Icebox Strawberry Pie

In step 1, it is imperative that the cooked strawberry mixture measures 2 cups; any more and the filling will be loose. If your fresh berries aren’t fully ripe, you may want to add extra sugar to taste in step 2. Use your favorite pie dough or use our recipe. Chill the heavy cream in step 4 to help it whip more quickly.

Serves 8.

Ingredients
Filling
2 pounds frozen strawberries (see related tasting)
2 tablespoons lemon juice
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon unflavored gelatin
1 cup sugar
Pinch salt
1 pound fresh strawberries , hulled and sliced thin
1 (9-inch) pie shell , baked and cooled (see note)
Topping
4 ounces cream cheese , softened
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup heavy cream

Instructions
1. COOK FROZEN BERRIES Cook frozen berries in large saucepan over medium-low heat until berries begin to release juice, about 3 minutes. Increase heat to medium-high and cook, stirring frequently, until thick and jamlike, about 25 minutes (mixture should measure 2 cups).

2. ADD GELATIN Combine lemon juice, water, and gelatin in small bowl. Let stand until gelatin is softened and mixture has thickened, about 5 minutes. Stir gelatin mixture, sugar, and salt into cooked berry mixture and return to simmer, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl and cool to room temperature, about 30 minutes.

3. ADD FRESH BERRIES Fold fresh berries into filling. Spread evenly in pie shell and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours. (Filled pie can be refrigerated for 24 hours.)

4. MAKE TOPPING With electric mixer on medium speed, beat cream cheese, sugar, and vanilla until smooth, about 30 seconds. With mixer running, add cream and whip until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes. Serve pie with whipped cream topping.

Cheddar Cornmeal Sticks

I can't wait to pair these up with chili.

Ingredients
2 cups finely shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounces)
1/2 cup butter
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease baking sheets; set aside. In a large bowl, combine shredded cheese and butter; let stand until room temperature (about 1 hour). Beat with an electric mixer until well mixed. Stir in flour, cornmeal, salt, cayenne pepper, and nutmeg. Divide dough in half.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll each dough half into a 12x4-inch rectangle. Using a sharp knife, slice dough into 4x1/2-inch pieces.
3. Place dough pieces 1/2 inch apart on prepared baking sheets. Bake about 15 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack; cool. Makes 48 crackers.
4. Bake Ahead: Prepare, bake, and cool crackers as directed. Layer crackers between sheets of waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.

Grilled Pineapple

1 slice/spear pineapple
Nutmeg
Artificial sweetener (I'm sure you can use regular sugar)
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice

Dust pineapple slice/spear with nutmeg and sweetener. Grill on electric or stove top grill pan until grill marks appear on each side. Sprinkle with lemon juice. Enjoy!

Weight Watchers recipe

Cucumber Salad

1 small cucumber
1 TBSP fat free sour cream
1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp paprika (I used lemon pepper)
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 tsp salt
1 TBSP salsa

Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Enjoy!

This is Weight Watchers recipe

Zucchini Casserole

6 cups fine cubed zucchini
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup butter
1 package Stove Top Stuffing mix
1 can cream of chicken soup
1-16 ounce carton sour cream

Boil zucchini, carrots and onion in salted water for 5 minutes. Drain. In another bowl, melt butter and add stuffing mix. Mix well. Place 1/2 of stuffing in bottom of casserole dish. Add soup and sour cream to the vegetable mix. Spoon over stuffing in casserole. Top with other half of stuffing. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Zucchini Romano

1/3 cup olive or salad oil
1 cup diced celery
1 sweet red pepper, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 pounds zucchini, washed and sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1 cup buttered bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese

Heat oil in heavy casserole over low heat. Sauté celery, red pepper, onion and garlic. Cook until onion is tender. Add zucchini, salt and pepper. Cover and simmer 10 minutes. Remove the cover and sprinkle top with bread crumbs and cheese. Bake in moderate oven 375°F for 20 minutes or until the cheese is melted and the bread is browned and crisp.

Recipe courtesy of Auntie Tam

Cheesy Potatoes

2 lb. bag of frozen hash browns
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 pt. sour cream
3 green onions
Dash of salt
Dash of pepper
2 C. sharp cheese, grated
1 C. additional cheese of any kind, grated
½ C. crunched corm flakes
½ C. melted butter
Preheat the oven for 350°. Mix everything except corn flakes and butter. Put in a 9x13 pan and crumble corn flakes on top. Drizzle butter on top of that. Cook for an hour or until cooked through.

Recipe Courtesy of Auntie Mo

Zucchini & Tomato Casserole!

A friend sent me this recipe and I got a chance to try it and it was really tasty! It just tasted like harvest time!

Zucchini and tomato casserole with Asiago crust
Try to find tomatoes that are firm enough for baking not overly ripe.

1 shallot, thinly sliced
3 pounds medium to large tomatoes
2 pounds zucchini
1 C shredded Asiago cheese (about 1/4 lb)
3/4 C bread crumbs
1/4 C olive oil
salt and pepper
1/4 C silvered fresh basil

Heat oven to 375 degrees. Spread shallot slices evenly over bottom of a 9x11
inch baking dish. Slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. Slice zucchini about
1/4 inch thick on the bias. lay tomato and zucchini slices in rows,
alternating zucchini and tomato slices. You shoudl be able to fit 3 rows in
the dish.

In a small bowl, mix cheese, bread crumbs and olive oil until combined.
Season tomatoes and zucchini with salt and pepper to taste. Top with cheese
mixture. Try to place cheese mixture in the middle of each row so you can
see the contrast of red and green.

Bake for 30 minutes or until top is crispy and golden brown.
Makes 6 servings
(This dish can be doubled in the same baking dish. Add another layer of
tomatoes and zucchini and bake for an extra 10 minutes.)

Cheesy Potatoes

potatoes - cut in thick steak fries
milk
cheese
salt and pepper to taste

Spray a 9x13 pan with pam. Spread the potatoes in a single layer and pour milk over the top (you will want about 1/2"-1" of milk in the bottom of your pan) Salt and pepper to taste and then cover with cheese. Bake in 350* oven for 35 minutes.