Subject: A to Z Recipes Newsletter 04-19-2006 - April19, 2006
A to Z Recipes Newsletter
April 19, 2006
To leave A to Z Recipes - see note at the end*. There is no web version of today's issue.
In This Issue
Publisher's Desk
Food For Thought
Ramblings
Did You Know?
Monthly Theme, Recipe Submissions
Reader Support
Birthday Babies
Crazy Corner
Recipe Favorites
Heart Healthy
Diabetic Choices
For Two
Publisher's Choice
Shopping A to Z Recipes Blog
Publisher's Desk
Good morning to all you fine folks. Welcome to your Wednesday edition of A to Z Recipes newsletter.
What weird weather we're having, huh? Doesn't matter where (in the States) you live, you're bound to have set some sort of record lately. For us, its the heat. Hottest its been here since 1987. With all that warmth you figure I'd be lapping up the air conditioning. Not. Covered up and freezing because I was the unwilling recipient of a bad cold (thanks, Angela). Folks at work said I sounded like a little boy on the radio. Luckily, I am off for a couple of days so I can stay right here and be miserable, lol.
We've gotten a couple more recipes in the monthly theme topic "Heirloom
Recipes". I know those who have submitted thus far must be proud to have shared recipes handed down to them from Grandma, Auntie, Mother, etc. I encourage you to gather any vintage recipes (they don't have to be passed down, just old and tried & true) and send them along using the special email link found in the
Monthly Theme section. As a matter of fact, since I have no recipes (as
yet) that have been handed down to me, I will be sharing old recipes in the
theme issue that are tried & true which I will be handing down to my kids!
This theme is for everyone so I hope you will participate.
You are in for a real treat today as Linda has a great issue filled with recipes and other tasty morsels. I will see you here on Sunday, God willing.
Hi from Linda in Michigan. This is one of the reasons I like living in Michigan.
Cherries. I love the tart cherries in pies or cakes. And I could eat sweet cherries by the handful…..and I do! The Traverse City area in Michigan is well known for their cherries. It is a beautiful area in the northern Lower Peninsula. We have vacationed there often. We are always amazed at the many ways they use cherries. Cherry sausage is wonderful….and I am not a real sausage fan. The nice thing about cherries is that you can use them canned, dried or fresh. I have found some recipes that use cherries in all those forms. Even the old standby…cherry pie filling. Enjoy!
Food For Thought
Here's hoping that Fancy is on the mend and back home soon!
Just a thought... something to feed your brain. Shared in each issue by Fancy in Aurora, Nebraska.
“When I sound the fairy call, gather here in silent meeting,
Chin to knee on the orchard wall, cooled with dew and cherries eating.
Merry, merry, take a cherry, mine are sounder, mine are rounder,
Mine are sweeter for the eater, when the dews fall, and you'll be fairies all.”
~Emily Dickinson
To Preserve Cherries
Take two pounds of cherries, one pound and a half of sugar, half a pint of fair water, melt some sugar in it; when it is melted, put in your other sugar and your cherries; then boil them softly, till all the sugar be melted; then boil them fast, and skim them; take them off two or three times and shake them, and put them on again, and let them boil fast; and when they are of a good colour, and the sirrup will stand, they are boiled enough.
~American Cookery by Amelia Simmon (1796)
Ramblings
LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF CHERRIES George Gershwin
People are queer, they're always crowing, scrambling and rushing about;
Why don't they stop someday, address themselves this way?
Why are we here? Where are we going? It's time that we found out.
We're not here to stay; we're on a short holiday.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; life's so mysterious.
You work, you save, you worry so,
But you can't take your dough when you go, go, go.
So keep repeating it's the berries,
The strongest oak must fall,
The sweet things in life, to you were just loaned
So how can you lose what you've never owned?
Life is just a bowl of cherries,
So live and laugh at it all.
Life is just a bowl of cherries.
Don't take it serious; it's too mysterious.
At eight each morning I have got a date,
To take my plunge 'round the Empire State.
