Its a New Year!

Hello out there...No we did not fall off the face of the earth, we are here, healthy and so very happy to start out 2011. I really did mean to post something in December, but time just got away from me. I don't know about anyone else, but December just flew by. I think because Christmas Day and New Years Day both were on weekends, the month just seemed to be over before it even started and here we are almost to February. I am always a little depressed at the beginning of January, I am so sad to see Christmas end for another year. It is my very favorite time of year, I absolutely love it . The celebration of the birth of Christ has always been just magical for me to think about, even as an adult, it has not lost its wonder and amazement. We celebrated something very special this past weekend; something that has been thought about, talked about, cried about, and most importantly prayed about for about five years now. We participated in our church membership class. We have attempted to join our church twice before and because of sick kiddos have not been able to attend. I just knew that God would place us in a certain class, with particular leaders, on a specific weekend for His unique purpose and He, of course, did not disappoint. We are so blessed to have very sweet and helpful family and friends that helped with childcare throughout the weekend so we could really "be" there. Physically,mentally, and spiritually. I know some would wonder why I am making such a big deal about this, I mean I know people join churches all the time, really some without any thought to it. But, as a couple, this was a commitment that we took extremely seriously. It is called a covenant membership for a reason. Throughout the sermons and speakers during our two day class, I could feel God's love around me, my heart actually felt literally warm. Its hard to put into words, and I know sounds hokey, but its true. It was one of the most defining moments in my spiritual journey. I have only belonged to one church until now, the one I was raised in, the one that my children to this day attend for pre-school. It's a wonderful church, but we decided when we got married, we would allow God to lead us to a body that we both felt was right. We found it and then we waited and prayed until we knew "this" was it. It was kind of like entering into a marriage. For us, it was a commitment of that magnitude. To say the least, we are extremely grateful and excited for our future. It dawned on me Saturday night that God's timing as usual was perfect. He knew that this was exactly how we should start off the new year!

Another way we are starting off the year is to take away my 15 month old's pacifer. My other two children were thumb suckers so the pacifier attachment has been new to me. She still used that somewhat transparent green one that they give you when you are leaving the hospital. I don't know who is going to have a harder time giving that up, the baby or me! We had six pacifiers when she was a month old (I know, I know) and over the course of 15 months we have (as of today) lost them all. I made a deal with myself that when we lost the last pacifier, we would be done; that I would not purchase another newborn pacifier for my 15 month old child. Yes, I made this deal, but we will see if I have the will to stick to it. I will covet your prayers...especially tonight when we are attempting to go to bed!

Now for a humorous story from this afternoon. I will preface this with that I do not find it funny, maybe ten years from now I will, but my husband and parents found it hilarious so I assume its one of those you had to be there to experience the "is this really happening to me" moment. I was on the phone chasing (yes chasing) my very fast 1 1/2 year old (she is quite quick on those short legs) to change a diaper that I could see through her pants was leaking...yes leaking. As a Mom, you know that when you see that sight, that slight brownish discoloration appearing on clothes in the rear end area, it's going to very unpleasant very soon. As I am chasing her and she is successfully avoiding me, she trips and goes head first into the corner of her crib. Immediately I see a goose egg forming on her right side. Screaming follows with me rushing downstairs to get our boo boo bag from the freezer which ignites more screaming as soon as I place it on her head. This is when we lost the most recent pacifier...its too bad, it would have come in handy. I also then proceeded to smash and spread her bad diaper all over her in my efforts to comfort her and end the screaming...then my headache began. I finally get her calmed down, changed and in the bathtub. As I am bathing her I hear lots laughing and commotion coming from downstairs. I begin to walk backwards trying to keep an eye on my baby in the bath tub as I attempt to investigate what the other two children are finding so delightful. To my horror, I see them loading their foam chairs from pottery barn on the stairs to use as "sleds" as they slide down the stairs. Yes, I had that "are you kidding me, this is really happening" moment. I yell out to stop moving or face the consequences and pulled my dripping baby out of the tub only to find NO towels in the closet (they were ALL in the washer) so as I attempt to dry her off with a wash cloth, I scold my other two children and look at the clock. It's only noon. Only seven more hours until relief arrives. It may have to be a pizza night :)


I thought I would share one of our family's favorite birthday breakfasts. It is the one I serve my husband every year on his birthday for breakfast. It is special occasion worthy, but easy and quick enough for any day!

