Snack: Cinnamon Apple

Here's a recipe that is easy, healthy and tasty. Cinnamon helps lower cholesterol and regulates blood sugar while one medium fuji apple has approximately 80 calories and 22 gram carbohydrates.

Cinnamon Apple
Ingredients:
Fuji apples- cut into pieces (Granny's are not good for this)
Cinnamon

Directions:
Put apples in ziploc bag and sprinkle with cinnamon. Put as much cinnamon that will coat each apple. Refrigerate until chilled. Last up to a week in refrigerator because cinnamon is a nature preservative. Do not add sugar. Apples have natural sugar in them.

Strawberry Cream Trifle

Ingredients:
1/2 C sliced almonds, toasted
1 pkg. frozen pound cake, thawed (10.75 oz)
1 qt. fresh strawberries cut into squared
1 container (16 oz) frozen sliced strawberries in syrup, thawed
2 T lemon juice
3 containers (8 oz each) blended strawberry yogurt
1 pkg (3.4 oz) cheesecake instant pudding and pie filling
1 container (8 oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
powdered sugar

Directions
Cut pound cake into 1 inch cubes. Combine fresh and frozen strawberries. Mix well. In mixing bowl, whisk lemon juice, yogurt, and pudding. Mix until smooth. Immediately fold in 1 cup of whipped topping. To assemble trifle, place 1/3 of pound cake cubes into bottom of trifle bowl. Top pound cake with 1/3 of strawberry mixture. Top with half of the yogurt mixture, spreading evenly. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the almonds. repeat layers one time. Top remaining pound cake cubes and remaining strawberry mixture.
To garnish, spread remaining whipped topping over top of trifle, forming a flat surface. Sprinkle remianing almods over whipped topping. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

(from: Pampered Chef Spring?Summer 2008 catalog)

Chicken Lettuce Wrap

Chicken Lettuce Wraps
(from: Janelle)

Ingredients:
head of lettuce and use the large 3-6 outside layers
1 pound chicken breast diced up into small pieces
1 large onion (chopped)
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon reduced-sodium soy sauce
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar or red wine vinegar
dash red pepper
1 can (8 ounce size) sliced water chestnuts (drained, finely chopped)
2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil
Chinese rice noodles

Directions:
Rinse lettuce leaves, keeping them whole. Set aside to drain. Cook chicken in a large skillet over medium heat, stirring often to break up the meat.

Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar and red pepper. Cook until the meat is crumbled and brown. Add water chestnuts. Cook about 2 minutes.
Stir in sesame oil. Arrange lettuce leaves on the outer edge of a platter. Spoon meat mixture in center and top with the rice noodles.

OR

Apple or Peach Puff Pancake

1/3 C butter
1 C all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1 C milk
dash salt
1 can (21 oz) apple or peach pie filling
toasted nuts (optional)

Place butter in oven proof skillet. Heat oven to 425 degrees and melt butter. In large bowl, beat flour, eggs, milk, and salt until smooth. Use all but 1 T melted butter. Pour to batter. Mix till blended. Pour batter to skillet. Bake 15-20 minutes. Warm filling over low heat until heated through. Once puff is done, pour heated filling in the center of puff. Sprinkle with nuts if desired. Serve immediately.

Blueberry season will be here before we know it so here's a favorite summer blueberry recipe

Blueberry Cobbler

2 C fresh blueberries, rinsed
1/2 C sugar
2T melted butter
2/3 C all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2/3 C milk

Sprinkle blueberries into greased baking dish. In a small bowl, combine sugar and melted butter until crumbly. In a separate bowl, combine flour, baking powder, and salt. Add this to the sugar mixture alternately with milk. Spread over blueberries, Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes or until golden brown. Serve warm with whipping cream or ice cream if desired.

(Recipe from: Taste of Home)

Broccoli Cheese Soup

6 cups water

2 T. minced onion (I used 2 t. onion powder)

6 chicken bouillon cubes (I used Better than Bouillon that I got from Publix-it is a paste in a jar)

2 pkgs. Ramen noodles, chicken flavor

2- 10 oz pkgs. Chopped broccoli

1 lb. Velveeta Cheese, cubed

6 c. milk (I used 4)

In a large pot, bring water, onion and bouillon cubes to a boil and allow cubes to dissolve. Add Ramen noodles and flavor packs, simmer about 3 minutes until noodles get tender. Add frozen broccoli, simmer until tender. Reduce temp and add cheese and milk. Heat until cheese melts-on low to keep milk from over cooking.

(Recipe from: Teresa Goodman)

Potato Cheese Soup

6 large Yukon gold potatoes, peeled and sliced
3 1/2 C chicken stock
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 C shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, divided
1/4 C chopped green onions
salt and pepper to taste
1 C heavy cream or half and half
3 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled

Place potatoes and stock in Crock Pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours (Note: I just cooked this on the stove and it took less time.) Using an immersion blended, puree to desired consistency. Stir in 1 cup of shredded cheese, garlic and green onions. Cover and cook on low for 30 minutes. Add more stock if soup is too thick. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Add cream and cook 10 minutes more. Ladle into warm soup bowls and garnish with remaining cheese crumbles and bacon. Serve immediately. Yield: 6 servings

Recipe from: The Tennessee Magazine (March 2008)