In celebration of this special day, my hubby and I made a fun Flower Pot “Cake” – ain’t it purty? Okay, so you’re supposed to make it in an actual flower pot, but I thought it would be so much fun to be able to see all the pretty sedimentary layers of sweetness.

I remember having this deceptive dessert when I was in elementary school. I made up this recipe based on what I remembered and what I thought would be delicious!

Flower Pot Cake

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 8-ounce package of cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
3 cups vanilla pudding (instant is fine, or cooked pudding that has cooled)
1 12-ounce tub of frozen whipped topping, thawed (recommended: Cool Whip)
1 cup toasted pecans, chopped fine
1 cup graham cracker crumbs, crushed fine with a food processor or blender
1/4 cup butter, chilled
2 cups Oreo cookie crumbs, crushed fine with a food processor or blender
4-6 gummy worms
2-3 plastic flowers
1 clean small plastic shovel

Cream together the butter, cream cheese, and sugar with an electric mixer. In a separate bowl, fold in the whipped topping into the vanilla pudding. Then fold this mixture into the butter and cream cheese mixture. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, combine the pecans and graham cracker crumbs. Use a pastry blender to cut in the 1/4 cup of cold butter until the butter is incorporated and the mixture is crumbly.

Arrange your gummy worms so that they are peeking out of the “soil.” Then gently push your plastic flower arrangement into the pot. Chill until you are ready to serve. Serve with the plastic shovel!

Edit: I’d like to note that one reader expressed an opinion that my plastic flowers were un-earth-day-ish. You are welcome to use fresh flowers instead, in the spirit of Earth Day. I used plastic because I had some on hand that came with a wedding gift. If you choose to use fresh, I would suggest waiting until the last minute to insert them into your pot so that they don’t wilt.

Need a hearty dinner to bring to a friend? Need a dinner that freezes and travels well? Need a dinner you can make days ahead of time but still feed a crowd? This baked ziti is for you!

Italian Sausage Baked Ziti

1 lb. ziti noodles, uncooked
4-6 sweet Italian sausages, browned and sliced
1 15-ounce tub of fresh ricotta cheese
1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon Italian seasoning (or oregano and basil)
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 16-ounce jar of your favorite tomato sauce
3 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded
1/4 cup parmesan cheese, shredded

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. Apply cooking spray to a deep-dish 9×13 inch oven-safe baking dish and set aside.

Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook your ziti noodles until barely al dente.

Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, stir together ricotta, egg, garlic salt, Italian seasoning, and pepper until completely combined. Drain your cooked ziti noodles, and pour them into the ricotta mixture. Stir until evenly incorporated.

Spread about half of the tomato sauce in the bottom of your prepared baking dish. Next, spread half of the noodle mixture on top. Then, sprinkle half of the sliced sausage over the noodles. Finally, sprinkle half of the mozzarella cheese on top. Repeat, layering the rest of the tomato sauce, noodles, sausage, and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the paremsan evenly across the top.

Cover with tinfoil and bake for about 30 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for another 10-15 minutes, until cheese is brown and bubbly.

She keeps this pin (and a few other memorabilia) in her dining room next to a framed photo of the Queen. She used these when we were growing up, and my mom was trying to teach me and my two rambunctious brothers our table manners. Whenever we put our elbows on the table, chewed with our mouths open, or used our fingers as utensils, she would point to the framed photo and scold, “What would the QUEEN say!?” If you’ve ever dined with our family, you can tell that this tactic didn’t work that well, but how adorable is my mom?!?

Dear readers, I also have to tell you that my mom and I firmly believe that we are closely intertwined with the royal bloodline. I will let you be the judge, but doesn’t my grandmother Nanny look like the spitting image of the Queen???

The Queen ~***~ Nanny

Okay, so back to the scones. These are the most light, fluffy, and moist scones I have ever tasted outside of the British Isles. What Americans can’t seem to understand is that a scone is NOT supposed to be heavy with a texture resembling that of a brick. What you’re buying at Starbucks is NOT a scone, dear readers, it’s a stone.

Authentic scones are light as air, with a tender, flaky crumb. They melt in your mouth like a slightly sweet biscuit. They don’t crunch like a piece of biscotti. I was so excited to find this recipe on Four Obsessions – it comes straight from her “British mum.” I substituted cream for milk and shortened the baking time just a tad.

Authentic British Cream Scones
adapted from Four Obsessions

1 3/4 cups flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup butter
1 cup dried fruit (optional)
1/3 cup heavy cream
1 large egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Sift together the flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Cut in the butter until it’s chunky.

Then use your fingers to flatten the buttery bits into flakes, but don’t over-do it. It should not be as fine as cornmeal (like when you’re making biscuits) or else your scones will be heavy. Stir in the dried fruit, if desired.

Combine the cream and the egg, beating lightly. Add to the flour mixture and stir with a fork very lightly. Turn the crumbly dough out onto a floured surface and knead gently 5 to 6 times, just until the dough comes together.

Pat into a circle about 1-1.5 inches thick. Use a sharp knife to cut into 6 wedges. Place the wedges on a greased cookie sheet, and bake for 12-15 minutes. The tops will turn lightly golden. Allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Serve warm with clotted cream, butter, jam, and/or lemon curd.

A note on dried fruit and other additions:
We made our scones plain today because we were so excited about topping them with Devonshire cream on other goodies, but here are some other ideas for additions.

• Currants are the traditional route for scones.
• Dried pears with crystallized ginger
• Dried peaches and dried cranberries
• Chopped dried cherries (especially good with orange zest)
• Chopped dried cherries with chocolate chunks
• Fresh or dried blueberries (especially good with lemon zest)
• Combination of raisins (golden, dark, etc.)

After college, mom and her two best friends lived together in a one-bedroom apartment in Atlanta. The apartment came with 2 cats. None of them knew much about cooking, but they would make these cookies together from Kay’s grandmother’s special recipe.

This cookie has a delicate crumb, a cakey texture, and a subtle spice. Warm out of the oven is the best way to eat them. They are also amazing with chocolate chips in place of the raisins. I have grown up eating these delicious scone-like treats. This comforting, old-fashioned cookie goes perfectly with a tall glass of cold milk!

DoDo’s Oatmeal Cookies
from my mom’s friend Kay’s grandmother Dodo

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
2 cups oatmeal
2 cups chopped raisins
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
8 tablespoons buttermilk

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter, sugar, and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Add the oatmeal. Sift flour, soda, and cinnamon together in a medium bowl. Alternate adding the dry ingredients and the buttermilk to the creamed mixture. Then gently stir in the raisins and the nuts – do not overmix. Drop on greased cookie sheet. Bake for 12-14 minutes.

One of my favorite delicacies of southern cuisine is a tall glass of ice cold sweet tea. People in other parts of the country might not completely understand our love affair with this curious beverage, but I’ll bet that if I poured you a glass after a hot day in the sun and set you in a rocking chair on my front porch, you’d start to understand.

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