Anyone out there???

Does anyone still come to this blog, besides me?  Do you want me to add new recipes??

Orzo Fruit Salad

Orzo Fruit Salad

1 box of Orzo pasta
2 cans of mandarin oranges
1 large can of pineapple tidbits...if you can't find tidbits, buy the rings and cut them into tidbits
2 C. cut strawberries
2 C. raspberries
2 C. blueberries
Not all of the fresh fruit is always in season, so substitute with any berries
4 limes
1 can of sweetened condensed milk (I buy reduced fat)
1 - 3oz. pkg. instand coconut cream pudding
1 jar of marshmallow creme
1 C. sour cream (I use light)

Cook orzo pasta to directions on box.  Rinse with cool water and drain completely.  Drain mandarin oranges and pineapple and add to cooked and drained pasta.  Add strawberries and blueberries.  In a separate bowl, combine sour cream, condensed milk, and marshmallow cream.  I find it easier to use a wire whisk and combine the sour cream and condensed milk first, then the pudding and then the marshmallow creme.  Grate the rind of three limes and the juice of 1 lime of the zested limes into the cream (save your best looking lime for garnish slices).  Add mixture to the pasta and fruit.  Fold in raspberries last to avoid bleeding color.  The trick to making the salad not "soupy" is to make sure the pasta and fruit are really drained.  I garnish with the remaining lime slices, alternating with a strawberry and raspberries piled in the middle.

S'Mores - Melanie C.

Lay graham crackers face down onto a tin foil covered cookie sheet. Sprinkle with about 1 cup of Hershey's milk chocolate chips. Sprinkle a couple of handfuls of mini marshmallows on top, followed by coconut.

In a saucepan, combine 3/4 C. brown sugar (make sure it's fresh and soft) and 3/4 C. REAL butter. Simmer on medium until all sugar is dissolved and it comes to a soft boil.

Drizzle on top.

Bake at 350 degrees for 8-12 minutes until marshmallows are golden brown. If the marshmallows don't melt, you can turn the broiler on for about a minute until they get golden.

Leave for 2 hours or until completely cooled, and then break into pieces and serve.

MMMMMmmm...DELICIOUS!

Cinnamon Raisin French Toast Souffle

1 lrg. loaf cinnamon raisin bread, chopped
12oz. cream cheese
6oz. butter, softened
3/4 C. maple syrup, divided
10 eggs
3 C. half & half
Cinnamon Sugar
Buttered Maple Syrup (50/50 mix of butter & maple syrup)

Place bread in 13x9 glass pan (buttered). Mix cream cheese, butter and 1/4 C. maple syrup until smooth. Spread on top of bread, leaving some openings through which to pour egg mixture. Beat eggs, half & half and 1/2 C. maple syrup. Pour over bread and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Bake 50-55 minutes at 350 degrees. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

www.bbonline.com/recipe/autumnpond

Ricotta Pancakes with Lemon Curd and Strawberries

1 C. sliced strawberries
2-3 Tbsp. sugar
3/4 C. flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 C. ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2/3 C. milk
1 tsp. lemon zest
2 Tbsp lemon juice

In a small bowl combine strawberries and 2-3 tablespoons of sugar. Set aside. Meanwhile prepare your pancakes. In a mixing bowl combine flour, sugar, salt and baking powder. In a separate bowl whisk together ricotta, eggs, milk, lemon zest, and juice. Stir wet ingredients into dry until just combined - mixture will be slightly lumpy. do not overmix. Top with a thin layer of store-bought or homemade lemon curd (recipe follows) and a large spoonful of the strawberries and juice.

On a preheated griddle, place a scant 1/4 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake. Cook on both sides until golden in color.

Makes about 6 pancakes.

1/3 C. sugar
1 egg
2 1/2 Tbsps unsalted butter, melted
1/3 C. lemon juice
zest of 1 large lemon

Whisk egg and sugar until combined. Add in remaining ingredients. Place in microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Continue microwaving in 30 second intervals until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Place in refrigerator. Will keep for about 3 weeks.

