Souper Supper

Do you have a kinder, more adaptable friend in the food world than soup? Who soothes you when you are ill? Who refuses to leave you when you are impoverished and stretches its resources to give a hearty sustenance and cheer? Who warms you in the winter and cools you in the summer? Yet who also is capable of doing honor to your richest table and impressing your most demanding guests? Soup does its loyal best, no matter what undignified conditions are imposed upon it. You don't catch steak hanging around when you're poor and sick, do you?

- Judith Martin (Miss Manners)

It's been a little while since I've shared a recipe with you. This is my husband's favorite soup dinner. It's a soup that can be hearty enough for a meal, and he claims he'd be happy to eat it every night! I like to make this meal because it is so easy. It only takes me a few minutes to prepare.

Split Pea Soup

Basic Ingredients:

1 pound of dried split peas

4 bay leaves

1 teaspoon basil

1 teaspoon oregano

1 teaspoon whole rosemary, lightly crushed

1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic

1 teaspoon salt (added after cooking is finished)

Optional Additions: Choose any combination

1 c. Carrots (thin-sliced fresh or frozen of any style), add at the beginning

1 c. chopped fresh onion or 2 tablespoons of dried onion, add at the beginning

1 c. frozen or fresh cauliflower florets (microwave 5-7 minutes until done, add at the end)

1 c. frozen or fresh broccoli florets (microwave 5-7 minutes until done, add at the end)

1-2 c. frozen corn ( added at the end, no extra cooking needed)

2 c. Potatoes, cubed (microwaved 10 minutes,add at the end or use cold, leftover potatoes),

add at the end

2 c. cooked pasta of any type (or cold, leftover pasta from the fridge), add at the end

Directions:

If I start this recipe in the Crockpot between 10:00 AM and noon, then it's ready in time for supper.

Place the split peas in Crockpot and rinse with warm water. Pour off as much of the water as you can without losing the peas and refill the pot. Fill the pot 2/3 full.

Add all of the spices except the salt.

Cook the split peas 4-6 hours on high in the Crockpot.

Remove the four bay leaves with a slotted spoon. Use a whisk to blend the peas until the mixture is smooth. Place the lid back on the soup and prepare the additional recipe ingredients.

Add the additional ingredients once they are ready and place the lid back on the soup. Let the soup continue cooking for 15 minutes -- enough time for the flavors to blend, but not enough time for the vegetables and pasta to become mushy.

Add the salt. If it still tastes "flat", add another 1/2 teaspoon or sprinkle some salt on top of the soup in your bowl.

Serving suggestions:

This soup is delicious with a whole-grain bread or baked potato and a salad on the side. My husband likes to break the bread or baked potato into a large bowl and spoon the soup over it.

Favorite breads include: sourdough, whole grain, pumpernickel, rye, and French. Sometimes I serve grilled cheese sandwiches to my college sons with the soup.

We do not eat any meat in this soup. Combining it with corn or whole grain bread provides a complete protein. But for meat lovers, adding ham or bacon will add extra flavor and heartiness. The ham or bacon should be cooked before adding it at the end.

This meal makes a very comforting dinner on cold winter nights!

All recipes, copyright 2010 Cassandra Frear.

Yum!

It is more fun to talk with someone

who doesn't use long, difficult words

but rather short, easy words like

"What about lunch?"

- Winnie the Pooh

We've been working hard on what to do When Life Doesn't Work for over a week. It's time for a break! Here's a dessert I created the other night. The blueberries mix well with the nuttiness of the oat bran and the tang of citrus-flavored icing. But you don't have to use blueberries. You can use any fruit you have, even raisins. This recipe is not too high in sugar, yet sweet enough to serve as dessert. It's fat-free, and elevated in fiber. I haven't been eating any sugar lately, but I had a second piece of this because.

Yes, just because.

I said aloud to myself, "Okay, that's it. This one is going in the blog!"

So here it is, dear bloggy friends. Pull up a chair by the fire and relax. I'll bring the tea and coffee to you. But you'll have to eat the cake yourself.

