Simply Delish: Apple, and more, for the teacher

PTO president Dana Curtis and Liberty secretary Margaret Dalton man the drink table. Dana organized the entire luncheon, while Margaret works hard to keep the school organized, according to Mike Novak, the principal, and several teachers.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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She was going to be preparing lunch for Liberty teachers on their first day back to school July 23. She needed desserts and asked for any Liberty parents to help out.

Several weeks ago, Dana asked her Facebook friends to post their favorite treat on the site and post they did. She put all the names in a hat, and every so often she draws out a name, bakes their item and makes surprise deliveries to their house with the baked goods. So far, all who have received their mystery gifts have raved about them on Facebook.

Dana organized the luncheon through Facebook, and after hearing about her wonderful cooking skills through others on the social networking site, I knew we needed to feature her in the Simply Delish column.

I decided to fix two of my easy no-bake cheesecakes, one with blueberry topping and the other with cherry. I heard from others that they were going to fix chocolate cake, apple pies and cookies. Dana was going to fix lasagna, salad and garlic bread as the main course.

The teachers, who are also some of Dana's friends on Facebook, were very excited about the luncheon, and anytime she mentioned it, the teachers told her all about their anticipation of the good food she and others were about to prepare.

Dana asked all the parents to bring their recipes along with the prepared items to school that day so I could put them in the paper, and they all came through.

Today's Simply Delish is made up of recipes contributed by parents of the Liberty PTO.

Dana wanted me to be sure and mention the lasagna and fudge pie recipes she gave me actually came from her mother, Beverly Robertson.

Lasagna

by Dana Curtis

A teacher helps herself to a piece of Dana Curtis' homemade lasagna at a PTO luncheon for Liberty teachers.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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1 pound sausage

2 3 oz cans tomato paste

1 large can crushed tomatoes

lasagna noodles (cook 6-8 for 9x13 pan)

one large container cottage cheese

mozzarella cheese (at least two cups)

oregano and garlic salt to taste

Brown meat together and drain grease. Add in tomato paste, tomatoes, garlic salt and oregano to taste.

Layer in 9x13 dish as follows: noodles, cottage cheese, mozzarella cheese and sauce. Start again and end with cheese.

Cook at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes. Best if cooled some before cutting.

Layered Pea Salad

by Dana Curtis

Dana's Layered Pea Salad was a hit with the teachers and featured lettuce, cheese, cucumbers and bacon bits.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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cucumbers

green peppers

frozen peas

boiled eggs

red onion

cheddar cheese, shredded

bacon bits

mayonnaise

To make: Layer lettuce on the bottom. The next six ingredients can be layered in any order.

Top the salad with mayonnaise. Add the cheese on top of the mayonnaise layer and add bacon bits on top of the cheese. Refrigerate overnight if possible.

Fudge Pie

by Dana Curtis

1 cup sugar

2 tbsp cocoa

1 stick melted margarine

2 eggs

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp flour

1 unbaked pie shell

Mix dry ingredients together, and then add the rest. Mix with whisk or mixer. Pour into unbaked pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies

by Kim Housch

Kim Housch's chocolate oatmeal cookies are made in a skillet on top of the stove.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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2 tbsp cocoa

1/2 cup milk

1 stick butter

2 tbsp peanut butter

1 tsp vanilla

3 cups of one minute oats

Stir sugar and cocoa in large skillet. Add milk and stir. Boil until it thickens (hard ball stage).

Remove from heat. Add butter, peanut butter and flavoring and oats. Spoon onto wax paper. Let cool. Makes about two dozen.

Vanilla Mocha Cocoa Cake

by Rebecca Lee

Vanilla cake

2 cups cake flour

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup butter at room temperature

1 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

3/4 cup of milk

Preheat oven to 350 degres. Combine all dry ingredients and set aside. Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

Beat in eggs, one at a time. Add vanilla and mix until completely combined. Slowly add flour alternately with milk.

Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes. Cool completely before frosting.

Mocha Cocoa Frosting

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

8 cups powdered sugar

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp instant coffee crystals

2 tsp vanilla extract

Add coffee crystals to milk, stirring until they dissolve. Beat sugar, vanilla and coffee milk together until desired consistency is met, then frost vanilla cake with it.

Raspberry Chocolate Velvet Love

by Rebecca Lee

Rebecca Lee's Raspberry Chocolate Velvet Love is made with a red velvet cake mix, raspberry jam and Creme de Cocoa.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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1 box instant chocolate pudding mix

1 1/4 cup water

1/2 Creme de Cocoa

1/2 cup oil

4 eggs

1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans

1 12 oz jar raspberry jam

Chocolate butter cream icing (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl, combine cake mix, pudding mix, creme de cocoa, oil and eggs. Beat until well combined. Add pecans.

Pour into prepared cake pans. Bake 20 to 30 minutes depending on the cake pan you use. Let cakes cook before icing.

Put the raspberry jam between the layers, and then ice with the butter cream icing.

Chocolate butter cream icing

1 cup butter at room temperature

4 cups powdered sugar

2/3 cups Hershey's Cocoa

1/3 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Beat all ingredients together until desired consistency is met, and then ice the cake with it.

Apple Crumb Pie

by Wendy Morton

Wendy Morton's Apple Crumb Pie features sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg and a crumbly topping.
(T-G Photo by Tamara Belinc)

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3/4 cup sugar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 egg, slightly beaten

1 cup sour cream

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups thinly sliced apples

9 inch pie shell (unbaked)

Sift flour, sugar, salt and nutmeg into large bowl. Stir in beaten egg, sour cream and vanilla. Fold in apples, spoon into unbaked pastry shell. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes longer.

Prepare crumb topping. Remove pie from oven. Reset oven to 400 degrees, sprinkle pie with topping.

Return pie to oven. Bake 10 minutes, longer or until topping is nicely brown.

Crumb topping:

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup melted butter

Mix ingredients in a small bowl until crumbly. Add to pie.

Easy No-Bake Cheesecake

by Tamara Belinc

16 oz of cream cheese, softened

1 can Eagle Brand milk

1/3 cup lemon juice

1 graham cracker pie crust

Add cream cheese, Eagle Brand milk and lemon juice to a bowl and beat well with a hand-held mixer until fluffy. Pour into pie shell. Refrigerate until set.

Top with your choice of pie filling, such as blueberry or cherry.