Weekend Cook

Spicy Spaghetti with Fennel and Herbs

2010-03-13T10:09:00.003-05:00

Has it really been 2 weeks since my last post? Talk about time flying! Seriously though, I have been pretty busy. Two of our kids were here over last weekend with their families and there is always so much to do...especially with 2 little boys! My husband left for Myrtle Beach last Saturday on his annual golf pilgrimage with a bunch of friends. I set my sights on doing some much needed organizing and enjoyed holding the remote a couple of evenings while I watched some favorite shows. Today reality is back as he will be home in a few hours.

So that has gotten me thinking more about cooking.

I did a detoxification this week....very healthy stuff, lots of fruits and vegetables, no starch, no sugar and lost 7 pounds...YAY! So now that I have gotten a jumpstart, I have to continue as spring is around the corner and so is SUMMER!!! Now my husband loves his Italian food and pasta, in modification, is OK. So I found a recipe in BonApptit that I think he and I will both love, that will be healthy and tasty. I plan to use DeBoles Jerusalem Artichoke Flour Pasta which I consider to be the closest to semolina pasta in flavor once you add your ingredients. So this is going to be tomorrow's dinner...not quite mama's Sunday spaghetti and meatballs, but a bit healthier version of pasta.

Spicy Spaghetti with Fennel and Herbs

1 3-oz pkg pancetta, chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

3 garlic cloves, chopped

2 large red jalapeno chiles, seeded, finely chopped (About 1/4 cup)

2 large fennel bulbs, stalks trimmed, cut into thin wedges with some core attached

1-1/2 cups low-salt chicken broth

4 Tbsp finely chopped fresh Italian parsley, divided

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1-1/2 tsps. crushed fennel seeds

1 lb. spaghetti

2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil

1-1/2 cups finely grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

Saute pancetta in large skillet over medium heat until pancetta is golden. Using slotted spoon, transfer pancetta to paper towels.

Add 1 Tbsp olive oil to drippings in skillet. Add garlic and chiles; saute ovr medium heat 1 minute.

Add fennel; cook until beginning to soften, 5 minutes. Mix in broth, 2 Tbsp parsley, lemon juice, and fennel seeds. Bring to a boil.

Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until fennel is very tender, 20 minutes.

Remove from heat and season with salt and pepper.

Cook pasta until tender; drain. Reserve 1 cup cooking liquid. Return pasta to pot.

Uncover skillet with fennel mixture and return to high heat. Cook until almost all liquid is absorbed, about 4 minutes.

Add fennel to pasta. Stir in 2 Tbsp olive oil, 1/2 cup cheese and pancetta.

Add cooking liquid by 1/4 cupfuls if dry.

Toss pasta; transferr to serving bowl. Sprinkle 2 Tbsp parsley over and serve with grated cheese.

Roasted Asparagus Salad

2010-03-02T19:06:00.002-05:00

We still have snow on the ground here in upstate New York...probably will for several more weeks. Winter does not go away gently for us. Comfort food like mac and cheese, hearty soups and stews tend to make us feel better about being inside...safe and warm....belly happy and full! BUT....all that comfort food can make your belly grow! I was flipping through the March issue of Southern Living .....yes I am dreaming about better weather, and not growing out of my summer clothes...and found this beautiful salad that I had to try. It is a carnival of color and goodness. (I added some roasted baby yellow squash to this.) I will be making this again and again. What I also loved about the dish is that you can prepare it ahead of time and put it together when you are ready to serve. Also, it looks gorgeous on a platter or would be beautiful served on individual plates for a small dinner party. Happy for your palate and healthy for you, this is a must try.

Roasted Asparagus Salad (Picture from Southern Living)

Serves 8
1-1/2 lb fresh asparagus
1/2 cup olive oil, divided
1-1/2 TBSP chopped fresh basil, divided
1/2 tsp lemon pepper
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 cup halved cherry tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1 head Bibb lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1 avocado, sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
Snap off and discard tough ends of asparagus; remove scales with a vegetable peeler, if desired. Stir together 1 Tbsp. olive oil, 1-1/2 tsp chopped basil, 1/2 tsp lemon pepper, and 1/4 tsp salt in a large bowl.
Add asparagus to olive oil mixture and toss gently to coat. Place asparagus on a lightly greased baking sheet.
Bake asparagus at 425 degrees for 13 to 15 minutes or to desired degree of tenderness. Cool 10 minutes.
Whisk together balsamic vinegar, garlic and remaining 7 Tbsp olive oil, 1 Tbsp basil and 1/4 tsp salt. Toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, onion, and 1Tbsp balsamic vinegar mixture.
Arrange lettuce on platter or individual serving plates. Top with tomato mixture and asparagus. Add avocado just before serving. Drizzle with remaining balsamic vinegar mixture.

To make ahead, toss together tomatoes, bell pepper, and onion without dressing. Store these ready-to-use ingredients in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 5 hours. The dressing and asparagus can also be made up to eight hours before serving.

Apple Cake with Rum Sauce

2010-02-25T20:49:00.004-05:00

It was a very snow-y day today....and more to follow. LOTS more! A few posts back, I asked what do you do when you are snow-bound? Well, my answer was bake! And that is exactly what I did this evening.

It is especially comforting for me to have the aroma of cinnamon filling the house when it is cold outside. It is a warm and cozy, home-y feeling. I fixed a nice dinner and then we were able to savor the result of the beautiful fragrance that had been wafting around. This is a very simple but elegant dessert. You can substitute rum flavoring for the real thing. If you like the taste of almond, substitute Amaretto or almond flavoring for the rum. I like to add a few golden raisins to the rum sauce while it is cooking. And if you are using Amaretto, sprinkle some toasted sliced almonds on top of the warm sauce. Serve with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla if you want to be more decadent!

Apple Cake with Rum Sauce

Makes 6 servings

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

3/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/8 tsp salt

4 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

2 cups grated, unpeeled Granny Smith apples

Rum Sauce: 1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup half and half

Dash of ground nutmeg

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

2-3 Tbsp rum

In small bowl, stir together flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. In large bowl, cream butter, sugar and egg until light and fluffy. Stir in grated apples. Blend in flour mixture. Pour into a greased 8-inch square pan. Bake at 400 degrees for 30-35 minutes. May be cooled and stored, covered, in baking pan. Before serving, reheat at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Cut into squares and serve with Rum Sauce. In top of double boiler, combine butter, sugar and half and half. Cook over boiling water, stirring constantly, until slightly thickened, about 10 minutes Cool slightly. Add nutmeg, vanilla and rum. Serve warm over heated cake. Makes 1-1/4 cups.

Apricot Puff Pastry Twists

2010-02-15T20:01:00.005-05:00

I have often made cheese twists to put out on an appetizer table. They are so savory, as well as being easy finger food! I have made them from scratch and also used puff pastry.

I recently came across Food Network's Robin Miller's recipe for Apricot Puff Pastry Twists. And wow, how easy and good these sound!

We are having a sweets table at work where some coworkers are raising money for the Heart Association. Each Thursday during February, these three women have been baking their little hearts out and raising lots of dough which they will donate to our local event, America's Greatest Heart Run and Walk. This week I am going to donate my baking skills to their selection and make some of these twists, using Sugar Free Apricot Preserves. This will be a calorie friendly treat! Plus they go great with coffee or tea, and if you make these for dessert at home, serve them along with some good vanilla ice cream or low-fat frozen yogurt. I also plan to make some butterscotch chip cookies. They have had some wonderful treats over the past weeks, and I want to help them out so they can maximize their contribution to this very worthy cause.

Robin Miller's Apricot Puff-Pasty Twists
1 sheet of frozen puff pastry dough, thawed according to package directions
1/2 cup apricot preserves
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Using rolling pin, roll out puff pastry into rectangle about
17" X 14".
Spread preserves over one-half of dough yo within 1/4" of edges. Fold dough in half over preserves, like a book. Pop this into the freezer for a few minutes for easy cutting. Using sharp knife or pizza wheel, cut dough crosswise into 1/2-in. thick ribbons. Take each ribbon by ends and twist into corkscrew. Arrange corkscrews on large baking sheet and press down the ends against sheet (this prevents them from untwisting during baking). Bake until puffed up and golden brown, about 10 minutes. These twists are super warm or cold.

Orange Creamsicle Pudding Parfait

2010-02-14T14:20:00.006-05:00

One of the really yummy treats I found while following the South Beach Diet a few years ago was made with part-skim ricotta cheese, It gave me the feeling that I was being indulgent while dieting. I still love it, and recently I came across a recipe for a delicious citrus-y parfait using ricotta that would make the perfect ending for dinner. What I really like about it is that it uses Greek yogurt and oranges in it, along with the ricotta. Winter in the northeast doesn't provide much in the way of wonderful fruits, and what there is, is usually expensive. However, oranges are plentiful and since they are so good for you in helping to ward off colds, I think this is a perfect way to use some "winter" fruits. Stonyfield recently provided me with some great coupons for their Greek yogurt. Greek yogurt is creamier and thicker than regular yogurt and the plain version provides a wonderful base for cool desserts, baking and cooking.
Stonyfield began in 1983 in New Hampshire and if you don't know their story or have ever tried their products, click here http://www.stonyfield.com/stonyfield/index.jsp.
They have exceptional quality products and I am sure you will like them once you try them.

Now as for my special dessert, here is the recipe. Remember those great orange creamsicles you ate as a kid? Well, here is a grown-up version. It is healthy and delicious and a good way to get your Vitamin C and calcium, without adding a lot of calories.

Orange Creamsicle Pudding Parfait
2 cups part-skim ricotta cheese
2 pkgs sugar free fat-free white chocolate pudding mix
1/4 cup (1%) milk
1/2 cup (2%) plain Greek yogurt
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 orange
20 drops yellow and 3 drops red liquid food colorings
2 cups thawed frozen fat free whipped topping
Orange slices and mint sprigs to garnish (optional)
In food processor combine 1 cup ricotta, 1 pkg. dry pudding mix, milk, 1/4 cup yogurt and vanilla; process until very smooth. Transfer to bowl; cover. Grate 1 tsp. orange zest and squeeze 1/4 cup juice from orange into food processor. Add food colorings and remaining 1 cup ricotta, 1 pkg. pudding mix and 1/4 cup yogurt; process until very smooth.
Transfer to separate bowl; cover.
Refrigerate both pudding mixes 2 hours or overnight.
When ready to serve, fold 1 cup topping into each pudding mixture. Transfer to separate food storage bags; snip one corner of each. Place both bags, cut corners down, into a large pastry bag fitted with a large star tip. Pipe mixture into 6 glasses. If desired, garnish with orange slice and mint. Or, if you are lazy like me...just alternate the layers in your parfait glass!!

Strawberry Cupcake Fame!

2010-02-08T19:56:00.005-05:00

Imagine my surprise, a couple of months ago, when I was asked if a recipe that I had posted on my blog, could be used for a big event taking place in our city. The event is called "Makeover My Heart" and this is its second year. It is a day put aside to raise awareness to the number one health issue for women...heart disease. I attended last year's event and this year's was even better. Here is a link where you can see how fun the day was. http://www.flickr.com/photos/makeovermyheart/sets/72157623377804340/show

It was clear that the organizers did a lot of work to make it an exceptional day. An interesting note is that the day before it was Go Red For Women day, another heart related event. Hence, all the red you see in the pictures at this event!

Click here to visit the Makeover My Heart Blog http://www.makeovermyheart.org/

Anyway, back to the cupcakes. In her search, the director of the event found my blog and these yummy cupcakes which were the luncheon dessert this year. I am honored and they were a hit. Thank goodness I didn't have to make them all for almost 400 people! But I thank Lisa for this wonderful opportunity and putting on a wonderful day for women. I personally had a hand massage, a chair massage, met some wonderful women and ran into some I haven't seen in a while. It was a great day! As for the cupcakes? Give them a try...easy, delicious and very easy on the calories! This is worth a repost!!

STRAWBERRY CUPCAKES

1 box Betty Crocker white cake mix

1 cup unsweetened applesauce

3/4 cup water

3 egg whites

1-1/2 cups fat free strawberry yogurt

3/4 cup Lite Cool Whip

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line 24 cupcake tins with paper wrappers.

Remove Cool Whip from freezer to let it thaw.

Mix together the cake mix, 3/4 cup of the yogurt, the applesauce, the water and the egg whites. Beat on medium speed until smooth.

Pour into 24 prepared cupcake tins lined with papper wrappers. Each tin should be about 3/4 full.

Bake for 20-26 minutes ir until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

Remove and let cool.

Mix together the Cool Whip and the remaining 3/4 cup of strawberry yogurt. Spread on the cooled cupcakes.Serve with sliced strawberries on top if desired.

Fruit Squares...Easy as Pie

2010-02-02T19:56:00.004-05:00

This recipe is as old as the hills for me! It goes back at least 25 years and it is always a hit. It's great for a crowd or a takealong. I know...one pound of butter! But let me tell you, you don't have to cut these in huge squares. They are so delicious and taste just like pie, only without the crust. The best part is that it takes very little time to prepare. You can top this with a dollop of fresh whipped cream or vanilla ice cream....YUM!

Kuchen Fruit Squares

1 lb. Margarine or butter
6 cups flour
2 cups sugar
2 tsps baking powder
2 different canned pie fillings, like strawberry and blueberry, pineapple and blackberry

Melt butter or margarine; mix with other ingredients in a large bowl. Mixture will be slightly crumbly. Using ½ of the mixture, pat half of the mixture for a crust on the bottom of a 9x13 pan. Cover each half of the crust with a different pie filling. Take the remaining mixture and sprinkle over the top of the pie fillings. Bake at 350 degrees until golden brown. Cool completely and cut into squares.

I found my Mojo (sauce) in Puerto Rico!

2010-01-30T15:31:00.013-05:00

I have been absent for a week because the hubs and I went to San Juan, Puerto Rico for a nice little "sunnymoon". We had some Hilton points and enough miles for 2 free airfares, so we booked a nice much needed vacation at the Caribe Hilton. It was fantastic...warm, sunny, tropical breezes, mojitos, and GREAT food! This was our third time there, but it has been 5 years since our last visit.

I just OD-ed on all the wonderful fruits and superb cooking. We have a favorite restaurant that serves very homestyle food...simple, inexpensive... El Jibarito, that is frequented by the locals. http://eljibaritopr.com/ You can see some of the great food we had, and a look at the place itself, by clicking on the link.

Our waiter, Angel, who has taken care of us on all of our visits to the restaurant, ordered for us.
When he brought us fresh red snapper that had been breaded and fried, it was like a picture!
We also had bistecca (cube steak) with onions and mofongo (mashed plantain and yucca). Before we went there, we sat at a sidewalk cafe. My husband had a mojito and I had a pina colada while we munched on some fantastic tostones (fried plaintains).

We did a lot of walking and exploring of Old San Juan. It is a beautiful, colorful city that is rich in history. There are forts to explore, a lush, tropical rainforest to visit and shops and sidewalk vendors galore. And of course, there is always relaxing by the pool or ocean to round out the perfect vacation.
It is certainly hard to come back to Central New York, because when we left yesterday it was early in the day and already 77 degrees. When we awoke today it was 4 below zero. Welcome back to reality!! The good thing is that we can replicate some of the great food we ate and think warm!!

Tostones
3 green plantains
Vegetable oil for frying
Garlic salt or plain salt

Making tostones is easy….. Slice the peeled plantains diagonally into 1" slices. Fry the slices over medium heat until they soften. Remove from oil and drain on paper towels. Using a tostonera (a press), slightly mash each piece to about half an inch in thickness. If a tostonera is not available insert the pieces between a folded piece of brown-paper sack and press down using a saucer. It is best to press all the pieces first before going on the next step. Dip each piece in warm salted water and fry again until crispy. Remove from the oil and drain on paper towels. Salt them. Tostones may be served with ketchup (kid's favorite) or with garlic sauce or mojo sauce. (Plantains are a member of the banana family. They are a starchy, low in sugar variety that is cooked before serving as it is unsuitable raw. It is used in many savory dishes somewhat like a potato would be used and is very popular in Western Africa and the Caribbean countries. It is usually fried or baked.)

MOJO SAUCE Makes about 1 1/2 cups
Good quality olive oil -- 1 cup
Garlic, crushed -- 6-10 cloves
Lemon or lime juice -- 1/4 cup
Salt -- 1/2 teaspoon
Method
Place all of the ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth.
Adjust the amount of salt or juice to taste.
You can also add some crushed red pepper to kick up the taste

A NOTE ABOUT PLANTAINS

Many people confuse plantains with bananas, some of the differences are noted above. Although they look a lot like green bananas and are a close relative, plantains are very different. They are starchy, not sweet, and they are used as a vegetable in many recipes, especially in Latin America and Africa. Plantains are sold in the fresh produce section of the supermarket, they usually resemble green bananas; ripe plantains may be black in color. Plantains are longer than bananas and they have thicker skins. They also have natural brown spots and rough areas.

Baking with my Grandson

2010-01-19T17:57:00.004-05:00

My 2-1/2 year old grandson, Aidan, loves to "help" in the kitchen! His favorite recipe is cupcakes! I had him all day Sunday while his older brother and mom and dad were out, so part of our day we spent baking. Of course, the first on the list was a batch of chocolate cupcakes with sprinkles...everything from the box and the can! Who cares, he thinks I am a genius who creates wonderful things and allows him hold on to the hand mixer with me! Next up was a beer bread that is a Robin Miller recipe from The Food Network. Aidan's favorite part of that was mixing the dry ingredients first and then watching me add the foamy beer to those ingredients. But no drinking was allowed!

After that I made a fragrant and delicious French Onion soup which we were going to have for supper. He said his eyes were stinging so he lost interest in what I was doing!

When supper came around however, we were able to coax him into trying some of the soup broth . Lo and behold he loved it and wanted a bowl of his own. You just never know with kids.

Of course, after that we celebrated with those great cupcakes that he couldn't wait to get his hands on!! He eyed them all through supper!

Now here's the recipe for the cupcakes: Open the box of mix and dump it in the bowl....add the ingredients the box calls for...bake according to box directions...remove from oven and cool. Open can of frosting and frost the cupcakes...add some sprinkles!! So easy a(n) (almost) 3-year old can do it!

But I am including the beer bread recipe which is very tasty and a great side with a bowl of soup!

Quick Fix Beer Bread
Serves: 4 to 6 servings

Ingredients
Cooking spray
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 ounces lager beer
2 tablespoons olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Coat an 8-inch loaf pan with cooking spray.
In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Make a well in the center. Pour in beer and olive oil and mix until just blended. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan and bake 45 minutes, until golden brown.

What Does Your Ideal Snow Day Say About You?

