Six-Fruit Crisp

Since having found out I was diabetic, I try to eat significantly fewer sweets. You know, the good stuff - cookies, cake, candy,
pie . . .

The benefit of this, besides lower blood sugar, has been an appreciation for naturally sweet foods - such as fruit. I have discovered that I really love fruit.

Never before would I have thought that a piece of fruit could satisfy my craving for something sweet. Although there are still times when I physically need a Hershey Bar, I have found that fruit is sweet too!

Although this recipe is not low carb by any means - because of all of the fruit and the sweet crumbly topping - it is a yummy fruit dessert that even I can eat in small portions.

1 jar (25 oz.) chunky applesauce
1 can (20 oz.) pineapple tidbits, drained and rinsed (to help lower the sugar)
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) sliced peaches, drained, chopped and rinsed
1 can (15 1/4 oz.) sliced pears, drained, chopped and rinsed
1 can (11 oz.) mandarin oranges, drained and rinsed
1 can (21 oz.) low sugar cherry pie filling

Topping:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups packed brown sugar
1 cup margarine, melted

Pour applesauce into a greased 13 x 9 baking dish Layer with the pineapple, peaches, pears, and mandarin oranges. Spread pie filling over the top.

For topping, combine the flour, brown sugar and margarine. Sprinkle over pie filling. Bake at 375 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream if desired.

Love Me

Waldorf Sandwiches

I love Waldorf Salad and I love cinnamon-raisin bread.

This sandwich combines the two - sweet and yummy!

2 cups shredded unpeeled apple
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1 cup chopped walnuts
1/4 cup mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
14 to 16 slices cinnamon-raisin bread (lightly toasted)

In a bowl, toss apple with lemon juice. Stir in celery, walnuts and mayonnaise; mix well. Spread apple mixture on seven to eight bread slices, top with remaining bread.

Yield: 7-8 sandwiches

Love Me

Dilly Egg Salad

Brian and I both love egg salad. In fact, this love goes way back . . .

Brian got his first "real" job the first summer we dated. It was the summer he turned 18 and I turned 14.

I used to be younger than him, but somehow I think I caught up.

Anyway, there was a little deli close to the small print shop where he worked. Both have since closed their doors. But during the summer of 1983, one provided Brian with a way to earn money and one provided Brian with a way to spend money.

That little deli had the best egg salad around. They would pile the egg salad so high on the sandwich that half of it would fall down your arm while you ate it. By the time you finished eating the sandwich, chips and dill pickle slice and washed it down with some Pepsi - all was well with the world.

Summer eating at it's best.

3 hard boiled eggs, chopped
1/4 cup small-curd cottage cheese
2 Tbsp. dill pickle relish
3 Tbsp. mayonnaise or Miracle Whip
1 tsp. Dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

In a bowl, combine the eggs, cottage cheese, relish, mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Spread 2/3 cup on two slices of bread. Top with lettuce if desired.

Makes 2 servings.

Love Me

5/24/10 Menu

Summer has decided to cut in line and pass by Spring . . .

So, bring out the cool and refreshing salad and fruit recipes!

Monday - hamburgers on the grill, baked beans, cottage cheese and chips
Tuesday - baked potato casserole, applesauce, creamed spinach
Wednesday - dilly egg salad sandwiches, celery with cream cheese, chips
Thursday - meatball subs, cole slaw, chips
Friday - Waldorf sandwiches (lunch), chicken fettuccine, California blend vegetables
Saturday - chicken salad sandwiches (lunch), sausage with scalloped potatoes, spinach casserole
Sunday - Picnic at the lake?

Recipes I will highlight this week: dilly egg salad, Waldorf sandwiches, six-fruit crisp

Love Me

5/17/10 Menu

I was doing so well at making menus and posting them. Taking pride in feeding my family nutritious meals.

I have no idea what went wrong. Maybe it was the busyness of last week.

But, alas, my cupboards are bare and my cookbooks are covered in dust.

Not a lot of creativity going on here this week.

Sorry, just keeping it real.

Love Me

LaBella Lasagna

This is the lasagna we ended up eating on Tuesday night. Not the lasagna I had planned on feeding our missionary guests.

But considering on Tuesday Brian and I drove over 60 miles round trip before noon and I saw 5 complicated patients in the breast clinic - this is the lasagna we ate.

And if it hadn't been for Megan who shopped for the groceries and cooked the entire dinner - cheese cake and all - we would have ended up eating McDonalds.

I love my grown up girl!

Supper was great. Cooked to perfection and perfectly on time.

This was the lasagna we were supposed to enjoy - LaBella Lasagna recipe courtesy of my mom.

1 pound ground chuck
1 Tbsp. chopped parsley
1 Tbsp. basil
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 No. 303 can tomatoes
2 (6 oz.) cans tomato paste
2 cups cottage cheese - or Ricotta cheese
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. pepper
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 pound mozzarella cheese
1/2 pkg. lasagna noodles, cooked, drained and rinsed in cold water (9 strips)

Cook meat until brown, drain off excess fat. Add parsley, salt, tomatoes, and tomato paste; simmer for 1/2 hour, stirring occasionally.

Combine cottage (or Ricotta) cheese and Parmesan cheese; add eggs, salt and pepper.

To assemble lasagna pour a thin layer of tomato sauce in bottom of 13 x 9 baking dish. Cover with a layer of lasagna (3 strips). Spread half the cheese mixture over lasagna; layer half the mozzarella over the cheese mixture. Spread a layer of tomato sauce over all.

Repeat layers; top with remaining lasagna and tomato sauce.

Cover with foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 20 minutes; uncover and bake 20 minutes longer. Let sit 15 minutes before serving.

Love Me

Yogurt Cream and Berries

I am not a huge yogurt fan, but I love this recipe. It is straight from the Pioneer Woman's website - so I give her all the credit. (You've got to check out this link - I am totally jealous of her jadite!)

Because I have been on a strawberry kick this last week, I am serving this over strawberries instead of blueberries like she does.

A light granola could even be added if you are so inclined.

1 1/2 cups plain, unflavored yogurt
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup brown sugar
blueberries or strawberries

Pour the yogurt into a bowl. Then add the cream. With a whisk carefully stir until combined. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the top of the yogurt mixture.

Do not stir the mixture.

Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and tightly seal the edges. Refrigerate for at least 3-4 hours.

When ready to serve, you can either leave the mixture as is or stir with a whisk until smooth.

Serve over berries.

Love Me