggs, lightly beaten
• 1/4 cup of water
• 3/4 cup of mashed strawberries
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 pound of confection sugar
• 1/4 cup of mashed strawberries

Directions for Strawberry Cake Recipe:

• Combine the cake mix and gelatin powder in a large bowl
• Beat in oil, eggs, water and strawberries
• Pour into two 9 inch round and greased cake pans
• Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes
• Cool and frost with strawberry icing
• For the icing, beat the butter and confection sugar until smooth
• Add the strawberries
• Spread between the layers of cakes
• Frost the top and sides

If you would like to try a variety of the strawberry cake recipe, try this pecan strawberry cake recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 box of white or yellow cake mix
• 1 cup of vegetable oil
• 4 large eggs
• 1 cup of flaked coconut
• 1 package of strawberry flavored gelatin
• 1/2 cup of milk
• 1 cup mashed fresh or frozen strawberries
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 package of cream cheese, 8 ounces at room temperature
• 1/2 stick of margarine, 2 ounces at room temperature
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla
• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans
• 1/2 cup of strawberries mashed
• 5 to 6 cups of sifted powder sugar

Directions:

• Mix cake mix with the strawberry flavored gelatin
• Add the oil, eggs, coconut, gelatin and milk
• Beat until well blended
• Stir in one cup mashed strawberries and one cup of pecans
• Drizzle the cooled layers with reserved juice
• Spread with a layer of icing
• Ice the sides and top
• Store the cake and refrigerate

You can serve these delicious options of the strawberry cake recipe for any occasion. You can add in other ingredients such as rhubarb to add an extra tart flavor. You can also top with whipped cream or any other fruit topping you would like. Serve the cake right away or store in the refrigerator to keep it fresh.

Katie Appleby is an accomplished niche website developer and author.

To learn more about Strawberry cake recipe, please visit Tasty Desserts Site for
current articles and discussions.

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(ARA) – Warm summer days call for the perfect frosty refreshment. Try homemade fruit smoothies — sweetened naturally with pure honey. Creating your own creamy concoctions is easy — simply blend together your favorite fruits with ice cubes, milk or yogurt and a touch of honey. Honey is the secret ingredient to enhancing the sweet flavors of the fruits.

Blend up your own delicious smoothies with these easy tips:

* Add variety: Experiment with different combinations of fresh fruits. Try melons, berries and tropical fruits such as mangoes, bananas and pineapple.

* Make it thick: Add a few more ice cubes for a creamier mix.

* Keep it cold: Instead of using fresh fruit, use frozen fruit for a colder and thicker beverage. You can buy frozen fruit or freeze your own.

* On the go: Make smoothies ahead of time and store in the freezer.

* Prevent sticky situations: Add honey and any additional liquids to the blender first to prevent it from binding up on the frozen fruit and getting stuck.

Try these simple smoothie recipes from the National Honey Board. For more recipes and additional honey tips and information, visit www.honey.com.

Strawberry Kiwi Smoothie

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen strawberries

1 large kiwi, peeled

1 container (8 ounces) low-fat vanilla yogurt

1/4 cup honey

12 to 15 ice cubes

Directions:

In a blender or food processor, combine all ingredients and process until smooth. Serve immediately.

Tropical Smoothie

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups low-fat milk

1/4 cup honey

2 medium ripe bananas, peeled

1 cup plain yogurt

1 teaspoon vanilla (Substitute vanilla yogurt for plain yogurt and vanilla, if desired.)

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine milk, bananas, yogurt, honey, vanilla, cinnamon and nutmeg in blender or food processor; process until thick and creamy. Add ice cubes, one at a time, and blend until smooth.

Honey Breakfast Drink

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

2 cups milk

1/2 cup orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1/4 cup low-fat dry milk

1/4 cup wheat germ

1 large banana, peeled and sliced

4 to 5 ice cubes

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in blender or food processor and mix well.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

By Jennifer Carpenter

Cooking with your preschooler is a wonderful way to teach measuring, counting, shapes and following directions. Here are 5 easy to make and healthy goodies for you and your little one to make together.

