Maggie's World...
Hello, everyone. With the holiday season upon us, many of us will be doing some serious entertaining. Maybe you will not have folks into your home, but you may very well be asked to participate in a function where bringing an appetizer is required. Heck...maybe you??™re gonna be a sweet co-worker and treat the office to something nice. In any case, I have a few appetizer recipes for busy folks. I have also included a few for ???heart healthy??? eating (wouldn??™t hurt any of us to try that). I hope you enjoy this little surprise, as well as all the other goodies in today??™s issue.
I hope you have a great day. Remember: take a moment to smile as you pass others. And, smiling when you answer the phone is also nice as it is received on the other end, sight unseen. Try it!
Enjoy!
Ramblings...
INNER PEACE?
Shared by: Larry Holmes, Ontario, Canada
Someone sent me an article that said the way to achieve inner peace is to finish things you've started. It is definitely working for me. I am now making a point of always finishing what I start, and I think I am well on my way toward finding inner peace. Because I care for you, I am passing this wisdom on to you.
Here are the things that I have finished today:
* Two bags of potato chips
* A strawberry cheesecake
* A package of Oreo's
* A bottle of wine
* A small box of chocolates
* And a bottle of tequila.
I think this really works, because I feel better already!!!
Pass this along to everyone you know who may need Inner Peace
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Did You Know?...
Need some ways to get milk into your daily nutrition plan?
Try making creamed soups, chowders, creamed vegetables, mashed potatoes, scalloped dishes, souffl?©s, beverages, desserts such as custards and bread puddings, breads, cakes, rolls, etc, salad dressings, puddings and sauces, cereals. So, you don't necessarily have to drink a glass of milk to get the benefits of the calcium!
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Crazy Corner...
Boudreaux and the Water Moccasin
Shared by: Linda, CA
(You might not be familiar with Cajun talk, but I think you will get the idea.)
Boudreaux been fishin down by de bayou all day an he done run outa night crawlers. He be bout reddy to leave when he seen a snake wit a big frog in his mout. He knowed dat dem big bass fish like frogs, so he decided to steal dat froggie.
Dat snake, he be a cotton moufed water moccasin so he had to be real careful or he'd get bit. He snuk up behine de snake and grabbed him roun de haid. Dat ole snake dint lak dat one bit. He squirmed and wrapped hisself roun Boudreauxs arm tryn to get hisself free. But Boudreaux, him, had a real good grip on his haid, yeh.
Well, Boudreaux pried his mouf open and got de frog and puts it in his baitcan. Now, Boudreaux knows dat he caint let go dat snake or his gonna bite him good, but he had a plan. He reach into de back pocket of his bib overhauls and pulls out a pint a moonshine likker. He pour some draps into de snakes mouf.
Well, dat snaks eyeballs roll back in his haid and his body go limp. Wit dat Boudreaux toss dat snake into de bayou. Den he goes back to fishin.
A while later Boudreaux dun feel sumpin tappin on his barefoot toe. He slowly look down and dare dat water moccasin was, with two frogs.
Killing Time
Shared by: Shirley, Bellingham, WA
A cop was patrolling at night in a well-known spot called, "Lovers' Lane." He sees a couple in a car, with the interior light brightly glowing. The cop carefully approaches the car to get a closer look. Then he sees a young man behind the wheel, reading a computer magazine. He immediately notices a young woman in the rear seat, knitting. Puzzled by this surprising situation, the cop walks to the car and gently raps on the driver's window.
The young man lowers his window ... "Uh, yes, officer?" "What are you doing?" "Well, isn't it obvious? I'm reading a magazine, sir." Pointing towards the young woman in the back seat, the cop says: "And her, what is she doing?" The young man shrugs: "Sir, I believe she's knitting a pullover sweater." Now, the cop is totally confused. A young couple, alone, in a car, at night ... in a lovers' lane, and nothing obscene is happening!
"What's your age, young man?" "I'm 25, sir..." "And her ... what's her age?" The young man looks at his watch and replies: "She'll be 18 in 20 minutes..."
Overqualified for the job?
Shared by: Larry, Ontario, Canada
A woman went to a Florida lemon grove to apply for a job, but the foreman thought she seemed way too qualified for the position.
"Do you even have any actual experience picking lemons?" he asked.
"Well, I think I do." she replied. "I've been divorced three times."
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Easy Appetizers...
BACON-WRAPPED ALMOND-STUFFED DATES
2 dozen pitted dates
2 dozen whole blanched almonds
12 slices bacon, cut in thirds
2 dozen toothpicks
Preheat oven to 450?° F. Stuff an almond into the center of each date, where the pit used to be. Wrap each date with a section of bacon and pierce with a toothpick to hold bacon ends together. Place dates on a baking sheet and bake for 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how crispy you like your bacon. The stuffed dates get very hot, so be careful when eating them to avoid burning your mouth.
Makes 2 dozen.
BUBBLY CHEESE BITES
1 C. mayonnaise
1 C. sharp Cheddar cheese
1/2 C. Parmesan cheese
2 t. finely chopped onion
1 small can chopped black olives
1/2 t. garlic to taste
Cocktail rye bread
Combine the mayonnaise, cheeses, onion, olives and garlic salt. Mix together and spread on cocktail rye bread.
