Chocolate Dipped Pineapple

I know this might sound like a strange combination but trust me on this one...if you like pineapple and you like chocolate there is a very good chance you'll like this. =0) We first had this in Hawaii at the Dole Plantation. Fresh pineapple wedges dipped in milk chocolate. "Oh ya! That's what I'm talking about!"

It helps to cut the slices thick enough that they won't fall apart....you can cut very large wedges about triple the size of mine in the picture if you want to. Then pat them dry with a paper towel to absorb some of the juice. Then quickly dip them in melted chocolate (I use Wilton Candy Melts). Place them on a piece of foil or wax paper till chocolate is dried (if your pineapple was refrigerated it will be cold enough that the chocolate will harden quickly). These don't store for very long but I find that they get gobbled up quite quickly around here!

Chicken Marsala

I made this over the weekend but didn't get any pictures of it. I'm so sorry to do that to you. Next time I make it I'll take pictures and add them to this post; I promise. This is a really easy dish even though I don't really have a recipe for it. Everything is just guessed at when it comes to the measurements so use your own discretion. I tried to duplicate this after having it a few times at a local restaurant and am quite happy with my results. I've been making it for a few years now and it's a wonderful dish to make when company is coming because it feeds about 6-8 people.

4-5 boneless skinless chicken breasts defrosted and sliced in strips and dredged in flour
1/2 stick of butter
1/2 c flour
1/2-2/3 box of chicken broth
1/2 c (or more if you like) marsala cooking wine
salt and pepper
1 can drained and quartered artichoke hearts
about 4 tbsp of capers

In a large deep skillet-Saute the chicken breasts in the butter. Once they are almost cooked through, sprinkle the 1/2 cup of flour in and saute till the flour is absorbed (add more butter if needed to absorb and cook the flour). Quickly pour in the chicken broth while stirring to thicken the sauce. You may not use all of the broth. Let simmer till the sauce is the consistency you like. If you got it too watery you can sprinkle some more flour and whisk and cook bubbling till the lumps are gone and the sauce is thickened again. Add the marsala, artichoke hearts and capers. Simmer for about 10 min. and then add the salt and pepper to taste.

This is a great dish served over pasta, rice, mashed potatoes, or raviolis.

Breakfast Skillet

If you like those skillet dishes they serve for breakfast at several restaurants you'll like this healthier take on it. I know I post a lot of breakfast recipes on here but that's mostly because I make breakfast almost every morning. I'm not a big fan of cereal since we don't drink much milk. Hence, I'm always looking for a new healthy recipe for breakfast.

2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 a diced onion or 2 sliced green onions
2 gloves minced garlic
4 cubed Yukon gold potatoes
1 c baby portobello mushrooms sliced in half
8 oz. cubed turkey breakfast sausage pre-cooked
6 eggs beaten
1/2 c half and half
1/2 c shredded cheddar cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Saute in olive oil-onion, garlic, and potatoes till potatoes are tender. Add and saute sausage and mushrooms. In a separate bowl, beat eggs and half and half together. Pour egg mixture into skillet mixing consistently till eggs are cooked through. Sprinkle with cheese, salt and pepper and serve.

Featured Product - Mayo

I wanted to share this new mayo with you. It's made with olive oil which brings the fat down to 4g per serving as to where regular mayo has 10g. The olive oil is obviously healthier for you. It does taste a little different but so far my kids haven't noticed at all.

I know that you can also get mayo that is made with grape seed oil at health food stores and mayo that is made without eggs, making it dairy free and 100% vegan.

Sausage Breakfast Strata

I have so many things to post on here lately that I don't know where to begin sometimes! I'll post this one today since it was requested that I post it. I changed up this old loved recipe of my moms to make it healthier. With organic products and turkey sausage, it's not only healthy but really yummy. =0) I made this for our church Easter breakfast this last Sunday. Hope you enjoy it!

6 slices of white bread cubed
8oz. of cubed turkey breakfast sausage
2 chopped green onions
2 c grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 doz eggs beaten
1 1/2 c milk
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp salt

Spray a glass 9x13 pan with olive oil. Spread bread cubes evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle grated cheese over bread. Layer the turkey sausage over the cheese. Sprinkle green onion over turkey layer. In a separate bowl, beat eggs, milk, salt, and pepper together and then pour over the layers in the 9x13 pan. Be sure to cover all of the bread with egg that is sticking up.

You can prep this the night before and cover with cling wrap and refrigerate till morning.

If prepped the night before, remove cling wrap and bake uncovered at 325 degrees for about 50 min or until center is cooked through. Strata will puff up and be browned on the sides.

