PINEAPPLE COCONUT CREAM PIE

I found this quick and easy pie recipe over at Sweet as Sugar Cookies the other day. Lisa hosts a Saturday blog that is FULL of great dessert recipes. If you haven't checked it out, please do so, it is lots of fun.

Lisa posted this as a pineapple cream pie, but I added half cup of coconut to the pudding and topped it with stabilized whipped cream. It was quick, easy and delicious!!!

The pudding is nearly fool proof!!

½ cup white sugar

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon all purpose flour

2½ whole milk

3 egg yolks

Put all of the above ingredients into a heavy bottomed pan and whisk it until any lumps are gone. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly with rubber spatula.  Once the pudding starts to thicken, switch to a whisk and whisk, while it boils, for one minute (it will get very thick).

Remove from heat and stir in:

1 tablespoon butter

1 teaspoon vanilla (I used 2 teaspoons)

1 cup canned crushed pineapple (I drained it and squeezed it dry)

½ cup flaked coconut (my addition)

Pour into 9" graham cracker pie shell and place plastic wrap on the surface of the hot pudding. Chill for several hours, then remove plastic and top with stabilized whipped cream.



Stabilized Whipped Cream (won't deflate)  Makes 2 cups
1 cup heavy whipping cream
¼ cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon unflavored gelatin powder
4 teaspoons cold water

Put unflavored gelatin powder in a small dish and add 4 teaspoons of cold water and stir. Let this sit until it looks semi-solid, then put this in the microwave for just a couple seconds (my microwave takes about 3 or 4 seconds) and it will turn back to a liquid.  Let this liquid cool, but not so cool that it turns back into a solid.
Whip the cream, sugar and vanilla until it gets thick, but  not totally whipped.  While the beaters are still going on high, dribble in the cooled liquid gelatin. Continue beating until stiff peaks form.

NOTE: A 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple (drained and squeezed dry) gives you about 1½ cups of fruit.
NOTE: This pie slices beautifully.

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EASY ZUCCHINI RELISH

This recipe comes from a friend (Diana) who has been making this relish for 20 years. It not only tastes great, but it is an excellent way to use all of those zucchini's that friends "share" this time of year. The relish has a delicious bread and butter pickle flavor that goes well in tuna salad, potato salad, hot dogs of course, salad dressing, on top of hamburgers and a million other uses. It is MUCH better than any commercial relish we've tried.

I did all my chopping in small size batches with the food processor. I rough chopped with a knife and then put 3 cups chopped veggies into the food processor and gave it 8 to 10 short pulse bumps to get the perfect dice, quick and easy!!

10 cups chopped zucchini  (medium fine chop...maybe half the size of a pea?)
5 cups chopped onion (I used sweet Vidalia onions)
1 cup chopped celery
5 chopped sweet bell peppers (red/orange/yellow)
1 cup pickling salt (see note)

Mix the above ingredients, cover with plastic and let this sit overnight. Diane says it doesn't have to be refrigerated, but I did.

The next step is most important: RINSING off the salt!!!  I triple rinsed my chopped veggies in small batches (using a fine mesh strainer) so I could really make sure the salt was gone, then squeeze them dry and set aside.

In a large non-aluminum pot, mix:
5 cups white vinegar
2 teaspoons turmeric
1 tablespoon DRY mustard powder
3 tablespoons celery seed
6 cups sugar
3 tablespoons cornstarch

Bring this mixture to a boil and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the chopped veggies and bring back up to a boil.  Once it is at a boil, turn down the heat to a very low simmer and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring every few minutes. This relish might seem a little "loose" while it is still hot, but it will "tighten up" once chilled in the fridge.

Pour relish into sterilized jars, leaving about ½" head space. Wipe rim of jar with hot wet towel and put on the lids and rings.  Process in boiling water bath:  10 minutes for half pints and 15 minutes for pints.

My Picky-Picky Husband gave this a thumbs up!!

NOTE: This recipe makes ABOUT 6 pints of relish.

NOTE: Don't use regular table salt in this recipe because the anti-caking agents cause a less than desirable color change.  If you don't have pickling salt, the next best thing is Kosher salt.

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Weekday Potluck #5: Calamari

I'm a big fan of calamari, those battered rings of squid coated in a rich batter and deep fried to a crisp. Served with rice, or on its own with a sweet-spicy vinegar dip, this simple dish is definitely a winner for both kids and adults alike. This yummy treat is from Mymy, the wonderful author of My Bric-a-Brac.

Here are the list of sponsors that you need to place at the end of your post if

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