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Monday, December 13, 2010

Wishing Jane a Happy 235th

It's Monday, it's morning...and I'm barely awake. Must have coffee soon!

Hope you all had a good weekend. Ours was very snowy. However, before the flakes began to fall, I made a trek up to Wisconsin to attend the annual JASNA-WI luncheon and Jane Austen birthday celebration. It's always such fun! I'm blogging about the event today at Austen Authors (the writers in the picture are all fellow members of that loop: Jack Caldwell, Kathryn L. Nelson, Abigail Reynolds, me, C. Allyn Pierson), so please stop by and say hello if you have a chance.

And, in honor of our dear Jane's 235th -- which will be this Thursday, December 16th -- here is a reprisal of my super-easy English trifle recipe:

Marilyn's Easy English Trifle

1 angel food cake, divided into halves
1 large package fresh strawberries, washed and sliced
1 container Cool Whip, refrigerated (not frozen)
8 individual vanilla pudding cups
Sherry to taste

Layer 1/3 of the strawberries on the bottom of a large, clear serving bowl, put half of the angel food cake on top of that (pull it into chunks so the strawberries are covered with cake), douse it with a little sherry. Then spread 4 of the puddings onto the cake layer and put half of the Cool Whip on top of that. Repeat with the next 1/3 of strawberries, the second half of the angel food cake, more sherry (!!), the last 4 puddings and the remainder of the Cool Whip. Use the final 1/3 of the strawberries to decorate the top.

ENJOY!

10 comments:

Tonya Kappes said...

Yum!! I'm definitely going to try the truffle!!! Happy Birthday Jane. It looks like you had a great time.

Edie Ramer said...

The truffle recipe does look super easy. I could make that, too.

I'm glad you had such a good time--and that you missed the snow, rain, sleet and wind.

Pamela Cayne said...

Isn't there supposed to be an orange liqueur in there or something? (Or is that just the way we make things in my family?) ;-)

So glad you not only had a great time, but got home before Snomageddon hit. I think my folks in Minneapolis are STILL digging out!

Marilyn Brant said...

Tonya, if you decide to try it, please let me know if you like it!!

Edie, it *is* easy... I don't make difficult things (unlike *some* people I know who can whip up a cheesecake ;-).

Pamela, you can feel free to add any other liqueur to it that you'd like, my friend! (I bet the orange stuff would taste good in there. :) And, oh, so sorry to hear about your parents. I know Minneapolis got hit really hard -- ugh!

Robin said...

That sounds yummy! I'll definitely make it in the next couple weeks! Thanks for sharing the recipe.

We're expecting lots of rain here starting tomorrow. It was 80 degrees over the weekend! I'm ready for some winter weather, though. Otherwise, it doesn't feel like the holidays. Have a great week!

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

As I (ahem) share a birthday with Jane, I refuse to cook, even something as delicious sounding as your trifle. And as I'm so many years younger than our Jane I'll stop complaining about the wrinkles and grey hair! :)

Amazing that her work is still so popular after more than 2 centuries.

Judy(South Africa)

Caryn said...

I wonder what Jane Austen would think if she knew people were still celebrating her birthday so many years after her death!

Marilyn Brant said...

Robin, my friend, I would very much like to share with you some of the bounty of our wintery weather ;). We have MUCH of it to go around!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JUDY!!!!!!!!!! I will sing (in the privacy of my home and away from the sensitive hearing of small animals) a rousing b-day song for you & Jane on Thursday!

Caryn, I have no doubt she'd find it oddly gratifying (a vindication that her writing talent withstood the ages) and, alternately, more than a little horrifying -- LOL.

Enid Wilson said...

I love cakes, especially chocolate ones! Happy birthday, JA.

Fire and Cross

Judy Croome | @judy_croome said...

Marilyn, I heard that rousing rendition of H B/day all the way over here! It was beautiful! Jane & I thank you!!!!! :)

Judy (South Africa)