Easy At Home Cappuccino

A quick way to make cappuccino, and a great after-dinner drink for guests.

Best of all, you can make it at home without fancy equipment!

Serving: 4

Prep Time: 2 minutes

Cook Time: 4 minutes

Total Time: 6 minutes

2 cups skim milk or 1% milk

1 Tablespoon sugar

2 cups freshly brewed and strong coffee

1. Place milk in 2-cup glass measuring cup. Microwave on 100% power (high)

until hot, about 2 minutes and 20 seconds.

2. Place hot milk and sugar in blender container. Cover with a vented lid

and blend until frothy, about 1 minute.

3. To serve, divide coffee among 4 cups. Top each with frothy milk. Sprinkle

with ground cinnamon or grated chocolate, if desired. Makes 4 servings.

Based on individual serving.

Calories: 60

Total Fat: 2 g

Carbohydrates: 9 g

Protein: 4 g

Firecracker Casserole

2 pounds ground beef 
1 medium onion, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and  drained
1-2 tablespoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 (8-inch) flour tortillas
1 can mushroom soup
1 can Ro-Tel, undrained
1 cup Cheddar cheese,  shredded
 
In a skillet, cook the hamburger  meat and onion, drain. Add beans, chili powder and salt. Transfer to a greased  baking dish. Arrange the tortillas on top.
 
Combine the soup and Ro-Tel and  pour on top of the tortillas. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered at 350  degrees F for 25 to 30 minutes.   Enjoy.

Chocolate Oatmeal Drop Cookies

1/2 cup margarine 
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup water
1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
2 cups quick-cooking oats
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
In a large bowl, cream together the margarine, shortening and brown sugar until light and fluffy. Stir in the egg and water. Beat in cake mix until well blended, then stir in the oats and chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

Raspberry Sticky Rolls

Topping:
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons cornstarch
juice from can of raspberries

In a small saucepan mix together sugar and cornstarch. Gradually add reserved raspberry juice. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened. Set aside to cool and pour into greased 10 x 15 inch pan.

Rolls:
1 16 ounce loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, softened
1 cup brown sugar
1 16.5 ounce can raspberries, drained

Preheat oven to 375F.

On lightly floured surface, roll dough into 15 x 9 inch rectangle. Spread butter or margarine over entire surface and sprinkle with brown sugar and raspberries. Beginning on 15 inch side, roll up tightly, jelly roll style. Pinch edge of dough into roll to seal well. Stretch roll to make even. Cut into 15, equal sized pieces. Place 3 across and 5 down over raspberry topping, keeping rolls slightly apart. Let rise until double, about 35 to 45 minutes.

Bake until golden brown, 25 to 30 minutes. Remove from oven and immediately invert pan on heatproof serving platter. Let pan remain a minute or two so raspberry topping can drizzle over rolls. Makes 15 servings.

Light Strawberry Pie

8 Servings

1 can (8 ounces) unsweetened crushed pineapple
1 package (.8 ounce) sugar-free cook-and-serve vanilla pudding mix
1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin
3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
1 reduced-fat graham cracker crust (8 inches)
1/2 cup reduced-fat whipped topping

Drain pineapple, reserving juice in a 2-cup measuring cup. Set pineapple aside. Add enough water to juice to measure 1-1/2 cups; transfer to a saucepan. Whisk in the pudding mix and gelatin until combined. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 1-2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in pineapple. Remove from the heat; cool for 10 minutes.
Add the strawberries; toss gently to coat. Pour into crust. Refrigerate until set, about 3 hours. Garnish each piece with 1 tablespoon whipped topping. Refrigerate leftovers.

Nutritional Facts 1 piece equals 159 calories, 4 g fat (2 g saturated fat), 0 cholesterol, 172 mg sodium, 29 g carbohydrate, 2 g fiber, 2 g protein. Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 fruit, 1/2 fat.

Originally published as Light Strawberry Pie in Simple & Delicious July/August 2006, p54

Bean Casserole for 4th of July

1/2 pound  bacon, diced
1/2 pound  ground beef
1 cup  chopped onion
1 (28  ounce) can pork and beans
1 (17  ounce) can lima beans, rinsed and drained
1 (16  ounce) can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup  barbecue sauce
1/2 cup  ketchup
1/2 cup  granulated sugar
1/2 cup  firmly packed brown sugar
2  tablespoons molasses
1 teaspoon  salt
1/2  teaspoon chili powder
 
Heat oven  to 350 degrees F.
 
In a  skillet over medium-high heat, cook bacon, beef and onion until meat is brown  and onion is tender. Remove from heat and drain. Place in greased  casserole
dish. Add  beans and mix well.
 
