Taste of the Tropics Fruit Pudding Cake

I am Grandma Loy, and you can find me over at From Grandma Loy’s Kitchen where I share both new recipes and tried and true ones from my extensive collection.  I am thrilled to be participating in this Good Old Fashioned Recipe Blog Swap hosted by Julie, Rachel and Kelly and that I am paired with Tammy here on her blog.

Since Tammy has a large family, I thought that this tried and true dessert would “fit the bill.”  It is easy, quick to make, versatile and makes a lot.  This is an old recipe I have adapted and used for many years.  It came from one of my favorite  cookbooks,  “The Thrifty Cook” by Farm Journal.  This book was practically “my cooking Bible” when I was raising my children.  The original recipe was Fruit Pudding Cake.  Over the years because of the ingredients I use, I have dubbed it Taste of the Tropics Fruit Pudding Cake.  I am not quite sure why this was called a pudding cake, except for the fact that there is a lot of fruit held together with not a whole lot of batter.

You can use fruit cocktail, other canned fruit, or fresh fruit in this recipe.  If using fresh fruit, use 1 1/2 cups fruit and 1/2 to 2/3 cup water instead of the canned fruit juice.  Although I use canned pineapple, I don’t use the pineapple juice as I am not going for a dominate pineapple taste.  If you want to use the pineapple juice, drain the liquid from the fruit cocktail, measure it and use half to all that amount of pineapple juice.  I add the extra cherries for color and because I like them.  They may be omitted.  If making this for a potluck or company, I usually spring for macadamia nuts, but any nut of choice can be used.

This cake is good by itself, better with some whipped topping or whipped cream, and really wonderful with the Buttermilk Syrup or any warm, ice cream topping poured over it.

Taste of the Tropics Fruit Pudding Cake
1 can (16 oz.) fruit cocktail or other canned fruit, chopped
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin orange slices, well drained  (I use fresh if they are in season)
1 can (8 oz.) pineapple tidbits, well drained  (If you can’t find the tidbits, use pineapple chunks and cut them into thirds.)
1/4 c. halved maraschino cherries, well drained (optional)
! egg, beaten
1 t. vanilla
! 1/2 c. flour
1 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1 t. baking soda
1/2 c. brown sugar, firmly packed
1/2 c. chopped nuts of choice
1/2 c. sweetened, flaked coconut

Combine undrained  fruit cocktail, orange slices, pineapple tidbits and cherries in a large mixing bowl.   Beat egg in a small bowl.  Add egg and vanilla to fruit mixture.  In another bowl stir together the flour, sugar, salt and baking soda until well blended.  Stir flour mixture into fruit mixture until sell mixed.  The batter will be fairly stiff.  Evenly spread batter into a greased 9x13-in baking pan.  Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the batter.  Follow with the chopped nuts and then the coconut.  Gently pat the topping ingredients into the batter with the palm of your hand to help them adhere.  Bake at 325 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes or until the cake begins to pull away from the sides of the pan.  Cool in pan on rack.  Cut into squares and top with whipped topping, whipped cream or, if desired, pour a sauce over each square.  Serves 15.

Tammy, enjoy the recipe and thanks again for allowing me to share your blog.  Visit Julie at White Lights on Wednesday, Kelly at Miss Information or Rachel at i love my disorganized life to see the matchups and links to all the recipes posted today.

Pink Pomegranate Bars-Guest Post at The Foodette

 

I don't usually post on Sundays, but I wanted to share that today I have the privilege of guest posting over at The Foodette.  I am sharing a quick and easy bar cookie recipe that is made with pomegranate juice.  Thanks, Susan, for having me.   The recipe is here if you would like to check it out.  See you all tomorrow.

DIY Chocolate Cake Mix-Guest Post

I am privileged to have CJ from Morsels of Life here to guest post.  CJ and I are both fond of Do-It-Yourself homemade versions of commercial products so she brought her DIY Chocolate Cake Mix just to share with us today.  CJ and I "meet" each week at Friday Favorite Finds over at Finding Joy in My Kitchen.

Hi, friends at Grandma Loy's Kitchen! I'm CJ, and I usually blog at Morsels of Life, where I share simple recipes using everyday materials. I'm so excited to share a recipe with you today - DIY Chocolate Cake Mix! If you've ever wanted the convenience of a cake mix without all the weirdo ingredients hanging out, I've got your solution!

