Fun & Fruity Recipes

Sometimes the easiest way to get children to eat healthy is to let them have a hand in making their own snacks...and add whipped cream on top. Here are two fruity recipes that are fun and easy to make, and even more fun to eat.

Miniature Fruit Pizzas

1 package refrigerated sugar cookie dough


8 ounces softened cream cheese


1 cup confectioners' sugar


Assorted fresh fruit, cut into bite size pieces, such as bananas, kiwis, oranges, blueberries, grapes, strawberries, pineapple, etc.

Directions: Cut sugar cookie dough into 1-inch slices and place on ungreased cookie sheet or pizza pan. Bake as directed, or until lightly browned around the edges. Allow the cookies to cool.

Combine cream cheese and confectioners' sugar; mix well. Spread over cooled cookies. Decorate with assorted fruit. Yummy!

Strawberry Angels

1 angel food cake


6 large strawberries


1 carton whipped topping

Directions: First, cut the cake into serving-size pieces. Slice the strawberries and layer on top of the cake. Then spoon whipped topping on top of the strawberries. Serve and enjoy!

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Easy Ways to Cook Mega Healthy

Cooking healthy is essential for a diet rich in vitamins and nutrition. What we eat improves or damages our health, so it is imperative to cook with health and wellness in mind.

To have a healthy diet, certain ingredients need to be limited when cooking. A typical diet and recipe tend to be high in sodium. Reduce the amount of salt called for in recipes by one-half to one-fourth. You can also try using low-sodium ingredients, like soy sauce and tomato-based products, instead of salt. To limit the amount of fat when preparing dishes, decrease the amount of margarine and butter called for in recipes by at least one-half. Cooking spray is also a much lower fat alternative to oil. (If you choose to cook with oil, use one of the healthy oils, like macadamia oil, peanut oil, canola oil, coconut oil and olive oil. The bad oils that should be avoided are walnut oil, sunflower oil, sesame oil, flaxseed oil and soybean oil.)

Adding flavor to food can also have healthy benefits, in addition to a better taste. Garlic has been shown to help heart and digestive problems. It also assists in fighting infections, diabetes and parasites. Lemon juice has been shown to cleanse the liver, fight infections, purify the blood and strengthen bones and teeth. Controlling constipation, gas, bloating, diarrhea and heartburn are other healthy advantages of cooking with lemon juice.

A healthy diet consists of lots of fruits and vegetables, which are rich in vitamins and nutrition. To add more vegetables to dishes, replace some of the meat with vegetables, like broccoli. (Limiting or decreasing the amount of processed meat in a diet also has healthy benefits, as it is said to reduce the risk for cancer.) Choose the leafier, darker vegetables, like spinach, kale and carrots, over lighter ones, like celery and iceberg lettuce. The darker vegetables are much higher in vitamins and provide more nutrition. Also, increase the amount of fruit when you cook by adding chopped fruit to desserts and baked goods. Or better yet, stop cooking desserts and instead serve fresh fruits.

It is important to prepare meals with plenty of fiber for a healthy diet. Fiber is found in the peels of fruits and vegetables, like apples and potatoes, so don't peel fruits and vegetables. Cook beans more often and serve them as a side dish. One cup of kidney beans has 13.1 grams of fiber. Another option to increase the amount of fiber to dishes is to add one tablespoon of flax meal or wheat germ to baked goods.

Food is directly connected to one's health, present and future, so make the most of the meals you prepare. Stop cooking to eat, and begin to cook for better health and wellness.

40th Birthday Buffet to Make Things a Little Easier

A 40th birthday buffet should reflect that the mature guests have traveled and experienced life to the fullest. A buffet with international flare may be a perfect way to please those tastes acquired along the road of life. Another more subtle menu idea is to serve a variety of regional foods from one country or region. Perhaps a selection of Asian foods; Chinese regional cooking sampler; French haute cuisine contrasted with nouvelle cuisine; or American regional favorites could be represented.

The trick here is to point out that the menu chosen is meant as this kind of themed Smorgasbord rather than just a hodge-podge of menu items. Do this with themed decorations and place cards which denote the region represented or cooking techniques demonstrated. Group these in distinct areas on the buffet table or serving carts. A desert cart with only one item from each region is also a good idea to be used with the buffet table.

Whichever direction is taken for the buffet it's always a good idea to veer toward easily prepared or frozen items. Perhaps one or two homemade dishes should be prepared ahead of time but the bulk of the menu should be easy and quick. Maybe a good option for the international Smorgasbord is the German chocolate cake rather than a more traditional birthday cake.

This cake is a favorite of many because of it's milder chocolate flavor combined with pecans and coconut. Rely on a purchased German Chocolate cake mix prepared to manufacturer's directions. Bake in layers and after cooling stack with plain chocolate icing between the layers. Again a canned German chocolate icing will be the perfect shortcut to top this birthday cake. The remainder of the plain chocolate icing can be used to decorate. Buy paper plates and cups for serving.

Easy, Overnight, Breakfast Recipes

We don't leave the house on Christmas and the grandparents frequently come over to watch the boys open their presents. I don't want to have to spend lots of time in the kitchen on Christmas morning, so I've been able to pull together some recipes which are prepped the night before and only require a few minutes the next morning. Obviously, these aren't just for Christmas morning, but any morning that you'd like to have a nice, easy breakfast with minimum kitchen time!

Overnight Coffee Cake

1/3 cup softened butter

½ cup sugar

¼ cup brown sugar

1 beaten egg

1 cup flour

½ tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp baking soda

½ tsp cinnamon

½ cup buttermilk

Topping:

¼ cup brown sugar

¼ cup pecans (or use oatmeal)

¼ tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp nutmeg

Cream the butter and sugars together. Add the egg; mix well. Mix remaining dry ingredients and add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. Beat well. Spread into a greased 8" pan.

