Berry Good

August already? Time sure flies. Next week I’ll be headed to Chicago for the Healthy Living Summit and cannot wait to meet all the other food blogger’s, and of course tour the Windy City, eat good food, and enjoy what’s left of my summer.

Thought I’d share some pictures of the last banquet we held at work. It was fun being in charge of dressing up the place a bit. I liked the idea of black and white decor—it’s always classy. And I got a little lesson on decorative napkin folding which was quite interesting.

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So I was looking back at blog posts, and realized I haven’t featured one single recipe containing my favorite summer berry—the blueberry! I know, I almost started panicking, and realized I haven’t even eaten many and their season is slowly coming to an end. So what does that mean? Well, just expect a few more blueberry recipes in the next coming weeks—definitely not a bad thing! Not only are they sweet, juicy, and delicious, they also provide a lot of health benefits. Check it out…

• Blue berries are an excellent source of Vitamin C—a serving contains 25% of your daily requirements.
• Blueberries are a good source of dietary fiber.
• Blueberries are an excellent source of manganese.
• Blueberries contain substances that have antioxidant properties—the highest capacity of any fresh fruit.
• Blueberries neutralize free radicals which can halt disease in an aging body.
• Blueberries can aid in reducing belly fat.
• Blueberries help promote urinary tract health.
• Blueberries have been proven to preserve vision.

So since blueberries are so healthy, I figured it’s ok to pair em’ with my favorite not-so healthy food, cheesecake. But wait..not totally unhealthy—one slice will cost you just 116 calories if you stick with my Fiber One pie crust =)

Blueberry Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 1 Fiber One pie crust (recipe here), or pre-made graham crust
• 1 pint fresh blueberries—rinsed well
• 8 oz fat-free cream cheese
• 2/3 c Splenda or other calorie-free sweetener
• 1/2 c water
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 egg
• 1/4 c eggbeaters
• 1 squeeze of lemon juice
• 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch + 2 Tbsp cold water

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 325 F
• Beat cream cheese, 1/3 c Splenda , and vanilla until fluffy. Add in egg and eggbeaters—add lemon juice.
• Bake 25-30 min or until top begins to crack.
• Meanwhile, combine blueberries, water, 1/3 c Splenda in small saucepot—bring to a boil. Reduce heat, simmer 5 minutes.
• Mix cornstarch and water together until no clumps remain. Add into blueberry mixture and stir until thick. Take off heat.
• Pour on top of cheesecake layer and chill for 4 hours or overnight.

Makes 6 servings

What’s your favorite way to eat blueberries?

Sweet Shop Sunday

This work week definitely caught up with me and I am so thankful for Sunday’s off! I need to catch up on housework, other things, etc. but instead I am going to go meet my parents for the afternoon—so everything else can wait. :-)

But what can’t wait is this..

• My first time making homemade granola bars—love them!
• And, a new video tutorial on how to make my beloved Fiber One Pie Crust..I get quite a few questions on it, so this video is well overdue.

With the pie crust you can make all of these recipes:

• Rhubarb Banana Cream Delight
• Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie
• Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake
• Springtime Strawberry Cheesecake
• Cookie Dough Truffles
• Black Forest Cheesecake
• Pumpkin Cheesecake with Cranberry Glaze
• Coconut Cream Pie
• Peanut Butter Cup Pie
• Whipped Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Pie

So sit back and enjoy the (short) show!

Video Notes

• 1 1/2 c Fiber One original cereal goes into a Magic Bullet or food processor.
• Once ground up, add in 1 Tbsp of Fat Free I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter Spread.
• Stir, then add in 1 cup of warm water and mix until there are no loose crumbs left.
• With a spatula, press into 9 inch pie pan and continue with desired pie recipe—you can pre-bake this as well, or just fill with pie filling and eat.

Now onto the granola bar recipe many of you are waiting for!

By the way, if you can make Rice Krispie bars, you can make these!

No-Bake Chewy Granola Bars

Ingredients:

4 tbsp. (1/2 stick) unsalted butter

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

2 cups plain granola

1 cup rice cereal (Rice Krispies, etc.)

