Fruit in a Cloud

This salad is a crowd pleaser and most often it's the first bowl emptied at get togethers.  The recipe comes from my husband's family.  It's so fresh, yet sweet and creamy it almost doubles as a dessert!

 While I'm sure you could do many variations on this salad, my tried and true fruits are: strawberries, bananas, kiwi, and peaches.  I use canned peaches and pat them with a paper towel so they don't make the salad runny.  The secret ingredient I've added to the faves is huckleberries.  But I realize most of you don't have access to those, so they weren't included in my original fruit pic.

Start by combining the yogurt with the dry pudding mix.  Blend with a hand mixer for a minute or so until pudding is dissolved.  Stir the cool whip into the yogurt mixture.  Then toss in fresh fruit.

 

 Gently fold fruit into "cloud" mixture.  Serve immediately or you can chill for an hour or two. 

Fruit in a Cloud

1 large carton vanilla yogurt

1 large box vanilla pudding mix

1 8-oz cool whip

1 lb strawberries

2 bananas

2 kiwi

1 peach

Beat yogurt and dry pudding mix together for 1 minute.  Stir in cool whip.  Cut up all fruit into bite size pieces, then fold into yogurt mixture.  Serve immediately or you can chill and serve later.

No Bake Cheesecake

Not sure I've met anyone who doesn't like cheesecake. This recipe is a crowd pleaser--it's not too fluffy, not to thick, with just the right amount of sweetness.

This dessert is for 2 pies or it can go into a 9x13 pan--I go with the pan because it's easier. You can use any topping you like such as canned pie filling. Our preference is huckleberry topping, so I mix up strawberry danish dessert and add the huckleberries.

No Bake Cheesecake
1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 Tbsp sugar
6 Tbsp melted butter

8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz sour cream
1/3 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
8 oz cool whip

1 box strawberry Danish Dessert mix
1 cup fruit

In a 9 x 13 pan, add graham cracker crumbs, sugar, and melted butter. Stir together with a fork until combined. Lightly press into bottom of pan.

With a hand mixer, whip cream cheese in a bowl until smooth. Add other ingredients one at a time in order given and mix well. Pour mixture over the crust. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours.

For fruit topping, use either pie filling, or make danish dessert according to directions on box (AKA, you add water to the packet and bring to a boil--that's it!). The directions give several options for consistency. I did it halfway between fruit sauce and pie filling, so it would set up a bit rather than run down the edges of pieces when cut.