If you like this recipe, please stop by Morsels of Life and check out some others! (Or if DIY Chocolate Cake mix isn't quite your thing, stop by and see what else I have to offer. :P) I'm also on Facebook, Twitter, Google+, and Pinterest. :)

Thanks again Grandma Loy for letting me share with your readers. :)

 

I first wanted to find out how to make my own cake mix when I wanted to make Cookie Brownies. I know it's not too hard, but sometimes the ease and simplicity of a boxed mix just wins out. However, just because you'd prefer a box cake mix doesn't mean you want to consume hordes of chemical names you can't even pronounce. I've never heard anyone go "Mmm - I love that propylene glycol mono and diesters of fatty acids." I'm guessing you haven't either. So why not combine the quick simplicity of a box cake mix and the control over what you eat and make with your own cake mix?

What things do you like to make on your own?

DIY Chocolate Cake Mix

by CJ Huang

Quick and easy chocolate cake mix you can make while controlling your materials.

Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: none
Total time: 5 minutes
Yield: 1 box

Materials:

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 cup cocoa powder
• 2 cups flour
• 1.75 cups sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Methods:

	1. Gather all materials.
	2. Combine all listed materials and mash together until homogeneous. To make a cake, add 1.25 cups water, 1/2 cup butter, and 3 eggs. Bake at 350F. (35 minutes in a 9x13 pan, 30 minutes in a 9-inch diameter pan, and 20 minutes for cupcakes)

It is so easy and so handy to make your own mixes.  Thanks, CJ for coming by with such a great idea.

Coffeecake Muffins-Guest Post

Today Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker brings her wonderful recipe for Coffeecake Muffins.  If you haven't visited her blog, please go check it out.  She has lots of wonderful stuff there.  I have been a follower for several years.  Tell you a little secret about this recipe.  When it arrived, I just couldn't wait to make it so I have a batch of these with me to snack on while we're on vacation.   Here's Kristen!

Hello! I am so pleased to be here at Grandma Loy's today. She has been a long time participant in my monthly Improv Cooking Challenge and has been a guest on my blog, so I am so happy to be able to return the favor. I blog over at FrugalAntics of a Harried Homemaker with the motto: delicious doesn't have to be expensive. I just sent my oldest son off to college and have four kids left at home ranging from 11^th grade to 2^nd grade. I am all about saving money and still enjoying life.

Today, I brought you a batch of Coffee Cake Muffins. Portable breakfasts are a big hit with my teenage boys. They like to sleep as long as they can on school days, hopping out of bed with only a few minutes to get out the door. I always feel better when they at least grab a muffin or two to eat on the way to school. These muffins were adapted from The Muffin Tin Cookbook by Brette Sember. I do a handful of cookbook reviews every year and this one was a favorite.

Coffee Cake Muffins:

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups self-rising flour

1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1 egg

1/2 tsp vanilla

1/4 cup melted butter

2/3 cup milk

1 tsp cinnamon

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees and grease or line 12 regular muffin cups.

Combine flour, ½ cup sugar and salt in a bowl.

In another bowl, combine egg, vanilla, melted butter and milk.

Add dry ingredients to the wet, mixing well.

Divide the batter between the 12 muffin cups.

Combine the cinnamon and 1/4 cup sugar.

Sprinkle it evenly over all of the muffins.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until they test done with a toothpick.

I hope you like them!!

You can find me on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and Google+

Hey, everyone, do make these, they are delicious.  Thanks Kristen for coming by and sharing such a great recipe.

A Fun Craft and Two Recipe Links-Guest Post

Today my guest is Danni from Silo Hill Farm.  We were fortunate enough to get to meet each other last year when my hubby and I were traveling through Missouri on vacation.  Although Danni is primarily a craft blogger, she does post a recipe every now and then, and I can tell you that she is a very good cook who served a wonderful brunch.

The second recipe link she shares is to the most incredible Caramel Corn I have ever eaten.  Danni made me and hubby each a container to snack on during our trip.  I had never seen hulless popcorn, and we spent quite a bit of time trying to figure out what the deliciousness was made of.


Hello, fans of From Grandma Loy's Kitchen!  Danni here from Silo Hill Farm blog guest posting for Loy today.  

