Embracing Him

Lately, I’ve been trying to vary the snacks Sweet Pea and Sugar Plum eat throughout the day. Though there’s nothing terribly wrong with Goldfish, pretzel sticks, or animal crackers, I prefer to make homemade snacks for them so I know exactly what they’re eating.

I’ve recently started searching for muffin recipes because muffins are a kid friendly snack that can be prepared using a variety of healthy ingredients. Last week I discovered a wonderful recipe for pineapple zucchini muffins and prepared them for the girls. The recipe seemed like a potential winner because it featured pineapple, one of the girls’ favorite fruits, and because it contained a vegetable (and a green one at that!) I could sneak in.

The girls love these muffins. Cinnamon and vanilla add a wonderful flavor and the muffins are incredibly moist thanks to generous amounts of crushed pineapple and a full cup of vegetable oil. Best of all, the zucchini is so finely grated, it’s difficult for my picky little eaters to tell that it’s there.

Though I serve the muffins for snack, they’re just as yummy at breakfast or lunch!

Pineapple Zucchini Muffins

4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups white sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 tablespoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1 cup vegetable oil
6 eggs
3 cups shredded zucchini
1 (20 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained
3 teaspoons vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Grease and flour 4 muffin pans, or use paper liners.

In a large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt.
Make a well in the center, and pour in the oil, eggs, zucchini, pineapple and vanilla. Mix until smooth. Fill muffin cups 2/3 to 3/4 full.

Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

This month I’ve prepared cheesecakes for two of my friends. My friend Monica loves cheesecake so I made a cherry topped cheesecake for her birthday. Last week JT celebrated his birthday, so I combined two of his favorite desserts, key lime pie and cheesecake, and presented him with a fabulous Key Lime Cheesecake. I’m sharing that recipe with you today.

Normally, I prefer not to pull out my cheesecake recipes because conditions need to be just right in order for cheesecakes to turn out perfectly. In my opinion, the perfect cheesecake is rich and creamy, white and smooth, crustless (no graham crackers for me!), and free of cracks. To create such a flawless cheesecake, I find that several precautions must be taken.

1. Do not overmix the batter. Overmixing adds too much air to the batter and results in unsightly air bubbles, weird textures, and deep cracks. As you mix, use a low speed and simply mix long enough to combine ingredients well.
2. Be sure that the cream cheese is softened. If the cream cheese is too hard, you may end up overmixing the batter in an attempt to smooth out the lumps.
3. Keep still as the cheesecake bakes. Cheesecake is very delicate and vibrations it experiences while baking can result in cracks or sunken centers. While the cheesecake is baking, refrain from banging cabinet doors, opening the oven too soon, or running across the the kitchen floor.
4. Bake the cheesecake in a water bath to help it bake gently and evenly. Create a water bath by sitting the filled spring form pan inside a larger pan and adding enough hot water to reach halfway up the side of the spring form pan. Just be sure to wrap the bottom and sides of the spring form pan with a couple layers of foil so water cannot seep into the pan.
5. Do not overbake the cheesecake. Figuring out when cheesecake is done can be tricky. Even when a cheesecake is done, it may look undone. The cheesecake is actually done when the center is still a bit jiggly or wobbly.

Key Lime Cheesecake

Crust:
1 1/2 cups finely ground graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons white sugar
1/4 cup unsalted butter, melted

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a bowl stir together the graham cracker crumbs and sugar, then stir in the butter well. Pat the mixture into the bottom and 1/2 inch up the side of a buttered 10-inch spring form pan. Bake the crust in the oven for 8 minutes. Transfer the pan to a rack and cool.

Filling:
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 cup white sugar
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 eggs
1/3 cup key lime juice
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

In a large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with an electric mixer until smooth. Beat in eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the sour cream, flour, lime juice and vanilla. Beat the mixture until it is smooth.

Pour the filling over the crust. Bake the cheesecake in the oven for 15 minutes, then reduce the temperature to 250 degrees. Bake for 50 to 55 minutes more or until center is barely set. Let the cheesecake cool on a rack and then chill it, covered, overnight.

Most of the time my menu for the week is planned well in advance, but every now and again time gets away from me and I have to scramble to prepare dinner. When that happens, I often head to the pantry and grab a can of condensed soup.

Condensed soups are a staple in my pantry because when they’re combined with a few other simple ingredients, they make quick and great tasting sauces. Simmering Pork Chops feature a can of cream soup and have become a favorite in our home.  JT likes the chops because they’re always fork tender and I love them because they’re easy to prepare.

If you want to reduce salt, feel free to use low sodium soup as I’ve used them with success. Serve the chops and gravy over rice and enjoy a filling and comforting meal.

Simmering Pork Chops

4- 6 pork chops
salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup white wine

Heat oil in medium skillet over medium high heat. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Place pork chops in the skillet and brown them on both sides. Remove the chops from the skillet and set them aside.

Add the cream of mushroom soup, milk, and white wine to the skillet. Whisk to combine. Place pork chops back in the skillet and allow them to simmer on low heat for 30 minutes. Serve over rice.

Photo: Courtesy of turtlemom4bacon (Flickr)