Blueberry Breakfast Bread

Bread Ingredients :

2 and 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup oat bran or minute oats

3 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup sugar or other sweetener

1 cup apple sauce

1 cup milk or juice of your choice*

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 and 1/2 cups of blueberries or other fruit of your choice

*reduce milk or juice to 3/4 cup if you are using a liquid sweetener

Glaze Ingredients :

1/4 cup orange juice, lemon juice, or water

2 cups of powdered sugar to create your preferred consistency

pinch of salt

Directions :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Put flour, oat bran, baking powder, and salt into a bowl and blend.

Stir together sweetener, apple sauce, milk, and vanilla in another bowl or container.

Add the wet ingredients and the blueberries to the dry mix. Blend until just moistened.

Put batter into a greased rectangular baking pan.

Bake at 350 for 40 minutes until lightly browned.

Cool for 10 minutes.

Mix juice, powdered sugar, and salt with a whisk.

Spoon this glaze over the warm bread.

Make coffee or tea. This gives the bread a few more minutes to "set."

Enjoy!

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What's your favorite winter treat? Do you enjoy it with coffee or tea?

A Treat Just for Mom

Sustain me with raisins;

Refresh me with apples.

- Song of Solomon ESV

Here's one way I'm treating myself this week. This recipe is inexpensive, quick, and made from very ordinary ingredients. It's very nutritious and contains no added fat or sugar. It's enough to give me a brain boost. It goes well with coffee or tea. And it makes me feel pampered!

Apple Crumble

Ingredients:

1 apple

1/4 c. rolled oats

cinnamon

1 Tablespoon raisins

1/2 Tablespoon orange juice

1 Tablespoon water

Directions:

Peel and slice an apple. Put the slices on a saucer or in a shallow bowl.

Sprinkle cinnamon over the apple slices

In a small bowl, blend oats with raisins and a hearty dusting of cinnamon.

Add orange juice and water to oats and blend with your fingers.

Sprinkle oat topping on apple slices.

Cover with wax paper and steam in the microwave for 2 minutes.

Remove wax paper and microwave for 2 more minutes.

Let cool for 5 minutes.

Serving Suggestions:

While the apple crumble cools, I make coffee or tea.

The oats on it are chewy, rather than crisp. But they shouldn't be mushy. If they are, reduce your water by 1/2 tablespoon.

If you want the oat crumble to taste sweeter, you can add 1 teaspoon of your favorite sweetener. For me, the apple, raisins, and orange juice blend together to give it just the right amount of flavor.

I'll let you in on a secret, too. When I am feeling low in the morning, I have it for breakfast. I even double the recipe so I can have it twice. It helps me feel much better.

Since I make this for myself, I have not experimented with making it for more people. If you decide to double the recipe, add one minute to the first cooking time.

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What's your favorite treat made with apples?

Easy Suppers

"Soup of the evening,

beautiful Soup!"

- Lewis Carroll

Making the next week easier may be as close as your crock pot.

There are few things as comforting as homemade soups and stews. There's no easier way to make them than in a crock pot. Most households have a crock pot. If not, then a big soup pot is somewhere in the cupboard.

I'm not suggesting labor-intensive soups that require a lot of preparation. I'm suggesting dishes that can be made in a few minutes in only one pot, making clean-up a cinch. And after all that rich food over the holidays, soup could be a welcome change.

You could have a soup week: a different hearty soup each night with whole grain bread, sandwiches, or baked potatoes. Not only is it easy, but it's simple -- giving your mind a break.

"What's for dinner? That's easy! Soup!"

Here are some of our family's favorites:

1. Chili made with canned (rinsed kidney beans), tomato sauce, spices and browned grown beef.

2. Beef or Chicken Stew. Brown the meat while adding the vegetables: potatoes, carrots, green beans, corn, or even mixed frozen vegetables.

3. Split Pea Soup made from dried split peas. Add leftover cooked noodles, corn, or potatoes.

4. Vegetable Soup. My recipe for it is here. It's delicious with grilled cheese sandwiches.

5. Pumpkin Soup. Use my recipe and serve it with leftover turkey or ham sandwiches.

6. Canned Clam Chowder. My kids have always loved this option. Sometimes we added macaroni noodles, corn, and carrots to it to make it more hearty.

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What are your favorite "easy" soups? I'd love to hear your ideas!

