An Old Fashioned Barbecue

 Everything right now is either smashed or done cowboy style for the grill. These new recipes are good but there's something about the traditional ones our moms and grandmothers used. There was a certain fun to them tha't snot seen in today's dishes.

Of course there's barbecued meats. yet the ones of our parents day weren't marinated in fancy mixes. Most of the time steaks and chicken parts were treated like hamburgers and hotdogs. Just throw on the grill , then flipped over before servingYou actually get more of the meat's flavor by doing thish along with having a crispy coating. If you do want some flavoring the, just season with salt and pepper. That's it. You can go old school for the steaks and offer a bottle of Worcester sauce. You can also have a bottle of barbecue sauce handy for both the beef and poultry. This also applies to ribs. There's no need to whip up a fancy sauce for them. Toss them on the grill and then serve with the same barbecue sauce. Guests may enjoy dipping the ribs into a bowl of the sauce and it's actually  not as messy too. Treat corn in the same way too. It doesn't;t need to be fancy Mexican street corn. Just grill it for nineteen to twenty minutes, turning every so often to prevent charring or burning. Slather butter or margarine on a long with a good sprinkle of salt and then dig in, It';s a great way to really enjoy the corn's sweet flavor.

Going old school means enjoying simple salads and dishes that highlight the main course's charred goodness. Three bean salad is the perfect barbecue side.It;s so easy to make. The recipe varies from family to family. Some add garbanzo beans and switch out green beans and vice a versa. The best ones include red kidney beans, white kidney or Cannellini and garbanzo beans. You can add a teaspoons o finely minced onion for more flavor or a quarter teaspoon of onion powder. Dress with olive oil and red or white wine vinegar. It may need some salt and pepper but that's it. Chill for a few hours before serving. Other classic salads are broccoli and green beans. These are simple to make and you can even use frozen veggies. After steaming them just dress with oil vinegar and dashes of onion and garlic powder. Season with salt and pepper to taste.How do you end a classic barbecue? A Jello salad! This is mixing the powdered gelatin with cottage cheese and pineapple juice. Whipped cream is folded in then the crushed pineapple.. It;s chilled and then served as a sweet side or a dessert.It;s your choice.

Forget all this fancy new fangled stuff. Go old school with a classic barbecue. It;s makes for simple ,tasty and fun eating.

Any Time Is Pie Time

Everyone thinks pies should be baked and eaten in the fall. After all it's a perfect time to use up the apple and pumpkin harvests. They go well with the heavy feasts. Then they disappear after Christmas. That should not be.Pie should be made all year round.

For those who don't want a labor intensive kind, think a premade crust and instant pudding. Both Keebler and Nabisco sell a graham cracker and Oreo crumb premade ones. You can even buy a box of crumbs. enables home chefs to make their own crusts. Then fill with any pudding. One of the best is the Jello brands. Chocolate cream pie can be jazzed up with a few drops of mint extract for a cool chocolate mint flavor. Top  a chocolate cream pie with mini marshmallows and put under the broiler for a s'more's pie. A vanilla cream pie is another sweet treat that 's easy to make for a dinner party or a Sunday dinner.  Experiment with different   pudding flavors such as butterscotch and pistachio.  These can even be made into tartlets too. If there's more time , then make a homemade graham cracker crust.You can use any flavor, from plain to cinnamon to chocolate. It takes about twenty-four squares ,a quarter cup of granulated sugar and one-third melted butter or margarine. You can crush extra crackers more crumbs to sprinkle on top of the pie.

Homemade custards are the next step. Lemon meringue and Key Lime pies are sunny treats for a gloomy winter's day. If the lemon meringue is too daunting, then just try a  lemon pie. It's basically a custard, thanks to the addition of four egg yolks. Flour and cornstarch act as thickening agentson. There is a  good dose of lemon zest and lemon juice in it. It's not topped with meringue but whipped cream.The classic lemon meringue is not as lemony, only employing just two. It's the topping that makes it so special. It's a classic meringue with just egg whites and sugar and baked for only ten minutes. Key Lime is sort of similar. and easier to execute. It's not as citrusy, with only having a little more than half a cup of lime juice. There's no zest added and condensed milk is the binder here. The topping is simply whipped cream while the crust is graham crackers. A really elegant pie is one  with a mousse filling It's not as complex as it sounds.It's simply a mix of any pudding with Cool Whip or if you want a more homemade one ,use cream and gelatin along with chocolate chips or cocoa powder.