Loy is the very first blogger I ever met and I consider her a true friend. It was so much fun to get to sit and talk with her about blogging. We were so happy to have Loy and her husband as a guest at our farm last year and hope they won't wait too long to return!  

My blog is mostly about crafts, but once in a while, I cook.  Because this is a cooking blog, I'll share links for two of my most popular recipes at the end of this post, but first, I thought I'd combine the two and share a little wall plaque that I made for my kitchen.

I have only recently learned to appreciate olives and was lucky enough to have a chance to visit the Queen Creek Olive Mill in Arizona when I went to visit a friend.  The olive trees were so pretty and this little plaque reminds me of that visit every time I look at it.

This project was under $5 and took me less than an hour to make.

My supplies were simple:

A paper napkin ($3.00 for 20 at Ben Franklins)

A wooden plaque ($1.59 at Hobby Lobby)

Mod Podge

Pop can tab

Paint brush

First, I separated the white backing from the 2-ply napkin.  I thinned the Mod Podge with a little water to make it a little more spreadable and applied a coat of it to the plaque using a paintbrush.

I let it sit for just a minute to increase the tackiness, then I placed the napkin over it.  Next, I immediately brushed another coat of the thinned Mod Podge over the top of it.

I did not bother to trim the napkin, but rather just pushed it down around the sides a little with my brush as I was putting the top coat on.  You can see that it is a little wrinkly, but it does flatten out considerably as it dries.

When it was dry, I hot glued a pop tab to the back as a hanger.

All that was left to do was trim the edges of the napkin and this little project was finished and hanging on my kitchen wall!

As I mentioned, I do cook a little and I would like to share a couple of my recipes with you.  

This first one, is my favorite summer salad and is so delicious, it almost seems like a dessert and the dressing is amazing. 

Strawberry-Mandarin Salad with Coconut Dressing

The other recipe I wanted to share is very special and I made it for Loy and her husband to munch on when they were traveling home. It is one of my most popular posts to date with over 13,000 views and it's delicious and simple.

Caramel Corn Awesome and Easiest Ever!

I hope you'll take a look at these two recipes and maybe even give them a try! 

Thank you so much Loy, for letting me share with your readers today and please come back to visit us at the farm anytime! 

Danni, thanks for stopping by with a great craft idea and your wonderful recipes.

 

Rhubarb and Minute Tapioca-Guest Post

Today my guest is Marsha from The Better Baker.  Marsha emailed me shortly after I started my blog, and it was such a lovely email that she and have become great "email friends" over the last couple of years.

Marsha is a co-host for Weekend Potluck which links up on Fridays.  She has also authored a cookbook and is soon to release another.  She shares great recipes on her blog, so be sure to stop by for a visit.

I am now turning it over to Marsha for a bit of background and a great rhubarb recipe.  Take it away, Marsha: 

Thanks so much Loy for allowing me to share on your lovely blog.  I continue to learn so much from Loy and love that we've gotten to know each other better via friendly emails.

I'm known as The Better Baker because over the years, when folks would comment they thought I was a good cook, my favorite reply was "But I'm a Better "Baker"...because that's my name!  Now that you know that story, I'll tell you a little about myself.

I married my high school sweetheart over 45 year Papa & Nana to 8 of the most beautiful grandkids you've ever laid eyes on. Five of them are redheads...just like my hubby. 

Ron is retired from 20 years of military service.  We've lived around the country, including two tours in Anchorage, Alaska - which we LOVED! He served 3 tours in Vietnam before we were married, and is now 100% disabled from exposure to Agent Orange. He's the most patriotic person I know and I couldn't be prouder of him. 
 

Because he's diabetic, and I work at having a healthier lifestyle too, I cook low/no sugar for us much of the time, and I often share those kinds of dishes on my blog. This rhubarb recipe can be made with either regular white sugar or sugar substitutes, like Xylitol or Splenda.

I published my first cookbook  3 years ago and have just submitted my second cookbook to Morris Press Cookbooks for publishing and hope to have it in my hand by Sept. 1.   Truly more than I could have dreamed would happen in my lifetime.  I am beyond blessed in so many ways.

I would love for you to come over and check out the recipes I've shared at my blog in my 4 years of been blogging.

 I grew up on 
this yummy dish!

Rhubarb tends to be one of those ingredients that if you didn't grow up eating it, you may have a hard time liking it.

I LOVE IT!