Put under the broiler for a few minutes, until cheese bubbles.
BLUE CHEESE, GRAPE AND WALNUT SPREAD
1 C. walnut halves
2 C. (8 ounces) crumbled blue cheese
2 T. Port or dry sherry
2 T. heavy whipping cream
1 C. seedless red grapes, rinsed and patted dry
Walnut halves and grapes for garnish (optional)
In an ungreased heavy skillet, over medium heat, toast walnuts, stirring constantly, until golden, about 3 minutes. They should have lost their raw taste. Immediately transfer to a bowl to cool. After about 5 minutes, coarsely chop walnuts. Set aside.
In a food processor, blend cheese, Port and cream to a smooth paste. Add grapes. Pulse until grapes are chopped and distributed throughout mixture. Scrape mixture into a serving bowl. Stir in chopped nuts.
Cover tightly and refrigerate 30 minutes to overnight. Serve cool or at room temperature, garnished with walnut halves and grapes. Serve with crackers or vegetables.
Makes 3 cups.
STRAWBERRY SUPREME CHEESECAKE DIP
16 oz. cream cheese softened
1/2 C. fresh or frozen strawberries
1/4 C. sugar
1/4 C. sour cream
1 T. orange liqueur
1 t. vanilla
Process cream cheese, sugar, strawberries, sour cream, liqueur and vanilla in a food processor or blender until very smooth. Chill at least 2 hours.
Serve with your favorite choice of dippers.
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Heart Healthy Appetizers...
LOW-FAT MOCK DEVILED EGGS
6 hard-boiled eggs
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 can (16-oz) garbanzo beans (chickpeas), rinsed and drained
2 tablespoon nonfat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons nonfat sour cream
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
2 tablespoons minced green onion
1/4 teaspoon ground paprika
Remove shells from eggs. Halve eggs lengthwise; remove and discard the yolks. In a small bowl, dissolve sugar in vinegar. Rinse the chickpeas and drain thoroughly. In a food processor or blender, combine chickpeas, sugar mixture, mayonnaise, sour cream, mustard, pepper, onions and clove and blend until smooth. Spoon mixture into egg whites or fill using a fluted pastry bag. Sprinkle with paprika, if desired, and refrigerate until ready to serve.
This recipe removes 3 grams of fat and adds 6 grams of protein and 7 grams of dietary fiber.
Makes 12 Servings
Serving Size: 1/2 egg
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 151
Total fat: 2 grams
Saturated fat: trace
Cholesterol: trace
Sodium: 70 mg
Carbohydrate: 24 grams
Protein: 9 grams
Dietary fiber: 7 grams
ROAST BEEF AND CREAM CHEESE ROLLS
3 large flour tortillas
1/2 cup reduced-fat cream cheese
1/2 cup fat-free cream cheese
9 slices deli roast beef
1 (8 ounce) can mild green chili
2 cups alfalfa sprouts or radish sprouts
Combine reduced-fat and fat-free cream cheese and mix well. Spread 1/3 of the cream cheese mixture on each tortilla and top with 3 slices of roast beef. Place 1/3 of the green chili and 1/3 the alfalfa sprouts on top of the roast beef. Tightly roll each tortilla and place seam side down on a cutting board. Using a serrated knife, slice each tortilla into 6 slices.
Makes 6 Servings
Serving Size: 3 slices
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 204
Total fat: 6 grams (29% of calories)
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Cholesterol: 15 mg
Sodium: 473 mg
Carbohydrate: 26 grams (51% of calories)
Protein: 11 grams (21% of calories)
Dietary fiber: 2 grams
Exchanges per serving:
Starch/Bread 1 1/2
Lean Meat 1
Vegetable 1/2
Fruit 0
Non-fat Milk 0
Fat 1
Other Carbohydrate 0
SAUSAGE STUFFED MUSHROOMS
1 pound ground Italian turkey sausage
1 pound fresh mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1 1/2 cups reduced fat cheddar cheese, shredded
Rinse mushrooms and pat dry. Remove stems and finely chop. Brown turkey sausage in a large nonstick skillet, drain fat and blot browned turkey with a paper towel. Add garlic, parsley, mushroom stems and heat through. Stir in cheese and mix well. Fill mushroom caps with sausage mixture and place in a shallow baking dish. Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve with toothpicks.
Makes 24 Servings
Serving Size: 1 filled mushroom
Nutrients per serving:
Calories: 75
Total fat: 6 grams
Saturated fat: 3 grams
Cholesterol: 18 mg
Sodium: 56 mg
Carbohydrate: 1 gram
Protein: 5 grams
Dietary fiber: trace
HEART-HEALTHY FRUIT BALL
16 ounces fat-free cream cheese, softened
2 (15 1/4 ounce) cans fruit cocktail in own juice, drained and chopped fine
1 (5 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding mix
1/4 cup almonds, chopped and toasted
In a medium-size mixing bowl, mix together cream cheese, fruit cocktail and instant pudding mix. Shape mixture into a ball, then roll in almonds. Serve with graham crackers.
Makes 32 servings.
Approximate values per serving: 50 calories, 1 g fat, 2 mg cholesterol, 3 g protein, 9 g carbohydrates, 0 fiber, 112 mg sodium, 11 percent calories from fat
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