2010-01-15T19:28:00.011-05:00

I was browsing through a magazine and had to tear an article out to share. The Personality Insight question of "What Does Your Ideal 'SnowDay' Say About You" was posed. A psychologist, Kathleen Nickerson, Ph.D., from http://feelbetternetwork.com/ says that snow days provide an opportunity to participate in activities you love but rarely have time for. So what are some of those activities? And where do you see yourself?

Baking Up a Storm (This is what I selected.) Nickerson states that bakers tell her what a release it is to create something out of flour, sugar and butter. Following a recipe's instructions zaps stress by turning off the analytical part of the brain and suggests that you crave an escape from a high-octane routine.

Sledding Nickerson states that the more action-packed the snow day, the more likely you are to be intoverted. Interestingly, introverts lean toward physical activites because they prefer to show what they're interested in rather than talk about their hobbies. Plus this is something you can do with your kids to keep them happy.

Playing Board Games If you like to match wits and enjoy seeing how people think, then this is probably how you would choose to spend your day. You love to strategize and this opens a door to conversation and something that is fun. And again, this is another opportunity to engage your kids to keep them occupied.

Cracking Open a Good Book Nickerson says here that reading activates the language part of your brain and the part for visualization. It is a workout for the brain, because it brings both halves of your brain together.

Curling Up With a Movie Watching a movie compels you to imagine what you would do if you were that character in a similar situation. Nickerson says you are a born problem-solver, artistic yet analytical and you have the ability to empathize.

Do you have other activities that keep you busy on a snow day? I hope that you are enjoying the gray days of winter by putting your own rays of sunshine in them! Have a great weekend!

Cleaning out the Pantry Yields a Coffeecake!

2010-01-14T21:02:00.004-05:00

It's a long weekend for our daughter who is a school counselor as there is no school on Monday. So she and her family are coming for a visit. I am in the process of trying to look through my pantry and use what I have rather than spending on new! I came across this recipe from a Cooking Light issue from 2000. I have posted the photo from the recipe because it was so enticing. I have one package of cranberries in the freezer to use up and I found one package of hazelnuts hiding among the baking supplies. The only thing I have to buy is sour cream!

When this time of the year comes around, I get in the mood to start CLEANING OUT! After the holidays, we tend to want to purge ourselves of "stuff" and turn our thoughts to spring cleaning. I like to start with the pantry because that is where I have my "extras" that I bought during the holidays. I hate to throw anything away, so I have been finding little ways to change up the leftovers with pantry finds!

How many others out there are doing the same thing? Have you found a surprise find that you forgot about and decided to use? As for me, I can't wait to take a taste of this coffeecake this weekend.

Cranberry-Hazelnut Coffeecake
Streusel:
1/4 cup sifted cake flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped hazelnuts
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon butter or stick margarine, melted
Cake:
1 2/3 cups sifted cake flour
1 cup granulated sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 (8-ounce) carton fat-free sour cream, divided
1 large egg
1 large egg white
5 tablespoons butter or stick margarine, softened
Remaining ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 cups fresh cranberries, chopped
Preparation
Preheat oven to 350°.
To prepare streusel, lightly spoon 1/4 cup flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine 1/4 cup flour and next 4 ingredients (1/4 cup flour through 1 tablespoon butter) in a bowl; toss well. Set aside.
To prepare cake, lightly spoon 1 2/3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine 1 2/3 cups flour and next 4 ingredients (1 2/3 cups flour through salt), stirring well with a whisk. Combine vanilla, 1/4 cup sour cream, egg, and egg white in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Place remaining sour cream and 5 tablespoons butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended (about 2 minutes). Add flour mixture to butter mixture alternately with egg mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture.
Spread half of batter into a 9-inch springform pan coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle cranberries over batter. Spread remaining batter over cranberries. Sprinkle streusel mixture over batter. Bake at 350° for 45 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

General Mills Cereals for your kids~Coupon

2010-01-09T20:25:00.004-05:00

Eat breakfast so that you don't pig out later on.

Recently General Mills announced a commitment to further reduce sugar in cereals advertised to kids under 12 to single digit grams of sugar per serving. The company has already been reducing sugar in cereals while increasing key nutrients, such as calcium and vitamin D, and providing whole grain.

My Blogspark provided me with coupons for some free boxes of cereal right before the holidays. Having the grandkids around, this was a nice help with the grocery bill! Our little boys love Golden Grahams and things like Cinnamon Toast Crunch. While I have always hesitated buying those cereals (especially at the request of their mom!!), I was pleasantly surprised to read the great nutrients these cereals can provide, even though they are pre-sweetened.

Did you know that ready-to-eat cereal eaters consume less fat, less cholesterol and more fiber than non-cereal eaters? Cereals also deliver important vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients, making cereal a top source of key nutrients in children’s diets. Other cereal benefits:
Ready-to-eat cereals, including presweetened cereals, account for only 5% of sugar in children’s diets.

Ready-to-eat cereal is the No. 1 source of whole grains in a child’s diet today.
More frequent cereal eaters tend to have healthier body weights and lower Body Mass Index measures. Studies also demonstrate the benefits of eating breakfast. A 1998 study showed that children who eat breakfast tend to perform better at school. Compared to children who skip breakfast, children who eat breakfast score higher on tests, are less likely to miss class or be tardy, have fewer reported discipline problems, and make fewer trips to the office. For more information about kids and cereals, please visit Cereal Health and Wellness.

So if you would like to give one of these cereals a try, here is a little perk for you. Right now if you visit here you will find a $1 off coupon for one of four General Mills cereals. Enjoy and get your kids off to school on the right start.
Free coupons, information, and online coupon link have all been provided by General Mills and MyBlogSpark.

Check out this Giveaway!

2010-01-06T20:45:00.002-05:00

Ok my friends, if you love chocolate and you love coffee, pop on over to see Shelby at The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch . She has a really great giveaway to start the New Year off right!

Apple Brie Quesadilla

2010-01-05T20:03:00.002-05:00

We are cheese lovers in our family. And it seems that I am always attracted to appetizer recipes that include cheese. Many (OK...many) years ago in my earlier life of entertaining friends, I thought it was daring to put out a plate of cheese and crackers that included Harvarti, not just cheddar! Yes, that was thinking out of the box for me. As I became more attracted to cooking and baking and learning about new foods, wines and pairings, I found that if I was going to serve something to my guests, a plate of cheese and crackers was not going to cut it. I wanted different things, fun food, creative tastes. Those who know me best, know that I am an appetizer queen. I love to fuss with this course. This recipe is not only a great appetizer, it can be a good snack if you have some flour tortillas left over and don't know what to do with them. And it works as well with pears as it does with apples. Paired with a wonderful chilled, crisp white wine, this is superb to serve your guests. And it's not that boring plate of cheese!

Apple-Brie Quesadillas

Peel core and thinly slice a Granny Smith apple. Saute apples with 1 Tbsp butter.

Add 8 slices of fully cooked and cut-up bacon. Cook for 1 minute.

Spread 4-fajita size tortillas in a non-stick baking sheet.

Divide apples among the tortillas; top apples with 6 oz of sliced Brie cheese and 4 more tortillas. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through cooking. (This is tricky, so use a couple of spatulas to do this.) Remove from oven and cut into wedges and serve.

Chicken and Red Bean Tostadas

2010-01-02T17:44:00.003-05:00

Need some better ways to feed your hungry family in a pinch? Here is an idea for a quick Mexican meal. It can be prepped and done within 30 minutes. I cut it out of a magazine and not sure which one. But it is really good and I think it provides good nutritional value. If you have chicken during the week, prepare some extra to put away for this later in the week. Or make the chicken the night before and put in the fridge for the following day. If you don't have or don't like red beans, substitute black beans, or try a mixture of both. Also, you can shred the lettuce the night before and put in a zip-lock bag. You can also shave a few calories by using low-fat shredded Colby-Jack cheese. And using whole wheat tortillas will add some fiber! To add even more flavor, use a can of warmed vegetarian chili. Doing this will add more sodium to the dish, however.

Chicken and Red Bean Tostadas

4 10-inch flour tortillas (I buy the low-carb kind)

2 Tbsp vegetable oil

3 grilled chicken breast halves, chopped (about 12-oz total)

1 15-oz. can red beans, drained and rinsed

1-1/2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

4 cups shredded romaine lettuce (from 1 head)

1-1/2 cups tomato salsa (mild to hot depending on your taste)

1/2 cup low-fat sour cream

Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line 2 large baking sheets with foil. Place tortillas on baking sheets and brush with oil. Bake until lightly browned, 4 to 5 minutes. Divide chicken, beans and cheese among tortillas and return to oven. Bake until cheese has melted, 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from oven and top each portion with 1/4 of the salsa and sour cream. Serve immediately.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009-12-31T10:35:00.004-05:00

I have taken a week off from writing to spend with my family. It has been joyful and fun, filled with good times, good food and making memories with our grandsons.

It has been an amazing year in blog land and yes, sometimes stressful with work and family issues. But I raise a toast to all of you for your wonderful and insightful blogs, your fantastic ideas and creativity, and your amazing friendships. Happy 2010, everyone!! See you in the New Year.

Pasta Shells with Cauliflower, Canadian Bacon and Spinach

2009-12-21T23:16:00.004-05:00

Did you ever notice how "comfort food" makes you feel like you have eaten lead weights? It tastes so good going down, but can be loaded with fat calories. I found a recipe in my new issue of Cooking Club and I am going to make it for dinner after Christmas. Instead of Canadian bacon I am going to use pancetta, but due to the small amount in the recipe it shouldn't affect the calorie count. Using the cauliflower takes the place of some of the pasta and allows you to have a generous portion without piling on the calories. I will also choose to use the provolone, giving this more of an Italian flair. What I also like about this recipe is that it makes enough for 5 servings. And it uses the whole head of cauliflower. If you don't want to make this much, cut everything in half. Then you will have a half cauliflower to use for a side on another day. This will also take about a half hour to prepare and get table ready, leaving plenty of time for getting some New Year party planning done!

Pasta Shells with Cauliflower, Canadian Bacon and Spinach

1/4 cup Panko crumbs

3 Tsp olive oil, divided

6 oz. medium pasta shells (2 1/2 cups)

1 (1-lb) head cauliflower, cut into bite-size florets (4 cups)

1 medium onion, chopped

1/3 cup diced Canadian bacon (2 oz.)

8 cups baby spinach

1 cup Gruyere or sharp provolone cheese

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp pepper

Toast panko on 1 tsp. of the oil in small skillet over medium-low heat 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown, stirring constantly. Remove panko. Cook pasta with cauliflower according to pasta package directions. Drain, reserving 2/3 cup cooking water. Meanwhile, heat remaining 2 tsp. oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Cook onion and bacon 4 to 5 minutes or until golden brown, stirring frequently. Add spinach; cook and stir 1 to 2 minutes or just until wilted. Remove from heat. Add pasta, cauliflower, reserved cooking water, cheese, salt and pepper to skillet; stir to coat well. Serve sprinkled with panko. (I would sprinkle a little smoky paprika over the breadcrumbs for a little more color.)

Pomegranate Mimosas

2009-12-19T09:06:00.005-05:00

A few posts ago, I mentioned that our son, Anthony is always responsible for Christmas brunch. This year on Christmas Day, he will join us at our daughter Rhonda's home and we can observe how the magic of Santa has transformed our 2 grandsons. They live 2 hours away, so we will pack up early and get on the road. This is always so exciting. Not that the trip down is exciting...but watching the kids enjoy all their good fortune is so much fun. Back to brunch.... Because we are so busy opening presents in the morning, Anthony makes brunch after all the presents have been exchanged.... and it is always with flair! (And this is our son who made his debut appearance with his sister on the Food Network last night!) This has been his contribution for several years so we all look forward to it. I am making a contribution this year by bringing the mixings for Pomegranate Mimosas. Our other daughter who lives in Atlanta will not be able to join us. so we can offer a toast to her and her family with this colorful morning spritzer which I found in Southern Living. I'll just pack this all in a cooler with ice and it should be nice and chilled when we are ready to drink it. This will look very festive on the table and also add a little bit of healthiness to the day! (wink, wink) The nice thing about this is that you can either make a pitcher full or make it by the glass so even the kids can get in on the fun because you can easily do this without the alcohol. Easy...pretty...and toss a few pomegranate seeds in there to make it even better!

Pomegranate Mimosas

Just mix to taste

Leaded: Pomegranate Juice

Champagne

Unleaded: Pomegranate Juice

Sparkling water or Sprite

My Favorite Cookie Recipe!

2009-12-18T18:36:00.004-05:00

Thought you might enjoy a copy of my favorite Christmas cookie recipe:

1 cup of water

1 tsp. baking soda

1 cup of sugar

1 tsp. salt

1 cup of brown sugar

lemon juice

4 large eggs

1 cup nuts

2 cups of dried fruit

1 bottle Jose Cuervo Tequila

Sample the Cuervo to check quality. Take a large bowl, check the Cuervo again, to be sure it is of the highest quality. Pour one level cup and drink.

Turn on the electric mixer. Beat one cup of butter in a large fluffy bowl. Add one teaspoon of sugar. Beat again.

At this point it's best to make sure the Cuervo is still OK. Try another cup...just in case. Turn off the mixerer thingy.

Break 2 leggs and add to the bowl and chuck in the cup of dried fruit. Pick the frigging fruit off floor. Mix on the turner. If the fried druit gets stuck in the beaterers just pry it loose with a drewscriver.

Sample the Cuervo to check for tonsisticity. Next, sift two cups of salt, or something. Who giveshz a sheet. Check the Jose Cuervo. Now shift the lemon juice and strain your nuts. Add one table.

Add a spoon of sugar, or somefink. Whatever you can find. Greash the oven. Turn the cake tin 360 degrees and try not to fall over. Don't forget to beat off the turner.

Finally, throw the bowl through the window, finish the Cose Juervo and make sure to put the stove in the dishwasher. CHERRY MISTMAS

Have a great weekend!!

Onion Tart for Brunch

2009-12-15T19:18:00.003-05:00

On Christmas morning we are usually eating brunch and then having our dinner later in the day. I love brunch but unless we go out, we hardly ever make it at home. Our son is the brunch cook! He makes omelets to order...bless him. He doesn't go to bed until he has chopped and prepped for the next day. And he has gotten to the stage in his life where he finally cleans up too! I found this recipe and I thought it would be a great brunch item . I might even make it! (Although I do have a fun drink that I am making that I am posting later on in the week!) This will be lighter than bagels and more fun than plain toast. It is different and filled with yummy flavors and I think it would also make a very good appetizer.

Onion Tart

Heat 2 Tbsp butter over medium-high heat. Add one thinly sliced Vidalia onion. Cook 20 minutes, stirring until onions are browned and caramelized.

Add 1/2 tsp. fresh thyme leaves and 1/4 tsp. salt.

Unfold 1 sheet puff pastry onto greased nonstick baking sheet and prick with a fork.

Bake at 400 degrees for 10 minutes. Spread onions over pastry, then top with 3/4 cup shredded Gruyere cheese.

Bake at 400 degrees for an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cut into squares and serve.

Super-Chunky Christmas Cookies

2009-12-14T21:23:00.006-05:00

We get together with friends every Christmas and usually there are homemade gifts for everyone. This year, I made jars of cookie mix. I filled glass jars and topped them with candycane striped fabric, tied with a ribbon. These make great teacher gifts, hostess gifts or something to take to your boss! And when you are done here, stop over to see Jen at her Homemade Gift Ideas party with a beautiful giveaway!

Super-Chunky Christmas Cookies

Using a 1-1/2 liter glass jar, layer as follows:

1-1/2 cups all purpose flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup Dutch process cocoa

3/4 cup red M&M's

1 cup white chocolate chips

3/4 cup chopped cashews

1 cup semisweet chocolate chunks

1 cup toasted coconut

Here are the directions for the gift tag:

Beat 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1 stick butter with a mixer until fluffy. Beat in 1 egg and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract. Add the Super-Chunky Christmas Cookie mix and stir with a wooden spoon until combined. Scoop heaping tablespoonfuls onto a baking sheet and bake at 350 degrees until set, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

FOOD NETWORK FAMILY

2009-12-12T14:57:00.007-05:00

We are excited! Our son, Anthony, Jr and daughter, Rhonda entered a Food Network Challenge and their show will air on Friday, December 18th at 10:00 PM. The name of the show is "24 Hour Restaurant Battle".

After numerous and exhausting interviews over the phone and in person in New York, they were selected to compete. They filmed the show in NYC this past September. The competition consisted of putting a restaurant together in 24 hours. They had to have a theme, menu, prepare it, decorate the restaurant, serve it and be judged.

Neither of them has any culinary training which is part of the fun. Both are excellent cooks and have great taste. Our son worked in the food industry as a waiter for awhile locally and in one of the very top restaurants in NYC. Our daughter caters on the side. Other than that....well...they are just talented! Am I bragging? A little I guess, but we are very proud of them and I hope you get a chance to check out the show!

Christmas Musings...2 weeks to go!

2009-12-12T09:36:00.006-05:00

I am so envious of those blogs I read where I see Christmas decorations in every nook and cranny. There, I said it. Those of you who fill your homes with Christmas decor of all types are creative, artsy, and seem to be so energetic. This past Sunday, I put up a smaller tree, but decorated it with love. I also decorated the fireplace mantle....stockings hungwith care, even for the kitty! However, I was very selective about what went on the tree and there are very few other decorations placed around. Where are those days that I even decorated the bathrooms? It seems that my weekends are full with family and friends. I had to forego an invitation to the local community Messiah sing to stay home and decorate. I work full time outside the home, and when I get home, I am mentally exhausted. I get dinner on the table...sometimes my husband helps...we clean up and I try to accomplish a few chores before I collapse! How our lives change through the years. We have 3 (and a half) grandchildren whom we love to pieces, take care of our aging parents and still worry about our 3 adult children and their spouses. We have active social lives with our friends. We travel, we have plenty and give back to our community. So now that I have put my thoughts down, I can see I am doing the things that are important...to me. Can I still be envious of those beautifully decorated homes? You betcha! But as we gather this year, it is not so much about the decorations in my house....it is more about how my heart is decorated with the beauty of the season and the love I can give and receive. So now I will sit back with a cup of tea, raise a toast to all of you in blogland and bask in the glow of the tree lights. Thank you for sharing your lovely homes, your creativity, your skills, your recipes and most of all your on-line friendships. I can't believe that I have been blogging for just over a year. It has been a fun hobby and creative outlet for me. Never in my dreams did I ever think I would have been able to do this and enjoy it as much as I do! I hope the next couple of weeks before Christmas find you joyful and filled with peace. As for me....I will be busily scrambling around the kitchen, baking cookies for the holiday trays!! Whew....but then, it wouldn't be Christmas without them!

