Chocolate Chip Cheese Ball

Contrary to my frequent declarations, I can cook. Well, let me amend that-- I can make a cheese ball.

It was such a surprise to win the August LNO dessert contest. This chocolate chip cheese ball was one treat amongst gooey brownies, tangy lemon meringue and citrus flavored treats, banana pudding, oh-so-creamy chocolate pie, fabulous pineapple upside down cake, a red pepper eggplant dip (Big, big yum!), and more!

INGREDIENTS:
1 (8 ounce) package cream
cheese, softened
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup confectioners' sugar2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup miniature semisweet
chocolate chips
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans


1. In a medium bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until smooth. Mix in confectioners' sugar, brown sugar, and vanilla. Stir in chocolate chips. Cover, and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

2. Shape chilled cream cheese mixture into a ball. Wrap with plastic, and chill in the refrigerator for 1 hour.

3. Roll the cheese ball in finely chopped pecans before serving.

Serve with your favorite graham cracker sticks (try honey, cinnamon, or chocolate).

Carrot Cake

While visiting my mother-in-law in Rhode Island we were making dinner plans and I wanted to make this carrot cake for her but of course I didn't have the recipe. I made a promise to post it here so that it would be available anytime I wanted!!! LOVE the convenience of this site!!

2 cups sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil
4 eggs
3 cups grated carrots (can buy pre-packaged to save time, but may not be as moist)
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 (3 oz.) package cream cheese
1/4 cup heavey whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease one 9- or 10-inch tube pan.
2. Combine the sugar, flour, salt, cinnamon, baking soda, and oil. With an electric mixer on medium, beat in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the carrots and walnuts. Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
3. Bake for 1 hour and 20 minutes.
4. With an electric mixer on high speed, blend the cream cheese and cream. Stir in the vanilla and confectioners' sugar. (Frosting can be spread on a warm cake.)
Yield: 12 servings

Source: All-Recipes.com Easy Everyday Favorites magazine
Calories 596; Total Fat 34.5 g; Cholesterol: 73 mg; Sodium 303 mg; Total Carbs 68.8 g; Dietary Fibers 19g; Protein 57g

Cumin-Dusted Chicken Breasts with Guacamole Sauce

This recipe came from my favorite source..Cooking Light magazine. I never get rid of these magazines, I love the recipes that much!! I must admit that before this recipe I had never eaten avacado...in anything! Thanks to Courtney I now know that "black stringies" aren't supposed to be in a ripe avacado! Thanks Courtney!!!

Sauce:
1/4 c. finely chopped green onions
1/4 c. finely chopped parsley
1/4 c. fat-free sour cream
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
1/8 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 ripe peeled avacado, seeded and coarsely mashed
Chicken:
2 Tablespoons brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
4 (6 oz) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
Cooking spray

1. To prepare sauce, combine first 8 ingredients; set aside.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3. To prepare chicken, combine sugar, 1 teaspoon cumin, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; sprinkle evenly over chicken. Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add chicken; cook 3 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken over. Place pan in oven; bake at 400 for 10 minutes or until done. Serve chicken with sauce. Yield: 4 servings (serving size : 1 breast half and about 3 tablespoons sauce).

CALORIES 301 (27% from fat); FAT 9 g(sat 1.5 g, mono 4.8g, poly 1.3 g); PROTEIN 41.6g; CARB 12.5g; FIBER 3.6 g; CHOL 101 mg, IRON 2.1 g; SODIUM 575 mg; CALC 76 mg

Greek Kabobs and Pine Nut-Orzo Salad

This recipe is from Rachael Ray. It is one of our favorites. Fabulous flavors...and easy. It can be made vegetarian by using portobello mushrooms as a substitute for meat.


Ingredients:
Salt
1/2 pound orzo
4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
4 sprigs fresh oregano, leaves stripped and finely chopped
6 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves stripped and finely chopped
1/4 cup green olive tapenade
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 lemons, juiced and 1 zested
1/3 plus 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 1/2 pounds firm white flesh fish, halibut or swordfish, cut into 12 (2-inch) chunks
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 12 (2-inch) chunks
Black pepper
Metal skewers
1/4 cup pine nuts, lightly toasted
1 small red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 cup feta cheese crumbles
8 Greek hot peppers, for garnish
1/4 cup kalamata olives, for garnish
2 tomatoes, diced, for garnish
1/2 cucumber, diced, for garnish

Instructions:
Preheat grill pan or outdoor grill to medium high.
Place a pot of water on the stove and bring to a boil for the pasta salad. When the water boils, salt it and cook the pasta to al dente.

While the pasta works, in a small bowl combine the garlic, oregano, rosemary, tapenade, red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon lemon zest and the juice of 1 lemon with about 1/3 cup EVOO. Place the fish and chicken in separate shallow dishes or bowls and season with salt and pepper then divide the dressing between the bowls and coat the fish and chicken evenly. Skewer the fish and chicken on metal skewers. Grill the chicken 10 to 12 minutes until firm and juices run clear, and the fish for about 6 to 8 minutes, turning the kabobs frequently.

Drain orzo and combine with pine nuts, onions, parsley, feta crumbles, the juice of 1 lemon, about 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Serve the orzo salad with 3 pieces each of chicken and fish along side. Garnish plates with a couple of hot peppers, olives, tomatoes and cucumbers on each plate.

What is Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)?

