Eagle Brand Pineapple and Chipolte Ice Pops

I've been scouring the web for tasty summer treats lately.  In South Texas, one of our favorite things to eat in the summer is fruit cups with lime and chili.  You can get these cups at the local La Paleteras where it sounds like the workers are chiming in a chorus, "Salt, Lime, Chili? Salt, Lime, Chili?"  If you've never had chili on fruit, please do not be put off by it.  I know it sounds odd, but the combination of sweet fruits, lime juice, and chili is fantastic.  Our local grocer sells a brand of fruit seasoning (chili flavored powder with lime and other spices) and so we make our own fruit cups often.  We like grapes, cantaloupe, watermelon, apples, and pineapple, but you can add any kind of fruits you like.  In looking for summer treats, I found an ice pop recipe that sounds like it combines all the flavors of a fruit cup in one neat pop.  I've got to try this out soon, but I wanted to share it in the mean time, mostly so that I'd have it in a place to reference soon.  I hope you'll try it, too!

Yield: 8 to 10 servings

Prep Time: 15 Minutes
Cook Time: 0 Minutes

Ingredients

1 (20 oz.) can crushed pineapple in pineapple juice, undrained
1 (14 oz.) can Eagle Brand® Sweetened Condensed Milk
3/4 cup pineapple juice
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

Place pineapple in food processor. Cover and process until pureed. Combine pureed pineapple, sweetened condensed milk, pineapple juice, lime juice and chile powder in large bowl; mix well.


Spoon into 8 (4 oz.) plastic ice pop molds or 10 (3-ounce) wax-coated paper cups. If using paper cups, insert wooden craft stick into the center of each cup. Freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Great Balls of Fire!

They've gone and done it!

You may recall from an earlier post that the Ransom Center was taking donations to preserve gowns worn by Vevien Leigh in Gone with the Wind.  Well, the center has raised enough money to preserve them and is now taking donations for their Gone with the Wind exhibit set to debut in 2014 to mark the films 75th anniversary!  If you are interested in donating for this awesome cause, visit them at:
http://www.hrc.utexas.edu/contribute/endowments/opportunities/costumes/. 

Here are some images of my favorite dresses...

http://sunnysideofthesunporch.blogspot.com/2009/09/gone-with-wind-party.html

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.bonzasheila.com/

Of couse, they were all beautiful...so glad they are being saved.

HEY, YOU!

Enjoy your weekend!

Here's a sweet 'lil pic of mon petit bebe w/her Grandma who just so happens to responsible for knitting that darlin' dress she's wearing. 

Slice-O'-Pie

image from:  http://shop.prettylittlestudio.com/

     It's Foodie Friday and I've been thinking about what recipe to share for a few minutes (I know; don't  bust a vein, right?!).  Spring seems to have sprung in good old South Texas.  Today reached 82 degrees.  Since we don't have groundhogs around these parts, nobody bothered to tell Spring to wait 'til the end of March.  No matter.  I've got cool, refreshing foods on the brain to beat the summer spring heat.  I'm thinking salads, sorbet, refrigerator pies...

     Mmm, refrigerator pies.  Here's one called a Millionaire Pie.  Maybe you've heard of it...so yummy : )

What you will need:

2 prepared graham cracker crusts
1 can sweetened condensed milk
1 (8 oz.) can crushed pineapple, drained
1 (8 oz.) container sour cream
1 (9 oz.) carton Cool Whip (I prefer to whip heavy cream with powdered sugar to make my own whipped cream)
2-3 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 cup finely chopped pecans

Mix lemon juice and sweetened condensed milk until lemon juice is fully incorporated. Add Whipped Cream and blend thoroughly. Add sour cream until completely blended. Add pineapple and pecans to the cream mixture. Stir well and pour into prepared graham crusts. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of two hours and preferably overnight. Bon appetit!



P.S.  You can share on Foodie Fridays, too, at Designs by Gollum.

Singing in the Rain

Who wouldn't be singing in the rain with one of these cuties in tow?

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Galleria-Palm-Tree-Stick-Umbrella/13037602



http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=820454002&userSearchText=umbrella&searchCID=26519&vid=1



http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=17474461&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=SEARCH+RESULTS





http://www.luluguinness.com/ProductPage.aspx?productId=UMBR-720-073-010#



In Recent News (desserts)

The weight's down and I started working out.  And folks, it has gone in that order.  The weight went down...someone commented and I didn't believe them because we've been making desserts almost daily so I checked and it had by like 4 lbs.!  Then, I started working out.  This hasn't been some sort of New Year resolution, either.  I started working out two weeks ago because I figure if I'm paying so much for gym access in University fees, I might as well pop in every now and again.  My body is sore, but I feel good.  I know that doesn't make much sense.  I guess it's a mind thing...not sure if I'll keep it up.  It's nice to imagine that if I do keep it up, I may someday look like this...

