RECREATING A FAVORITE SALAD FROM ISRAEL...

 At the end of our Israel trip, we had a couple of days in Tel Aviv and got to spend a couple of hours at the Carmel Market!  It was amazing!  I had researched good restaurants nearby and found Schlomo & Doron, a high rated place for hummus, so we went there.  It was literally a hole-in-the-wall, but we could tell it would be good from the people already eating and the line that formed right after we ordered.  We didn't know what to get besides the hummus trio, so we ordered a market salad.  Turned out we liked the salad better than the hummus!  I took a picture and tried to recreate it here at home.  Here's my recipe!  

Isn't it pretty!  

RASPBERRY CHEESECAKE COOKIE CREATION...

I hosted a wedding shower recently, and had asked the bride what kind of goodies she liked.  We tried to make all her wishes come true with this spread!  She said she liked Chocolate chip cookies and berries.  

We had blonde brownies, chocolate chip cookies, berry cups, pink flower sugar cookies, and raspberry cheesecake cookies! I had the idea for raspberry cheesecake cookies when I tried a new icing recipe with cream cheese in it, and it seemed way too rich.  Then I decided to try it on a very plain sugar cookie and topped it with a raspberry and Voila!  Raspberry cheesecake cookies.  They were pretty and delicious!  Here's the recipes:

Cream Cheese Sugar Cookies

8 oz. cream cheese

2 sticks butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 3/4 cup flour

1 t. almond extract 

Mix all ingredients and chill overnight.  Roll out and cut into shapes.  Bake on middle rack in a 400 degree oven for 7-8 minutes.  Try not to let the edges brown.  Frost when cooled. 

I used this recipe for frosting from Pinterest and added a few drops of red food coloring into it to get the pink hue.  I used an M tip and piped it onto the cookies in a rosette shape.  These cookies do need to be refrigerated because of the cream cheese in the frosting.  

Finally, about an hour before the party, I rinsed raspberries and let them dry on a paper towel.  Then I carefully pushed one into the middle of each cookie.  They were beautiful and tasty with the tart raspberry and the sweet cream cheese frosting on the plain shortbread type cookie.

The whole table - I got this fun picture with the groom and all the hostesses!  He had arrived before the bride at the start of the shower and we thought it was funny.  They're a sweet couple.  

 

FISHY RESOLUTION...

 This year I made a resolution...to eat fish every week!  I know the health benefits but have never really liked it.  For a long time I have intended to learn how to cook/bake/grill fish and decided this was the year. So far I've been able to keep my resolution.  Our local grocery store has a pretty good fresh meat counter, so each week I look to see what they have that is "wild caught" and is the best price.  I usually buy cod, salmon, haddock or mahi-mahi.  So far I have liked it all! If we are traveling, we eat fish at a restaurant.   Here's some of my favorites: 

I checked this book out from the library and have tried several of the recipes.  I also learned that almost every recipe has you pat the fish dry, then sprinkle with salt  and let sit before cooking.  It helps the fish dry out.  

PAN ROASTED SALMON WITH GARLIC AND THYME is a good one!  The only way I liked salmon before was grilled on a cedar plank, so this is a new way to prepare it for me.  

Pan roasted salmon with garlic and thyme

4 portions salmon

salt

4 T butter

4 garlic cloves, smashed

10 sprigs thyme

1 lemon, cut into wedges

Season the fish with salt and let it rest for 15 minutes.  In a saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter.  Place the fish skin side down.  If using, add garlic and thyme, and cook without flipping until fish is almost done.  Flip the fish to finish cooking.  Serve with pieces of garlic, crisped thyme leaves, lemon and pan drizzle.  

Here's another recipe for BAKED COD from Barefoot Contessa.  It was a nice presentation, but a little too salty for me.  I'm going to try it again.  

MAHI MAHI is a great white fish that almost tastes like chicken to me.  This one is great.  The Hubs likes to grill and all you do is sprinkle on the spices!  

