Pina Colada Fruit Dip

Autumn is my favorite season of the year. As  much as I enjoy it, with the changing colors, the apple, pumpkin and squash dishes, I hate to see summer come to an end.

I enjoy not having to wear a jacket or coat, or wrapping myself in a scarf...mittens...boots...UGH!

I HAD to try this simple and yummy-licious (not to forget...easy...only five ingredients) fruit dip after checking it out at Joy McMillan's blog Simply Bloom.

Last year I was privileged to hear Joy (my middle name!) speak at a Ladies Day over an hour from home. She spoke about wellness - physical and spiritual. She was raised in Africa and has a delightful accent. 

She's simply beautiful and unpretentious.

I could listen to her speak all day long - she has been gifted with a terrific sense of humor (she spoke to us while barefooted!) and it's obvious knows what she's talking about. 

And in her own words, she's 'easily enamored with life'.

I LOVE THAT about her!  Just read her blog post Oh How He Loves
and you'll see what she means.

When I got home that day, I came to the computer (of course!) and checked out her blog...left her a comment...she left me one...and the rest is history.  We became fast e-friends.  She remembered who I was after talking with her briefly after she spoke!!

I do hope you'll check out her blog - she shares about her family, her faith, her life. She calls her children "Bean" and "Bug".

She cracks me up often!

She has such a sweet & innocent perspective on life! And that adorable sense of humor always shines through.

I made this dip this week for 2 ladies meetings at church - both on the same day! (We Baptists know how to enjoy fellowship AND food!) A busy day & one of those where I sampled far too many yummies.

(I'm still having a problem sucking my gut in...not that I didn't before those meetings! UGH!)

I was asked for this recipe multiple times, so I think that's a good indication that it was a real hit!

I had fun putting fruit on kebobs...enjoying those last delicious strawberries of the season.

I'm very fond of this recipe because it can be whipped up in no time, and can be made sugar free!!  That's an important factor in this house....with a diabetic hubby.

And I always have these ingredients on hand too!

PINA COLADA FRUIT DIP

1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple in own juice, undrained

1 (3 1/2 ounce) packages (sugar free) vanilla instant pudding mix

1 teaspoon coconut extract

3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream (I used light)

Whip up all the ingredients in a food processor or blender {for about 30 seconds or until well blended}

Refrigerate for several hours to mingle the yummy flavors.

Serve with fresh fruit.

Hope you can find some tasty fresh fruit to enjoy this before summer is over.

JOY TO YOU!!

Linked to Melt in Your Mouth Monday
         Sweets for a Saturday
   Wonka Wednesday
     Ingredient Spotlight
Mop it up Monday
     Ingredient Spotlight - Sour Cream
Weekend Potluck
Meal Plan Monday

Easy Cheese Scalloped Cabbage

Cabbage is in season now and this is one terrific way to eat it up!

(Have you checked out the "Seasonal Foods" chart in my sidebar?  I find it very informative and interesting)

I don't have an actual written recipe for this dish, but it's very simple and simply superb!

I will give you a guideline recipe at the end of this post so you can have something to go by.

If you like cabbage...and cheese...you're sure to love this tasty dish.

This recipe calls for Velveeta - I'm a big fan!
(I always use the 2% - can't tell a lick of difference)

Begin by chopping a head of cabbage.  You don't want the slices to be too thin. They'll become limp - we want some 'sturdy' slices of cabbage.

I think I used about 8 cups of cabbage for this dish.

Boil it until it's el dente - it will bake a while longer, and you don't want it to end up mushy.

Drain well.

Spray a 2.5 qt. with cooking spray and sprinkle some ritz cracker crumbs in the bottom...to cover lightly.

Add a layer of cabbage and then place small chunks of Velveeta cheese over the top...like this...

Sprinkle another light layer of cracker crumbs, then another layer of cabbage, then cheese, topping with cheese and crumbs. It should look similar to this....

Bake in preheated 350 oven for about 20 - 25 minutes, or until bubbly around edges.

This is sooo creamy and a wonderful company dish.

 It's one of my favorites and something I make often.

CHEESE-SCALLOPED CABBAGE

About 8 cups chopped raw cabbage

chopped onion, if desired

About 3 ozs. Velveeta cheese, chunked or sliced

About 15 ritz crackers, crushed

Boil cabbage (& onion) in salted water until el dente. Drain well.

In Pam-sprayed casserole dish, sprinkle about 5 crackers, crumbled.

Make a layer of cabbage (I ended up with 3 layers total)

then lay as much cheese on top as you'd like, but don't cover it totally.  

Sprinkle with a few more crumbs, then do it all again two more times, ending with cheese and then topped with crumbs.

Bake uncovered in preheated 350 oven for about 20- 25 minutes, or until bubbly around edges.

Be careful not to use too many crackers as the casserole will be too dry.  You want just a light coating between all layers.

I love that I can make as much, or as little, of this recipe as I'd like...I can fix 4 servings or 14.

Enjoy!  I'd love to know if you try it.