Recipe is from Sara Johnson - rhrecipes.blogspot.com

Amish Friendship Bread

Directions:

DO NOT USE METAL SPOON OR BOWL FOR MIXING

DO NOT REFRIGERATE

IF AIR GETS IN BAG, LET IT OUT

IT IS NORMAL FOR THE BATTER TO THICKEN, BUBBLE AND FERMENT

Day 1 - Do nothing. This is the day the bag is dated.

Day 2 - Squeeze the bag

Day 3 - Squeeze the bag

Day 4 - Squeeze the bag

Day 5 - Squeeze the bag

Day 6 - Add 1 C. flour, 1 C. sugar, and 1 C. milk. Put in larger ziplock bag and squeeze until mixed.

Day 7 - Squeeze the bag

Day 8 - Squeeze the bag

Day 9 - Squeeze the bag

Day 10 - Add 1 C. flour, 1 C. sugar, and 1 C. milk to the batter in a large bowl. Mix with a wooden spoon or spatula. Pour four 1 C. starters into ziplock bags. Pass these along to a friend, or keep one starter for yourself and give the other three to your friends along with a copy of the instructions.

To the remaining batter add:

1 C. oil

1 C. sugar

1 t. vanilla

3 eggs

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

2 C. flour

1/2 C. milk

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1 large box (or 2 small boxes) instant vanilla pudding

2 tsp. cinnamon

Optional: Add 1 C. chopped nuts or raisins

Grease two large loaf pans (or 4 small ones). In a separate bowl mix 1/4 C. sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon. Use this mixture to dust the greased pans. Then pour the batter into the pans and sprinkle the extra cinnamon and sugar on top.

Bake at 325 degrees for 55-60 minutes for large pans and 40-45 minutes for small ones, or until toothpick comes out clean.

When passing along the "starter" bag to friends, be sure to date the bag so they know what day is Day 1.

Enjoy!!!

*** If you need a starter, you'll have to get one from a friend!

Pizza with Sausage, Tomatoes and Basil

Ok, so I had these pizzas at my friend Nicole's house...SOOOOO Good! I bugged her about the recipe for weeks after because I wanted another one so bad. It's almost enough to go out and buy a BBQ grill just so I can have one.

INGREDIENTS

Dough:

1 1/4 C. all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1 tsp salt

Vegetable oil cooking spray

Topping:

1 pound red and yellow cherry tomatoes, halved

1/2 pound turkey sausage, cooked and thinly sliced

1 C. grated part-milk mozarella

1 Tbsp. chopped fresh basil

1 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp. olive oil

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. red pepper flakes

PREPARATION

For dough:

Mix flour, yeast and salt in a bowl. Gradually add 1/2 cup warm (110 degree) water until a soft dough forms. Divide into 4 portions. Using hands, roll dough into balls, coat with cooking spray, cover with plastic wrap and set aside to rise 30 to 45 minutes. When ready to cook, place each ball of dough on a piece of wax paper and flatten into a 4-inch circle. Coat grill with cooking spray and heat on high. Gently lift dough onto grill and cook until dough puffs and underside stiffens (about 30 seconds); flip and reduce heat to low.

For topping:

Mix topping ingredients and then divide among crusts; cover grill. Grill until cheese melts, 5 to 6 minutes more. Slice and serve.

Ok, so that's the recipe, but that's not exactly how we had them. We had the sauce separate, so the balsamic vinegar, red pepper flakes and olive oil. We spread that on each pizza first and then a layer of mozzarella, and then a mix of toppings, including:

mushrooms

sauteed mushrooms and onions

red peppers

tomatoes

sliced olives

pinenuts

pepperoni

canadian bacon

zucchini sliced

any toppings you want really, and then topped again with mozzarella...cooked until melted. Sooooo good!

And the best part, the dough cooks right on the grill. Great summer food, and healthy!