Happy Belated Labor Day and A Couple of Recipes

As the old saying goes “better late than never” right?   Now that Labor Day is behind us most of us are looking forward to cooler temps and fall decorating!    I know I am…I’m just trying to decide how soon I can put out some fall décor without my neighbors (and husband) thinking I’m off my rocker.   This is also a big birthday month around here…mine and my husbands.    He’s celebrating a big one and I can’t believe I haven’t planned anything for him….he’s not much for surprises and is a low key kind of guy (I almost said low life but that’s not what I mean)….we’ll probably just go out to eat or maybe make a quick trip out of town and that’s about it.   Any ideas ya’ll can give me for the Big 50 for a guy will be greatly appreciated!    And no, I’m not telling my age!

This past weekend we headed up to the lake for what will probably be the last time for us until our family Christmas get together there.    Although the weather man predicted 40% chance for rain, we didn’t get a drop, just some gorgeous sunshine.    And can you believe I didn’t take my camera?!     We cooked ribs, pork chops and steaks.    Everyone brings their own meat and my sister and I provide the rest of the food.   My contribution was marinated vegetable salad and Pineapple Orange Crème Cake…both of which I’ve shared in the past but are worth reposting again.   The cake is a Weight Watchers recipe and is only 4 points per slice…which makes it all the better!

Marinated Vegetable Salad

• 1=11 oz. can white shoe peg corn
• 1=16 oz.  can French green beans
• 1=16 oz. can green peas
• 1 med. onion – finely chopped
• 1/2 c. celery – finely chopped
• 1/4 c. bell pepper – finely chopped
• 1/4 c. pimento – diced

Drain vegetables, mix all ingredients

• 3/4 c. sugar (or a little more)
• 1/3 c. vegetable oil
• 1/2 c. white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/2 tsp. pepper

Mix all together and heat until sugar dissolves.   Pour over vegetable mixture and keep in refrigerator overnight.

 

Pineapple Orange Crème Cake

• 1 (15 1/4 oz.) can crushed pineapple, undrained
• 1 (18.25 oz.) package yellow cake mix
• 1/2 c. egg substitute
• 1/2 c. fat free mayo
• 1 can mandarin oranges, sliced
• cooking spray

 

• 1 (12 oz.) container fat free Cool Whip
• 1 (10 oz.) package sugar free vanilla pudding mix

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Drain pineapple, reserve juices, set pineapple aside

Combine reserved pineapple juice, cake mix, mandarin oranges, egg substitute and mayo in large bowl.   Beat w/mixer until well blended.  

Pour into 13x9 baking dish coated w/cooking spray

Bake @350 degrees for 35 minutes or until done---cool on wire rack

Combine drained pineapple, cool whip and vanilla pudding mix in medium bowl on low speed until just blended.   Spread pineapple mixture evening over top of cake.

 

On a totally unrelated matter, we’re hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year.   For the last 4-5 years we’ve all met at Cracker Barrel or last year we went to my daughter’s house.    This year my sister and her clan are going out of town and it’s my daughter’s year to go to her in-laws so it will be a very small group of people (son and his family and my mom) around here.     I’m already planning the menu and hope to get a couple of projects done before then.     I got in my yearling cow head from Décor Steals  a week or so ago and have the perfect frame for it….I want to paint a chalkboard wall in my kitchen and use the yearling head and frame and some white plates…but I just can’t decide if I want to paint the whole wall or just the portion inside the frame….also with my “frozen” shoulder situation it’s a little hard to paint right now.     I don’t know why it’s so hard for me to make up my mind on this but for some reason it is.    I also need to finish up the upholstered headboard project we started last spring (yes, I said last spring!)……maybe I’ll get ‘er done before the end of this year!

Hope everyone has a great week!