Chocolate Chip Blondies

Think what a better world

it would be if we all,

the whole world,

had cookies and milk

about three o'clock every afternoon

and then lay down

on our blankets for a nap.

- Robert Fulghum, 1987, Middlebury College

If you love chocolate chip cookies, but don't have time to make them, you'll love this recipe. That's why we created it. We were short on time. We wanted the taste of chocolate chip cookies, but we didn't have the afternoon to make them. So we put them in a pan -- in the same style as our favorite bar cookie. These are buttery rich and satisfying, but beautifully simple and quick.

Cassandra's Chocolate Chip Blondies

Ingredients:

1 stick of margarine or butter

2 eggs or equivalent egg substitute

2 cups brown sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

6 oz dark chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Melt the butter in the microwave.

Add brown sugar, eggs, and vanilla with a wire whisk.

Blend in 1 cup flour, baking powder and salt.

Stir in the remaining cup of flour and the chocolate chips.

Pour batter into a lightly greased 8 x 12 baking pan. I find the 9 x 13 size pan is really too large.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is lightly browned and firm.

Cool on a rack, in the pan for 5 - 10 minutes.

Slice brownies while still warm.

Lower Fat Version:

Substitute 4 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute) for the 2 eggs.

Use 1/4 cup margarine or butter plus 1/4 cup fat-free plain yogurt.

Richer Version:

Use 9-12 oz chocolate chips instead of 6. These are very rich.

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Of course, you could use any flavor of chips in this recipe: white chocolate, peanut butter, butterscotch, milk chocolate, mint chocolate, or dark chocolate. What's your favorite kind of chip? What kind do you put in your cookies?

The Gingerbread Man

The Gingerbread Man visited our house a few nights ago and left a pile of friends. We chatted and laughed as we worked, mixing the dough, rolling it out, and cutting the cookies. After decorating them, we admired our work and complimented everyone who helped. My kids have been enjoying the cookies ever since.

These are spicy. The molasses makes them dark, like chocolate. Our version is low in fat. We reduced the butter in the recipe to half the original amount and substituted yogurt. But you don't have to do that. You can just make the original version with 1/2 cup butter, instead.

Gingerbread Cookies

Ingredients:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup fat free yogurt or apple butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

2 egg whites

1/2 tablespoon cider vinegar

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon salt

3 cups plain flour

extra flour for rolling dough.

various decorations for the cookies, your preference.

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Soften butter in microwave for 20 seconds in a large mixing bowl.

3. Beat the sugar into the butter until well-blended.

4. Beat in the yogurt, egg whites. molasses, and vinegar.

5. In medium sized bowl, blend the baking powder, spices, baking soda, salt, and flour.

6. Add these dry ingredient to the wet mixture with a wooden spoon.

7. Refrigerate the dough for 2 hours or overnight.

8. Use extra flour as needed to keep dough from getting sticky.

Add flour by the 1/2 cup, so that you don't add more than you need

and make the cookies dry.

9. Roll the cookie dough out on a counter top to 1/4 inch thickness

on top of a light dusting of flour.

10. Cut the dough with cookie cutters. Dip the cutters into flour occasionally

to keep them from getting too sticky.

11. Place the cookies 1 inch apart on lightly greased cookie sheets.

12. Brush off the excess flour from the surface of the cookies.

Mist them with water or brush them lightly with a moist brush or paper towel.

This will help the decorations to stick to them better.

13. Place the decorations on the cookies. Press them lightly into the dough.

14. Bake the cookies at 375 degrees for 6-7 minutes.

15. Cool the cookies for a few minutes on the cookie sheet,

then transfer them to a wire rack to finish cooling.

This recipe makes about 40 cookies. We doubled it. This gave us a large platter of cookies which was just the right size for a family to enjoy.

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I was surprised to learn this Christmas that everyone has not eaten a gingerbread cookie. Have you tasted one before? Did you like it?

Scottish Shortbread

My grandmother was a remarkable woman. Widowed in early midlife, she ran her husband's business, studied art, and traveled the world. After her trip to Scotland, she brought back a recipe for shortbread. It was from her that I learned about these cookies and learned how to make them.

I made shortbread this past Friday because my sons requested it. Now I watch my college son pull out a piece and put it on a plate beside his coffee. He dips it (!) into his coffee and then puts it in his mouth and closes his eyes. He sits still and slowly chews and swallows. He looks over at me, winks, and nods. Yes, this is it.