Bananas Foster French Toast

This recipe is for the sauce portion of the Bananas Foster French Toast. Use your favorite recipe for basic french toast and use my recipe for the topping. I also included my recipe for basic french toast in case you need it. Enjoy!


Bananas Foster French Toast:

Sauce:

2 bananas sliced into rounds, save 1/2 of one to the side
3 TBSP butter (or light butter)
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
1/8 tsp of cinnamon (just a dash or a pinch)


Melt 3 TBSP of butter ( or light butter) in a nonstick sauce pan over medium heat. When melted add in the nuts and sugar and stir with a whisk until the sugar is melted and combined with the butter. Then add 1 and 1/2 diced bananas and cook for 1minute over medium high heat. Take it off the heat and add in the additional bananas and the vanilla. Pour or spoon the sauce over cooked and hot french toast and if your being extremely celebratory, top with powdered sugar and whipped cream :)

Lauren's quick french toast

2 eggs beaten
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 cup skim milk or fat free half and half
pinch salt
1 tsp vanilla

Mix the above in a shallow dish with a whisk until combined. Heat a nonstick skilled over medium heat and spray with a nonstick spray. When heated, quick dredge both side of whole wheat bread and lay in the skillet to cook, usually 1 minute per side, or until golden brown. You can use any bread with this.

Turkey Day, Gobble Gobble

Happy belated Thanksgiving! Hope everyone had a very blessed holiday! I am very sad to say that I did not win our annual Thanksgiving cook off. Everyone really brought their "A" game this year, and sadly enough my Chocolate Mousse cake did not make first place, it took second. But the winner was... my husband with a white queso dip. Who ever thought queso could beat out CHOCOLATE! My husband was thrilled. He even missed a call while he was giving his "acceptance speech" :) This coming from a man who now has three recipes he can do himself. Beef Tenderloin, White Queso and oddly enough Manwhich. He is very proud. Our prize was a movie package complete with candy and a gift card to AMC theaters. I had hopes we would use the gift card to see the new Harry Potter movie ( I know, I know) but I have been out voted to see the new Disney movie, Tangled as a family outing. Thanksgiving was cold, but I loved it. It should be cold on Thanksgiving and after the sudden heat wave earlier in the week, I for one, was glad to get a good dose of cold weather. We had a wonderful time with family and friends, then I started off my Black Friday annual shopping trip at 3:30 a.m. at Target. My sweet Mom and Sis braved the crowd with me so we could score toys for my kiddos. You know people really love you when they will meet you at Target in the middle of the night in the freezing cold to fight the crowds to get toys for your own children! We managed to stay out on the prowl for deals until 9:30 and then we had to call it a day. With lots of cooking over the week now behind me, I decided to share some of my favorite Thanksgiving left over recipes. Turkey Terrific Sandwich and Turkey Cakes...my version of a Turkey "crab cake"

Turkey Cakes with Cranberry Sauce

2 Cups cubed cooked Turkey
1 Box Jiffy Cornbread, cooked, cooled and crumbled
1 Egg White
1/2 to 1 cup low fat buttermilk
2 green onions chopped
1/2 tsp salt and pepper
1 TBSP chopped parsley

Mix together everything but the buttermilk. Slowly add up to 1 cup of buttermilk until the mixture comes together like cookie dough. Shape 6 balls together and then lightly press them on a plate to slightly flatten. Heat a non stick skillet and spray with a non stick cooking spray. Cook over medium heat 2-4 minutes per side or until lightly browned and serve with cranberry sauce. YUM!


Turkey Terrific From Nantucket, MA

This recipe comes from my recent trip to a wonderful sandwich shop called Provisions in Nantucket. You would not believe how simple this is to make, but how delicious it is. You HAVE to try it!

