Alrighty Then!

Pear & Ginger Cheesecake

Softened dried pears give this low-fat cheesecake much of its body. For the best taste, let it rest for 24 hours in the refrigerator.

INGREDIENTS

• 6 dried pear halves, chopped
• 1/3 cup crystallized ginger
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 cup low-fat granola, (without dried fruit)
• 16 ounces nonfat or low-fat cottage cheese, (1 3/4 cups)
• 16 ounces nonfat cream cheese
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

PREPARATION

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 9-inch springform pan with cooking spray.
2. Place pears, ginger and water in a medium saucepan; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Reduce heat to a gentle simmer, cover and cook until the liquid has been absorbed and the fruit is softened, 10 to 14 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, process granola in a food processor or blender until finely ground. Pour it into the prepared pan; turn and tilt the pan to coat the sides and press down into the bottom to make an even layer.
4. Transfer the pear mixture to a food processor; process until a coarse paste forms, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary. Let cool for 10 minutes. Add cottage cheese and cream cheese; process until combined. Add granulated and brown sugars; process until smooth, scraping the sides as necessary. With the processor running, add eggs one at a time. Add flour and vanilla; process until creamy. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Rap the pan against the counter a few times so the granola on the sides falls onto the batter, forming a decorative edge.
5. Bake the cheesecake until set, without a jiggle at the center when the pan is tapped, about 50 minutes. Turn the oven off. Let the cheesecake stand in the oven, with the door ajar, for 1 hour.
6. Transfer the cheesecake to a wire rack to cool for 1 hour. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours before serving.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day. | Equipment: 9-inch springform pan

• Cake-Baking Tips
• When using cake pans, they must be greased and floured to create a thin layer of protection against the oven's heat. For greater convenience, use a cooking spray that has flour in the mix, such as Pam for Baking, Baker's Joy or Crisco No-Stick Flour Spray.
• Whole-wheat pastry flour has less gluten-forming potential than regular whole-wheat flour, making it a better choice for tender baked goods.
• To properly measure flour when baking, use a spoon to lightly scoop flour from its container into a measuring cup. Once in the measuring cup, use a knife or other straight edge to level the flour with the top of the cup. If the measuring cup is dipped directly into the container—a common mistake—the flour will be packed into the cup and result in extra flour being added to the recipe, yielding tough, dense baked goods.
• Room-temperature butter for a batter is one of the biggest culinary missteps. In fact, butter must be below 68°F to trap air molecules and build structure. Otherwise, the fat will be liquefied and the cake will be flat. To get "cool" butter: Cut refrigerated butter into chunks and let them sit in a bowl for 5 minutes before beating.
• Eggs must be at room temperature for the proteins to unwind enough to support the cake's crumb. Either set the eggs out on the counter for 15 minutes or submerge them in their shells in a bowl of lukewarm (not hot) water for 5 minutes.
• Although you cannot overbeat the eggs, sugar and butter, you can overbeat the flour. If you do, you'll develop the gluten and create a quick bread rather than a layer cake. Beat the flour just until there are no white grains of undissolved flour visible but not until the batter is smooth.

NUTRITION

Per serving: 209 calories; 2 g fat (1 g sat, 1 g mono); 58 mg cholesterol; 35 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 1 g fiber; 384 mg sodium; 153 mg potassium.

2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 2 other carbohydrates, 1 very lean meat

Fragrant Shredded Beef Stew

This stew has a simple list of ingredients, but plenty of great flavor thanks to flank steak, a cut that's known for it's excellent meaty flavor. The flank is also known for it's long grainy, and sometimes tough texture. In this stew the texture is a great asset—the meat shreds apart into tasty strips after it's cooked in the slow cooker.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 stalks celery, thinly sliced
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 3 pounds flank steak, trimmed of fat, each steak cut into thirds
• 1/2 cup packed fresh cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1/2 cup chopped pickled jalapenos
• 10 corn tortillas, heated (see Tip)

• PREPARATION

  1. Combine broth, vinegar, celery, onion, bell pepper, garlic, cumin, salt and pepper in a 6-quart slow cooker. Add beef, submerging it by tucking the vegetables under, over and between the pieces.
  2. Put the lid on and cook on low until the meat is fork-tender, about 8 hours.
  3. Transfer the meat to a cutting board; let stand for 10 minutes. Shred the meat with 2 forks and return it to the slow cooker. Stir in cilantro. Garnish with jalapeno and serve warm tortillas on the side.