Asparagus Rolls with Prosciutto

2009-12-09T19:47:00.007-05:00

First...stop by at the Style Sisters blog for a chocolate giveaway....YUM!

Second, I must be in an entertaining state of mind as I am thinking of and reading about appetizer ideas. This is another easy and elegant idea. My favorite way of serving asparagus is to roast it with some extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper. It takes on a nutty and rich flavor and is so delicious. When I read this recipe, it jumped right into my appetizer file because it sounds so good. I can't wait to try it. I think you can blanch these and wrap ahead of time. When you are ready to serve, just place the baking sheet in the oven so they will be fresh for your guests.

Asparagus Rolls with Prosciutto

Trim 2 bunches of asparagus. Cook 3 minutes in boiling water. Take out of the hot water and place in a bowl filled with ice water. Remove from water and let dry.

Sprinkle dry asparagus with 2 tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp black pepper.

Cut slices of prosciutto in half lengthwise (about a half pound).

Roll up 2 asparagus spears in a prosciutto half and transfer to a baking sheet. Repeat with all asparagus and prosciutto.

Bake at 425 degrees for 15 minutes and serve.

Cheese Filled Endive

2009-12-08T21:32:00.004-05:00

I love using Belgian endive in appetizer recipes and adding to salads. It is so crisp and fresh and not overpowering. When I saw this in a recent issue of Family Circle, I knew I had to add it to my holiday "pick-ons" list! It looks so pretty and takes no time at all to prepare. Placed on a pretty plate, it will look as though you really fussed! The mixture used to fill the endive leaf, would be handy to make ahead and keep in the fridge. You could stuff some celery for an after-school snack for the kids. Also, I think just putting out a bowl of this on an appetizer table with some nice crackers and celery stalks would be just fine as well. I think it is a versatile and delicious way to use two of my faves...blue cheese and dried cranberries.

Cheese-Filled Endive
8 oz. cream cheese (use Neufchatel)
1/2 cup crumbled blue cheese
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup chopped sweetened dried cranberries
2 TBSP milk.
Trim end from one head endive and separate leaves. Dollop 2 teaspoons cheese mixture onto each leaf. Serve.
The recipe also states that this pairs well with a medium dry sparkling wine such as Prosecco. I discovered how good this wine is a few years ago. If you have not tried it, it is bubbly like champagne, but fruity. It is a nice drink at cocktail hour and I agree that this would be a very good selection with this recipe.

Warm Blue Cheese Dip

2009-12-05T14:56:00.003-05:00

This may not be the healthiest item on your hors d'oeuvres table, but, I can tell you that it is delicious! There are so many unbelievably good favors going on in here. If you are out on a cold morning getting that Christmas tree, make this before you leave. While everyone is waiting for lunch to be ready, they can munch on this. I loved it with celery, especially. If you serve it with crackers, use Table Water crackers. With all the flavors you don't want a cracker to compete. And, if you happen to have some dip left over, save it and top a baked potato or add to some mashed potatoes! This would also be a nice item on a bruschetta bar with crusty French baguette slices. Next I am testing this with turkey bacon, Neufchatel cheese, and low-fat half and half. If there is a way to shave some calories out of this, I at least have to try! Believe me, you can eat this with a spoon if you like blue cheese!

Warm Blue Cheese Dip
8 slices hickory smoked bacon, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
8-oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup heavy cream
4 oz. crumbled blue cheese (1 cup)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
2 Tbsp chopped almonds
Chopped fresh parsley Crackers, French bread and/or fresh vegetables

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium high heat for about 8 minutes or until nearly crisp. Drain bacon; wipe skillet dry. Return bacon to skillet; add garlic and cook over medium heat until bacon is crisp, about 3 minutes, making sure garlic doesn't burn. Drain on paper towels. With mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add cream; beat well. Fold in bacon, garlic, blue cheese and chives. Transfer to 2-cup baking dish. Sprinkle top evenly with the almonds. Bake until heated through and browned on top, 25-30 minutes. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve with crackers, bread and /or vegetables. Makes 8-10 servings.

Check out this giveaway!

2009-12-02T20:34:00.003-05:00

I was contacted by Ashley of the Food Service Warehouse about their cool giveaway. Here is the link if you would like to enter Dinnerware Holiday Giveaway. They are giving away a $600.00 value Holiday Dinnerware gift. And you have to look around the website at the really great items they carry. And if you order this week, there is free shipping!

Who can't use some fill in items for entertaining?

BACK TO REALITY FOOD!

2009-11-30T20:18:00.006-05:00

Thanksgiving....it's all about the food! We had such a lovely and delicious meal...so many laughs...great conversation...and so much to be thankful for. Hours of preparation and the meal is devoured in no time! The nice thing is seems that ALL the pots and pans and dishes in the kitchen get used and washed on Thanksgiving!! Or so it seems.

SO...now that we have eaten ourselves into a food coma, it's time to come back to earth and have healthier meals before the next big holiday rolls around....with all those COOKIES!

We are back to salads and soups, lots of vegetables and fruits. Here is a recipe for a light and very delicious salad. Serve it with a panini or a nice crusty bread for a lighter meal.

I had a lot of fresh herbs from Thanksgiving, so I just mixed up what I had and added them in.

This recipe and photo are from ALL YOU magazine.

GREEN SALAD with HERBS

3 Tbsp. minced shallot

1 tsp. Dijon mustard

4 Tbsp red wine vinegar

Pinch of sugar

Salt and pepper

1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

8 cups mixed greens such as arugula and baby lettuce

2 Belgian endives, chopped

1 cup fresh herbs such as basil, chervil, chives, mint, parsley and tarragon, all coarsely chopped.

Make dressing: In a medium bowl or jar with a scre top lid, combine the shallot, mustard, vinegar, sugar and a pinch each of salt and pepper. Mix or shake to combine. Slowly whisk in olive oil until dressing is emulsified (or add all at once and shake to combine).

Make salad: Place greens, endives, and herbs in a large bowl and drizzle with about half of the dressing. Gently toss. Taste and, if desired, add remaining dressing and season with additional salt and pepper.

So easy...so good. The dressing can be made a day in advance. This is also a good dressing to use for any type of salad.

Progresso Contest Winner

2009-11-22T16:46:00.002-05:00

The winner of the Progresso giveaway is Jaime from Copper Llama Studio. Make sure you stop by her blog and etsy to view her lovely items!

Congratulations, Jaime!!

Cranberry-Pecan Pie...More Than Just Dessert!

2009-11-21T09:55:00.003-05:00

This pecan pie recipe is a little different, using fresh chopped cranberries in the mix. I found this in Woman's World Magazine and I think I am going to make this at Christmas. I have had pecan-chocolate pie before, but sometimes that can be too sweet...possible? Yes! The cranberries will lighten this up and provide a nice tartness to the already sweet enough pecan pie. The recipe calls for garnishing with whipped cream and sugared cranberries. I think I am going to stick a few mint leaves into the whipped cream swirls to make it really Christmas-y!

Cranberry-Pecan Pie

Half of 11-oz.pkg. pie crust mix Or use 1 roll of Pillsbury All-Ready Pie Crust

4 eggs

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup light brown sugar

6 Tbsp butter, melted

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1-1/2 cups chopped pecans (6 oz.)

1 cup fresh cranberries, chopped

1/2 cup pecan halves

Whipped cream and sugared cranberries

Place jellyroll pan on center oven rack; preheat to 350 degrees.

Coat 9-in. pie pan with PAM. Prepare pie crust according to package directions for 1 crust. On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 12-in. round; fit into pie pan. Trim and flute edge; refrigerate.

Whisk together eggs, corn syrup, butter and vanilla. Stir in chopped pecans and cranberries; pour into crust. Top with pecan halves.

Bake on jellyroll pan 1 hour or until almost set and center jiggles slightly.

Cool completely on rack. Garnish with whipped cream and sugared cranberries.

SUGARED CRANBERRIES: Mix 1 Tbsp. warm water with 1 tsp. dried egg whites, until frothy. Using fork, dip well-dried fresh cranberries, one at a time, into mixture; let excess drip off. Transfer to plate spread with sugar; roll until coated. With dry fork, transfer cranberries to another plate; let stand until dry.

SPINACH SALAD WITH CRANBERRIES, PECANS, BACON AND BLUE CHEESE

2009-11-18T17:55:00.005-05:00

We have had a cranberry hors d'oeurve so we move on to the table and sit down for our salad course, also using cranberries. This salad is courtesy of The Neeleys on the Food Network. I have made this several times and it is a party in your mouth. There are so many flavors and textures going on in this. And of course, what doesn't go good with bacon? But, this really is a beautiful looking salad, pretty colors for the holidays and had a lot of good stuff in it! Toast your pecans, make your bacon and slice your onion and put it in a zip lok bag the day before. All you have to do the next day is toss everything in the bowl and whisk your dressing.

Spinach Salad with Cranberries, Pecans, Bacon and Blue Cheese
1/2 pound hickory smoked bacon slices, roughly chopped

1/2 cup pecans, toasted and roughly chopped

2 (6-ounce) containers baby spinach

1/2 small red onion, thinly sliced

1 cup dried cranberries
Dressing:
1/2 cup Danish blue cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 teaspoon sugar
Salt and freshly cracked black pepper
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Fry chopped bacon in a medium skillet over medium-high heat until brown and crisp. Using slotted spoon, transfer to a paper towel-lined 1/4-sheet tray to drain.
Toast pecans in the oven on a 1/4-sheet tray until lightly golden and fragrant, about 6 minutes.
In a medium bowl mash the blue cheese with a fork. Mix in the buttermilk, sour cream, sugar, salt and pepper, to taste.
Combine baby spinach, red onion, pecans, dried cranberries and bacon in large bowl. Toss with the dressing immediately before serving.

Blue Cheese Cranberry Pear Toasts

2009-11-14T09:07:00.006-05:00

When holiday times roll around, I find myself using fresh or dried cranberries abundantly. They are so versatile for cookies, breads, cakes and as decorations. Now if you ask my husband, he will tell you that the best way to have cranberries is in the big splat blob of jelly from the can that you just slice. He loves that! What???? I know, I know, but he can't help it! He especially loves it sliced on bread with leftover turkey and stuffing for a sandwich. Yes, another, what???? Bread on bread sandwich? Well, we all have our own tastes! He does eat my cranberry sauce made with fresh berries and oranges, but there is something about the allure of what comes in the can that he can't resist. Well, it does have its place and I have a super recipe for a cheesecake using the canned sauce. More to follow on that!

So, I will be posting a few ideas on how to use cranberries in various ways over the next couple of weeks. First up is an before dinner hors d'oeurves. This is where we start our entertaining, so that is how I chose to start this series of recipes. This is a wonderful, zesty way to whet the appetites of your guests. Be sure to use good Blue Cheese for the best flavor. These are so pretty on a platter at holiday times with the red cranberries and the green of the pear. The pear should be ripe enough to be sweet, but firm enough to hold up when you slice it. And you need a VERY sharp knife to get the thinnest slices for this dish. Or use a mandolin. Serve these with a fresh crisp white wine such as Frascati or Pino Grigio. These could also be a good after dinner offering on a dessert platter, served with an Ice Wine or Riesling. However you choose to use this, you will get rave reviews for taste and presentation!

Blue Cheese Cranberry Pear Toasts

24-1/2 inch thick slices French bread

PAM cooking spray

4 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

4 ounces blue cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup pecans (be generous)

1/4 cup dried cranberries

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 Bosc pear, very thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Spray both sides of the bread slices with the cooking spray. Arrange bread slices on a large baking sheet and bake until lightly toasted, about 7 minutes. In a small food processor combine the cream cheese, blue cheese, pecans, cranberries and cayenne pepper; process until just combined, but not smooth. Spread the cheese mixture onto one side of the toasts. Arrange a thin slice of pear on each toast. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes or until lightly browned. Yield: 24 toasts

Progresso Giveaway!!

2009-11-11T17:50:00.003-05:00

As the weather gets colder, we tend to turn our thoughts toward soups. I love to make soups. But sometimes, there is the time factor. Running in for a quick lunch, having to make a light and quick supper so we can do other things are the reasons why having high quality pre-made soups is important to us. I have always found that the Progresso line of products is excellent.

They provide items for all tastes and you can tell they care about the quality of their products and take great care to present them with a sense of being homemade.

The folks at Blogspark contacted me about testing one of the new high fiber soups and sent me a sample of their Chicken Tuscany. All I can say is YUM! It is good tasting, has lots of good ingredients and provides a good dose of fiber to those days when it might be tough to get it in. If you take your lunch to work, fill your thermos with this delicious hot soup to give you a filling meal to get you through the rest of the day.

There are four new, great tasting Progresso soups that have 28% of the recommended Daily Value of fiber per serving (7 grams) and have no added MSG* or artificial flavors. The new varieties include Chicken Tuscany, Creamy Tomato Basil, Hearty Vegetable and Noodles and Homestyle Minestrone.

They also sent along with a prize pack that included two branded soup mugs and two branded spoons. And they are offering another prize pack to give away to one of my readers.

So what do you have to do to get these soup-er mugs? Each of these will give you a chance:

Leave me a comment on how you incorporate fiber into your daily diet.
Become a follower of my blog, or already be a follower
Mention this giveaway on your blog
Mention this giveaway on Facebook

Contest ends Friday, November 20th at midnight! Winner will be notified by email. Good luck!

Pilaf of Rice and Split Peas

2009-11-09T17:40:00.003-05:00

After a weekend of picking at whatever is around, in addition to regular meals, and celebrating an early Thanksgiving with all the kids, it has to be back to normalcy for us. You have to love the holidays, but they are never waistline friendly!

We try to eat meatless meals during the week, whenever we can, while still making them healthy and tasty. Our employees from India are teaching us some wonderful vegetarian meals and they take relatively little time to prepare. I have prepared this ahead of time so I can just pop it into the oven when I get home from work and heat it through. This, along with some Naan and a salad is quite fortifying on its own, but you could serve it as a side dish with some kabobs for a summer cookout.

Pilaf of Rice and Split Peas

1/2 cup yellow split peas

2 cups Basmati rice (Or other long grain rice)

1/2 tsp. ground turmeric

4 Tbsp vegetable oil

1 large onion, peeled, cut in half lengthwise, and then cut crosswise into fine half rings

2 tsp grated peeled fresh ginger

1 tsp crushed fresh garlic

5 Tbsp plain yogurt

Salt

1/8-1/4 tsp red chili powder (cayenne pepper)

2 Tbsp unsalted butter cut into small pieces

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp milk

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh coriander(cilantro)

1 Tbsp finely chopped fresh mint

2-4 fresh green chilies, very finely chopped

1/2 tsp. garam masala

Sort through the split peas for any stones and wash in several changes of water. Leave to soak in enough water to cover it by 3-inches for 1-1/2 hours.

Wash the rice in several changes of water. Leave to soak in water to cover by 2-inches for 30 minutes.

Put the split peas and it soaking liquid into a pan. Add 1/4 tsp turmeric and bring to a boil. Cover, leaving the lid slightly ajar, turn the heat down and simmer for about 30 minutes or until it is almost tender but the grains are still whole. Drain.

Heat the oil in non-stick frying pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, put in the onions. Stir and fry them until they are a rich reddish-brown color and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and spread out on a plate lined with paper towels. Put the ginger and garlic into the same oil Stir and fry until lightly browned. Now put in the remaining 1/4 tsp of turmeric and 1 Tbsp of the yogurt. Stir and fry until most of the liquid in the yogurt evaporates and the remaining particles brown lightly. Add the remaining yogurt 1 Tbsp at a time and cook in the same way, Now put in the drained split peas, 1/2 tsp of salt and the chilies powder (cayenne). Stir to mix. Saute the peas for about 1 minute.

Heat the oven to 325 degrees. Bring 12 cups of water to a rolling boil. Add 1 Tbsp of salt and stir. Now put in the drained rice and bring to a boil again. Boil vigorously for 5 minutes or until the rice is about 3/4 cooked. It should retain a slim, hard, inner core. Drain the rice and empty half of it into a wide, oven proof casserole pan.

Cover the rice with the split pea mixture and cover that with the remaining rice. Spread the browned onions and bits of butter over the rice. Sprinkle the lemon juice and milk, fresh coriander, mint, green chilies and garam masala over the top. Cover tightly, first with foil and then with a lid and place in the oven for 30 minutes. Stir gently to mix before serving. Serves 6.

SNICKERS COOKIES

2009-11-06T20:48:00.006-05:00

You have to give these a try! I have had a very busy week and now our whole family is here.

This is going to be a fun weekend. But before I get way to busy to at least post something, I thought I would give you something easy. Here is another wonderful way to get rid of the Halloween candy. These are so easy and the kids will love them. But it is hard to stop at one!

Enjoy your weekend!!

SNICKERS COOKIES

3/4 Cup Peanut Butter (Smooth)
1 Bag of Mini Snickers Bars
1 Can Sweetened Condensed Milk
2 Cups Bisquick Baking Mix
1 Tsp Vanilla
Baking chocolate bar melted or choc chips melted ( I add a little vanilla)

Preheat oven to 375. Mix the Peanut Butter with the sweetened condensed milk until smooth. Add the Bisquick and vanilla and mix until well blended.
Unwrap Snickers
Scoop approx. 1/2 Tbls of dough,flatten a bit and then wrap the dough around the snickers. Roll in your hands to smooth out. Place on cookie sheet approx. 2 in. apart.
Bake 8 - 10 minutes
Melt chocolate. Once the cookies are cool to the touch - dip the top of the cookie in the chocolate.

Fun With Fennel

2009-11-02T19:45:00.006-05:00

Over the last couple of years, I have found that fennel is something that is so easy to use and has many uses. I was afraid to try it, use it....it looked odd...what could you do with this weird looking root? So, I left it alone. Until one day I found a recipe for a fennel and apple salad. I tried it and I was hooked. Which led me on my quest for other ways to use this fragrant and mild tasting....what...vegetable?

Well, it is found in the vegetable bin in the produce aisle, but fennel is actually an herb AND a spice! It is related to parsley and resembles dill! It is a native to the Mediterranean and introduced throughout Europe by way of Italy. All plant parts are edible: roots, stalks and leaves, with the spice coming from the dried seeds. The vitamin C found in fennel bulb is directly antimicrobial and Vitamin C is needed for the proper function of the immune system. It is a good source of fiber, a very good source of folate which is a B vitamin and a very good source of potassium, a mineral that helps lower high blood pressure. Fennel's aromatic taste is unique, reminiscent of licorice and anise. Fennel's texture is similar to that of celery, having a crunchy and ribbed texture.

