A great weekend comes to a close...

... and I am exhausted. Happy, but exhausted. Much loved an appreciated family came into town this weekend, and in typical "me" style I planned menus and cooked up a storm. They left satisfied, so I guess I did my "job." I really didn't push myself too hard - the menu left itself open to socializing as well as working. And, lets be real here, I love making a fuss for people in the kitchen. I made tomato soup and panini on Friday night, pizza on the grill Saturday (Love that FL winter weather), and for breakfast this morning I made waffles and scrambled eggs.

Although we didn't have this today, it would have been a perfect addition to a guest brunch. Especially this time of year, people like to eat healthy. This is easily accomplished by eating fresh (versus processed). Today, we piled fresh, halved strawberries on top of our waffles - but a side of fruit salad would have been just as apropos.

I'm sorry that this one is short. We have had one HECK of a week over here, and the old blogging energy is a little low today. Next week is finals, but hopefully I'll be able to sneak in another post before the week's out. That is, unless, we have another unexpected drama pop up early.

Berry-Pom fruit salad

Blackberries (or any sort of berry, really)
"clementine" orange segments (readily available during winter)
banana
Pomegranates

Dressing: lemonade (enough to coat fruit), touch of honey (sweeten to desired taste and calorie level), and a couple of pinches of garam masala. Mix well, then pour over fruit. The Pomegranate idea came from a middle-eastern family that I used to tutor for, as did the garam masala. It adds an interesting complexity and depth to an otherwise predictable fruit salad!

It doesn't hurt that it's pretty too.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta and Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes

Tomato Bruschetta and Caprese are two of my most favorite things in the world. There's just something about that balsamic and tomato combo that sets my taste buds on fire. The juiciness of the fruit, sweet undertones in the flesh, and then tartness of the balsamic blends indescribably well. Really, it's such a simple pleasure that packs an unbelievable punch. Bruschetta is one of those things that varies greatly between recipes. Meat or vegetarian, cheese or dairy free, crusty or soft bread, Balsamic Vinegar or reduction...the neat thing about bruschetta is that the sky is the limit in creativity.

I started experimenting with my own by creating a finely chopped caprese. Which was okay - but I felt it was lacking. I mean, if I wanted a caprese, I was going to make a caprese. To balance the bread I wanted a depth of flavor that I wasn't quite getting with the relatively bland mozzarella. I thought I had it licked when I discovered balsamic reduction in a restaurant - but that was a very difficult thing to replicate. I was about ready to give up on making the perfect bruschetta, aside from my Mexican Variety.

During our Portland trip, I managed to pick up a mortar and pestle at a cooking store. I'd wanted one for so long, and I was just dying to try it out. One Sunday after we came back home, I was faced with fresh tomatoes, basil, and an idea. What if I were to crush some spices in the mortar and pestle, make a sort of paste, and then form that into a dressing? My Bruschetta was born.
The neat thing about this recipe and method is that you get an even dispersement of garlic/onion/balsamic/salt in every bite. You pound the flavors into submission so every taste is balanced. The vinegar soaks into the garlic, and the olive oil coats throughout - so you don't get that oil/vinegar division you sometimes see in a caprese. The mushrooms add a heaviness to the dish that leaves you feeling completely satisfied - this is a suitable meal and a wonderful appetizer.

Portobello Mushroom Bruschetta for 2-3 (or a really hungry tomato loving one):
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 Tablespoon chopped yellow onion.
1 Tablespoon fresh basil (or I cheated and used this, and it was surprisingly WONDERFUL! In the ingredients, it lists basil, marjoram, parsley, oregano, and thyme as the herbs included)
1 teaspoon of salt (you can add more at the end if you need more).
1 Tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
2 Tablespoons good balsamic vinegar
5 small (vine ripened) tomatoes
3 portobello mushroom caps.

