Jonah's birthday!

14 years ago today we welcomed JONAH into our family.

He has been a joy ever since, and we can't imagine life without him as our "caboose"

Later today I will be making Chocolate Sheet Cake and will post it when I get a few minutes...

Cream Puffs

It's raining today and this is what was waiting for the boys after school...cream puffs!

1 cup water
1 stick butter
1 cup sifted flour
4 eggs
1 package instant pudding, desired flavor
powdered sugar

In a medium sauce pan, boil water and butter.

Add flour and stir until it forms a ball, remove from heat

Add all 4 eggs at once and beat until dough is smooth.

Drop on greased baking sheet, yeilding 12 puffs.

Bake in a 400* oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until golden brown.

Remove from oven to a cooling rack, let cool completely.

While puffs are cooling, make a package of instant pudding. Use the package directions for making pie filling. Allow filling to thicken before continuing.

When puffs are cool and filling is thickened., cut off tops and fill with pudding or desired filling.

Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

This is my Mom's recipe. She would often have something like this waiting when we got off of the school bus. This was one of my favorites. She made an amazing filling from scratch, that was kind of like twinkie filling...yum!

24 hour Layered Lettuce Salad

Needs to sit overnight....plan ahead!

1 small head lettuce
1/2 cup celery, diced
1/2 cup green pepper, diced
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 box frozen peas (I never use these...we don't like 'em!)
1 1/2 cups mayonnaise (I use light Miracle Whip, please don't shoot me...)
2 tablespoons sugar
4 oz grated cheddar cheese
1 cup crisp bacon, crumbled (you can use packaged real bacon bits in a pinch)

Baking bacon (say that fast 5 times!) is the only way to go. 350* for 20 - 30 minutes on a foil lined pan. Remove bacon, drain on paper towels, throw away foil...no messy cook-top to clean!

Break lettuce into pieces and place in 9X13 inch baking dish.

Sprinkle celery, green pepper, red onion and peas(if you're into that sort of thing) over top of lettuce.

Doesn't look like a 9" X 13" pan??? Nope we only need 1/2 a recipe for the 4 of us who are home.

Mix sugar and mayonnaise; spread over vegetables.

Just spread on top, don't mix it all together.

Sprinkle top with cheddar cheese and bacon.....what's not to love?????

Cover and refrigerate over night.

An easy way to have a salad ready the next evening.