Saturday, December 14, 2013

Some Christmas Cards

Every year I make Christmas cards for myself, my daughter and my sister in law, so I thought I would share some I made this year.  I will be heading off to see my son in a couple of days to spend the Christmas Holiday with him and his family.  Am excited to see my other grandchildren.  It's rough when you only get to see them twice a year.  Wish they were closer.  I wish everyone a Healthy, Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.
Donna


Sunday, December 8, 2013

Cauliflower Bake

This is the side dish I made for Thanksgiving.  With all the great food there is to eat on that day it's always good to have a Low Carb choice too.  Eating the LC way I have found that eating tooooooooooooo much cheese does make my weight fluctuate, so I try to keep it to a minimum and only have about 2 oz maybe a couple times a week in my salad.  This is an easy recipe and one worth making.  You could change the veggie if you want.  This recipe is based on a potato recipe I used to make.  Sure hope you give it a try.

Ingredients:
2  heads of  cauliflower cut into  florets
4 oz shredded mild cheddar cheese
4 oz shredded mozzarella  cheese
4 oz block cream cheese, softened
1/2 - 3/4 cup half and half
2 bunches green onions, sliced (1 1/2 cups)
6 - 8 sliced bacon, cooked and crumbled
1 clove garlic chopped
1/2 stick butter
1/2 can cream of chicken and mushroom soup
4 oz velvetta cheese
1 - 1 1/2 TBL Garlic Herb seasoning
Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350° .
Steam cauliflower florets until tender. don't over cook it will cook more while in oven.  Drain to be sure you get as much moisture out as possible.
In a large skillet melt the butter, saute the onion and then add the garlic.  Add the cream cheese , when that is almost melted add 1/2 the half and half and add the rest of the cheeses and the rest of the half and half.  Cook until all melted.  Crumble the bacon into cheese mixture.  Butter a casserole dish and add the cauliflower and then pour cheese over the top.  Mix so it's all combined.  Top with LC pita pieces.

Cover dish with foil or put lid on if it has one   and bake for 25 minutes; remove foil and continue to bake until cheese is brown and bubbly.
Enjoy!
Thanks for stopping by and Remember to Find the Time to Do All the Things YOU L♥ve.
Donna

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Fruit Tart


This is the dessert I made for my son's fiance' birthday last week.  I also made the second version for Thanksgiving.  This really is an easy dessert to make and only involves the cooking of the crust.  You could use any fruit you like and best of all this would be great when those fruits are in season.  It's such a refreshing treat.
Sure hope you try it.


Crust:
1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, softened and sliced
Filling:
1 (8-ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Topping:
Fresh strawberries, kiwi slices, blueberries, raspberries
Glaze
1/2 cupUnsweetened apple juice
1 TBL corn starch
1/4 sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
For the crust: In a food processor, combine the confectioners’ sugar, flour, and butter, and process until the mixture forms a ball. With your fingers, press the dough into a 12-inch tart pan with a removable bottom, taking care to push the crust into the indentations in the sides. Pat until the crust is even. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes, until very lightly browned. Set aside to cool.
For the filling and topping: Beat the cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla together until smooth. Spread over the cooled crust. Cut the strawberries into 1/4-inch slices and arrange around the edge of the crust. For the next circle, use kiwi slices. Add another circle of strawberries, filling in any spaces with blueberries. Cluster the raspberries in the center of the tart.
For the glaze: Combine the apple juice, cornstarch, and sugar in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until clear and thick, about 2 minutes. Let cool. With a pastry brush, glaze the entire tart. You will not use all of the glaze.
Keep the tart in the refrigerator  Remove about 15 minutes before serving. Slice into wedges and serve with a dollop of whipped cream.

I also made a strawberry pineapple one for Thanksgiving, that also was a "big" hit.
 Thanks for taking time from you busy day to stop by.  Remember to always Find the time to Do All the things YOU L♥ve.
Donna