In the oven, bake the mushroom caps at 350 until soft. If desired, sprinkle olive oil and a pinch of salt over the top before baking. Be careful to use a baking dish with sides, as the mushrooms will release water and that will make a smoky mess! My alarm company was not impressed.

Take mushrooms out and set aside.

In mortar and pestle, crush the garlic and onion together. Add salt and blend/smoosh. Add basil. Continue blending and smooshing. That's a technical term. It's also an indie band (the things you learn about on wiki - I was just trying to be a smartie pants.)

When everything is nicely combined, add olive oil, and blend, then add balsamic, and stir/smoosh until everything is well combined. Let sit.

Chop mushrooms into small pieces and place into a separate bowl.

Seed tomatoes and chop, then add to the mushrooms.

Pour mixture out of the mortar and pestle into the mushrooms and tomatoes. TASTE! Add balsamic, salt, and course ground pepper to taste.

Now, the bruschetta was wonderful, but (as a typical woman) - I wanted more.

Rustic Pan Fried Potatoes for 2-3

4-5 Red potatoes
1 small onion
1 Tablespoon olive oil
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 teaspoons dried rosemary
2 teaspoons rubbed sage
course salt and pepper to taste (this puppy takes a lot of salt).
Water as needed.

Dice onions, mince garlic, and chop potatoes.

Place the Olive Oil in a pan set at medium. Toss in onions and garlic and let sizzle for a minute or so.
Add potatoes. Let the potatoes get a nice, pretty, brown color to them.

Add in spices, a dash of water for steam, and cover. Turn down to low.

Let potatoes cook until desired softness. Add more water if vegetables begin to burn and stick undesirably to the bottom.

Add salt and pepper to taste. Optional: a little lemon juice would probably add a nice complexity.

I served this with the 15 Minute French bread, this time made with bread flour instead of all purpose. I liked this better. It was heartier and the loaf held up better. I think I will try this in a loaf pan to see if I can get a good sandwich bread.

One last thing -all of these dishes can be made with significantly less oil for the fat conscious. The bruschetta flavors are most intensely balsamic vinegar and salt - the olive oil just acts to balance it. You could skip part or all, but be aware that there will be very little counteracting the bitterness of the balsamic. Keep this in mind as you add it to the tomatoes. In the potatoes, since you use the water to steam, you could use a little organic spray oil to coat the pan and keep it from sticking. You could also use a non-stick pan and eliminate the need for the oil all together. However, without oil, you won't get the pretty and tasty brown crust on the potatoes. It's a tradeoff, and it depends on how strict your diet is.

The easiest party dish ever.

Now grab a tortilla chip and dig in. Yum.

I had to bring in a "covered dish" for a summer staff development. Because of my own dietary needs, it also had to be low fat, vegetarian, and hearty enough to hold me if everyone else brought a meat dish.

I immediately thought of the layered bean dip I adopted from my mother. Now, she got this from a friend in Hawaii, and you have to be aware that this is a dish you can make as fatty or as healthy as you want. In my opinion (and the discerning taste of my husband) - the lighter version is just as delicious. Considering that it was completely eaten up before I left - I'd say that my fellow teachers didn't mind it either.

Layered Bean Dip

1 can re fried beans or bean dip (I use Old El Paso Fat Free).
2-3 avocados smashed with lime juice
1 Package Taco Seasoning (make your own?)
1 16 oz-ish tub of sour cream (I use fat free - you can use Greek yogurt, but it's not as good)
Diced tomatoes
Shredded cheese (I use 2% Mexican generally, never go fat free - it's terrible)
1 small can of sliced olives
3 scallions, thinly sliced in rings
jalepeno if you like them.

(1) Mix the tub of sour cream and taco seasoning together. Let sit for a while. It's fine to whip it up the night before - the longer it sits the better. In fact, if you get going and realize that the tub is just "too much" for the plate that you are making - keep the rest and use it as a vegetable dip. It's wonderful!

