two recipes: strawberry pretzel salad & pumpkin dip

For more delicious holiday recipes check out Kelly's Korner where Kelly hosts a 'Show Us Your Life' every Friday!!!

I am not The World’s Greatest Easter; The World’s Pickiest Eater would be a much more suitable title.  I’m not proud of this characteristic—especially as I get older.  My favorite restaurants are those that allow you to order from the Kid’s Menu no matter your age.

That being said there are very few dishes that I LOVE. Strawberry Pretzel Salad is one of them.  It is not a Holiday Dish per se but it is RED in color!

For the first year or so after we were introduced to this dish, Emily would not touch it.  This frustrated me to the tenth degree; very rarely do I eat something that the next person won’t.  The salad is so good and I hated that my little sister was missing out.

One Christmas I decided to resolve this issue once and for all and I cornered her.  I then proceeded force fed a tiny bite [more like a taste] of each of the three layers.  Said layers consist of the following ingredients:

1) pretzels & sugar
2) cream cheese & SUGAR
3) strawberries & SUGAR!!!

Now I wish I hadn’t tried to help a sista out.  Prior to this intervention, I could have two or three pieces everyday for a week.  With Emily taking more than her fair share, rarely do I get leftovers!

recipe | STRAWBERRY PRETZEL SALAD

2 c. pretzels, crushed
2 T. sugar
1 stick butter, melted
8 oz. cool whip
1 c. sugar
12 oz. cream cheese (softened to room temp.)
1 (10 oz.) package frozen strawberries, thawed
1 (6 oz.) package strawberry Jello

Crust: Mix pretzels, sugar and butter. Place in bottom of 13”x9” pan and bake 10 minutes at 350 degrees. Let cool.

While crust is baking and cooling, mix Jello with 2 cups of hot water. Chill in refrigerator until Jello begins to thicken, approximately 1 hour.

Middle layer: Mix softened cream cheese, cool whip and 1 cup of sugar. Spread on cooled crust.

Top layer: After Jello begins to thicken, spoon into blender along with thawed strawberries. Blend until mixture thickens and froths. Spread as top layer. Refrigerate before serving

The other recipe that I LOVE is a Pumpkin Dipthat was served on a recent New Year’s. Dip a Ginger Snap in it and Mmmmmm, mmmmmm. It is delicious. I’m pretty sure I ate ¾ of the entire bowl of dip that night [I didn’t look at the recipe until after I had worked my way to the bottom of the ginger snap box.]  I’ve yet to make this for myself but plan to do so real soon.  And take my word for it: It is DELISH!!!

recipe | PUMPKIN DIP

4 c. powdered sugar
2 8 oz. package cream cheese
2 9 oz. can pumpkin
1 tsp. ginger

Cream pumpkin & cream cheese until no lumps.  Add other ingredients & blend. Serve with ginger snaps.

bon appetit!!!