Cinnamon Shapes

All you need for this recipe is slices of bread, butter or margarine, ground cinnamon, granulated sugar and cookie cutters in different shapes. Some good shape choices are star, circle, diamond, heart, oval, and triangle. Toast the bread. While the bread is cooking, combine the cinnamon and sugar in a small bowl. Butter the toast and sprinkle with the cinnamon sugar mixture. Then use the cookie cutters to cut the slices of toast into shapes. Discuss the different shapes with your child and ask them to choose the shapes to cut.

Banana And Berries Sweet Shake

For this sweet and nutritious treat, you will need 1 medium ripe banana, 1 cup frozen berries (strawberries and blueberries are good choices), 1 cup milk, 1 cup vanilla yogurt and 1 tablespoon honey. Note: Do not give honey to children under one-year-old. Have your preschooler peel the banana and put it in a bowl. The child should then mash the banana. Pour the yogurt, fruit, milk and honey into a blender and add the mashed banana. Blend until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!

Ants In The Peanut Butter

This was one of my children’s favorite recipes when they were little. All you need is a bunch of celery, a jar of peanut butter and a small bowl of raisins. Using a spoon, scoop the peanut butter into the celery stalks. Then place the raisins in a row on top of the peanut butter. These will be the only ants you will not mind your children eating.

Mini-Pizzas

These tiny pizzas made with English muffins are the perfect size for preschool appetites. You will need sliced English muffins, pasta sauce, shredded cheese and healthy toppings such as green pepper, mushrooms, black olives and sliced tomatoes. Let your child spread the sauce evenly on the English muffin halves. Then add the toppings before sprinkling the cheese on top. Bake the mini-pizzas on a baking sheet for 8 minutes at 400ÚF. Now have a pizza party.

Trails Away Mix
Many young children do not like store bought trail mix because it has unfamiliar fruits and nuts. Now you any your child can make your own trail mix filled with familiar favorites. Help your child measure 1/4 cup unsalted peanuts, 1/3 cup mini pretzels, 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup chocolate chips and 1/3 cup cheerios or granola. Pour every ingredient into a large bowl so the preschooler can stir with a mixing spoon. Both of your can spoon the mix into small plastic bags or bowls for a quick snack anytime, anyplace. Happy Trails Away!

Jennifer Carpenter is a work at home mother of three, two teens and a preschooler. She is a writer and Internet marketer who is currently working towards financial freedom through working online. Read more about her incredible journey at http://www.livingmybigdream.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jennifer_Carpenter
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The children are running around the kitchen. The dog is barking it at the door and dinner should have been on the table thirty minutes ago. It’s a common scenario in many households come dinner time.

The reason that most meal times don’t always go smoothly may because dinner the last thing on your mind and when it’s time to get food on the table, everything else goes haywire in your house.

We have all been there, but with a little bit of meal-planning, you can be serving up delicious meals the family will be glad to gather around the table for.

Meal planning can make it easy to get dinner on the table in no time on a busy night. Not only do you save time, but it’s economical too. You buy only what you need, avoid the drive-through line up and you can concentrate on using fresh ingredients – instead of prepackages items from the grocery store. Every mother should have a set way to plan all of their meals in advance for the week…it’s a true life-saver.

The first step to successful meal planning is to sit down before you head out to the grocery store for the week (or sign up for the affordable Dine Without Whine Menu Planning Service & they’ll make that plan for you) .

It is best to plan what food you will need to have on had before you head to the grocery store when planning the week’s meals. Meal planning will make good use of a well stocked pantry and will only need a regular amount of grocery shopping. By having your meals for the week planned out, you will be able to write a grocery list that you can stick to (Dine Without Whine actually puts your grocery list together for you too). This will help you to save money by keeping you from not buying extra food that you will not use.

As you plan your week’s meals, make sure that you think about ways you can cook once and make two meals out of it. It’s easy to do a lot of cooking on the weekends so that you can do minimum cooking on busy week days. You can grill up chicken breasts on Sunday and use them in pasta on one night and then in fajitas another night. There are many ways that you can reuse the cooking from one night to make the next meal that much easier.