You'll admit it's not the berries,
In a building that's so tall;
There's a guy in the show, the girls love to kiss;
Get thousands a week just for crooning like this:
Life is just a bowl of . . . aw, nuts!
So live and laugh at it all!
The leading producer of tart cherries is Michigan, producing 70 to 75 percent of the crop each year. The amount of tart cherries produced each year varies, depending on a number of factors, including the age of the trees and weather conditions. Generally, Michigan produces 200 to 250 million pounds of tart cherries; the U.S. crop is 275 to 350 million pounds.
Sweet cherries are grown primarily for fresh eating. The tart cherry, also called "red tart", "sour cherry", or Montmorency, is widely used for canning and processing to make jams, preserves, and pies. Tart cherry pie filling is the number one pie filling sold in the U.S. The name "Montmorency" refers to the most widely grown variety of tart cherries.
Tart cherries have a distinctive, bright red color. In fact, the same compounds that give tarts their color contain the antioxidant properties that researchers are investigating.
While sweet cherries are grown in several parts of the country, tarts are grown primarily in northwestern Michigan. Michigan has 3.8 million tart cherry trees. All of the recent research into the health benefits of cherries is referring to tart cherries.
Fun Facts from Cherry Republic
-Cherry Republic was founded in 1989 by Bob Sutherland. Bob started by selling a whimsical cherry tree logo t-shirt from the trunk of his car in college, and has spent the last ten years developing one of Northern Michigan's fastest growing businesses. We are now the world's largest exclusive retailer of cherry products
-Cherry Republic's World Headquarters in Glen Arbor are located in the heart of cherry country and comprise three buildings. The main store sells packaged goods and offers dozens of products to sample. The Cherry Bakery and Soda Fountain have fresh baked goods and cherry beverages. Seasonally, Cherry Republic employs 30 people
-Cherry Republic is nestled amidst the bustling artists' district in Glen Arbor, Michigan and is ideally located between Leland's historic Fishtown, and the magnificent Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore.
-Cherry Republic sells over 170 cherry products, including dried cherries, dried cherry and nut mixes, four varieties of chocolate covered dried cherries, jams, jellies, salsas, and barbeque sauce. Cherry Republic clothing items, including our original tree design t-shirt are available in our logo shop. Start shopping right here!
-Every year Cherry Republic provides nearly $50,000 in free samples in its Glen Arbor showroom and on the road to nearly a quarter-million customers
-During the summer months, a professional kitchen staff produce 40 varieties of baked goods on location in Glen Arbor. Included in our bakery are two variations of our world famous Boomchunka Cookie, cherry pies, turnovers, biscotti, cinnamon rolls, brownies, and more.
-Old English Style Perennial Gardens connect the three Glen Arbor buildings. Visitors can attend guided garden walks and learn about the 200 varieties of flowers, or wander the stone paths on their own as they explore our shops and taste our products.
-The Northwest Region of Michigan, Leelanau County, is the number one producer of Montmorency Red Tart Cherries in the country. There are over one million cherry trees in Leelanau County. Cherry Republic will use 1.25 million pounds of locally grown cherries in its products in 2000.
-Plenty of parking is available, and there is excellent access for bus tours as well as motorcycle, bicycle, and car club tours. We host approximately 500 to 1,000 cherry fans every day during peak seasons.
-Over 30,000 cherished mail order customers send Cherry Republic gifts to all 50 states and about a dozen foreign countries. In addition, dozens of businesses, including several major corporations, rely on Cherry Republic for corporate gifts. Orders arrive daily via mail, fax, phone, and internet, and are usually shipped within 24 hours, Monday-Friday
-Gift orders are handled with special care. Cherry Republic gift boxing is always free and includes special "Up North" touches of pinecones, birch bark and cedar sprigs.
-Our web site cherryrepublic.com is visited by thousands of people every month.