1/4 cup semisweet chocolate chips

1/4 cup any other kind of chips (peanut butter, white chocolate, toffee, etc)

Directions:

1. Combine honey and butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Stir in brown sugar after butter starts to melt.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil, then lower the heat to medium-low and simmer until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Remove the saucepan from the heat.

3. Add the granola and rice cereal into the saucepan and fold them into the sauce until evenly coated.

4. Spread the mixture into a 9×13 inch ungreased baking pan and press firmly with a spatula to evenly fill. Sprinkle the chocolate and peanut butter chips onto the top of the granola and gently press them down.

5. Put the pan in the refrigerator until cooled and firm, about 15 minutes, then cut into bars.

18 servings

These are SO good and very open to customization. What flavor combos are you thinking of trying?!

Fresh From the Garden

Now that summer is here, the produce is always abundant in my kitchen! Two of my favorites would have to be good ol’ versatile zucchini and rhubarb from our backyard!

What’s your favorite summer produce find?

So starting in the spring, I try to compile a list of recipes to use a variety of summer fruit and vegetable findings. Not surprisingly, today’s are both sweet recipes.  But first..

Health Benefits of Rhubarb:

• Studies have shown that rhubarb has anti-cancer properties and might help in cutting down the risk of cancer.
• Fresh rhubarb stalk is a very good source of dietary fiber and is beneficial for those suffering from indigestion
• Eating a cold piece of rhubarb stalk can help counterbalance stomach acid and thus, restore health.
• Regular consumption of fresh rhubarb has been seen to have a positive effect on lowering of blood pressure.
• Researches have suggested that rhubarb can prove to be beneficial for those suffering from high cholesterol.
• Rhubarb has been found to have anti-oxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-allergy properties.

Health Benefits of Zucchini:

Zucchini helps to cure asthma as it contains Vitamin C, which is a powerful antioxidant, and has anti-inflammatory properties.

Zucchini helps to prevent diseases, like scurvy, bruising etc, caused by the deficiency of Vitamin C.

Eating zucchini also helps to support the arrangement of capillaries.

Regular intake of zucchini effectively lowers high homocysteine levels.

Zucchini also prevents the risk of having multiple sclerosis (MS).

Zucchinis have high water content (over 95%), so they make perfect food for people on diet.

Zucchini contains useful amounts of folate, potassium, and vitamin A, necessary for a human body.

Zucchini contains Vitamin C and lutein, both of which are good for eyes.

 

Rhubarb Banana Cream Delight

*You wouldn’t think banana and rhubarb would pair well together, but turns out they are a heavenly combo!*

Ingredients:

CRUST:

1 cup whole-wheat or honey graham cracker crumbs

2 to 3 tablespoons canola oil

2 tablespoons golden brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

FILLING:

• 1 (4 serving) package sugar-free vanilla cook-and-serve pudding mix
• 1 (4 serving) package sugar-free strawberry gelatin
• 1 3/4 c water
• 2 cups chopped fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1 c sliced banana
• 1 (4 serving) package instant banana cream pudding mix
• 2/3 c nonfat dry milk powder
• 1/2 c Cool Whip Free

 

Directions:

FOR CRUST

• PREHEAT oven to 350° F.
• COMBINE graham cracker crumbs, oil, sugar,and cinnamon in medium bowl; stir well. Press onto bottom and side of ungreased 8 x 8 glass baking dish.
• BAKE for 8 to 10 minutes; cool.

FOR FILLING

In a medium saucepan, combine dry cook-and-serve pudding mix, dry gelatin, and 3/4 c water. Add rhubarb. Mix well to combine. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and rhubarb becomes soft, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in banana.

Place saucepan on wire rack and allow to cool for 10 minutes.Spoon rhubarb mixture over crust. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

In a medium bowl, combine dry instant pudding mix and dry milk powder. Add remaining 1 cup water. Mix well using a wire whisk. Blend in Cool Whip free. Spread pudding mixture evenly over rhubarb mixture. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Cut into 8 servings.

