Valentine's Heaart Cake Dessert {super easy & super cute}.....

or for any occasion for that matter when ya wanna show a little love!!! I know it's late but I found this super cute and super easy {I know I said that already, but it really is} dessert at Real Mom Kitchen {the picture is hers too} and knew the family would love it!

1/8 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
2 tsp cornstarch
1 cup frozen raspberries
Twinkies
1.In a small sauce pan, whisk together the sugar and cornstarch. Whisk the water into the sugar mixture until well blended. Cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens. Remove from heat and gently stir in raspberries. {I added my raspberries during cooking, constantly stirring, and then strained the sauce through a mesh strainer with the back of a spoon so I was left with a smooth sauce, my kids aren't "chunky" fruit fans, and poured it into a squeeze bottle to drizzle over Twinkies}. Allow the mixture to cool.

2.Cut Twinkies in half diagonally, a sharp diagonal, starting about 1 in. down from top left to 1 in. from bottom of opposite side. {I threw my Twinkies in the freezer for about 20 minutes so they were a little more firm when I cut them}. For each heart, put 2 halves together on a plate. Spoon raspberry mixture on top and around hearts.

This is my picture!! Not quite as pretty! I was going to add a few fresh raspberries but forgot!!! But they all loved it!! Even Justin!! You could also drizzle with chocolate sauce too, yum!!
Hope everyone had a very Happy Valentine's day!!!

Frozen Pie

You have to run and make this tonight or at least tomorrow!! It is by far one of my favorite pies!! It makes two so you can make one for your family and one to share with your neighbor {but I guarantee you won't want to give it away} or you can freeze it to enjoy later! It comes from one of my favorite cooking blogs ~ Taste of Joy.

2 deep dish pie shells ~ baked and cooled as directed
3/4 stick butter
7 oz. coconut
1 c. chopped nuts of your choice ~ I used pecans
1 can sweetened condensed milk
16 oz. cool whip
8 oz. cream cheese ~ softened
1 jar caramel ice cream topping

In a skillet melt butter, add and brown coconut and nuts. Set aside. In a bowl mix remaining ingredients, except caramel. On each pie crust add 1/4 of cream cheese mixture, then 1/4 of nut and coconut mixture, and half of the jar of the caramel sauce. Repeat first two layers and freeze. I did drizzle just little caramel on top. Freeze. Thaw slightly before serving. Ok...now hurry and go make it!!

Hamburger Gravy

Do you remember having this in grade school? I didn't till I saw it on a blog {can't remember where} and then it brought back a flood of school day cafeteria memories!! This was one of my favorites!

1 lb. hamburger
1 sm. onion, chopped ~ I just used about a tablespoon of minced
1/4 c. flour
1 1/2 c. water
1 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet browning sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
Mashed potatoes ~ I just whipped up some instant

Brown hamburger and onion. Stir in flour. Add water and cook until thickness you prefer. Add Kitchen Bouquet to color, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve on mashed potatoes.
As always I doubled this and my potatoes! The kids loved it, except Justin, but what's new!! Served along with corn, and hot rolls!! It's a keeper!! Went so fast I didn't even get a picture!!