Foodie Funny

Garrison Keillor says July is the only time of year when country people lock our cars in the church parking lot, so people won’t put squash on the front seat.

Bring Back the Joy of Cooking Home-Made Meals: 10 Steps

Below are tips from Vegetarian Organic Life to help bring back the joy of cooking home-made meals, despite our busy lives.

"It’s time to get re-acquainted with our kitchens, with fresh ingredients and the joy of cooking meals made from scratch with loved ones. It's time to stop viewing meal preparation as only a means to satisfy the requirement of eating, but as part of the joy and pleasure we take in food, in nurturing our bodies and minds, and in each other's company around our dinner table.With practice, a few organizational skills and time-saving tips, eating home-cooked meals can be easier, cheaper, healthier and immeasurably more rewarding than conventional modern fare. Healthy food can be prepared from scratch very quickly. The secret is to develop an attainable strategy, and plan accordingly. Here are 10 steps to fast, easy and healthy homemade meals:

1. Plan weekly menus.
Keep it simple and think SLOW (foods that are Seasonal, Local, Organic and Whole). On your first weekly day off, early in the morning, look up recipes in cookbooks or online and use them to plan a menu for five or seven days for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The idea is to create several weekly menus to re-use in the future.

2. Eat more plant foods.
It’s quicker, easier, cheaper and healthier. Your eating plan should include plenty of leafy greens, colorful vegetables, fruit, beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, tempeh, tofu, seitan. If you must animal protein or animal products such as dairy and eggs, eat only free-range, grass fed meat raised without cruelty and free of hormones and antibiotics. Fish eaters, stick to wild fish and those lower in mercury. The more organic and local, the better.

3. Create a shopping list.
Built it according to the menu and recipes but be sure to check your pantry and refrigerator to see what you already have on hand. Take this opportunity to clean out your refrigerator and pantry and re-organize.

4. Create a master shopping list.
Over time, maintain a list of all items you ever buy using categories according to the store sections you shop at (i.e. vegetables, fruit, refrigerated, bulk foods, cleaning, frozen, baking, etc.) If you shop at more than one place or store, break down the list further per location or do a list for each store (i.e. Farmer’s market, Co-op, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, etc.). The list is a “living document” that you should add to and cut from regularly.

5. Go shopping early in the morning.
Beat the crowds. And the old rule of thumb still applies: Eat before you leave -- never shop hungry.

6. Buy only what is on your shopping list.
Stay away from packaged foods and always read labels carefully. Don’t forget to shop at Farmers’ Markets if you have access to one.

7. As soon as you return from shopping, put things away.
Place the menu on a visible area and plan what you’ll be cooking later that day or the next day. The objective is to prepare items that take a long time to make or are more involved in preparing such as soaking beans, cooking beans, brown rice, making sauces or dressings, etc.

8. Plan on leftovers.
Plan on making sufficient amounts of items that are popular with the family so you have leftovers for lunch the next day. They can be warmed up as a snack or used as ingredients to create a quick and easy second meal.

9. Centralize food information.
Keep the menus and shopping list visible in the kitchen for easy access and reference for everyone in the family to see.

10. Do it together!
Cooking and setting the table should be a team effort -- everyone at home helps. Play music, talk about the food you're preparing, and enjoy each other's company.

Planning ahead and getting organized is key to making these time-saving techniques worth while and pleasing. Eating homemade meals is nourishing to your body, your health, your soul and your loved ones. And you’ll reap the benefits by looking and feeling healthier, younger and more relaxed and energetic. Let’s celebrate family unity with wholesome home-cooked meals around the dinner table, bon appetite!"

Greek Cucumber Salad

Cucumbers are a fabulous treat during this awful heat! I got this recipe from Jordan over at Oh Happy Day.

Greek Salad

Ingredients:
Feta Cheese
1 Cucumber
2 Really good tomatoes
Can of Olives (black or kalamatas)
Onions
Oregano
Salt and pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Balsamic Vinegar
Loaf of really good crusty bread

Instructions:
Peel the cucumber so the skin isn't so tough to chew (I like to leave a little skin for the vitamins) and cut into bite size pieces. Then cut the tomatoes into bite size pieces. Add 3/4 can of olives and some cut-up onions then spoon feta for taste. Sprinkle with oregano and salt and pepper. Finally drizzle everything in olive oil and vinegar. I use three parts olive oil and one part vinegar. This recipe is really informal and I make it different every time. This is just a loose formula to follow. Remember to dip your bread in the oil/vinegar mixture at the bottom of your salad bowl!

Food for Thought: The Value of Flavor

"I don't know what rituals my kids will carry into adulthood, whether they'll grow up attached to homemade pizza on Friday nights, or the scent of peppers roasting over a fire, or what. I do know that flavors work their own ways under the skin, into the heart of longing. Where my kids are concerned I find myself hoping for the simplest things: that if someday they crave orchards where their kids can climb into the branches and steal apples, the world will have trees enough with arms to receive them. " Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver

Apple Tree with Red Fruit, c.1902 by Paul Ranson

Watermelon Juice

Beat the heat with a refreshing drink. Try watermelon juice! It's 93% water so it's the perfect drink this time of year. Simply blend in a blender or juice in a juicer. You can pour through a strainer to remove seeds. Add a few sprigs of mint, if you'd like. Chill for about an hour. You can also freeze to make popsicles. Ah, quite a treat on these hot summer days.