Pies shouldn't just be a fall treat. Think a mousse one for an elegant dinner party or a Key Lime for a SuperBowl party. Make a chocolate creme decorated with whipped cream and strawberries for Valntine's Day. They can be enjoyed now in the heart of winter.

Pedialyte? Ugh!! Better Alternatives

I have been sick for the last week. Hopefully, it's nothing more than a bad stomach virus caught from one of my students.The doctor gave me meds but also recommended that modern kid classic Pedialyte. I figured it was just what the doc ordered. I was wrong!

I don't know how the little nippers stand the stuff. The taste is kind of like a melted lollipop dipped in ocean water. The first questions that went through my mind is "Why do kids have to drink this? Won't they spit this out?"Then when I parsed out the ingredients , the taste made sense. There's sodium chloride needed to retain water lost when a child or baby has had diarrhea along with sugar to keep up electrolytes. Electrolytes are needed to hydrate cells and a Pedialyte type drink will do the job better than just plain water. Also giving any little one plain juice or sugar water can result in more diarrhea, Unfortunately, there are some problems with it, It does come with a blend of dyes in it that are questionable along with it being pricey. Another problem is the taste. If I hate it , imagine how a three-year-old or eight-year-old responds to it.Luckily there are recipes up and down the Web that help with the taste.There's always salt and sugar added. Most moms prefer sea salt along with unrefined cane sugar. Another variation uses honey, however, be careful wth this. As we all know children under the age of one cannot process it and it could be lethal. Use Jello or orange juice for flavoring instead.

What about us adults? The company actually puts out an adult version which is perfect for those suffering from illnesses that can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea, It's also recommended for those recovering from hangovers.Pedialyte adds probiotics too to promote digestive health although that' s probably the last thing you're thinking of when you're surviving the aftereffects of too many pale ales or margaritas.It comes in more grown-up flavors like Blue Raspberry , Strawberry Lemonade and, Cherry Punch and Tropical Fruit. Is it better than that other go to , Gatorade?Both have the relatively same mix of sodium, sugar, and water. For water retention, Pedialyte or even a homemade version will beat Gatorade. Yet it's Gatorade that adults prefer because it has half the sodium, hence not as salty a taste.It does come n yummier flavors such as citrus watermelon, the original lemon-lime  along with variations on berry and tangerine.You can make your own (as well as for dogs and cats too, however, get your vet's OK before creating it). Jello is recommended but I would use organic juice such as Bai along ith both sea salt and sodium chloride .

Is Pedialyte a must when you;re sick? Yes and no. I'm sticking with my doctor' advice for now. When I feel better, I'll make my own.It's stile a vile drink but I think that a homemade version may be a tad better.

Your Pie Your Way

Thanksgiving is only a few weeks away followed by one of the busiest baking seasons of the year. One standard , pie is expected at Thanksgiving with maybe one or two gracing a holiday party buffet..Most home bakers panic at baking one. It's sometimes isn't an easy sweet to make.Not to worry.Pick a pie that suits your expertise and run with it.

Beginner bakers - or those who don't have the time  to go through the whole ordeal of making and rolling out dough can use a pre made pie shell. Keebler and Nabisco both have their own, Keebler has a graham cracker crust one while Nabisco offers an Oreo crumb crust. Both can be used in making simple as  - well - pie  cream pies, using instant pudding as  filling. A vanilla pudding pie , topped with a simple whipped cream is a nice refreshing dessert.Another idea is a butterscotch pie , made with instant pudding is simple  enough for even a tween to make. Jello now has a pumpkin spice pudding that can easily be made into a pie..The Oreo crust almost begs for a wild filling. Try it filled with Hershey's brand dark chocolate or milk chocolate pudding. You can add a few drops of mint flavoring to the dark chocolate for a take on grasshopper pie.A more elegant dessert is a white chocolate pie, topped with either raspberries or cherries. These pudding pies are a snap to make.It's just preparing the pudding with less milk than needed and then poured into the shell. Setting time is only two or three hours . You could even whip up a few for a big holiday get together  or Sunday football party.