-Nearly 200 Midwestern specialty shops retail some of our products in their local communities
With Mother's Day coming up, we're looking for recipes you may have received from your Mother or Grandmother (or Aunt... anyone special to you as a child). If you have very old recipes, handed down to you, those would be ideal here. My own mother is still cooking large meals every Sunday. I am hoping to get some recipes from her while I am blessed to still have her. How about you? Was there a special meal your Mother prepared for you? How about that unique Carrot Cake recipe from your Aunt Mary? Or that delicious potato salad from your Uncle Ed? Please share some 'oldies but goodies' recipes in this month's theme topic of Heirloom Recipes. We will collect them the remainder of this month and post them on the first Sunday of May. Please understand that we do not wish to infringe on copyrighted
material; if your source states it is copyrighted then do not send it. Make sure to view the rules section to ensure your submissions are acceptable.
Please use this email link to submit a recipe for theme recipes: Heirloom Recipes
A to Z Recipes continues with its popular Theme Issues. We will share theme recipes and post them on the first Sunday of each month. Send your recipes no later than the last day of each month to have them posted in the next monthly theme issue. You may send in your favorite theme recipes in ONE email. If the number of recipes submitted by readers exceeds those needed in the issue, the publisher will post as many from every submitter as possible and save the remaining recipes for the following Sundays of that month. The rules for recipe submissions for the monthly theme issues are the same as ALL recipes submitted for posting.
The rules for posting items in A to Z Recipes newsletters are:
As a service to your fellow readers, please send only items that are in a form that others could easily copy and save for their own use. Items that would require a lot of editing or cleaning up (ALL caps or NO caps) or recipes that use non-standard measurements should not be submitted. Items without a name and location of sender may NOT be posted or posted without any credit given. Many web sites prohibit distribution of their materials without a web link. If you wish to submit an item from another web site, be sure that web site allows it. If so, you must include the web site address (the URL - in other words - cut and paste the address shown in your web browser when you viewed the item on that web site). It is unreasonable to expect a2z to research and verify your
sources. There will be NO recipes posted that are copyrighted or from other recipe-zines. A to Z Recipes protects the privacy of its readers and does NOT publish email addresses. There will be no exceptions.
See the A to Z Recipes Theme Issues collection here:
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Only birthdays shared using the appropriate link and basic information will be considered.
Crazy Corner
And if you decide to order cherry pie while eating in Kansas, don't waste your time asking it to be served with a scoop of ice-cream on top... it's against the law.
From the top ten signs you are dealing with a dumb criminal ... Instead of a cherry pie, she shoplifted yeast, flour, eggs, and a jar of cherries.
Why did the elephant paint his nails red?
So that he could hide in the cherry tree!
Have you ever seen an elephant hiding in a cherry tree?
No? That's because he hides himself so well!
4 cups of tart cherries, pitted
4 cups water
1/2 to 3/4 cups sugar (sweeten to taste)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp lemon juice
Bring cherries, water, sugar and cinnamon to boil. Add lemon juice and simmer ten minutes.
3 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cup flour
Beat eggs with milk. Add one cup of flour and mix until smooth. Add remaining flour. Drop by teaspoons into boiling soup and simmer five minutes uncovered. Soup is delicious hot or cold.
2 20-oz. cans dark pitted cherries
1 3-oz. package cherry Jell-O gelatin
1 20-oz. can crushed pineapple
1 cup Coca-Cola
1/2 cup chopped pecans
Heat cherries and their juice to boiling. Remove from heat and add Jell-O. Stir. Add pineapple, juice and all. Pour in Coke and nuts. Pour into oiled 6-cup mold.
Let cool, then refrigerate at least 2 hours or until set. Serves 4 to 6.
CHERRY SUNFLOWER SALAD
Great for potlucks and buffets as well as family meals.
Makes 6 servings
1 bunch (about 1 pound) broccoli, rinsed and cut into bite-size pieces
1-1/2 cups shredded Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese
5 to 6 strips bacon, fried crisp and crumbled
1 cup Cherry Republic Dried Cherries
3/4 cup shelled sunflower seeds
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 tablespoons Cherry Republic Cherry Wine Vinegar or Cherry Republic Sweet Cherry Balsamic Vinegar.