Tropical Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

*The coconut extract and shredded coconut really takes these muffins to a tropical level, and who doesn’t like that?"*

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 c zucchini, finely shredded
• 1/2 c granulated sugar
• 1/3 c light brown sugar, packed
• 1/3 c unsweetened applesauce
• 2 1/2 Tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp coconut extract
• 1 c all-purpose flour
• 1/2 c whole wheat flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• dash of salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp cloves
• 1/4 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 c chopped pecans, or almonds
• 1/4 c mini chocolate chips
• 1/2 shredded coconut

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• In large bowl combine both flours, both sugars, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and cloves.
• In separate medium bowl, mix together zucchini, applesauce, oil, eggs, vanilla, coconut extract, and shredded coconut.
• Add wet ingredients into large bowl with dry ingredients. Stir until just combined.
• Fold in nuts and chocolate chips.
• Fill 12 muffin liners evenly. Bake 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Just in Time for Summer: Fabulous Fruit Pies

Thank you all for the well wishes will my new job—I am still on cloud 9. I made a trip to the library to get  a few books to do some culinary cramming. I know a lot, but there is SO much to learn in the culinary field, I’ve just scratched the surface. So in other words, I’ve gone from college textbooks to culinary books—I am definitely not complaining!

Also, I’ve been in the process of covering my pantry door with a variety of food magazine covers—I’m liking it!

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So, lately, a lot of blogger’s have been focusing on summer produce from the grocery stores or farmer’s market, so it’s about time I jump on the bandwagon! And what better way than with some sweets right? And even better when they are a little on the lighter side of course!

Cherry Ricotta Cheesecake

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Fiber One piecrust (recipe here), or one store-bought graham crust
• 4 oz fat-free cream cheese
• 1 c ricotta cheese
• 1/4 c + 2 Tbsp sugar, or Splenda
• 1/2 c eggbeaters, or egg whites
• 1 Tbsp flour
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1/4 tsp salt
• For serving—cherry pie filling (recipe below), and Cool Whip, if desired

Homemade cherry pie filling:

2/3 cup sugar

1/4 cup cornstarch

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 cups fresh tart cherries, pitted

1-1/2 cups water

2 tablespoons lemon juice

6 drops red food coloring, optional

1. In a large saucepan, combine the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the cherries, water and lemon juice. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened. Remove from the heat; stir in food coloring if desired. Yield: 4 cups.

Directions:

• Preheat oven to 350 F. Lightly spray pie pan with nonstick cooking spray.
• Prepare Fiber One or store-bought piecrust.
• Add medium speed, beat cream cheese until fluffy, 1-2 min. Add ricotta and sugar, beat until smooth and creamy, 3 minutes. Beat in egg whites, flour, vanilla, and almond extract.
• Pour batter into pan; bake 1 hour 15 minutes, until center slightly jiggles. Turn oven off; let cheesecake cool in over for 1 hour.
• Chill at least 4 hours.
• If desired, spread about 3 Tbsp cherry pie filling onto individual slices and top with a dollop of Cool Whip.

 

Creamy Strawberry Rhubarb Pie 

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

• Fiber One piecrust (recipe here) OR store-bought graham piecrust 
  RHUBARB LAYER:
• 2 cups sliced fresh or frozen rhubarb
• 1/4 cup sugar, I used Splenda
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
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  CHEESECAKE LAYER:
• 1 packages (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened—I used fat-free
• 1/4 cup sugar, or Splenda
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 c + 2 Tbsp egg beaters or egg whites
  TOPPING:
• 3/4 c fat-free or regular sour cream
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar, or Splenda 
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 2 tsp strawberry Jell-O powder

Directions:

Prepare Fiber One crust.

Preheat oven to 350°. Combine rhubarb, sugar and flour; spoon over the crust. Bake for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, beat the cream cheese, sugar and vanilla until smooth. Add egg whites, beat on low speed just until combined.

• Pour over hot rhubarb layer. Bake for 30-35 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the sour cream, Jell-O powder, sugar and vanilla; spread over hot cheesecake. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour.

Refrigerate overnight. Refrigerate leftovers.

Spring Sweets & Sips

Do your eats tend to change seasonally?

Mine usually do—fall and winter are filled with comfort foods, hearty casseroles, baked goods that fill the house with a spiced aroma and an array of winter produce. Spring and summer are a variety of grilled fare, lighter and colorful mixed salads, and a rainbow of produce ranging from yellow summer squash to deep purple eggplants.