Crust pies are a little more labor intensive. If you're still unsure about your baking skills then buy ready  made pie dough. More or less it tastes like the homemade kind.If you do decide to make your own keep a few things in mind. Lard makes for the best rust, giving it a light and flaky texture.This is the crust you use for fruit pies,because the layers absorb the fruits' liquids without becoming soggy.. Cream or custard pies need a crust that has a mealy or granulated  texture.Use butter for this.,Remember that whatever fats used, they have to be  to be super cold for it to blend well with the flour. Most home bakers want to make apple or pumpkin pies for Thanksgiving. Both have relatively complicated fillings. With the first it's all about what type of apples makes the best filling.Look for the Northern spy, the Esopus Spitzenberg or the Pink Lady. Don't go apple hunting  in your local grocery These apples can be found on farms or farmer's markets.  As for pumpkin pie. if you're truly adventurous , you can make it from your Halloween pumpkin . Intermediate bakers should stick with the canned. It makes for a creamier filling with a  firmer texture. You can also moderate the spices put in, adding more nutmeg or cinnamon as you see fit.

It's pie season.Luckily you don't have to stress about it. Make a pie that suits your expertise.it'll result in an excellently made dessert that everyone will rave over.

Nectar Of The Foodies

One of the most refreshing drinks is nectar.It;s a variation of fruit ade and a nice change of pace.Nectar is also great as the base of some cocktails and fizzy drinks.it can also be used in recipes too for a fresh spin.

What is nectar? Many people confuse it with juice which is the pressed liquid from any fruit and then sweetened. Nectar is more or less the undiluted , untreated juice (although the definition does vary ) that contains some pulp or puree.In the US nectar can have as much as 100 per cent fruit juice and as little as 1 per cent with the supplements of sugar and corn syrup thickening it. Read the bottle or box before you buy and always pick the one with the best nutritional value. There are several different brands to choose  from. Goya is one of the best because the company has many different flavors from sugar cane to banana to guava and papaya. There is also the all natural brand Bionaturae, made with all organic fruit and naturally sweetened from apples from Piemonte Italy( a bonus in my book). They have more traditional flavors such as apricot and peach along with sour cherry and wild berry. Even grocery stores such as Stop & Shop have a really good peach nectar that is tasty and light without any cloying sweetness.

Most people will ask what can be done with nectars. They make excellent bases for homemade sodas. or sparklers. Add as much or as little nectar as you want and then fill  with seltzer or club soda. Peach nectar can be blended with champagne to make Bellinis , those oh so delicious brunch  cocktails. Mix it with cider to create a Baby Bellini.  Many cocktails can be created using guava and mango nectar too. Iced teas can also benefit  from a teaspoon or two of them and  it's a healthier way of creating a refreshing summer cooler. Nectars can also be frozen to create a fruiter popsicle as well and they can also be added to smoothies too  to give them a dash of excitement. Surprisingly enough you can also add any flavor of it to plain gelatin to make a more natural tasting version of Jello. Some muffin and cobbler recipes call for nectar as well to give it that boost of more flavor.

Try nectar and see why many love it .It is refreshing and versatile, being made into delicious drinks and treats. It's the perfect drink, the drink of the gods and goddesses as well as of foodies.

Friday Night Fun Dinners

Friday nights should be full of fun; They're the end of a hard work or school week. There should be a celebration of sorts, namely in the form of some kind of equally as fun supper.Forget the meat loaf and sensible sides. Live a little , from starters to dessert.

For decades families have celebrated Friday night with pizza. They're still doing so.Nothing beats a fresh from the oven pie, rich with tomato sauce and gooey mozzarella cheese. There are still pizzerias that make home deliveries  however home chefs can also make their own. Many pizzerias will sell just plain dough to be baked at home.If you're adventurous  you can definitely create a fun version using everyone's favorite toppings. There's nothing wrong with a chicken pepperoni mix or onions and steak. Seafood lovers can put crab and shrimp on theirs to create a pizza de frutti e mare. Vegetarians can use soy mozzarella  as well as fun veggies such as onions , broccoli and peppers. Even edaname or soy beans can be sprinkled on top. You can also make mini pizzas as starters as well as inside out ones. This last is made by  putting a spoonful of tomato sauce and olive oil  along with a  ball of mozzarella on a rolled out piece of dough . Cover with another piece of pizza dough and bake until golden.For an entirely different spin try spring rolls. They can be bought or made and be stuffed with all sorts of fun fillers. Try baby shrimp and cabbage together  or  minced pork and red peppers. Have dishes of soy , duck and hoisin sauce  on the ready for dipping.