In a  separate bowl, combine barbecue sauce, ketchup, sugars, mustard, molasses, salt,  and chili powder and stir into beef mixture. Cover and bake for  45
minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer, or until browned and  bubbly.
 
Serves 12  as a side dish.
 
If serving  this savory baked dish as a main course, offer hot corn bread and a green salad  to make a full meal.   Enjoy.

Cherry Cola Salad

Serves: 4 
Preparation Time: 2 hr 
Ingredients 


   • 40 ounces can dark pitted cherries
   • 3 ounces package cherry gelatin 
   • 20 ounces crushed pineapple 
   • 1 cup cola 
   • 1 / 2 cup pecans, chopped 


Instructions 
   1.  Heat cherries and their juiceto boiling. 
  
   2.  Remove from heat and add gelatin. Stir. 
  
   3.  Add pineapple, juice and all.  Pour in coke and nuts.  Pour into an oiled 6-cup mold. 
  
   4.  Let cool, then refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set.  Serve cold. 

Watermelon Mint Pops

Great idea, good for you and your body! 

There isn’t anything more refreshing in the summer than popsicles, especially homemade ones with fresh fruit.

This busy mom is short on time and these watermelon-mint pops are a great way to “cheat” and make homemade popsicles in a flash. This recipe doesn’t require any “blending” or freezing. All you do is make a simple lime and mint leaf juice to soak the watermelon in so that it takes on a bit of the flavors. Then, let them drip-dry and enjoy!

I recommend eating them outdoors on a hot summer day and let the juices drip all over your chin into the grass.

This does require the use of popsicle sticks or tongue depressors. If you can’t get your hands on some tongue depressors, you can make larger wedges. When using popsicle sticks, I recommend cutting thinner and smaller wedges.

Ingredients

1/4 watermelon, sliced
1/4 cup lime juice
1 bunch mint leaves, chopped
Popsicle sticks or tongue depressors

Directions

• Cut the watermelon into wedges and thinly slice (about 1/4-1/3 inch thick rind) into “popsicles.”

• In a shallow baking dish, gently whisk together the lime juice with 1 cup of water and stir in the mint leaves.

• Place the wedges into the lime juice and let soak for a few minutes. Flip them over and let the other side soak. Remove them from the juice and let the juice drip off.

• Insert the popsicle stick or tongue depressor into the center of the rind. Make a thin slit with a knife to make it easier to press the popsicle stick in.

• Take outside and enjoy a refreshing, homemade “cheater” popsicle!

What’s your favorite way to make homemade popsicles?

Source: http://scjohnson.com/en/family/family-economics/food-for-thought/12-06-01/Watermelon-Mint-Pops.aspx

Potato Taco Casserole

1/2 lb ground beef 
1 pkg au gratin potatoes 
2 1/4 cups boiling water 
2/3 cup milk 
1 cup shredded taco-seasoned cheese 
1 cup coarsely broken tortilla chips 


Heat oven to 400 degrees. 


Cook beef in 10 inch skillet over medium heat 8 to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until brown; drain. Mix uncooked potatoes, sauce mix, boiling water and milk in ungreased 2 quart round casserole. Stir in beef and 1/2 cup of the cheese. 


Bake uncovered about 30 minutes or until top is light golden brown. Sprinkle chips over casserole; sprinkle remaining cheese over chips. Bake 3 to 5 minutes longer or until cheese is melted. Let stand 2 minutes before serving. 


Makes 5 servings. 

Cranberry Pineapple Salad

• Prep:               15 min. + chilling
   • Yield:                 12 Servings


   • 2 packages (3 ounces each )raspberry gelatin
   • 1-3/4 cups boiling water
   • 1 can (14 ounces) jellied cranberry sauce
   • 1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple, undrained
   • 3/4 cup orange juice
   • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
   • 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
   • Lettuce leaves
   • Miracle Whip

Directions
In a bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water.
Break up and stir in cranberry sauce.
Add pineapple, orange juice and lemon juice.
Chill until partially set.
Stir in nuts. Pour into an 11-in. x 7-in. dish. Chill until firm.  Cut into squares; serve each on a lettuce leaf and top with a dollop of Miracle Whip. Yield: 12 servings.




Nutritional               Facts 1 serving (1 piece) equals 224 calories, 10 g fat (1 g             saturated fat), 3 mg cholesterol, 91 mg sodium, 32 g             carbohydrate, 1 g fiber, 3 g protein.
Originally           published as Cranberry Pineapple Salad in Taste of HomeOctober/November 1993, p33