But one taste palate that never seems to change throughout the year is my sweet tooth—yes, it changes from fruit-studded tarts and back again to rich carrot cakes, however, it never seems to disappear throughout the 12 months of the year. I like to try a different  dessert once a week to switch things up, and every so often, I’ll make a recipe that deserves to be made once, twice, or in this case, three times within a three week period! I almost considered dedicating one whole post to this first strawberry-studded sweet treat, but figured if a little persuading and a few pictures couldn’t convince you, then a whole post certainly wouldn’t. So instead, I’ll give it the honor of being featured first, and then followed by a few other sweets I’ve been enjoying this spring.

Enjoy!

Springtime Strawberry Cheesecake Yogurt Pie

Serves:6

Ingredients:

• 1 Fiber One pie crust (recipe here) or a store-bought piecrust
• 2 c thinly sliced strawberries
• 2 Tbsp strawberry jam—I used sugar free
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1-8 oz package of fat free cream cheese
• 1 (6 oz) container of strawberry cheesecake yogurt(from Target), pictured below
• 2 Tbsp sugar—I used Splenda
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 1/4 tsp almond extract
• 1 c frozen (thawed) fat-free whipped topping

Directions:

• Add sliced strawberries, 1 tsp sugar, strawberry jam, and 1 Tbsp water together in a small saucepan. Bring to a rolling boil and then lower to a simmer until thickened, about 10-12 min. Remove from burner—let cool completely.

• In large bowl, beat cream cheese with electric mixer on high speed 30 to 60 seconds or until fluffy. Beat in sugar until blended. Add yogurt, vanilla and almond extract; beat on low speed 30 to 60 seconds until well blended and smooth. Fold in whipped topping just until blended. Spoon into crust; spread gently to edge.

• Refrigerate at least 4 hours or until chilled.

• Top pie with strawberry sauce. Store pie in refrigerator.

By far one of the best pies that I’ve ever tried/made..and if you make it with my Fiber One crust, it’s clocks in at just about 150 calories per huge slice!!

Cinnabon Clone with a Twist

Ingredients:

• 1 cup warm milk (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 1/3 cup margarine, melted
• 4 1/2 cups bread flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup white sugar
• 2 1/2 teaspoons bread machine yeast
• 1 c apple pie filling—I used sugar free
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 1/2 tablespoons ground cinnamon
• 1/3 cup butter, softened
• 1 (3 ounce) package cream cheese, softened—I used fat-free
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Directions:

Place ingredients in the pan of the bread machine in the order recommended by the manufacturer. Select dough cycle; press Start.

After the dough has doubled in size turn it out onto a lightly floured surface, cover and let rest for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, combine brown sugar and cinnamon.

Roll dough into a 16x21 inch rectangle. Spread dough with 1/3 cup butter and sprinkle evenly with sugar/cinnamon mixture. Spread the apple pie filling evenly across dough, leaving enough of an edge so it doesn’t squeeze out.

Roll up dough and cut into 12 rolls. Place rolls in a lightly greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Cover and let rise until nearly doubled, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).

Bake rolls in preheated oven until golden brown, about 15 minutes.

While rolls are baking, beat together cream cheese, 1/4 cup butter, confectioners' sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Spread frosting on warm rolls before serving.

The addition of the apple pie filling really adds a lot to these Cinnabon clones and takes them from delicious to out-of-this-world.

Chocoholic’s Scotcheroos

Ingredients:

• 1 c light corn syrup—I used Lite, see below

• 1 c sugar
• 1 c dark chocolate dreams peanut butter (from PB & Co.)

• 3 c Rice Krispies cereal
• 3 c Envirokids Leapin’ Lemurs PB and Chocolate cereal

• 1 c semi-sweet chocolate morsels
• 1 c butterscotch chips
• 1/4 c Reese's Pieces for garnish, if desired

Directions:

• Place corn syrup and sugar into 3-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until sugar dissolves and mixture begins to boil. Remove from heat. Stir in peanut butter. Mix well. Add cereals. Stir until well coated. Press mixture into 13 x 9 x 2-inch pan coated with cooking spray. Set aside.
• Melt chocolate and butterscotch chips together in 1-quart saucepan over low heat, stirring constantly. Spread evenly over cereal mixture. Sprinkle with Reese's Pieces if desired. Let stand until firm. Cut into 2 x 1-inch bars when cool.