(1) Grab a large plate. Any shape, varied sizes, you will make the dip to it! I get the smaller of the two pizza pans I have (maybe 20 inches in diameter?), put down some aluminum foil to cover the holes (and make for easy clean up), and use that. I always have a little rim of plate around. To make it pretty, you can push chips in the sides at serving time to give the dip a fun "border." Even prettier with colored chips.

(3) Spread the beans down first, then the avocado mixture, followed by the sour cream. I like to leave the avocados more chunky (I like big hunks of avocado on my chips), but this is to your taste. I suggest trying the three bottom layers to decide what flavor suits you, and decide on proportions for that. The sour cream mixture is salty, so I wouldn't make that layer TOO thick.

(4) Now comes the tomatoes. Again, to your taste. I love how the tomatoes balance the salty flavor of the sour cream, so I use a fair amount here.

(5) The cheese, more means more calories, so you adjust to what you need.

(6) The final ingredients on top, to taste. (7) Enjoy with a good corn chip. I love Kettle's or Garden of Eatin's

For us, this is a completely reasonable dinner - especially during football season!

Two vegetarian finds.

My husband is a fake-meat phobe. Seriously. When we became vegetarians, his one stipulation was that I don't try to force "matrix meat" into him. Consequently, I mostly try to cook without it.

A good friend (vegetarian) had a super bowl party. She had this chili dip that I tasted (thinking that it had no meat), and found myself a little upset that I tasted hamburger. Later, I heard her say it had no meat, and that she used a Boca crumble. The husband and I enthusiastically agreed that we couldn't tell the difference.

A bit later, I read about how wonderful these frozen vegan riblets were. I got a little curious and bought them one day - and low and behold - they WERE good. They taste remarkably like meat, the sauce is wonderful, and they're way low in points weight watcher points (I want to say 3 or so, but double check if you're on weight watchers).

Well, the vegan riblets went over so well, I decided to try the meatballs. And you know what? They were really good too! And only two points per serving (6 whole meatballs)!

This has given me the gumption to try seitan, which is on the menu for this week (oh...I really should get back into doing that on here...mental note). My husband is definitely feeling more open to them, so I better capitalize.

As an aside, the Tofurky franks are pretty much awful. Don't even bother.

In a hurry...

The summer is coming to a close. Which means the kids are headed back to preschool, I am trying to wrap up loose ends around the house, and I'm pulling out all my materials for the school year.

I have some new tools that I desperately want to share with you, but for today I will simply share a find.

Furikake is a Japanese rice seasoning made with a variety of ingredients. I choose the one with no meat products in it - so nori (seaweed), flavoring, and sesame seeds. If you're like me, and never quite developed a taste for soy sauce over rice, or you just want something different, this is a great fine. It's sort of like sushi in a jar.

For the last couple of days, I've been taking a cup of rice (4 points) and chopping up things to go on top, then flavoring with furikake. Think of it like a sushi bowl instead of rolled. Tasty, healthy, and easy on the diet.

You can find it in many Asian food stores or online. Just Google "furikake" and you will see what I mean.

I have a work thing tomorrow, but maybe I will be able to scoot in and talk about this chunky, rustic homemade tomato sauce I created with two of my new favorite tools.

Hey...it makes up 70% of the Earth.

And it makes your body work, so why not drink more of it?

Because it's BORING, that's why.

I like FLAVOR. TASTE. ZING. PASSION ON MY TASTEBUDS.

While nothing beats water when "glistening" and working hard, to drink it otherwise just doesn't pass the muster. The problem is that everything else (a) has calories and (b) isn't as good for you. I won't do the diet soda business. There's only so much caffeine a sane person can handle. So, what to do?

Flavor your water!

I had some mint left over, so I tore up a couple of leaves and tossed them into my Klean Kanteen. Then I added ice and water, as usual, and let it sit.

FLAVOR. TASTE. ZING. PASSION ON MY TASTEBUDS.