Here's a time-saver for you:  When we grill fish, we kill two birds with one stone.  I have The Hubs to put on some chicken breasts afterwards, so then we have chicken ready for the next night's dinner.  😊

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE WAY TO EAT FISH?

A DESSERT FROM OUR TRAVELS...

BANOFFEE Pie!  Banoffee = bananas + toffee, and it's so delicious!

I decided I had to learn to make this after having it on two different trips to Ireland.  Thinking it was an Irish thing, I looked it up and guess what?  It's British!  But served in Ireland a lot, I guess!

Here's the recipe I used from the internet, and I will say there's only one kind of complicated step when making this:  getting the sweetened condensed milk in the can to turn to caramel, or toffee, as the Brits say.  I had looked at several recipes to get the condensed milk to turn to caramel.  I first tried the water bath method, then put it in the refrigerator to cool and use the next day.  When I opened the can, it was still yellow, and not tan, like it was supposed to be.  So I followed this recipe and baked it in the oven in a pie dish with a water bath.

After that, you basically assemble this no-cook pie.  Put the caramel into the pie crust, then sliced bananas, then the whipped cream and garnish.  Voila!  A fresh tasting, yummy, messy, wonderful dessert.

BITTERSWEET CHOCOLATE PUDDING...

For all the dark chocolate lovers out there!

Bittersweet Chocolate pudding (adapted from Epicurious)

·       1/3 cup sugar

·       1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

·       2 tablespoons cornstarch

·       1/8 teaspoon salt

·       1 3/4 cups whole milk, divided

·       1/4 cup heavy whipping cream

·       4 ounces bittersweet chocolate (60% cacao), finely chopped

·       1 tablespoon dark rum

·       1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1.     Whisk sugar, cocoa, cornstarch, and salt to blend in heavy medium saucepan. Gradually add 1/3 cup milk, whisking until smooth paste forms. Whisk in remaining milk, then 1/4 cup cream. Using flat-bottom wooden spoon or heatproof spatula, stir mixture constantly over medium heat, scraping bottom and sides of pan until pudding thickens and begins to bubble at edges, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate; stir until mixture is smooth. Remove from heat; stir in rum and vanilla.

NOTES:

I did not use any whipping cream  or rum in this recipe, and it turned out fine.  For the 4 ounces of bittersweet chocolate, I actually used a couple of plain Hershey bars that we had on hand.  I also added a spoonful of espresso powder to give it a darker flavor.  Can be poured into a baked crust.  Refrigerate.  . 

Made 4 pudding cup servings or perhaps one small pie.

KETO BIRTHDAY MEAL FOR MY SON...

Well, son #1 just had a birthday and has been really into the KETO diet lately...in fact, he's lost 30 pounds!  Didn't know he even had that much to lose!  But he's over 6 feet tall, so I guess those kind of guys can carry more than you think.  Anyway, I made a Keto meal for him.  It turned out pretty well - except for the cake!  It wasn't pretty but it still tasted good!

Bacon Chicken Broccoli casserole - this was so good!

Green Salad with lots of veggies

Roasted Red potatoes (I got the really small ones from Little Potato Co.)

Wheat Rolls (these were for the Non-Ketos)

Keto Vanilla Pound Cake

Strawberries with a little Swerve

Whipped cream

We ate inside much to my disappointment.  But it is pretty hot now, and Son #1 HATES bugs so that would not be a very fun birthday dinner for him.  I was also glad to have a Sous Chef - a college student who is living with us right now!

My sad Keto Vanilla Pound cake! But it tasted good!

This is what happens when you let the birthday boy put the whipped cream on everyone's dessert!

  I'm so thankful to have these moments!  They are few and far between nowadays.  Afterwards, we all went to church and had a great time singing in our Wonder of Worship class!  That was the icing on the cake for me!

A HEALTHIER BLONDE BROWNIE...