I loved coming up with this recipe—using the dark chocolate PB and the PB and chocolate cereal really separates these from the original Scotcheroos, and makes them more gourmet.

And now onto my latest favorite springtime sip…

A few weeks ago I decided to drop an insane $4 on a Starbuck’s Lite Vanilla Frap—big mistake. It was so good, and I could see that a possible bad habit could be formed. Instead, I figured out how to make an almost identical version for only a few cents! Here’s my mock Starbucks Lite Vanilla Frap tutorial:

1. Fill a blender or a Magic Bullet with 1/2 c ice.

2. Pour in 1 cup of cold coffee—I keep a pitcher in the fridge.

3. Add in about 2 Tbsp of milk—I use unsweetened vanilla Almond Breeze—I recommend a vanilla flavored milk.

4. Add in sugar free vanilla syrup, about 1 Tbsp. I use Sugar Free Vanilla Torani Syrup—found at Wal-Mart.

5. Blend by pulsing about 5 times.

6. Stick in a straw if desired, and slurp!

What’s the Difference?

Finally the weekend—it seems as if the week leading up to the weekend just drags by, and then the weekend itself is gone in a blink of an eye! Can anyone relate? Today my parents are coming down for the day and we’re going to have a nice dinner together and just catch up a bit! So I decided to make the dessert ahead of time (yesterday) just in case it didn’t turn out. I have never made a Black Forest Cheesecake before, but I am a fan of anything with cherries and/or cream cheese so that sealed the deal!

But first, while I was in Wal-Mart the other day getting groceries for the weekend and such, I was rifling through the cream cheeses to find the lowest priced one when it hit me as to how many different types of cream cheese there was; regular, low-fat, fat-free, and Neufchatel. Of course I knew there was various types, just like most things, but I wanted to find out the difference in how they perform in certain recipes. As I was researching, I found some other interesting differences in foods that I thought you would like—enjoy!

What’s the Difference

Cream Cheese

• Neufchatel- Real Neufchatel cream cheese hails from the town of Neufchatel France in the Normandy region.  It is a soft, unripened, somewhat salty, yet mild cheese with a fat content of 20 to 45 percent. In America, Neufchatel cream cheese has a fat content of 23 percent.
• Low-Fat- Emulsifiers—which help ingredients stick together—and thickeners account for most of the rest of the extra ingredients needed to stabilize the cream cheese. Not a huge taste difference from the full fat version.
• Fat-Free- Fat-free cream cheese is a good choice for some recipes but doesn't work everywhere. It is made with skim milk and the texture is not as creamy as regular cream cheese or the low-fat versions. The best use for fat-free cream cheese is to use it in a chilled dip, dressing or dessert or where it is blended into other ingredients. It can work well in baked goods also

Brown Sugar

• Brown sugar is simply regular white sugar combined with molasses.  To make sugar, the juice from the sugar cane is boiled and the sugar crystals are then extracted.  The remaining syrup is molasses.  Dark brown sugar has a higher concentration of molasses and hence, a stronger flavor than the light brown.

Corn Syrup

• Corn syrup is made by processing cornstarch with acids and/or enzymes.  Cornstarch is the starch harvested from the endosperm of corn kernels.  Light corn syrup has been refined to increase its clarity and remove any color.  Dark corn syrup has had caramel coloring added and has a stronger flavor.

Cocoa Powders

• Cocoa beans are fermented and roasted and then ground to remove most of the cocoa butter, (the natural vegetable fat in the cocoa bean).  What remains is a paste called chocolate liquor.  This is dried again and ground to produce cocoa powder.  Dutch cocoa powder has been treated with an alkali which neutralizes the powder’s natural acidity.  Depending on the recipe, you cannot substitute regular cocoa powder for Dutch cocoa powder or vice versa.  The leavening effect of many baked goods requires a delicate balance of acid and alkaline ingredients.  Regular cocoa powder is acidic while the Dutch variety is neutral.

