Raspberry Dream

When I was growing up my mom would regularly make this dessert for our family. I never thought much about the recipe until many years later when I came across it in the church cookbook, that was created by the ladies of the church, where we were attending. I decided to make the recipe to see if my husband and son would like it as much as my siblings and I did. This dessert became a favorite, and again, over the years I forgot about it until I was looking through the cookbook and I saw my notes about how much my son liked it. I share this recipe today as a kid-friendly dessert to counter-balance the dark chocolate cheesecake of yesterday that most kids probably would not care for. Blessings to all the special kids in our lives!

Recipe:

1 cup flour
1/4 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts, I prefer pecans
1/2 cup butter, melted
2 egg whites
3/4 cup sugar
1 (10 oz.) pkg. frozen raspberries, partially thawed
2 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup whipping cream, whipped

1. In a small bowl stir together first four ingredients. Spread evenly on large rimmed baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
2. Remove from oven and cool on wire rack.
3. Spread 2/3 of the mixture in a 9 x 13-inch baking pan. Reserve remaining mixture.
4. In large mixing bowl combine egg whites, sugar, raspberries and lemon juice. Beat until stiff peaks form, about 10-12 minutes.
5. Fold in whipped cream and spoon over nut mixture in pan. Top with reserved crumbs. Freeze.
6. Cut into squares and serve.

Yield: 12-16 servings

3D Chocolate Cheesecake

A few years ago when we went home for a visit my husband was looking through my mom's Taste of Home Magazines and he found this recipe for me to give a try. This man has found nothing chocolate that he doesn't like. I finally got around to making it for dessert this week and he is one happy camper. This is a very dense dark chocolate cheesecake topped with a thick dark chocolate ganache. I added the whipped cream to help cut some of the chocolate richness for me; I don't do "rich" as well as he does!

The cheesecake batter is extremely thick so you must use a stand mixer or else you will never get the ingredients combined. If you have a "chocoholic" in your home, they will think they died and went to heaven after the first bite. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup chocolate graham cracker crumbs (about 5 whole crackers) or 1 cup regular graham cracker crumbs and 1 tbsp. baking cocoa
1 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
Filling:
4 pkgs. (8 oz. each) cream cheese, softened
1-1/3 cups sugar
1 pkg. (10 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips, melted and cooled
1/4 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, lightly beaten
Ganache:
2/3 cup (4 oz.) 60% cacao bittersweet chocolate baking chips
1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
1 tbsp. sugar

1. Place a greased 9-inch springform pan on a double thickness of heavy-duty foil (about 18 inches square). Securely wrap foil around pan.
2. In a small bowl, combine cracker crumbs and sugar; stir in butter. Press onto the bottom of prepared pan. Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 325 degrees for 10 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.
3. In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in cooled chocolate and cocoa. Add eggs; beat on low speed just until combined. Pour over crust. Place springform pan in a large baking pan; add 1 inch of boiling water to larger pan.
4. Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes or until center is just set and top appears dull. Remove springform pan from water bath; remove foil. Cool cheesecake on a wire rack for 10 minutes; loosen edges from pan with a knife. Cool 1 hour longer. Refrigerate overnight.
5. For ganache, in a small saucepan, bring cream and sugar just to a boil. Remove from heat and add chocolate; cover with a lid and allow to sit for 5 minutes to soften chocolate. Whisk mixture until smooth and allow to cool to spreading consistency. This will only take about 15-20 minutes.
6. Remove rim from pan. Spread ganache over cheesecake to within 1-inch of edge. Refrigerate for 1 hour or until set.

Yield: 16 servings
480 calories per serving
2 gms. fiber

Quick Ginger Pork

This tasty and low-calorie stir-fry goes together fast. The recipe can easily be adjusted for a larger family and the amount of ginger used can be adjusted to make this a more kid-friendly meal. Ginger can be a strong flavor when combined with garlic in a stir-fry, so using the smallest amount suggested the first time in new recipe is a good idea. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 tbsp. peanut oil
1/2 pound pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tbsps. soy sauce
1/4 tsp. sugar
1/8 to 1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1/2 cup water
1-1/2 tsps. cornstarch
hot cooked rice

1. Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Stir-fry the pork and garlic for 3 minutes.
2. Combine soy sauce, sugar and ginger; add to skillet. Reduce heat to medium; stir-fry for 3-4 minutes or until pork is no longer pink.
3. Combine water and cornstarch until smooth; add to skillet. Bring to a boil; boil and stir for 2 minutes. Serve over rice.

Yield: 2 servings
1 serving calculated without rice is 227 calories

Spiced Couscous

Couscous is an excellent accompaniment to just about any kind of meat, fish or poultry dish, and it is very fast and easy to prepare. Because the grains are so small they cook in a boiling liquid, off the flame, in about five minutes. Couscous can be purchased in pre-packaged form or it can be found in the health food section of most markets in the bulk-food bins. This flavorful spiced variation with raisins and cashews was in a Bon Appe'tit Magazine years ago. For our Easter meal yesterday, I did not add the cashews because the salad had cashews in it and I didn't want to overdo a good thing. The sweet and savory spices were a wonderful combination with our ham. Blessings...