1 Box Stove Top Stuffing, any flavor but I used the Chicken Flavor, cooked per the box instructions and slightly cooled

1 can Cranberry Sauce...really, the canned kind

6 slices white bread...break out the white bread for this one

Mayo

Turkey, as much as you want


Assembly

On one slice of bread, spread a solid layer of Mayo, and then pile about a quarter of a cup of the cooked stuffing. On the other side of the bread, spread a couple of tablespoons of the cranberry sauce and then lay the turkey over that. Put the two slices of bread together and slice down the middle. Voila! Enjoy!!!

Fancy Trips, Fall and Football Food!

Hi all,
Just got back into town last night from a wonderful trip with my Mom and my Aunt to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard. We had such a good time and beautiful weather in the low 60's...really put me in the mood for Fall. But I quickly remembered that Fall in Texas doesn't begin here until sometimes Christmas when I stepped off the airplane at 10:00 last night and it was 92 degrees! That really snapped me out of my vacation haze very quickly. Massachusetts is a beautiful part of the country. I have always wanted to go there and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity. I love seafood and we had lots of it while we were there. Martha's Vineyard was already decorated for Autumn. I am so jealous. They actually have seasons other than Winter and Summer there! You could find pumpkins everywhere and the crisp air revived me from a sweltering summer here in Texas. There were only two hiccups to our trip. A storm and a plane. A very very very small plane. We flew to Martha's vineyard on an eight passenger plane. I get air sick, very very very easily. I can't even ride the carousel with my kids at the mall. So, the very idea of getting on that plane terrified me. I took my Dramamine that morning, got a shot of caffeine, and we were off to the little Nantucket airport. First shock was checking in when the agent asked me what I weighed!!! For a moment I hesitated. Much from the shock of having to tell another human what I currently weigh, but also in shock that my safety literally could hang in every passenger truthfully acknowledging what we weighed. I wasn't sure which should scare me more. Then, they call our flight and there is no security, not even a wand over our bodies. In my mind I was recalling DFW airport tossing my brand new bottle of flat iron spray in the trash two days prior because it was more than the allotted 4 ounces. There I stood waiting to board a plane full of people who most likely knocked a good 20 pounds off their weight acknowledgement and now could be wearing bombs in their shoes and no one would even know it! This was a very trusting airport. I guess with only 8 passengers on board, they weren't worried. When we boarded the plane, the pilot, who looked younger than me, turns around to say hello and gives us safety instructions. You see, when you are on a plane that small, they don't bother with a P.A. They just turn around and give you a hug they are that close! The part that was most confusing is when I noticed the pilot check his laminated "cheat" sheet 3 times before we took off to make sure he hadn't forgotten anything. I was not sure to be concerned that he felt the need for a reminder/cheat sheet or to be relieved that he was so safety conscious that he just needed to continue to make sure everything had been done. I decided to go with safety conscious. I was seated basically next to the pilot so the only thing in front of me was the windshield and the controls for the co-pilot if there had been one. I was incredibly surprised...Not only did I NOT get sick, I enjoyed it so much. The landing was the smoothest I had ever experienced. The ride back to Nantucket was equally enjoyable :) Towards the end of our stay we were notified that storms were headed our way. The storms that hit New York City and Brooklyn hit us head on at 3 am. I have never felt a house MOVE in a storm due to wind until that night. The rain and wind that went on for 3 hours was unlike any storm I have ever witnessed. The next morning we went to the chamber of commerce to see if that had been a "normal" storm for an island. I told my Mom I was going to feel ridiculous if that was a normal thing for them and it had scared us to death. It would quickly dissolve any fantasy of living on a island one day for me. But to our delight, we weren't crazy. They told us that the hurricane the week before was nothing to the storm we all survived. It is truly amazing what mother nature can provide for her entertainment:) But to make a long story shorter, I had an amazing time. I loved being with my Mom and my Aunt, being able to sleep in and smell the salty ocean air. Reflect on who I was and where I hoped I would grow to be. It was a fabulous week in more ways than I can describe. But I was so excited to see my kiddos and husband. As grateful as I was that they had a good week, I do have to admit that when my husband told me his week was "relaxing" I was a little wounded. I mean, I am glad that our children were "angels" for him all week and that he enjoyed the time with them, but I kind of wish that even if just for one afternoon they had given him some of the reality of some of my days! I also know deep down that a week of "angel" behavior means the next week when I am home I am getting the opposite! I will accept any and all prayers! :) Well the trip and beautiful weather put me in the mood for "Football" food so here are a couple of our favorites. I will warn you they are not healthy as not good game food should be. But they are delicious! With Mississippi Mud Peanut Butter Brownies and Mexican Casserole, you will welcome Fall right on into your kitchen!