Meal planning can also help to cut down on your prep time in the kitchen when you are cooking. By knowing the meals that you are going to cook in advance, you can wash and cut vegetables when you bring them home from the grocery store. The simple act of pre-measuring the vegetables that you would need for a meal will cut out a lot of additional cooking time.

To be successful with your meal planning, you will want to take into account a lot of factors when you plan your meals for the week. One of the most important things to keep in mind is your weekly schedule of evening activities. The nights when your family has many activities planned are not the evenings to make meals that take along time to prepare. It will be those nights that you will want to use the meals that use the food that you already prepared on the weekends.

Meal planning is a skill that will take some getting used to. The first couple of times that you attempt to plan out your meals for the week, you will have some missteps along the way. After awhile it will become second nature to plan all of your meals in advance and you will wonder why you did not start to do it sooner.

To make your meal planning a whole lot easier, sign up for you 1 ¢ no-risk trial at Dine Without Whine. You and your hungry family will be glad you did.

Saving Money With Mix-n-Match Skillet Meals
By http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Deborah_Taylor-Hough

The following recipe is one I prepare regularly to use up leftovers or clear out the cupboards. I keep a copy of this taped to the inside of my pantry door at all times. With Mix-n-Match Recipes, I’m always amazed at the meals I can create from simple, basic formulas. I also save money by choosing ingredients I have on hand. Sometimes I even surprise myself with a delicious nearly-gourmet combination or two!

Mix-n-Match Skillet Meals

Adapted with permission from the book Mix-and-Match Recipes: Creative Ideas for Today’s Busy Kitchens by Deborah Taylor-Hough (SourceBooks).

Choose one(1) food from each of the following four(4) groups:

1) Breads and Cereals (1 cup raw)

Macaroni
Spaghetti
Rice (white or brown)
Noodles
Bulgar
Any pasta

2) Sauce (1 can soup plus 1.5 cans milk, broth or water)

Cream of Mushroom
Cream of Celery
Cream of Chicken
Cream of Potato
Tomato Soup
French Onion Soup

3) Protein (1 pound or 1 cup cooked)

Chopped beef
Chopped pork or ham
Ground beef or turkey
Chicken
Turkey
Tuna
Salmon
Mackerel
Cooked dry beans
Frankfurters
Keilbasa

4) Vegetables (1.5 to 2 cups canned, cooked or raw)

Carrots
Peas
Corn
Green beans
Lima beans
Broccoli
Spinach
Mixed vegetables
Celery
Green Pepper
Whatever you have around

1/2 to 1 cup cheese (any kind) can be stirred into sauce at the end of the cooking time.

Choose one food from each of the four groups above.
Stir together in skillet.
Season to taste with salt, pepper, soy sauce, onion flakes, garlic, or whatever spices you enjoy.
Bring to a boil.
Reduce heat to lowest setting.
Cover pan and simmer 30 minutes until pasta or rice is tender.
Stir occasionally to prevent rice and pasta from sticking.
Stir in cheese, if desired.
Serve.

Makes 4 to 6 servings.

Or, to bake in oven: mix all ingredients in casserole dish and cover tightly; bake at 350 F for one hour.

Deborah Taylor-Hough (free-lance writer and mother of three) is the author of several popular books including Frozen Assets: How to Cook for a Day and Eat for a Month and A Simple Choice: A Practical Guide for Saving Your Time, Money and Sanity. To subscribe to her free email newsletter, Simple Times, send an email to:  [mailto:subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com]subscribe-simple-times@hub.thedollarstretcher.com  Visit Debi online and read more articles dealing with simple living, frugality, parenting and much more: http://thesimplemom.wordpress.com/

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Deborah_Taylor-Hough http://EzineArticles.com/?Saving-Money-With-Mix-n-Match-Skillet-Meals&id=1587436

1/4 C of fresh peach slices
1/4 C of fresh pineapple slices
1/4 C of fresh raspberries
1/4 C of fresh black berries
2 slices of fresh watermelon

Place the peaches onto a serving plate. Layer the pineapple slices over the peaches. Sprinkle the raspberries and black berries over the top. Using a small cookie cutter, cut out 8 to 10 pieces of the watermelon. Place the watermelon cut outs around the outside edge of the plate.

