Blueberry Stackers

Last week we were home visiting family for our annual Summer trip to Louisiana. While at my in-laws, I offered to make supper. I fixed a Wild Rice Soup from my new Bisquick Cookbook. I decided we should have a dessert to go with it, and I quickly located a couple that looked good in the cookbook, but we didn't seem to have all the ingredients for any of the desserts I came across. Back home in LA at each of our folks' house, if you want to go to the grocery store, you have to make an extra trip to town, so I needed to use what was on hand. So, I decided to experiment. Now for those who don't know me well, I tend to be a rule follower most of the time, and that includes following recipes exactly as written. But desperate times call for desperate measures! Below is the recipe I ended up creating with what was in the house. I based it partly on one of the desserts in the Bisquick Cookbook. It turned out tasting pretty good!


Blueberry Stackers

1 package Pepperidge Farms Pastry Puff Sheets
1 package of fresh blueberries
8 oz. Cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
2 cups whipping cream
vanilla or almond or lemon flavoring
confectioner’s sugar

Cut pastry sheets into 3x3 squares and cook according to package directions. Cool squares then separate into bottom and top halves.

Beat cream cheese with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Mix in sugar and a touch of flavoring. Beat whipping cream in chilled small bowl with electric mixer on high speed until stiff. Add confectioners sugar along the way for texture and taste. Fold whipped cream into cream cheese mixture.

Layer pastry sheet squares with cream sauce and blueberries. Make layers with at least 3 pastry squares, and top with cream cheese mixture and 5 or 6 blueberries. Makes lots of servings.

Home Study Update Completed!

Our Adoption Home Study was scheduled for an update this summer in order to renew our Immigration paperwork. Ashley, our Home Study social worker, stopped by for our interview and house walk-through last week. We also had to update all of our criminal background checks. Now we just continue to wait some more. This Home Study and Immigration paperwork will be good for another 18 months. Pictured here is Ashley with Rick and me on the day of our Home Study update in the room that will be Elianna's one day. Right now it's our Library.

Cooking in Cast Iron

Rick and I started a new venture with some friends -- a website called "Cooking in Cast Iron." Cast Iron collecting and cooking has become somewhat of a hobby for Rick and me, so we decided to share our interest with other like-minded folks. Pictured here are some recent dishes we've made using some of our cast iron cookware. Click the title of this blog entry or go to http://www.cookingincastiron.com to read about how to season, care for, and use cast iron products. You will find links and discussions to other sites, too, as well as a photo gallery of cast iron items. Video podcasts will be available sometime in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to visit again later to learn more.