Recipe:
2 tbsps. butter
1/4 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground cardamom
1/8 tsp. ground cloves
2-1/4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup raisins
1-1/2 cups couscous (1 10-oz. box)
1/4 cup chopped toasted cashews, optional

1. Melt the butter in a 3 qt. saucepan over low heat. Add spices and cook 2 minutes stirring occasionally.
2. Add broth and raisins. Bring to a boil. Mix in couscous, cover and remove from heat. Let sit 5 minutes. Add nuts, if using, stir and serve.

Yield: 6 servings

Macaroni Chili

This easy skillet meal mimics a bowl of chili and is wonderful served with a simple salad and maybe some cornbread or corn muffins. The only chopping involved is some onion and garlic, everything else comes out of a can or bottle to hurry things along when time is short. This is my variation of a recipe that came out of our hometown paper many years ago. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 lb. lean ground beef (I used 7%)
1 cup chopped onion
1 clove garlic, minced
1 can (15-1/2 oz.) kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1 can (8 oz.) tomato sauce
1 can (10 oz.) diced tomatoes and chilies
3/4 cup dry elbow macaroni
1/4 cup water
1-1/2 to 2 tsps. chili powder
1 tsp. ground cumin
1/2 to 1 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground allspice
1/3 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1. In a large skillet, cook the beef, onion and garlic until juices are evaporated.
2. Stir in remaining ingredients, except cheese, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for about 10 minutes.
3. Stir well, cover and simmer for 5 minutes more or until macaroni is tender.
4. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover and heat until cheese is melted, about a minute more.

Yield: 7 cups
252 calories per cup
5.4 gms. fiber per cup

Cinnamon Honey Cream Cheese Spread for Bagels

In my family, I have a husband and a niece that love honey, so after creating the Orange Marmalade spread for bagels posted on 2/10/2014, I thought maybe a honey and cinnamon concoction might work well as a spread. When this idea was mentioned to my niece she responded positively, so I bought some Cinnamon Raisin bagels with this thought in mind. The extra cinnamon and the sweet raisins are a wonderful complement to the cinnamon and honey in the spread. We really enjoyed the bagels alongside applesauce for breakfast this morning. Blessings...

Recipe:

3 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
4 tsp. mild honey
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
2 tbsp. finely chopped pecans
3 to 4 cinnamon raisin bagels

1. In a small bowl, beat cream cheese until light and fluffy with an electric mixer.
2. Beat in honey and cinnamon. Taste to see if the balance in flavor is right for you and your family.
3. Stir the pecans in with a spoon. Store in a covered container in the refrigerator.

Yield: Enough spread for 3 to 4 bagels depending on how thick you like your cream cheese. Yummy!

Mashed Sweet and White Potatoes

Years ago I made a sweet and white mashed potato recipe that was very typical of mashed potatoes. The recipe called for the traditional milk, butter and salt, which was simple and good, but this recipe from Marcia Adam's "New Recipes from Quilt Country" is a step above the old one. In this recipe buttermilk replaces the sweet milk and some garlic cloves are added to the cooking water for additional tang and flavor; something not expected in a dish made with sweet potatoes. We thoroughly enjoyed the change in flavor with our pork roast and salad this week. Tonight we will have the leftovers with our beef tenderloin for our Valentine's dinner. Have a wonderful evening meal; blessings...

Recipe:

2 large sweet potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
2 large white potatoes (about 1 pound), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1-1/2 cups water or more to cover potatoes
8 garlic cloves, peeled (optional, but good)
1/2 tsp. salt or more as needed
1/2 cup buttermilk
fresh ground pepper if desired

1. In a 3-quart saucepan, combine the potatoes, water, garlic if using and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and cook for 10 to 15 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.
2. Drain the potatoes, saving the garlic, and mash all together. Add buttermilk and beat with an electric mixer until smooth and fluffy. Taste and add more salt and some pepper if needed. Serve hot.

Yield: 3-1/2 cups
Note: Because the garlic is cooked with the potatoes it is not strong at all but, that having been said, if there is a concern, the garlic sure could be removed so the flavor of the dish would be even more subtle.

Valentine Goodies for the Kids

We have some new neighbor boys that have been a tremendous help to my husband and I this fall and winter season. These two young boys, and two of their friends, have come to our home to help with the raking of piles of leaves and the moving of many shovels-full of snow. What a blessing they have been to us and our aching backs!

Since I didn't get my holiday baking done in December, and the ingredients were still on the pantry shelves waiting to be turned into cookies and candy, I decided to make up this tray of our favorites as a "thank you" gift to the boys and their family. The recipes that I have used are for the Sugar Cookies posted on 2/12/2010, Peanut Pralines posted on 2/20/2013, Double Chocolate Fudge posted on 2/14/2013, Porcupine Cookies posted on 2/8/2014 and Chocolate Cherry Cookies posted on 2/22/2013. Giving a gift of candy and cookies is such a wonderful way of saying, "thank you", "I love you", or "Happy Valentines Day". Happy Valentine's Day to you! Blessings...