Mix the topping ingredients together and sprinkle over the batter.

Cover and refrigerate overnight. The next morning, remove it from the refrigerator for about 15 minutes and in the meantime, preheat the oven to 350f. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.

Overnight Cinnamon Raisin French Toast

2 TBS butter

5 Golden Delicious Apples, sliced

¼ cup brown sugar

3 TBS apple juice (water is okay, too)

1 loaf of cinnamon/raisin bread

3 cups milk

½ tsp salt

½ tsp cinnamon

10 large eggs

1 TBS additional butter

2 TBS sugar

Melt 2 TBS of butter in skillet and cook apples about 20 minutes until golden. Add apple juice (water) last minute.
Grease 3-4 qt or 13"X9" baking pan. Arrange ½ of the bread slices in pan, overlapping slightly. Mix the milk, salt, cinnamon and eggs really well. Pour half of egg mixture over bread. Reserve ¼ of the apple slices, and then spread the remaining apple mix over the bread in an even layer. Arrange remaining bread in another layer, and then pour the remaining egg mixture over that. Press the bread gently, if needed, to help it absorb the egg mixture. Dot the top with the 1 TBS of butter and sprinkle on sugar. Cover and chill overnight.

Bake the next day at 325f, uncovered for 50 to 55 minutes or until knife comes out clean. Reheat reserved apple mixture and spoon over the top of the French toast as it's served.

Rice for Dessert

Rice is not a traditional dessert dish in my home. But it's hard to argue with a sweet, creamy, steaming bowl of good rice pudding. Perhaps it is childhood memories of winter in Minnesota that has me associating this dish with a satisfied, comfortably full belly. The smell of sweet milk and cinnamon and that unique texture of the rice on my tongue brings back memories of a warm kitchen on a cold Minnesota winter day, the wind howling outside while the warm coziness of a sweet smelling kitchen kept us warm and snug. Unless you have experienced the below zero temperatures that is part of what winter in Minnesota means, it's hard to truly appreciate the warm snugness of a truly cozy kitchen. When winter howls cold and fierce outside your door, I hope one of these recipes can keep you warm and snug with the ones you love.

Creamy Rice Pudding

2 cups cooked rice

1/3 cup raisins

2 1/2 cups milk, divided

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 tablespoons butter

2 eggs, beaten

In a large saucepan, mix together the rice, raisins, salt and 2 1/4 cups milk. Cook over medium heat for 25 to 30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the butter, sugar, eggs and 1/4 cup milk to the pudding mixture. Heat for an additional 2 to 3 minutes, stirring constantly, or until the mixture thickens to pudding consistency. Remove from heat and add in the vanilla extract. Put in serving dishes and sprinkle the top with cinnamon. Serves 6.

Pineapple Rice Pudding

3 cups rice

3 cups milk

1/4 cup sugar

1 tablespoon butter

1 can (15 1/4 ounces) crushed pineapple

3 eggs, separated

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup flaked coconut

In a large saucepan, mix together the rice, milk, sugar and butter. Stirring occasionally, cook over medium heat for 25 minutes or until the mixture is thick. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks and add some of the rice mixture into the yolks. Add the yolk mixture to the rice mixture and cook for 2 minutes longer. Remove from heat and blend in the pineapple and cinnamon. Let the mixture cool. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff and then add them to the rice mixture. Put the mixture into a greased 8- or 9-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle the coconut on top of the mixture and bake in a 325 degree oven for 25 minutes. Serves 6 to 8.

If You Love Cream Cheese This Is For You

Uses for Cream Cheese

Cream cheese is a form of fresh, un-aged cheese that comes from cow's milk. This particular cheese was invented in the United States in the late 1800's and is very popular today, adding texture, delicious taste and richness to all kinds of recipes. There are numerous ways to use this delicious cheese; here are some of the most used.

Bread Spread

Obviously, cream cheese is known as being one of the greatest spreads to put on a bagel, toast, roll, crackers ,and more. Cream cheese is the perfect texture and is often nice and thick, making any bread more delicious.

Cheesecake

If you like cheesecake, it is probably due to it's main ingredient; cream cheese. Cream cheese is known for being very thick and rich and adds a wonderful flavor to this ever popular cake.

Cream Cheese Dips

If you are trying to prepare the perfect holiday appetizer or party dip, don't forget the cream cheese. Cream cheese is extremely tasty and goes very well with crackers, vegetables, and almost anything else you can think of. It can be added with other ingredients to make a great fruit dip. Cream cheese also makes a great topping for fruit pizzas.

Cheeseballs

A standard for many get togethers when are parents were young, the cheeseball is actually time less. It is great for any occasion. And it is so easy to make. Simply take softened cream cheese and mix in cheese of your choice such as cheddar or blue cheese, form into a log, then roll in finely crushed nuts. Chill for a few hours and serve with chips or crackers.

Cream Cheese Icing

Cream Cheese is a perfect addition to frosting, instead of going with sweet, go with the rich flavor and texture of cream cheese.

Pastries

Cream cheese is a most desired filling in many types of pastries such as croissants and is added to a variety of pastry crusts.

Hot Cheese Melts

Cream cheese is also a great ingredient to add to crab melts and other hot cheese mixtures. You can add it to many tasty ingredients such as salsa, cheese, chili, etc.

If you enjoy the flavor of cream cheese, but seek to lower your fat calories, you should be aware that that there are numerous low fat cream cheeses available and even a couple non- fat cream cheese at your grocer. In addition, if you love the taste of cream cheese, you may want to try the French version of cream cheese- Neufchatel. This cheese is very similar to cream cheese, except that it has ripened and is usually less thick because there are no emulsifiers added.

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