Blonde Brownies have been my go-to quick dessert for many years now!  It was the one I turned to when the kids had lots of friends over and I could produce them in 30 minutes. I still love them and was thrilled to see one of the latest Cooking Light magazines featuring a healthier version.  So they may sound weird, but they're great!  Much healthier, getting some protein and fiber from the chickpeas - and only 1/3 cup of flour in the whole pan!

ENJOY!

RECREATING RESTAURANT SALADS...

For years, salad at home had always been a boring side item ...but no more!  There are a couple of restaurants that I always choose salad as a main entree and I want to make more of them at home.  I think one of the secrets is being satisfied with whatever salad dressing you put on it.  I've tried to cut back on the dressing but at least I don't drown the salad in it anymore.  Here's my version of a new salad we had at Modern Market in Dallas recently, that I loved.  

Farmer's salad:

Spring salad greens

Herb baked chicken breast

Grapes and blueberries

Toasted pecans or almonds

Charred corn

Feta cheese

Champagne Vinaigrette dressing

So there is the link for home-made dressing, but you can probably buy some kind of champagne vinaigrette if you wish.  Here's my to go-to recipe for home-made Caesar dressing when we make Grilled Chicken Caesar salads:

Healthier Caesar salad dressing:

1/4 c. plain yogurt

1/4 c. grated Parmesan cheese

1 T. olive oil

1 t. lemon juice

1 t. dijon mustard

1/2 t. balsamic vinegar

1/2 t. worcestershire sauce

1/4 t. mashed garlic

 dash salt and pepper

Do you have a favorite restaurant salad you've recreated at home?  

THE DESSERT I UNEXPECTEDLY LOVE...

Avocado chocolate pudding!  Discovered this HERE with my recent interest in clean eating.  

 It's so easy - three ingredients and so good!  Better if you let it set in the refrigerator a while.

Here's my adaptation of the recipe:

Avocado half

1 T. cocoa

1 T. honey

Mix together well.  

Let set in refrigerator for intense flavor.

Eat alone or with a dollop of whipped cream or with fruit.  

Pretty AMAZING!

THINGS I LEARNED (ABOUT MYSELF) ON THE 7 DAY RESET...

A friend of mine was promoting healthy living on Facebook and I joined her group.  She promotes good health with an eating plan and exercise, along with supplements.  She was encouraging everyone to do an April Reset, starting with a 7 Day Cleansing Diet.  I told her I would be interested in the recommended cleanse diet but nothing else.  I haven't done anything like this before!  So I'm really kind of shocked, but I've lost 4.5 pounds in 7 days!  Yes, you read that right.  4.5 pounds in 7 days!  Crazy! 

 Things I learned:

Lemon water is the worst way to start your morning, if you ask me!

I never bought a cucumber before this - but they are great with hummus!

Ezekiel bread saved me.

Rice cakes taste less like styrofoam with a tablespoon of nut butter on top.

Guacamole every day is pretty awesome!

Getting carbs for dinner ONLY IF YOU EXERCISED THAT DAY is a pretty good motivator to exercise!

Plain Greek yogurt is tolerable with 1/2 cup berries added to it.

I would rather eat almonds than fruit for my snack!

Eggs are my favorite protein choice.

Cottage cheese is pretty awesome when it's the only cheese you get.

Strangely enough, I didn't miss sugar or flour the past week!

RECIPE FOR ONION LOVERS...

A book I read recently had a couple of recipes in it.  This is from  The Light of the World, by Elizabeth Alexander.  I really enjoyed the book and this sounded so different I knew I had to try it.

The Hubs and I hadn't eaten pasta in ages, and we loved this!  Put sautéed onions on anything and we like it.  I call it Elizabeth's spaghetti, since she did not have a special name for it.  But if you like sautéed onions, you will enjoy this.