The ingredients for our Scottish shortbread are just four: flour, butter, sugar, and vanilla. But the results are divine. These cookies will absolutely melt in your mouth. Earlier shortbread recipes used oat flour, which is made from grinding oats. If you need to avoid gluten, you can make the oat flour version of this recipe -- just substitute oat flour for the plain flour and reduce your flour to 1 and 1/4 cups.

Scottish Shortbread

Ingredients:

1 and 1/3 cups flour

3 tablespoons sugar

1/2 cup butter (for unsalted butter, add 1/2 teaspoon salt)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

(1/8 cup milk for basting)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a medium-size mixing bowl, soften the butter. I use the microwave for 20-30 seconds. This makes the butter soft like whipped topping. If the butter is unsalted, then add 1/2 teaspoon salt to the butter and stir it in.

3. Mix the flour and sugar into the butter with a wooden spoon and then finish the blending job with your fingers. The mixture will be crumbly.

4. Drizzle the vanilla over the dough and work it in evenly. No need to knead the dough, however. This is not loaf bread. Blend the dough just long enough to get it mixed evenly. The vanilla should provide just enough moisture to make the dough stick together in a nice round ball. If the dough is too gooey to make a ball, add flour by the tablespoon until it makes a ball. If the dough is too dry to stick together, add water by the teaspoon until it sticks.

5. Divide the dough in half and shape it into two balls.

6. Flatten each ball into a disc 5-6 inches in diameter ( about the length of your hand) onto an ungreased cookie sheet. If your discs are on the same cookie sheet together, place them one inch apart. Using your thumb and forefinger, push the edge of the dough into a scalloped shape. Slice the dough with a sharp knife into 8 wedges. Brush the tops lightly with milk.

7. Bake at 325 for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are lightly brown. Shortbread is very blonde. You should not brown it the way you do most of your cookies.

8. After removing from the oven, slice the wedges again with your sharp knife (along the same lines you cut before baking). Let sit for five minutes. Remove gently with a spatula to a cooling rack.

9. Once cool, the cookies can be stored in any container with a lid. I can store them for a week at room temperature. If you will be storing them for longer, you should put them in the fridge.

Why I use unsalted butter: unsalted butter has a shorter shelf life. That means the unsalted butter you buy in the store is likely to be fresher than the salted varieties. It will make better cookies. Also, the amount of salt in salted butter is higher than is ideal for cookies. Salt masks other flavors when more than a small amount is used. And for an authentic Scottish taste, unsalted butter is the best option.

If you can't find unsalted butter, the salted varieties will work fine. I have used them sometimes and no one seemed to have a problem enjoying the cookies!

Serving Suggestions:

This recipe does not make a lot of cookies. Just 16. So you may wish to double or triple it. I usually triple the recipe for Christmas.

These cookies are lovely in a tin or on a plate, as a contrast to other sweeter cookies and cookies with icing. But they are fragile. So treat them tenderly.

All recipes, copyright 2009 by Cassandra Frear.

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Did your grandmother make cookies? What was your favorite cookie as a child?

Power Cook

That's me! Yesterday in my kitchen! Whoo hoo!

I made carob brownies, chocolate chip brownies, Scottish shortbread, and Holiday Coffee Cake. But I'm not going to keep all the glory to myself. I'm going to share my luscious recipes with you! Although I normally don't post on Apple Pie over the weekend, I'm making an exception this weekend because:

• it's Advent -- a very special time of year,

• "we are having a party,"

• my heart is full and overflowing with joy,

• you are my special bloggy friends,

• and many of you are inside right now baking your hearts out.

So merry, merry, merry Christmas from me!

This morning I am eating my Holiday Coffee Cake. I created this recipe myself. It reminds me of the rich, fruit-bountiful recipes of my childhood. I made it yesterday for the first morning my college son is home. Just think: he will wake up to this wonderful cake and his favorite coffee and a hug from mom! Does it get any better?

