Berry Topped Honey and Yogurt Pie

This is a tasty, delightful dessert! And it is not full of a lot sugars or fat! So you can feel good about shoveling it into your mouth. I just happened to have Blackberry honey from my sister when she went up north last year. Good way to use it up! If you can't find it I would just use regular honey.
It would be best to have it sit in the fridge overnight to get firm. I think it tasted better the next day.
We really enjoyed this - Ron finished it off within a couple of days!

Oh and the left over pomegranate juice was very tasty in our lemon drop martini's over the weekend with our friends

1 9-inch pie crust, baked and cooled
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup pomegranate juice
8 ounces reduced-fat cream cheese, softened
5 tablespoons blackberry honey
1 cup plain Greek-style yogurt
1 recipe Blackberry-Raspberry Sauce With Honey (see below)

Preparation ~
Place the pomegranate juice in a small heatproof bowl and sprinkle the gelatin over the top. Stir to combine. In a saucepan, bring a small amount of water to a simmer and set the bowl of gelatin and juice inside to heat, stirring constantly until the gelatin dissolves completely. Remove from the heat and set aside for 3 to 5 minutes to cool.

Place the cream cheese in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until creamy and smooth. Add the honey and cooled gelatin-juice mixture and continue beating until well blended.

Add the yogurt and beat on medium-low speed, just until blended. Spoon the filling into the baked pie shell and refrigerate until firm, 4 to 6 hours.

To serve, top individual slices with Blackberry-Raspberry Sauce With Honey.

Ingredients ~
2 tablespoons honey (we used a wild blackberry honey)
1 tablespoon brandy
3 tablespoons water
2-1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pint fresh blackberries
1/2 pint fresh raspberries

Preparation ~
Place the honey and brandy in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook for 1-1/2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add 1/2 of the blackberries, bring to a boil and continue cooking until the berries begin to break down and release their juice.

In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch and water. Add to the berry-honey mixture and stir until the sauce is thickened. Remove from the heat, stir in the raspberries and the remaining blackberries and set aside to cool.

Serve at room temperature. Keeps about 3 days in the refrigerator.

Source: My Gourmet Connection

Southwest Chicken Salad Wraps

We had this last week for dinner and it was delish! I made a few changes to the recipe for the kids. I did not serve them the wraps but instead gave them BBQ chicken. We really loved this salad - it was full of flavor and so tasty! Perfect for a summer meal! You really need to make it soon!

Grilled chicken breast with homemade bbq sauce
Frozen Corn, about a cup
Grape Tomatoes, 1 cup, halved
Green Onions, 1 bunch
Cilantro, 1/3 cup, snipped
Jalapeno or Serrano Peppers, 2
Fat Free Greek Yogurt 1 cup
Cumin, 1 teaspoon
Oregano, 1
Salt, 1 teaspoon or to taste
Whole Wheat tortillas shells

The original recipe was to poach your chicken. I grilled my chicken and made a homemade BBQ sauce. I substituted Greek yogurt for sour cream in the original recipe.
While your chicken is grilling. Cut up the tomatoes, green onions, cilantro and jalapeno. Toss in the corn, yogurt and seasoning. Let the chicken cool, once cool chop up and add to the rest of the ingredients and toss gently.
Spoon some of the salad into a whole wheat tortilla wrap. Enjoy!

Snicker doodle Bread

I must be on a little kick of cinnamon and sugar lately!

I was craving to make a bread with those flavors but something that would not require rising! I have a fear of making bread that has to rise and be kneaded. Same with pie - cannot make a homemade crust!!

Well, I found a quick bread and was so excited. Snickerdoodle bread- YUMMY!!

I had everything to make except the cinnamon baking chips. Not a problem after I picked up Mira from her art camp we went to the store to pick it them up.

Yeah, no luck at the first store. Then I decided to go to the "Super" store, seriously nothing there either!!! Now I was getting a little irritated. After much frustration and a few whimpers. I figured that I'm sure snicker doodle bread will taste just fine without the lovely cinnamon baking morsels! Still was not happy about it!