Elizabeth's Spaghetti

3 T. Olive oil
2-3 oz. Pancetta, diced
4 Onions, any kind or a mixture of different varieties, sliced thin
salt and pepper
3 T. fresh Parsley, diced
1/3 c. grated Parmesan cheese
1 # Spaghetti - I think I used a 12 oz. pkg and it was fine
2 T. salt for spaghetti water

In a large skillet, cook diced pancetta in olive oil on low-medium. As it starts to brown, add in sliced onions.  Turn several times in skillet so that all the onions will get coated with oil.  Salt and pepper, then cover and cook on low for 40 minutes.  While onions are cooking, fill a large pot with water and salt and bring to a boil.  Cook spaghetti al dente, then drain.  Add onions in with the spaghetti, along with the parsley and Parmesan.  Stir thoroughly to coat the noodles.

Serves 6-8 We loved this!  We had roasted asparagus and salad with it.  The Hubs would have liked some garlic toast with it, but maybe next time.  :)

CAKE BALL EXPERIMENT...

I know Cake Balls are old news.  But I just recently made some and figured out the secret of making pretty ones!  Another thing I just figured out.  With all the desserts at holiday parties, cake balls are really a great way to get a little bite of cake and not have to eat a whole piece.  In other words, they are MUCH BETTER FOR YOU!

My experiment was new flavors - I got some cake from the sale rack at my local grocery store - one small Pumpkin Creme Cake and one small Gingerbread Creme Cake with a tub of Butter Cream frosting to make what I called Pumpkin Spice Cake Balls!  I dipped them in white almond bark.  Reminded me of Pumpkin Roll, which I also enjoy making.  They were delicious!

 As far as the secret of making pretty ones, I found out after making a large amount for a shower and not dipping all of them, that it's great to have some un-dipped balls in the freezer.  They keep for a long time and then when you dip them, they do better than those that have just been in the freezer a short time.  Also, I've been making them smaller, about the size of a pecan.  They still are a good bite and then they are easier to manage when dipping.  I use 2 toothpicks when dipping, one in the bottom of the cake ball, and one to push it onto the wax paper from underneath.  It works for me!  You can probably find your own method, it sometimes just takes practice!  Also I found that using a glass one cup measuring cup and melting 4 pieces of almond bark in the microwave at a time works best for me.  The small cup  is just right for dipping.  Lastly, you must have something to sprinkle on the top!  It draws your attention away from the other imperfections.

So those are my tips!  I got some rave reviews on the chocolate ones I made recently, too.  Not sure what made them so good but maybe it was because they were CHOCOLATE.  Actually, I did combine one regular chocolate cake mix and one dark fudge cake mix, along with two different kinds of chocolate frosting in the tub.  So try your own combination for a little different flavor.

I decided to post all this more for me to remember than for you.  Have you ever practiced on something like this and finally found your own best way to do it?  It's exciting!

DELIA'S GREEN BEANS...

My SIL shared a delicious recipe with me the other day, and my family declared it a winner!  Try it if you are tired of the same old vegetables at your dinner table.

DELIA'S GREEN BEANS

Fresh green beans (3-4 cups)

Onion diced - I used one small

Garlic, minced - I used one large clove

1/2 Red bell pepper, cut into strips

1 regular can chicken broth

In a large skillet saute onion and garlic  (as much as you like) in 2 tablespoons butter and a little olive oil.   Wash and snip ends off green beans, then toss into skillet and continue sauteing with onions and garlic, until they turn a bright green.  Add chicken broth and bell pepper, turn down to medium-low, cover and cook approximately 30 minutes or until done.  

I think this would also work with canned green beans, if you want to drain the juice off.

TWIST ON FAJITAS...

Recently we ate at a Mexican restaurant in Altus called The Plaza.  My BIL suggested to me a dish that is similar to Fajitas but with more vegetables.  I loved it, so I replicated it here at home the other night:

It's basic fajitas plus zucchini and yellow squash.  