Orange Marmalade Cream Cheese Spread for Bagels

Bagels are wonderful for an easy breakfast. Served with fruit and tea, or coffee, they are a quick and nourishing breakfast, especially the whole wheat and whole grain bagels. I don't spend the money on prepared cream cheese spreads, but prefer to make my own. I think home preparations of just about anything are usually better, if for no other reason than the enjoyment of the process of creating something that might be a new favorite for friends and family. Making a spread by adding a bit of jam, spice and some chopped nuts to cream cheese is a wonderful way to help save some money at the market. Blessings...

Recipe:  

5 oz. low-fat cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup sweet orange marmalade
1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg

1. Beat cream cheese with an electric mixer until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in orange marmalade and nutmeg until well combined.
3. Use a wooden spoon or spatula to stir in pecans. Store, covered, in the refrigerator.

Makes enough spread for 4 or 5 bagels.
Note: Change the flavor of the spread with different flavors of jam and spices.

Porcupine Cookies

Do you remember the movie, "Tortilla Soup", with Hector Elizondo? This movie was a cook's dream. I loved it. I had never heard of Porcupine Cookies until watching this film and I wondered what on earth they were. Well, quite by chance a few weeks later, in our local paper, I came across this recipe that I'm sharing today. These cookies are very unusual in that there is no flour; the sweetened condensed milk and coconut are the binding agents. They remind me of a cross between candy and a cookie. If you love coconut, you will love these cookies. Blessings...

Recipe:

1 cup pecan pieces
1 tbsp. butter
2-1/2 cups sweetened shredded coconut
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1/2 cup chocolate chips
7 oz. sweetened condensed milk

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Line two cookie sheets with parchment paper or use nonstick pans. Set aside.
2. Toss the pecans in the melted butter and spread in an ungreased rimmed baking pan. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until golden and aromatic. Set aside to cool, and then roughly chop.
3. Place chopped pecans and remaining ingredients in a bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until moistened.
4. Spoon about 2 tbsps. batter for each cookie onto cookie sheets and gently flatten to circles of about 2-1/4" in diameter. Bake 10 minutes or until coconut turns a very pale golden, being careful not to brown too much. Cool on pans for about 5 minutes to set before removing to wire racks to cool completely.

Yield: 2 dozen cookies

Orange Spice Sweet Potatoes

I know that usually sweet potatoes are thought about for our dinner menus around Thanksgiving and Christmas and we just finished the holiday season, so why bring out a recipe like this now? Because, they are so good, and so good for us, that they are deserving of a place on our tables throughout the year. This dish goes great alongside pork, ham, beef or poultry and could be easily doubled for a larger family or gathering. Blessings...

Recipe:

1-1/2 lbs. Garnet yams, peeled, cut into chunks and boiled until tender in salt-free water.
1 tbsp. butter
3 tbsp. orange marmalade
1-1/2 tsp. minced crystallized ginger
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/8 tsp. ground coriander
1/8 tsp. ground mace
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. salt

1. Mash cooked yams and stir in all remaining ingredients. Taste and add more salt, if needed for your taste.
2. Use a spatula to scrape yam mixture into a casserole dish. Bake in 350 degree oven for 20 to 30 minutes or until heated through.

Yield: 2-1/2 cups
5- 1/2 cup servings
Note: I prefer Garnet yams to any other, but any type of yams or sweet potatoes will work.
Note: Casserole can be prepared in advance and reheated in a covered casserole in a 350 degree oven. This will take 35 to 45 minutes; stir once to aid in speeding up the process.

This recipe was adapted from one I found in a spice catalog.

Autumn Pork Chops

The flavors in the sauce combined with tender pork chops and veggies makes this recipe one of our favorites. The original recipe called for acorn squash, which isn't one we are fond of, so I have substituted sliced potatoes and cabbage, and sometimes carrots, all good veggies to serve alongside pork chops. This is good comfort food any time of the year. Blessings...

Recipe:

6 pork chops, about 1/2 inch thick
1/2 tsp. salt
2 tbsps. butter, melted
3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
3/4 tsp. Kitchen Bouquet browning and seasoning sauce
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
2 tbsp. orange juice
1 tsp. orange zest
4 cups chopped cabbage
4 potatoes, peeled and sliced into 1/8-inch slices

1. Trim fat from edges of chops. Arrange pork chops in the bottom of the slow cooker.
2. Top pork with veggies.
3. In a small bowl, combine salt, butter, brown sugar, browning sauce, nutmeg, orange juice and orange zest. Spoon mixture over the pork and veggies.
4. Cover and cook on low setting for 5 to 5-1/2 hours or until pork chops are tender.

Yield: 6 servings

This recipe was adapted from Mable Hoffman's Crockery Cookery, a wonderful slow cooker cookbook.