Chewy Chocolate Cherry Oatmeal Cookies

Active time: 30 min

Total time: 1 hr 10 min

Yield: 48 cookies

Ingredients:

1.5 cups flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1 cup butter, room temp

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla extract

3 cups old fashioned rolled oats

1 cup bittersweet chocolate chips

1 cup dried cherries

Directions:

1) Heat oven to 350. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda , cinnamon, salt and nutmeg.

2) Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, then vanilla.

3) Reduce speed of mixer and gradually mix in flour mixture until just combined.

4) Using a large spoon, fold in oats, chocolate chips and cherries.

5) Drop rounded spoonfuls on cookie sheet, 2 inches apart.

6) Bake cookies for 12-14 minutes, rotating halfway through. Let cool a few minutes on pan before transferring to cooling rack.

(Image and recipe credit to www.womansday.com)

Cherry-Walnut Crumb Cake

Serves 16
Active: 15 min
Total: 1 hour

Ingredients
3/4 cup flour
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 tsp ground cinnamon
6 tbsp melted butter
1 cup walnuts, chopped
3/4 cup dried cherries, chopped
1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup water
3 large eggs
1 cup reduced fat sour cream
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 box (18.25 oz) yellow cake mix

Directions
1) Heat oven to 375. Spray a 10 inch tube pan with cooking spray.

2) In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, brown sugar, and cinnamon. Add the butter and stir with a fork until crumbly. Fold in the walnuts. Transfer half the mixture to a small bowl and fold in the cherries.

3) In a large bowl, whisk together the oil, water, eggs, sour cream and vanilla. Add the dry cake mix and stir until fully incorporated.

4) Spread half the cake batter into the prepared pan and sprinkle with the cherry mixture. Top with the remaining batter and sprinkle with the walnut mixture. Bake until a wooden pick comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool in the pan 25 min before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Can be made up to 2 days in advance and stored at room temperature.

Recipe and photo courtesy of www.womansday.com

Jelly Donut Holes

Photo and recipe courtesy of Womans Day magazine

Ingredients:

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

4 cups canola oil

1 can (16.3 oz) large refrigerated biscuits (Pillsbury Grands)

1/2 cup strawberry jam or jelly

Makes 24

Active: 20 min

Total: 25 min

In a bowel, combine the sugar and cinnamon; set aside. Heat the oil in a 10-inch skillet over medium-low heat.

While the oil is heating, form the donuts. Separate dougn into 8 biscuits and flatten them into 3.25 inch rounds. Using a 1.5 inch round cookie cutter, cut 3 circles from each round.

With a sharp knife, slice horizontally (parallel to cutting board) through centers-do not cut all the way through-and open like a book.

Spoon 1/4 tsp jelly into one side, fold dough over and pinch edges to seal. After assembling 8 holes, test the oil with a scrap of dough. When the oil is hot enough, bubbles will appear around the doughs edge.

Working in batches, fry holes until golden brown, about 1-1.5 minutes per side. Transer to a paper towel-lined plate when done. While doughnuts are still warm, toss them in the cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Per 3 holes:

319 cals

1g fiber

11g fat

Banana Cream Pie

(Photo & Recipe Credit: www.womansday.com)

Active: 25 min
Total: 25 min plus chilling
Serves: 10

Ingredients
1 9-oz ready-to-fill graham cracker pie crust
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
4 large egg yolks
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 large bananas

Directions
1) In a medium saucepan, whisk together the sugar, cornstarch and salt. Add the milk and a cup of the heavy cream and whisk until fully incorporated. Whisk in the egg yolks. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Gently simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened, 12-15 mins. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla.
2) Pour half the pudding mixture in the pie crust. Slice the bananas crosswise 1/4 inch thick and arrange in a single layer on top of the pudding. Top with the remaining pudding and smooth the top. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly onto the surface of the pudding. Refrigerate until chilled, at least 3 hours or up to a day.
3) When ready to serve, using an electric mixer, beat the remaining cup of cream in a medium bowl until stiff peak forms. Spread over the pie.

Per Serving:
421 cal
1g fiber
28g fat

Mixed Berry Iced Tea

4 black tea bags
4 berry-hibiscus herbal tea bags (like Celestial Seasonings Red Zinger)
8 cups water
1/4 cup super fine sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
ice cubes
1/2 cup raspberries and blueberries
1/2 cup strawberries, quartered
thin lemon slices

1. Place tea bags in heatproof pitcher. In a 4 qt saucepan, heat water to a boil. Pour it into the pitcher and steep tea bags for 10 minutes. Remove tea bags. Let cool and refrigerate, covered, until cold (about an hour).