The French, Italians and English use fennel as an herb to season fish. In Italy fennel is also used to season pork roasts and spicy sausages (think salami). The seeds can season breads (like rye) and cakes and it is also used in Chinese five spice powder.

So why do YOU need to know this?? Because I am going to post a few of my favorite fennel recipes over the next few weeks to show you its versatility and hope that if you haven't tried this before, you will!

To start, I am posting a hot dip that is perfect for the holidays. You can have this done in less than half an hour, start to finish. Or make it up a day ahead of time and pop it in the oven for 10-15 minutes before your guests are scheduled to arrive. If you love the hot artchoke dip, this is a new alternative! Bob Apetit!

HOT FENNEL DIP

Ingredients
· 4 slices bacon
· 3 medium fennel bulbs* (8 oz. each)
· 2 cloves garlic, minced
· 1 8-ounce jar mayonnaise
· 1 8-ounce carton dairy sour cream
· 1 4-ounce package crumbled blue cheese
· 20 dried whole black or pink peppercorns, crushed (an easy way to do this is to put them in a little zip lock bag and pound them with a meat mallet), finely shredded Parmesan cheese (about 2 tablespoons), fine dry bread crumbs (about 2 tablespoons, Radishes and/or Belgian endive leaves

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 400 degree F. In a skillet cook bacon over medium heat until crisp. Remove bacon. Drain, reserving 1 tablespoon drippings in skillet. Crumble bacon; set aside.
2. To prepare fennel, cut off and discard upper stalks of fennel. Remove any wilted outer layers and cut a thin slice from the fennel base. Wash fennel and cut in half lengthwise; remove core. Cut crosswise into very thin slices.
3. Add fennel and garlic to drippings in skillet. Cook over medium heat about 10 minutes until fennel is just tender and begins to brown, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, blue cheese, bacon, and peppercorns to fennel; mix well. Divide mixture between two 16-ounce oven-proof crocks, souffle dishes, or other oven-proof dishes. In a small bowl combine Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs; top mixture in each crock with Parmesan mixture.
4. Bake, uncovered, 15 minutes, or until just heated through and tops are light brown. Do not overbake. Serve with radishes and/or Belgian endive leaves. Makes 6 to 8 servings.

AND THE WINNER IS.....

2009-11-01T11:05:00.002-05:00

Michele from Creative Writings 101! She won the October giveaway from Blogspark for the sportsbag and goodies from PinkTogether.com and the Susan B. Komen Foundation!

Congratulations and your gift is on its way!

Getting Back to Normal and other Musings....and a Drink!

2009-11-01T09:06:00.006-05:00

First, I would like to thank all of you who sent get well wishes to me. I am finally starting to feel like I am human again. Whatever this was, it knocked me out. My husband waited on me...the kitty hardly ever left my side in bed. I felt...well, half-baked! You know the feeling when you cut into something that you THINK looks done and then, BAM...in the middle, it is soggy? Well, that was me. But the worst has passed and I am now able to prepare for our daughter's visit this week. Yes, my friends, timing IS everything!

Second, I hope you all had a great Halloween! The evening was not a nice one here...peppered with rain and quite chilly. But the kids and their parents were troopers and going from door to door. We saw about 250 kids. Or I should say, my husband had the honors! I watched from an upstairs window.

So now we start to prepare. Our middle daughter is paying a week-long visit with her husband and 22-month old, Morgan. Next weekend, the house will be singing...did I really say singing?...with the sounds of our other 2 coming in with their families. That means we will have 3 little ones, 6 and under running around. Our kitty is going for a visit to grammy and grampy's house as the commotion would be too much. And she deserves a little vacation too. My parents love her and she loves them so it is a match made in heaven! Our grandsons are a little older and they like the kitty, are very gentle with her and they play. But Morgan is a terror with her Yorkie, so why tempt fate with putting a cat in front of her?

This is the only time this season that we will all be together, as holiday plans are going to separate us at some point or another. We are going to make it our Thanksgiving celebration. The hubs and I are trying to plan a little something different for food other than a traditional turkey and I think we are doing a couple of turkey breasts. I have been looking through magazines for some new ideas for sides and have a few in mind. Everyone is going to pitch in to help, so it should be fun.

Now the plan is to start off the cooking with something warm and cozy. The basic recipe comes from Southern Living.

WARM CITRUS CIDER

Bring one gallon apple cider; 2 cups orange juice; 1/2 cup lemon juice; 1 orange, sliced, 1 lemon , sliced; 1-1/2 tsp. whole cloves; and 3 cinnamon sticks to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 10 minures. Discard solids. Garnish with an apple slice, if desired, Serve hot. Makes about 4-1/2 qts. (Now my plan is to add a little Calvados (apple brandy) to the mix. I'm sure rum would work equally as well. )

This would be a terrific after ski or sledding party beverage and you can definitely keep it non-alcoholic especially where there are younger members or non-drinkers in the group. How about after a day of going to cut down the Christmas tree? This will certainly warm your insides!

For today, I am still going to kick back a little when I feel tired. I may try to make a small supper. One positive is that I lost 8 pounds being sick. I wanted to lose 5!! Not this way of course, but it is incentive!!

SICK, SICK, SICK

2009-10-31T09:59:00.003-04:00

I haven't been around for the past couple of days as I have been sick with the flu...and I already had a flu shot about a month ago. All I can think of is that it is H1N1. But since I am not compromised in any other way, I am not seeing severe symptoms. But this is truly how I have felt...OK and looked! I'll be back up to snuff in a couple more days!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN, EVERYONE!

Lemon Shortbread Bars...Buttery Good!

2009-10-27T18:23:00.007-04:00

I got this recipe out of my Cooking Pleasures magazine. It is a dense and very good cookie. When I decided to make these, I realized that I was out of lemons but had an orange. Well, it's citrus, so I tried it. The result was excellent. The orange flavor is just so subtle. Now if you make the recipe and put it in a 15x10-inch rimmed baking sheet sprayed with PAM, you get a thinner bar. Bake them for 25 minutes or until golden. Drizzle with melted white chocolate and let stand until set. This was a suggestion in the magazine. Since I used orange flavor, I used melted milk chocolate. You might also dip these in chocolate, at an angle on one end would be pretty. I am thinking of adding this to the Christmas cookie platter, and use colored sanding sugar for the top on some of them.

Lemon Shortbread Bars
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar, divided
2 tablespoons grated lemon peel
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups unsalted butter, softened, cut up
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Line 13x9-inch baking pan with foil; spray foil with cooking spray. Whisk flour, 1 cup of the sugar, lemon peel and salt in large bowl.
2. With pastry blender or 2 knives, cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Stir in lemon juice and vanilla. Press dough into pan; sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon sugar.
3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until edges begin to pull away from sides of pan and top is golden brown. Cool on wire rack.
24 bars

EDIBLE EYEBALLS

2009-10-23T20:53:00.003-04:00

It's spooky Halloween food day and these are about the easiest things to make that the kids will love! These can be made ahead and the kids can help. It's especially fun to set it up as an assembly line! As you can see, when you put a bunch of these on a plate, they look a little eerie.

But it is a great way to get those veggies into the kids bellies while having a little fun! For a really gross looking plate that the kids will love...I have found that the grosser looking and sounding, the better....put these on a plate and surround them with blobs of jellied cranberry sauce. Eyeballs in a bloody head! YUK!

Edible Eyeballs

Here is what you need:

Carrots

Whipped or regular Cream Cheese

Pitted Black Olives, cut in half

Simply slice the carrots into 1-inch thick chunks. Top each with a blob of cream cheese and one half of a black olive. Serve.

2 Giveaways 2 !!!!!!!

2009-10-22T22:47:00.006-04:00

First....make sure to scroll down to enter the cute giveaway that I have that is offered by the Susan B. Komen Foundation....really cute bag...nice for a few work out items...a great travel coffee mug, key chain, charm bracelet and note cards.

Second....pop on over to Quincy Cottage for the cutest apron giveaway! It would be a perfect touch for cooking your Thanksgiving dinner!!

PUMPKIN DIP

2009-10-21T20:21:00.002-04:00

It's time to make one of my two favorite Autumn goodies....Pumpkin Dip. This, my friends, is as easy as (pumpkin) pie. If you use Neufchatel cheese you cut down on the fat grams. I haven't tried it, but I am wondering about using brown sugar Splenda in this. It would change the texture a bit, but at least cut down on the sugar. I have served this with many types of dippers....cinnamon grahams, ginger snaps, graham "pretzels". But my favorite is with pie crust cut-outs...for the obvious reason....it is like a little bite of pumpkin pie!

Pumpkin Dip

1 8-oz pkg. cream cheese, softened

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1 can (15-oz) solid pack pumpkin

3 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

In a mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and confectioners' sugar. Gradually add the pumpkin, pumpkin pie spice, vanilla and ginger; beat until smooth. Served chilled. Refrigerate leftovers. Makes 3 1/2 cups of dip.

I ususally serve this with pie crust cut outs. Roll Pillsbury ready pie crust just a bit thinner. Take a pumpkin cookie cutter or something fall-like and make as many as you can. I kept re-rolling the scraps as far as I could go. I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and baked on parchment for just a few minutes until they started to look golden. Cool and keep them in a tight container until ready to serve. Dip is also good with gingersnaps.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month/Giveaway

2009-10-19T21:25:00.007-04:00

October is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Blogspark asked me to introduce you to an online community on MySpace where those touched by breast cancer can connect and provide support, comfort, and encouragement to one another. Many of us have been touched by this disease through family, friends, or maybe you may be a survivor.

On PinkTogether.com everyone can share hope by posting and reading inspiring stories of breast cancer survivors and supporters within the community. The site is part of Pink Together®, a national campaign to support those impacted by breast cancer and to help raise awareness of the disease. To support Pink Together, General Mills is donating $2 million to Susan G. Komen for the Cure® and is turning the packaging pink in October, on an assortment of its most beloved brands. General Mills will also donate $1, up to $20,000, each time you post a comment of encouragement, send a virtual flower bouquet or share a story on PinkTogether.com in October.

Please visit PinkTogether.com and read some of the inspiring stories. You can also watch these short videos from the 2009 Pink Together Survivor Ambassadors talking about their journeys with breast cancer.

Blogspark has provided me with an Inspiring Hope gift basket that includes a sleeved travel mug, a running ribbon charm bracelet, a pink leather strap keychain, a pink cinch bag, and a set of inspirational note cards. All of the gift basket items are from ShopKomen.com, where 25 percent of the merchandise purchase price benefits Susan G. Komen for the Cure® in the fight against breast cancer.

I also have one additional to give away to a lucky reader.

To qualify, all you have to do is:

Tell me which woman inspires you the most and why.

What did you find most interesting on the PinkTogether.com website?

Answering both questions will give you 2 chances to win and if you mention it on your blog, and tell me about it, you will get an extra chance.

Contest ends Monday at midnight, May 26th! Good luck!

Stuffed Chicken Breast...2 Dinners!

2009-10-19T18:07:00.005-04:00

My husband and I stayed in to watch a movie on pay-per-view Saturday evening. Since we always seem to be on the go, it was a good feeling to know we could enjoy a beautiful day and just relax at home in the evening. With that decision made, it also meant I had to come up with a dinner idea!! I had been looking through my magazine from my Cook's Club and had seen this recipe. Since I didn't want to go to the store, I managed to find everything I needed right in the freezer and pantry. I thawed some chicken breasts and when I was ready to cook, I gathered all my ingredients and started to create. What we ended up with was a delicious and colorful platter of chicken, rice and vegetables....simple, yet with a bit of a flair! And if you have leftover chicken like we did , you can slice it in pieces and serve it over a beautiful salad for dinner the following day, with a dressing of your choice! Sprinkle with toasted pecans and serve with a crusty bread and a cold bottle of white wine! Also, if you have leftover rice, you can add some butter to a frying pan, add an egg, scramble it and add the rice...instanly you have some fried rice!!

Stuffed Chicken with Rice and Vegetables

4 chicken breasts, rinsed and dried

1/2 slice of pancetta (or you can use a strip or two of bacon)

1 shallot, chopped

1/2 cup Italian-style breadcrumbs (if you don't have these, add some dried parsley and oregano to the breadcrumbs)

3-4 slices Deli-sliced provolone cheese, chopped

1-1/2 Tbsp fresh sage (I didn''t have this so I just sprinkled in some dried sage, but not a Tbsp of it...maybe a tsp.)

1to 2 cups cooked rice

1/2 medium onion, chopped

1/2-3/4 bag of frozen mixed vegetables

1/2 cup Balsamic vinegar

1 cup non-fat chicken broth

Olive oil

Butter

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a saute pan, saute the chopped pancetta until starting to get crisp and add chopped shallots. Saute until shallots are soft. Add 1 tsp butter and add breadcrumbs. Cook, stirring constantly until breadcrumbs turn toasty brown. Remove from heat and put into a bowl. Let cool 2-3 minutes. Add chopped provolone and mix together.

Cut a pocket in each chicken breast, being careful not to cut all the way through. Salt and pepper each breast inside and out. Stuff each breast with 1/4 of the breadcrumb mixture. Close the pockets with toothpicks. In a frying pan, add 1 Tbsp of olive oil. (you can use the same pan you cook the breadcrumb mixture in). Carefully add the chicken and sear both sides. Place on a foil lined baking sheet and place in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

Prepare cooked rice according to directions.

While rice is cooking and chicken is in the oven, add chopped onion to large frying pan with 1 Tbsp olive oil. Saute until onion is soft. Add frozen mixed vegetables, add salt and pepper and sage to taste and saute until cooked through.

When rice is done and right before serving. add rice to pan with 1 Tbsp butter and saute for 3-4 minutes over medium heat. You may have to add more salt and pepper.

Remove chicken from oven, and remove toothpicks prior to serving. In the same saute pan you cooked the breadcrumb mixture, add balsamic vinegar and cook until it starts to turn syrupy. Add chicken broth and cook until it starts to look thicker. Remove from heat and whisk in a pat of butter. To serve, place rice mixture on platter, place chicken breasts on top of the rice and spoon the sauce over the top of the entire platter. Garnish with a little fresh parsley and serve.

Parmesan Breadstick Broomsticks

2009-10-16T17:37:00.002-04:00

It's time for another wicked Halloween treat! This week's idea was found in the Oct 23rd issue of All You. These are really a fun way to serve bread with your meal during Halloween week. While the recipe calls for frozen pizza dough, I buy mine fresh from a local bakery. I have made twisted breadsticks with pizza dough before, but this gives an added touch to your spooky celebration. So put on your witch's hat and serve up a cauldron of steaming soup or stew with these tasty little brooms! You'll sweep everyone off their feet with this clever creation!

PARMESAN BREADSTICK BROOMSTICKS

Two 1-lb pieces frozen pizza dough, thawed

2 Tbsp milk (skim is fine)

1/4 cup grated Parmesan (make sure you are using a fresh Parmesan)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or foil.

On a lightly floured countertop or board, roll each piece of dough into a 6 x 10-inch rectangle. With a floured chef's knife cut each rectangle into six 10-inch strips. Make 3-inch lengthwise cut at one end of each strip, 1/4-inch apart, to form broom straws. Twist and pull uncut portion of strips to form a broom handle. (Each broomstick will be about 15 inches long.) Gently transfer broomsticks to prepared baking sheet; place at least 2-inches apart. Separate cuts ends. (For this step, I did all the work on the baking sheet so I did not have to move anything that long before baking.) Brush broomsticks with milk and sprinkle with Parmesan. Bake until golden, 15-18 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Too Many Butterfingers?

2009-10-14T17:41:00.005-04:00

If you have kids, and they go trick-or-treating, how many Butterfingers candy bars do you see in those bags?

Lots....and well, as long as there are so many, you have to sneak one here and there. Or you can be like my household where we get anywhere between 350-400 kids on Halloween. We try to have enough candy to give out. But there is always an ample amount left over. I usually take that extra candy to work the day after Halloween so it isn't singing our names behind the cupboard doors.

But what else can you do with those left over Butterfingers? This is amazingly easy! I always have a couple cake mixes in the pantry for a quick way to make a dessert when I need one.

This recipe starts with a yellow cake mix. You need Butterfingers candy bars and some frosting. Make your own, or buy a can of frosting. Whatever you like. Send these to school for a special class treat or take them to work. OR, eat them all yourself! :-) The best part is that you got to use of some of those Butterfingers!!

Butterfingers Cupcakes

1 18.25 box yellow cake mix (or you can use chocolate)

3 2.1- oz. Butterfingers candy bars , chopped and divided (if you have those little bars, use the equivalent)

1 12-oz container prepared chocolate or vanilla frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare cake mix batter according to package directions; stir in 1/2 cup chopped Butterfingers.

Spoon into prepared muffin cups.

Bake for 15-20 minutes or unti wooded pick inserted in center comes out clean.

Cool completely. Frost.

Sprinkle frosting with remaining chopped Butterfingers.

And don't forget to vote for me on the right hand side of this blog!

It's The Great Pumpkin...

2009-10-13T19:29:00.006-04:00

I am really in the pumpkin mode this month! I can remember not being fond of anything pumpkin when I was small. It certainly wasn't the color because I liked carrots. I just didn't want to try anything in the squash family. As I got older, I started to branch out and become more "daring"! Now I love all kinds of squash, but I love the versatility of pumpkin. You can make a soup, make a dip, make a pie, decorate with them, eat their seeds or make a scary jack-o-lantern. And from what I have seen on other blogs, there are some great looking recipes and decorating ideas, all using those beautiful orange pumpkins. Pumpkins are also good for you! Pumpkin is really low in calories, it is very rich in potassium, the bright orange flesh of pumpkin is loaded with beta-carotene. Pumpkin seeds are high in protein, potassium, magnesium, zinc, iron, copper and essential fatty acids.

My post for today doesn't contain pumpkin, but you make it into the shape of a pumpkin. It comes out of the October, 2009 issue of Southern Living, and is called The Great White Pumpkin Cheese Ball. The recipe calls for all extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, but the footnote states that for the photo, they used both orange and white, and I love the look of it. I am going to try it using low-fat cheeses to see how it holds up, but I think it should do fine. And I might just add a touch of crushed red pepper to give it more pizzazz. This looks like a very cute addition for your Halloween party table and the best part is that you can make it up to 2 days ahead of serving!