Coffee and Espresso

• The term espresso refers to the method of making the coffee, not the beans or how they are roasted.  Nevertheless, espresso normally employs beans that are roasted more than regular coffee beans and then finely ground.  The espresso part of the equation is injecting very hot, pressurized water through the grind to produce a dark, rich cup of coffee in a fraction of the time of regular coffee.  A cup of espresso has about the same amount of caffeine as a regular cup of coffee BUT a “cup” of espresso is approximately 2 oz. as compared to a 6 oz. cup of regular coffee.  Thus, ounce for ounce, espresso has notably more caffeine. 

Black Pepper

• Ground pepper, like any ground spice will lose its flavor rapidly.  Within no time it will have little taste although it might retain its kick.  It is absolutely worth buying fresh peppercorns and grinding them as needed on your dishes.  You will add greater dimensions of flavor as well as a bite to your food. 

Black Forest Cheesecake

6-8 servings

Ingredients:

1 package (8 ounces) low fat cream cheese, softened

1/3 cup sugar (I used Splenda)

1 cup (8 ounces) fat free sour cream

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1 carton (8 ounces) fat free frozen whipped topping, thawed

1 chocolate fiber crust (recipe below) OR 1 chocolate crumb crust (8 inches)

1/4 cup baking cocoa

1 tablespoon confectioners' sugar

1 can (21 ounces) sugar-free cherry pie filling

Directions:

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Beat in sour cream and vanilla. Fold in whipped topping.

Spread half of the mixture evenly into crust. Fold cocoa and confectioners' sugar into remaining whipped topping mixture; carefully spread over cream cheese layer. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Cut into slices; top each slice with cherry pie filling. Refrigerate leftovers. 

Chocolate Fiber Crust

Ingredients:

• 1 c Fiber One cereal
• 1 bag Chocolate Fudge Hybrid Cookies(pictured below)
• 1/4 c I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter
• 1 Tbsp vanilla extract
• water as needed

Directions:

• Pulse cereal and cookies in a food processor. Add butter, vanilla, and water until completely moistened.
• Press into 9-inch pie plate and bake on 350 F for 10 minutes.

Info adapted from here.

It’s an Elf, It’s a Reindeer…It’s a Pie!

Glad you all liked yesterday’s gift ideas—all that is on my Santa list this year is a net book (for traveling/blogging purposes) and a new set of nice nonstick pans! What’s on your list this year?

With talk of all things gifts the other day, what do you do with all your leftover gift wrap? Here’s some fun ideas to get more use out of it rather than tossing it into the trash.

• Save gift wrap with holiday things, then cut them in strips to make homemade napkin rings for next holiday season.
• Send it through your paper shredder if you have one, and use it as packaging material all year long.
• Make holiday bookmarks to send in Christmas cards next year.
• Cut wrap into triangles, stick to some seam binding, and hang them at your New Year’s bash!

It seems as if cookies steal the sweets show during the holidays, so today I decided to give my newest pies spotlight. Both are made with my favorite Fiber One Pie Crust, but you can use a store bought as well.

Peanut Butter Cup Pie

(Incorporated ideas from Linda)

Serves:8

Ingredients:

• 1 batch Fiber One crust, or 1 store-bought
• 1 pkg (8 oz) fat-free block cream cheese
• 1/2 C PB2 peanut butter, prepared as instructed—if you do not have this, you can use 1/2 C standard PB, but nutritionals will be much higher.
• 1 pkg (3.4) cheesecake pudding mix
• 1 c milk, I used Almond Breeze
• 2 C thawed Cool Whip topping
• 1/2 Baker’s Semi-sweet chocolate bar (.5oz)
• 3 Tbsp  unsweetened cocoa powder
• 3 Tbsp Splenda, or your preferred sugar

Directions:

• Follow pie crust instructions here, and once it is done, let cool.

• Beat cream cheese and 1/2 cup prepared PB2 in medium bowl until well blended. Add milk and dry pudding mix; beat 2 min. Whisk in 1 cup cool whip; spoon into crust.

• Microwave remaining cool whip, chocolate bar, splenda, and cocoa powder in microwaveable bowl on high 1-1/2 to 2 min. or until chocolate is completely melted and mixture is well blended, stirring after each minute. Cool completely.