Oven Baked Fajitas with Squash

Ingredients:

1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp chili powder
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp seasoned salt
1 (15 oz) can diced tomatoes with green chilies (Rotel)
1 medium onion, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, cut into strips
1/2 green bell pepper, cut into strips

1 zucchini, cut into 3" sticks

1 yellow squash, cut into chunks

2 fresh tomatoes, quartered

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Place chicken strips in a greased 13×9 baking dish.
In a small bowl combine the oil, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, dried oregano, and salt.
Drizzle the spice mixture over the chicken and stir to coat.
Next add the Rotel, peppers, and onions to the dish and stir to combine.
Bake uncovered for 20-25 minutes. Stir and add zucchini, squash, and fresh tomatoes and cook for 15 more minutes. 

Can be eaten over rice or in a tortilla.  I like to double the recipe and use both chicken and beef - makes great leftovers!

I'd love to hear how you are adding more nutrition to your meals!

WHAT GOES WITH CHICKEN POT PIE...

Well, I didn't realize what an issue it was until I googled it.  Apparently there's a lot of thought on the subject.  Who knew?  There were many conflicting opinions, ranging from it doesn't need anything but  a green salad with it to serve it with rice.  Rice?  I agree that Chicken Pot Pie covers all the food groups but when I have a group to feed I definitely feel the need to serve more than a one dish meal.

For this group, I made two different styles of Chicken Pot Pie, one with the biscuit topping and then one with pie crust.  Alongside it I had spinach salad, fruit salad, and roasted asparagus.  Chocolate four layer dessert finished it off!  That's a personal favorite of mine so it's good to not have too many leftovers!

So thankful for these times and these college kids!  Among them are many plans for the summer:  camp counseling, college recruiting, mission trips, continuing education, starting small businesses, and just plain hard work!

How do you entertain in your sphere of influence?

P.S.  It doesn't really matter what you serve - or the side dishes that go along with it!
 
Cousin Cathy's Chicken Pot Pie (adapted)

3-5 cups of cooked, diced chicken
4 cups chicken broth
4 large potatoes, diced
3 large carrots, sliced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1 can blackeyed peas, drained
1 cup frozen peas
1 cup frozen corn
1 can cream of mushroom soup
pie crust (your favorite recipe)

Cook potatoes, carrots, and onion in chicken broth.  Drain off all but two cups of the liquid (reserve for later) and add blackeyed peas and frozen vegetables.  Add can of mushroom soup, salt and pepper.  Add in reserved liquid if needed.

In one 13x9 pan or 2 8x8 pans, lay pie crust down.  Layer chicken first, then a little salt and pepper, then vegetable mixture.  Top with another thin layer of pie crust.  Bake 35 minutes or until brown, at 350.

This is my family's personal favorite and I adapted the recipe from my husband's cousin in Arkansas years ago.  She always put blackeyed peas in hers and since I liked it,decided to do it that way too.  I used to boil a whole chicken and then let my husband debone it (yuck) but nowadays I just boil 4-5 chicken breasts, then shred in the mixer.

WHERE'S THE BEEF...

So I need iron, and I've been trying to eat more beef.  Problem is, I don't really care for it and The Hubs is not a fan of it for dinner.  Since his accident 10 years ago, it just doesn't agree with him.  So since I didn't care much for it anyway, we rarely ate much red meat (except for ground beef burgers and some casseroles) the last 10 years.  So no steak.  My boys think we've deprived them!

 I've been on the hunt for recipes that mix beef and chicken.  That way both The Hubs and I can choose the meat we want out of it!  I made stir fry the other night, and put both beef and chicken in it.  Not sure why I haven't ever done this before, probably just simpler to use just one meat.  Here's an easy link I used that I really liked for Easy Stir-Fry Dinner.  I don't know why but I've never really been very confident when I made it in the past.  This recipe is explained well and I liked it and the leftovers!

COLLEGE DINNER AND DESSERT RECIPES...