It seems my mom had a dish of this (freshly made..often) in our fridge all summer long.  It was definitely the favorite rhubarb recipe in our family growing up.Still is mine!

Once you have your rhubarb washed &; chopped, this doesn't take long to make, from beginning to end. 

You have the option to (easily) make it sugar-free if you wish too.

You can add a can of crushed pineapple to the finished recipe, or do as I do sometimes...when I have leftover pineapple juice in the fridge, I use it for part of the water in the recipe. 

RHUBARB & MINUTE TAPIOCA 

2-1/2 c. diced rhubarb

2-1/2 c. water

1-1/2 c. white sugar

(I used xylitol)

1/2 tsp. salt

1/3 c. minute tapioca

(the original recipe called for 1/4 c., but I like ours thicker)

few drops of red food coloring, optional

Cook all ingredients together in large saucepan over medium heat;stir occasionally.  Rhubarb breaks down while it cooks. (I often bang it again the side of the pan to help it along...it's just what I do when I make this).  Stir to blend in food coloring; cool; refrigerate.

This keeps well for at least 2 weeks in the fridge.

Try it over ice cream. We love just a dish of it plain.

Thanks so much, Marsha, for stopping by and guest posting today.

Guest Post Week

As you read this, I am somewhere in the wilds near Wallace, Idaho at a campground without internet access.  We are here because hubby is going 4-wheeling with his ORV club, and I am taking a "reading" vacation.  I have loaded up my Kindle with more books than I could ever read in a week, so I am reading and relaxing in the camper and cooking when I have to.

Several blogger friends have agreed to come over and share some goodies while I am gone.  First is Marsha from The Better Baker who brings us Rhubarb and Minute Tapioca, then Danni from Silo Hill Farm who brings us a fun craft and a link to the best Caramel Corn ever.  Kristen from Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker brings Coffeecake Muffins and CJ from Morsels of Life shares Chocolate Cake Mix.  Check back every day, you won't want to miss any of it.

See you the end of the week.  PS, not the camper, just the pickup, and today is our 51st wedding anniversary.

Frozen Butterfinger Creme Sandwiches-Guest Post

Hi all,  Just a quick not to let you know that I am guest posting today over at Clarks Condensed.  Katie  very graciously allowed me to share this Frozen Butterfinger Creme Sandwich recipe on her blog.  With only 4 ingredients besides the graham crackers, this is a great snack to keep in your freezer in the summertime.  Sound good?  Click on over to get the recipe.

Linking to these Great Parties:
Totally Tasty Tuesday
Show Me What You Got
Two Cup Tuesday
Tasty Tuesday Parade of Food
Show Me What Ya Got
Tempt My Tummy
Take-a-Look Tuesday

Texas Pecan Brownie Fingers-Guest Post

I am posting this with somewhat of a "red face."  Kristen over a Frugal Antics of a Harried Homemaker was gracious enough to allow me to do a guest post on her blog.  I sent her a recipe for Texas Pecan Brownie Fingers which she posted on February 13.  I totally forgot to put up a post here letting people know about it.  

Kristen wrote some very sweet things about Grandma Loy's Kitchen, and I thank her very much for that.  If you want to try a scrumptious brownie recipe, hop on over and pick this one up.  While you're there, stick around and check out Kristen's blog.  She has great recipes and is hosting a month of chocolate with other guest bloggers.

I will be back tomorrow for Improv Cooking Challenge which Kristen just happen to host.  See you then.

Nutty Marshmallows-Guest Post at Mom's Crazy Cooking

I am so excited to be guest posting today over at Mom's Crazy Cooking as one of Tina's Holiday Guest Bloggers.



I am sharing a recipe for one of our family's favorite Christmas treats-Nutty Marshmallows.  This is an easy-to-make treat that takes only 3 ingredients.

Although I have always made these goodies with the ground nuts and love them that way, the marshmallows can also be rolled in crushed candy such as candy canes, Butterfingers or toffee chips or cake decorator things like chocolate sprinkles.

Tina's blog is loaded with all sorts of good stuff.  She hosts a weekly "themed" linky party and The Crazy Cooking Challenge where each month bloggers search out other blogs for a specific dish, make the dish, and then blog about it on a given day.  So after you have read my post, stick around awhile.  Now let's head on over to Mom's Crazy Cooking and let's make Nutty Marshmallows.