Celebrate graduation with special recipes from school friends

Today is an exciting and wonderful day for the Central High School Class of 2015; today is graduation day! Among the graduates will be our daughter, Lexie. High school has been such an exciting time for her, with art classes, marching band and the theater and drama department consuming the majority of her time. Lexie is grateful for many things about high school, but among the top is that Dr. Cowan was her principal for all her high school years. She loves him dearly and will forever remember him singing in the halls, his Joyous Moments, genuinely caring for the students and his love for theater and drama.

Through the years, I have just a few recipes from some special people we met along the way and made Lexie's journey more fun and enjoyable. I am sharing those recipes with you today, along with a couple of others from my collection that Lexie enjoyed in her very early years.

Snowball Cake

When Lexie was in preschool at Christian School or the Young Years, I received this recipe from Gail Kohlfeld Jones. It is a light, cool and refreshing dessert, and I have made it many times through the years. The only alteration I make is, if I have a lemon on hand, I add a little lemon zest into the gelatin and pineapple mixture and into the whipped topping layer that goes on the top. It adds a little extra zip to the lemon flavor.

• 2 packages lemon gelatin
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1 large can crushed pineapple with the juice
• 1 (16 ounce) carton frozen whipped topping, thawed, divided in half
• 1 prepared angel food cake
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
• Coconut, for topping

Dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Add can of pineapple with the juice. Mix well and chill until partially set. Fold in 8 ounces, half of a 16-ounce carton, thawed whipped topping.

Break prepared angel food cake into chunks and place in a 9x13-inch dish. Cover with pineapple gelatin mixture and refrigerate several hours or overnight.

Fold powdered sugar and lemon juice into the remaining 8 ounces of whipped topping. Top dessert with this mixture and sprinkle with coconut.

Cranberry Fluff

Lexie's kindergarten teacher was Mrs. Leasa Maxfield. Every year at Thanksgiving, Mrs. Maxfield prepares a feast for the students and uses it as a teaching tool for the history of Thanksgiving. Both of our children had her as a kindergarten teacher, and this recipe was a favorite of mine at the feast.

• 3/4 cup sugar
• 2 cups cranberries, ground
• 2 cups miniature marshmallows
• 3/4 cup red unpeeled tart apples, chopped
• 1 cup green seedless grapes
• 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1 (8 ounce) carton whipped topping, thawed

Combine sugar, cranberries and marshmallows. Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next day, add remaining ingredients. Combine well and serve.

Tiger Fudge

Janice Friedrich is a teacher, and even though Lexie did not have her in class, we became friends through the Marching Tigers band. We rode together to marching band competitions and this was one of the treasured treats she would bring along for snacks on those very longs days. We started calling it Tiger Fudge for fun because we always had this treat while on school outings. Cut into squares, placed in a cute little tin or in a cellophane bag and tied with a ribbon, it makes for a very cute gift. The dried mixed berries at Aldi are perfect for this recipe.

• 3 cups sugar
• 5 ounces evaporated milk
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow cream
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 package white chocolate chips
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1 package dried cherries, blueberries, or cranberries or a combination of all three

Heat sugar, butter and milk to a full rolling boil on medium heat. Boil for 4 minutes or to 234 degrees. Turn off heat source and stir in other ingredients. Pour into a greased 9x13-inch pan. Allow to cool. Cut into bite-sized squares.

Sugar Cookies

Dortha Strack was Lexie's Sunday school teacher and did so much to mold and shape her early Christian faith journey. Dortha would make sugar cookies for the class and it was a big treat to have her cookies. I, however, do not have her recipe, for which I am very sad, but I am sharing a sugar cookie recipe with you that is a favorite of our family.

• 1 cup solid shortening
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 eggs
• 2 tablespoons cream or milk
• 4 cups flour
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

Cream together shortening and sugar; add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each. Add cream, then flour sifted with baking powder and salt. Mix well. Add vanilla. Chill mixture approximately 30 minutes. Roll dough out on floured surface, small amounts at a time, and cut into desired shapes. Using a very thin spatula, transfer cutouts onto cookie sheet. At this point you may choose to sprinkle with white or colored sugar. Bake in 400 degree oven for 5 to 8 minutes, depending on size of cookie. They will be done and baked through without turning brown. Cool and decorate as desired.

Berry-licious Cookie Dip

• Frozen lite or fat-free whipped topping, thawed
• Fresh strawberries, raspberries and blueberries
• Dippers, such as vanilla wafers, graham crackers, oatmeal cookies, Lorna Doon cookies, Chessman cookies or anything else you would like to use as a dipper

Put the berries in a bowl and mash them. Add whipped topping to the berry mixture and stir. Dip cookies in and enjoy! Kids love this and it is a quick snack or fun party dish.

Sweet and Sour Spaghetti

This is not your typical Italian spaghetti. This has a completely different taste that our children loved and is still one of their favorites.

• 1 pound ground beef
• 1 medium onion, diced fine
• 1 can tomato soup
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons prepared yellow mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon red pepper
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt or powder
• 1 can mushrooms, drained
• 1/2 pound spaghetti, cooked

Brown ground beef and onion in skillet. Drain grease from meat. Add remaining ingredients, except spaghetti, and heat though until hot, bubbling and slightly thickened. Add sauce to cooked spaghetti and top with grated Parmesan cheese if desired.

Congratulations Class of 2015!

Have a great week, and until next time, happy cooking.