I don't think i've ever done  a soup menu for dinner with the college kids!  The Hubs suggested it, so we had:

White Chicken Chili

Vegetarian Taco Soup

Potato Soup

Assorted crackers

Assorted cheese bites

Veggie Tray

Tortilla Chips

Guacamole

Cornbread

Triple Berry Cobbler

Mounds Brownies

Vanilla Ice Cream

The two desserts were both a first time make for me - I had the brownies at my Bunko friend's house recently so I knew they were good!  The Triple Berry Cobbler is a take off of something I used to make with peaches, called Dump Cake.  I just wanted to try it since I had the 3 ingredients on hand.

Mounds Brownies 

from Linda:

1 9x13 size brownie mix (Linda used Duncan Hines dark chocolate)
1 ½ cups chopped pecans (optional)
2 ½ cups coconut
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 container chocolate frosting

Mix and bake the brownie mix according to the directions (I add pecans to the mix). While brownie mix is baking, mix the coconut and condensed milk. As soon as brownies come out of the oven, spread the coconut/milk mixture on hot brownies. Melt chocolate frosting in microwave about 30 seconds.  Pour over the coconut.  Best served warm with vanilla ice cream.

Note:  These are so rich and delicious!  I put the pecans sprinkled on the top, on half of the brownies for the non-nut lovers.  Next time I think I will make my own ganache topping instead of using the frosting in the tub.

Triple Berry Cobbler or Three Ingredient Cobbler

from Pinterest:

1 White cake mix

12 oz. frozen berry mix

1 regular can Sprite

Dump frozen berries in a greased 13x9 cake pan.  Sprinkle the cake mix all over, then pour the Sprite carefully over the cake mix, making sure to get it all wet.  Stir slightly.  Bake @350 for 45-50 minutes.  Let set for 10 minutes or so before serving.  Serve with vanilla ice cream.  

Note:  I wanted to try this version of Dump cake since I had all the ingredients on hand.  I used to make a Dump cake with peaches and yellow cake mix dotted with butter.  This version was good - I love the berries - but obviously from my picture you can see I should have stirred it a little to get all the cake mix moistened.  Super easy and would be a good one to make if company is company is coming on short notice!

A NEW RECIPE FOR CHRISTMAS...

CRANBERRY BLISS BARS!

I had some of these at a women's retreat back in October and loved them!  From what I heard they used to be a Starbucks thing...anyway, I decided I MUST try to make them.  I'm not usually a fan of white chocolate, but it works for me in this treat. Here's the link I used for Cranberry Bliss Bars.

I think they're so pretty and it's always fun to try a new recipe for Christmas treats!

COME AND GO COLLEGE CHRISTMAS...

This year we had a "come and go" party for our college friends.  I tried to make it easy on their schedules, since technically it was Dead Week (no activities) for the students and they are supposedly studying.  We had a good group over, watched a little "White Christmas" and ate a lot!

 We had everyone choose a button that described themselves - these are just a few that were left so there were many different ones.  We had fun with it!

 cousins

The Menu:

Ham & Cheese party sandwiches

Sausage balls

Cheese cubes

Hummus and pita chips

Veggie tray with dip

Banana bread

Pumpkin roll

Almond bark popcorn

Salted Caramel Christmas candy

Butter cookies
Hershey's kisses

Apple cider punch

You never know what they are going to go for - I thought the Hummus would be a hit since a friend of mine told me her group ate it up.  But ours didn't hardly touch it!  That's okay, my son and I eat it almost every day!  Tip: Always have party food you like so if there's leftovers it's a win-win situation.
What really went over well was the Apple Cider Punch.  I decided to share it with you because I've been making it for about 30 years and I love the blend of juices!  It came out of a paperback Avon cookbook.

Apple Cider Punch

4 cups Apple cider

2 cups Cranberry juice

1 cup Orange juice

12 oz. Apricot nectar

1 cup sugar

2 sticks Cinnamon

Heat and let simmer 20 minutes.  

Top punch with floating orange slices 

decorated with cloves.  Serves 10-12.