Honey Fruit Salad

Is this not the prettiest bowl of fruit you've ever seen?  Absolutely appetizing!  The dressing is not overpowering but the subtle honey sauce makes it an especially sweet treat!  It only takes about 10 minutes to assemble, so if you have your fruits ready to go you can put it together in no time!

Honey Fruit Salad (Taste of Home, Simple &Delicious Cookbook)


2 medium bananas, chopped
2 cups fresh blueberries
2 cups fresh raspberries  (I used blackberries)

2 cups sliced strawberries
5 Tbsp honey
1 tsp lemon juice
3/4 tsp poppy seeds


In a large bowl, combine the bananas and berries.  In a small bowl, combine the honey, lemon juice and poppy seeds.  Pour over fruit and toss to coat.  Yield: 8 servings


Fruit options:  depending on the time of year you can change out the fruit - you could use mangoes, peaches or blackberries.

Perfect Pumpkin Pie

I love pumpkin pie and I really love crustless pumpkin pie. It isn't about the crust for me. It is about the fabulous pumpkin filling. This recipe has great flavor and with a dollop of whipped topping on top, you won't even miss the crust.  Great for Thanksgiving or anytime!

Perfect Pumpkin Pie - Crustless

1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (2 cups)

1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk (NOT evaporated milk)

2 eggs

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. With wire whisk or mixer, beat all ingredients. Pour into a pie pan (that has been sprayed with a no stick spray). Bake 15 minutes. Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees F. Continue baking 35-40 minutes or until knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Cool. Garnish as desired. Store covered in refrigerator.

Note: To cut more fat, I've made this with fat free sweetened condensed milk and with egg whites. (1/4 cup egg whites = 1 egg)

Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars

We had our camping club potluck last weekend.  I had already committed to bringing a turkey and crock-pot dressing, but I decided that I needed to take a dessert.  A new dessert!  I had come across this recipe recently and it sounded really good.  One of my favorite cheesecake recipes calls for sweetened condensed milk and no sour cream.  This recipe incorporated the same ingredients.  The crust is primarily made up of a cake mix.  The original recipe called for a pound cake mix - but do you think we could find one at our local grocery?  No.  So I made it using a yellow cake mix and it turned out great.  These bars went over very well and real quite tasty.  I would recommend them as a great addition to any Thanksgiving dinner (or anytime)!


Pumpkin Cheesecake Bars (from Taste of Home)


Ingredients
1 (16 oz) pkg pound cake mix (or use a yellow cake mix like I did)
3 large eggs, DIVIDED
2 Tbsp butter, melted
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice, DIVIDED
1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese, softened
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (15 oz) can pumpkin (about 2 cups)
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup chopped nuts


Directions
1) Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Combine cake mix, 1 egg, butter and 2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice in large bowl until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.  Press into bottom of 15 X 10-inch jellyroll pan.
2) Beat cream cheese in large bowl until fluffy.  Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk; beat in remaining 2 eggs, pumpkin, remaining 2 teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice and salt; mix well.  Pour over crust; sprinkle with nuts.
3) Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until set.  Cool.  Chill.  Cut into bars.
Yield: the recipe said 48 bars, I cut mine into 24 bars

The crust is pressed into the bottom of the jellyroll pan.

Ready to go int the oven.

Just out of the oven.

Plated and ready to eat!!!