It was tasty, light and full of a yummy Cinnamon flavor.

I was so excited about it that i took it out of the pan a little early. It did fall apart - oops. So this is not the best picture!



I added a little more cinnamon and instead of sour cream use Fat Free Greek Yogurt. of course you might find the cinnamon baking chips to add to the bread, if you do grab a bag for me!

It made two loaves so I brought one to the salon and saved one for us!

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
2 t. cinnamon
1 cup butter, softened
2 c. sugar
3 eggs
2 t. vanilla
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 cup cinnamon chips (1 pkg. Hershey’s)
2 T. flour

Topping:
2 T. sugar
2 t. cinnamon

Combined 2 1/2 cups flour and baking powder in a bowl. In a separate bowl, cream butter and 2 c. sugar, salt and cinnamon until fluffy, about two minutes. Add eggs one at a time mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla and sour cream and mix to combined. Add flour mixture stirring until just combined. Coat the cinnamon chips with 2 T. flour and stir into batter.

Spoon batter into four/five greased mini loaf pans (5 3/4 x 3 1/4 x 2 1/4. Don’t fill more than 2/3 full.) Combined 2 T. sugar and 2 t. cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of batter in the pans. Bake at 350º for 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a crack in the center of the loaf comes clean. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Note: You can also make this in two 9×5 loaf pans. Bake at 350º for 60 to 70 minutes until a toothpick inserted into a crack in the center of the loaf comes clean.

Blended Iced Coffee with Baileys

I love coffee, i must have it in the morning or I cannot function. I have seen a few blogs with some yummy iced coffee recipes We went to my sisters house the other day and she served me up an iced coffee.
Apparently, I have been missing something at home!
I whipped some up yesterday threw it in the fridge. When Ron came home I whipped us up a little blended coffee with baileys - YUMMY!!!!!

Recipe:

Brew a pot of strong coffee, Let cool and refridgerate

1/4 -1/2 cup coffee (depends how strong you like it)
Ice
1 shot Baileys
1/4 cup skim milk
Chocolate Sauce
Whipped cream (optional)

Blend all the above ingredients with lots of ice!!! Top with whipped cream and drizzle some chocolate on top!

Enjoy!

A little R&R

We went to Duluth a couple of weekends ago with our dear friends Sarah and Brian. We stayed at the same resort that Ron and I stayed at almost 16 years ago for our honeymoon!
I love the North Shore - it is one of my favorite places! It was a beautiful weekend of hiking, relaxing and spending time with our good friends.

Sarah and Brian at brunch!



Gooseberry Falls





Beautiful Views of the North Shore











Had to go to Grandmas after our big hike!



Canal Park:





Found this at an Antique store (she did not buy it)



Perfect end to our weekend - bonfire on the shore!

Donut Muffins

Donut muffins are tasty, light, fluffy and delish. I'm going to make them again this week - my family loved them! I did not make them "healthy" but I will make some substitutions this round.

For Muffins:
3 cups flour
3/4 cups sugar, plus 1/8 cup of sugar
1/2 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 large eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
For Topping
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cups sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a standard muffin pan with muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, cream the butter and the sugar. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, until just mixed in. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt and cinnamon. Combine the vanilla, milk and heavy cream.
3. With a spoon, mix a quarter of the dry ingredients into the butter mixture. Then mix in a third of the milk mixture. Continue mixing in the remaining dry and wet ingredients alternately, ending with the dry. Mix until well combined and smooth, but don’t over mix.
4. Scoop enough batter into each tin so that the top of the batter is even with the rim of the cup, about 1/2 cup. Bake the muffins until firm to the touch, about 25-30 minutes.
5. To finish, melt the butter for the dipping mixture in a small bowl. Combine the cinnamon and sugar in another bowl. When the muffins are just cool enough to handle, remove them from the tin, dip them into or brush them all over with the melted butter, and then roll them in the cinnamon sugar.