Cassandra's Holiday Coffee Cake

Ingredients:

3 cups plain flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons oat bran or wheat germ or fine oats

1/2 cup flax eggs or 4 egg whites

1 and 1/2 cups sugar or 1 cup fructose

1 cup orange juice

1 apple

1 cup of fresh cranberries

1/2 cup applesauce

3/4 cup raisins

4-6 oz chopped nuts

Directions:

1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lightly spray a 9 x 13 inch glass baking dish with canola baking oil spray.

3. Select three mixing bowls: large, medium, and small.

4. Blend the first five dry ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

5. Beat the flax eggs or egg whites with a fork for a minute in the medium bowl. Directions for making flax eggs are below. Beat the sugar into the eggs until the mixture is well-blended and frothy, just a minute or two. Set it aside.

6. Peel and dice the apple. Put the apple pieces in the cup of orange juice in the small bowl. Let the apple soak for a minute.

7. Chop the cranberries. I like to chop each berry in half, but you don't have to be that precise about it.

8. Pour the apple mixture, chopped cranberries, applesauce, raisins, and nuts on top of the flax egg/egg white blend. Fold the fruit into the eggs.

9. Now pour your blended wet ingredients on top of your dry ingredient in the large bowl. Stir with a large, stiff spoon until it is just moistened and there are no dry spots.

10. Put the batter into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

11. Bake at 350 for 30-45 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the sides have pulled away slightly from the pan. The top of the bread will be springy to the touch.

Serving Suggestions:

You can eat this hot or cold the next day. I would recommend waiting ten minutes to serve it because the fruit in the cake is very hot. You may wish to decorate your cake with a simple icing. I prefer the simple flavors of the cake itself without any added sweetness.

This Coffee Cake is very low in fat. It's a heart-healthy recipe!

All recipes, copyright 2009 by Cassandra Frear.

Try Flax Eggs!

You will notice that many of my recipes mention the use of flax eggs. I'm a vegetarian, for health reasons. I do occasionally eat egg whites. But I prefer to use flax eggs. They are full of healthy fats and other important nutrients. Flax eggs are an excellent substitute for eggs.

I store flax seeds and ground flax seeds (also called "flax meal") in my fridge for at least six months. I probably have stored them longer than that. I prefer to store the ground flax seeds in a sturdy plastic, airtight container or Ziplock bag.

To make flax eggs: If you wish to try flax eggs, there are two ways to make them.

Method 1: blend 1/4 cup ground flax seed with 1/2 cup hot tap water. Let this soak for 10-15 minutes. Beat lightly with a fork. The mixture will be the consistency of egg whites. You can grind your flax seeds in a coffee grinder. Just pulse a few times until your seeds look like fine cornmeal.

Method 2: Put 1/2 cup flax seeds and 1 cup warm water in your blender. Run the blender on medium for a minute. The mixture will turn thick, like egg whites. Remove the flax eggs from your blender and clean the blender with a hot water spray, then wash it in warm soapy water.

You can make flax eggs in larger amounts and store them in the fridge in a covered, airtight container or lidded jar. In my experience, flax eggs stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to ten days.

1/4 flax egg mixture is equivalent to one egg or two egg whites.

I use flax eggs in any recipe (except puddings and custards) instead of eggs: muffins, cookies, pancakes, breads, layer cakes, coffee cakes, and so forth. They do not work as a substitute for scrambled or fried eggs. For that, I have a tofu recipe!

Why Cookies?

We've baked cookies every Christmas since we were married. My sons have not known a Christmas without them. We've had them on a tray, along with breads and other goodies, when guests visited. We've sent them in boxes to loved ones. We've enjoyed them in the evenings by the tree with a devotional reading. As one of my sons said years ago, we make cookies at Christmas because we're having a party.

It isn't surprising that my sons would request this simple tradition after a year of upheaval.

But still, it surprised me. I thought they had outgrown it. That was my mistake. We never outgrow our need for joy and comfort.

Today, our family will begin making our cookies. At Thanksgiving, each family member selected their top five favorites. I hope to bake a different type each day and create as many favorites as we can. My friends have been asking me for the recipes. That made me think that my Apple Pie friends would enjoy seeing these recipes, too. So I've decided to post our cookie recipes and cookie baking stories here on Apple Pie for the next two weeks.

If you don't like reading about cookies, know that this will only last through the holiday season. After New Year's Day, we'll move on to other topics. But right now,

It's a holly jolly Christmas -- the best time of the year!