Makes 1 serving

1 lb. round steak
1 T olive oil
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper
1 (5 oz.) pkg. mixed salad greens with herbs
2/3 C radishes, sliced
1 (6 oz.) container plain yogurt
2 T of fresh mint, snipped
1 C Herbed feta cheese, shredded

Place a skillet over medium heat on the stove. Brush the steak on both sides with the olive oil. Sprinkle the steak on both sides with the salt and pepper.
Place the steak in the heated skillet and cook 8 minutes. Turn the steak over and continue cooking 6 minutes or until as done as you like. Remove the stead to a cutting board, cover the steak and allow it to stand for 5 minutes. Place the salad greens into a large salad bowl. Sprinkle in the sliced radishes. Place the yogurt into a mixing bowl. Add the fresh mint and stir until well combined.
Slice the steak into 1 inch thick strips. Place the steak over the salad in the bowl. Pour the dressing over the top of the salad and toss to coat the ingredients well. Sprinkle the salad with the cheese just before serving.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: approximately 15 minutes
Cooking time: approximately 14 minutes plus 5 minute standing time
Total time: approximately 34 minutes

1 1/2 C of cold milk
1/2 C brewed coffee, cooled
1 (4 serving size) chocolate instant pudding and pie filling
12 chocolate sandwich cookies, divided
1 1/2 C frozen whipped topping, thawed

Pour the milk into a large mixing bowl. Add the coffee and stir slightly to combine. Sprinkle in the pudding and pie filling. Whisk for 2 minutes or until blended together well. Transfer half of the pudding mixture into 4 dessert cups.
Crumble 2 cookies into each dessert cup. Fold the whipped topping into the remaining pudding mixture. Transfer the mixture equally into the 4 dessert cups. Top each dessert with a cookie.

Makes 4 servings

1/2 C canned peaches in light syrup, drained
1/8 t ground cinnamon
1/2 C vanilla yogurt, frozen
1/4 C honey oats and almond cereal

Place the peaches into a microwave safe bowl. Sprinkle the cinnamon over the peaches covering them well. Place the bowl in the microwave for 30 seconds on high or until the peaches are warmed through. Place the yogurt into a serving dish. Add the warmed peaches to the dish. Sprinkle the top with the cereal.

Makes 1 serving

1 (10 oz.) jar Alfredo pasta sauce
1/2 C milk
2 1/2 C wild rice, cooked
2 C chicken, cooked and cubed
1 C of frozen peas
1/3 C bottled roasted red sweet peppers, chopped
1/4 C slivered almonds, toasted
1/2 t dried basil
1 C soft bread crumb
1 T of butter, melted

Set the oven temperature to 350 degrees and allow the oven to heat while preparing the casserole. Place the pasta sauce into a large mixing bowl. Pour the milk into the bowl and stir until well blended. Fold in the rice, chicken, peas and sweet peppers. Add the almond slivers and basil and stir again until well combined. Transfer the mixture into an ungreased 1 1/2 qt. casserole dish. Cover and bake 30 minutes. Place the bread crumbs into a mixing bowl.
Pour the melted butter over the crumbs and toss to coat well. Sprinkle the bread crumb mixture over the top of the casserole being sure to reach the edges of the casserole. Return the casserole to the oven, uncovered, and bake an additional 20 minutes or until the crumbs are a golden brown.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: approximately 25 minutes
Baking time: approximately 50 minutes
Total time: approximately 1 hour 15 minutes

If you don’t have cooked rice on hand use 1 C of uncooked rice and prepare as directed on the package. White rice can also be substituted for the wild rice. To toast almond slivers place them on an ungreased cookie sheet in a 350 degree oven. Stirring often toast for 5 minutes or until a golden brown.

1/2 of a large green pepper
1/2 of a large sweet red pepper
1/2 of a large yellow pepper
1/2 of a large orange pepper
1 C of Monterey Jack cheese, shredded
2 T ripe olive, chopped
1/2 t red pepper flakes

Allow the broiler to preheat while preparing the appetizers. Cut each pepper half into 9 strips making 36 strips in all. Place the peppers skin side down on an ungreased rimmed baking sheet.
Sprinkle the cheese over the all the peppers. Place the olives over the cheese on each pepper strip. Sprinkle on the red pepper flakes. Broil 6 inches from the heat for 5 minutes or until the peppers are crisp tender and the cheese has melted.

