COOL WHIP PEACH MELBA – Anniversary

and a Lobster Dinner

We went to Elbow Beach Surf Club on the beautiful island of Bermuda for our honeymoon. It was nestled on 50 acres with a spectacular ocean view, a private beach of pink sand and pristine gardens throughout. (I hope we noticed all that beauty!)

I do remember that one night for dessert we were served Peach Melba; a dessert thawas truly new to us and one we thoroughly enjoyed. Fast forward a year. It’s our Anniversary and we are now parents living on a shoestring. However, I wanted to do something extraordinary as a surprise for our special dinner, so I decided to duplicate Peach Melba. This recipe seemed to fit into my culinary comfort zone and happily it was a success.

Over the years I have made many, many different Peach Melba desserts and while all were probably enjoyable and delicious, none were as memorable as that one.

So, 62 years later, I am recreating Cool Whip Peach Melba for our anniversary dessert.

NOTE: You can use canned peaches that are drained, saving 3 tablespoons of the juice.

If you use fresh peaches, they will provide their own juice as you chop them.

Combine the chopped peaches, juice and sugar and carefully stir into the Cool Whip, which you have put in a separate bowl, until well blended, but not mashed.

Spoon ¼ of the peach mixture into the buttered Cool Whip container. Spread one full tablespoon of the preserves over the peach mixture. Repeat twice more, using all the preserves, and ending with the peach mixture.

Freeze until firm – at least 8 hours or overnight. Unmold and garnish with a few peach slices or some chopped peaches and a little sprinkling of more raspberry preserves. Don’t wait too long to slice and serve.

PS: of course, now that whipped cream comes in a squirt can, you can add some decadence with a layer of whipped cream overall. As my Sister Flora was fond of saying “why not!”

In the early days of our married life dinners out in restaurants were not possible, children were small, money was tight and babysitters were expensive so we celebrated at home indulging in a nice bottle of wine after the little ones were in bed. Many years later we were able to splurge with a night out, and did enjoy a few but lobsters and restaurants don’t mix. Now fast forward many, many, many years!  We skip the fancy dinners at expensive restaurants and indulge in 2 ½ -3 lb lobsters (there is always lobster left over to enjoy the next day). Dinner is for just the 2 of us. Charlie steams them at home and we first enjoy an appetizer followed by the lobsters, maybe corn on the cob or a blue cheese salad and an extraordinary bottle of wine and a little Frank Sinatra music. Happy Anniversary to Us! It has been a most wonderful adventure!

BUON MANGIATA!