Cucumber Sandwiches with Cream Cheese

Remove crust from bread and cut to desired shape.  Spread with cream cheese mixture:

1 cube cream cheese
1/2 c Mayo
1 packet dry italian seasoning

Place cucumber slice on top, then sprinkle with dill seasoning.

Perfect for tea parties or girly occasions!

"Dizzy Izzys"

Italian Sodas  (aka "Dizzy Izzys"

1. Fill glass with crushed ice
2. Pour 1 inch of favorite flavored syrup in bottom of tall glass
3. Fill remainder of glass with club soda
4. Top with a big dollop of whipped cream.
5. Stir with straw before drinking.

Cool and Crunchy Lettuce Wraps

I know it's been forever since I posted on this recipe blog. It's because I haven't really cooked anything exciting in a while. We just finished up baseball season last week, and since it always falls in the middle of dinner time, we have had a lot of take-out the last month.

Also, we had a little health scare with my husband. He's doing just great now, but we've made some major eating modifications to try and get healthy here at our house. Now I need to learn how to cook good food that is also low-fat/heart healthy. I don't know how to do that yet. Everything I've tried to adapt has been a little gross. I didn't realize how much cooking I do with tons of cream, cheese, etc. So we've just had a lot of grilled chicken and grilled fish lately.

But I did make a new recipe a couple days ago. It was adapted from a taco recipe I had at a Pampered Chef party about a month ago. Instead of putting it in taco shells, I made the filling into lettuce wraps. It was pretty healthy and good--recipe blog worthy I think. Plus I got to use fresh cilantro from my garden!

Cool and Crunch Lettuce Wraps
1 small head iceberg lettuce
2 limes

3 c. dice grilled chicken breasts

1/2 small jicama

1 small mango, peeled and diced

1/2 cup fresh cilantro

1/4 tsp salt

1 avocado, peeled and sliced (optional)
1/2 cup fat free magonnaise
2 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (optional)

1. Wash and separate lettuce, set aside.

2. Make sauce using zest and juice from one lime--add to small bowl. Combine with mayonnaise, cumin, and cayenne pepper, if desired. Chill.

3. In a separate bowl, combine chicken, jicama, mango, cilantro, zest and juice from remaining lime, salt, and avocado if desired.

4. To serve: top lettuce with large scoop of chicken mixture, and about a Tablespoon of sauce mixture.

I won!

I am so very excited about winning the give-away over at One Crazy Cookie, a food blog that I totally enjoy!

You should all go check her out here.  She's always cooking up something wonderful!

Thanks again, Tiffanee!

Soft Peanut Butter Cookies

Have you ever had one of those weeks?  Not the really awesome, great weeks, but the other kind?  I am having one of those.  Sigh.  And when I feel stressed I find therapy in my kitchen.

So today when I was nearing the end of my rope I grabbed a wooden spoon and a bowl and held on for dear life.

These peanut butter cookies made my daughter smile.  And her smile made me smile.  It's getting better already!  :)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
8 Tbs. (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. sugar
1/2 c. packed brown sugar
1 large egg
1 3/4 c. flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 325.

Cream the peanut butter with the butter and sugars for 3-4 minutes, then beat in the egg.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.  Add the flour mixture to the peanut butter mixture and mix until combined.  Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl so that everything is combined evenly.

Scoop dough by the rounded tablespoonful and roll into balls.  Place the balls about 2 in. apart on a baking sheet (can line with parchment paper or aluminum foil if desired), and press down slightly.  Using a fork dipped in flour, press down on the cookie to form an "X" pattern.

Bake for 10 minutes, or until the edges are lightly golden.  Overbaking will cause these chewy cookies to become crunchy, so try to avoid it.

Cookies will keep in an airtight container at room temperature for 3 days.  For longer storage wrap in plastic and aluminum and freeze for up to a month.

Custard Baked French Toast w/ Raspberry Sauce

Custard Baked French Toast with Raspberry Sauce From Tasty Sensations

6 TBS butter
French bread loaf
1 1/2 C sugar
6 eggs plus 3 yolks
2 C whipping cream
4 C milk
1 TBS vanilla 

Melt butter in a 9X13 inch pan. Slice bread and layer 2-3 deep. Mix remaining ingredients and pour over bread. Let sit overnight in refrigerator. Bake 350 degrees for 50 minutes. Serve topped with raspberry sauce and slivered almonds (optional). Dust with powdered sugar and place a few fresh raspberries on top.

Raspberry Sauce:
1 pkg (10 oz.) frozen raspberries (organic, if you can get them)
1/4 C sugar
1 TBS cornstarch 

Combine on stove and cook until thickened, pour over French toast.  This sauce is the best part of this breakfast.  So yummy.  

Chicken Alla Voldostana

CHICKEN ALLA VOLDOSTANA

Ingredients
4 chicken breasts
4 slices Parma ham (proscuitto)
1 Tbs. flour
1 tsp dried italian herbs
2 Tbs. olive oil (any)
3 Tbs. butter
4 oz hard cheese (gruyere)
1/2 can chicken stock

Method
1. Place the chicken breasts between 2 sheets of waxed paper and beat with a rolling pin until flat.
2. Coat the chicken with flour that has been mixed with herbs, salt and pepper.
3. Melt the butter with the oil and fry the chicken for 5 minutes each side.
4. Place a slice of proscuitto on top of each piece of chicken, cover with sliced or grated cheese. Pour the broth into the pan, cover and simmer for 5 minutes.
5. I served with spinach salad and dauphinois potatoes.