If not prepping the night before, bake uncovered bake 325 degrees for about 40-45 min. or until center is done.

Variations~
-this was originally a ham strata so you can substitute ham or regular breakfast sausage
-I haven't tried making it with whole wheat bread yet. If you try it, use a smooth whole wheat like Sarah Lee's homestyle whole wheat or whole wheat long sandwich loaves. Both of these are smooth in texture without nutty grains/seeds.

Old World Tart

This is my own version on this simple dessert. I call it Old World Tart. You can control how sweet it is or how tart you want it to be. I use organic sugar which has not been "refined" giving it sweetness naturally. But you could also use honey or concentrated frozen apple juice as a sweetener as well. A few tbsp of frozen 100% apple juice is a great way to naturally sweeten recipes without sugar. Just a tip for ya.

1 pie crust (a store bought refrigerated one works fine)

1 bag frozen sliced peaches or you can use fresh

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 tbsp organic sugar

1/2 tsp almond extract

Lay the pie crust flat. Combine peaches, cinnamon, sugar, and almond extract until well mixed. Pile peach mixture on the center of the pie crust. Fold the edges up around the piled peaches. Bake 425 degrees for 15-20 min till golden. Reduce to 350 degrees for about 30 more min. or until bubbly in the center. If it begins to get too brown on top you can cover the edges with foil.

Serve with whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Variations~

-use homemade whole wheat pie crust

-use honey or apple juice to sweeten

-use brown sugar instead of white sugar

Whole Wheat Sourdough Pancakes

Okay, last week I got my sourdough starter going and this week I made sourdough pancakes with it. Hope you enjoy this recipe.

1 c whole wheat pastry flour
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1 beaten egg
1 1/2 c sourdough starter
2 tbsp oil

Mix together all of the dry ingredients. In a separate bowl, beat the egg and mix together with the oil and sourdough starter. Blend the flour mixture with the egg mixture. Grill them up! =0)

Variations-
-you can use white flour instead of wheat flour

Oatmeal Whole Wheat Chocolate Chip Cookies

I adapted this recipe from Deceptively Delicious. This is what I came up with and my kids loved them. Oh ya, my kids are eating zucchini whether they like it or not! Sorry the picture stinks!

1 c whole wheat flour

1 c old fashioned oats

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp cinnamon

3/4 c firmly packed brown sugar

6 tbs butter

1/2 c banana mashed (about 1 banana)

1/2 c zucchini puree (about 1-2 small zucchinis)

1 large egg white

1/2 to 1 c chocolate chips

Beat egg and sugar together then add the remaining ingredients. Drop onto baking sheet covered with parchment paper. Bake 350 degree oven for 12-15 min. Let the cookies cool till firm and then move to a cooling rack to cool completely.

Turkey Stroganoff

I've been behind on posting actual recipes so in an attempt to get caught up, I've posted quite a bit today. Hope your family enjoys a healthy twist to this old time favorite.

1 lb ground turkey
1 beef stroganoff seasoning packet
1 bag whole wheat noodles
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 c water
1 c sour cream
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Boil noodles in a pot of water. Meantime, brown the meat in the olive oil in a large skillet. Drain the excess oil. Stir in the sauce mix and water. Bring to a boil. Cover and simmer for 10 min. Remove from heat and stir in sour cream. Serve over the noodles.
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It was suggested to me that I start putting what things to serve with each dinner meal I post on here. Honestly, I tend to serve whatever I have. =0)
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With this meal, we always like a tiny veggie for some reason like peas (I always buy the petite peas they taste way better!) or corn. You can serve this over rice instead of pasta if you want to. A salad also goes well with this meal as does a thick bread to help scoop the sauce.

Basic Roast

Here's a recipe for a quick basic crockpot roast....it's simple and yummy.

2 cloves of garlic minced

1/2 c diced onion (or dried onion)

1/2 c marsala wine

salt and pepper (you can use pepper corns if you like)

dash of parsley

Put all of the above in the crockpot before bed the night before. Cook on low. In the morning you can add chopped carrots, quartered potatoes, or sliced celery. It will be done by dinner time.

Favorite Gadget- Gravy Whisk

Sorry I'm a little behind on my favorite gadget of the month...but here it is..

I love this thing. Another tool from Pampered Chef...don't worry, I won't feature all of their products on here but I have to put this one on. This funny looking whisk is wonderful for making gravy, roux, sauces, etc. It's a flat bottom whisk.

Now the sad thing is that I don't think they are making and selling this product any longer...that or I just can't find it on their website. If they've discontinued it, maybe you can find it at garage sales or used online. I hope mine lasts for years to come.

