Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Cheesecake and cheesecake-type pies  are some of our absolute favorite kinds of desserts. This very easy recipe can be put together in a matter of minutes, especially if you use a packaged cookie crust rather than starting from scratch. The filling is creamy and rich with the combination of whipped cream and cream cheese, and of course, you can use any kind of fruit filling you like to top it off. Blessings...

Recipe: 

1 8-ounce pkg. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup sifted powdered sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1 9-inch baked pastry shell, cookie crust or graham cracker crust
1 1-pound 5-ounce can blueberry pie filling or fruit filling of choice

1. Beat together cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla till smooth.
2. Fold in whipped cream and spoon into pie shell.
3. Spoon pie filling on top and chill until set.

Yield: 6-8 servings

Creamy Frozen Fruit Salad (2)

Since this weekend is Memorial Day and a weekend of celebration with family and friends for most of us, I thought I would post another salad recipe, but this one won't be going to the park or lake for a day in the sun. This one will need to stay inside since it is made with cream cheese and other milk products to give it a wonderful rich, creamy texture. This salad is loaded with fruit and has no strong flavors which makes it great for the whole family; a real kid-friendly recipe.

My husband and I will be going home to see my mom for a few days. She has been very ill, but thankfully, is doing much better now, so I will not be posting for about a week. It is going to be wonderful to spend time with her and other family members that we have not seen since Thanksgiving or longer. Being at a distance from loved ones is so difficult and we are really thankful for the blessing of this time to spend with them. I hope you have some wonderful time with your family, as well. Blessings until next week!

Recipe:

1 pkg. (8 oz.) low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup low-fat sour cream
1 cup fat-free Cool Whip or other whipped topping
1/4 cup sugar
1 can (1 lb.) apricot halves, drained and cut in half
1 can (8 3/4 oz.) crushed pineapple, drained
1 can (1 lb.) pitted dark sweet cherries, drained and cut in half.
1 cup miniature marshmallows
1/4 cup chopped pecans

1. In a large mixer bowl, beat cream cheese until smooth. Add sour cream, Cool Whip and sugar; blend on low speed.
2. Stir fruits, marshmallows and nuts into cheese mixture.
3. Pour into a 5 x 9-inch loaf pan, 9 x 9-inch baking pan or a mold. Cover with foil and freeze for at least 8 hours.
4. Let sit at room temperature for about 20 minutes before trying to cut and serve.

Yield: 12 servings
Tip: If you are like me, and don't buy the smaller cans of crushed pineapple, the amount needed is 1 cup pineapple with juice and then drain.

I adapted this recipe from a recipe found in Betty Crocker's Cookbook.

Blueberry Coffeecake

This lovely coffeecake is perfect for a weekend breakfast, brunch, or a special holiday gathering. The recipe is very easy to put together and can be made in advance and reheated when needed. I love to serve it with eggs and a breakfast meat, or quiche for a family breakfast. The recipe comes from a favorite old cookbook entitled "San Francisco A La Carte". Fabulous recipes! Blessings...

Recipe:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. baking powder

1/4 tsp. salt

1 tsp. soda

2 cups unbleached flour

1 cup light sour cream (I've also used plain, low-fat yogurt)

2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries

Topping:

1 cup packed brown sugar

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup unbleached flour

1. Cream butter and sugar in a large bowl of an electric mixer. Add eggs, baking powder, salt, and soda and mix until combined.

2. Alternating, add flour and sour cream; 1/4 flour and 1/3 sour cream until combined.

3. Gently stir in blueberries with a wooden spoon or spatula.

4. Pour into a well-buttered 9 x 13-inch baking pan.

5. For the topping: Cream brown sugar and butter; add flour to get a semidry, lumpy mixture. Sprinkle on top of the batter.

6. Bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. The topping should melt and partially sink into the batter.

Yield: 12 servings

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Potatoes in Foil for the Barbecue

This simple recipe for potatoes on the barbecue is my adaptation of a Better Homes and Gardens recipe from years ago. The sliced potatoes are seasoned, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese and butter, and then they are wrapped tightly in foil to cook alongside the meat on the grill. This kid-friendly recipe is easy to put together. The only thing to be careful of is plenty of butter on the foil so they don't stick and to allow room for the expansion of steam in the packages for proper cooking. This recipe is easy and yummy! Blessings...

Recipe:

1. Scrub medium baking potatoes, about 5 oz. each; pare if desired (I don't)
2. Cut into 1/4-inch lengthwise sticks and place on well-buttered pieces of foil for individual servings.
3. Sprinkle each potato with 1/8 tsp. each onion powder, garlic salt and celery salt and 2 tbsps. grated Parmesan cheese. Toss potato pieces to cover all surfaces. Dot each potato with 2 tbsps. butter. Bring edges of foil together and seal, leaving room for expansion of steam.
4. Cook potatoes on grill over coals about 30 minutes or till tender, turning packages once.
5. Open packages, being careful of steam, and scrape potatoes onto dinner plates for serving.

BBQ Beefies

This simple hot sandwich recipe came about as a creative way to use up some leftover barbecue sauce from another meal last week. As my daughter-in-love will tell you, I don't throw anything away in the kitchen but garbage. I can always find a use for the bits of leftover somethings. So after preparing the wonderful barbecue sauce recipe that my niece shared with me, and I posted on 5/6/13, I decided to try a Sloppy-Joe-kind-of-idea with the leftover sauce. We thought it worked out well; maybe you will, as well. The coleslaw that is pictured here is a recipe that was posted on 9/2/08. This is a very fast and easy way to get dinner on the table for the family, and I think would probably be very kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. lean ground beef
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup barbecue sauce

1. In a large skillet cook beef, green pepper and onion until beef is no longer pink and vegetables are tender.
2. Add barbecue sauce and simmer for about 5 minutes on low heat until heated through. Serve on hamburger buns.

Yield: 4-6 sandwiches

Raisin Cashew Drops

This candy recipe combines raisins and cashews in delicious chocolate for an easy dessert or gift. Older children could make this recipe for mom for a special homemade gift of love; the kind of gift that touches a mom's heart. For all the mom's out there, I do hope your heart is touched by your family on this special day of celebration. Blessings...

Recipe:

2 cups (12 oz.) semisweet chocolate chips
1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
1 tbsp. light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups coarsely chopped or broken cashews
2 cups raisins

1. In a heavy saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the milk and corn syrup, stirring constantly until smooth. Remove from the heat; stir in the vanilla until blended. Stir in the cashews and raisins.
2. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto waxed paper-lined baking sheets. Refrigerate until firm, about 2 - 3 hours.
3. Carefully remove from waxed paper and store in an airtight container. Chocolate is the best at room temperature.

Yield: 2-1/2 pounds

This recipe comes from Taste of Home Annual Recipes Cookbook 2009

Mom's Bean Salad

My hubby had a potluck barbecue at work this week for which the employees were asked to bring side dishes that would work alongside hamburgers and hot dogs. There are always plenty of bags of chips and plates of cookies, so we decided to share this bean salad to add a bit more variety on the table. It was a big hit; the bowl came home almost empty. This salad works really well for potlucks, barbecues, and other types of large gatherings because the dressing is oil and vinegar based and can sit on the table for hours without worry of spoiling.

My mom made this salad for just about every barbecue we ever had as a family, and there are many fond memories associated with it. I hope that your family builds some wonderful memories this weekend over the meals you enjoy together. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 can (14.5 oz.) each:
Green Beans, drained
Yellow Wax Beans, drained
Kidney Beans, rinsed and drained
Garbanzo Beans, rinsed and drained
1/8 cup sliced green onion (you can use other onions, if you like)
several drops hot sauce, to taste
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup salad oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1. Place the drained beans and the onion in a large bowl.
2. Mix dressing ingredients and pour over the beans; mix well, cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight.
3. Taste and adjust seasoning with more hot sauce, salt, and pepper.

