♥Strawberry Yogurt Smoothie Pops♥ Good for you, good for your body & good for the little ones!

Strawberry-Yogurt Sm♥♥thie P♥ps YUM! YUM!

Photo courtesy of Woman's Day Magazine

Ingredients

1 lb strawberries, hulled
1⁄3 cup plus 1⁄4 cup sugar, preferably superfine
2 tsp lemon juice
2 cups vanilla yogurt

You’ll also need:
2 large plastic squeeze bottles,
10 pop molds (1⁄2-cup capacity)

1. Place strawberries, 1⁄3 cup sugar and lemon juice in blender; purée 3 minutes. Pour into a large plastic squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

2. In a medium bowl, stir remaining 1⁄4 cup sugar into yogurt until sugar is dissolved. Pour into the second squeeze bottle and screw on bottle top.

3. Fill each pop mold with strawberry and yogurt mixtures, alternately squeezing or spooning the mixtures into each mold to create a swirled pattern. Place tops on molds; insert wooden sticks. Freeze at least 6 hours until solidly frozen.

4. Remove molds from freezer. Soften slightly at room temperature, about 5 minutes (or dip molds in warm water a few seconds). Remove pops from molds. Serve immediately, or wrap pops separately in plastic wrap, then store in freezer bag or container.

Tip: Large squeeze bottles (2-cup capacity) are available in crafts stores and baking supply stores, sometimes labeled for candy-making. To easily unmold the pops, use a pair of pliers to grip the sticks and gently pull out pops.

These are really, really GOOD and HEALTHY and LOW CALORIE and YUMMY! Who cares if you're watching your weight...or not...lick for lick and slurp for slurp, these are winners hands down! My kids are always telling me to feed the grandchildren healthy. Well, now I can make the parents happy and the kids happy and me happy because I ♥ to putter in the kitchen!

I ♥ Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. I ♥ this recipe!

Fillo Peanut Butter Cups

Photo courtesy of Woman's Day Magazine

INGREDIENTS

1 box (1.9 oz) mini– fillo shells (15 in box)
15 miniature peanut butter cups (from a 12-oz bag)
1 can (7 oz) whipped light cream

PREPARATION

1. Heat oven to 350ºF. Line a rimmed baking sheetwith foil. Place fillo shells on baking sheet.

2. Place a peanut butter cup in each shell. Bake 5 minutes until chocolate softens. With small metal spatula or knife, flatten and even out chocolate in fillo cup. Let stand at room temperature until cooled.

3. Top each filled cup with whipped cream. Sprinkle with chopped salted peanuts, if desired.

Each of these is 97 calories. A manageable number☺

These are GOOD, easy to make, and a great addition to my repertoire of recipes when I'm baking and cooking with my grandchildren. Little guys feel so good when they can make something to take home to mommy and daddy.

There aren't many times that I find a recipe and immediately buy the ingredients. I did with this one and I sure don't regret the trip to the store! If you ♥ Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, you are in for a treat!

♥The BEST Coconut Cake EVER♥ Bake one for M♥m on her big day & you'll get extra points

I found this recipe in Good Housekeeping Magazine the last time I was sitting in my doctor's office waiting for my appointment. I have one of the few physicians in town that actually has good reading material for his patients.

The recipe looks complicated, and really, it's not. Just grab all of your ingredients, line them up on your work surface and go for it! Believe me, if you l♥ve coconut like I do...there is no way you are going to be disappointed. This is one of those cakes that becomes a family tradition...asked for over and over and over.

The best Coconut Cake EVER!

Cake:

• Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake but substitute 1 cup canned, unsweetened coconut milk for regular milk, recipe follows
• Filling
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 cup sour cream
• 4 tablespoons milk
• 1/2 cup flaked, sweetened coconut
• Frosting
• 1 recipe 7-minute Frosting
• Flaked, sweetened coconut, for sprinkling

Directions

Follow directions for Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake, substituting coconut milk for regular milk. While cake is baking, prepare filling. Stir together sugar, sour cream, milk, and coconut in a bowl until well blended. Remove cake layers from oven and allow cake to remain in pans as you prepare to stack and fill. Remove first layer and invert onto cake plate. Using the wrong end of a wooden spoon, poke holes approximately 1-inch apart until entire cake has been poked. Spread 1/3 of filling mixture on cake layer. Top with second layer, repeat process. Top with last layer and repeat process again. (As I stack layers together I stick them with toothpicks to prevent cake from shifting).

Prepare 7-Minute Frosting. Frost top and sides of cake. Sprinkle top and sides of cakes with additional coconut.

Yield: 1 (3-layer) cake

Preparation time: 30 minutes

Cooking time: 25 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

Basic 1-2-3-4 Cake:

• 1 cup (2 sticks) butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups sifted self-rising flour
• 1 cup milk
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease and flour 3 (9-inch) cake pans. Using an electric mixer, cream butter until fluffy. Add sugar and continue to cream well for 6 to 8 minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add flour and milk alternately to creamed mixture, beginning and ending with flour. Add vanilla and continue to beat until just mixed. Divide batter equally among prepared pans. Level batter in each pan by holding pan 3 or 4 inches above counter, then dropping it flat onto counter. Do this several times to release air bubbles and assure you of a more level cake. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until done. Cool in pans 5 to 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto cooling racks. Cool completely and spread cake layers with your favorite frosting to make a 3-layer cake.

