Sweet Indulgence

Greek Vanilla Yogurt 

Frozen Blackberries

The thick rich cream of the fat free yogurt is perfectly balanced with the sweet and sharp taste of the blackberries.

A perfect pairing of the two flavors.

Nothing else is needed

No sweeteners

Just a few minutes for the blackberries to thaw out

and the juices to mix into the cream yogurt.

Enjoy!

The best part of the treat is how guilt free and good for you it is!

Fish Fingers and Custard!

My hubby and I (children too) are HUGE Dr. Who fans. So of course when I found out that April 3rd was going to be Fish Fingers and Custard Day, we had to celebrate!

For the fish fingers we just got regular box of cheap frozen ones from my down stairs freezer.

The custard - now that's another thing! YUMMY!

Custard

4 C. Milk
6 Lg Eggs
2/3 C. Sugar
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbls. Vanilla

Heat the milk until hot. (2-3 min) Whisk the eggs until smooth or slightly frothy. Combine the eggs and the milk. Whisk.
Add sugar, salt, & vanilla. Whisk.
Whisk whisk whisk ... if you desire you may strain it for a smoother custard, we didn't and it was still very smooth.
Pour into a large custard dish or many single serve 2-4 oz ramekins.
Bake at 325 in a water bath until a knife comes out clean.
60 minutes for a single large.
30 minutes for several small.
cool - serve, refrain from eating them all
cover leftovers and refrigerate! 

Cinnamon Applesauce

Photos to follow will show my step by step process

The ingredient list is very fluid as it depends on the amount of apples you use.

My cooking time was 4 hours - because I like to add a lot of water and then slowly boil it out.

If you can baby sit the stove and stir every few minutes you can cook with less water and a faster period of time.

I placed the peeled apples in a lemon water bath to keep them from turning brown.

Using a corer saves a ton of time!

Also when I added the whole spices I locked them in a tea strainer 

so that I could easily remove them after cooking.

What it looked like half way done

and then all the way done.

I like a very fine sauce as I love to use it as an ice cream topping!

Note: This does use candy that has a wax coating. When you stir make sure to scrape the sides and a filmy top is to be expected. It stirs in easily, trust me its worth it!

And there you have it home made applesauce from home grown apples!

Sorry I have been gone for a while - my camera broke and I just got my new one!

Tortilla Salad and A Cheat!

Flour tortilla

Lettuce

Cheese

Boiled Egg

Sliced Turkey

Ranch Dressing

(eating for B)

NOT eating for B! 

Tasty though!

Perfect Brownies - Product Review

9 months ago I bought my BFF one of those 'as seen on tv' perfect brownie sets

today we finally pulled it from its box to try it out!

First we had to find the best brownies ever *Betty Crockers Triple Chunk Chocolate

After bathing the teflon nonstick surface in spray per instructions

it still pulled the tops off and left parts behind.

Also it was not a simple pull the get your brownies either 

I had to use a spatula to keep the bottoms from ripping.

Good part - bottom did not leak

Bad part - not as non stick as they want you to believe

Now if we had cooked the brownies to where they were completely dry

and allowed them to cool completely I am sure they would have been fine.

Lets face it though - I DON'T LIKE THEM THAT WAY!

I like a warm soft brownie!

The end result buy at your own risk 

I give it 3 stars

healthy peppermint patties

Gluten Free & Vegan Peppermint Patties
½ cup coconut oil
¼ cup agave nectar
½ teaspoon peppermint oil (I used organic)
½ to 1 cup dark chocolate chips 73% cacao, melted

1. In a small bowl, combine coconut oil, agave and peppermint oil, mixing with a spoon
2. Smash clumps of coconut oil against side of bowl until mixture is smooth
3. Freeze mixture for a few minutes until it starts to harden, then remove from freezer
4. Use a 1.5 teaspoon ice cream scoop to measure out little balls onto a parchment lined plate
5. Place plate in freezer to firm up mint balls; when firm, remove from freezer
6. Squish balls down into flat little patties on parchment paper
7. Dip patties into melted chocolate (use spoon to drop patty into melted chocolate, dip and remove)
8. Place patties on parchment paper to harden (takes 10 minutes though on a summer day you may need to refreeze)

Makes about 12 patties found on Elana's Pantry blog

Will add photo later - I have the ingredients just not the time!

