Raspberry Cheesecake Bars

from Cooking Light

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 1/2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
3 large eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup light sour cream
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 (8-ounce) package 1/3-less-fat cream cheese
1 1/2 cups fresh raspberries

Preheat oven to 350°.

Lightly spoon flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and salt, stirring with a whisk.

Combine butter, brown sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and eggs in a medium bowl, stirring with a whisk until smooth. Add flour mixture to butter mixture; stir just until moist.

Place 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, granulated sugar, and next four ingredients (through cream cheese) in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at high speed until fluffy.

Line a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with foil that extends 1 inch beyond sides; coat foil with cooking spray. Spread half of batter into pan. Pour cream cheese mixture over batter in pan, and spread evenly over batter. Sprinkle with raspberries. Drop remaining batter by tablespoonfuls over everything. Swirl batter, cream cheese mixture, and raspberries together with a knife. (Note: I struggled with knowing what this meant so Chuck did it for me. In his words he, "put a knife in and did little twirls to mix it together, but not stirring, just twirling.")

Bake at 350° for 35 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on wire rack. Remove from pan by lifting foil. Remove foil; cut into 30 bar cookies.

Note: I put these under healthy because while they're certainly not steamed broccoli, for desserts, they're a good option. If you get 30 bars (I got 32 small ones), then they have 111 calories and 4 grams of fat per bar. And although I made these tonight, they are apparently better the next day.

Pesto Burgers

1 1/2 lbs. ground meat

3/4 c. grated sharp Cheddar or 1/2 c. grated Parmesan

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

1/3 c. mayo

2 T. pesto (store bought or your own)

6 burger rolls

toppings: lettuce, tomatoes, etc.

For the Pesto Mayo:

1/2 c. mayo

2 T. pesto

Line a baking sheet with plastic wrap and set it aside. In bowl, combine meat, cheese, salt 'n pepper, gently tossing the mix with your hands or a large fork, until evenly blended.

In smaller bowl, mix the mayo and pesto, then add it to the ground meat mix and blend all together. Shape the meat into 6 1/2 inch thick patties, placing each one on the baking sheet when done and refrigerate them for at least 30 minutes to firm them (Note: the patties will be softer than traditional hamburgers).

While meat is chilling, prepare the grill and make the Pesto Mayo - by combing mayo and pesto. Grill each side for 5 minutes or until no longer pink. Serve the burgers on the rolls, dressed with the lettuce, tomatoes, and Pesto Mayo.

e-note: so we made these tonite and really enjoyed them. there is definitely a pesto flavor. it's not overbearing, but definitely there and tasty - if you like pesto, of course. the uncooked mixture was really wet. my husband told me the ground meat that comes in "tubes" or "rolls" is more wet - and that is what we had used. luckily i was able to flip out the patties onto my spatula and then flip that onto the grill. it worked out okay. yummy.

Pumpkin Blueberry Muffins

3/4 c. flour
3/4 c. quick oats
2/3 c. sugar
2 t. baking powder
3/4 t. salt
1/2 t. cinnamon
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/2 c. canned pumpkin
1/2 c. milk
1 egg
1/4 c. butter, melted
3/4 c. fresh blueberries or thawed frozen berries

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Grease and flour muffin pan or use paper liners.

Mix the flour, oats, sugar, powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a mixing bowl until evenly blended. In a separate bowl, stir together the pumpkin, milk, egg, and butter. Gradually stir in the flour mixture, just until all ingredients are moistened. Fold in the blueberries. Spoon batter into muffin cups, filling to the top.

Bake in preheated oven until tops spring back when lightly pressed, about 20 minutes.

Yield: 12 regular muffins or 24 minis.

Note: I did these in mini-muffin tins for a good snack for my babe. I hope he likes them as much as I did! Also, even though I did them in the mini tins, they still needed nearly 20 minutes.

Curry Couscous

1 1/2 c. couscous
3 c. chicken broth
1 T. curry powder
2 t. salt
1 t. pepper
2 T. olive oil
1/2 c. raisins
1 bunch cilantro, chopped
1/2 c. slivered almonds, toasted

Pour couscous into a bowl. Mix chicken stock, curry powder, salt, pepper, olive oil, and raisins in a saucepan and bring to a boil; remove from heat. Pour the boiling liquid over the couscous. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and allow to sit for 10 minutes. Fluff couscous with a fork. Top with cilantro and almonds.