Mississippi Mud, Peanut Butter Brownies

* This favorite is more a method than a recipe since I use convenient ready almost made for almost all of it...there are several steps but it is very simple and easy.

1 box of your favorite brownie mix, made and baked in a 9/13 glass pan.

When they are done, as soon as you take them out of the oven, pour 1 bag of mini marshmallows over the top and cover immediately with foil. The heat of the brownies will melt the marshmallows perfectly. Leave covered for 1 hour. After one hour, spread 1 cup of creamy peanut butter over the marshmallow layer. The spread your favorite chocolate icing over than. Slice and serve! YUM YUM

One variation is to spread raspberry jelly or jam over the marshmallows instead of the peanut butter.


Mexican Casserole

4 cups crushed tortilla chips
1 jar Frito lay queso (the one in the jar in the chip aisle)
1 pound ground beef
1 small onion minced
1 package taco seasoning mix
1 can drained pinto beans
4 green onions chopped
1/2 cup chopped black olives
2 cups shredded cheese of your choice

Brown the meat and the onion and when done add 3/4 cup of water and your taco seasoning packet. Simmer and stir for five minutes. Then add the drained beans and mix in with the meat. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9/13 baking dish and pour the crushed chips in the bottom. Then layer the meat mixture on top of the chips. Then pour and spread the queso over the meat. Then sprinkle the chopped green onions and black olives. Then sprinkle the shredded cheese over the top and bake for about 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and it warm throughout. I serve this with salsa and sour cream.

Almost September !!!

Happy Monday everyone! Well, we survived the first week of school...I hope we survive the 2nd Monday of the year just as well :) My son had a fantastic first week of school. Mom had a little harder time. I will say in defense of myself that I did not cry the first day until my son was safely in his classroom and we were all out of the school back in the comfort of our own vehicle. My husband had commented on how well I was doing as we walked out of the kindergarten hall and I just nodded. I only nodded because I knew that if I did speak at that very moment I was going to lose it. You see, I don't like anyone to see me cry. I am funny like that, it makes me very uncomfortable to allow myself to be that vulnerable in pubic. Not to mention that I am not a pretty crier. Once I put my seat belt on, I absolutely sobbed. Little girl sobbing. My husband's eyes got huge...he only thought he got out of this milestone safely! ha ha! I proceeded to cry off and on throughout the week.I am so grateful he was here to witness all of it. I am quite sure he would have rather been at the office! The one place that I have the hardest time controlling not crying is in church. The church that we attend has worship music that evokes emotions in me that until we attended there, I did not know were possible. The music truly brings tears to my eyes. Luckily for me, it is normally pretty dark in the sanctuary when worship begins. There are Sundays that the worship team and their beautiful voices stir up emotions that even sermons can not. It is amazing that music can reach your soul like that. It often reminds me how much I wish I could sing. I can assure you that if I did sing at the top of my lungs, it would cause others to weep and it would not be for good reasons. :) I can remember exactly when I realized I could not sing. My sophomore year in high school, a friend of mine was asked to sing at a school event. He asked me to join him...he thought I could sing, so did I. We chose to sing a Garth Brooks song and he played guitar. We even practiced. Let me make this clear...he could sing and really well. I am not sure why he thought I could...or why I thought I could. So the night of the school function, in front of a couple hundred people, we sang. And when we were done, I knew it was bad. I knew I was awful, and as much as I wanted to believe it wasn't as bad as I knew it was, my own family confirmed my worst fears. I saw my Mom and she said "Did you have fun?" and I said "I think so..." She replied with, "Good, I am so glad, the food was really good, you should have a bite to eat." You should notice that missing in that conversation was...You did great! You sounded beautiful! On cor, On cor! NO ONE SAID THAT. In fact, no one said much of anything. I think that was the kindest thing that they could do for me. I know if I had sounded half way decent, as much as they loved me, that they would have loved to tell me so. It was that bad! Seriously bad! I realized that night that even karaoke was out of my near future. So, I secretly envy those around me with a beautiful voice and I married someone who can actually sing. I just live vicariously through him. Oh the night my dreams of being a superstar on stage died...God had better plans for me! :) On to better things... I have a delicious recipe for you that we had last night. We ate at a really good restaurant last week and my husband ordered the potato chip chicken with an onion sauce. It was so good! I made up my own recipe for it yesterday and it was a hit. I hope you'll try it or any of the variations I listed. Hope you all have a good week! God Bless!