Oh, by golly, have a holly, jolly Christmas this year!

Can't you just hear me singing? That was one of my favorite Christmas songs from my childhood.

Here's the link to the first set of cookies: No-Bake Oatmeal Cookies.

These taste a lot like fudge with peanut butter in it. They're very rich. I make them small, so that eating one is like eating a piece of candy. One of the things I like about these cookies is that if you don't have time to "bake" cookies, you can still make them. And they feel luxurious.

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Do you have a favorite no-bake cookie?

Better Brownies

These are my healthier version of chocolate brownies. I'll be making them this Christmas because one of my guests requested them. They look fancy, if we decorate them with cherries or whipped topping. They're ideal for a tree-decorating party or a gift-wrapping session, because they don't take long to make, but they taste luxuriously rich -- like dark semi-sweet chocolate. If your family members can't have chocolate, you can safely substitute carob powder for the cocoa.

While they aren't exactly "health food," they are nutritious and you can feel good about serving them to the people you love.

Better Brownies

Ingredients:

1 1/3 cup plain flour

3/4 cup cocoa

3 tablespoons oat bran

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

4 egg whites (or equivalent egg substitute)

1/2 cup applesauce

1 T. canola oil or olive oil

3/4 cup sugar or equivalent sweetener of your choice

1/4 cup water

2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. Lightly grease a baking pan that is approximately 8 x 11 inches. I find that 9 x 13 inches is too large. I use a glass baking pan in my recipe. I prefer a canola oil spray for greasing.

3. In a large mixing bowl, blend the first five ingredients.

4. In a smaller mixing bowl beat the egg whites with a fork for a couple of minutes, then whip in each of the remaining five ingredients in the order they appear, one at the time. Only whip each ingredient long enough to get it thoroughly blended, about one minute each.

5. Combine this wet mixture with the dry ingredients. Mix until just moistened.

6. Spoon the batter into the prepared pan with a rubber spatula and spread it so that it is relatively smooth and even.

7. Bake at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is dry and springy to the touch. When the brownies are done, a knife inserted will come out mostly clean.

8. Let the brownie pan cool on a wire rack or trivet for 10 -20 minutes.

Extra Notes:

If you do not want to use the chocolate syrup recipe below, then you will probably want to increase the fructose/sugar to 1 cup in the recipe and decrease the oat bran to 2 tablespoons.

Since I am on a low-fat diet, I simply omit the tablespoon of oil. The added oil helps the brownies retain their flavor longer and probably makes their texture a more conventional.

If you don't have oat bran, you can find it at your grocery store next to the oatmeal in a small box from Quaker.

Optional Chocolate Syrup

Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup cocoa

1/2 to 1 cup soy milk (other milks work fine, too)

dash of salt

1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Directions:

1. Heat honey in microwave for 45 seconds in the microwave in a medium sized glass mixing bowl.

2. Stir in the cocoa with a whisk.

3. Heat the mixture for 45 seconds.

4. After this, the mixture will look like thick mud. Gradually stir in soy milk a few drops at the time, while mixing constantly with the whisk, until the consistency is the thickness you desire for syrup topping. Add the dash of salt.

5. Heat for one minute. Mixture will thicken again. If it is thicker than conventional chocolate syrup, add a bit more soy milk and whisk.

Serving suggestions:

Slice brownies with a sharp knife. Put individual brownies on dessert plates and spoon syrup over them. Top each brownie off with a maraschino cherry, a fresh strawberry, or whipped topping.

Safety Alert:

The chocolate syrup will be very hot and hold its heat for five minutes or more. Be sure to test it with your finger before serving it to your children.

All recipes, copyright 2009 by Cassandra Frear.

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What's your favorite kind of brownie or bar cookie for the holidays? I'd love to know!

Smart Choices: Apple Snack

"'Would you tell me, please, which way I ought to go from here?'

'That depends a good deal on where you want to get to,' said the Cat.

'I don't much care where --' said Alice.

'Then it doesn't matter which way you go,' said the Cat.

'--so long as I get somewhere,' Alice added as an explanation."

- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

The holidays are full of surprises and more surprises. While we do have plenty of structured, shared meals around the holidays, I often find that I don't have time to prepare snacks and meals when I am working hard to make the holidays happen. I can feel rather disoriented like Alice in her new world, not quite sure where I am going or how I am to get there.

I used to resent it all. But then I realized that it wasn't anyone's fault, and I did have choices. Lots of choices. As I said before, if we are going to live well and live deeply, we can't do it all. We will have to choose to neglect a few things and to simplify. There are many good things we can do, but only a few of them are best. I try to deliberately streamline my expectations so that I have time for what matters most. I like to say that I am making a smart choice.

The snack I am sharing today is one of my "smart choices" for the holidays. It's low in calories, but full of flavor, texture, and fun. Instead of feeling the need to create home-baked goodies, when I am short on time, I offer this.

First, I peel and slice fresh apples. Dipping the slices in orange juice or a 50/50 lemon juice and water mixture will keep them from turning brown. I arrange them on a plate and put Marzetti's Caramel Apple Dip in the center. Nearby I place some favorite nuts and some mini-bagels. The bagels can even be sliced into halves and piled high on a platter. Plain bagels and cinnamon bagels work very well for this. Toothpicks near the apples keep them clean. I can also put Marzetti's dip near the bagels so that people realize they can use it on their bagels, too. Of course, you'll want some small bowls or plates and a spoon for the dip. I serve coffee and or tea with this.

If you have a nearby farmer's market or apple orchard, fresh apples can be a very economical choice at this time of year. You'll be amazed at the difference in quality and price, compared to the offerings in grocery stores. A trip to the orchard or market can also be an interesting school outing.

I have served this to my family instead of cookies or other treats when we want to celebrate something special over the holidays. It's a great tree-trimming snack, and a great, spontaneous pick-me-up after shopping together for gifts.

Marzetti has recently created a fat-free version of their caramel dip and has begun offering it in small individual-sized cups which are perfect for children. You can find the dip in the fresh produce section of your grocery store, often near the apples.

You can go here to view some of the Marzetti apple dip products.

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Do you have a favorite easy recipe that you like to use over the holidays?

Cassandra's Cocoa

This is a delightful, quick, inexpensive treat on a cold day. It was a favorite for me to pull out of the cupboard after tiring, cold work like raking leaves and preparing the yard for winter, decorating, or finding a Christmas tree. It has the same flavor as old-fashioned hot cocoa but only takes minutes to prepare. Your children can even make it for themselves, if they are old enough to handle hot liquids.

Cassandra's Cocoa

Ingredients for each mug:

• 1 tablespoon cocoa powder

• 1 tablespoon sugar, honey, or equivalent sweetener

• enough milk to fill the mug: dairy, soy, rice, and other milks work fine; I have even used powdered nonfat milk, mixed at a stronger concentration. No one complained.

Additions:

Around the holidays, I like to add a special twist to my recipe. I add one extra flavoring to the hot cocoa. My top choices are:

1. 1/8 or 1/4 teaspoon vanilla flavoring, stirred in at the end. This simple addition gives the whole mix a creamy, richer aroma.

2. 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon, stirred in with the milk.

3. A pinch of nutmeg, either stirred with the milk or sprinkled on top.

Directions:

1. Put the cocoa powder and sweetener in the mug with 2 tablespoons of water. Stir to moisten throughout.

2. Heat this mixture for one minute in the microwave (or on the stove top in a small saucepan on low medium heat) until bubbly and dissolved. It should be allowed to boil for at least 15-30 seconds to combine the cocoa with the sweetener.

3. Slowly add the milk, stirring constantly with a spoon. Add any additional cinnamon or nutmeg. Heat the milk mixture for one minute in the microwave (or on the stove-top until the right temperature for drinking). Do not boil the milk.

4. Add vanilla flavoring, if desired.

Serving Suggestions:

My kids loved to put marshmallows or whipped cream on top. Over the holidays, I sometimes added a cherry or fun sprinkles on top of the whipped cream.

If your kids are making this beverage, it's best to use plastic spoons, just in case they accidentally leave the spoon in the mug while heating the cocoa in the microwave.

I also found it very helpful to use a large mug because it didn't tip over as easily. I filled the mug 3/4 full, leaving room for marshmallows or cream on top and a margin for sloshing!