Irish Brown Bread

In honor of my Irish heritage, I wanted to post something on here to go with that theme. I found this recipe in the current Family Fun Magazine (March 2008 issue). It's a homemade bread loaf that the kids can get their hands into! =0) I tell ya what, this version of Irish Soda Bread is so good! I'm so impressed that I already know I'll be making this a lot in the future! No rising time and it's SO simple. This is a great crusty bread to go along with soup! It would also be a great bread for your kids to help make for Easter or St. Patrick's Days.


4 1/2 c whole wheat flour
1 1/2 c old fashioned oats
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp sugar
2 1/2 c buttermilk


Combine everything in a large bowl except the buttermilk. Mix the ingredients together well with your hands. Make a well in the mix and pour in 1 1/2 c of the buttermilk. Continue mixing with your hands, adding the remaining cup of buttermilk as you combine the ingredients. The dough will be wet and very sticky. If the dough is still a little dry, add more buttermilk until it's sticky and wet through and through.


Dusting your hands first with flour, shape the dough into a ball and place it on a floured cookie sheet with a piece of parchment. With a knife, score a deep X in the top of the ball, widening it with the sides of the blade as you cut.


Bake the bread at 400 degrees until it's golden brown, about 50 min. Transfer it to a wire rack and let it cool for at least 10 min before slicing. Makes a crusty dense loaf about 7 inches in diameter.



Variation:
the original recipe called for 2 1/4 c whole wheat flour and 2 1/4 c white flour.

Fried Bananas

Got this recipe from Jessica and tried it. It was so good! My family loved it. Of course, we had to ruin anything healthy about it by eating it with vanilla ice cream.

8 very ripe bananas

1/2 extra virgin olive oil

1 cup fresh orange juice

1/3 cup honey

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Peel bananas and cut lengthwise. Sauté in batches in olive oil. Transfer to a baking dish. Make a mixture of orange juice, honey and cinnamon. Pour over the bananas and bake at 300 degrees for about 15 minutes.

Easter Menu

Answering Jessica's question in her comments under this post .....but I don't know that I'll be able to do a whole series this week on it only because I've got a full schedule this week and I'm not doing the cooking this year for our family Easter celebration as it is.

Our family doesn't eat pork very often so we aren't very traditional about the Easter ham dinner. In light of that, I'll attempt to post some suggestions that may help you with a healthy Easter feast..... I tend to be drawn to dishes that feel like "spring" to me and have some fun colors.... =0)

First off, it depends if your family has an Easter brunch or Easter dinner or something in the middle but for the sake of ease, I'll lump them into these two categories (these are keeping with in the no sugar request as much as possible)....

Easter Brunch Suggested Menu Items:
Fresh cut fruit (especially berries) over yogurt with homemade granola
Quiche (there are so many great recipes out there but I'll post a recipe for individual appetizer sized ones in case you want to make it a finger food brunch)
Omelets
Country Potatoes
Baked French Toast (cause you can prep it the night before!)
Crepes
Soft boiled eggs
Spinach Fritta
Whole Grain Pear Crisp (without sugar)
German Pancake (it's a fun presentation for company)

Easter Dinner Suggested Menu Items:
Stuffed Mushrooms (I love these....I know they have bacon in them though...bad, bad, bacon. You could always omit the bacon.)
Another great appetizer that is basic but healthy are veggies and ranch...I love to buy those baby red, yellow, and orange peppers from Costco...they are beautiful on a platter and can be eaten whole, dipped in ranch)
You know me, I love cheese...so I have to put this one in there.. Baked Brie. You buy a round of brie cheese and then wrap it up in some pastry dough and bake it! How easy is that. When you cut it open the melted cheese pours out onto the platter and every one can dip in it with crackers. The pastry and the rind ARE edible as well. You can also get creative and spread some pesto and chopped pine nuts and sun dried tomatoes on the top of the brie before you wrap it in the pastry dough. Here are some links to a few of these ideas... here , and here, and here.
Hummus Dip with Pita Chips is a great appetizer as well. (Cut pitas into quarters and bake till crisp)
Strawberry/Blackberry Walnut Spinach Salad with Newman's Own Raspberry Vinaigrette
Sliced Tomato Cucumber Salad with an Italian dressing (you can add some cubed high moisture whole milk mozzarella cheese as well)
Fruit Salad (just cut fruit with nothing mixed in it)
Stuffed Cornish Game Hens (these are an impressive and fun presentation. The wrapping they come in usually has cooking directions....stuff them with regular whole wheat boxed poultry/chicken stuffing)
A Roast of any kind
BBQ (I think the BBQ idea is fantastic...you can also have your hubby BBQ sliced squash, peppers, whole green onions and other veggies on there for you and you've got another side dish done). Another fun BBQ idea is to do stuffed portobello mushrooms (1 per person)
Chicken Cordon Blue (if you wanted a little ham)
Braided Easter Loaf of bread
Roasted Veggies (either these or these)
Brown Rice Pilaf
Fruit Kabobs for dessert served stuck in a pineapple like this or in a watermelon like this. Or you could cut the watermelon in the shape of an Easter basket and fill it with fruit kabobs. You can also make a sugar free fruit dip by pureeing some fruits such as mango, pineapple, with some apple juice (to sweeten it) mixed with some yogurt for a sugar free dessert.
Old World Tart (picture) basically you take a pie crust, mix some sliced peaches with some cinnamon (about 1tsp) and some almond extract (1tsp) and a couple tbsps of frozen apple juice from a can (to sweeten it) or honey. Place the peach mix into the center of the pie crust leaving an edge. Fold the edge up to cup the tart. Bake it and serve sliced. Here's a recipe that gives you an idea of how to do it. and another one.

