Recipes

CHERRY ALMOND TART

Remember the yummy dessert that Pat made for the last meeting? Here’s the recipe: Cherry Almond Tart from Taste of Homes Magazine by Connie Raterink

1 package (18-1/4 ounces) yellow cake mix
2/3 cut graham cracker crumbs (about 11 squares)
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 egg
1/2 cup chopped almonds
1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened ( I used low fat cream cheese)
1/4 cup confectioners' sugar
1 can (21 ounces) cherry pie filling ( I used light cherry pie filling)
1/2 cup sliced almonds, toasted

In a mixing bowl, combine the dry cake mix, cracker crumbs and butter until crumbly. Add the egg; mix well. Stir in the chopped almonds. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 14-in. pizza pan. Bake at 350 deg. for 11-13 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely. In a mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar. Spread over the crust. Top with the pie filling. Lightly toast the almonds in the broiler, stirring frequently. Sprinkle tart with the toasted almonds. Store leftovers in the refrigerator. Yield: 14-16 servings.

KOOL-AID PLAYDOUGH

Here is a fun recipe for play dough that smells sooooo
yummy!

1 cup boiling water
1 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup salt
3 Tbsp cooking oil
1 sm. pkt. kool aid

Stir dry ingredients in a bowl.  Add oil and water.
Mix well.  Knead until a soft dough.
Adjust flour to make the consistency you like.

BUTTERMILK SCONES   

Mix:3 C flour

1/3 C sugar

2 ½ t baking powder

½ t baking soda

¾ t salt

Blend in ¾ C butter (cut up) with pastry blender (or knives)

Stir in 1 t grated orange peel and raisins/dates (optional)

Make well in the middle and pour in 1 C buttermilk*

Stir until dough sticks together

Roll out and cut with cookie cutters**

Brush top with milk or cream and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar

Bake at 425 for 12-15 minutes

*Hint: Buttermilk can be made by stirring 1 t vinegar with 1 C milk and letting sit for 15 minutes.

** Lisa used bunny shaped cookie cutters, spread Brown & Brummel on the scones, then used raisins for eyes and pretzels for whiskers.

TOFU OATMEAL COOKIES

Lisa Waner had so many requests for this healthy cookie recipe that she submitted it to our newsletter.

Mix:

¾ C whole-wheat flour

¾ C white flour

1 t baking powder

1/8 t salt

1 t cinnamon

¼ t nutmeg

1 ½ C old-fashioned oats (not instant)

1 C walnuts/raisins/dates (optional)

In a separate bowl, blend together:

6 oz tofu (mash with fork first)

½ C olive oil

¼ C water

1 C brown sugar

2 T vanilla

Mix all ingredients together and bake at 375 for 10-15 minutes

Surprise Your Mouth Ideas

Some creative moms put a fun, new twist on dogs in a blanket this month by adding “stoplight dip.” Yellow mustard dollops were sandwiched between red and green ketchup dollops. If you missed Open House, you missed some more yummy and creative snacks! From fruit skewers to ham and cheese biscuits, the kids were surprising those tongues left and right. Hard-boiled eggs were made extra fun cut in half with sails constructed of American cheese on a toothpick. These edible boats floated in a bed of goldfish. Peanut butter and honey sandwiches tasted so much better when shaped like hearts, as did the celery  topped with peanut butter and dried fruit. Ice cream cones filled with nutritious plain yogurt and fruit chunks, and sprinkled with granola made an especially tempting snack as well.

DEBBIE'S FAMOUS NOODLES

4 packages of Top Ramen noodles (don’t use spice packs)

            Break up 2 packages of noodles, so there are short and long noodles

            Cook all as directed

            Rinse in cold water

2 C cooked chicken - shredded

6 green onions – sliced

1 red bell pepper – chopped

1 C red cabbage – shredded

3 carrots – shredded

Dressing:

6 T honey

6 T olive oil

6 T rice vinegar

2 T teriyaki sauce

2 T pureed ginger

2-3 shakes of crushed red pepper

Mix all and top with peanuts (optional)

For those of you with a little less time on your hands, here’s another great snack idea. Use cookie cutters to make shaped sandwiches. Tuesday/Thursday kids loved the heart-shaped tuna sandwiches Tracy Walton served last month. Plus the bread scraps beg for a pre-schooler’s favorite outing… going to the lake to feed the ducks!