Pumpkin Truffles to "fall" for!

In preparation for a pumpkin party tomorrow night, I had to come up with something seasonal and something very much of a treat - Pumpkin Truffles!  These little treasures provide spice, creaminess, and smooth chocolate all at once.  You will fall for them after one bite!

They are so simple, yet involve a bit of labor and 'chill time', so I did them in steps, over the course of two nights.

Here's all that you need:
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
1/2 confectioners sugar
1 cup cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups graham cracker crumbs
Melting chocolate to dip

First step:
Beat first four ingredients until well blended.  Chill until firmed up.  Roll into 1" balls using hands.  Set on wax paper and chill (I let mine sit over night like this).

Step two:
Dip balls, one at a time into the melted chocolate to coat completely, place on wax paper to dry.  Tip: use toothpicks to handle the balls - it works better than forks or anything else that I've tried to dip.  Let dry completely.

Pop one in your mouth and enjoy!  Or, if you are like me, I have to break everything in half.  That way, I can drag it out and enjoy it twice as long!

White Chocolate Blondies

Emotional eaters, you might want to steer clear of this recipe!  This recipe not quite typical of what I post on this blog, however, it is quite typical of the baking that I do.  I decided to post this brownie recipe, because - well, aside of my own love of brownies - it's surprising easy.  Have at it and then make sure that you have a friend, or several, to help keep the portion control in check!  Sharing is good!

1 stick butter
8 oz. white chocolate chips (divided, 4 oz. each)
2 eggs
pinch of salt
1/2 Cup sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup flour
8 oz. chocolate chips (I used 4 oz. of Guittard chips which are noticeably larger and then 4 oz. regular size chocolate chips).

Spray 8 inch pan and line with tin foil; then spray again over the foil.  Set aside.

Melt 1 stick butter over low heart.  Remove from heat and add 4 oz. white chocolate chips.  DON'T STIR.  Set aside.

Beat eggs and pinch of salt until frothy; gradually add sugar until pale yellow.  Add butter and white chocolate mixture, salt, vanilla, and flour.  Beat until well blended.  Stir in remaining white chocolate chips and 8 oz. chocolate chips.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.

Enjoy!

ps.. Guittard is my favorite brand for chocolate chips or any kind of coco powder to be used in baking.  Check them out at http://www.guittard.com.

Open-face Strawberry Cream Cheese Finger Sandwiches

Here's a delightful little recipe that I recently made for a dear friend's bridal shower.  Besides a bridal shower menu, this fruity open-faced sandwich also makes for a great breakfast, brunch or even late light snack!  Enjoy!  This one is literally easy as one-two-three!

Ingredients:
cinnamon raisin bread bread (I used Sun-Maid brand which is really moist)
honey nut flavored cream cheese spread
fresh strawberries, sliced thinly

Cut bread in half diagonally.
Spread desired amount of cream cheese on each triangle.
Top of sliced strawberries so that they are overlapping slightly.

Enjoy!

The most unexpectedly pretty salad! 

This is a variation of an Italian Tri-colore salad, 

shall I call it, the 

New Italian salad

Just look at this beauty!  If you are like me, you love to admire your food before diving into it.  Let me tell you how this one came to be, since I didn't plan it!  I was actually planning the salad below, and then created this a couple of days later while combining some leftover ingredients.  So, you get two recipes in this single post (aren't you lucky).  Try them both and let me know which you like better.

Inspiration

Between my recent trip to Italy and the freshness of summer fruits that are abounding as we move closer to summer, I was inspired to bring the two together.  The tri-colore salad, traditionally made with arugula, radicchio, and endive, is so named for having the colors of the Italian flag. It's a dazzling presentation and has a complex palette of veggies.  To make it summer friendly and cool down the bitterness of the veggies, yet keep the color scheme (I'm am all about looks!), I swapped out the radicchio for a plum, as they are close in color.  The juiciness and sweetness of the plum delightfully balances out the bitterness and sharpness of the veggies.  Muah!  I topped it lightly with a swirl of all natural, fat free poppy seed dressing.  Try it and taste it for yourself! 





 Tri-colore Salad with Plum
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
baby arugula
one endive, sliced and separated
one small plum, wedged then cut in half
Sprinkle fresh or dried Italian herbs over top (I used a premade blend by Pampered Chef)
poppy seed dressing (I like Maple Grove Farms of Vermont dressing, it's relatively low cal and low sodium)

Arrange desired amount of arugula on single serving size plates.  Sprinkle sliced endive evenly over each.  Arrange sliced plum in circular pattern.  Drizzle with desired amount of dressing.  It's that easy and it's super healthy too. Hint, hint to my fitness competition followers, you can eat this while training.  Just add 6-8 almonds to each for some protein if desired.