In a large mixing bowl, combine broccoli, cheese, bacon, cherries, sunflower seeds and onion; mix well. In a small container, combine mayonnaise, yogurt and vinegar; mix well. Pour mayonnaise mixture over broccoli mixture; toss to coat all ingredients. Refrigerate until ready to serve.
5 Acorn squash
10 Tbsp. Butter
3 Tbsp. Brown sugar
21 oz. can Tart cherry pie filling
Cut squash in half. Remove seeds. Put 1 Tbsp. butter and 1 tsp. brown sugar in each squash half. Top with 1/4 cup tart cherry pie filling . Bake in 350 F Degree oven one hour or until tender.
This recipe combines tart cherries with omega-3 rich salmon; a winning combination for reducing pain related to inflammation.
1 1/2 pounds fresh or frozen salmon with skin
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
1 ripe mango or papaya, seeded, peeled and chopped
1 cup frozen tart cherries, thawed, drained, and halved (or 1/2 cup dried tart cherries)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint, basil or cilantro
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
Thaw fish, if frozen. Stir together brown sugar, orange peel and pepper. Place fish, skin side down, in a shallow pan. Rub sugar mixture over fish. Cover and refrigerate 2 to 8 hours.
Remove fish from pan, draining off any juices. Place salmon, skin-side down, on gas grill over medium heat or on charcoal grill 4 to 6 inches from medium-hot coals. Grill for 20 to 25 minutes or until fish flakes easily. Do not turn fish.
Meanwhile, toss together mango or papaya, cherries, mint, vinegar and red pepper. Spoon fruit salsa over warm fish. Serve immediately. Makes 4 servings.
Nutrition Facts per Serving: 326 Calories, 11 g Total Fat (2 g Saturated Fat), 93 mg Cholesterol, 87 mg Sodium, 21 g Carbohydrates, 1.5 g Fiber, 34.5 g Protein.
1/2 cup nonfat lemon yogurt
1 tablespoon honey Dijon-style mustard
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
3/4 teaspoon curry powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon coarsely ground pepper
1 1/2 cups finely chopped cooked chicken (8 ounces)
1 cup dried tart cherries
1/2 cup seeded and finely chopped cucumber
1/3 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup sliced green onion
4 (8- to 10-inch) whole wheat flour tortillas, tomato-flavored flour tortillas
Stir together yogurt, mustard, Worcestershire sauce, curry powder, salt and pepper in a medium mixing bowl. Gently stir in chicken, cherries, carrot, cucumber and green onion.
Mound about 3/4 cup chicken mixture just below center of each tortilla. Fold in sides, just covering edges of chicken mixture. Roll up from one side, jelly roll fashion. Serve seam side down on a plate.
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 cup butter
1 (21 ounce) can cherry pie filling
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 deg C).
In a medium bowl, combine the rolled oats, flour brown sugar and cinnamon. Cut butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle one half of crumb mixture in the bottom of a 9 inch square baking dish. Cover with cherry pie filling.
Sprinkle remaining crumb mixture over pie filling.
Bake in preheated oven for 40 minutes, or until topping is golden brown. Serve warm.
1 (18 ounce) box devil's food cake mix, baked as directed in 9 x 13 inch pan and left in pan
1 (8 ounce) container Cool Whip, thawed
1 tablespoon almond extract
2 tablespoons vanilla extract
1 (5 1/8 ounce) box instant vanilla pudding, prepared as directed
1 can cherry pie filling
chocolate sprinkles
maraschino cherries
Mix cherry pie filling and almond extract. While cake is still warm, poke top all over with fork and spread the cherry filling mixture all over the top. When you prepare vanilla pudding, make it as directed on box, but add the vanilla extract to it with the milk. Fold Cool Whip into pudding. Spread pudding mixture over cake, covering the cherry pie filling. Decorate with chocolate sprinkles and cherries. Chill until serving time.
Heart Healthy
CHERRY GOOD COBBLER
Great tasting dessert with less than 1 gram of fat per serving.