I know.  I know.  I said someday, people.  Don't scoff. ; )

So, now that you know my life goal.  I'll share with you some of the desserts that have made the pounds just melt off  lately (In case you're unaware, this is me using sarcasm.  Loading up on desserts may not = you losing weight. God has just dealt me an ace this month.)

Dessert # 1- Pecan Pie
1 cup Karo® Light OR Dark Corn Syrup
3 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon Spice Islands® Pure Vanilla Extract
1-1/2 cups (6 ounces) pecans
1 (9-inch) unbaked or frozen deep-dish pie crust

Preheat oven to 350°F.
Mix corn syrup, eggs, sugar, butter and vanilla using a spoon. Stir in pecans. Pour filling into pie crust.
Bake on center rack of oven for 60 to 70 minutes (see tips for doneness, below). Cool for 2 hours on wire rack before serving.
Recipe provided by:  http://www.karosyrup.com/recipe_details.asp?id=485

*Note to folks:  I've tried a variety of pecan pie recipes and the one that never fails is this one from the Karo Syrup bottle; go figure.  Sometimes it's best to just go with what you know and not try to church things up.  The lesson I've learned from trying the various pecan pie recipes- If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

Dessert #2-Sugar Cookies
1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt

1. Beat butter at medium speed with an electric mixer until creamy. Gradually add granulated sugar, beating well. Add egg and vanilla, beating well. Combine flour and salt. Gradually add to butter mixture, beating until blended. Divide dough in half. Cover; chill 1 hour.
2. Roll each portion of dough to 1⁄4-inch thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut with desired cookie cutters. (We used flower and starfish cutters.) Place on lightly greased baking sheets.
3. Bake at 350° for 8 to 10 minutes or until edges of cookies are lightly browned. Cool cookies 1 minute on baking sheets, and remove to wire racks to cool completely.
4. Dip cookies in Glaze and sprinkle, while wet, with sparkling sugar (I pressed mine with a little heart shaped cutter and sprinkled cinnamon and sugar on them for VD).

Recipe courtesy of  Southern Livings' book: Best Kept Secrets of the South's Best Cooks

Dessert #3- Creamy Lemon Pie

3 egg yolks

1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 cup lemon juice

1 (8- or 9-inch) baked pie crust or graham cracker crumb crust

Topping:

1/2 cup Heavy Whipping Cream

1/4 cup or more to taste of Powdered Sugar

8 oz. Mascarpone Cheese

Blend yolks, lemon juice, and sweetened cond. milk.  Pour into crust and bake for 35 minutes in a 325 degree Fahrenheit oven.  Chill for at least 3 hours before serving.  Top with whipped cream topping.

For topping blend all ingredients just until they all come together and cream begins to set up.

There you have it folks.  Note: I'm not including the recipe for Chocolate Chip cookies because I use the Nestle Toll house recipe, and I'm not adding in the Neapolitan Ice cream that we've had on nights when no baking was involved.  Seriously, folks.  It has been dessert heaven, lately.  I hope you find something to try and sweeten up your week!  And, I think the key to weight loss is to lose the stress, not the sweets :)


I'm sharing on Foodie Friday @ Designs by Gollum, by the way~

Tootles,

The Kitchen Witch

Cooking for Kids

If you were like me as a child, you loved to cook.  My daughter has expressed interest, but she doesn't take charge like I used to do.  I would rummage through recipe books or see something on T.V., ask my mom if we had the ingredients, and I'd get to work.  Big Sissy needs an initiation and an invitation to get involved, but I'm glad when she does.  She's in 6th grade now, by that age I was fully independent in the kitchen.  I'd make simple things, of course, and since she's expressed some interest I've been thinking back to what those simple things were.

One of the things I recall making often was Tuna Mac or Tuna Noodle Casserole as some may call it.  If you've got kids that love macaroni AND tuna, this may be a good starter recipe.

All you need is a box of Kraft Macaroni & Cheese, a can of Cream of Mushroom soup, a can of Peas, and a can of Tuna (or a pkg. as they come in nowadays).

Prepare the macaroni as directed on the box,  Once you've mixed in the butter, milk, and cheese packet, add in your Cream of Mushroom soup, drained can of peas, and drained can of Tuna.  You can add a little black pepper if you like.  It's as simple as that.  Stir everything together and viola.  Your child has made lunch : )  Of course, you know your child best...supervise them as you deem necessary.  With my daughter, for instance, I'll have to help her all the way through, especially when it comes time to drain the pasta.

I'll share some more of my favorite childhood recipes in the near future.  In the mean time, if you've got any recipes that your child loves to do, please share.  Teaching your child how to cook is instilling a great life skill and it really creates an awareness of what goes into the food they eat (time, energy, and ingredients).

I hope you're having a blessed week.  Be sure to check in on Friday.  I'll be sharing a recipe on the Foodie Friday swap at Designs by Gollum.

The Kitchen Witch