Strawberry Shortcake... Sort of.

A Childhood Favorite

I've always liked strawberry shortcake. I remember when I was a kid we would have it all the time. My mom would buy those little round yellow sponge cakes and we would fill them with lots of strawberries and top them off with some Reddi Whip whipped cream.

My mom would always prepare the strawberries ahead of time, by washing, cutting and sprinkling them with sugar and letting them sit overnight, to bring out their natural juices and create a delicious sauce. I didn't know it then, but this is known as macerating the fruit. It's kind of like marinating meat, only its with sugar, not an acid. This process really brings out the flavor in the strawberries and makes them softer and easier to digest.

I can even remember the container that my mom would use to macerate the berries in. I think it was an old ham container. Funny, huh? I guess she liked it because it was made of metal and had a clear plastic lid and it was the perfect size for the amount of strawberries she had.

My dad also loved this dessert. He would always have seconds, and following in his footsteps, so would I (and still do).

Technically I didn't make the traditional strawberry shortcake, which uses, well shortcake.
I made this on the fly, so I kind of cheated by using fat-free cool whip and made angel food cake cupcakes which takes a lot less time than a whole cake. But you could use whatever cake you wish. Even pound cake would be good.

Strawberry Shortcake

1 quart strawberries, washed, de-stemmed and cut in half or smaller if they're really big
1 tablespoon sugar
Cake of your choice, short cake, angel food, pound cake or even those little round yellow thingys
Topping of your choice, homemade whipped cream, Reddi Whip whipped cream, or even fat-free cool whip

Place the strawberries in a bowl and add the sugar. Stir until well coated, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
Top your cake of choice with strawberries and top with your choice of topping.

Serves 4-6

Something Different- and Sugar Free!

A Twist on the Old Stand By...

I love Grapenut Pudding, especially my Moms. She makes it all the time, the traditional way and with raisins. But being the adventurous type that I am, I decided to mix things up a bit and went a little crazy with it. I decided to make it sugar-free (using Splenda), low-fat and gave it an orange essence. It was actually pretty good, in a non-traditional sort of way.

First off let me say I am not a proponent of Splenda or any other sugar substitute. I really don't like using any artificial sweeteners (or artificial ingredients of any kind) in my cooking. But my mom was concerned at one point that she may not be able to have sugar in her diet and it got me thinking about sweet alternatives to some of her favorite recipes. So I gave it a try. It was pretty good and I didn't detect that "fake" sugar after taste that I detest.

All in all, if you don't have to limit your sugar intake, I wouldn't recommend using Splenda. Not because it tasted bad, but just because it isn't natural and the long term effects of these chemicals in our bodies (in my opinion and from what I have read) could be detrimental to our health. Using it once in a while, however, shouldn't hurt. So give it a try if you already have a box in the house.

Sugar-Free Orange Grapenut Pudding
(Double Recipe)

3 whole eggs and 2 egg whites (beaten)
4 cups of Simply Smart Fat-Free Milk*
1 cup Grapenuts
2/3 cups Splenda
1 tablespoon vanilla
1 cup raisins
Zest from one orange (optional)
Sprinkle of nutmeg

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix first six ingredients in a oven safe bowl or casserole. Sprinkle with nutmeg and let sit for 5 to 10 minutes. Bake for about one hour or until middle is set.
Serve warm or chilled with cream if desired.

*I'm not sure if regular skim milk would work as well. The fat-free Simply-Smart or Over the Moon brands work well because they are ultra-pasteurized and they have a creamier texture and taste. Plus, besides that fact that it's fat-free, it is better for you because it also contains 25% more protein than whole milk, 20% more calcium than whole milk, and is lower in cholesterol.