Linked to Full Plate Thursday

                                Melt in Your Mouth Monday

                                       Eat at Home: Ingredient Spotlight

             Side Dish Saturday

             Recipe of the Week

          Mix it up Monday

            Recipe of the Week

         Mop it up Monday

       Meal Plan Monday

LowFat Lemon/Blueberry Biscuits

I began making this recipe many years ago. I found it in a Taste of Home magazine.

{If you haven't figured it out yet...I'm a HUGE fan of Taste of Home recipes.}

This is deliciously wonderful. If you choose to make these sugar free/fat free...no one will guess. They are healthy nibbles of yumminess!

I think the marriage of lemon and blueberry is a perfect match....and that resulting thought is expressed beautifully in this biscuit.

Oh...another thing that I love about this recipe is that you stir it by hand. No need to get out the mixer and dirty the beaters.

It's easy to make and very tasty.

Mix the dry ingredients in a bowl, and add the blended wet ingredients, then stir. I love using my curved spatula...or spoonula, as Rachel Ray calls it.

I enjoyed some warm biscuits and hot tea in the middle of the afternoon! Such pampering!

LEMON BLUEBERRY BISCUIT
(From The Better Baker)

2 c. all purpose flour (I replaced 1/3 c. with whole wheat)

1/3 c. sugar (I use xylitol)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

1 carton (8 ozs) lemon yogurt

(I only had vanilla, so I added a tsp. or lemon flavoring to yogurt)

1 egg, lightly beaten (or 2 egg whites)

1/4 c. butter or margarine, melted

(I've substituted liquid Butter Buds to

make this totally fat free)

1 tsp. grated lemon peel

1 c. fresh or frozen blueberries

(I like a little more lemon 'zing', so I add a little more lemon flavoring even when I use lemon yogurt)

GLAZE:

1/2 c. powdered sugar

1 Tb. lemon juice

1/2 tsp. grated lemon peel

Preheat oven to 400. In a large bowl, combine dry ingredients. Combine yogurt, egg, butter and lemon peel; stir into dry ingredients just until moistened. Fold in blueberries. Drop by tablespoonsful onto a greased baking sheet. Bake 15 - 18 minutes or until lightly browned. (Remember the Splenda 'rule'...it bakes faster). Combine glaze ingredients; drizzle over warm biscuits.

Yield: 1 dozen 

One-Minute Peanut Butter Cake

I'm serious!

This is one of those recipes you wished you'd had long ago, so you could have been enjoying it all this time.

I honestly don't know where I saw it, or else I would give credit.

This makes a single serving, and really, in only one minute.

It can satisfy a sweet tooth late at night, or it makes a great afternoon snack too.  Any time you get a hankerin' for a little bit of something sweet.

If you don't have a ramekin (this raises quite a bit so make sure there's plenty of room for it to expand) use a coffee mug.  One with a rounded bottom works best.

Add a few chocolate chips if you'd like. It's great either way.

I know from experience....

ONE MINUTE PEANUT BUTTER CAKE

(From The Better Baker)

(Serves 1)

1 egg, beaten

1 Tb. brown sugar

1/2 tsp. baking powder

1 hp. Tb. all purpose flour

2 Tb. peanut butter

1 tsp. milk

1 Tb. powdered sugar (give or take)

In small bowl, whisk together egg, brown sugar, baking powder, peanut butter and flour. 

Pour batter into a greased ramekin.  Microwave for 30 seconds.

(Check - if not done, add a few seconds at a time).

Mine took 40 seconds and my microwave is 1100 watts.

While the cake is microwaving, stir together milk and powdered sugar, adding more powd. sugar if necessary to thicken frosting.

Remove cake from ramekin (or not) pour frosting over top.

Pour yourself a nice cold glass of milk, grab a spoon or fork, and enjoy!!

Then put the recipe somewhere you can find it again quickly next time...because there will be a next time! =)

Linked to Crazy Sweet Tuesday
                  Totally Tasty Tuesday
             Full Plate Thursday
              Wonka Wednesday

WOOHOO! Twist & Shout for my friend Lark!

Did you see it at Facebook over the weekend?

Our amazing friend Lark is one of the "Real Women of Philadelphia!"  She's won a contest at Kraft! 

She is the "Make  to Impress Dessert Winner 5" with her Pecan Cream Cheese Custard Pie recipe!

WOOOWZERS!!

(If you didn't know already, Lark and I are co-bloggers, along with Libby at Country Cooks Across America blog) One day I hope to write about about experience together....

Take a look-see at this cool video. Can we even imagine seeing our name pop up like this from such a BIG site!?

Real Women of Philadelphia video

I can't wait to try that recipe.

I had already been wanting to post a picture of the gifts I received from Lark this week.  She went to Disneyland and ran a race...as she often does...and thought of me while she was there!

These are the lovely things I opened and then giggled & giggled.

The 'Main Man' Mickey shaped pasta...measuring spoons and a Minnie head on a chain.

How cute huh?

I'm blessed to call Lark my friend...she's definitely a sister of the heart, and we have yet to meet. 

One day we will...I'm trying to coax her to come to my part of the world because she's infatuated with Amish and we have many living in our corner of the world.

Thanks for your thoughtfulness Sparky Larky! MUAH!