Potato Chip Chicken

4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (preferably pounded thin)
3 cups Lays Potato chips, crushed finely (Half a large bag of chips or 2 lunch size bags)
1/2 tsp garlic salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1 cup low fat buttermilk or 2 eggs beaten
1/2 cup flour

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Pour the crushed chips in a pie dish or plate for dredging the chicken and add the onion powder and garlic salt and mix around with your fingers. Pour the buttermilk in a bag or bowl for dipping the chicken into and do the same with the flour. Dredge your chicken in the flour first, then the buttermilk or eggs and then in the chips. Push the chips on the chicken to help them to stick. Then lay them on a cookie sheet with a rack if you have one. If not that is OK, it just might not be as crisp on the bottom. Bake them for 35 minutes or until lightly brown and cooked through. Serve in a variety of ways, see below...

I served our chicken with the onion sauce that is listed below but you could also serve it with the other variations listed:

*Use BBQ Lays instead of plain ones and serve with a little BBQ sauce on the side
*Lightly squeeze honey over the top of each cooked chicken breast...the salt and sweet combination is awesome!
*Serve with a honey mustard dressing or sauce


Green Onion sauce:

1/2 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup low fat mayo
1 TBSP fresh lemon juice
2 green onions chopped
2 1/2 TBSP Lipton Onion soup mix

Whisk the above together and chill for 30 minutes. To serve...and I know this seems odd, put the sauce on the plate first and smooth it out so that when the chicken is placed on top, it warms the sauce slightly. It is delicious!

School is Starting !!!

Hi there...well I guess I took a long, long vacation this summer from my little blog. Would have been nice if I had taken the time to tell you I wouldn't be back until August wouldn't it! I apologize, I try to have better manners than that. The summer has flown by. And with this heat, it can't go fast enough! My oldest is starting kindergarten next week. It breaks my heart. I really should be ready since we had him for an "extra" year because of pre kindergarten, but I am NOT ready. He is SOOOO ready. I would rather have it this way than reversed for sure. I hope the transition for Mommy gets easier with number 2 and 3 but I have a nagging feeling it won't. I truly enjoy my baby boy...he is so much fun and I just don't want to share him. We will meet his teacher this week and I am attempting to relish every hour with him until Monday, but the clock just ticks faster. He gets to pick his first day of school breakfast, lunch and dinner. We have been busy selecting different options, this type of foodie freedom has proven to be a BIG decision for my son. There is no telling what we will end up eating on Monday! Although I have neglected this blog now all summer, I have not neglected my kitchen and have some great recipes to share. Try them soon and pray for cooler weather!

Here are some favorites from this summer's kitchen...in no particular order: Cornbread salad...yes I did type Cornbread salad :) Balsamic Brown Rice, and my Cream Puff Pie

Balsamic Brown Rice

2 cups Brown Rice

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 cup chicken broth (I use low sodium)

3/4 cup water

1/2 cup chopped roasted red peppers, drained

4 green onions chopped

In a microwaveable safe bowl, mix everything but the onions and red peppers together. Microwave, covered on high for 8 minutes or until almost all of the liquid is absorbed. Let stand for 3 minutes and then fluff with a fork and add the onions and peppers and serve. FYI....if you choose to use white rice instead of brown, the vinegar will discolor your rice to a rosy color that isn't that pretty...:)

Cornbread Salad

1 Jiffy cornbread mix

1 egg

1/4 cup milk

1/4 mayo, light is fine

4 green onions

1 cup tomatoes chopped fine

1/2 cup bacon bits (old school style works best...bust out those BAC O's)!
1/2 fresh shredded cheddar cheese....shredding this yourself really does make a big difference here

Pre heat your oven to 375 degrees. Grease an 8x8 square dish. Mix your cornbread mix with the egg and milk and pour and spread into the dish. Bake for 12-17 minutes or until done. Let cool for 45 minutes and then crumble into a large bowl. Then add everything else except the mayo. Fluff the ingredients together with a fork. Then add the mayo. It should not be a wet salad, the mayo just serves to make it a little moist. Chill for one hour and serve. So Yummy, you won't believe it!