THE GREAT WHITE PUMPKIN CHEESE BALL

Makes 12 Appetizer Servings

2 10-oz blocks extra-sharp white Cheddar cheese, shredded (I am going to use the low-fat shredded packages for testing)

1 8-oz package cream cheese, softened (I am using Philly Neufchatal)

2 4-oz goat cheese logs (also low-fat)

1/2 tsp. pepper

Braided pretzel, grape vine and leaf (or use something similar from the craft store)

Crackers and assorted vegetables

Stir together first 4 ingredients. Shape mixture into a ball to resemble a pumpkin. Smooth pumpkin's entire surface with a metal spatula or table knife. Make vertical grooves in ball, if desired, using fingertips (to resemble the lines of a pumpkin). Press pretzel into top of cheese ball to resemble a pumpkin stem and place leaf and vine beside pretzel. Serve with crackers and assorted vegetables. If making ahead, decorate with stem and vine right before serving.

Walnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

2009-10-12T18:39:00.004-04:00

This recipe was shared by a friend a few years ago. She brought it into work for us to try and we were all in heaven. Not to mention we all had to have the recipe. This is a showstopper. If you want to impress your guests...this is it! What really surprises is that it is relatively easy to make! The cheesecake is so delicious, but it should be with the addition of heavy cream!! While there is nothing low in calories in this recipe, if you have several guests, this goes a long way. Because of its richness, the slices don't have to be big to be satisfying. (Nothing has to be the size of what you get at the Cheesecake Factory!) Want to dazzle up the presentation? Drizzle some melted white chocolate on the plate before serving and dust with a little nutmeg. You'll be a rock star when you serve this. It is also a great recipe to bring along to a fall dinner party when you are asked to bring a dessert.

Walnut Pumpkin Cheesecake

Crust:

1 6-oz pkg zwieback crackers, crushed (1 ½ cups)

¼ cup sugar

6 Tbsp butter, melted

Cheesecake:

3 8-oz. Pkgs cream cheese, softened

¾ cup sugar

¼ cup firmly packed light brown sugar

5 eggs

1 16-oz can mashed pumpkin

1 ¼ tsp. Pumpkin pie spice

¼ cup heavy whipping cream

Walnut Topping:

6 Tbsp butter, softened

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

1 cup coarsely chopped walnuts

Crust: Blend crumbs with sugar and butter in bowl. Press over bottom and up sides of a lightly buttered springform pan. Chill.

Cheesecake: Beat cream cheese until smooth. Gradually add sugars, beating to mix well. Beat in eggs one at a time till light and fluffy. Beat in pie spice, cream and pumpkin at low speed. Pour into prepared crust. Bake in oven at 325 degrees F. for 1 ½ hours.

Walnut Topping: Mix butter, brown sugar and walnuts; sprinkle over cheesecake and bake 10 more minutes. Chill and serve.

And The Winners Are......

2009-10-10T09:19:00.007-04:00

The countdown is over and the two winners of the great Yoplait giveaways are Patsy from Family, Friends & Food and Rebecca from Chow and Chatter !!!! Congratulations to both of you and enjoy the goodness that Yoplait brings as well as a super yoga mat to cushion yourselves while you are stretching!

Great Giveaway...check it out!

2009-10-10T09:11:00.004-04:00

For some really unique and cute items, you have to go to This Southern Girl's Nest .

She is offering a chance to win a beautiful pendant from Madison Reece Designs ~ Review and Giveaway and you can read all about it if you just click on the link!

Happy Weekend!

CHEDDAR PUMPKINS

2009-10-08T21:43:00.004-04:00

OK...it's the end of the week and time for the Halloween food ideas. Last week we had those ghastly witch fingers. This week we have a cute and clever idea courtesy of Betty Crocker. I made a bunch of these little pumpkins for an adult party and everyone loved them. You just pop them in your mouth. But this is a great project to do with the kids. They are nice little bites and can be a good after school snack or a cute snack to serve when your kids are having a play date! Now half the fun with these is making sure you make them look like they are sitting in the pumpkin patch! Sit back and just watch them get picked!! Enjoy and have a great weekend.

Also, to all of you who wrote to wish me a Happy Birthday....many thanks!! And don't forget to sign up for the giveaway which ends tomorrow!!

CHEDDAR PUMPKINS
8 tablespoons smoked Cheddar firm cold pack cheese food (from 8-oz container), well chilled
2 teaspoons finely chopped peanuts
4 butter-flavored pretzel spindles or sticks, broken in half
16 tiny pieces fresh parsley leaves
This will make 8 pumpkins so you need to double or triple the ingredients for more.Directions
Line small serving plate with waxed paper.
Roll each level tablespoon cold pack cheese food into a ball; place on waxed paper-lined serving plate.
Refrigerate 10 to 15 minutes for easier handling.
With end of toothpick, draw ridges around balls to resemble pumpkins.
Dip bottoms of cheese balls in chopped peanuts.
Just before serving, insert pretzel halves into cheese balls for pumpkin stems. Decorate with parsley for leaves.
Store in refrigerator.

Pumpkin-Spiced Gingerbread Truffles

2009-10-07T18:50:00.009-04:00

Yesterday was my birthday....
can't believe the number! But, I certainly don't feel the number...OK, well maybe sometimes!
And I would like to forget the number....
where is the senior moment when I really need it?
And another thing....walking around with a cast on my leg is making me look pretty lame...definitely not pretty! What do I have to be grateful for on my 58th? My husband and 3 wonderful stepchildren, their spouses and our grandkids, my parents and my mother-in-law are still with us and doing quite well. My brother and SIL, my in-laws, our relatively good health and the fact that we can still exercise and feel good about it! Our warm, comfy home and our cute kitty who makes us laugh every day. These are the true riches in my life and what makes this birthday a good one. So what did I do for my birthday? I BAKED! No not my own cake!! I had volunteered to participate in a bake sale at work which will benefit our Breast Cancer Awareness Week and the Susan B. Komen Foundation. The fact that it was the day after my birthday was going to make it dice-y. So I took a half day of vacation and spent it doing something I like to do and knowing it was for a good cause. I baked the SUNDAY BAKER 's Chocolate Chunk Malt Cookies which have become my husband's favorite cookie, COLEEN's RECIPES Best Butterscotch Bake Sale Cookies, Dozen Flours Pumpkin Snickerdoodle Bars and made some Pumpkin Gingerbread Truffles. I packaged 3 to a Trick or Treat Zip Lock bag and piled them all in baskets. Oh gosh they looked so festive if I say so myself. It was a fun day for me instead of sitting behind my desk all day. And it was my contribution to a worthwhile cause. I don't need anything so giving back is more meaningful at this stage of my life. My husband took me for Greek food for dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, which was the little break I took. Then it was back home to finish up the baking and clean up the kitchen. Whew....I finally finished at 9:45 PM. Recipe for today? Those truffles....OMG.

PUMPKIN SPICED GINGERSNAP TRUFFLES
1-1/4 cups semisweet chocolate pieces
1/4 tsp. pumpkin pie spice
1/4 tsp. vanilla
1/2 cup whipping cream
3/4 cup chopped gingersnaps (about 10 cookies)
1/3 cup finely crushed gingersnaps (about 7 cookies) and/or 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
Directions
1. In medium bowl combine chocolate pieces, pumpkin pie spice, and vanilla.
2. In medium microwave-safe bowl place whipping cream. Microwave on 100 percent power (high) for 70 seconds or until boiling (or place cream in saucepan and bring just to boiling. ) Pour cream over chocolate mixture. Let stand 5 minutes. Whisk until smooth. Stir in chopped gingersnaps. Cover; refrigerate 1-1/2 to 2 hours or until firm but soft enough to form into balls.
3. Place crushed gingersnaps and/or cocoa powder in small bowl(s). Using a small spoon, scoop 1-tablespoon portions of truffle mixture and shape into balls. Roll in crushed gingersnaps or cocoa powder to coat. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Store, covered, in refrigerator, up to 3 days. Makes 20 to 25 truffles.
BHGRECIPES.COM

Checkout this blog for the cutest cupcake holders for Halloween.
www.fancyflours.com

PUMPKIN TRIFLE

2009-10-05T21:35:00.003-04:00

This is a Paula Deen recipe (Photo from Food Network) and the first time I had this was at a harvest dinner party. My friend is a huge Paula fan and a wonderful cook. Her presentation was beautiful and this was just the right touch for ending a meal. Make this in your prettiest glass bowl. If it is footed it makes it more spectacular. When I make this, I scoop it into pretty glass bowls with 2 thinly sliced pear slices on the side. That adds a white palette to make the trifle look even more striking. And if you are really feeling decadent, serve with cordial glasses of ice wine. It will make the dessert go from ordinary to memorable! And speaking of a harvest table, make sure you use candlelight, gourds and autumn leaves on the table. Your tablescape is your signature and will welcome your guests for the delicious meal that is ahead. Happy Autumn!!

Gingerbread Trifle
One 14-ounce package gingerbread mix
One 5.1-ounce package cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
One 30-ounce can pumpkin pie filling
½ cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom
One 12-ounce carton Cool Whip
½ cup gingersnaps (optional)
Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely.
Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding.
Crumble half batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, clear bowl.
Pour ½ of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped cream.
Sprinkle of the top with crushed gingersnaps if desired. Refrigerate overnight.
Can be layered in a punch bowl.
Yield: 20 servings
Preparation time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 30 minutes
Ease of preparation: Easy

Creepy Witches Fingers...Getting Ready for Halloween!

2009-10-02T17:48:00.006-04:00

Can you believe that Halloween is 4 weeks away? And it is on Saturday this year!! I don't know about anyone else, but we have a very busy neighborhood on Halloween. It is not unusual for us to see 300-400 kids come through. AND that is after the party at the local firehouse which is designed so that kids don't have to walk from house to house. So we just plan accordingly every year. It is fun to see the little ones as they are always so excited. And a little later the teenagers come covered in shaving cream. I always like to tell them how pretty they smell! The boys always laugh...nervously! But they are good about not getting it on the house!

So it's time to start planning for this eerie holiday. I love to put pumpkins around...never carved, just hanging out in the landscaping. And this year I found a great witch's hat with feathers around the brim...very chic! Once a week, I am going to post a Halloween recipe that I have tried and has always been successful. Kitty litter cake is not an option here, readers! Have you ever seen this? YUK! But I do have a few fun things that I love to do and I am going to share these with you in the upcoming weeks. So get your party planning hats on and start developing your party. I have a very simple old witch's hat that I bought at the dollar store a few years ago. I cover the brim with saran wrap and pile these cookies around it. These really do look creepy!

Creepy Witches' Fingers

Yield: 5 dozen

1 cup Butter, softened

1 cup Icing sugar

1 Egg

1 tsp Almond extract

1 tsp Vanilla

2 2/3 cups Flour

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tsp Salt

3/4 cup Almonds, whole blanched

1 Tube red decorator gel

Gross everyone out with these creepy cookies. In bowl, beat together butter, sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla. Beat in flour, baking soda, and salt. Cover and refrigerate 30 minutes. Working with one quarter of the dough at a time and keeping remainder refrigerated, roll heaping teaspoonful of dough into finger shape for each cookie.

Press almond firmly into 1 end for nail. Squeeze in centre to create knuckle shape. (It should look like a long rolled shape with bulge at centre for knuckle; you puff it out rather than squeeze it in.)

Using paring knife, make slashes in several places to form knuckle. Place on lightly greased baking sheets; bake in 325F (160C) oven for 20-25 minutes or until pale golden. Let cool for 3 minutes.

Lift up almond, squeeze red decorator gel onto nail bed and press almond back in place, so gel oozes out from underneath. You can also make slashes in the finger and fill them with "blood." (ed. note - I opted not to go for the bloody effect and my guests are still grossed out! ) You can also use some melted chocolate and pipe some thinly around the edge of the almond. Remove from baking sheets and let cool on racks. Repeat with remaining dough.

And remember to sign up for the giveaway!http://imaweekendcook.blogspot.com/2009/09/y-you-should-read-this-giveaway-post.html

"Y" You Should Read This Giveaway Post

2009-09-29T20:32:00.006-04:00

The "Y" I am talking about is as in Yoplait Yogurt and Yoga. We are big fans if Yoplait in our house. One favorite of my husband's is the Blueberry Acai...lots of antioxidants in there! And yogurt contains probiotics and calicum, all residing in that little cup of creaminess. Yoplait has items that will satisfy many different tastes...regular, non-fat and Whips and the plain yogurt is a great replacement for fats in cooking and baking. A few months ago I posted a cupcake recipe using Non-fat Strawberry Yoplait Yogurt. They are light and delicious!

I also love doing yoga stretches. I may not be in a formal class, but yoga provides me with relaxation techniques and help many areas of my body be healthy. It is a nice way to start the day.

BlogSpark has provided me with an opportunity for a great giveaway! Yoplait is a tasty way a to get more calcium and vitamin D in your diet that’s guaranteed to please both moms and kids. Yoplait is the only leading brand of yogurt containing calcium and vitamin D in every serving (10-20 percent of your daily value of vitamin D and an excellent source of calcium). Yoplait offers a large variety of great tasting flavors to help the whole family meet their vitamin D and calcium needs.

Did you know that …?
76% of the population is falling short of getting enough vitamin D; and 72% of the population is not getting enough calcium in their diets*
(Consuming calcium and vitamin D during childhood and adolescence can help reduce risk of fractures in adulthood*)
Getting an adequate amount of calcium and vitamin D, paired with exercise, is important to help build and maintain strong, healthy bones. Yoplait is partnering with Nancy O’Dell, entertainment news reporter and celebrity mom, who understands the importance of incorporating calcium and Vitamin D into her diet – while maintaining a healthy lifestyle.

Two lucky winners of my giveaway will win a Yoplait Yoga mat with carrying case, a coupon for a free Yoplait yogurt** and an autographed copy of Nancy O'Dell's book titled Full of Life!
You can also watch a video of Nancy talking about the importance of keeping a healthy diet and exercise routine by clicking here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T1jm1u-MlEU You can also watch Nancy’s lifestyle tips, available to watch on Yoplait’s Facebook page http://www.facebook.com/Yoplait. !
**Please note the free coupon is not valid outside the U.S. and in the following states: ID, LA, ND, NJ, NV, and TN
My daughter is pregnant and I think she is really going to enjoy this book!

So that brings me to the giveaway! Yoplait is offering a complimentary gift bag and book to two of my readers.

First, send me a comment and tell me how you keep your family healthy and fit and your favorite Yoplait flavor. That gives you one chance to win.

Next, if you are already a follower of my blog, let me know and if you become a follower tell me that. That gives you a second chance to win.

Last, if you post about this giveaway on your blog, it will qualify you for a third chance!

That's it! You have until midnight EST October 9th to enter! Good luck!

Check out this blog!

2009-09-27T21:35:00.001-04:00

I just found the cutest jewelry! Check out Uniquely Allie's blog and link to her Etsy shop. There are some very unique and very nice jewelry!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

2009-09-26T15:42:00.005-04:00

This recipe and photo comes compliments of the October issue of Food Network Magazine. As the cooler fall weather is going to be settling upon us, we are trying to take advantage of any of the nicer days that we can. That means using the grill for the last few times before we button it up for the winter. Today has been a beautiful day...a little cool, but sunny and nice.

I marinated some chicken breasts for tonight and am paring it with this colorful pasta salad. It has all of the ingredients that I love and it smells wonderful! Plus I love farfalle pasta. Maybe because all those bows make me feel girl-y! This makes enough for 4-6 people, so that means leftover for lunch tomorrow!

Have a great weekend!

Mediterranean Pasta Salad

Kosher salt

1 lb. tricolor bowtie or fusilli pasta

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2-3 tsp. dijon mustard

Freshly ground black pepper

2/3 to 3/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1/3 cup diced sun-dried tomatoes (I used oil packed)

1/4 cup fresh basil, julienned

1/4 cup diced onion

2 large pickled pepperoncini , diced(I didn't want to buy a whole jar so I used sliced banana peppers)

3 Tbsp halved black olives

2 tsp. chopped fresh oregano

1-1/2 ounces feta cheese, crumbled

1-1/2 Tbsp grated romano cheese

I also put about 1/2 cup of canned chickpeas in this (rinsed and drained)

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add the pasta and cook until al dente; drain, then rinse with cold water to cool.

Meanwhile, make the vinaigrette: Whisk the vinegar, mustard, 1 tsp. salt, and pepper to taste in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in enough of the oil to make a smooth dressing; season with salt and pepper.

Combine the sun-dried tomatoes, basil, onion, pepperoncini, olives and oregano in a bowl. Add the cooked pasta. 1/2 tsp salt and 1 tsp. pepper. Add the vinaigrette and both cheeses and toss. Chill until ready to serve.

Home Made Pecan Sandies

2009-09-21T19:54:00.005-04:00

Many of us try to keep something in the freezer that we can take out and serve with coffee when there is unexpected company. It takes the pressure off of having to create something immediately. In the fall I keep a frozen, unbaked apple pie that can be popped into the oven at a moment's notice and served later in the day with no fuss and no kitchen clean up. It is easy to make 2 pies, put one away and bake the other. The same holds true with some cookie dough. I have bought the fundraiser cookie doughs in the buckets, but they always seem too sweet. The packaged cookies that are slice and bake or pull-apart and bake...easy, but again too sweet for me. And my preference is to know what is going into my cookies. I am always on the look-out for something new I can make that will fit this description. These doughs are really handy when the kids are going to be around as it takes little time to slice and bake. And nothing is better than the aroma of freshly baked cookies when you walk in the door! Well, I found a new recipe that I think is going to be like Pecan Sandies. I love, love those!! I hardly ever buy them though. The recipe comes from The Craft of Baking by Karen DeMasco. They sound so good and the best part...the dough can be frozen for up to a month. I am thinking that if you have some baking going on in your kitchen already, this is something that will go together quickly and you can put away for another time. I might even add these to the Christmas tray. You roll these in Demarara sugar so when you slice and bake there is a nice, crispy sweet edge. For the holidays, they would be cute rolled in red or green sanding sugar.

Pecan Shortbread Cookies

Makes about 2-1/2 dozen.

3/4 cup pecans, coarsely chopped

1-1/4 sticks (10 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1/2 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise, seeds scraped

1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour

3 Tbsp. demerara or turbinado sugar

1 large egg yolk, lightly beaten

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spread the chopped pecans on a rimmed baking sheet and toast for 6 minutes, until lightly browned and fragrant. Let cool. (If you are making the dough to put away, do this step in your toaster oven to save energy.)

In the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with the paddle, beat the butter with the confectioners' sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, vanilla extract and salt at medium speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the flour in 3 batches, beating at low speed until just incorporated. Discard the vanilla bean. Stir in the pecans.

Transfer the dough to a work surface and roll into a 1-1/2-inch thick log. Wrap the log in plastic or parchment paper and refrigerated for about 1 hour, until chilled.

Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper, Spread the demerara sugar on a platter. Brush the log with the egg yolk and roll in the sugar. Slice the log into 1/2-inch thick rounds. Transfer the rounds to the prepared baking sheets, spacing them 1-inch apart. (Skip this step if you are freezing and when you are ready to bake then do the egg wash and sugar step prior to baking.)

