Blueberry Almond Cheesecake Tunnel

The first time I made this Kristin was over and we had just gotten home from picking blueberries. Once we started putting this together I had to run to the store 2 separate times for ingredients, but it was so worth it! This is a very special coffee cake.-Sarah

filling
1/4 cup sugar
6 oz. cream cheese, softened
1 egg
3 T. flour
1/2 t. almond extract

cake
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, softened
2 t. vanilla
3 eggs
1 cup sour cream
3 cups flour
1 1/2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1 1/2 cups blueberries

glaze
1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
2 oz. cream cheese
2-3 t. milk
1/2 t. vanilla
1 T. blueberries

• For filling beat cream cheese until smooth. Add the remaining ingredients and beat until smooth.
• In a mixing bowl combine sugar, butter and vanilla beating until creamy. Continue beating, adding 1 egg at a time, beating well after each. Reduce speed to low.
• Mix flour with other dry ingredients, add to mixer alternating with sour cream till well mixed.
• Stir in blueberries.
• Spoon half the batter into a greased bundt or tube pan. Make a well in the center and fill with cream cheese mixture. Spoon remaining batter over filling.
• Bake 50-65 minutes.
• Make glaze, beating until smooth. Mash blueberries well and add to half the glaze mixture.
• Drizzle with white glaze and then with blue.

Baking Mix

A couple of my favorite recipes call for Bisquick, but I don't always have it in the house. That's when I rely on this recipe. I use it in place of Bisquick in any recipe.-Sarah

8 cups flour
1 1/4 cup powdered milk
1/4 cup baking powder
1 T. salt
2 cups shortening

• Combine all dry ingredients.
• Cut in shortening until well mixed.

Fruit and Cream Pie

This recipe called for raspberries, but I tried it with blueberries and I think both would be awesome! This was a big hit with my family and I'm sure it will be with yours!-Sarah

crust
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup sugar
5 T. melted butter

filling
8 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup powdered sugar
2 t. milk
1 t. vanilla

top layer
3/4 cup sugar
3 T. cornstarch
1 1/3 cup cold water
1/4 cup Jell-O powder
3 c. fresh berries

• Combine crust ingredients and press into a lightly greased 10 inch pie plate.
• Bake at 350 degrees 9-11 minutes. Cool crust.
• Combine filling ingredients and spread over crust.
• In a small saucepan combine sugar, cornstarch and water until smooth. Bring to a boil, cook and stir until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in Jell-O. Cool to room temperature and refrigerate until slightly thickened.
• Stir fruit into gelatin mixture. Spoon over filling and refrigerate until set.

Lemon Sour Cream Cake

This is delicious. I posted the frosting recipe I made it with, and it is awesome, but I also think this cake would be awesome with pudding frosting made with lemon pudding. (recipe on blog) -Kristin

1 box lemon cake mix
1 c. sour cream
3/4 c. water
3/4 c. oil
4 eggs
1 small package lemon instant pudding

1 c. butter, softened
4 c. powdered sugar
1/4 c. fresh lemon juice (juice from one lemon)
1 t. packed grated lemon zest

• Preheat oven to 350 and grease 2 cake rounds or a 9x13 pan.
• Mix together all ingredients on first row and beat on medium speed for 2 minutes.
• Pour batter into cake pans and bake for 25-30 minutes being careful to not over bake.
• Remove from oven, set aside and let cool completely.
• Beat softened butter and 4 c. of the powdered sugar; beat well and add remaining ingredients. If you want thicker frosting, add more powdered sugar till desired consistency. I thought 4 cups was perfect.


• Frost when cake is completely cooled.


• Garnish with raspberries if desired.

Asian Spinach Salad

This is an awesome salad. I love it because it doesn't use the Ramen noodle seasoning package like most recipes similar to this. The seasoning package for Ramen noodles contains a lot of MSG, and I do not handle that stuff well...so....I am excited for this recipe. -Kristin

8 T. olive oil
4 T. sugar
3 T. unseasoned rice vinegar
3 T. soy sauce

2 (3 oz.) package Ramen noodles, coarsely broken 1 c. slivered almonds
3 T. sesame seeds
1 (10 oz.) package ready to use baby spinach
1 large bunch of green onions, chopped

• Whisk 6 T. olive oil, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in small bow to blend; season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• Heat remaining 2 T. oil in skillet over medium high heat and add the noodles, almonds and seeds. Stir continuously until browned. Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
• In a large bowl mix together the spinach, green onions and the noodle mixture.
• Stir in the sauce mixture.

Canned Sweet Pickle Relish

I am super excited about this recipe for homemade sweet pickle relish- especially with the abundance of cucumbers this time of year from my garden. We love sweet relish on burgers, hot dogs and especially love it in tuna! This recipe makes enough for 3 quarts or 6 pints. -Kristin

8 cucumbers
2 large onions
2 green peppers
1 red pepper
1/4 c. canning salt (pickling salt)
3 c. sugar
3 c. apple cider vinegar
2 T. whole celery seed
2 T. mustard seed

• Cut all the vegetables into large chunks and place in a food processor. Pulse until all chopped very fine.
• Place all the finely chopped vegetables into a large bowl and cover with water.
• Let sit for 2 hours or more.
• Drain the water off of the vegetables and press as much extra water out that you can.
• Place vegetables into a large saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
• Simmer for 10 minutes.
• Fill clean pint or quart jars and process in hot water bath canner.
• Process pints for 10 minutes and quarts for 15 minutes.

Sweet Pork

This pork is awesome! The sweetness with the salsa is perfect. I served it on tortillas with all the fixings. -Kristin

3 pound pork tenderloin
1 c. brown sugar
2 c. salsa

• Trim fat off pork tenderloin and place in slow cooker.
• Mix together brown sugar and salsa and pour over pork.
• Cook on low for 8 hours.
• Shred with two forks and return to crock pot and allow liquid to absorb.
• Serve with tortillas and all the fixins!