  TIPS & NOTES

  • Make Ahead Tip: Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.
  • Tip: Wrap corn tortillas in foil and bake at 300°F until steaming, about 10 minutes.

  NUTRITION

  Per serving: 265 calories; 11 g fat (4 g sat, 4 g mono); 53 mg cholesterol; 18 g carbohydrates; 24 g protein; 3 g fiber; 376 mg sodium; 474 mg potassium.
  Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (100% daily value), Zinc (33% dv), Iron & Vitamin A (20% dv).
  1 Carbohydrate Serving
  Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 vegetable, 3 lean meat

Lemon Lavender Mint Cheesecake

In need of a great basic cheesecake recipe? Here’s Betty Crocker’s (with my notes added):

• 1 3/4 cups finely crushed graham crackers (or lemon wafers)
• 1/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (optional, can substitute other nuts)
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (or just use cinnamon graham crackers)
• 1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted
• 3 8-oz. packages cream cheese, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon finely shredded lemon peel, optional
• 2 eggs
• 1 egg yolk
• 1/4 milk or liqueur

For crust, combine crushed crackers (or wafers), nuts (if desired), and cinnamon. Stir in margarine/butter. Reserve 1/4 cup of crumb mixture for topping, if desired. Press remaining onto bottom and about 2 inches up sides of 8″ or 9″ springform pan.

Combine cream cheese, sugar, vanilla, flour, and lemon peel. Beat with an electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and yolk all at once, beating on low speed just to combine. Stir in milk/liqueur. Pour into crust-lined pan. Sprinkle with any reserve crumbs. Place on a shallow baking pan in oven. Bake at 375 degrees: 8″ pan, 45-50 minutes; 9″ pan, 35-40 minutes, or until the center appears nearly set when shaken. Cool 15 minutes. Loosen crust from sides of pan. Cool for 30 minutes more, then remove sides of pan. Cool completely. Chill at least 4 hours. (12-16 servings)

Do I look as old as they do?

Have you ever been guilty of looking at others your own age and thinking, surely I can’t look that old?

Well…. You’ll love this one.

My name is Cathy and I was sitting in the waiting room for my first appointment with a new dentist.  I noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, I remembered a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in my high school class some 30-odd years ago.  Could he be the same guy that I had a secret crush on, way back then?  Upon seeing him, however, I quickly discarded any such thought.  This balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face as way too old to have been my classmate.

After he examined my teeth, I asked him if he had attended Morgan Park High School .

‘Yes. Yes, I did. I’m a mustang,’ he gleamed with pride.

‘When did you graduate?

He answered, in 1975. Why do you ask?’

‘You were in my class!’, I exclaimed.

He looked at me closely.

Then, that ugly,

old,

bald,

wrinkled,

fat ass,

gray-haired

decrepit

son-of-a-biscuit asked,

‘What did you teach ???’

Blueberry & White Chocolate Chunk Ginger Cookies

NGREDIENTS

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup wheat germ
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 large egg
• 3/4 cup packed dark brown sugar
• 1/3 cup canola oil
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup oats, quick-cooking or old-fashioned (not instant)
• 2 ounces white chocolate, chopped
• 1/3 cup dried blueberries, (see Tip)
• 1/4 cup crystallized ginger, chopped (see Tip)

PREPARATION

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 375°F.
2. Whisk flour, wheat germ, baking soda, salt and ground ginger in a small bowl. Whisk egg, brown sugar, oil and vanilla in a large bowl. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients; stir to combine. Add oats, chocolate, blueberries and crystallized ginger; stir just to combine. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto 2 ungreased baking sheets, 1 1/2 inches apart.
3. Bake the cookies until puffed and barely golden around the edges, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through, 8 to 10 minutes. Cool on the pans for 2 minutes; transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

TIPS & NOTES

• Make Ahead Tip: Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days or in the freezer for up to 1 month.

• Tip: Dried cranberries or cherries will also work in place of blueberries; all can be found, along with crystallized ginger, in the baking, dried fruit or produce sections of many supermarkets and natural-foods stores.