Not a mint fan, or don't have the herb? Cucumbers, lemon, lime, berries, and rosemary are all good options. Think a very light tea, and that's the intensity of the flavor. Not overpowering, but still tasty.

I'd been putting cucumbers and lemons in my water for a while. I'd never thought of mint. For the life of me, I cannot remember where I got that idea - but it WORKS.

In other kitchen news, I finally got my LARGE LOAF PANS. YAY! I'm going to try that 15 minute bread recipe in those to see if I can get some sandwich bread. That is a completely sustainable bread recipe that I can use even when I am working. I'm sort of focused on the bread as a new blog I've picked up recently wrote an article about it. I have a renewed interest in my bread quest of old.

I also have some low fat tortillas on the horizon. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe not. It'll be a surprise. Heh.

A little vacation...

June 30th. Have I really been away so long? I apologize!

In celebration of the holiday, I took a little break. I was feeling sort of "blah" - uninspired if you will. The joy of cooking is so much less when mixed with the joy of weight loss. I have to re-focus my efforts into low calorie, low fat, high flavor, foods. It's taking me a moment to re-center myself, but I do think I'm onto something.

I am enjoying the process of creating homemade salad dressings. My most recent attempt was a ginger-citrus that was "eh." However, I like the intensity of flavor in homemade dressings. I think I will start experimenting with ingredients in this arena.

The most recent healthy endeavor was re-creating my pizza recipe. I made a pizza that was roughly 7 points, or around 350 calories. It was filling, tasty, and wonderful! Made with wholesome bread flour, vegetables, and fresh mozzarella. When I say roughly - that means it ACTUALLY adds up to 6 (4 for the crust, 2 for the cheese, 0 for the veggies and sauce). However, for the small variances I added a point - just to be safe!

All I did was omit the oil (completely) in the crust. After I kneaded as directed, I placed the dough in the bowl and sprayed oil over the top . I let it rest, and then divided the pizzas into 8 servings (instead of 4). I carefully spread out each ball into a disk, and then I let it rise for around another 30 minutes before I put them on the grill. Confident of my pizza skills, I cooked four at a time. For my pizza, I sprinkled some diced tomatoes, mushrooms, green peppers, onions, and exactly one ounce of FRESH mozzarella cheese. I sliced this very thin so I could disperse it around the pizza quite carefully and evenly.

If you are wondering about how it turned out - my husband reported that it was the best pizza ever. Better than any I had ever made before. Apparently the oil and extra fats were not as necessary as I had thought.

SO, if you're watching your caloric intake - and want to try some excellent pizza, this is a good option.

Almost down a week!

On Thursday morning I will weigh in. I have been PERFECT this week - it hasn't even been hard to stay within the allotted points. It helps that I'm not keeping around all the processed foods that I have used in the past - like, those 2 point cupcakes. Since they were "just" two points - I would eat them and think nothing of it. Then I wouldn't have enough points left over for a nutritious dinner. The no meat thing definitely helps too. I'm not trying to measure out ounces of chicken and beef.

Whatever, I am looking forward to seeing what the nutritious eating and consistent daily exercise will bring. If nothing else, I'm proud of myself. So, that's cool.

Dinner tonight is a wonderful salad with a touch of vinegar, and topped with a generous amount of mango salsa. A TERRIBLY EASY, healthy, bonus:

Mango Salsa:

1 mango
1/2 of a small red pepper
1/4 of a large red onion,
1 Tablespoon of cilantro
1/2 lime
1/2 teaspoon honey (omit-able, I did).

Mix together and enjoy! Bet if it sits for 10 minutes or so.

Wonderful over a salad or eaten with chips, but in my meat-eating days I would put it over the top of tilapia. I've also been known to eat it with a spoon!

Grillin' veggies.

With mushrooms on sale this week, I wanted an easy way to incorporate them that was low in calories, fun, and different. I realized that I hadn't ever shish kabobed veggies - and that's SUCH an easy way to cook them. Tell me that THIS doesn't look good.