Summer Salads

I love this time of year fresh fruit and veggies are an abundance. We eat salads all summer, a yummy side salad or make one for our meal. Here are two salads that I have been over the past few weeks. A Strawberry Spinach Salad and a BBQ Chicken Salad. They both were mighty tasty! Really you can make a salad to your own tastes and likes. This time of year is the best time to experiment with local veggies and produce or even something from your own back yard!
One thing that i want to try this summer is making my own dressings. The dressings i used were bottled and I am wanting to stay away from that. Please share with me any dressings that you love to make at home!

I served the Strawberry Spinach Salad along with our meal. It was tasty and refreshing!



I bag spinach chopped
1/2 cup strawberries sliced
1/4 cup red onion chopped
candied pecans
bottled or homemade poppy seed dressing

Toss all your ingredients together, mix in the dressing. Enjoy!



The BBQ Chicken Salad I served as our main meal - YUMMY!!



BBQ Chicken Salad

2 BBQ chicken breasts (grilled or baked)
1 bag of mixed greens chopped
1 tomato chopped
2-3 green onions chopped
1/2 c cilantro chopped
1/2 c black beans drained
1/2 c frozen corn
1/3 -1/2 c shredded cheese I used monetary jack
Tortilla Chips crushed
I used a BBQ Ranch Dressing


Mix all the ingredients together except the chicken. Arrange salad ingredients on a plate, add the chicken and tortilla chips to the top. Drizzle your favorite dressing on top! Enjoy!!

Quinoa - what is this stuff?

QUINOA??? That is what I have to say! What is this? What does it taste like? Everybody except me is eating you? Well i decided it was time for me to try you.

I bought some at my favorite Super store - it was a little expensive but it seems as though it lasts. I found a recipe on Vivi's blog and followed that. WOWWWWWWWW!!! We loved it!!!! Even the kids liked it. I did not take a picture of that recipe - we just gobbled it it before I remembered too.

It has a weird texture sort of chewy and a little crunchy. By it self it does not have any flavor but add some ingredients to it and WOW! you will not be disappointed.
I was searching some recipes sites and blogs to find another recipe that used Quinoa. It appears that you really can add what you want to Quinoa.
I had these ingredients on hand tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, basil! Caprese Quinoa here you come!



Oh it was so tasty and refreshing! Of course the kids did not like this recipe.
Quinoa is going to be a common staple around our house. I have found several recipes with Quinoa that I am excited to try.

Here is my recipe - i really just threw this together.

Caprese Quinoa

1 cup quinoa follow directions
1/2 c fresh mozzarella
1 tomato chopped
handful of basil chopped
1/3 c olive oil
a few dashes of balsamic vinegar
salt
pepper

Cook the quinoa according to the package directions. Once it cooked let it cool in the fridge for about 10 minutes.
Once cooled add the mozarella, tomoto and basil to the quinoa. Mix together the dressing and gently toss into the Quinoa.

If you have some delish recipes using Quinoa please pass them onto me!

A visit from Seattle

My dear and bested friend since high school came for a little visit with her husband a few weeks ago from Seattle. It has been about a year that I had seen her. I went out to Seattle last Memorial Weekend to visit her.
They came out for a visit 5 years ago before they got married. So it had been awhile since she was back to her hometown of St.Paul. That can only mean one thing lots of yummy places to go and eat! It was so nice to have a long weekend with them and spend time together. Can't wait to see you both again!

Here is what our agenda was (basically to see how many restaurants we could get in this visit) :

Friday - Indian lunch Buffet at Sambol, drove to J's home that she grew up in (we just looked at it from the outside and took a few pictures her family is all in the UK now), went to Cecils bakery, J and I went to see the movie bridesmaids, the guys stayed home with the kids and BBQ
Saturday - Guys went golfing, J and I went to Cafe latte for lunch and dessert, walked around Grand Ave in the wind and rain, dinner Bar La Grassa with the Youngs.
Sunday - Guys went golfing again, Brunch at WA Frost with the girls, dessert before dinner we had ice cream at Grand Old Creamery, dinner at Green Mill with the kids.
Monday - brunch at Keys Cafe and dropped them to airport. :(

Here are a few pictures - i did not take as many as J did.