Don't forget some of the "empty tomb" rolls you can make with your kids. There are several versions but here are some links to some.
Here (homemade dough recipe)
Here (crescent roll recipe)


If there is a particular recipe you're looking for that you want on here, let me know. =0)

First Wedding Cake

It's a funny story...I actually didn't know that I was going to be making it...I was helping bail a friend out of something she got herself into. So, I ended up making this cake never having taken a cake class and not totally knowing what I was doing...but my young friend didn't know the first thing about it and I knew enough to know that you had to build support in the center of it (she didn't know this). So, on a rainy day we got together to make this darn cake and it ended up taking ALL DAY! In fact, she left for work half way through leaving me with a barely started cake and two of her friends helping me who I had just met. I did a terrible job in my opinion and looking back I'm like "why didn't I make the top flat???" Crazy. Anyway, I hear the couple (total strangers to me) was just grateful to have a cake at all! Hurray! Success I guess. Anyway, sorry for rambling but all to say, I could do a much better job now that I've had lots more practice and experience. =0) And I like white wedding cakes better than cream color (this must have been before I knew about clear vanilla...but also the real picture looks white compared to this scanned picture). This was made with my whipped cream frosting before I knew how to properly melt and smooth the frosting. Wow, the top of that thing is lousy! It's a funny memory.

Lemon Bundt

Since I'm on a cake roll, I might as well post a few more cake recipes.

For years my bundt cakes were tiny and undersized. I always used a cake mix and the box always said you could use a bundt pan but it never quite filled it. Then someone told me that you have to use a box and a half of mix to make it full enough. Well, I finally figured out the trick. Forget using half opened box mixes!....all you do is use 4 eggs to fix the problem. Duh! Am I the only one on earth that didn't know this forever!??!! =0)

This lemon cake is yummy and simple...
1 plain cake mix
1 box lemon instant pudding
4 eggs
1/3 c oil
1 1/4 water

Mix together and pour into a buttered and floured bundt pan. Bake 325 degrees for 39-44 min. or until cake tester comes out clean.

Glaze:
1/2 lb powdered sugar
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp vanilla
2 tbsp milk (or more if needed to thin the glaze a little)

Invert cake onto a platter. Let cool and then spread glaze over the top of the cake allowing it to drip down the sides of the cake.

This is a refreshing summer cake as well. The pudding added makes it nice and moist.

I forgot to take a picture of the finished product with the glaze on it. Oops. Sorry about that.

Some of my cakes

I thought it would be fun to post some of the cakes I've made through the years so that my kids can see them in this book someday. I've done a wedding cake but can't find the picture. I have a few others as well so I'll add them to this post when I find the pictures of them.


Carrot Cake ~ made from scratch....I'll post the recipe in another post. It's incredibly moist and fabulous! Cream cheese filling and frosting. Decorated Hawaiian style for one of Grandpa's birthdays.

Mocha Cake ~ used to make this all the time. Haven't made it in a long time. Makes me want to have it again. The frosting is a chocolate mocha whipped cream frosting with a chocolate mocha cake. I love square cakes....

Bug Cake ~ Ice cream cake with graham cracker crumbs, rocks, and bugs. The center is filled with oreo cookie crumbs.











Dirt Cake~ A layer of crumbled chocolate cake, topped with a layer of chocolate pudding and then another layer of crumbled chocolate cake. Despite looking like mud and dirt, this is a really yummy cake. It doesn't look as tall in the pictures but it actually was built up quite high.