Note: I like this because it was so easy and I had almost everything on hand. What I didn't (cilantro), I simply omitted, although I think it would be good. My 15-month-old ate this quite readily at first but I think there was just too much pepper (did I not halve it like everything else?!) so when I do it again, I'll certainly reduce the pepper. I think that craisins would be just as good in this as the regular raisins. Also, I just boiled everything in a sauce pan, added the couscous, removed from heat, and put lid on for 10 minutes. No need to dirty two pans.

Chocolate Chip Cookies (with peanut butter)

2 cubes of butter 
2/3 cup peanut butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
2 eggs
1 t. baking soda 
1 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 t. vanilla
2 1/2 c. of flour
12-ounce bag milk chocolate chips

Mix the butter and peanut butter together.  Add the sugars and eggs; mix again.  Then add soda, powder, salt, and vanilla; mix again.  Then add flour and mix again.  Finally, add the chocolate chips; mix.
 
Bake at 375 for 8-10 min. (She watched them closely and took them out when the cookies start to crack, usually it's around nine minutes.)

Yield: When my sister did a half batch, she got four dozen.  When I did a half batch, I got three dozen.  Finally, a cookie I make that is normal-sized.

Note: I have not made these but did taste of their beauty last night.  They are the best chocolate chips cookies I've ever had.  And no, they don't taste like peanut butter cookies with chocolate chips.  They're more, "chocolate chip cookies with hint of peanut butter, and a smidgen of heaven."  Soooo good.  (When I make them tomorrow and find out how many they make, I'll edit this post with that information.)

Breaded Pork Chops

1 c crushed butter flavored crackers (Ritz, for example)
1/2 t garlic salt
1/4 t black pepper to taste
1 beaten egg
4 pork chops
1/4 c butter

Preheat oven to 375°. Combine first three ingredients as the coating. Melt butter in shallow casserole dish. Dredge chops in egg, coat with crumbs and place in casserole dish. Cover and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, flip chops, and bake 15 more minutes.

Very easy, very tender, great flavor. We use boneless chops, about 1/2 inch thick. If you use thicker or bone-in chops, I imagine you'll need to increase cooking time a bit.

Peach Blueberry Crisp

(from the Washington Post)

16 ounces frozen peaches, defrosted

16 ounces frozen blueberries, defrosted

1/2 t. almond extract

1/3 c. sugar

1 T. cornstarch

1/4 c. oats (quick or regular, but not instant)

1/2 c. flour

1/3 c. brown sugar

1/2 t. cinnamon

1/2 t. nutmeg

3 T. cold butter, cut into cubes

Combine the fruit and any accumulated juices, almond extract, sugar, and cornstarch in a large bowl, mixing well.  Let it sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350.  Have ready an 8x11 inch (ungreased) shallow baking dish.  (I used a 9x9.)

Combine the oatmeal, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a separate bowl.  Add the butter and use your fingers (I used a pastry cutter) to thoroughly work it into the dry ingredients.  The consistency will be crumbly.

Pour the fruit mixture into the baking dish, distributing the berries and peaches evenly.  Scatter the crumb topping over the fruit, covering it as much as possible.  Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, until the fruit is bubbling up the sides of the dish and the crisp topping is starting to brown.

Let it rest for five minutes before serving.  Serve with ice cream, if desired.

Notes: Super yummy for a "healthy" dessert (with 8 servings, 190 calories, 5 grams of fat, 26 grams of sugar).   I left this unattended while we ate dinner and when the 50 minutes beeped, the topping had almost been completely usurped by the fruit, but it still tasted really good.

Lemon Dream Ice Cream

1/3 of a 1 pound box graham crackers
1/3 cup sugar
5 tablespoons melted butter
½ gallon vanilla ice cream
6 oz frozen lemonade concentrate

1. Set the ice cream and lemonade on the counter to soften.
2. Crush the graham crackers into crumbs. In a bowl mix the graham crackers, sugar, and melted butter. Press the mixture firmly into a 9x13 inch pan.
3. Mix the ice cream and lemonade together until combined. Then spread the ice cream mixture over the graham cracker crust.
4. Put it in the freezer for a few hours until set.