Oh. It gets even better. That's pineapple, baby. Grilled pineapple. Which is, like, pineapple from heaven.

It made an afternoon like this...

...feel almost fiesta like.

The best part? The whole meal (two shish kabobs, dip, corn, and two pineapple slices) was only 2.5 Weight Watcher points. That comes out to less than 150 calories. AND I'm full.

So, how to make it?

Kabobs: I made mine veggie style, but you could toss a chicken breast, steak, or shrimp on too. Just make sure that you keep the meat marinated, even in cube sizes, and make DOUBLE sure that you keep the veggies on their own kabob (they cook at a different rate). Shrimp cook best if you double skewer them, so they form a little "c."

Dip: I took about a half cup of PLAIN fat free yogurt and tossed in a tablespoon of chopped cilantro and half of a lime. Then I added garlic powder (it was what I had on hand, fresh would be better) and cumin to taste. The husband and I each got a 1/4 cup of it. Corn: I tossed it right on the grill and turned it. I can deal with corn with no butter - in my mind it slides right off anyway. I just salt mine, and that seems to do what the butter does.

Pineapple: To grill pineapple, first you must cut. Slice the top and the bottom off. Then work your way around the edge slicing the pineapple skin off, top to bottom. When the skin is cut off, cut down the middle, from top to bottom. Take each half, cut wedges, again top to bottom. In the middle of each pineapple is the hard core, cut that off like you would an apple. Then just toss the pineapple right on the grill long enough to get the pretty grill marks.

Really, it was so healthy, and SO good. One of my new go-to meals when I've overdone earlier in the day.

Heaven Healthy.

Imagine the most luscious dessert you have ever had. Chocolate fudge cake, or something drenched in caramel. My husband's favorite is key lime pie or carrot cake. Me? I can't say I have a favorite. However, I never met a cookie I didn't like.

When I find something I love, that is also healthy, I do a little mental jig. I mean, lets face it, eating healthy isn't always FUN. At least not when you have to limit fat and calories. I love a good piece of bread. I could make a meal out of bread - but even those simple delicacies are limited when trying to lose a few pounds.

So when I found THIS absolute luscious combination - heavenly AND weight loss friendly - I was thrilled. I mean, at that moment where I was enjoying my parfait, you could have put even the most wonderful of cookies in front of me. All I would have said was "no thanks," between my mouthfuls.

This is so simple - but I think what makes it delicious is the freshness and quality of the ingredients.

1 cup of yogurt (I used Stoneyfield Farm's Organic Fat Free Vanilla.)

1 cup of fruit (fresh, right now the raspberries are out and flavorful, and I have been taking advantage of them.)

1/4 - 1/2 cup granola. (I like Bear Naked fit Vanilla Almond Crunch, 1/4 cup).

Nutritional info
Calories: 364
Fat: 3.3
Fiber: 11
Sugar: 41.4
Weight Watcher Points: 7

Now, you can reduce the calorie and point load by using plan yogurt instead of the vanilla. The parfait is perfect for breakfast or lunch. It usually leaves me feeling very satisfied for hours in the day.

Tomorrow I might make one pretty and post a picture. They're simple and fun to dress up.

Good Day, Sunshine.

I've had the most fantastic weekend. It was perfect,wonderful, happy, and joyous.

What did I do?

Well, I stayed home, of course!

My life is really hectic. I work early (7 AM), and leave work at any point between 3-4:30. Then I pick up the kids and do the Mommy thing until about 10 PM. I'm not saying this to gain sympathy - I know I'm right in the thick of it with all the other Moms out there. I'm more trying to get the proverbial "amen, sista!" My day is almost more hectic when I get home. As soon as we walk in the door we wash our hands (who knows what kid came to school with which virus that day), get milk, then dinner, then I start dinner for the ball and chain. Oops, someone spilled their applesauce. Oh wait, no you cant have any fruit snacks until you finish those chicken nuggets. Then Daddy walks in the door and it's like I don't exist, until they realize they're hungry again. Then it's playtime, an apple, playtime, an orange, more playtime, clean time, more apples? Nope. Too late. Then baths, books, bedtime, lunches, laundry, cleanup, and a "do I know you?" to my husband.