Brunch Berry Cake~ Vanilla cake layered with fresh whipped cream frosting and lots of sliced berries and sliced kiwi. This is a very moist and refreshing cake! Great for summer time. =0) It has 3 layers of cake and two layers of filling. The filling is a vanilla mousse.

Good old Bob and Larry. Just had to put these on there! =0) I think one was vanilla cake and one was chocolate both frosted with homemade butter frosting.

Scrapbook Cake~ this thing was huge! It's two 9x13 cakes side by side! It's frosted in all whipped cream frosting with a white chocolate mousse filling. The decor was made with stickers that I laminated with clear contact paper. This cake was a huge hit and tasted great too. It was for a baby shower of over 50 people and we still had a little leftover.

Butterfly Cake~ Not really a cake but you get the idea. This was simple and great for a two year old birthday. The 2 candles are the antennae. It worked well for little toddlers to have their own cupcake. My daughter loved this cake.

Bird Nest Cake~ This cake was a hit because it tasted so good! I threw a shower with a baby bird nest theme. This was vanilla cake with a thick custard filling and toasted coconut on top to form the nest. I never knew toasted coconut tasted so good with cake until I made this. Those are 3 hard boiled eggs in the nest. The frosting on the cake is again whipped cream frosting....my favorite and just about all I use anymore. Looking back, I should have died the eggs light blue and then speckled them with brown paint.


Okay, I've also had fun making diaper cakes. No, you don't eat them. They are a stack of diapers made to look like a cake as a gift for a new mom to be. Here are a few pictures of ones that I've made. All you do is start with a round piece of cardboard or an actual cake making board and start rolling diapers around each other until you get the size of the cake you want. Use some sewing pins to help secure them and tie a ribbon around them to hold them. Stack your layers and decorate with little baby gifts like you would frosting. =0) Wrap with cellophane and tie with a bow.

Here is another diaper creation I made for a friend who was having twin boys and her baby shower theme was two peas in a pod. I made the baby pea heads with rolled diapers just like I did for the diaper cakes just smaller, covered them each with a cloth diaper and drew the faces on with a pen. I used two fleece matching blankets stuffed with diapers and overlapped and folded up to make a pod. I tied the ends of the pod with raffia. Then I dressed the little peas with hats, bibs, and stuck a binky where their mouths would be. Tucked a bottle next to each one and I was done.

Hot Pastrami

I know I'm not posting the healthiest things on here lately but every once in awhile we detour from our normal healthy stuff or I have to make food for church potlucks which is my time to make desserts that I don't want to keep around the house! I actually have been cooking some healthy things lately, they just aren't entered as drafts yet....so before the weather gets too warm for this sandwich.....here is a hot pastrami Matt and Tony's style.

I worked in an old style deli in Mission Hills (N. LA County) while I was in high school and then again when I was first married. If you are familiar with the area, it's called Matt and Tony's* (established in 1959) and it's a total hole in the wall place....probably not bigger than about 500 square feet at the most. Some friends of ours from church bought the place when I was in high school. I loved working there and I love sandwiches....this was before Subway had gotten as popular as it is today.

*their website leaves a lot to be desired but their reviews and their sandwiches are great. You can at least see where their locations are. They use fresh baked bread that's delivered by an Italian bakery every morning. Their meats are all hand sliced and prepared. All the toppings (there are only three, diced onion, diced tomatoes, and diced pickles) are all hand chopped in the back. Try the pepper steak, Philly cheese steak, the Italian cold cut, or the meatball! They are all great really. Just lock your doors and keep your purse close to your side. ;0)

The Hot Pastrami~
So, for a hot pastrami, you boil some water in a pot with a lot of deli mustard squirt into it. Your basic American yellow mustard does the trick beautifully.


Add your thinly sliced pastrami and cook it for just a few minutes. It's actually already cooked, you're just heating it up and giving it a mustard flavor.

Take the meat out of the pot and let it drain for a moment. Then place it on a sub bun with mustard on it. I use whole wheat hoagie rolls.

If you like, you can melt some cheese in the water as well to put on your sandwich. Use provolone cheese and dip it with the tongs for

just a few seconds in the water then lay it across your sandwich. If you leave it in the water too

long it will melt into the pot and you won't be able to hang on to it with the tongs. I guess there is an art to this! =0)

It's very common to serve these with Kosher dill pickles. At Matt and Tony's they serve them diced and pile them on top of the sandwich. At home I just lay some slices on the bread.

Enjoy your sandwich and try to eat low sodium the rest of the day!