patriotic mini pies...

pie crust

pie filling

sugar

Roll out crust and cut circles out that are about 1 inch bigger than mini muffin cups. Press gently into muffin pans and crimp edges. Fill about 3/4 full with pie filling. Cut out stars with remaining dough and place on top of each pie. Sprinkle with sugar. Bake according to crust directions. Serve warm or at room temp.

Yes, I know...the 4th of July is over, but who says you can't celebrate all month??? Especially when you can do it with pie!

I made these for our 4th of July bbq and they were a hit! I used my favorite pie/tart crust recipe, and blueberry and apple for the fillings. For the apple I cut the apples pretty small and tossed with a little splash of lemon juice, a little sugar and cinnamon and a little flour to thicken it (sorry...no exact measurements here. I just winged it.) I did the same for the blueberry filling.

I made 24 mini pies. If you have filling and dough leftover you can always make a tart or turnovers.
For a more detailed (and entertaining) recipe go here!

mediterranean pizza...

pitas

olive oil

diced red onion

diced english cucumber

chopped romaine lettuce

hummus

feta cheese

kalamata olives, pitted and halved

greek vinaigrette

vinaigrette:

Juice of 1 lemon

5 Tbsp olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp dried oregano

Whisk to combine. Store in refrigerator.

Brush pitas with a little olive oil. Place on grill until a little crisp and grill lines are visible. Spread 1-2 tablespoons hummus on to each pita. Sprinkle with feta. Put back on grill just until warmed through. Sprinkle with the remaining inngredients and drizzle with a little vinaigrette.

I could eat Greek salad every day. Pile it all on to a pita, grill it, and you have yourself a winner!

guilt free chicken alfredo...

2 cups low-fat milk (not skim)

1/3 cup (3 oz) 1/3-less-fat cream cheese (room temp)

2 Tbsp flour

1 tsp salt

dash of grated nutmeg

1 Tbsp butter

2-3 garlic cloves

1 cup grated Parmesan cheese

sliced, grilled chicken

Place milk, cream cheese, flour, and salt in a blender.

Process until smooth and set aside.In a non-stick sauce pan, melt butter on med-high heat and add garlic. Let the garlic saute for about 30 seconds, being sooo careful not to burn it. Then add milk mixture to the pan. Stir constantly for about 3 or 4 minutes or until it just comes to a simmer. Keep stirring and let it cook for a few minutes more. It should be much thicker now. When it's nice and thick (it should look as thick as a normal alfredo sauce) remove the pan from the heat. Add the cheese, stir it up and then cover immediately. Let stand for at least 10 minutes before using. It will continue to thicken upon standing. Also, if you have leftovers in the fridge, the sauce will thicken almost into a solid. Just re-heat and add a little milk and it will be back to normal again.

This recipe (thanks to Our Best Bites) is phenomenal! I like the flavor of alfredo sauce, but it is way too rich for me in it's true form. This tastes EXACTLY like the alfredo sauce that we all know and love...minus the coat your tongue richness. The only thing I altered from the original recipe was that I added a little nutmeg (a must in cream sauces) and used a little less garlic. This would make an amazing pasta primavera if steamed vegetables were added.

frozen pie...

*Symphony pie*

1 giant milk chocolate Symphony bar

1 pre-made graham cracker crust (or 12 individual)

1 8oz tub cool whip

1/4 cup water

Break up candy bar into small pieces and melt with 1/4 cup water in microwave about 30 seconds. Let cool a little. Fold in cool whip and put in crust(s). Freeze for a couple of hours before serving. Delicious with fresh whipped cream or a little chocolate syrup drizzled over the top.

*Cookie dough pie*

1 pkg regular Chips Ahoy cookies (or Oreos, Nutter Butter, etc.)

1 8oz tub cool whip

chocolate syrup for drizzling

Put one layer of cookies (breaking to fit if necessary) in the bottom of a 9 or 10 inch pie pan. Spread 1/3 of cool whip over cookies. Repeat this two more times. Drizzle with chocolate syrup. Freeze for 1-2 hours. Slice & serve.

Cake shmake. My boys wanted pie for their birthday! They each picked the kind they wanted and after some very easy assembly and a little freezer time the candles were on & we were good to go! The Symphony pie (recipe courtesy of Real Mom Kitchen!) is so rich and soooo good! The cookie dough pie was good, as well. The cookies soften from the cool whip...hence the name. (recipe from Big Red Kitchen)

Both of these are great for a cold Summer treat!

chicken wrap...

whole wheat tortilla

light cream cheese

sliced grilled chicken

romaine lettuce

sliced cucumber

light balsamic vinaigrette

Spread a small amount of cream cheese on tortilla. Layer lettuce, romaine & cucumber and drizzle with vinaigrette.

Whenever I grill chicken for dinner I grill up a few extra pieces and keep them in the fridge for wraps, salads, pasta, etc. This makes a very healthy, filling lunch...and it's really tasty, too!!

lemon sunshine cookies...

1 cup butter; room temp
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 cup sour cream (I used reduced fat)
2 eggs
1-2 Tbsp grated lemon zest
4 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt
juice of one lemon

frosting:
1/4 cup butter, melted
2 cups powdered sugar

1 Tbsp milk
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest

1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
In a medium bowl, cream together the margarine, sugar and sour cream until smooth. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in lemon zest and lemon juice. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir into the sugar mixture, being careful not to over mix.

Drop by teaspoonfuls onto lined or greased cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 2 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely. In a small bowl, stir together the melted margarine, confectioners' sugar and 1 tablespoon lemon zest and juice. Add milk a little at a time until smooth consistency. Spread over cooled cookies.

We have had a rainy week. A very rainy, cold week. It doesn't help that it's the first week of Summer vacation, either. These cookies were a little pick-me-up. Let's be honest...when isn't a freshly baked cookie a pick-me-up??? To keep up with the lemon theme, and to use up a few more lemons, I made these little beauties. These may very well be in the running for my new favorite cookie. They have a very cake-like consistency, and the frosting just takes them over the top. I was pretty conservative with the amount of lemon juice I used. I wanted the lemon flavor to definitely be there without overpowering it. Bake some up this Summer. You'll LOVE them!

lemon/garlic pasta...

3 Tbsp butter

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp pepper

1/2 tsp fresh thyme; chopped

1/2 c. grated Parmesan cheese

2 1/2 c cooked pasta (gemeli, linguine, etc)

2-3 grilled chicken breasts

Melt butter in a small pan. Add garlic and saute. Add lemon, pepper, thyme and 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese. Add sauce to hot pasta and toss gently. Top with remaining cheese and grilled chicken and serve immediately.

When life gives you lemons...make and bake a lot of stuff with fresh lemon juice and zest...duh! This was another winner. Go easy on the garlic and lemon juice. Both come through with a very strong flavor when cooked this way. Unless you absolutely know you like a strong garlic flavor, start with one clove. For the lemon, I recommend starting with one Tbsp, taste it, and if you want a stronger lemon flavor then add more.

(1 cup pasta, 2 oz chicken=8pts)