Make pizzas for quick breakfasts

The end of school has come and gone, as well as Ross' eighth birthday. We had all of the plans made for the day, and things just didn't go exactly as we thought they might. We had the tables set up for his birthday picnic and the grill hot and ready to cook when the rain came down. As we were scrambling to move everything, it just rained that much harder. So we backed out the vehicles and had the garage transformed into a dining room in a matter of minutes. We could have served and seated everyone in the house, but the air conditioner froze up and it was cooler outside in the garage.

To top off the Memorial Day holiday weekend, on Monday we made a trip to ER Express when we learned that our Lexie had strep throat. She was sick when we greeted the day, and we knew immediately that we needed to run up and get her some antibiotics.

So, as you can see and as the My Daddy's Cheesecake slogan goes, "Life is uncertain; eat dessert first." It is this kind of weekend that makes you just want to enjoy a nice piece of dessert and forget it all.

For Ross' birthday, I made a cake recipe that Bessie Johnson of Cape Girardeau gave to me. It is a tall cake, and I chose not to stir any coconut into the frosting but frost the cake and then cover the cake entirely on the sides and top with the toasted coconut and then added a few pecans on top. I did make it in two pans instead of the three the recipes calls for and it was fine.

Rave Review Coconut Cake

1 (2-layer) package yellow cake mix

1 (4-serving-size) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 1/2 cups water

4 eggs

1/4 cup oil

2 cups coconut

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts

Blend cake mix, pudding mix, water, eggs and oil in a large bowl. Beat at medium speed of an electric mixer 4 minutes. Stir in coconut and nuts. Pour into 3 greased and floured 9-inch round cake pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes. Cool in pans 15 minutes before removing from pans. Remove from pans onto a wire cooling rack. Fill and frost with coconut cream cheese frosting.

Coconut Cream Cheese Frosting

4 tablespoons butter or margarine divided

2 cups flaked coconut

1 (3-ounce) package cream cheese, softened

2 teaspoons milk

3 1/2 cup sifted powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in skillet; add coconut and stir constantly over low heat until golden brown. Spread coconut on absorbent paper towels to cool. Cream 2 tablespoons butter with cream cheese. Add milk and sugar alternately, beating well. Add vanilla. Stir in 1 3/4 cups coconut. Spread on top and sides of cake layers. Sprinkle with remaining coconut.

I have a other exciting community cookbook to share with you today. The Scott County Women in Agriculture club has a new 184-page spiral-bound cookbook available for sale at $10 per copy. The books are available at the Scott City NRCS Office located on Highway 77 in Benton, Mo., or may be mail-ordered at Country Cooking, Scott County Women in Agriculture, Diane Urhahn, P.O. Box 402, Benton, Mo. 63736. Please add $2 to the $10 price to cover postage and handling. The proceeds from the sale of the book help with a scholarship to any senior majoring in agriculture and from an agriculture background in Scott County.

As is the usual custom, I will share a couple of recipes from the book. I don't know any of the contributors and have not tried any of the recipes, so I have fun just letting the book fall open and the first thing I come across if what makes it in the paper.

Banana Split Cake

Submitted by Kim Kesler

2 cups graham cracker crumbs

1/2 cup butter or margarine

2 packages vanilla instant pudding mix

4 cups milk

1 cup whipped topping

3 bananas

1 can crushed pineapple, drained

Whipped topping

1 cup pecans

1/2 cup cherries

For the crust: Mix graham cracker crumbs and butter together. Press into an 8-by-11-inch pan. Bake in moderate oven 3 minutes. Cool.

For the filling: Mix vanilla pudding mix, milk and 1 cup whipped topping together until thickened or per package directions. Pour into crust and top with sliced bananas and pineapple. Top with whipped topping. Sprinkle with pecans and cherries. Chill.

That sounds like a nice cool refreshing dessert on a hot summer day.

Eggplant Casserole

Submitted by Ann Slusher

2 large eggplant, peeled and chunked

2 large onions, diced

3 eggs, beaten

Salt and pepper, to taste

3/4 cup Italian breadcrumbs

1 stick butter, melted

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese

Cover eggplant with onion and water and cook until tender. Drain well and add remaining ingredients. Place into a greased baking pan. Sprinkle more cheese and breadcrumbs on top. Bake at 350 degrees about 1 hour or until golden brown.

Orange Breakfast Ring

Submitted by Teresa Dewitt

1 cup sugar

3 tablespoons orange rind

2 (12 ounce) cans buttermilk biscuits

1/3 cup butter or margarine, melted

1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons orange juice

Combine sugar and orange rind. Separate biscuits; dip each in butter and coat with the sugar mixture. Stand biscuits on sides, overlapping edges, in a 9-inch tube pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until golden brown. Remove ring from pan and invert on serving platter. Combine cream cheese and powdered sugar, mixing until smooth. Add orange juice, stirring well. Spoon mixture over top while ring is still hot. Serve warm.

Quick Chicken Divan

Submitted by Diane Urhahn

2 packages frozen broccoli or 2 bunches fresh

2 cups chicken breast, cooked

2 cans cream of chicken soup

3/4 cup real mayonnaise

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1 cup breadcrumbs

1 tablespoon butter, melted

Cook broccoli; drain well. Dice chicken and mix with soup, mayonnaise, cheese and lemon juice. Grease a 9-by-9-inch baking pan and layer broccoli and chicken mixture. Toss breadcrumbs with butter and place over top of dish.

Bake at 350 degrees until heated thoroughly.

This recipe I actually did choose from the page the book fell open to, because I had a request this week for a breakfast pizza. Please still send in your favorite, but I thought I would share this one, too.

Brunch Pizza Squares

Submitted by Jolene Felter

1 pound bulk pork sausage

1 (8 ounce) tube refrigerated crescent rolls

4 eggs

2 tablespoons milk

1/8 teaspoon pepper

3/4 cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

In a skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain.

Unroll crescent dough into a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Press dough 1/2-inch up the sides; seal seams. Sprinkle with sausage, In a bowl, beat the eggs, milk and pepper; pour over sausage. Sprinkle with cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 400 degrees for 15 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is melted.

Speaking of recipe requests, we do have one from Carolyn Thomas of Thebes, Ill. Carolyn is looking for breakfast pizza recipes like the ones that can be purchased through drive-through quick stops. Maybe you can give her some help.

And don't forget the request from last week for trail mix and the salad using the chow mein or Ramen noodles.

Have a wonderful week, stay healthy and happy cooking.

Susan McClanahan is administrator at the Cape Girardeau Senior Center. Send recipes to her at smcclanahan@semissourian.com or by mail at P.O. Box 699; Cape Girardeau, Mo. 63701. Recipes published have not been kitchen-tested by the Southeast Missourian staff.