A piece of cake ...

It's April and we had our first potluck pic-nic of the season yesterday. That doesn't always happen in Minnesota. I remember April's when there was snow on the ground. But we've had an early and warm spring this year ... so it was the perfect time to CELEBRATE the end of winter!!! We met at a friend's house and all brought something to share. My friend Sandy contributed this delicious dessert. And the unexpected ingredient in this recipe was a cup of Sprite!

Pistachio Cake
Ingredients:
1 white or yellow cake mix
1 cup vegetable oil
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. pistachio instant pudding
4 large eggs
1 cup Sprite or 7-UP
1 cup chopped nuts (almonds or pecans)
Frosting:
1 (3.4 oz) pkg. pistachio instant pudding
1/2 cup milk
8 oz. Cool Whip (thawed in refrigerator for 4 hours)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease bottom of 9-by-13-inch baking pan.
Combine cake mix, oil, pudding mix, eggs, Sprite, chopped nuts and beat for about 4 minutes. Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 for 35 to 40 minutes. Check after 30 minutes. Bake until toothpick comes out clean.
Cool in pan completely. To make frosting, beat pudding and milk for 2 minutes, then fold in Cool Whip. Frost cake and keep refrigerated.

Summer's here ... get grillin'

In these parts, Memorial Day weekend and Labor Day weekend pretty much book-end summer. We start grilling as soon as we can after the snow melts, but the arrival of Memorial Day makes summer official. Sometimes, we grill all year long, as long as the wind-chill isn't too far down on the thermometer! Italian sausage and brats are one of our grill favs. We like to simmer them in beer and onions first. Not only does it shorten the grilling time, but it also melts out some of the excess fat and adds extra flavor. The technique works for any other uncooked sausages you prefer.
BEER-SIMMERED GRILLED ITALIAN SAUSAGE
Makes 6 to 8 servings.
• 3 pounds uncooked Italian sausage
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 3 cups beer, as needed
• water
To poach brats: Prick each sausage a few times. Place sausages in a large kettle or Dutch oven. Add beer and water to cover. (Note: Ratio should be 3 parts beer to 1 part water.) Place over medium heat. Gradually bring liquid to a simmer, not a rapid boil. Poach sausages for 4 to 5 minutes or until half-cooked. Drain sausages in colander.

To prepare grill: Set up grill for direct grilling over medium-high heat.

To grill sausages: Grill for 4 to 6 minutes per side or until casings are crisp and nicely browned and sausages are cooked through.

To serve: Transfer sausages to plates or platter. Let rest for 3 minutes. Serve with plenty of mustard!

• Don't crowd the grill: When dripping fat causes a flare-up, you'll need to move the sausages to another section of the grill.
• Arm yourself with a water pistol: A few quick squirts of water will help control flare-ups. But don't overdo it; too much water will put out the fire.