Instead of heading towards snacking disaster, I’ve been relying on healthy, filling alternatives to tide me over until dinner. My new favorite go-to snack (which doubles as a nice side dish) is a Cucumber Salsa Salad that I’d like to think my mother and I created together. She was making a cucumber and tomato side salad with Italian salad dressing. I wanted the same, BUT didn’t want the calories of the oily dressing.

Mom suggested that I substitute the dressing with a couple of tablespoons of this Grandessa salsa that she bought at Aldi’s. We used Artichoke Garlic Mild Salsa, which is only 10 calories per 2-tablespoon serving. I also added 1/8 cup of crumbled blue cheese to enhance the overall taste. You can certainly experiment with different salsa flavors – I’m going to try Sweet Onion next. With the blue cheese crumbles, the recipe below is a little over 100 calories and can feed two people as a side or make a really filling snack.

Cucumber Salsa Salad

• 1 cucumber (sliced – I like to cut my slices in half)
• Fresh salsa (4 to 6 tablespoons)
• Blue cheese or feta cheese crumbles (~1/8 cup) [optional]

Mix all ingredients and enjoy.

Disclosure: This post was written in participation for Kathleen’s My Favorite Things Thursday.

Homemade pies are a popular dessert for the holidays and adding an egg wash can create the finishing touch that visually ‘wows’ your family. Your final results depend on the part of the egg you use and the kind of liquid added to the wash. For every egg, you will use only one teaspoon of liquid.

Another way to spice up an egg wash is to add your favorite spice, such as cinnamon or nutmeg. Others will add a bit of flavoring to improve the overall taste. Below you will find the different ways you can enhance the appearance of your pie crust.

• For Shiny Crust – use whole egg & salt
• For Faint Shine on a Crust – use whole egg &milk
• For Matte, golden-brown Crust – use whole egg & water
• For Shiny, golden-brown Crust – use egg yolk & water
• For Shiny, golden-brown Crust – use egg yolk & salt
• For Shiny, dark Crust – use egg yolk & cream
• For pale, Crisp Crust – use egg white
• For Matte, golden-brown Crust – use heavy cream or half & half
• For Faint shine on a golden-brown Crust – use olive oil

I’ve used an egg white wash across lattice-top apple pies and love the glazed outcome.

As a calorie counter who is not afraid to splurge, I spend a lot of time trying to find snacks and treats that satisfy the numbers and my sweet tooth. Lately, I’ve been enjoying this Berry Yogurt concoction that I threw together a couple of days ago. I had to find some way to put the leftover non-fat plain yogurt to good use after making the NoPudge! Mint Fudge Brownies. With this recipe, you get your low calories, protein, and fiber all in one lightly sweetened bowl of healthiness.

Frozen Berry Yogurt

Ingredients

• ½ cup plain non-fat yogurt
• 1 cup frozen berry blend [I used a blueberry, raspberry, and blackberry mix]
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar
• Splash of vanilla extract

Mix together the brown sugar, vanilla extract, and yogurt. Add the berries. Stir.

For a snack, I use ½ cup of the yogurt –155 calories. 30g carbs. 8g protein. 4g fiber.

For breakfast, I use 1 cup of yogurt – 205 calories. 38g carbs. 13g protein. 4g fiber.

Variations: You can use fresh berries (yum), but the frozen berries create a slight frozen yogurt effect and as they melt, more of the flavor swirls in with the plain yogurt. You can use low-fat vanilla yogurt and omit the sugar and vanilla extract.

Betty Crocker has a quartet of recipes called Boxed Wine Cupcakes that puts a bottle of sauvignon blanc, zinfandel, rosé and champagne to good use. The recipe that has definitely caught my eye was the Champagne Cupcakes, which I am planning on making this weekend. Usually, I healthify my desserts in some way, but I cannot bear to butcher the ingredients list. I want the full-blast effect and cannot wait to try out the combination of champagne and passion fruit juice in one dessert.

Want to eat your wine instead of drink it? The other Betty Crocker wine cupcake flavors include:

• Sauvignon Blanc Wine Cupcakes – with lemon flavor
• Rosé Wine Cupcakes – with raspberry filling
• Zinfandel Wine Cupcakes – with chocolate flavor

Disclosure: I received information about Betty Crocker Fan Fare Fall-TV inspired recipes through My Blog Spark, and I chose to share the cupcake recipes on my own.