Then, a couple of days later, I combined some of the same ingredients with some fresh news ones from the Parker Farmers Market (mainly, the cute little grape tomatoes)

New Italian Salad
Ingredients (makes 2 servings)
baby arugula
shredded iceberg lettuce
shredded radicchio
grape tomatoes, halved
one endive, sliced and separated
Sprinkle fresh or dried Italian herbs over top (I used a premade blend by Pampered Chef)
poppy seed dressing (I like Maple Grove Farms of Vermont dressing, it's relatively low cal and low sodium)

Enjoy!  Please do let me know which you like better. I'd love to hear from you!

A Healthy Cole Slaw

It is possible!  Based on healthier recipes that I've seen and some fresh ingredients spotted in the health food store salad bar, I came up with this creation.  The poppy seeds really 'dress it up' for a pretty salad!  This can stand up to any BBQ item as a side to balance out the meal.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shredded white cabbage
1/2 cup shredded red cabbage
1/4 cup shredded carrots
2 tablespoons raisins
1/4 cup organic fat free poppy seed salad dressing (I used Maple Grove Farms of Vermont brand)
1/4 cup low fat sour cream (regular may be used)
1 - 2 tablespoons sugar
2 tablespoons soy nuts (of other nut of choice

Combine all ingredients except for the nuts until evenly combined.  May add more salad dressing and/or sour cream for desired consistency.  Note: the mixture will dampen a bit as it sits, so put a bit less than desired at first.  It's always easier to add more later!

Note, the slaw will tend to turn a pinkish/purple from the red cabbage after it's sat fora a couple of hours and is stirred.  This give is a German aspect and tastes completely the same.  If you prefer not to have the pinkish hue and a more crisp white, use less red cabbage and make up for the amount with white cabbage.

Cheese Stuffed Dates wrapped in Bacon

Since friends and family have been asking for this recipe for Thanksgiving, here it is!  Gee, wish that I was going to their homes for the holiday!  I am a bit partial to this recipe.  I was first inspired by a stuffed-date recipe that I had at a tapas style restaurant here in Denver.  It's incredibly easy, only four ingredients, yet highly impressive.

The finished product.   Oh, if only smells could be had here!

Cheese Stuffed Dates wrapped in Bacon

Yields: 36 wrapped dates

36 medjool dates

8oz blue cheese (or other cheese depending on taste.  Goat cheese also works well)

1 package maple bacon* (will need 12 strips, save leftovers for other use)

Honey, for drizzling

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil spray.  Pit the dates by slicing lengthwise just enough to remove the pit.  Discard pits.

Gently squeeze date to open where sliced and stuff with about a teaspoon of cheese.  Press gently with fingers to close. 

Cut each uncooked bacon strip into three sections. Wrap, slightly stretching and overlapping the ends, each bacon strip around each date.  Place in glass baking dish seam side down.

Drizzle with desired amount of honey (a single drizzled line is my preference). Place in oven and bake for 35- 40 minutes or until bacon is cooked.  Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before serving as they are uncomfortably hot to eat immediately, but they will smell oh-so-temptingly good.  Enjoy!

*Maple flavored bacon is key for bringing a sweet flavor to this dish.  The texture also works very well for wrapping and cooking in this wrapped shape  

Stuffing the slightly sliced and pitted dates with blue cheese

Dates are wrapped in bacon and ready for the oven

These hot little numbers are ready to come out of the oven

The finished product.  Mmm, savory and sweet at the same time.

Gorgonzola stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and drizzled with honey

Here's one of my 'go-to' recipes when I know that I need a sure hit!  These 'Gorgonzola stuffed dates wrapped in bacon and drizzled with honey' may have quite a long name, but that pretty much sums up the ingredients and the steps.  I made these yesterday for a glorified cookout and ended up winning a prize for them!

24 fresh medjool dates (pitted and slit open)
Gorgonzola cheese, 2 ounces is more than enough for a batch this size
maple flavored bacon, cut each strip into thirds

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Spray baking sheet with Pam olive oil.

Slice open each date just enough to remove the pit.  With a knife, stuff each date with just enough cheese to fill it and then gently press to close using your fingers.  Wrap each stuffed date in a piece of cut bacon, with the seam side of the bacon on the bottom and the sliced opening of the date facing up.  Place onto baking sheet.  Once all are prepped and on baking sheet, drizzle honey over each one.

Bake for about 40 minutes or until bacon is crisp.  Let cool 10 - 15 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Healthy Onion Rings

Here's a favorite recipe of mine that will satisfy any onion lover, yes, onion lover.  This is a healthy version of onion rings.  There's NO oil and NO frying.  NO kidding.

One large yellow onion, cut into wide rounds
1/2 cup egg beaters
2 cups Italian seasoned bread crumbs

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Slice the onion into think rounds and separate into circles.  Spray large glass baking dish with Pam spray.  

Pour egg beaters into wide dish.  Pour breadcrumbs into a separate wide dish.  Set up an 'assembly line' in following order: separated onion rings, next is egg beaters, next is breadcrumbs, and finally, is the glass baking dish.  Dip each onion ring into the egg beaters first and then into the breadcrumbs; make sure that each is fully coated.  Place in glass baking dish.