NUTRITION

Per cookie: 115 calories; 4 g fat (1 g sat, 2 g mono); 9 mg cholesterol; 17 g carbohydrates; 2 g protein; 1 g fiber; 84 mg sodium; 38 mg potassium.

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 1 fat

Sweet Breakfast Bread Pudding

Sweet fruit-full breakfast bread pudding

The sweet fruit-full breakfast bread pudding brings a dessert-like dish into brunch. (Juli Leonard, MCT)

South Florida Sun-Sentinel

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Ingredients:
2 cups well-shaken buttermilk
2 cups half-and-half
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 loaf country Italian or French bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes or 6 cups any stale bread, biscuits or cake
2 cups fresh or frozen fruit
(such as blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, pitted cherries, sliced peaches or plums) or 1 cup good-quality semisweet chocolate, cut into chunks
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2 tablespoons heavy cream
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

1. Combine buttermilk, half-and-half, eggs and vanilla. Add bread cubes. Let them stand 10 to 15 minutes, until the bread absorbs most of the liquid. Add fruit or chocolate and stir to combine. Pour bread mixture into prepared pan, making sure to get all the liquid out of the bowl. 

. Cut a sheet of aluminum foil large to cover the pan and grease one side of it with butter. Place buttered side down over the baking dish and bake 1 hour. Uncover and bake 20 minutes longer, until the top is golden brown and crispy.

3. Meanwhile, whisk the butter and cream together. Slowly add the sifted confectioners' sugar and whisk until smooth. Drizzle over the warm pudding. Serve warm; leftovers can be reheated in a 300-degree oven. Makes 12 servings.

Nutrition information:
Per serving: 249 calories, 47 percent calories from fat, 13 grams total fat, 136 milligrams cholesterol, 24 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total fiber, 8 grams protein, 242 milligrams sodium.

Gooey Caramel-Chocolate Bars

Crust
1	box Betty Crocker® SuperMoist® chocolate fudge cake mix
1/2	cup butter or margarine, softened
3	eggs
1	cup semisweet chocolate chips
Filling
1	bag (14 oz) caramels, unwrapped
1/4	cup butter or margarine
1	can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk (not evaporated)
Topping
1/2	cup reserved cake mix
1/2	cup quick-cooking oats
3	tablespoons butter or margarine, softened

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	About Concordance™

1.	Heat oven to 350°F (or 325°F for dark or nonstick pan). Reserve 1/2 cup cake mix for topping. In large bowl, beat remaining cake mix, 1/2 cup butter and the eggs with electric mixer on medium speed until dough forms. Stir in chocolate chips. Spread in ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 14 to 18 minutes or until set.
2.	Meanwhile, in 2-quart saucepan, heat caramels, 1/4 cup butter and the milk over medium heat about 8 minutes, stirring frequently, until caramels are melted and mixture is smooth.
3.	Spread caramel filling evenly over partially baked crust. In small bowl, mix reserved 1/2 cup cake mix, the oats and 3 tablespoons butter with fork until crumbly. Sprinkle over caramel filling.
4.	Bake 18 to 22 minutes longer or until top is set. Cool completely, about 2 hours. Run knife around sides of pan to loosen bars. For bars, cut into 8 rows by 6 rows.
High Altitude (3500-6500 ft): In step 1, bake 16 to 20 minutes.

Kitchen Tips

Get your kids involved in making these bars by letting them unwrap the caramels. Just make sure the caramels don't disappear!

Kitchen Tips

Be sure to purchase sweetened condensed milk, not evaporated milk. They are used very differently in recipes.

Nutrition Information:

1 Bar: Calories 160 (Calories from Fat 60); Total Fat 7g (Saturated Fat 4g, Trans Fat 0g); Cholesterol25mg; Sodium 150mg; Total Carbohydrate 22g (Dietary Fiber 0g, Sugars 15g); Protein 2g Percent Daily Value*: Vitamin A 4%; Vitamin C 0%; Calcium 4%; Iron 4% Exchanges: 1/2 Starch; 1 Other Carbohydrate; 0 Vegetable; 1 1/2 Fat Carbohydrate Choices: 1 1/2
*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.