Bake the shortbread cookies for about 20 minutes, until the edges are golden; rotate the baking sheets from top to bottom and front to back halfway through baking. Transfer the cookies to a wire rack and let stand until cooled completely, about 30 minutes, before serving.

Nuts for Nutella Pound Cake

2009-09-17T17:49:00.003-04:00

When it comes to Nutella, just sit me down with the jar and a spoon. There is something so addicting to me about this creamy hazelnut-chocolate spread. If I open the jar, I have to use it up in something before I end up eating it all. One of my favorite snacks are organic honey-nut brown rice cakes that I get at our local health food store. I love these with a little almond butter spread on them. But if there is Nutella, well, I spread a little of that on it too! Kind of cancels out all that nutritional value of the rice cake, doesn't it? Well a girl has to have a little fun once in awhile! That brings me to my recipe for today.

I opened up my new issue (October, 2009) of Food and Wine. There on page 118....jumping right out at me in living color... is a picture of a slice of pound cake...with Nutella in the cake! (This is the photo from the magazine). I made this last night. The recipe's author, as well as the author of Cake Keeper Cakes, Lauren Chattman, recommends serving this with a scoop of coffee ice cream. OMG....I can't stand this torture. How are we supposed to be on diets when these recipes are in our faces? I pledge to be good however, and have a tiny piece. I brought this into work to see what kind of reviews it would get. That also guaranteed that I wouldn't eat the whole thing.

Even the husband wh is trying to watch sweets didn't get a taste! Results? FABULOUS... and a definite keeper recipe. Would make a great item to take along or send over to a sick friend!

Nutella-Swirl Pound Cake

Makes one 9 X 5 inch loaf cake

1-1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting

4 large eggs, at room temperature

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

3/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened

1-1/4 cups sugar

One 13-oz jar Nutella

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Lightly grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan, tapping out any excess flour.

In a glass measuring cup, lightly beat the eggs with the vanilla.

In a medium bowl, whisk the 1-1/2 cups of flour with the baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl, using a handheld mixer, beat the butter with the sugar at medium-high speed until fluffy, about 3 minutes. With the mixer at medium-low speed, gradually beat in the egg mixture until fully incorporated. Add the flour mixture in 3 batches, beating at low speed between additions until just incorporated. Continue to beat for 30 seconds longer.

Spread one-third of the batter in the prepared pan, then spread half of the Nutella on top. Repeat with another third of the batter and the remaining Nutella.

Top with the remaining batter. Lightly swirl the Nutella into the batter with a butter knife. Do not overmix.

Bake the cake for about 1 hour and 15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Let the cake cool 15 minutes. Invert the cake onto a wire rack, turn it right side up and let cool completely, about 2 hours. Cut the cake into slices and serve.

MAKE AHEAD: The pound cake can be kept in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Honey Cake for Rosh Hashanah

2009-09-15T19:33:00.008-04:00

Our very good friends are Jewish and they regularly share their holiday traditions and tables with their non-Jewish friends, just as we share our traditions and cultures with them. We have all learned so much from each other and it is interesting and fun. This Sunday we will be sharing their second night Rosh Hashanah dinner with them. This is their New Year and is a happy occasion. Many lovely and simple foods signify this holiday....honey, apples, pomegranates and lovely Challah bread. As my hostess gift, I am bringing a Lekach. Lekach is the Hebrew word for Honey Cake and is one of the traditional foods eaten during the holiday to celebrate a "sweet" new year. I have never made this before and I am hoping it turns out well. But it sounds so delicious. I imagine the aroma in the house will be exquisite! So this will take up part of my Saturday as it says to make it the day before. I will have a hard time not trying it! Wish me luck!! And L'Shana Tovah Tikatevu!!

Lekach (Honey Cake)
Ingredients
2/3 C. light brown sugar

2/3 C. honey

1/2 C. vegetable shortening

2 large eggs

1/4 C. apple juice

1 tsp. grated lemon rind

2 1/2 C. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 C. raisins

1/2 C. chopped walnuts

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-inch loaf pan.

Beat the brown sugar, honey and shortening in a large bowl with electric mixer on high speed until fluffy. Beat in the eggs, apple juice and lemon rind.

Stir in flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt just until flour is moistened.

Fold in raisins and nuts; transfer to greased pan.

Bake bread 50-55 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes in pan, then remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Tip: When measuring sticky ingredients like honey, lightly oil the inside of the measuring cup. Remember to use a liquid measure for the honey in this recipe. Also, make a day ahead for even better flavor.

Yield: 12 servings

2009-09-14T15:30:00.004-04:00

We went to visit our daughter this weekend and had a cook-out with those great turkey burgers I had posted. But while we were there, she had me taste a chicken dish she had prepared the night before for her family. Now let me tell you, it was tasty and moreover, when she told me how she made it, I thought it would be a perfect easy weeknight meal. She had gotten this recipe quite awhile ago from a friend. Rhonda has a large circle of friends, and this one made a meal for her family after our grandson (who is now 2!) had been born. She recently came across the recipe and made it with some yellow rice and steamed green beans that were quickly sauteed with some fresh garlic. I have to say that the combination of ingredients is odd, but it is really good. Rachael Ray has a recipe for apricot chicken, but I think this is easier and it does use fewer ingredients. This is a recipe that I will use from time to time when I have to make a meal for someone or just as a weeknight supper. It has a delicious sauce that would be perfect over mashed potatoes as well. My other idea is to cut the chicken in cubes for kebobs and marinate them in the mayo mixture. Keep some aside before marinating and you will have a nice glaze to brush over the chicken while it is on the grill.
Can be easily doubled or tripled and would be good for a buffet.

Quick Apricot Chicken
1-1/2 lbs. chicken tenders
1/2 cup apricot jam (use the low sugar or all fruit for calorie savings)
1/2 cup Hellman's Canola Mayonnaise
1 Tbsp. Lipton Onion Soup Mix
Salt and pepper
Mix the jam, mayonnaise and dry soup mix together.
Lay the chicken tenders in a baking dish that has been sprayed with PAM.
Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper and pour the mayo/jam mixture over the chicken.
Place in a preheated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is done through. Serves 4.

Favorite Friend Makin' Monday Shows

2009-09-14T15:06:00.004-04:00

It's another Friend Makin' Monday and today we are talking about favoite shows. I am a big reader and love movies, but when it comes to TV, I am not a huge fan. But I do have a few faves. I love The Mentalist...what's not to like...Simon Baker and that smile. Here he is looking pretty much like the "hottie" he really is!

I also like any of the dance shows although if I want to watch those it is in another room without the husband. His taste runs more to football during the fall season! I like to watch it once in awhile, but not ALL the time!

But happy Monday and enjoy the new season of TV. I might even catch the new Jay Leno show tonight. I very rarely watched him because he was on too late. Now maybe I can stay up after 10:00!!!

Turkey Burgers a la Bobby Flay

2009-09-12T09:17:00.005-04:00

Do you ever notice when you pick up a magazine and see a picture that looks tempting only to find the recipe contains a ga-zillion ingredients? If I scan it and I have most everything, I'm OK with it. But if it contains far-flung ingredients, I may pass it by because I don't want to buy a spice for example, use it, only to find I will never use it again. I guess I am on this soapbox, because all too often I see this in magazines that I love. And it makes me think that for all the wonderful chefs out there who create all these delectable delights and include their recipes, the average home cook would never step out of the box to try them. So many of us, yes, myself included, often find ourselves being food magazine voyeurs rather than tasters of what most likely tastes wonderful if we took the time. Please don't ask me why I decided to talk about this, but I just had to wax about it for a few sentences before getting down to business. And for the record, I have looked at involved recipe steps and geared them down for ease. Most often, the results are very good. So I consider myself to be creative in this regard!!

As we are winding down the summer in Central NY, we are trying to fit in as much grilling time as possible before the snow prevents us from doing so. Not that I expect snow in the next couple of weeks, but it can turn on us quickly up here. We had snow on Halloween one year!! In the July issue of Food and Wine, there was a recipe for turkey burgers with gouda cheese, a Bobby Flay contribution. I like using ground turkey because it is healthier. Unfortunately I love to make them mixed with crumbled blue cheese! So much for healthy! But they are good and we don't have them that often. So on my menu for the weekend are these burgers. The husband can grill so I am off the hook for that part of the meal and we are going out for dinner tonight! Perfect...all I have to make is reservations. Have a great weekend...remember to eat healthy and happy!

Turkey Burgers with Smoked Gouda

1red onion, cut into 1/3-in thick slabs

Vegetable oil for brushing

4 hamburger buns, split (I am using some really good buns here, with sesame seeds)

1- 1/2 lbs fround turkey

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 slices smoked Gouda cheese (4 oz)

3 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 Tbsp whole-grain mustard

1 Tbsp. drained prepared horseradish

1 Tbsp honey

Light a grill or preheat a grill pan. (See you can even make these on the stovetop!)Brush the onion with oil and grill until charred and softened, about 5 minutes. Brush the cut sides of the buns with oil and grill until toasted, about 30 seconds.

Form the ground turkey into four 1-inch thick patties and brush with the oil. Season with salt and pepper and grill over high heat, turning once, until nearly cooked through, about 10 minutes. Top with the Gouda, close the grill (or cover the grill pan) and cook until cheese is melted and the burgers are cooked through, about 1 minute longer.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mustards, horseradish and honey and spread on the bottom half of the buns. Top with the burgers and onions. Close the burgers and serve right away.

Make a great big tossed salad , roast some corn on the grill and you have a great meal!

I Selected Dark Blue

2009-09-09T17:59:00.004-04:00

Well, how exciting! My foot is broken. I ended up going for an X-ray when things weren't getting better and sure enough, I have a break on the side of my foot. The solution? I am in a walking cast...RIGHT UP TO MY KNEE! With all the pretty colors to choose from, I opted for dark blue for my cast. It is still RIGHT OUT THERE, but less so than neon pink or green! So here I am for the next 6 weeks, hobbling around. Now the husband can wait on me.

This is what I look like only in blue.

Anyway, I found this neat recipe in the September 09 issue of Semi-Homemade with Sandra Lee. I think it is something that my family will like and I plan to make it when they are all here in the next couple of weeks.

It is a Sausage, Egg and Cheese Casserole. While the recipe calls for heavy whipping cream, I am going to use Low-Fat Half and Half. I don't think it will compromise the flavor or consistency. And I am also going to use breskfast turkey sausage.

The photo in the magazine makes me want to dig right in and it is so easy to make. It would also be nice on a brunch table or for company, without spending a lot of time. The recipe calls for fresh thyme. I like the sage -iness of breakfast sausage so I might toss a touch of that in as well.

But, I wanted to share this with you, because I think it sounds like a hearty way to start a nice chilly fall day before getting out to rake the leaves! Just don't eat too much!

Sausage, Egg and Cheese Biscuit Casserole

1 (1 lb. pkg ) bulk breakfast sausage

1 cup shredded Italian 5-cheese blend

1 (8 oz) pkg cubed Velveeta cheese

4 large eggs

3/4 cup heavy whipping cream

1 Tbsp dried thyme

1 tsp garlic salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 (10.2 oz) can refrigerated buttermilk biscuits

Garnish with fresh thyme leaves

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9 x 9-in. square baking dish with PAM and set aside.

In a large nonstick skillet cook sausage over medium high heat, stirring occasionally, until sausage is browned and crumbly. Drain well on paper towels. Cool.

Sprinkle sausage and cheeses into prepared dish.

In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, thyme, garlic salt and pepper; pour over sausage mixture.

Arrange biscuits evenly over top. Bake for 20 minutes or until biscuits are golden brown. Cover with aluminum foil, and bake 15 minutes longer.

Let stand for 15 minutes before serving. Garnish with fresh thyme if desired.

Friend Makin' Monday and why I love fall!

2009-09-07T17:47:00.012-04:00

Amber is hosting Friend Makin' Mondays and what better way than to ask us what we love about fall. For me it is the crispness that fall brings.

I love crisp fall leaves....the beauty that has been painted on the maples in the fall is majestic and they are so stately and happy looking even though they will be losing their beauty as winter takes over.

How about watching kids as they jump through piles of leaves and hear the crunch under your feet.

And then there is the first bite of the apple you pick from the apple orchard..... juicy, tart and sweet all at the same time...begging for you to turn them into a pie.

There is that first crisp cut into your pumpkin....jack-o-lanterns all a-row...the lovely smell of pumpkin permeating the air and the seeds that turn into crispy little snacks!

Breathe in the crisp air and fill your lungs with fall! Get out the sweaters, get out the rakes and enjoy the weather because soon Old Man Winter will be blowing cold.

How did this happen?...Or a way to get out of work!!

2009-09-07T08:55:00.003-04:00

So...this is what happened. I was on my way to work and stepped off the last step into the garage from the house. My sandal caught the door mat just right...or wrong...and I twisted my foot...in the shoe. There was a blinding flash of pain. I hobbled into the house, grabbed an ice pack, showed it to the husband and off to work I went. Well, by the time I got there, I had a hard time putting my foot down on the ground and there was a big lump on the side of my foot. I think at this time I should tell you that I changed shoes before I left for work.

Fortunately my company has a nurse practitioner on duty during the day, so I made it right down to her office where she proclaimed a torn ligament. She wrapped it up and gave me a script for an air splint. We have a friend who works in prosthetics and he was able to get me fixed up with that. So all this happening before noon, I felt like my day was shot!

Now it just so happens that our daughter ( who lives 2 hours away) is moving to a new home and we had planned to go to her house on Saturday to help her pack. That is where the "way to get out of work" part comes in!

We had a few laughs over that for sure. But since we were going to be there all day, I did what I do best. I baked. I made from scratch brownies using a recipe from Ellie Krieger. They are more cake like...a bit healthier...but the grandkids were not fans. Nothing like the boxed brownies, I guess.

I also made a Nectarine-Blueberry pie and that was a winner. This recipe had a hint of lemon in it. Really nice recipe that came out of Country Living magazine. I cheated a little and used a Pillsbury Ready Made Pie Crust, but the result was really luscious with all the fruit. So that fairly warm, fresh pie and some vanilla ice cream was the showstopper for our family and friends that day!

I am on the mend and hopefully this will heal fast so I can get back to my exercise!

Nectarine-Blueberry Pie

3 1/2 lbs nectarines (halved, pitted and sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices)

3/4 cup blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 tbsp supgar for sprinkling

3 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp finely grated lemon zest

1 egg

1 Tbsp milk (beated with the above egg for egg wash)

Heat oven to 450 degrees and adjust rack to lower-middle position.

Place the nectarines in a large bowl and toss with the blueberries, 1 cup sugar, tapioca, lemon juice and lemon zest. Set aside for 15 minutes, the drain.

Fit one piece of pie dough into a 9-inch pie plate, fill with the fruit and top with the second piece of pie dough. Seal and flute edges and brush top with some egg wash.

Slice a few decorative slits into the top crust abd bake 10 minutes.

Reduce heat to 425 degrees and bake 25 minutes, then brush with more egg wash, sprinkle on 1 Tbsp sugar and continue to bake unto golden brown, about 5 more minutes.

Cool on a wire rack before serving.

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies

2009-09-02T19:01:00.003-04:00

I found this recipe on RecipeZaar.

While I don't follow a vegan lifestyle, there are some great recipes out there that I have tried and love.
We have some vegans/vegetarians in our department at work, so I thought I would bring a treat that everyone could enjoy. These are so good. I mean really good. I used unsweetened applesauce and the recipe was fine. These are wonderful treats!

Vegan Chocolate Chip Cherry Cookies
Ingredients
1/3 cup oil
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/4 cup applesauce
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1/4 teaspoon salt
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
1/3 cup dried cherries
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2.Beat the oil, brown sugar, applesauce and baking powder together until smooth.
3.Sift the flour and baking soda into a large bowl. Add the oats, salt, chocolate chips, and cherries, stirring together. Add the wet ingredients and stir (careful not to overmix).
4.Drop rounded tablespoonfuls onto sheets lined with parchment paper, or nonstick pans. Leave 2 inches between each one so they have room to spread out.
5.Bake for 10-12 minutes on the center rack of the oven. Let stand 2 minutes after you take them off, then slide the cookies onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Please Sir, May I have S'More?

2009-08-28T17:30:00.004-04:00

Labor Day is around the corner and the kids are going back to school (although in some areas they have already started). Here in the Northeast, as summer, or what we had of it, gears down, families are taking their last camping trips. We used to do a lot of camping and there was nothing like sitting around the roaring campfire, relaxing, and making S'mores. I had my first S'more as a Girl Scout...way too many years ago to count! I am amazed how the popularity of this wonderfully warm, melt-y, chocolate-y, gooey treat has managed to stick around and become even more popular. There are specially sized graham crackers now, grocery stores have whole displays packed with graham crackers, marshmallows and chocolate bars that act as the siren of sweetness.... drawing us in to buy some....make some....go ahead take a bite....mmmm...melted chocolate dripping down your arm...gooey marshmallows sticking to your lips. There is even S'mores cereal for those who are so inclined to like this sort of thing! Well, my camping days are over, and I don't buy the sugary cereals. But I found an interesting recipe in the Sept 25, 2009 issue of All You, that will satisfy those, including myself, who still love S'mores, want to make them at home, but really don't want to go through the trouble of melting marshmallows over a gas jet on the stove (hmmmm...interesting...fire extinguisher handy?). This can be a great weeknight dessert or a special after-school treat. And, this particular recipe has you making your own chocolate pudding and adding graham crackers and marshmallows. Well, what can be better? But in the interest of time, grab the box of My-T-Fine or Jello-O cooked pudding mix and, yes, make your own!!!. Plus you can shave a ton of calories out of this by using sugar free pudding mix, 2 % milk and low-fat graham crackers. I am posting the original recipe, but I plan on using the shortcuts and the healthier version. I know my family, especially the grandkids will love this!

S'Mores Pudding

3/4 cup sugar

6 Tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 tsp salt

5 cups whole milk

4 large eggs

1 tsp. vanilla extract

6 oz. semisweet chocolate, chopped

6 whole graham crackers, broken into small pieces

30 miniature marshmallows

In a medium bowl, combine sugar, cornstarch, cocoa powder and salt. Whisk in 1/2 cup milk and egg yolks until blended and smooth.

Pour remaining milk into a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Whisking vigorously and constantly, pour about 2 cups hot milk into sugar mixture until blended. Pour mixture back into saucepan with remaining milk, whisking well.

Reduce heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, until smooth and thickened about 2 minutes.

Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla and 1/2 chocolate. Stir until chocolate has melted.

Divide pudding among 1-cup ramekins or custard cups.