Notes: I also sprinkle some graham crackers crumbs on top just as a garnish. I have also tried pink lemonade but I don’t like it as well.

Scalloped Pineapple

8 1-inch slices of French bread, cubed
1 c sugar
1/2 c butter,melted
3 eggs, beaten
2 20-oz cans of pineapple, tidbits or chunks, drained
1/4 c milk

Combine bread cubes, sugar and butter. Combine eggs and milk; mix in pineapple. Combine mixtures in greased 9x13 dish and bake at 350° for 45 minutes.

This makes an excellent side dish for baked ham. I enjoyed it cold with lunch the next day, but I'm weird like that.

Italian Stuffed Chicken

6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tbsp chopped garlic
½ cup sliced mushrooms
1 tbsp oil
¼ marsala wine (optional)
½ cup italian seasoned bread crumbs
½ cup blanched chopped spinach, squeezed dry
3 green onions, sliced
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
8 ounces mild italian sausage, casings removed
¼ seasoned flour
¼ light olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Slice into the side of each chicken breast to create a pocket. Or pound with to a meat cleaver to ¼ inch thick.
2. Sauté garlic and mushrooms in 1 tbsp oil. Add Marsala and simmer until mushrooms have absorbed the wine (this is optional). Set aside to cool.
3. Add bread crumbs, spinach, green onions, basil, parmesan, salt and pepper to the cooled mushrooms. Mix in sausage until everything is incorporated.
4. Open the chicken breast pockets and fill with the stuffing. Or place stuffing mixture on ¼ inch piece of chicken. Roll the mixture in the chicken and secure with toothpicks. Dredge in seasoned flour and sauté in olive oil over medium heat until lightly browned. Finish cooking in the oven for 15 minutes, or until chicken is firm to the touch and has an internal temperature of 160 degrees.
5. Serve with desired sauce. Marinara sauce is recommended. This is also good served without sauce.

Peep Nests

Chocolate
Chow mien or crispy rice noodles
Coconut
Whopper Robin Eggs
Peeps chicks

These fast easy chocolate nests are the perfect sweet treat for Easter. I found these on this blog. Unfortunately there are no measurements so go with what you feel. I used 1 bag of milk chocolate chips. 1 and 1/2 (3 oz.) cans of LaChoy rice noodles. After I had formed my nests and stuck the eggs on I put them in the fridge for an hour to solidify them. You can also sprinkle coconut on top and use colored jelly beans instead of robin eggs. Serve with a side of Peeps chicks. Voila!

English Muffin Bread

I never knew there was even such a thing until my mom came to visit.  Now I'm not sure I'll ever buy English muffins from the store again.

2 c. milk (skim worked fine)
1/2 c. water
2 T. cornmeal (I just guesstimated)
6 c. bread flour
2 packages active dry yeast
1 T. sugar
2 t. salt
1/4 t. baking soda

Warm the milk and water in a small saucepan until very warm (125 degrees).  Lightly grease two 8x4 inch loaf pans; sprinkle cornmeal inside pans.

In a large bowl, mix together three cups flour, yeast, sugar, salt, and soda.  Stir milk into the flour mixture; beat well.  Stir in the remaining flour, one cup at a time, until a stiff batter (mine was more doughy) is formed.  Spoon batter into prepared pans.  Cover and let rise in a warm place until nearly doubled in size, about 45 minutes.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Bake until golden brown, about 25 minutes (I had to put foil on mine at minute 20 to prevent darkening).  Remove from pans immediately and cool.

Kid-Fare

I think it is so hard coming up with 3 meals a day and 2 snacks a day for kiddos. But there are a few fun things I've done lately that the kids have really enjoyed. These are not necessary "recipes," but rather just some ideas.

Stackers

My kids love these. I buy cheap crackers from Walmart (wheat or veggie ones) and then give the kids 4 crackers, 4 slices of meat, and 4 slices of cheese. They then "make" their own little stackers and eat every bite of them. I love these, too, and often have them for my lunch - adding yummy tomatoes for me.