• Spread chocolate mixture over pudding layer in crust. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.

  Christmas Coconut Cream Pie

Serves: 8

Ingredients:

• One batch Fiber One Crust, or one store-bought crust
• 1 egg yolk
• 3 egg whites

• 1/4  cup sugar, I used Splenda

• 1/4  cup cornstarch

• 1-1/2  cups fat-free milk, I used Almond Breeze

• 1 12-ounce can evaporated fat-free milk

• 3 tablespoons flaked coconut

• 1  teaspoon coconut extract

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

• 1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

• 1/3 cup sugar, again I used Splenda

• 2 tablespoons flaked coconut

• Red or green food coloring, if desired

Directions:

• Separate egg yolks from whites; place egg yolk in a medium bowl and egg whites in another medium bowl. Let egg whites stand at room temperature for 30 minutes for meringue. Meanwhile, prepare crust.
• For filling, in a heavy, medium saucepan, stir together the 1/4 cup sugar and the cornstarch. Gradually stir in milk and evaporated milk. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Beat egg yolk with a fork. Gradually stir about 1 cup of the hot mixture into the egg yolk. Return all of the egg yolk mixture to saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook and stir for 2 minutes more. Remove from heat. Stir in the 3 tablespoons coconut and the coconut extract. Keep warm while preparing the meringue.
• For meringue, add vanilla and cream of tartar to egg whites in bowl. Beat with an electric mixer on medium speed about 30 seconds or until soft peaks form (tips curl). Gradually add the 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating on high speed about 2 minutes more or until mixture forms stiff glossy peaks (tips stand straight).
• Pour hot filling into crust. Immediately spread meringue over filling, carefully sealing to edge of crust to prevent shrinkage. If you want to color your coconut, add a few drops of food coloring and stir with a fork. Sprinkle with the 2 tablespoons coconut. Bake in the 350 degrees F oven for 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for 1 hour. Chill for at least 3 hours or up to 6 hours before serving.

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In today’s contest news, head here to enter this fabulous and fancy contest—just please make sure to mention me as the one who referred you—thanks!

Cloudy with a Chance of..Lara Bars and Pie

I knew it! Mother Nature wouldn’t be too nice for long—it’s cloudy, rainy, and gloom. But instead of letting it ruin my mood, I  just use it as an excuse to go stroll the mall and, oh yeah..write a persuasive essay.

And another reason I cannot be blue—I received my prize package from winning Shannon’s recipe contest for a great cause! I entered my Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Cinnamon Cream Filling—told you it was a winner! ;-)

Shannon you are such a sweetheart!! See sent me the cutest card and A LOT of goodies!

She knew my kitchen is cupcake themed, so this goes fabulous on my fridge!

But it doesn’t end there. She sent 2 Blueberry Vanilla and 2 Choco PB Honest food bars, coupon for a free Promax bar, and 2 Newman’s Own dog food coupons, since the contest was paired with the Humane Society. My dog will be one happy camper!

And I know you will all be green with envy, but check out all these mini Lara bars!!

And no I am not eating all of them just like they are, I have a little recipe idea brewing..so stay tuned for that!

Now obviously I’ve been flooded with a rainstorm of Lara bars, but that’s not the only treat that’s fallen into my hands. I came up with a brand new pie recipe that was quite the rival to the Lara’s! For some reason I have been craving slices of pie..maybe I just don’t have the patience to wait for Thanksgiving?? So, here’s a knew one that quieted the pie pestering for awhile, but I am already in the kitchen planning a new one for the week =)

Whipped Pumpkin Spice Cheesecake Pie

Ingredients:

• 2 c Fiber One Cereal
• 1/4 c whipped butter spread
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 Tbsp Splenda, or other granulated sweetener
• 1 c canned pumpkin
• 2 egg whites
• 1/2 c FF evaporated milk
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 packet cheesecake mousse filling & needed prep ingredients, see below
• 4 Pumpkin Spice Hershey’s kisses, or if you can’t find them anymore, you can omit.

Here’s the cheesecake mousse I used. It’s SF and used 1 cup of Almond Breeze milk to prepare.