Cream Puff Pie

I adapted a recipe I saw for this to fit my tastes and the final product was a win. I hope you'll try it if you like cream puffs...tastes just like one but better!

Crust:

1 stick of butter

1 cup water

1/4 tsp salt

1 cup flour

4 eggs

In a saucepan, bring the butter, water and salt to a boil. Add the flour all at once and mix with a wooden spoon until the mixture begins to form a ball, usually takes about one minute. Then remove from the heat and let cool for five minutes. Then add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition and spread in a greased 11x14 dish. Just spread it on the bottom of the pan, just like you would brownies. Bake at 425 for 14-18 minutes or until puffed and golden. It will climb up the sides of the pan and puff. Don't worry about puffing too much as it will fall some as it cools. When done, completely cool the crust before adding the filling.

Filling ingredients

1 block low fat cream cheese, very soft

2 packages instant white chocolate pudding mix

1 package instant french vanilla pudding mix

3 cups of milk...I used skim

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 container of fat free cool whip

Mix the softened cream cheese slowly with the pudding mix and add the milk slowly. Whip on high speed for five minutes. Then add the vanilla and mix to combine. Spread into cooled crust and chill for one hour. Then spread the cool whip on top. This would also be good with a layer of fresh raspberries under the cool whip.

Mocha Meringues and More!!!

Happy May! I can't believe we are more than halfway to June! I don't know about anyone else, but it feels like 2010 is flying by. It has been a fun couple of weeks. School is ending for my kiddos Friday. I am looking forward to a break from the early morning drives to school every day but will miss my other Mommy friends at pick up. I have enjoyed my after school visiting time at the park, the playground and at McDonald's with the other parents so much, and I am really sad to see it end. What a blessing this year has been, so many important lessons learned. Thought I might share a few...

Lessons:

1. My daughter really is fine 5 minutes after I leave her with her teacher even though she is crying and pleading with me not to go.(although it literally tears my heart in two)

2. My children are not perfect and very capable of getting in trouble at school!

3. There is nothing cuter than seeing my little preschoolers marching into school with their backpacks on and carrying their lunch boxes so proudly.

4. My children will catch every illness that is going around at school.

5. Target is very enjoyable at 9:10 in the morning...no one is there because nothing else opens here at 9:00 am....everything opens at 10:00. I didn't know this until I was a stay at home Mom

6.I really can go to school in a baseball cap with no makeup on and no one notices.

7. My son was finally able to read the occasional "I Love you Ethan! Love, Mommy" notes I place in his lunchbox by the end of the year.

8. A stroller, although cumbersome in a busy hallway really does help with getting arm loads of artwork to the car.

9. Although I swear it weighs 50 pounds, carrying my 7 month old in her car seat in and out of school every day, twice a day, all year, has had NO affect on the tone of my arms...very sad and disappointing

10. I am really going to miss my son when he goes to "big kid" school in the fall. I will miss him more than I ever dreamed I could.

I realized lesson number 10 when we went to kindergarten round-up this month at his elementary school. I have to admit, I had to quickly wipe away tears before he noticed. Where has the time gone? I am even more aware of how precious my time with all of my children is. As excited as he is for next year, it makes my heart ache. I am so grateful for every day. I pray God graces me with years of the kind of love I felt this year for my family and friends. Our God is so great, so very great!


