Cherry Bars

Bottom Crust

• 2 sticks butter
• 2 cups flour
• ½ cup powdered sugar

1. Melt butter in a 9 x 13” baking dish in oven at 350 degrees.
2. Stir in powdered sugar.
3. Stir in the flour.
4. Pat down and bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes.
5. Remove from oven. 

Middle Layer Filling

• 1 can cherry pie filling
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

1. Stir lemon juice into cherry pie filling.
2. Pour onto the bottom crust and spread evenly. 

Crumb Topping

• 6 tablespoons butter
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup flour

1. Cut butter into chunks with a pastry blender.
2. Stir the sugar and salt together.
3. Cut all the dry ingredients into the butter, making crumbs. 
4. Distribute over the cherry layer evenly. 
5. Return the layers to the 350 degree oven and bake for 35 minutes.

Banana Bread

• 1 stick butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 eggs, beaten
• 1 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teapsoon salt
• ½ teaspoon vanilla
• 4 bananas, ripe and speckled
• 1 ½ cups flour

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a larger mixing bowl.
3. Add the beaten eggs, baking soda, salt, and vanilla. Stir.
4. Crush the bananas well and stir into the mixture.
5. Add the flour and stir until just mixed. About 50 stirs. Do not overstir.
6. Spray the loafpan with cooking spray and dust with flour.
7. Pour the mixture into the loaf pan.
8. Bake for 1 hour.
9. Turn loaf onto a bread board.
10. Let cool and cut.
11. Serve with butter (optional).
12. Enjoy.

Note:  To make a smaller loaf, use half the amounts of all ingredients.  Put in a smaller loaf pan.  And bake 45 minutes. 

Poached Pears

• 4 fresh pears
• 2 tablespoons dried, pitted tart cherries (optional)
• 1 cup sugar
• 1 cup water
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ½ teaspoon ground cardamom
• ½ teaspoon ground ginger
• 2 sticks of cinnamon
• 6 star anise
• ½ teaspoon whole cloves

1. In a mixing bowl, put ice in it until it is about 1/3 full of ice and then run cold water in it until it is 2/3 full.
2. In a two-quart pan, fill 2/3 full of water and bring to a boil.
3. Plunge the washed pears in the boiling water for 20 seconds, making sure that all sides get covered.
4. With tongs remove the pears, and plunge into the ice water.
5. Remove the pears one by one, and peel.
6. Half the pears, and remove the cores.
7. Rinse out the pan that you boiled the water in and use it to make the poaching liquid.
8. Add the sugar and water to the pan.
9. Add all the spices and vanilla.
10. Stir until smooth.
11. Add the pears and heat about thirty minutes under a medium low heat, stirring often.
12. Serve the pears with a slotted spoon, avoiding the anise, cloves, and cinnamon. You can refrigerate any leftovers in the poaching liquid and the flavors will intensify.
13. Enjoy. 

Orange and Grape Salad

• 4 Cuties, peeled and separated into wedges
• ½ cup grapes, washed and stemmed
• 1 small container Yoplait Greek Tropical Fruit Yogurt
• 1 tablespoon honey

1. Mix all ingredients.
2. Serve and enjoy.  

Jello Strawberry Pie

Crust:

• 1 stick butter
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 cup flour

1. Cut butter into pats and cut into the rest of the ingredients while still cold.
2. Put mixture in the a pie plate and press to cover sides and bottom as evenly as possible (not rolled).
3. Bake at 375 degrees for 12 minutes or until the edges are just beginning to brown.
4. Allow to cool completely.

Filling:

• ¾ cup sugar
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 cup water
• 1 3 ounce package of strawberry Jello
• 1 ½ quarts of fresh ripe strawberries, washed, stemmed and cut into quarters

1. Bring sugar, cornstarch, salt and water to a boil, stirring constantly.
2. Continue cooking and stirring constantly for 3 minutes on medium heat.
3. Add Jello and continue stirring and cooking for another minute.
4. Remove from heat and stir for 2 more minutes.
5. Let cool 15 minutes but don't put in the refrigerator.
6. Add the strawberries and stir.
7. Pour the mixture into a the baked pie shell.
8. Turn the strawberries so the outer sides are showing.
9. Chill in the refrigerator for two hours.
10. Serve, topped with whip cream (optional) and enjoy.

Butterfly Fruit Plate

• Oranges
• Lemons
• Strawberries
• Black Grapes
• Kiwi Fruit
• Red Grapes
• Green Grapes
• Starfish fruit

1. Make template for butterfly.  
2. Trace on to foam board.
3. Cut out the foam board.
4. Wrap with aluminum foil.
5. Slice oranges, oranges,  and kiwifruit.
6. Place fruits on it and serve with picks nearby.
7. Enjoy.