Muesli

For this I just scoop out a serving of yogurt into a bowl (whatever flavor your kids like - or you for that matter). Then I take an instant oatmeal packet (I buy Walmart's brand that is something like "Fruit and Cream."). I sprinkle a little of this onto the yogurt - I use one packet for my 3 kids. The kids then get to stir it all up and enjoy the added sweetness from the oatmeal packet, as well as the bits of fruit. It's pretty yummy.

Fruit Dip

Anything is more fun to eat if it can be dipped. I like to make this dip up for my kids to dip their apples and bananas. What I do is simple: 1/2 part yogurt (any flavor) and 1/2 part non-fat cool whip. That simple. And totally yummy. The other day I did a concotion of yogurt, cool-whip, sour cream and some brown sugar. That was very, very good too.

Anyways, I would love more ideas on good and fun food for the kiddos if you have any to share.

Dumplings

These taste amazing in homemade chicken soup. Sure you could mix up some Bisquick, but these are more substantial and have a richer taste.

4 T softened butter
2 eggs
1/2 c flour
1/4 c parsley
1/4 c minced onion
salt and pepper to taste

Cream butter with a fork, then beat in the eggs. Stir in remaining ingredients. Add a tablespoon or two of the heated soup stock. Drop the batter into the simmering soup in desired sizes. I prefer mine about the size of tennis balls. Cook until set and cooked through, about ten minutes. Serve immediately.

This recipe is from the go-to cookbook in our home: Mark Bittman’s “How to Cook Everything.”

Whole Roasted Chicken

whole chicken (4-5 pounds)
4 t. salt
2 t. sugar
1/4 t. ground cloves
1/4 t. ground allspice
1/4 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. cinnamon
10 cloves garlic, crushed

In a bowl, mix the salt, sugar, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, and cinnamon. Rub the chicken with the mixture. (If you don't want to eat skin, then make sure you rub under the chicken's skin.)  Cover chicken, and place in the refrigerator for 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.

Stuff the chicken cavity with the garlic. Place the chicken, breast side down, on a rack in a roasting pan.

Roast 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 450 degrees, and continue roasting 15 minutes. Baste chicken with pan drippings, reduce heat to 425 degrees F, and continue roasting 30 minutes, to an internal temperature of 180 degrees F. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Notes: As I was given this chicken and having never before cooked a whole chicken, I turned to allrecipes.com and found this recipe. The spices may seem weird on meat, but it was sooooo tasty. We served it with asparagus (thanks for all these cooking hints!) and had, what was probably, our first carb-free meal.  I didn't realize there was a 24-hour marinating period, so it got only eight.  But I can imagine it would have been that much better given the full 24 hours.

Because our chicken was slightly larger than 4 pounds, it took longer to get to the 180-degree internal temperature, by about 10 minutes.  And I have no roasting pan so used a cooling rack on a cooking sheet which worked fine.

Enchil-agna

Yes, it's enchiladas prepared in classic lasagna style. :) Our kids love this, so we thought we'd share.

12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 c salsa (optional)
2 c red enchilada sauce
2 c shredded cheese
1/2 pound black beans, cooked


Cook beef and onions in a large skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain off drippings. Stir in salsa or 1/2 c enchilada sauce.
Coat bottom of 9 x 13 pan with a layer of enchilada sauce, reserving about a cup for the top layer. Beginning with a layer of tortilla quarters in the pan, create layers of meat mixture, beans, cheese, and tortillas as you see fit. I like to create 8 individual stacks of layered ingredients to ease serving, and usually end up with 6 layers in each stack. Pour reserved sauce over all, then sprinkle on the last of the cheese. Cover tightly with foil that has been coated with cooking spray. You can make it in advance and store in fridge until it is time to cook. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until heated through.

You can buy enchilada sauce in a can or buy a seasoning packet to add to tomato sauce. OR you could make your own, with this recipe from allrecipes.com.