If I had been thinking instead of licking my fingers, I would have taken a picture of what the pork tenderloin with apricot orange glaze looked like…so you’ll just have to settle for my description and a recipe for the glaze instead. I could seriously eat a bowl of the glaze without any meat – it’s that good. My father can cook and when he does, it’s a big event. He doesn’t skimp on the ingredients and although it takes a really long time for the finale (imagine smoked Thanksgiving turkey at midnight…ok…around 11 p.m.)…it’s worth it.

I love colorful foods and this glaze produces an inviting shade of orange.

Apricot-Orange Glaze Recipe

(from The America’s Test Kitchen Family Cookbook)

1 cup apricot preserves

½ cup orange juice

¼ cup dried apricots, cut into quarters

3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

Combine all of the ingredients. After browning the pork, pour off the fat left in the skillet. Add the ingredients to the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Simmer until slightly thickened and fragrant (about 3 minutes). Remove the glaze from the skillet if not using immediately.

Use this glaze to enhance the flavor of roast pork, pork tenderloin, and boneless pork loin roasts. When cooking tenderloin, brush the glaze over the pork before roasting. For a boneless pork loin roast, brush over during the last 15 minutes of cooking. Or use the glaze as a dipping sauce for your meat…and fingers, like I did. Yum!

Do you have a Magic Bullet? Well, I have a Magic Bullet knockoff that I purchased for half the price and I’ve only used it once to make daiquiris. This morning, I felt inspired to create a smoothie recipe with some of the fruits bought at the farmer’s market. Offering a blend of sweet and sour sensations, I introduce you a satisfying fruity breakfast smoothie recipe.

Cherry-Apricot Smoothie Recipe

• 1 large or 2 small apricots
• 10 cherries
• 2/3 cup sherbet
• 1/3 cup low-fat milk

1. Take the pits out of the apricot and cherries.

2. Cut apricot into chunky slices and add the fruit to the blender container.

3. Add 2/3 cup of sherbet and 1/3 cup low-fat milk to your blender container.

4. Pulse until it reaches a consistency to your liking.

Note: You can use any sherbet flavor you like, which will affect the final outcome of your smoothie. I chose a combination of raspberry, pineapple and orange. I used 1% milk in this recipe. I also blended the ingredients just enough to where I still had a pulpy consistency – so that I would feel like I ate something substantial for breakfast.

According to my new book, the Good Housekeeping A to Z Stain Removal Guide, you can remove tomato sauce, tomato paste, and tomato juice from fabric with cold water, liquid laundry detergent, and white vinegar. The book suggests the following steps for tomato stain removal from fabrics, upholstery, and carpets:

Fabric

1. Working from the back of the stain, flush with cold water.

2. Pretreat with a liquid laundry detergent, tamp the stain, and let stand for several minutes.

3. Rinse well.

4. Sponge with white vinegar.

5. Rinse well.

6. Repeat Steps 2 to 5 until you have removed as much stain as possible.

7. Pretreat with a prewash stain remover.

8. Launder.

9. If the stain remains, rub with a liquid laundry detergent, and then soak in warm water for up to 30 minutes.

10. Launder with fabric-appropriate bleach, if necessary.

Upholstery

1. Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent with 2 cups of cool water.

2. Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent solution.

3. Blot until the liquid is absorbed.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until the stain disappears.

5. Sponge with cold water and blot dry.

Carpet

1.  Mix 1 tablespoon of liquid hand dishwashing detergent with 2 cups of cool water.

2. Using a clean white cloth, sponge the stain with the detergent solution.

3. Blot until the liquid is absorbed.

4. Repeat Steps 2 and 3 until the stain disappears or is no longer absorbed into the cloth.

5. If stain remains, mix 1 tablespoon of ammonia* with ½ cup of cool water.

6. Sponge the stain with the ammonia solution.

7. Blot until the liquid is absorbed.

8. Sponge with cold water and blot dry.

* When using ammonia to remove stains, keep in mind that ammonia can damage silk and wool fibers. Do not use sudsy or scented bleach for stain removal. Never mix chlorine bleach and ammonia – the fumes are toxic. Since ammonia can cause some dyes to run, always test a hidden part of your fabric, carpet or upholstery before using on your stain.

Calling all Rachael Ray fans! Subscribe to Everyday With Rachael Ray for only $2.99 when you use the coupon code ‘everyday’.