LittleMan's 5th Birthday party food!

Snack were:
Mustard pretzels
Honey Roasted Peanuts
Cheese chips

Appetizers:
Vegetarian pinwheels

Recipe
4 wheat flour tortillas (8in)
1 fat free cream cheese
2 tbls Vidalia onion salad dressing
1/2  C finely chopped fresh broccoli
1/4 C grated carot
1/4 C finely chopped red onion
1/2 tsp dill weed
Mix cheese, dressing and dill then add the veggies and spread over tortillas. Roll tortillas up and then wrap them tightly in plastic wrap. Chill for at least two hours before cutting and serving.

Salad:
Cold noodle bacon ranch salad with cheese

Meats:
Hotdogs
Cheese bratswurst
Teriyaki hamburgers with provolone cheese and grilled pineapples

The Teriyaki sauce was easy I used a bottle of honey teriyaki (my fav) and added in half a cup of crushed pineapple then we let it set for a few hours before coating the meat and cooking it with the sauce! Adding smoked provolone cheese on top and then serving with a grilled pineapple these came out better than the fast food's version!

Treats:
Cake in flower pots!

High lights of the day the cup cakes and the Hamburgers! Our first backyard BBQ went well and I can't wait to have another huge party with lots and lots of friends!

Chinese App, Dinner & Dessert

Spicy Sausage Wonton Stars Recipe

Ingredients

* 1 pound bulk spicy pork sausage
* 2 medium carrots, finely shredded
* 1 medium onion, finely chopped
* 1/2 cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
* 1/2 cup finely chopped green pepper
* 1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded pepper Jack cheese
* 1 cup (4 ounces) finely shredded cheddar cheese
* 1/2 cup sour cream
* 2 garlic cloves, minced
* 1 teaspoon lemon-pepper seasoning
* 36 wonton wrappers
* 1 tablespoon butter, melted
* 1/8 teaspoon garlic powder
* Sliced cherry tomatoes, optional

Directions

* In a large skillet, cook sausage over medium heat until no longer pink; drain. In a large bowl, combine the sausage, carrots, onion, peppers, cheeses, sour cream, garlic and lemon-pepper.
* Press wonton wrappers into miniature muffin cups coated with cooking spray. In a small bowl, combine butter and garlic powder; brush over edges. Bake at 350° for 8-9 minutes or until lightly browned.
* Spoon sausage mixture into cups. Bake 5-7 minutes longer or until heated through. Garnish with tomatoes if desired. Yield: 3 dozen.

Special Sesame Chicken Salad Recipe
Ingredients

* 1 package (16 ounces) bow tie pasta
* 1 cup canola oil
* 2/3 cup white wine vinegar
* 2/3 cup teriyaki sauce
* 1/3 cup sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon pepper
* 3 cans (11 ounces each) mandarin oranges, drained
* 2 cans (8 ounces each) sliced water chestnuts, drained
* 2 cups cubed cooked chicken
* 1-1/3 cups honey-roasted peanuts
* 1 package (9 ounces) fresh spinach, torn
* 1 package (6 ounces) dried cranberries
* 6 green onions, chopped
* 1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
* 1/4 cup sesame seeds, toasted

Directions

* Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and place in a very large bowl.
* In a small bowl, combine the oil, vinegar, teriyaki sauce, sugar and pepper. Pour over pasta and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 2 hours.
* Just before serving, add the remaining ingredients; gently toss to coat. Yield: 22 servings (1 cup each).