If you've had a staid Friday night dinner then go wild with dessert. Chocolate fondue is a great ender, plus it brings the family together as everyone go for some communal dipping. Have bowls filled with  cut up strawberries and bananas for something healthy and for something wicked think marshmallows, along with  cubed brownies and pound cake.You can also try a caramel fondue by melting caramel  and dipping in apple slices and even pretzel rods.Even though it's January , ice box cakes can still rule.A favorite and easy one to make the night before is the chocolate log, made with chocolate wafers and Cool Whip. Banana pudding cake is another neat Friday night dessert. Again this is simple to construct ,especially when you use instant vanilla pudding.Make Jello stained dessert squares for a party like ending. This involves first making three or four different flavors of Jello in Pyrex pans,  then cutting them in cubes and then mixing them in a blend of unflavored gelatin and condensed milk.The result are confetti colored squares of glistening jewel like squares. If this is too much for you, then stick with the tried and true sundae bar. Have two or three kinds of ice cream with different toppings and syrups along with Reddi whip.

Celebrate TGIF with Friday fun dinners and desserts. You and especially the kids will appreciate a visit to a  culinary party. It's the end of the week. Have fun!!!!!!

Holiday Classics

Holiday classics this time of year may include Frosty  and Rudolph but  they also include chestnuts and Jello.

Jello???? Yes, it and so many other basics are the start of many a holiday dish. They're also comfort food and what's a holiday without that.

Chestnuts roasting on an open fire is a classic, in particularly a New York one.They're everywhere in Manhattan The tradition started centuries ago on London and Parisian streets as well. You can roast them at home. using a perforated metal pie plate for stovetop cooking. Cut an X on the tops to release steam or they'll explode. Their taste is sweetly intense so you really don't need any seasonings. They're a nice accompaniment to popcorn at a tree trimming party.as for popcorn itself, nothing  beats the old fashioned way on the stove in a sturdy pot.Use 1/3 cup cooking oil or coconut oil to 1/2 cup of kernels. The pot should be warmed before the oil is even added. It should be shaken every now and them so each kernel is evenly coated in oil. Butter is always recommended for that old fashioned movie theater taste. .Melt it right after  the popcorn is popped , preferably in the same pot where you cooked the popcorn. For caramel use butter , again, brown sugar, corn syrup and salt to start with Baking soda and a touch of vanilla finish it off . Pour over the popcorn until every kernel is coated , cool and then munch.

As for Jello, it's really is a holiday classic. You can do a cheesy fun dessert with red and green cubes . Serve with Cool whip  dusted with gold and silver sanding sugar for a sparkly spin.Surprisingly it can also be made into sophisticated sweets  for elegant holiday parties.TRy a light and airy Key Lime Cloud Square which is  a combo of lime Jello, cream cheese and CoolWhip. It's a perfect end if you're having a chicken and champagne dinner party.A fun and creative dessert are Jello stained glass bars  which require four  flavors of it along with a mix of plain  gelatin and condensed milk. There's no baking with this which makes it super easy to make, Jello salads are the holiday buffer must have and actually standard.Try them with any kind of fruit as a sweet side to casseroles. Miracle Whip and Philadelphia Cream cheese are also holiday classics, being used in everything from crab spread to cheesecake,You can make yummy salads using leftover holiday  roasts and Miracle Whip.

This is the season for holiday classics. It could be a plate of steamed chestnuts roasted on an open fire or a Jello salad. Either way, they are the perfect comfort foods for the holidays, full of memories and taste.