So, a weekend like this, where I went no where (except for Lowe's), got some sun (tan lines to prove it, my dermatologist would NOT approve), and watched the kids play in their new kiddie pool, seems like a trip to the Bahamas. Well, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it's close.

Now, we did do some productive things. I finally got around to planting my herb garden (two kinds of basil, dill, chives, and mint). I got caught up on laundry (we took a weekend away recently and I haven't been caught up since!) And, I did some cooking.

On Friday I made these, which is yet another wonderful thing to do with rice. Excellent, excellent, and totally modifiable. I ended up adding some lime juice and cayenne pepper. Made some fresh guacamole to go on top, along with some Newman's Own salsa, the husband was a happy camper. I also ended up making this rice dish, which is now 48 hours old (in the fridge) and tastes better each day.

Saturday I made these cookies, which will forever be called the cookies that I will never make again. Oh, don't get me wrong, they were excellent. I just can't have them in the house ever again. The frosting was screaming to be used on scones. I will have to remember it for that. I'm thinking a nice cranberry walnut scone (or muffin) with the orange frosting/glaze.

Today, I made pizza on the grill and pasta salad. Usually, I like to make a good leftover dinner on Sunday. However, the nice weather just screamed for our grill, so I gave in. We still have some rice pilaf but we needed something else for lunches. So, I made my pasta salad.

Practically Fat free Pasta Salad:

(1) Boil 1 lb of pasta (as instructions dictate). I like tri-colored rotini, but monotone and bow ties will do fine. I don't care for macaroni or ziti-like pasta for this, it doesn't grab the dressing as well. Drain in colander, rinse with cold water, and place in large bowl. Add 1/8 cup olive oil.

(2) Chop and add your vegetables. Now, this is where YOU can get creative. In today's bowl, I added:

• 2 small tomatoes, seeded and chopped.
• 1 large cucumber, seeded and chopped
• 1 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 large green pepper, seeded, and finely diced
• 1 1/2 dill pickles chopped
• 1 can large black olives, cut in half

YOU can add whatever you like and have on hand. Some ideas include carrots, celery, baby corn, corn kernels, feta cheese, Parmesan cheese, artichoke hearts, sun dried tomatoes, black beans, kidney beans, ham, turkey, shrimp, the sky is the limit! I just wouldn't add chickpeas as they tend to get dried out and not good. I also would caution the tomatoes and cucumbers - do NOT add without seeding first. Those "innards" of the cucumbers and tomatoes just bleed water into the salad. This will make it uneatable in the coming days.

(3) when all has been incorporated, add 1/4 cup water and two packets of zesty Italian dressing mix. Toss together, and add red wine vinegar to taste. If you want to add to the flavors, consider Brags Amino Acids, Chipotle Tabasco sauce, salt, pepper, garlic, and cilantro.

This makes a LARGE bowl of pasta salad that you can eat off for days. It is low in fat, diet friendly, and a great way to use up unused vegetables.

Now I must go back out and enjoy the last few minutes of my weekend. If your weekend was even half as wonderful as mine, you are lucky indeed. Hug your family, they're what you do this for.

Oink, Oink (save the pigs)

My very Midwestern husband and I decided to dabble in vegetarianism shortly after the Christmas Holiday. His "bad" cholesterol was steadily rising, and his triglycerides were through the roof. Needing to bring these numbers down (um, hello, not about to be a single mom to two if I can avoid it), I suggested trying our hand at no meat. We had been doing the moderation thing for some time (little to no red meat, avoiding meat some nights of the week), but it just wasn't working like we needed to. So, I looked a few things up online, discovered some research supporting vegetarianism, and presented it to my husband. I asked him to give me a month, he obliged. Unhappily.