When all have been dipped and coated and are placed in baking dish in even layer, place in oven and bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and serve warm.  Ketchup makes a nice compliment!  Enjoy with no guilt!

Homemade Donut-muffins

It's been entirely too long since my last blog (and a lot of chicken breast and cucumbers while training for a fitness competition), but I'm back.  And, I've been asked to bake for a bake sale at work tomorrow.  Since coworkers are bringing donuts in, I thought that I'd stay 'in theme' and created these Donut-muffins.  Pretty simple.  I hope that you like them and that they sell like 'hot-cakes' tomorrow.  Have fun making your own favorite flavors for the icing!

From top, clockwise: Cherry glazed, maple glazed, white chocolate and milk chocolate glazed.

Donut-muffins

Muffins:
3 cups graham cracker crumbs
2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup sugar
4 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups milk
1 egg
1/4 cup honey

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Mix cracker crumbs, sugar and baking powder in large bowl. With electric mixer, blend in milk, egg and honey until well combined.

Spoon batter into mini muffin cups, filling almost completely (this will yield tall and rounded tops).

Bake 15 to 18 minutes or until inserted toothpick comes out clean.  Let stand five minutes, remove from pan and allow to cool completely before icing.

Makes 5 and a half dozen mini muffins

Icing:
1 and 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 of cherry liquid (or other desired flavor.  For maple, I used 1/4 cup sugar free maple syrup.  For milk chocolate, I melted 1 cup Hershey's milk chocolate chips.  For the vanilla, I melted 4 ounces vanilla almond bark.  You may need to add more/less for desired consistency).

Blend powdered sugar and desired flavoring until desired consistency is attained.  For easy icing, dip and twirl each mini donut-muffin into icing and then set upright on wax paper until dry.  Serve when completely dried.

Here I've sampled the maple glazed....mmm!

Easy No-bake Puffed Wheat Bars

Want a healthy snack that isn't going to ruin your hard workout efforts?  Me too, so I came up with this semi-healthy puffed wheat bar recipe.  The flax seed adds a slightly nutty flavor, 4g of dietary fiber and essential fatty acids.

4 cups puffed wheat (or puffed rice or combo) cereal

2 tablespoons flaxseed

½ cup brown sugar

½ cup sugar-free maple syrup and honey (any combination to total the ½ cup, I do about half and half)

½ cup honey-peanut butter (or nut butter of choice)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 squares almond bark, melted

Lightly grease 9x9 inch pan. 

In large bowl, stir together the cereal and flax seed. 

In medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, syrup, and honey.  Bring to just a boil over medium heat.  Turn off the heat and stir in the peanut butter and vanilla extract until mixture is smooth.  Quickly pour over the cereal mixture and stir until completely combined.

Pour into the prepared pan and press down with wax paper to evenly distribute and even out top. Allow to cool, then drizzle melted almond bark over bars in diagonal pattern for presentation.  The 'white' almond bark creates eye-popping appeal!  Once drizzle has dried, cut into bars.  Enjoy!

Field Green Salad with Heirloom Tomatoes

This is one of the prettiest salads that I've ever 'tossed' together.  A store bought mix of field greens becomes much more sophisticated once deep plum colored heirloom tomato wedges are added.  This field green salad mix included herbs like mint, which really added a freshness to the overall salad and an unexpected ingredient too.Not to mention, the colors compliment each other.

One package mixed field greens (or mixed herbs)
1 deep plum colored heirloom tomato (the color is important for presentation), wedged
1/2 half red onion, sliced
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1/4 cup shredded mozzarella
light creamy Caesar dressing on the side

Place field greens in a bowl and sprinkle chopped green bell pepper over on top.  Arrange tomato wedges and onion slices on top.  Sprinkle with shaved mozzarella.  Only dress on individual plates, not the entire bowl.  This will preserve presentation and allow guests to use an amount to their choosing.

Shaved Asparagus Salad

I admit that I 'stole' this recipe just recently at an Easter brunch.  I learned the three basic ingredients and then made it my own.  So go ahead and do the same with my version to make it your own!  This is great as a side salad or as a 'happy hour' style food.  Take note, it's definitely to be eaten with a fork and not the fingers (you'll soon also figure out that I'm a lover of etiquette).  My guests loved the freshness of the lemon and how chilled it was (I didn't expect that) so be sure to take it out of the fridge just before serving.

Asparagus stalks (one bunch, about 1 pound)
juice from one lemon
one tablespoon olive oil
freshly shaved Parmesan

Blanch the asparagus.  Then, with a vegetable peeler, 'shave' the asparagus into ribbons cutting any that are long in half.  Pile onto plate attractively.  Roll one lemon on counter (this gets the juices flowing) before halving it and then squeezing out all of the juice onto the asparagus.  Then, drizzle one tablespoon of olive oil over asparagus.  Finally, with a hand held grater, shave (or shred, your preference) fresh block Parmesan onto the asparagus.  Cover and chill until ready to serve. Enjoy!