Yield: 14 - 1/2 cup servings
4.6 grams fiber per serving

Delicious Barbecue Sauce

The weather has turned mild and beautiful here in Idaho; it's a perfect time to barbecue, and so last week I tried a recipe that my niece shared in our recipe group. This sauce is a delicious blend of sweet tang and smokiness. I have no idea who to give the credit to for creating this recipe, but I'm sure glad my niece found it shared it. After years of frustration with homemade sauces, I resorted to the bottled variety and found a few that we really liked. I will continue to use this recipe in the future. The sauce takes about five minutes to throw together in a small saucepan; it couldn't be simpler. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup ketchup

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup molasses

2 tsps. Dijon mustard

1-1/2 tsps. Worcestershire

1/4 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. liquid smoke (I used a hickory smoke)

1/8 tsp. pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. We brushed the sauce on chicken breasts the last few minutes of cooking time and served more alongside at the table.

Yield: about 1-1/2 cups

Mississippi Mud Dessert

Mississippi Mud bars, cake or dessert was a very popular dessert back in the 1980's. This rich, decadent chocolate dessert came in many forms, but I found this one to be the best and my family seemed to agree because it never lasted long. This recipe came from a cookie shop in Lake Arrowhead, California called The Bear's Brown Bag of Cookies via Bon Appetit Magazine in 1985. The brownie layer is chock full chopped nuts and coconut, the second layer is marshmallow cream that melts on top of the hot brownie and gets all gooey, and the frosting is one of the richest butter creams ever. Perfect for dessert  anytime you're craving something delicious and want to put a twinkle in the eyes of your loved ones. This dessert is very kid-friendly. Blessings...

Recipe:  

Brownie

1 cup butter, room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1-1/2 cups unbleached flour
3 tbsps. unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 cups pecans or walnuts, chopped fine
1-1/2 cups flaked coconut

1 7-ounce jar marshmallow cream

Frosting

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
4 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/2 cup evaporated milk

For brownie:

1. Grease 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Cream butter with sugar in large bowl of electric mixer until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs 1 at a time until well incorporated. Blend in vanilla.
4. Combine flour and cocoa powder. Beat dry ingredients into butter mixture.
5. Fold in coconut and pecans. Spoon batter into prepared pan, spreading evenly.
6. Bake until tester inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes.
7. Immediately spoon marshmallow cream over brownie. As cream begins to melt, spread gently. Cool brownie completely on a wire rack.

For frosting:

1. Cream butter and vanilla in large bowl of electric mixer.
2. Combine sugar and cocoa powder. Gradually beat into butter mixture, alternating with milk.
3. Continue beating until frosting is light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Spread frosting over brownie. Cut into squares to serve.

Yield: 12 servings

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The Humble Gift of Welcome

Hospitality is the humble gift of welcome, while entertaining is prideful, showy, wants to impress, and as my husband and I have experienced personally, very hurtful for those being "entertained". The most important part of hospitality is conveying an attitude of welcome, care and love toward those who are coming into your home. Our guests couldn't care less about the size of our home, kind or condition of the furniture, how the table is set or even what is being served, as long as they feel welcomed, loved, and cared for. Hospitality does not say, "hey, look at me", it says, "I'm glad you're here and I'm caring for you".

People are longing for relationship, connection, and a sense of acceptance, none of which are being supplied on Facebook or any other form of social media. Inviting people into our lives and our homes is where connecting takes place, especially around the table and a meal. The meal need not be elaborate; simplicity is key to easing stress and a feeling of being relaxed, for us and our guests. Our guests have come into our home for fellowship and an enjoyable time, and I have found that guests always ask what they can contribute to the meal, which causes them to feel more apart of the meal.

Recently we had some friends in our home to help celebrate my birthday, hence the picture of the lovely cake my husband purchased for the meal. The evening was filled with laughter and good food. There is no better way to connect with friends and family than to share laughter, conversation that includes everyone, and good food. Blessings...