Although it was feared to be a painful transition, it turns out that it's not that hard to give up meat. I got really good at cooking up beans: black, red, pinto, and even black eyed peas. We realized that (in most things) we didn't miss the meat. In fact, we recently went to a favorite Japanese Steak House - the kind where they cook your meal in front of you. We ordered the vegetable dinner and found ourselves barely able to complete the meal. On our way out I asked "how did we ever finish all that food!?" Neither of us knew.

After a month, we both felt better. We had more energy, and found our digestive tracks working a bit cleaner. We went to a church function, ate pot roast, and it felt so heavy in our stomachs. If all that wasn't enough, we have the chemistry to prove this lifestyle is better for us. J's triglycerides went down by some 50 points, his "bad cholesterol" is down to normal, and his overall cholesterol is down to 159 (from 180). No meds, no increased exercise. All we did was cut out the meat.

The only problem in this whole plan is that I now have to "reinvent" holidays. We have created some yummy traditions here. This includes ham on Easter, and it's one of my husbands most favorite meals.

For Easter this year, I combed the web for a suitable alternative. Of course, it occurred to me that I could still make eggs (we eat animal products - just no meat). What's more Easter than eggs? So, I found a quiche recipe, cheesy potatoes, and a spring salad. I then planned on carrot cake for dessert, and deviled eggs for a tasty after-church snack (I only had...oh...two dozen brightly colored hard boiled eggs to find a use for).

The quiche recipe wasn't all that great. I'd never made a quiche before, so this was a first. I don't think I cared for it all that much. It was had too many flavors competing for the same palate. I think the pesto and goat cheese would have been plenty. Or the pesto and tomatoes. Or the goat cheese and tomatoes. Not all three. I also wanted something meaty - like mushrooms - to balance all the flavor. I will say that my crust turned out amazing. Light and flaky. At some point, I will give my pie 101 course, and I will detail the ins and outs of a fantastic crust. In the mean time, I have to go against the perfect 5 start rating at all recipes and say this will not be a return show for us. At least not in it's current form.

The potatoes were "eh" as well. I love a good cheesy potato, and this just didn't do it for me. It was done before the potatoes were, and when I eat potatoes I like them really cooked. I like more creamy, less oily, and got the opposite. It also needed a lot of salt to be tasty enough. The salty flavor just didn't add the depth that I wanted from that heavy of a dish.

The salad was really good. Who would have thought that a dressing from ketchup would have been so tasty? We left out the bacon bits and croutons. Not only is it healthier that way, but I think there are more than enough flavors to make that salad without those two additives.

Finally, the carrot cupcakes. These were really good - full of good ingredients and tasty morsels. You mix the dry ingredients, wet ingredients + sugar, and all the additives (pineapple, walnuts, carrots, raisins, and coconut) in separate bowls. The bowl with additives was as large as the other bowls. It was all "guts" and I feared they would be too much for the batter. I was wrong. I topped with a very basic cream cheese frosting: stick of butter, 8 oz brick of cream cheese, cream with mixer. Add 4 cups confectioner's sugar and one teaspoon of vanilla, blend with mixer until creamy. I added frosting to a piping bag and swirled it on the top of each cupcake. Tasty AND beautiful! When I make them for guests in the future, I will need to add some sort of garnish. A beautiful orange twirl of carrot anchored in the frosting would be perfect.

So, I think it will be "back" to the drawing board next year. On the plus side the egg salad sandwiches have been OH so tasty. I also have a last minute tip for using all those hard boiled eggs: to add zip to your potato salad, egg salad, or deviled eggs: Tabasco sauce. It really gave a nice "punch" to the flavors that I wasn't expecting.