Wonton Kisses Recipe
Ingredients

* 24 milk chocolate kisses
* 24 wonton wrappers
* Oil for frying
* Confectioners' sugar

Directions

* Place a chocolate kiss in the center of a wonton wrapper. (Keep remaining wrappers covered with a damp paper towel until ready to use.) Moisten edges with water; fold opposite corners together over candy kiss and press to seal. Repeat.
* In an electric skillet, heat 1 in. of oil to 375°. Fry wontons for 2-1/2 minutes or until golden brown, turning once. Drain on paper towels. Dust with confectioners' sugar. Yield: 2 dozen.

Coconut Citrus Fudge

Coconut Citrus Fudge
Posted At : December 29, 2010 11:25 AM
Coconut Citrus Fudge
photo by recipe author

Servings: 12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes (plus chilling time)

* 1 cup coconut cream concentrate
* 2-3 tablespoons raw honey
* 2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
* 1 tablespoon orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus zest
* 1 teaspoon orange, lemon, grapefruit or other citrus extract (if using oil, use a few drops)

1. In a food processor, pulse coconut cream concentrate and honey until combined. Then, with the processor running, add the coconut oil in a steady stream. Add zest and extract or oil, and mix until combined.

2. On a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper or wax paper, spoon mixture and form into a rectangle. Press with your hands to make the thickness even, about 1/4 inch thick. Chill for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.

3. Remove from the fridge, and lift parchment or wax paper off the cookie sheet and transfer to a cutting board. Cut into little squares or whatever bites you like.

4. You can store these in the fridge, or even on the counter in an airtight container. The coconut cream concentrate keeps its shape well, even at room temperature.

Enjoy!

Recipe submitted by K, Tempe, AZ

I don't know about you but these sound amazing and I can't wait to try them!

Home Made deodorant and a cake blog to drool over!

Home Made Coconut Deodorant From Antika Moda

Ingredients:
5-6 tablespoons of pure coconut oil (found at any health food store)
¼ cup baking soda
¼ cup corn starch

Instructions:
1. Mix all 3 ingredients well until it’s the consistency of a soft deodorant bar
2. I put this mixture into an old deodorant container for easy use, but you can store it however you choose
3. Rub a small amount onto (clean!) underarms

It lasts all day, smells fresh (faintly of coconut), and keeps you dry!
The cool thing about this mixture is that each ingredient has a purpose:
Coconut oil kills bacteria
Baking soda is a deodorizer
Corn starch absorbs wetness
(For Men and Women)

For those out there like me that search strenuously for good natural aluminum free deodorant this is amazing!
I have left my Toms of Maine (a good product) and will make my own  - especially since Coconut is my favorite smell right now.

Next up I have a link from Texas Monkey, titled Dress up Cakes!
I will find a way to dress up some cakes for Thanksgiving! Don't worry I will blog photos of my attempts!

Healthier Pumpkin Cheesecake

This was winner from last Thanksgiving! There are many ways to indulge your senses and your taste buds without having to over indulge your waist line! This thankfully is one of them!

Last years photo taken by me and I plan on serving this version again! We served it cold with sugar free cool whip and loved every bite.

PUMPKIN CHEESECAKE

2 2/3 c. Weight Watchers lowfat cottage cheese 1/2 c. Weight Watchers nonfat plain yogurt 1/4 c. granulated sugar 2 egg whites 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 c. canned pumpkin (no sugar added) 1/3 c. frozen apple juice concentrate, thawed 3 tbsp. all-purpose flour 1/2 tsp. cinnamon 1/4 tsp. nutmeg 1/8 tsp. cloves Place first 5 ingredients in food processor; process until smooth, about 2 minutes. Add pumpkin and remaining ingredients; process until combined. Pour into a 9-inch nonstick pie pan; bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 1 hour. Let cool. Cover; refrigerate until firm, at least 5 hours or overnight. Makes 8 servings.SERVING SUGGESTION: Drizzle 1 oz. melted chocolate over finished cake. Decorate as desired with 1/4 cup whipped topping.