Yield: 3 layer cakes

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25 to 30 minutes

Ease of preparation: Easy

7-Minute Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar or 1 tablespoon white corn syrup
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup water
• 2 egg whites
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Place sugar, cream of tartar or corn syrup, salt, water, and egg whites in the top of a double boiler. Beat with a handheld electric mixer for 1 minute. Place pan over boiling water, being sure that boiling water does not touch the bottom of the top pan. (If this happens, it could cause your frosting to become grainy). Beat constantly on high speed with electric mixer for 7 minutes. Beat in vanilla.

Yield: Frosting for 1 layer cake or approximately 8 to 12 cup cakes

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 7 minutes

Ease of preparation: easy

Make M♥m an Angel Lush Cake with Pineapple Filling for M♥ther's Day...she'll l♥ve it, I pr♥mise

I can't imagine a more welcome, light and calorie-less dessert for mom on her special day. Most mom's now-a-days are watching what they eat, if not to lose weight, she wants to make healthy choices.

I've made this cake many times and each time I l♥ve it more. Why? Because a slice is 120 calories if you make it as suggested. Sometimes I even pare that down more by using sugar-free pudding and non-fat Cool Whip. I make my Angel Food cake at home, although you can buy one at your local bakery if you are pinched for time.

This is a cake that can be tweaked here and there so suit anyone and everyone and just about any taste bud. I've also made this with vanilla pudding and bananas. Another time I used strawberries, yet another, lemon pudding and blueberries. But one thing was constant, low calories, easy to prepare and the fact that I was never disappointed. If you've made this popular dessert before, I bet it has become a favorite when you are in a hurry, want to cut calories or just want something light, pretty, and delicious for yourself, friends, or family.

The ingredients:

1 can (20 oz.) DOLE Crushed Pineapple in Juice, undrained

1 pkg. (3.4 oz.) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding

1 cup thawed COOL WHIP Whipped Topping

1 pkg. (10 oz.) round angel food cake, cut into 3 layers

10 small fresh strawberries

MIX pineapple and dry pudding mix. Gently stir in COOL WHIP.

STACK cake layers on plate, spreading pudding mixture between layers and on top of cake.

REFRIGERATE 1 hour. Top with berries.

Mark your layers for ease in cutting:
Place toothpicks all around to mark your layers and be sure to use a serrated knife!

Hey, it's PINK SATURDAY again! You won't find this stuff anywhere else☺

Boy, today is really going to be an unconnected, hodge-podge of goodies but I think all of them, in their own right, at pretty, interesting and fun! When you're done peeking over here, slide on over to Beverly's, HOW SWEET the SOUND. Over a hundred of the most creative blogs in cyberspace participate each week in PINK SATURDAY. This is something you don't want to miss☺

Starting off today with something I used at Easter time but just can't put away. I love it and it's staying! In fact, if JoAnn's has them again next year, I'll buy a few more. I just love this little goodie that is holding the fresh eggs in my fridge. Often I will plan on making something only to find out that I need to get to the store for more. Not any longer. I'll know what I have and won't be led down the garden path again...at least not by eggs, I won't☺

Picked this up at a garage sale a few years back for a dime. Another one of those things that is cute, funny, useful and worth more than a dime, at least to me. The one thing in my life that has changed is that I did finally begin my diet and so far...so good! It's been a few months and I've had great progress☺

Isn't this sweet? This baby quilt is entirely hand-sewn. Not a machine stitch to be found. Each of the adorable motifs is just precious, created with lovely hand-embroidery and so very reminiscent of times gone by...long ago, for sure. Every year our hospital axillary has a flea market to support our neo-natal unit. It's HUGE and something just about everyone in town waits for in June. Currently this lovely goodie is up for auction on ebay. Take a peek if you're interested.
Went by my Goodwill Store yesterday and found this vintage lamp, in PINK, no less, for...get this...$2.75. I'm at the point now where I don't know if I'll be able to buy retail for anything anymore other than appliances! First, you sure save in a thrift store and second, not everyone you know will have what you do in their home, especially if you ♥ vintage items. I'll be searching for just the right shade and when I find it you just might see this again, all decked out in it's new chapeau!
Last, I want to share something pretty and practical. A friend of mine painted this old picnic basket so that I could have a few of my handwork patterns close by and at the same time...keep out the pet hair! This is what she came up with and it not only looks so, so pretty sitting next to my reading chair, it is so very functional! There's another item, similar to this but just a little different I want to share with you next week. I especially enjoy the side handles so movement throughout the house is easy!

Well that's it for this week over here at my little home. Be sure to drop by Beverly's because there is a list of blogs you can visit created by some of the nicest folks you'll ever meet here in cyberspace. See you next week!