Cowboy food

Got this book from Cumquat's the other day. Veeeery interesting. Published in 1997: a collection of recipes arranged by location within the US.
Lotta beans in there. Beans n' rice. Beans n' meat. Chili n' beans. Beans n' beans.
But seeing as we all know how to make chili con carne anyway, let's disregard el beanos for now and look at the MUCH MORE INTERESTING stuff on offer.
What is it with American lowbrow cooking? Why do they call for so much prepackaged brand-name product? To make a pie, why not just make a crust and make a filling yourself, instead of specifying x-brand biscuits to mash up for a crust and a tin of bought pie filling? (Just thinking about tins of pie filling make me uneasy. What the hell's in there...?)
It creeps me out, imagining doing a run to the supermarket before baking and ending up with a trolley full of stuff that would probably survive a nuclear (nucular) blast.
Something's not right with that. It's not cooking, it's assembling. And it's fake, like 1950s domestic fake. But it IS very creative. Somebody had to invent this stuff. Anyway. See exhibit A.

Grasshopper Pie

1 package Oreos
quarter cup melted butter
1 bag white marshmallows
1 cup milk
2 cups whipped cream
6 tbsps creme de menthe

(Are you freaking out yet?)

Crush cookies into fine crumbs. Reserve a few for topping. Add melted butter to crumbs and mix well. Press into pie dish. Carefully melt marshmallows in milk using a double boiler. Cool until syrupy.
Add cream to cooled marshmallows. Fold in the liqueur. Pour over crust and sprinkle with leftover crumbs. Refrigerate overnight: can be frozen.

Now see exhibit B.

Dirt Dessert

1 package Oreos (there's a pattern here)
1 8oz package Philadelphia cream cheese
three quarters cup butter
1 cup sugar
8 oz Cool Whip
2 three-ounce packages of instant chocolate pudding
2 and a half cups milk
Half cup Irish Cream liqueur
1 washed flower pot, approx 6in diameter x 5in high
washed fresh flowers

Crush cookies in processor and set aside. Mix together cream cheese, butter, sugar and Cool Whip. In a separate bowl mix pudding, milk and liqueur. Stir the two mixtures together.
Line bottom of flower pot with aluminium (aluminum) foil. Spread half the crumbs on bottom. Pour in pudding mixture. Top with remaining crumbs. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Just before serving, insert flowers into pot.