Sunday, June 07, 2009

Confetti Cake

Confetti CakeWe're heading into birthday season around here and when I think of birthdays I think of confetti cake.

When I was little this was the cake I'd request even though it's not really a "cake" in the traditional sense at all but more of a cheesecake or a fool perhaps.

But "fool" is a great name for it because though it looks decadent it really isn't bad at all. It's not as if I have a calorie counter here and can give you the exact damage each piece will do but you can see from the ingredients that if you want to indulge a bit not only is this cake much lower in calories than a traditional cheesecake but it's not sickly sweet either. Nice and cool for a summer day of celebration.

For crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons melted butter

For cake:
3-ounce package of lime Jello (sugar free)
3-ounce package of orange Jello (sugar free)
3-ounce package of strawberry Jello (sugar free)
3-ounce package of lemon Jello (sugar free)
2 cups light Cool Whip topping
8-ounce package of fat free cream cheese

Make up the 3 packages of lime, orange, and strawberry Jello according to package directions and pour into flat pans. Chill until firm then cube into 1-inch cubes.

Meanwhile, combine graham cracker crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown. Or rather more golden than graham cracker crumbs already are. Allow to cool completely.

Dissolve one 3-ounce package of lemon Jello in 1 c boiling water and cool slightly.

Beat fat free cream cheese until smooth, then beat in lemon jello and fold in whipped topping and jello blocks. Refrigerate until firm enough to serve.

***

Chiquita SmoothiesAnd as for other easy peasy, light and cool summer desserts I've got to mention a new product that was sent to tempt my palate.

Chiquita (those lovely banana people) sent me a box of their new smoothie mixes to try and the verdict here is that "Smoothies Rule."

You can get the frozen smoothie concentrate in the freezer section just like you can for juice concentrate and then you combine the frozen contents with half a can of water and two cans of ice cubes and you are on your way to ever-lovin' smoothie bliss. Though I think I'd add a touch more water than that. Half a can of water made them pretty darn thick but you can decide for yourself.

You can see the results here in Andrew's picture (he insisted on being given the privilege of taking the picture and was quite thrilled to find that I was actually going to use his shot) and so far we've made our way through the mixed berry flavor (two thumbs up) and the banana colada. David objected to that one at first, saying that "he didn't like coladas" (because he's drinking them ALL the time apparently) but when I put a glass in front of him his principles didn't seem to get in the way of him slurping it down before the rest of us had even got our spoons raised. Rest assured we'll be working on the mango next.

Anyway, if you're a smoothie fan as I am then you should give them a try. I'm not sure what they're retailing for but you can't beat it for ease of preparation. If nothing else they make a first-rate quickie breakfast or dessert right?

Sponsored by Pink and Blue for unique baby gifts to make them "ooh" and "ahh."

19 comments:

Roo said...

Totally off the subject Michelle, but I wanted to tell you that I nominated you for the ONE LOVELY BLOG AWARD. Please check out my post to claim your award. http://itsjustme-roo.blogspot.com/2009/06/one-lovely-blog-award.html

Thank you for the entertainment and inspiration.

Multiple personalities.. said...

Ooh, yum! Smoothies rule at our home too. And I can see from your pic that you are fellow Magic Bullet users! We use ours almost everyday for smoothies, so we will definitely have to try these frozen smoothie concentrates. Thank you for sharing!

Ted said...

I make smoothies sometimes, just oj, frozen strawberries, yogurt, and some banana. You're right, it's a very easy and quick breakfast. :)

The frozen ones look even easier!

J said...

Oh, that says Ted...it's me, Julie, using Ted's computer. ;)

Carrie said...

That confetti cake looks awesome! And the smoothies look pretty neat, too - my 18 month old LOVES smoothies -we make them with frozen bananas instead of ice which makes them smoother - and he calls them 'moo-moos' & asks for them a lot. :)

Melissa B. said...

I'm always looking for new smoothie recipes, so thanks mucho for this! And a real, live, not-from-the-box confetti cake? Think I'll give her a spin!

Krystal said...

I've never seen a confetti cake, but two of my kids were born in July so these would do awesome!

* said...

WoW! I've never seen a cake like that one before. Looks fun although I don't know if I could eat it...I try & save extra calories for chocolate only. But I bet my kids would dig it. thanks for sharing!

"The Menu Mom" said...

We're huge smoothie fans here too! I actually have a whole blog dedicated to smoothie recipes! www.smoothieblends.com (if you're interested) I will have to look for those at the grocery store - although we live in a tiny town, so it may be awhile before they hit the freezer case here! Thanks for the review!

Amy said...

i just found your blog. I love it! I have read through a bunch of your posts and I love your ideas! I can't wait to check out some of your book suggestions. I am kind of addicted to books. . .I have a huge stack that just came from Amazon that I need to get through, but there is always room for more on the shelf!

Hazel said...

graham crackers? would I translate that into digestive biscuits which is what I would use for the base of a cheesecake?
And while I'm on translation what is Koolaid? can't seem to find a UK equivalent so presume it's a trade name.

Scribbit said...

Hazel--I had to chuckle--the things I have lived with all my life and I forget they're not on everyone's shelves :)

To imagine a world without Kool Aid . . .

Kool Aid is just a powered drink mix marketed to kids but I'm sure there's some kind of an equivalent in the UK. Graham Crackers might be DB but they're just a cracker that's made with a bit of brown sugar and molasses. Rather like a ginger snap only no ginger? Hope this helps.

Mimi said...

i can't wait to eat this!

Brooke said...

Oh that confetti cake looks so yummy! I can't wait to try it!

Thanks for sharing!

;-)
Brooke

ParkerMama said...

This looks delish. We are coming up on birthday row here too. Great idea.

Daisy said...

Mmm, smoothies! I'm looking forward to summer and smoothies. I know, it's June, but the outdoor temp is only 56 today.

Rosanne said...

mmmmm...I'm totally making this (the confetti cake) tomorrow night. Just went and bought the ingredients for it. Thanks for the idea! :)

Stephanie said...

I may have to try those Chiquita smoothies. We're big smoothie fans around here - especially in the summertime.

I wonder if they're as good as our "homemade" smoothies (we make them with frozen fruit and yogurt)...

I guess there's only one way to find out. :)

cara belajar said...

Thx for sharing ....

i wanted for this way

=)

thx from
Cara Belajar