On to some summer light recipes, hope you enjoy them...By the way, I did find my camera! Carefully tucked away in the new swimming lesson bag I purchased :)


Mocha Meringues

3 large egg whites at room temperature
3/4 cup super fine sugar ( see note at the bottom of the recipe)
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp instant espresso powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 cup mini chocolate chips, or very finely chopped chocolate (optional)


Whip the egg whites for about 30 seconds on high with an electric mixer or until foamy and with the mixer running, slowly add the sugar. When the sugar is mixed, add the other ingredients except for the chocolate. Mix on high for 3 minutes or until the mixture holds a stiff peak. Then fold in the chocolate. With a large spoon, dollop large mounds of the mixture on a parchment or wax paper lined sheet pan. Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, then without opening the door, turn the oven off and let them sit in the oven for 2 hours. Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also leave the chocolate and coffee out and make these vanilla, or add about 1 tsp of any citrus zest to make a variety of meringues.

*note* If you can't find superfine sugar, you can also make your own very easily. Measure the amount of sugar you need and the pour it into a Cuisinart and pulse for about a minute. Voila! Superfine sugar.

*** Serving suggestion...these meringues are delicious with sliced strawberries and fat free cool whip or whipped cream. Also delicious with a scoop of sorbet or gelato.


Summer Fruit salad with Lime Vinaigrette

Summer fruits...your pick! Slice add to a bowl, then allow them to sit in the dressing for about 20 minutes.

Lime Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh lime juice
1 tsp lime zest
2 tsp unseasoned rice wine vinegar ( my favorite)
(you can also use champagne vinegar if you need to)
2-3 TBSP honey or agave nectar depending on how sweet you want it
1/2 tsp kosher salt
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP very very finely chopped mint

Whisk everything except for the olive oil in a bowl, then either whisk the olive oil in or pour everything into a container with a lid and then shake the heck out of it. Chill and pour over fruit salad, very refreshing and unique.

Happy Tuesday :) Loving Low Fat Key Lime Pie


I feel like we have actually had a spring here in Texas! I have enjoyed the weather so much, and I am quietly excited for summer....but not necessarily the 105 degree heat! There are so many summer dishes I enjoy making that I have had a lot of fun lately getting into my recipe box and trying out some new spins on old favorites. Because I am still desperately trying to loose the last 15 pounds of baby weight, I have been trying to stick to a very healthy diet, but that's not to say that I don't splurge! So you're definitely going to get some healthy recipes here soon, but there will also be some big splurges! :) The following is a healthy alternative to a favorite summer time dessert, Low Fat Key Lime Pie. I wish I had a picture to show you, but I have misplaced my camera. I know I put it somewhere for safe keeping and lets just say it is very, very safe because I have no idea where it is! I can promise you that I know when I will find it...the day I buy a new one! Lots of love to all you! More recipes to come soon I promise...and pictures!





Low Fat Key Lime Pie


Crust:
1 sleeve of low fat graham crackers. (In the box of graham crackers there will be three packages of crackers...you need just one of those)
1/2 cup slivered or sliced almonds
3 TBSP melted low fat butter
2 TBSP sugar
1/4 tsp kosher salt



Lime Cream Filling:

3/4 cup Egg Beaters
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (not the bottle stuff, it has to be fresh)
1 can fat free condensed milk
1 lime zested (if you don't have a zester...leave this out, it will still be good just not as tart)
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 tsp salt

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I love this crust recipe, but you can also just purchase a low fat ready made graham cracker crust at the store and make this pie even more simple, just go with which ever sounds best to you! But if you want to make the crust, here ya go, you won't be disappointed. In a Cuisinart, pulse the crackers by themselves until they are very fine crumbs. This takes about 30 seconds. Then add the rest of the ingredients except the butter and pulse for 10 seconds. Then with the motor running, carefully pour the melted butter through the feed tube until incorporated....about 10 seconds. Pour the crust mixture into a pie plate and with the bottom of a measuring cup, lightly press in the bottom of the dish and slightly up the sides.



Next make the filling. In a blender, combine the egg beaters, zest, vanilla, salt, condensed milk and lime juice and blend for about 20 seconds or until smooth. Pour into your pie crust and bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly golden. Then cool completely and chill for a couple of hours. I serve mine with fat free cool whip, but you can serve it with or without cream topping. If I am being especially fancy, I will even cut a lime very thinly and place those on the pie. A helpful hint...place your pie dish on a cookie sheet and then pour your filling in and bake. The cookie sheet makes the pie with the uncooked filling easier to get in and out of the oven.