Combine cherry filling and almond extract in an ungreased 8x8x2-inch baking pan.
Combine flour, sugar and baking powder in a medium mixing bowl; mix well. Add orange juice, stirring just until dry ingredients are moistened. Drop batter by tablespoonfuls over cherry filling, making at least 8 dumplings.
For the topping: Combine almonds, sugar, orange peel and cinnamon in a small bowl; mix well. Sprinkle on top of cobbler.
Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven 30 to 35 minutes, or until filling is bubbly and dumplings are brown.
Three step process:
Mix one box angel food cake mix (one step) with one can sugar free cherry pie filling and 1 tsp vanilla and pour in 9 x 13 pan (no need to spray or coat pan) and bake at 350 for 35 minutes. I like to top with lite whip cream and extra cherries or cut up fruit of your choice. Of course the fruit you cut up does have sugar.
Enjoy!
This recipe was shared with us by Marilyn Helton of CinnamonHearts.com, a wonderful resource for diabetic friendly cooking information and recipes
2 packages (8 oz each) Neufchatel (light) cream cheese, room temperature
2/3 cup granulated sugar
2 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
24 Keebler® 30% reduced-fat chocolate wafers
1 can (21 oz.) light cherry pie filling
Makes 24 Tarts
Preheat oven to 350°F. Line muffin tins with foil & paper cupcake liners (do not use plain paper liners!). Beat cream cheese and sugar until creamy. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until smooth. Place a chocolate wafer in each muffin cup; top with a dollop of cheese mixture. Bake 18 to 20 minutes; remove from tins and let cool. Top with cherry pie filling. Chill overnight before serving.
2 cups fresh cherries
3 tbsp. cherry brandy
6 tbsp. sugar
2 tbsp. water
12 lady's fingers (grapes)
1 cup cream cheese (softened to room temperature)
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/4 cup ground almonds
1 cup cream
2 tbsp. chopped nuts for decoration (optional)
Wash and drain cherries. Remove stones and reserve 8 whole cherries for decoration. Place cherries in a bowl, add cherry brandy. In a small pan boil 3 tbsp. sugar and the water for a minute to make a thin sugar syrup. Add syrup to the cherries and stir to blend. Cover and let soak for 20 minutes. Cut the grapes in halves, divide into 4 portions, and place in individual glass dishes. Arrange cherries on top. Thoroughly blend cream cheese, 3 tbsp. sugar, vanilla extract, and ground almonds. Whip the cream and carefully add it into the cream cheese mixture. Spoon over the cherries. Decorate with the chopped nuts and whole cherries.
Yummy Easy Fudge adapted from Rachael Ray's famous five minute recipe. This one is even easier - go figure!
2 (12 ounce) packages Hershey's special dark chocolate chips
2 (14 ounce) cans sweetened condensed milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups Michigan dried cherries
1/2 cup chopped pecans (optional)
Spray a 13 x 9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick butter flavored baking spray and set aside.
In a non-stick skillet, melt chocolate chips and condensed milk over low heat until just smooth. Stir in vanilla, cherries and nuts and pour into glass baking dish.
2 cups low fat milk
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
3 eggs
1/3 cup sugar
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 cups day-old French bread, cut in 3/4" cubes
3 cups fresh, sweet cherries, pitted
Cinnamon Sugar (recipe follows)
1cup low fat vanilla yogurt (optional)
Heat milk and butter but do not boil; remove from heat and set aside. Beat eggs, sugar, cornstarch, vanilla, and salt together. Gradually stir milk into egg mixture; pour over bread cubes and let stand 30 minutes.
Spread cherries over the bottom of buttered 9"square pan. Pour bread mixture over cherries. Sprinkle with Cinnamon Sugar. Bake at 350F., for 30 to 40 minutes or until tester inserted near center comes out clean. Cool slightly.
Serve with yogurt, if desired. Makes eight servings.
Cinnamon Sugar: Mix 2 teaspoons sugar with a generous dash of ground cinnamon. Makes 2 teaspoons.
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