SPICY RASPBERRY BALSAMIC DRESSING

I love spicy and I love raspberry so this recipe on allrecipes caught my eye.  I will be making it as soon as I get me some sugar-free raspberry preserves.  Thought you might want to try it, too.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp raspberry preserves
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp dry mustard

Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl until smooth.  Cover and chill for at least 1 hour.  Serve over your favorite salad greens.

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MUSHROOM & BLUE CHEESE BURGERS

2 lbs. ground beef

½ teaspoon pepper
2 red onions, sliced to a medium thickness
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 pkg (8-oz) sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup blue cheese crumbles
Buns or rolls of your choice
Place ground beef in a mixing bowl. Add pepper and with your hands, mix the meat well. Set aside.

Heat a medium skillet over medium-low heat. Add 2 tablespoons olive oil. Add onion slices. Add brown sugar and toss to combine with onion slices. Allow the onions to caramelize over low heat for about 20 minutes, tossing occasionally.

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add 1 tablespoon olive oil. Add mushroom slices and brown for five to ten minutes.

Form the meat into four patties and place on the grill over medium heat. Allow each to cook about four minutes, then flip and cook for another four minutes. Add caramelized onions over top of burger patty, followed by a helping of crumbled blue cheese. Serve on a bun.

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HONEY POPPYSEED SALAD DRESSING

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp poppy seeds
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
salt & pepper to taste

Combine all ingredients and blend (or shake) together well.

Yield: 1 1/3 cups

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CHOCOHOLICS SNACK MIX

1 pkg (10.5-oz) bite-size chocolate chip cookies

1 pkg (7.5-oz) bite-size chocolate sandwich cookies
1 pkg (6-oz) M&M candies
1 pkg (4.5-oz) chocolate covered peanuts

Combine all ingredients and a large bowl and stir to mix well.

Store in baggies or an airtight container.

Yield: Approximately 8 cups

Note: This makes good gifts when placed in fancy containers or in bags tied with fancy ribbons.

CRUNCHY PEANUT BUTTER PIES

These pies go together quickly.  They do however require some freezing and thawing time.  They are great "make ahead" desserts.

1 brick (8-oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cups sifted powdered sugar
3/4 cup crunchy peanut butter
1 cup milk
1 carton (8-oz) frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 9-inch graham cracker pie crusts
1/2 cup chopped peanuts for garnish

Beat the cream cheese in a large mixer bowl until fluffy.  Add the peanut butter and powdered sugar; beat until well blended.  Gradually stir in the milk and fold the whipped topping into the mixture.

Spoon the mixture evenly into the two crusts.  Garnish each pie with 1/4 cup of the chopped peanuts.  Freeze until firm and remove from freezer 30 minutes before serving.

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A DAY OF REMEMBERANCE

CHEWY ORANGE-OATMEAL COOKIES

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/2 cup vegetable shortening*
1 tbsp grated orange peel
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white whole-wheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp chopped walnuts or pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place the oats in a single layer in a shallow pan and bake at 350 degrees for 10 minutes; remove and cool completely.

In a large mixing bowl beat the sugars and shortening until light and fluffy.  Blend in the orange peel, vanilla, and egg.

Lightly combine the flours, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the sugar mixture and mix well to blend.  Stir in the cooled oats and the nuts.

Lightly spray cookie sheets with nonstick cooking spray.  Drop the cookie dough by rounded teaspoonfuls, 2-inches apart, onto the prepared cookie sheets.

Bake cookies at 350 degrees for 9 to 12 minutes or until golden brown.  Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 1 minute then remove to wire racks to cool completely.

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Yield: 3 to 4 dozen cookies.

MOCHA MOUSSE WITH BERRIES

This is a quick and easy recipe I got a few years ago from a Southern Living magazine, I believe.  It is delicious, goes together quickly, but it does need to chill at least 4 hours.  It can be chilled up to 24 hours making it a great make-ahead dessert.

1 1/3 cups milk
1 pkg (12-oz) semisweet chocolate chips
1/2 cup egg substitute
1/4 cup brewed espresso
4 tbsp sugar
dash of salt
Sweetened whipped cream for garnish
Fresh berries for garnish

In a heavy, non-aluminum pan cook the milk over medium-high heat for a couple of minutes until tiny bubbles start to form around the edges of the pan.  Immediately remove from the heat; set aside.

In a blender combine the chocolate chips, egg substitute, espresso, sugar, and salt; process on low until smooth, about 20 seconds.

With the blender running on low, add the milk in a slow stream; process until smooth, about a minute.

Pour approximately 1/3 cup of the mixture into each of 12 small dessert glasses; cover and chill 4 to 24 hours.

To serve, top with the whipped cream and fresh berries.

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PEACH-GLAZED CHICKEN BREASTS AND/OR THIGHS

1 can (approx 16-oz) peaches in syrup, undrained

1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tbsp canola oil
1 1/2 lbs chicken breasts and/or thighs
Hot cooked brown rice for serving 6
sliced almonds for garnish

Combine the peaches, soup mix, brown sugar, and lemon juice in a food processor (or blender) and process until smooth; set aside.

In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, heat the oil; add the chicken and cook 10 minutes or until browned on both sides.  Remove chicken from skillet; set aside.  Spoon any fat from the drippings in skillet.

Stir the peach mixture into the skillet and add the chicken back to skillet.  Heat to boil; reduce heat to medium and cook 10 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.  Stir occasionally during this phase of the cooking.

Serve with rice and sprinkle almonds over the chicken.

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Yield: 6 servings

EASY PUDDING MILKSHAKE

This is an old recipe I have had since the 1970s.  I prefer chocolate but to each his own!  You can make diabetic milkshakes with this recipe by using sugar-free pudding mix and sugar-free frozen yogurt.

4 cups cold milk (may use low-fat, if desired)
1 pkg (4-serving size) instant pudding mix - your choice of flavor
4 scoops ice cream - your choice of flavor

Pour two cups of milk into a bowl or a 2-quart shaker with a tight-fitting lid.  Add the pudding mix and beat slowly with electric mixer at lowest speed until blended, usually a couple of minutes OR shake the shaker vigorously until well blended.  Add the remaining two cups of milk and the ice cream.  Beat or shake until thoroughly mixed.

Top with whipped cream and chocolate shavings or cinnamon, if desired.

Serve immediately.

Yield: 6 servings