Cherry Torte

This is my dad's favorite dessert. My grandma used to make it for her family. Whenever we'd have it at their house my grandpa would eat the cherries for me. Now dad does. Lately though I've split the recipe into two dishes and made one with the cherries and one with just a little of the filling for my nephew and I. (That is what I did above, that isn't a 9x9 dish in the pictures.)

Cherry Torte

1 can cherry pie filling
1 cup powdered sugar
8 ounce package cream cheese, softened (can use light)
1 package Dream Whip ( plus 1/2 c milk and 1/2 t vanilla)
10 graham crackers (this means 40 of the little rectangles)
6 Tablespoons butter, melted


Add crackers to a gallon bag and use a rolling pin to make into crumbs. The smaller the better.
Add to butter and mix til crumbly.

Mix Dream Whip according to directions using the Dream Whip packet, milk, and vanilla.

Add softened cream cheese and powdered sugar and mix until creamy.

Layer 3/4 of the butter crumb mixture in the bottom of a 9x9 baking dish.
Spread 1/2 of the cream cheese mixture onto crust.

Then pie filling...

Then the rest of the cream cheese mixture...

Sprinkle with remaining butter crumb mixture.

Refrigerate overnight or at least 8 hours.

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This would make a pretty dessert in parfait glasses. To make the spreading easier I'd put the cream cheese mixture into something you could pipe it out with.

Crockpot Pot Roast

Crockpot Pot Roast

3 Tablespoons canola or olive oil
1 boneless chuck roast, trimmed (3 to 4 lbs)
salt
pepper
1/4 cup flour
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 cup dry white wine
1-1/2 cups beef or chicken broth
1 Tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1 medium onion, thinly sliced (more or less onions as you like)
Handful baby carrots
2 small ribs celery, thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
Small potatoes, quartered


Heat oil in pan (preferable not a non-stick). Sprinkle roast with salt and pepper. Sear roast on all sides until browned, approximately 10 minutes. Place in large crock pot.
Add flour and tomato paste to pan and cook for 1 minute.

Add wine, broth, and Worcestershire sauce, scraping the bits off the bottom of the pan.

Pour over roast in crock pot.

Mix vegetables, garlic, and spices in bowl and add to crock pot.

Cover and cook for 6-8 hours on low.  Add quartered potatoes to liquid  after 4 hrs. If you use Yukon they will hold their shape.  Serve in bowl so you can ladle the yummy gravy over the top.

Berry Smoothie

Berry Smoothie

1/3 cup 2% milk
1/4 cup orange juice
3 ounces (weighed) vanilla yogurt (we use Cultural Revolution from Kalona, an organic yogurt made with cane sugar when we don't have our own homemade goat yogurt)
1/2 ripe medium size banana
1/2 cup frozen mixed berries


Yes, I measure. :) Add it all to a tall glass and blend with hand blender. You can add protein powder if you like.

YUM!!