Place remaining chocolate in a microwave-safe bowl and heat on high for about 30 seconds, stirring every 10 seconds, until melted.

Place graham crackers in a ziplock bag; seal bag. Use a rolling pin to break up the graham crackers into small pieces.

Sprinkle top of each pudding with graham crackers and 5 miniature marshmallows. Drizzle with melted chocolate and serve warm.

This serves 6, so if you want to have the same amount, only using the boxed cooked pudding, use 2 boxes.

Easy Roasted Red Pepper-Feta Dip with Garlic "Chips"

2009-08-23T12:07:00.008-04:00

We love to entertain...in big and small ways. Some parties beg for exquisite dishes from drinks and hors d'oeurves right on down to dessert. Most of the time, however, it is a family get together or just friends hanging out for an evening or before going out to dinner. For those times, we want it super easy.

Here is a very easy and tasty dipping chip. When you buy a package of pitas, you can make sandwiches OR some of these for snacking or entertaining.

GARLIC PITA CHIPS

Ingredients
2 pita breads
4 teaspoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, crushed
Directions
1. Heat oven to 350º F.

2. Using a small knife or kitchen scissors, cut along circumference of each pita bread to remove folded edge.

3. Combine oil and garlic in a bowl.

4. Brush each pita round with the oil and garlic mixture.

5. Stack the rounds and then cut into 8 wedges.

6. Arrange wedges in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes until chips are golden brown.Makes 32 chips, 8 chips per serving.

Need something to serve with this?

Try ROASTED RED PEPPER DIP

1 12-oz. jar roasted red peppers, drained and coarsely chopped

1 clove of garlic

1/8 cup olive oil

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Puree 1st 4 ingredients in a food processor until smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

Cover and chill 2 hours...serve!

Now sit back and enjoy your company!

Trail Mix Muffins and Homemade Trail Mix

2009-08-22T11:09:00.003-04:00

This recipe came in my Cooking Pleasures magazine (Aug/Sept issue) and I thought these would be a good treat for after school. When I made them, I knew for sure that it was a winner. Going camping? Take these along for snacking after a hike or make them with trail mix that doesn't include chocolate (add additional trail mix) and bring them along. My next test is to make these without the butter and substitute low fat Greek yogurt. I always like to try the original recipe first before I start to make changes to see where I can adjust. But I loved the crunch in the moist muffin and that little bit of chocolate was a nice treat. I would say that you could also substitute carob chips. These have serious possibilities to make healthier and even gluten free.

Banana Trail Mix Muffins

1 -3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2/3 cup sugar 2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1 cup mashed bananas (about 2 large)

1/3 cup butter, melted

2 eggs

1 -1/2 cups trail mix

Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Line 14 muffin cups with paper liners.

Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda in large bowl.

Combine bananas, butter and eggs in medium bowl.

Beat into dry ingredients at medium speed until combined.

Stir in trail mix until well blended. Spoon into muffin cups.

Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cool in pans 10 minutes. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks.

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Homemade Trail Mix

From Sparkpeople.com

Tasty Trail Mix Filling and sweet -- try this good-for-you treat!

INGREDIENTS

Pick one ingredient from each list.

DRIED FRUIT (1 cup chopped)
Raisins
Dried pineapple
Dried apple rings
Pitted prunes
Dried peaches
Dried apricots
Mixed dried fruit
Dried banana chips

CEREAL (1 cup)

Wheat Chex
Rice Chex
Corn Chex
Shredded wheat
Cheerios
KixNUTS & SEEDS (1/2 cup)
Sunflower seeds
Mixed nuts
Peanuts
Cashews
Pecans
Walnuts
Sunflower seeds

OPTIONALS (1/2 cup)
Toasted soybeans
Popcorn
Pretzels
Chocolate Chips
M & M candies
Peanut Butter chips
Butterscotch chips

DIRECTIONS

Mix well and store in an airtight container. Serving size: 1/4 cup

2009-08-20T20:42:00.003-04:00

It's back to school time and that also means back to the regular schedule of lunches and snacks for the kids. Having grandchildren, I try to get them to try different things. The 2-year old LOVES everything. The 6-year old, and I know I have told you this before, is in love with bread and butter. SO how can you get the proper nutrition into a day for kids that need the energy to stay alert in class? Our daughter is very good about providing healthy snacks and making lunches that the kids will eat. But mac and cheese is not always on the school menu and you certainly can't send it with the kids! So whenever I see something unique, I try to share it with her so she can try it out. She is creative in her own right, but sometimes things get boring so we need to kick it up. I recently saw a few ideas in a magazine that used Mission Flour Tortillas. Besides the usual burritos, enchiladas and deli turkey and lettuce roll ups that you can make with these, I felt they had some neat ideas to pass along. Plus I have included a few of my own. I think this is a good product and I use it often in place of bread. They have fewer calories and they are easy to handle.

One recipe is for a TRAIL MIX TACO. You spread the flour tortilla with 2 Tbsp peanut butter and 1 teaspoon of honey. Sprinkle with 1 Tablespoon each of granola and raisins. Put some sliced apples and bananas on top and fold over. These are packed with good stuff!

How about a PB & J BURRITO? Spread a flour tortilla with peanut butter and your favorite jelly or jam. Place a banana in the center and roll it up like a burrito. Cut it in half and it looks so cool! Or use Marshmallow Fluff instead of PB & J. Gosh remember those marshmallow fluff sandwiches with sliced bananas on Wonder white?

Our grandkids all love QUESAILLAS. The boys are purists. I take one flour tortilla and put it in a saute pan that has been sprayed with PAM. Put some cheese on top of that and cover with another tortilla. When cheese is melting, flip the quesadilla to brown the other side, remove from the pan, into triangles and serve. Our 18 month old granddaughter likes hers with some spinach leaves in with the cheese....she is more upscale!! LOL

Another idea is to spread some cream cheese or peanut butter on the flour tortilla and place some celery sticks on top. Roll up and you have a nice crunchy snack. This also works well with apple slices and peanut butter.

I like Muenster cheese and thinly sliced cucumbers with a little dilled mayo rolled up in a flour tortilla. I have also used some sprouts in this before, but with the bad rap about sprouts these days, I have cut back my usage of these. But if you have your own home grown sprouts and you know they are safe, they add a nice crunch and zing to this.

Go Italian! Spread some pizza sauce on the flour tortilla and add some thinly sliced pepperoni and shredded mozzarella. Roll up like a burrito and microwave for a few seconds just to warm and melt the cheese. You can also make this quesadilla style. And for fewer calories without sacrificing flavor, use turkey pepperoni and park skim mozzarella.

Make a tuna salad burrito. Place a nice dark green leaf of lettuce on the flour tortilla and spread with tuna salad...roll up and eat!

Once in awhile we also like filling a flour tortilla with scrambled eggs and salsa for an eye-opener in the morning. You can also add a sausage link to the center and rollup burrito style. These are especially nice on a buffet or if you have to feed a crowd.

So my "Mission" here is finished. I hope you will try some of these out on your kids and yourself and enjoy a break from the usual sandwich routine.

MINI CHEESECAKES

2009-08-19T20:52:00.004-04:00

Who can resist thick, creamy, decadent cheesecake? This is a low-fat version in the single serving size. Oh yeah...that's what I'm talking about...treating yourself without lots of guilt! And you can change this up a bit if you want. Add a teaspoon of cocoa for some chocolate cheesecakes! The recipe calls for cherry filling on top. I'm not a fan of that as for the sweetness which seems excessive to me. But put a couple of fresh blueberries or raspberries on top of each one! Or drizzle some low fat caramel sauce on top of each one and sprinkle with a few toffee chips! Whatever your pleasure these are a little bite of heaven!

Mini Cheesecakes

INGREDIENTS
12 low-fat vanilla wafers
3 oz. cream cheese, at room temperature
12 oz. fat-free cream cheese, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
2 eggs
cherry pie filling

DIRECTIONS1. Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line muffin tins with 12 foil cupcake papers.

1. Place a vanilla wafer in the bottom of each cupcake paper.

2. In mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and fat-free cream cheese until smooth. Add sugar and vanilla and mix well. Add eggs and beat until smooth.

3. Pour cheesecake mixture into muffin tins. Bake for 20 minutes or until centers are almost set. Cool. Refrigerate 2 hours or overnight.

4. Decorate cheesecake tops with cherry pie filling.

Makes 12 cheesecakes/servings.

Cool Summer Desserts

2009-08-17T17:40:00.003-04:00

Summer has finally arrived in Central NY. We are sweltering here...not that I should be complaining after all the rain we've had! But when it is like this, it's hard to get in the mood to cook. So I look to those trusty fast and easy recipes that I have posted for a dinner choice and that leaves me also thinking about dessert. The husband has a sweet tooth so there usually has to be SOMETHING. Since we have beautiful sweet peaches in the house, tonight it is caramel peach parfait. To make it special, I am serving these in long stemmed red wine goblet style wine glasses.
First chop up some juicy peaches and mix in a little ground cinnamon. Now start layering in the glass:Chopped peaches, vanilla ice cream a little caramel topping, peaches, ice cream, a little caramel topping and then sprinkle with chopped walnuts. I love the Slow Churned ice cream to keep the calories down and I am using the Low Fat caramel topping. Bring on the spoons! Here are some more "cool" dessert ideas:
Mix equal parts softened cream cheese with marshmallow fluff. Add some vanilla extract, mix until smooth and use it as a dip for cherries, strawberries....whatever! (Kids LOVE this!)

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Mix some Cool Whip into ready-to-eat chocolate pudding or instant pudding you have prepared. Toast (in the toaster oven so you don't heat the whole kitchen!) or grill some Sara Lee poundcake slices. Spoon the pudding mixture over the poundcake, top with fresh raspberries and dust with a little confectioner's sugar.

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Before you start preparing your dinner, mix chunks of seedless watermelon, cantaloupe and honeydew with some chopped crystallized ginger, sugar and lime juice. If you have it, toss in some chopped fresh mint. Place in the fridge to keep cold. When supper is over and you are ready for dessert, spoon the mix into some pretty dessert glasses. Pipe a rosette of whipped cream on top and garnish with a sprig of mint.

I hope you are having glorious weather wherever you are and remember that even in the summer, dessert can still be on the menu and it doesn't have to come in a box. It can still be healthy and homemade.

HUMMUS WRAPS

2009-08-16T15:45:00.006-04:00

I am always on the lookout for healthy and fast lunches. When I saw this, I thought it would be great for those on the run and as a bonus it is filled with all things good. Lately I have been seeing more and more about the benefits of the Mediterranean diet. In our home we eat a lot of legumes, veggies, fish and olive oil. This type if diet is not a new thing for us and we are not fast food eaters. But, as much as I like salads, well, the same salad gets boring after awhile, so I like to try new combinations. The same goes for a sandwich. I am a big fan of wraps, and this recipe caught my eye. I plan on making this for lunch this week for the husband and myself. MMMM....I can't wait. I might even try it with the hot red pepper hummus too.

Hummus Wraps

1 Bestlife Flatout Bread Multi-Grain W/ Flax

1/4 cup Athenos Reduced Fat Feta Cheese w Basil/Tomato

1/4 cup onions, raw, sliced

1/4 cup red peppers, raw, sliced

1/4 cup diced cucumber

2 leaves of romaine lettuce

4 T Atheno's Roasted Garlic Hummus

DIRECTIONS

Makes 1 Greek hummus wrap

Spread 4 T of hummus on the bread.

Sprinkle a 1/4 cup of feta on top of the hummus.

Add all of the veggies. Roll the bread in a burrito style and enjoy!

How much easier can that get? Chop your veggies the night before and put into some zip loc bags or small containers so when you go to make these your prep work has all been done!

Peanut Butter and Butterscotch Cookies and a Movie

2009-08-15T08:23:00.004-04:00

First let me start off by saying that my girlfriend's husband and mine went to a stag party last night so she and I trotted ourselves over to the movie theatre to see Julie & Julia. It was a fun movie!!! Meryl Streep was excellent as Julia and Julie, played by Amy Adams had many a meltdown in trying to accomplish what all of us home cooks try to achieve...perfection! Very entertaining...hope you get a chance to get out and see it. The down side is that you want to go home and create something fabulous. My friend and I however, went to the coffee shop and had pastries and coffee!! All that food.....

Anyway, the husband likes peanut butter and he likes butterscotch. So when I saw this recipe in the August, 2009 issue of ALL YOU magazine, I knew I had to try it out on him. All you do is make your traditional peanut butter cookies, but add butterscotch morsels to the batter. They are really good. I liked the "bite" of the crunchy peanut butter and morsels together. These are a great bake sale item (unless you have a peanut free area) or a really good after school snack with a tall glass of cold milk. And if you have kids who love to help you bake, let them do the criss-cross pattern with the fork! These are really easy and if you need to bring something to a get together in a hurry, mix up a batch of these!

Peanut Butter Cookies with Butterscotch Bits

1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1 stick unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups chucky peanut butter (not all natural)

1 cup sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 11-oz. pkg. butterscotch morsels

In a large bowl, mix flour, baking soda and salt.

Beat butter and peanut butter until smooth. Gradually add sugar, beating to blend.

Beat in egg and vanilla. Stir in flour mixture and butterscotch morsels.

Form into a large disk and wrap in plastic. Chill 2 hours or overnight.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Line 2 baking sheets with parchment.

Use hands to form dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place balls about 2 inches apart on cookie sheets. Using a fork, press balls flat, the press again to form a crisscross pattern. Bake cookies until lightly browned, about 15 minutes.

Cool on sheets for 10 minutes, then transfer to racks to cool completely. Repeat with remaining dough. Makes about 2 dozen.

Snickers Cheesecake

2009-08-11T19:37:00.004-04:00

My daughter is crazy for Snickers Bars. But if you are going to tumble, tumble BIG! Mix those Snickers into a cheesecake! This is a very different cheesecake and it will serve several because it is so rich. I really like making my own cheesecakes because to buy a plain one costs so much. This way, I can experiment and try different versions and the cost is insignificant as to what you would pay at a bakery. The Snickers cheesecake is an especially nice way to dispose of Snickers bars after Halloween! It makes a cool company dessert when you drizzle your dessert plates with chocolate syrup or caramel sauce before serving.

Snickers Cheesecake

3 tablespoons butter, melted

1 1/4 cups graham cracker crumbs

1 tablespoon white sugar

3 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese

3 eggs

3/4 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 (2.16 ounce) Snickers candy bars, chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

In a small bowl, combine the melted butter, graham cracker crumbs and 1 tablespoon sugar. Press into the bottom of a 9 inch springform pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 10 minutes. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, cream the 3/4 cup of sugar and cream cheese together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, and vanilla. Stir in chopped candy bar, and pour into baked crust.

Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes. Let cool and carefully remove the springform pans side. Makes 1 - 9 inch springform pan.

Great finds!

2009-08-09T09:18:00.006-04:00

Happy Sunday fellow bloggers! My BIL and SIL have been visiting from Savannah since Wednesday and it has been a whirlwind. I cooked and baked...we went out for dinner one evening...and last night it was a dinner dance. The husband and his brother played in a golf tourney so my SIL and I were left to do things that women do...shop.

So this is not a food post today but one where I tell you about my amazing finds at the Salvation Army store. I was walking around looking at all of the odds and ends and knick knacks and toys.

What is that thing sitting in the back of the shelf? Are my eyes deceiving? It was a PERFECT piece of Portmeirion! It is a beautiful heart shaped dish from the Botanic Garden collection with a Dog Rose (or Rosa Cantina) pattern. And I mean...perfect...no scratches, no chips, not dirty. It was $2.99. Yep....that's right. I scooped it up and into the cart I carefully deposited this treasure. Price on the internet? $50.00...YA-HOO!

My next find was a full case of very old Matchbox cars. I am going to research those and see what the value is...in the very least, my grandsons will love them. But I paid $3.00 for the whole case.

My SIL found a GORGEOUS dress from White House/Black Market. There it was...on the rack at the Salvation Army...her size...in perfect condition...Price...$7.00. Regular retail? $168.00 Wow! We were so lucky that day! It feels good to get a bargain these days...you never know what you are going to find! And after that hard day of shopping we came home and celebrated with pomegranate martinis! WHAT A GREAT DAY!! (Oh...and the guys came in second in the tourney! LOL)

Chocolate and Cherries....I AM IN HEAVEN!

2009-08-07T08:29:00.004-04:00

Have you ever had this chocolate cobbler at the Crackerbarrel Restaurant? OMG....talk about decadent! If you love chocolate and cherries together (think Black Forest Cake), this is awesome and so much easier than making a cake! It is rich and chocolate-y so my suggestion is to not serve this with an overly rich and heavy meal! This is also a twist on the usual cobblers like peach or apple. I like making this around Valentine's Day for my honey who loves both of these ingredients. And me, I love chocolate!! I think this is as close to the dessert at Crackerbarrel and you can enjoy it right it your own home.

Cherry Chocolate Cobbler

1 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cups sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cups butter

6 oz. semi-sweet chocolate morsels

1/4 cups milk

1 egg

1 21-oz. can cherry pie filling

1/2 cup nuts, finely chopped

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and butter; cut with pastry blender until crumbs are the size of large peas.

Melt chocolate morsels over hot, not boiling water. Remove from heat and cool slightly at room temperature about 5 minutes.

Add milk and egg to melted chocolate and mix well. (It helps to temper first.)

Blend chocolate into flour mixture.

Spread cherry pie filling in bottom of 2-quart casserole. Drop chocolate batter randomly over cherries. Sprinkle with chopped nuts.

Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm with fresh whipped cream.

Blueberry Banana Bread

2009-08-05T16:38:00.003-04:00

I don't really remember where I found this other than it says Adapted from Joy of Cooking. I had some bananas that were on the way out and didn't want to throw them out. Plus there are scads of blueberries in my fridge. So I pulled this out and tried it. What I liked was that it was a lighter, less dense bread and bursting with fruit. It rose beautifully and the crumb topping is a nice addition. I brought some in for my baking buddy at work and she gave it a High 5. She makes a very good zucchini blueberry bread and proclaimed this as better. WOW! I have had her bread and it is super good too! With the height of berry picking going on in upstate NY now, this is a great recipe to use for a breakfast or snacking bread.

Blueberry Banana Bread

1 cup white flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

3/4 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp baking powder

5 1/3 Tbsp butter, room temperature

2/3 cup sugar

2 large eggs

3 mashed very ripe bananas (2 if they are big)

1 pint washed blueberries

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a loaf pan.

If you want to make the crumbly topping, mix together approximately 1/4 cup oats, 1/4 cup brown sugar and enough butter to make it stick together.

Whisk together flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.