Each issue includes:

• 30-minute meals
• Rachael’s Diary
• small party gatherings for special occasions
• stolen weekends
• Real Cooks Networks
• Every Day Menu Planner
• No Recipe Zone.

Another great magazine deal at Tanga!

Doesn’t the name just pique your curiosity? Well, I found a recipe for pumpkin soup in Holly Clegg’s Trim & Terrific book and previously wrote about the recipe on my old blog. I’d like to share it with you today.

I must admit, before the ingredients were allowed to simmer – I thought I had wasted my time. An early sample of the unheated soup proved unappealing. However, in the end, the spiciness and thickness of the soup is satisfyingly warming and filling. The pieces of onion and occasional burst of garlic is also a welcomed addition to the soup.

There are plenty of advantages to adding this soup to your list of dinner favorites because it is relatively inexpensive, as well as very easy and quick to make.

Below you will find a six-serving recipe for Holly Clegg’s pumpkin soup, which I did not follow to the T. Instead, I added about 3 teaspoons of hot sauce and a bit more pepper. No salt for me. I also did not finely chop my onions, but cut them up in small pieces. I think larger pieces add a bit of dimension to the dish. Another plus about this soup – it is only 45 calories per serving – hard to believe!

Pumpkin Soup Recipe

Ingredients

1 (15 -ounce) can of canned, solid-packed pumpkin filling
2 (14 ½ -ounce) cans of fat free, chicken broth
½ teaspoon of minced garlic
½ cup of finely chopped onions
1 teaspoon of hot sauce
½ cup skim milk
Pepper and Salt (to taste)

Directions

In a non-stick pot, sauté the onion and garlic over medium heat until tender. This takes about five minutes. Add in the pumpkin, and then gradually add the chicken broth and milk. Add the hot sauce and season with salt and pepper. Cook the soup until heated all the way through, which takes about five minutes. As for me, I simmered the soup a bit longer. Enjoy!

Coolness Alert: When I first wrote about this recipe on the now-defunct Doodle-a-Day Reviews, Holly Clegg herself left a comment. She said:

“So glad you let your creative juices flow. Sometimes different combinations of ingredients come together for a great blast of flavor. I love the natural sweetness of pumpkin or sweet potatoes with a contrasting bit of heat! Remember, how we love sweet and salty? So, this is the same concept. I am going to put one of my favorite recipes which I think you will enjoy: Southwestern Roasted Vegetables. As all my recipes are made with few ingredients and are pantry friendly, this recipe every time becomes an instant favorite. You have the natural sweetness of the yams contrasting with the spicy taco seasoning. There are other vegetables in the recipe and feel free to toss in whatever you have around. This is a great fall recipe and remember to line your pan with foil for easy clean-up. Enjoy and remember when you eat Trim & Terrific, you stay trim & terrific. The recipe is on http://www.hollyclegg.com“

The last time I went to Ruby Tuesday’s, I fell in love with a fruit salad made out of apples and pears. I was determined to replicate it when I got home. I knew the salad had a dried red fruit that I suspected was cranberries or most likely cherries. They added celery, but I don’t care for that taste too much in a fruit salad, so I omitted that ingredient. The base of the fruit salad was either an extremely watery vanilla yogurt or sour cream – I opted for the sour cream.

I also inserted extra pizzazz to the recipe with a few of my own modifications, like adding chopped walnuts. I also used an assortment of dried berries. Here’s my version of the fruit salad. Hope you enjoy. It’s a flavorful treat with both crunchy and soft textures enhanced by the tasty variety of the berries.

Fruit Salad Ingredients

• 3 Pears and 3 Apples
• About 10 Ounces of Light Sour Cream
• Fit & Active Berries Mixed Dried Fruit (or something similar)
• Walnuts

Directions

1. After removing the seeds and unappetizing middle parts of the apples and pears, cut into small cubes. Add to a large bowl (or 10-ounce Tupperware container like I did).

2. Add a couple of spoonfuls of light sour cream at a time. Mix. Keep adding until there’s enough to your liking. I estimate that I used about 10 ounces of a 16-ounce container.

3. Sprinkle enough chopped walnuts to your liking and mix throughout.

4. Add dried berries in the same manner as the walnuts, BUT keep in mind that dried fruit is packed with sugar so add with caution to avoid a sweetness overload.  I probably added about three finger-pinchfuls.

This recipe roughly makes 7 cups of fruit salad.