If you don't use dried beans, you can substitute two cans of beans, rinsed and drained.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1/4 c oil
2 T flour
1/8 c chili powder
8 oz tomato sauce
1 1/4 c water
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t garlic
1/4 c minced onion

Place first three ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly till slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

This yields about 2 cups of tasty sauce that is healthier than sauce from a can, and more cost-effective than the seasoning packets you can buy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


1. In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust.
3. Chill for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars before the chocolate is completely set, then chill until ready to serve.

Rice and Beans

We found this outstanding recipe combo in "Mice and Beans," a children’s picture book by Pam Muñoz Ryan.


Beans:
16 oz dried pinto beans, washed and picked over
1 large chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
29 oz. chicken broth
29 oz. water

Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, stirring often, until beans are plump and soft.

Rice:
2 T oil
⅓ c minced onion
⅓ c minced pepper
1 ½ c long grain white rice, uncooked
14 oz. chicken broth
¼ c tomato sauce
1 ½ c water

Pour oil in large skillet. Add onion, pepper, rice, and saute over medium heat until rice is lightly toasted. Add broth, sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve rice and beans side-by-side or wrapped in tortillas.

Boursin Cheese Ball

16 oz. cream cheese – room temp.
4 Tbsp. Butter – room Temp.
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. diced fresh parsley
Plus….
Nuts or parsley to coat the outside.

Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Shape into a ball and wrap in seran wrap and chill over night. Right before serving, cover with nuts or parsley. Serve with crackers.

Callie's Crockpot Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1 Tblsp. dried parsley
1/3 cup butter
13 oz. can evaporated milk
corn (fresh, can or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

Everything in crockpot except milk. Add milk and severeal tablespoons cornstartch to thicken soup one hour before serving. Cook 8-10 hours on low.

Top with cheese and crumbled bacon.

Tortillas

We have a hard time eating store-bought tortillas now. If you have never eaten fresh tortillas, you won't understand how much better these are. They really are easy to make and everyone should know how to make these. If you have fat, flour and salt stored for emergencies (and you should), it's a great resource. Think of all the things you can do with tortillas.

3 c flour
½ t salt
4 T butter or shortening or lard
7 oz. warm water

Combine flour and salt, cut in the butter. Add water slowly just until dough holds together. Knead until dough is quite smooth and elastic. You may prepare ahead to this point and wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide dough into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, press a piece into a disk, then roll it out as thin as possible (should measure about 7 inches in diameter). Toast the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan over medium heat, turning once. It takes about 2 minutes total (about how long it takes to roll out the next one). Serve warm, or allow to cool and store in plastic wrap. You can easily double the recipe if needed.

Ginger's Tortilla Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cans chicken broth
1 can (4oz.) green chilies (undrained)
1 can (28 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes
2 chicken breasts (can be frozen!)

Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil. Add cumin and chili powder. Saute. Add 2 cans chicken broth, green chilies, tomatoes and chicken breasts. Boil for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to shred.
Drain and rinse 1 can kidney beans, drain 1 can of corn and add those and the shredded chicken to the pot.

Simmer for one hour.

When serving, add toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, lime, salsa, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips.

QUESTION for those who are wiser in the kitchen than I - is there a reason I'm adding chili powder when there are actual chilis in the recipe?

NOTES - This recipe is pretty open to interpretation. You could use fresh tomatoes, fresh corn etc. less or more chicken broth, less or more other ingredients etc. I use 1 chicken breast and 2 cans of kidney beans. Or you could just omit the chicken. Also, I use a hand blender in the pot before I add the corn, beans and chicken back in. None of my family (including me) like chunks of tomato.

This meal is easy and delicious, it looks pretty and my kids love it!

Another Best Ever Sugar Cookie

There are two camps of thought regarding the ancient art of sugar cookies. Well, three . . . but nobody can take thin and crunchy sugar cookies seriously. I mean, really.

If you like thick and poofy best-ever sugar cookies, go here, because this recipe does not make that kind.

Originally from my mother’s orange Betty Crocker cookbook, these best-ever sugar cookies remain flat during baking, producing a perfect canvas for decorating. If you remove them from the oven the instant the middle sets, they stay soft and chewy, even if you don't frost them. But of course you want to frost them, so use the frosting recipe at the link above. That is a good frosting.

