Baked Pineapple

Here is the recipe I wrote about back in March on my sister blog {www.lifewiththelovelies.blogspot.com/2010/03/pineapples-from-heaven.html}.

The girls aren't particularly fond of pineapple, but this dish is such a hit with people I had to share.

20 oz. can crushed pineapple
2 eggs beaten
½ cup sugar
2 Tbps. flour
1 stick butter
5-6 slices bread

1. Beat eggs, mix in sugar & flour.

2. Add crushed pineapple. Mix well and pour into casserole.

3. Melt butter. Tear 5-6 slices of bread into small pieces. Mix butter & bread pieces together and put on top of pineapple mixture.

4. Bake for 30 minutes @ 375°.

Serve warm.

Dirt Dessert

Today's playdate called for something fun & clever. Dirt Dessert is far from a new invention, but if I was going to make it, I was going to go all the way. This is our deceptive interpretation of the tasty pudding treat.



2 cups cold milk
1 4-serving size package instant chocolate pudding
8 oz. Cool Whip, thawed
1-1/2 cups Oreo cookies (about 20), crushed (divided)
14 gummy worms
7 Whoppers candies
7 terra cotta pots
7 stemmed flowers

{The day before I made the dessert I soaked the pots in hot water (no soap as the pots are porous), then wiped them with rubbing alcohol, rinsed, and let them dry over night. I also dipped the flower stems in alcohol to kill & remove unwanted chemicals.}
1. Prepare instant pudding with 2 cups cold milk, as directed on box. Refrigerate 5 minutes to thicken.

2. Stir in Cool Whip & 1/2 cup crushed Oreos.

3. Place one Whoppers candy into the hole of the pot to plug the hole (this also makes for a fun surprise at the end).

4. Spoon in pudding mixture to fill pot half-way. Add one gummy worm, then fill put with pudding. Place one gummy worm on top, letting the head peak over the edge. Cover with crushed cookies and garnish with a flower.

5. Chill until ready to serve.

An alternative to terra cotta pots would be to use clear plastic cups, in which case you would not need the Whoppers candy. This can also be made in a much larger terra cotta pot, garnished with a bunch of flowers, then scooped with a small sandbox shovel.

Time Out Hotdish

This recipe came from the family I nannied for when I was living in Duluth. It was always a perfectly warm & filling supper after a long, cold day. Packed with Minnesota staples, this meal is a crowd-pleaser at our house no matter what the temperature outside.


1-2 lbs. ground beef
8 oz. wide noodles, cooked
1 can creamed corn
1 cup ketchup
1/2 lb. sharp cheddar cheese, grated
1 Tbsp. chili powder
1 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced

1. Brown ground beef in a 2 quart pot & drain fat.

2. Return browned beef to pot and add onion, chili powder, garlic, corn, ketchup & green pepper. Mix in noodles.

3. Fill casserole half way full with hotdish, cover with cheese, fill casserole with hotdish, then top with cheese.

4. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes, or until cheese is melted & hotdish bubbles.

Depending on the size of the casserole you use, you may be able to fill two casseroles. I can usually fill one large, and one small.