In a separate large bowl, beat butter and sugar together for 2-3 minutes. Beat in the flour mixture into the butter-sugar mixture until blended. Gradually beat in the eggs, then fold in the bananas and blueberries. Pour into a loaf pan.

Top with crumbly topping if you want. Bake for about 50-60 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let pan cool in a rack for about 10 minutes before taking bread out of the pan. (I left mine for about 20 minutes because it seemed very fragile. Cooling it longer before taking it out of the pan seemed to work better.)

Mini Spicy Cheese Muffins

2009-08-04T11:52:00.006-04:00

The next time I make chili, I am going to try a batch of these muffins because they sound so good. It has a some of the ingredients that I love to use these days...buttermilk, corn meal... and jalapenos! These tiny muffins are just the right size to pop into your mouth with some chili. They would also be nice served alongside a bean and corn salad or even a green salad. The jalapeno will give these just the right amount of heat and surprise your taste buds....a fiesta in your mouth! Having a Mexican theme party? Serve these right along with the guacamole and nachos as an appetizer! I think they sound fun!

Mini-Spicy Cheese Muffins

ALL YOU, Aug 2009

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

2 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature

1/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup grated Monterey Jack cheese 2 jalapeno chilis, seeded and chopped (about 1/2 cup)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Mist 2 mini-muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a bowl, combine first 6 ingredients.

In a separate bowl, beat eggs with buttermilk and oil.

Pour egg mixture into flour mixture and stir to form a thick batter. Fold in cheese and chilis. Spoon enough batter to half-fill 24 cups in mini- muffin tins.

Bake until toothpick inserted in center of a muffin comes out clean, about 15 minutes.

Cool in pans on wire racks for 5 minutes, then turn muffins out into racks to cool further.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chicken and Vegetable Summer Rolls

2009-08-03T20:02:00.003-04:00

It's hot, you've had a busy day and you really don't want to cook. And, you REALLY feel guilty about slapping some sandwiches on the table for supper. You want easy and this recipe is certainly that. You can make these ahead and put in the fridge for later. These also make great appetizers or present well for a nice summer luncheon when you cut them in half and place on a platter. Place them on some curly kale and your presentation will pop. So really, all you have to know is how to boil water! I find that these are a great make-ahead meal as you can pull them out and cut them in half and serve. If you feel you need more, stop at the local Chinese restaurant and pick up some wonton or egg drop soup. But alone, these have everything in them that you need...a little meal in a rice paper wrap. For the dipping sauce, I suggest that if you like a little more spice, add some crushed red pepper to taste for a bit of a zing!

Chicken and Vegetable Summer Rolls
Makes 5 servings
Dipping Sauce: ½ cup vegetable broth (I like the College Inn broth)
1 tsp minced onion
½ tsp minced garlic
½ tsp minced ginger
1 tsp lime juice
2 Tbsp smooth peanut butter (Natural style will work)
Wraps: 3 oz fine brown rice noodles
1 cup cooked chicken breast, shredded ( I use a roaster from the grocer...pick it up the night before and shred it, pop in the fridge and ready for the next day)
1 cup carrot, peeled and washed
1 cup celery, washed
1 ½ cups iceberg lettuce, thinly shaved
15 mint leaves
10 sprigs cilantro
5 rice paper wrappers (found in grocery produce section)
1. Pour 8oz boiling water over the rice noodles and allow to soak for 10 minutes. Shock in cold water, drain and refrigerate.
2. In a small saucepan, bring the vegetable broth to a simmer with the onion, garlic and ginger. Simmer for 2 minutes and remove from heat. Whisk in the lime juice and peanut butter, allow to cool, then refrigerate.
3. Sliver the carrot and celery into long, thin strips.
4. Arrange a large bowl of hot water and each of your ingredients in front of you on your work surface.
5. Dip one wrapper into the hot water for about 20 seconds until soft. Remove the wrapper and shake off the excess water. Place on a damp towel.
6. Place 1/5 of the noodles, chicken, carrot, celery and lettuce on the edge closest to you. Add 3 mint leaves and 2 sprigs of cilantro.
7. Fold the edges of the wrapper in to enclose the ends of the filling and then roll tightly to completely encase the filling. Repeat with the remaining rolls and ingredients until all 5 rolls have been assembled. Refrigerate until time to serve.
8. For serving, slice each summer roll in half and plate with approximately 1 tablespoon of the dipping sauce.

Orange Buttermilk Cake with Summer Fruit

2009-08-02T09:07:00.004-04:00

Here is another wonderful dessert that uses the juicy stone fruits of summer and the fresh citrus flavor. This is definitely a "company" dessert as guests will be impressed. The macerated fruit is so delicious over this cake, which is something you will like if you are a fan of lemon poppy muffins or bread. Use your prettiest bundt pan for the cake. When you remove and cake has cooled, dust with some powdered sugar before cutting. Now for the fruit.........this is also a nice topping for brunchtime waffles. Set out with fresh whipped cream that is flavored with orange liqueur such as Grand Marnier or Cointreau. And to make it family and kid friendly, just use some orange extract in the fruit and cake. Either way, this is a lovely and delicious way to enjoy the fruits of summer. The fruit mixture can also enliven store-bought angel food cake. Serve this to your guests with a cordial of cold Ice Wine....excellent!

ORANGE BUTTERMILK CAKE WITH SUMMER FRUIT

Fruit: 1 1/2 cups cherries, pitted and halved 1 cup sliced peaches 1 cup sliced nectarines 1 cup sliced strawberries 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 3 tablespoons sugar 1 tablespoon Grand Marnier or other orange liqueur

Cake: Cooking spray 3 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided (about 13 1/2 ounces) 4 teaspoons poppy seeds 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 3/4 cups sugar 1/2 cup butter, softened 3 large eggs 1 cup fat-free buttermilk 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 1. Preheat oven to 350°.
2. To prepare fruit, combine first 7 ingredients in a large bowl; toss gently. Cover and chill.
3. To prepare cake, coat a 12-cup tube pan with cooking spray, and dust with 2 tablespoons flour.
4. Lightly spoon remaining 3 cups flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour, poppy seeds, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk. Place 1 3/4 cups sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well blended. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Combine buttermilk and 1/4 cup juice. Add flour mixture to sugar mixture alternately with buttermilk mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake at 350° for 43 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan 10 minutes on a wire rack; remove from pan. Cool completely on wire rack. Serve with fruit mixture.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: 1 slice cake and about 1/4 cup fruit mixture)

More From Your Buttermilk!

2009-07-31T17:31:00.003-04:00

Do you want to use up your buttermilk that you bought? Here are some more tasty and quick ideas to add to your list.

Make a smoothie!!

Peel and cut up 1 ripe mango. Put into a blender. Add 3/4 cup buttermilk, 4 ice cubes, 1 Tbsp honey and a pinch of ground cardamom. Blend until smooth. This is a nice afternoon "pick-me-up" and full of vitamins and calcium.

Make tomato soup!! In a blender, combine 1 15.5 oz. can of fire-roasted tomatoes, 1/2 tsp. salt 1/2 tsp. hot pepper sauce and 1/4 tsp. ground cumin. Blend all until smooth. Transfer to a medium bowl; stir in 3 cup buttermilk and 2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro. You can serve cold like gazpacho or heat in the microwave. This makes a quick and tasty lunch.

Make salad dressing!! Dress your greens with a smooth and creamy herb dressing. In a small bowl combine 1/2 cup buttermilk, 1/4 cup light mayo, and 1 Tbsp each of cider vinegar, chopped parsley and snipped chives. (Make use of that herb garden!) Very tasty poured over ice cold and crispy hearty greens such as romaine, with a few tomatoes and red onion tossed in together.

Easy and breezy summer recipes...that get you out of the kitchen fast!

"EAT YOUR OATMEAL!"

2009-07-29T18:06:00.008-04:00

Remember being little and your mom saying "Eat your oatmeal"?
Now we hear how good oatmeal is for us and as we age, fighting the cholesterol battle is made easier by including oatmeal into our diets.

Being the purist that I am, I love the Quaker Old-Fashioned Oats. I have a container of quick cooking oats that I use for baking and I have the little Quaker Oats packets for the grandkids who love all the sugary flavors, but give me the real cooked stuff any day. The husband and I both like oatmeal…him with Tupelo honey and me with a little brown sugar. We both add cinnamon and sometimes fruit or nuts. OK…now once in awhile it is nice to change it up a little, so here’s a recipe to keep your breakfast interesting and still get your oats! Pancakes made with oats. Yes that’s right…pancakes! I made these this morning and they are awesome. The hubs even liked them! A winner!! I will make these over and over as they are a pretty healthy alternative to a bowl of oatmeal. They are also versatile because you can add a little cinnamon to the batter if you like, or toss in some blueberries, or how about some pecans. I diced up a nectarine and mixed in some raspberries and a Tbsp. of sugar. (You could use Splenda). That is how I topped my pancakes…no syrup. What a good way to start the day! You might also want to try these with kids who don't like the texture of oatmeal but who love pancakes. Pour a little sugar free syrup over them or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar! The batter is a nice consistency so you can use it to make shapes for the kids. Also, if you have extra batter and you know you won't have the opportunity to use it up, freeze it! Or make up a batch of pancakes, freeze and pop into the toaster oven when ready to use. Voila...an easy and hearty breakfast when you are in a hurry or the kids have to get to school. If you want a breakfast sandwich, I can see rolling a pancake around a link of turkey sausage. Still pretty healthy! Once again, this is a nice easy recipe that you can toss together in the morning, or mix the dry ingredients the night before and just mix up with the rest in the morning. It is versatile as to what you can add to the mix. And it is good for you!

Whole-Grain Pancakes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup quick cooking oats (uncooked)

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp. baking powder

1 egg, lightly beaten

1 1/4 cups skim milk

1 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

In large bowl, mix all dry ingredients together. Add egg, milk, oil and vanilla. Stir just until combined. Batter will not be smooth. Spray non-stick pan with PAM and pour batter by 1/4 cups into the pan. Cook until tops are bubbly and edges look dry. Turn and cook other side. Repeat with remaining batter. Use topping of your choice.

Uses for Buttermilk

2009-07-28T19:20:00.006-04:00

I have become a fan of using buttermilk in certain recipes. It adds a fluffiness to certain baked goods like biscuits, and is versatile as a marinade, for creamy homemade tomato soup and in smoothies. Now here is the good news! Low-fat Buttermilk is only 1% milkfat. It has natural bacteria which can aid in digestion and if you buy only a quart, you can use that in no time. This milk will keep about 2 weeks in the fridge. Here are a couple ideas for you to try.

Blueberry Muffins

(These gems have only 5 grams of fat each and are delicious. For a change, add some fresh raspberries. Also, they use cholesterol fighting oats!)

1 cup Old Fashioned oats

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (try whole wheat flour for extra goodness and flavor)

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 large egg

1 cup plus 2 Tbsp. low-fat buttermilk

3 Tbsp canola oil

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 tsp. granulated sugar

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray 12-cup muffin pan with PAM. Place oats in blender and blend until finely ground. In large bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder and soda, and salt. In small bowl, with a whisk, blend egg, buttermilk, oil and vanilla; stir into the flour mixture until flour is moistened. Fold in berries. Spoon batter into muffin-pan cups; sprinkle with sugar. (For some extra flair and sparkle, use coarse sanding sugar.) Bake 23-25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center of muffins comes out clean. Invert onto wire rack; serve warm or cool to serve later.

Grilled Chicken

(This chicken is so succulent and delicious! I think it would be great to use smaller pieces of marinated boneless breast and use this for a buffet dinner.)

Place 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves in a self-sealing plastic bag; add 3/4 cup buttermilk, 2 garlic cloves, crushed with a press, 1/4 cup fresh dill, 1/4 tsp salt, and 1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper.

Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors blend. Preheat grill to medium. Place chicken on hot grill grate, cover and cook 10-12 minutes or until juices run clear when pierced with a knife, turning only once. Discard marinade.

Serve this with some sugar snap peas and creamy risotto. There you are...something for breakfast and something for dinner...both making use of some healthy buttermilk!

It's Greek To Me!

2009-07-27T20:58:00.002-04:00

Once in awhile we love to do a Greek theme with our food. It is so tasty and healthy...kebobs with red peppers and onions, a big Greek salad, or maybe some (not so healthy!) spanikopita. I LOVE that but it can be pretty rich. Anyway, here is a nice starter for a Greek dinner. Definitely consider this recipe as more of a guideline. It works as is but is infinitely flexible should you want to use different herbs or skip something or other. Also, if your store has more than one type of feta, try it out in this. Frankly, I could stuff a pita with this stuff and be happy with it as a sandwich!!

Feta Salsa

1/2 lb. feta (cow’s milk)
2/3 cup sundried tomatoes in oil
1/2 cup pitted Kalamata olives
2 tablespoons fresh dill
3 tablespoons flat-leaf parsley
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/4 cup olive oil
Crumble the feta into a bowl. Chop the tomatoes and olives, dill and parsley and thinly slice the scallions. Gently mix the ingredients together and drizzle with a few tablespoons of olive oil, or to taste. Delicious served with triangles of fresh pita bread.

It's Summer...how about a Frozen Fruit Tart?

2009-07-24T20:32:00.009-04:00

Fresh raspberries are in abundance and I couldn't help but notice the beautiful nectarine and raspberry tart on the cover of the August issue of Good Housekeeping magazine. And when I read how easy it was, I decided I am going to try it this weekend. You use mango or passion fruit sorbet in this. Have you ever tried the Haagen-Dazs Mango Sorbet? It is like biting into fresh fruit....so delicious. I have served it with some fresh raspberries or even some frozen raspberries (Thawed of course). I am a big fan! So now I have a super recipe to use it in. I can't wait to try this with all of the fresh fruit now in season.
Frozen Fruit Tart
8 graham crackers
2 Tbsp whole natural almonds
1 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp canola oil
1 Tbsp honey
2 tsp water
1 1/2 cups light vanilla ice cream (such as slow or double churned...my fave here is Edy's Vanilla) 1 1/2 cup mango or passion fruit sorbet
3 ripe nectarines, pitted and cut into 8 wedges
2 ripe plums, pitted and cut into 8 wedges
1 cup raspberries
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Prepare crust: In food processor with knife blade attached, pulse graham crackers until fine crumbs form. Add whole almonds and sugar; pulse until almonds are finely chopped. In cup, mix canola oil, honey, and water; drizzle over crumb mixture.
Pulse until crumbs are evenly moistened. Press crumb mixture onto bottom and up side of a 9" round tart pan with removable bottom. Bake crust 8 to 10 minutes or until set and lightly browned at edges. Cool completely in pan on wire rack.
Remove ice cream and sorbet from freezer; let stand at room temperature 10 minutes or until slightly softened. Spoon ice cream and sorbet alternately into tart shell, pressing with back of spoon to smooth; cover and freeze until firm, at least 4 hours or overnight. Carefully remove side of pan and place tart on round platter. Arrange circle of nectarine wedges 1 inch from edge of tart, then circle of plum wedges inside of nectarines. Mound raspberries in center of tart. Serve immediately.
This serves 8 and is only 8 g of fat per serving, so you don't break the calorie bank with this little indulgence! It is also a good way to get the kids to try new fruits! Let them help you put the ice cream and sorbet in the shell and when it is frozen they can pile on the fruits themselves. It may not look perfect, but it will taste great and once they try the juicy goodness, you may have helped them try something new!

And for a neat giveaway, visit http://shelbymaelawstories.blogspot.com/ The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch!

A Relaxing Evening

2009-07-23T21:41:00.007-04:00

Last evening, my friend and and along with several other women interested in cooking and art, attended an Art Talk and Tapas workshop at our local museum. What a great evening it was!
The talk was about the artist Liliana Porter who is Argentinian. She is an interesting sort who uses toys and dolls in her art and has a very wry sense of humor. She also interjects some political bias through her use of images of the Argentine flag and images of Che Guevera. Very different, but I learned something new!
Now on to the Tapas workshop. We were fortunate to have a wonderful caterer and former restaurant owner as our chef, along with her equally talented husband. They created a fabulous evening of not only great food, but healthy food. We had little fresh breads made on the grill and topped with roasted veggies. This is a photo off her website of that. There was sweet and juicy apricot chicken kebobs and shrimp kebobs. We had tabouli with the freshest of herbs picked from her garden that morning. There was wine and great conversation...seeing some old friends there and enjoying the lovely summer weather on the flowered terrace at the museum. At right is the historic mansion where we mingled on the terrace and porch. http://newyorktraveler.net/fountain-elms-historic-site-utica/

It was such a fun and relaxing evening.

If you would like to check out our chef for the evening, you can find her at http://susanscookingschool.blogspot.com/

Ice Cream...Cupcakes!

2009-07-21T20:17:00.004-04:00

Oh gosh, how cute are these? Here is another summer dessert idea that is fun for the kids. We love cupcakes because they are "just enough" and so easy to serve at the kids' parties. But for the summer, this is a "cool" idea and gives you your cake and ice cream in a cupcake liner. And, you can experiment with ice cream flavors and toppings. Some of the things that came to mind were:

Coffee ice cream and Heath Bar toffee bits
Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream and mini chocolate chips
Peanut Butter Ice Cream and chopped peanuts
Maple Walnut Ice Cream and chopped toasted walnuts
Raspberry Swirl ice cream or Sorbet with chopped bittersweet chocolate
Strawberry ice cream with chopped milk chocolate
Vanilla ice cream with toasted coconut
Vanilla ice cream with chopped chocolate covered almonds
Vanilla or chocolate ice cream with chopped Milky Way bars

OK, had enough? I told you that all you need is your imagination and a favorite flavor! And ask the kids! They can always come up with some great combinations.

Ice Cream Cupcakes

1 Sara Lee frozen pound cake

3/4 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

2 pints ice cream, flavor of your choice, slightly softened

1 cup toppings that you want to use for mixing in

Arrange 12 paper liners in a 12-cup muffin tin. Cut pound cake unto 1/2-inch thick slices. Use a 2-inch biscuit cutter to cut 12 circles from slices, reserving scraps for another use (like trifle, perhaps!) Place circles in bottoms of cupcake liners.

Combine heavy cream and confectioners' sugar in a bowl and whip with an electric mixer until cream holds stiff peaks. Scoop ice cream into a large bowl. Reserve 1/4 cup toppings; add remaining toppings to bowl with ice cream. Combine by mashing ice cream and toppings with back of a large spoon. (If ice cream gets too soft, place bowl in freezer for 10 minutes before continuing.)

Top each pound cake circle with a scoop of ice cream and cover with whipped cream. Sprinkle with remaining toppings. Lightly drape cupcakes with plastic wrap and place in freezer until form, at least 2 hours or up to 3 days.