Makes 36 appetizers

Preparation time: approximately 18 minutes
Broiling time: approximately 5 minutes
Total time: approximately 23 minutes

2 t butter
2 pieces of Texas toast
1 slice of Cheddar cheese
3 slices hickory smoked bacon, cooked crisp
2 slices of sweet red bell pepper
1 slice of Swiss cheese

Spread the butter on one side of each piece of Texas toast. Place on slice of toast in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the slice of Cheddar cheese. Place the bacon on top of the Cheddar cheese. Lay the bell pepper slices over the bacon. Add the slice of Swiss cheese over the pepper slices. Place the second piece of Texas toast, butter side up on the top. Grill for 3 minutes, turn and continue grilling an additional 3 minutes or until browned and the cheese has begun to melt.

Makes 1 serving

2 T of olive oil
2 C refrigerated sliced potatoes
1/2 t salt
1/4 t pepper

Place the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Stir the potatoes into the oil.
Sprinkle the potatoes with the salt and pepper being sure to turn the potatoes to cover all sides. Cook 6 minutes then turn the potatoes over. Continue cooking an additional 6 minutes or until the potatoes is browned and crispy.

Makes 4 servings

Preparation time: approximately 5 minutes
Cooking time: approximately 12 minutes
Total time: approximately 17 minutes

These potatoes are great with bacon and eggs for breakfast or as a side dish with lunch or dinner. One half cup of chopped onions and a half cup of chopped peppers can also be added for a special treat.

1 C of shortening
1 C of sugar
1 C brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 t vanilla extract
2 C of flour
2 C of old fashioned oats
1 t baking powder
1 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 C of sweet coconut, flaked
1 C of walnuts

Set the oven temperature at 350 degrees. Place the shortening into a large mixing bowl. Add both types of sugar. Using an electric mixer on low speed, blend the mixture until creamed. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each egg until well combined. Beat in the vanilla extract. In a separate bowl combine the flour and oats tossing together well. Add in the baking powder, baking soda and salt and blend the ingredients together well. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed mixture blending until completely moistened. Fold in the coconut and the walnuts being sure they are combined well. Spray a cookie sheet with a non stick cooking spray well.
Drop the dough by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheet about 3 inches apart. Bake 12 minutes or until the cookies turn a golden brown. Allow the cookies to cool on the cookie sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to completely cool.

Makes 5 dozen cookies

Preparation time: approximately 25 minutes
Baking time: approximately 12 minutes per batch
Total time: approximately 37 minutes plus cooling

1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
3/4 t ground cumin, divided
1/2 t salt, divided
1/4 t pepper, divided
1 t + 1 T of olive oil, divided
2 T of lemon juice
2 T of honey
2 t lemon peel, grated
2 pints strawberries, halved
1 (5 oz.) pkg. baby spinach leaves
1/3 C red onion, sliced thin

Sprinkle the chicken breasts with 1/4 t of the cumin, 1/4 t of the salt and 1/8 t of the pepper being sure to completely cover the chicken. Place 1 T of the olive oil into a skillet and set the skillet over medium heat. When the oil is hot but not smoking add the chicken. Brown the chicken for 5 minutes, turn and continue cooking 4 more minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the middle. Remove the chicken to a platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil.

Place the lemon juice into a small mixing bowl. Add the honey and lemon peel and whisk until well combined. Place the remaining cumin, salt and pepper into the mixture and whisk again until completely incorporated into the dressing. Gradually whisk in the remaining 1 T of the olive oil. Place the strawberries, spinach and onion into a large salad bowl. Pour the dressing over the mixture and toss to coat well. Slice the chicken and arrange the slices over the salad before serving.

Makes 4 servings

This salad takes a little time to prepare but will be worth it when you see the look on Mom’s eyes when she tastes it. For a little crunch add toasted pecan pieces to the salad before adding the chicken slices.