2. Stir in sugar and lemon juice. Add ice, berries, and lemon slices to pitcher.

Serves 10.

Pear-Raspberry Cobbler Pie

Active Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
INGREDIENTS
1 refrigerated ready-to-use pie crust (from a 15-oz box)
1/4 cup slivered almonds
Filling

4 firm-ripe Anjou pears (2 lb)
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
2 containers (6 oz each) fresh raspberries
Cobbler Topping

1/2 cup flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
6 Tbsp heavy cream
1/4 tsp almond extract

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 375ºF. Line a 9-in. pie plate with pie crust as package directs; fold edge under without fluting. Press almond slivers into edge of pie crust and set aside.

2. Filling: Peel, halve, core and slice pears; toss with sugar and cornstarch in large bowl. Fold in raspberries. Mound filling in pie shell.

3. Cobbler Topping: Mix flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Stir cream and extract with fork into flour mixture just until moistened.

4. Place batter in a qt-size ziptop freezer bag; cut off 1/2 in. from one tip. Pipe crisscrossing lines over the filling to make lattice.

5. Bake 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350ºF and bake 30 to 40 minutes longer until topping is a deep golden color and filling bubbles slightly in center. Cool at least 1 hour before serving.

Nutrition Facts
Yield 8 servings
Amount Per Serving
Calories 359
Total Fat 13g
Saturated Fat 6g
Cholesterol 20mg
Sodium 213mg
Total Carbohydrates 59g
Dietary Fiber 7g
Protein 4g

Dijon-Crusted Pork Chops

Active Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
INGREDIENTS
4 pork loin chops, 3⁄4 in. thick (about 11⁄2 lb)
2 Tbsp Dijon mustard
3⁄4 cup seasoned dried bread crumbs
1 Tbsp canola oil
8 oz wide egg noodles
11⁄4 cups frozen mixed vegetables
1 Tbsp butter
1⁄4 tsp each salt and pepper
(check applesauce situation)

PREPARATION
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place a sheet of foil on your kitchen counter. Measure mustard and bread crumbs separately onto foil. Coat pork chops with mustard, then coat with bread crumbs.

2. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chops and cook 2 to 3 minutes on each side, until bread crumbs are browned. Transfer to a foil-lined baking pan and bake 5 minutes or until cooked through.

3. Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, heat 4 quarts water to a rapid boil over high heat. Add noodles and cook according to package directions. Add vegetables in the last 5 minutes of cooking. Drain and toss with butter, pepper and salt; serve with pork chops.

Nutrition Facts
Yield 4 pork chops
Amount Per Serving
Calories 577
Total Fat 23g
Saturated Fat 8g
Cholesterol 108mg
Sodium 795mg
Total Carbohydrates 57g
Dietary Fiber 4g
Protein 33g

**Tried this one. Pork chops I got were too thick and needed extra cooking...throwing off the timing. Otherwise it was fine. Donny ate it :-). We did it with mashed potatoes, spinach (had some I needed to use up) and, of course, applesauce.

Summer Sunset

Mix 2 cups refrigerated orange juice, 1.5 cups chilled peach nectar and 1/2 cup fresh lime juice. For a layered effect, pour a little grenadine into each glass after the orange juice mixture. Best served in martini glasses.

Makes 4 cups.

Raspberry Lemonade Tea

Pour 3.25 cups boiling water over 4 Celestial Seasonings Raspberry Zinger tea bags. Seep 5 minutes. Remove tea bags. Stir in 3 tbsp sugar until dissolved. Add in 6 oz lemonade concentrate. Serve over ice cubes.

4 servings

Tropical Smoothie

Put 1.5 cups crushed ice, 1.33 cups chilled pineapple juice, 2 ripe bananas and 1/3 cup cream of coconut (stir in can before using) in a blender until frothy.

4 servings

Sweet 'n' Tart

1/4 cup apple juice or white grape juice, chilled
2 cups diced, ripe honeydew melon
1 small, Granny Smith apple, cored, cut up
1 small, ripe banana, cut up
1 cup lime sherbert or sorbet

Whirl all ingredients in a blender until thick and smooth. Serves 2.

Pina Tropicale

1/2 cup lemonade, chilled
2 cups diced, ripe fresh pineapple
1 small, ripe banana, cut up
1 tbsp honey
1/2 cup each pineapple and coconut sherbert

Whirl all ingredients in a blender until thick and smooth. Serves 2.

Double Berry Delight Smoothie

1 cup lowfat vanilla yogurt
1 small, ripe banana, cut up
2 tbsp honey
1 cup fresh or frozen strawberries
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries
1/2 cup raspberry sherbert or sorbet

Whirl all ingredients in a blender until thick and smooth. Serves 2.