 Directions:

• Preheat oven to 375 F. Pulse Fiber One, butter, vanilla, and Splenda in food processor till fine crumbs are formed. Press into the bottom of a sprayed pie pan. Bake for 8 minutes.
• Meanwhile beat pumpkin, egg whites, vanilla, cinnamon, and evaporated milk with a hand mixer until thoroughly blended. Pour on top of crust and bake for 20 min, or until the pumpkin filling is shiny and set.
• Let cool for about 25 minutes, meanwhile following cheesecake mousse instructions. With mousse, plan on beating it with a hand mixer for at least 5 minutes to get it fluffier.
• Pour cheesecake layer over pumpkin.
• Take your Hershey Kisses and curl them with a vegetable peeler to get fine curls and sprinkle evenly across the top.

--This was great! I loved the chewy pumpkin filling contrast with the fluffy cheesecake top. Definitely a pie that is on the lighter side, yet still full of flavor that makes for a satisfying fall dessert!--

*If I haven’t over-sweetened you with this post, head on over to this sweet giveaway!*

Oh Me, Oh My, a Healthy Pie?

So I just heard on the weather that snow is predicted for Saturday! Snow? Already?! Where did fall go? Oh that’s right, this is Minnesota and it’s so ridiculous unpredictable. Humph! At least I have this delectable dessert in my fridge to boost my spirits.

When it comes to pies, I actually would rather have a bowl of ice cream or a cinnamon roll. I have never been a fan of pumpkin pies, apple pies, or any other. However, there is one pie that I could eat 10 times over! It’s been a favorite since childhood..

Banana Cream Pie!

I used to get it all the time at one of our local restaurants that is known for their array of pies. The crust, the fluffy banana cream filling, and that inch thick layer of silky whipped cream is a one-of-a-kind taste sensation. Although I knew I could probably not get too close to the original taste of that pie, I wanted to give it a shot just for the heck of it. And of course, now I wanted to try to “healthify” it a bit.

First..What makes a pie unhealthy in the first place?

• A typical pie has a crust made up of white flour, full-fat butter, and sugar.
• Many people do not eat a pie by itself—they will add unhealthy toppings such as ice cream, whipped cream(not Cool Whip), or different sugar laden sauces.
• Fillings can contain cups of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, saturated/trans fats, high in cholesterol and astounding sodium levels.

However, I am about everything in moderation—so go ahead and have a slice of your favorite pie, or if it’s a bit healthier like mine, have 2 slices =)

My Too-Good-To-Deny Banana Cream Pie

How is this healthier than a standard Banana Cream Pie you ask?

• Starts with a Fiber One/Banana Cheerios crust combined with a little banana puree and I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter FF Spread.
• Next comes a layer of potassium-filled bananas.
• The bananas are followed by a rich and thick SF pudding/yogurt filling paired with creamy Almond Breeze milk.
• Any finally, some bananas top it off to garnish and a layer of Cool Whip just for fun! =)

 

Serves 8

Ingredients

• 1 cup Fiber One cereal
• 1 cup banana flavored Cheerios, or just plain if you don’t have them.
• 1 Tbsp mashed banana
• 4 Tbsp ICBINB FF Spread
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 large banana, plus more for garnish if desired
• 2 c. milk, I used Almond Breeze, any will do.
• 1-8 oz container of Banana Cream Pie yogurt(from Wal-Mart’s Great Value brand)
• 1-6 oz box of SF vanilla pudding and pie filling mix
• 1/2 c Cool Whip, thawed

Directions

• Preheat oven to 350 F.
• Pulse cereals, 1 Tbsp mashed banana, cinnamon, and butter spread in food processor until a fine crumb consistency is formed.
• Spray pie plate generously with cooking spray and pour in crumbs, forming a pie crust along the bottom and half way up the edges.

• Bake pie crust for 10 min.
• Meanwhile, cut up the large banana into thin slices. Once pie crust comes out of the oven, let cool briefly, then layer slices evenly around crust.

• Mix milk, yogurt, and pudding/pie filling mix with mixer on medium speed for 1-2 min.
• Pour over pie and refrigerate for 2 hours.

• Spread on whipped cream and top with additional slices if desired.

 

YUM!!