3/4 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream together wet ingredients, then add combined dry ingredients. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for one hour. Dust counter and pin with flour, roll out 1/4 inch thick, and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400° on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Frost if desired. Makes approximately 4 dozen.

It's easy to get perfect dough thickness with rolling pin rings.

Rolling Pin Accessory

If you find it difficult to evenly roll out pie crusts or cookie doughs or what have you, we have the perfect kitchen gadget for you. Rolling pin rings slip/stretch onto the ends of pretty much any rolling pin and produce perfect, uniform thickness with no additional effort. They come in a set of four different thicknesses: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 inches. We found our set years ago at a neighborhood kitchen specialty shop, but recently saw them for sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. Enjoy!

Nanaimo Bars

A delicious dessert said to have originated in British Columbia. Good job, Canada!

Crust
½ c unsalted butter
¼ c sugar
5 T cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ c graham wafer crumbs
½ c finely chopped almonds
1 c coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 x 8 pan.

Filling
½ c unsalted butter
2 T and 2 t cream
2 T vanilla pudding powder
2 c powdered sugar

Cream butter, cream, pudding powder, and powdered sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Icing
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 T unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Yields 20 servings.

Cherry Nut Breakfast Cake

I needed to use up some leftover cherry pie filling. I got an idea from allrecipes.com, adapted a coffee cake recipe I've had for years, added my own sugar glaze, and served it for breakfast (several times now; my kids love it).

cake:
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c milk
1/4 c oil
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 c cherry pie filling

topping:
1/2 c chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
2 T softened butter
1 c powdered sugar
2 t corn syrup
2-3 T milk

Prepare the cake batter by sifting together the dry ingredients. Beat the wet ingredients together until blended. Combine the mixtures until moistened. Pour into greased 8 x 8 pan. Drop cherry pie filling by spoonfuls onto batter. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare glaze by creaming the butter and sugar. Add corn syrup, stirring to combine. Slowly add milk until glaze reaches desired consistency. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Drizzle glaze over the cake and serve warm. Yields 16 pieces.

Baked Pineapple with Strawberry Sauce

1 pound frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
3 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed or no)
2 t. corn starch
1 t. vanilla
3.5 to 4-pound pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices to yield about 1 pound of fruit

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat; cover partially. Cook until the berries thaw, then uncover and cook until the berries are soft, allowing the mixture to maintain a low boil. In all, the process will take about 25 minutes.

Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add to the saucepan, stirring until the mixture comes back to a low boil. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooling, line one or two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. Lay the pineapple slices on the prepared sheets(s) in a single layer, then roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until any excess liquid has evaporated and the slices look dry (they should not be brown).

Use a large spoon to mash the cooled berries against the sides of their saucepan to form a slightly chunky sauce. Add the vanilla extract.

Divide the pineapple slices among individual plates. Spoon about three tablespoons of the sauce down the center of the slices and serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

Notes: I doubled the sauce and used two cans of sliced pineapple (yielding about 20 slices). They took longer to bake because there's more liquid, but it still turned out great. Also, you can do the sauce in advance and then rewarm on the stove while the pineapple slices are baking. I have a lot of sauce leftover, however, so wonder if I had to double it. But now I have a jam-like fruit sauce that I can feed the baby.

Tallia's Cheesy Stuffed Shells

16 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
26 oz. spaghetti sauce

Note - I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning until well blended. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of the cheese mixture evenly into each pasta shell.
2. Spoon half of the sauce into 13x9 pan. Place shells, filled sides up, in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce mixture over shells. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake uncovered an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sour Cream Pork Chops (Crock Pot)

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 to 8 ounces sour cream (you decide)
3/4 cup beef broth
2 cups milk
mushrooms (optional)
red potatoes (optional)

1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.
2. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Combine soup, sour cream, beef broth, and milk. At this point add the mushrooms and/or red potatoes if desired. Pour soup mixture over the meat and onions.
3. Cook on high 4 hours or Low 7 to 8 hours. Serve over rice.

Notes: It’s also good to use one can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. You can also use either beef or chicken broth.