Easy Summer Birthday Cakes

Summer birthdays are always fun.There's barbecues, sangria, and of course cake.The only problem with the last is baking is not fun even in air conditioning.The best idea while keeping it homemade is easy to make no bake cakes.These are fun and just as yummy as the baked and iced kind. One of the easiest and tastiest are the Jello No Bakes.These consist of a quick crust or base, a mousse like center and creamy toppings.There are easy cheesecakes ,including a home style and cheryl one.You can customize them by adding either melted or solid chocolate chips along with adding slivered or ground almonds to the crust.There's also a fun peanut butter cup cake and and Oreo flavored one too.These are wonderful ends to any party and take fifteen minutes at best to just whip up and assemble.These can also be made into cupcakes by making the dessert in muffin tins. Jello itself has a slew of no bake cake recipes that would make the perfect birthday cake.Try layering different varieties of Jello to create an airy but flavorful confection.Cream cheese plays a big part in creating a no bake treat.You can blend it with Cool Whip and other flavors such as chocolate or citrus to create an airy and light slice.Start with either a simple Graham cracker or ground cookie crust as the first layer, then add the cream cheese and cream mix.Decorate with fruit slices or chocolate curls depending on what you ,'ve made. Refrigerator cakes are another fun summer birthday treat.One of the most easiest and the most elegant is the chocolate wafer log.This is a no brainer to create.Just take those famed chocolate wafer cookies and layer them on their side, using the topping as "mortar"to glue together.You can use chocolate Cool Whip for pure decadence .You can even add a side of bananas or cut strawberries to cut the intense flavor.Another icebox cake is the classic Nilla wafers with a custardy cream.The original recipe calls for raw eggs but if you're having qualms about this omit them and just used whipped topping mixed with pineapple and any kind of nut meats.A variation of this is a dessert loaf made with condensed milk and the addition of raisins .Icebox cakes can also be made with crushed graham crackers.Layer the crackers and then heap on layers of CoolWhip and fresh fruit such as sliced peaches.For a quick spin on the classic Brown Derby cake, alternately layer chocolate Graham crackers, whipped topping and slices of bananas and strawberries.Reserved some crackers to be crushed and sprinkled on top of the cake.You can also do a home made ice cream cake this way too.Layer the crackers with softened ice cream for a really special treat. Summer birthdays need a summer cake.Whip up a cool airy creation ,perfect for a balmy nice.It's not only a greatbway to end a special birthday meal but also to celebrate a summer baby.

Easy As Pie Baking

Nothing is as fun as baking.It's satisfying to whip, mix and pour having the end result as a lush dessert or tasty snack.Yet some people are put off by it ,thinking it cam be complicated or that any methods requires years of experience.Not true.There are some really yummy treats that are simple as pie itself to make. Pies can be daunting.There's always the worry that the crusts won't brown or that they will be too tough.There's fretting that the merengue might fall or that the filling might still be raw.There is a solution.Cream pies.These are a snap to make and a delight to eat.Buy a pre made crust and fill it with pudding.Now both Nabisco and Keebler have excellent pie crusts to use as bases.There are some really good puddings out there to use as the filling.If you want something both elegant and tasty, try making one with Hershey's chocolate pudding poured into an Oreo crumb crust.Serve it with a side of Reddi Whip and either bananas,strawberries or cherries.Jello has come out with an instant cheesecake.It's super easy and oven free where you have everything ,crust filling and topping in labeled pouches.It takes all of ten minutes to create a tasty and pretty enough for company dessert, A plate of fresh baked cookies is another sweet treat.Most people are usually put off by baking them,either because they're too complicated to make or too labor intensive.Luckily there are that fast baking stand by,slice and bakes.These logs are wonderful, especially if you have to entertain bored kids.Pillsbury has a few varieties.Of course,nothing beats their chocolate chip, especially when they comes hot from the oven.The sugar cookies are just plain fun because kids can channel their inner artist by decorating with everything from icing to raisins to chocolate chips.You can also use the cookies to make homemade sandwich treats or as the base for ice cream sandwiches.Another fun idea is sticking lollipop sticks in them and turn them into cookie pops.There are also cookie rolls with designs already stamped on them.Make a platter of heart ones for Valentine's Day as a gift for family and friends. You can make luscious desserts and fun snacks with these easy as pie solutions.They are just great for ending a meal, impressing company or making kids happy. Nothing beats a home baked treat, even if it's no bake or has very little baking.

Just Desserts

If you're a sweet toothed foodie like I am, then you have to have dessert. Lunch or dinner just isn't the same without ending it with something sugary. The problem is what to finish off a meal with? Do you go fro something healthy ? Or something sinful and decadent?

I wanted something of the last. I just bought Jello's latest mousse cups. These looked yummy in the store and proved to be just that. I love mousse better than pudding (which to me is too dense and gummy) and Jello's latest offering is just as light and as flavorful as any homemade kind. It's actually perfect for those nights when I 'm coming home late from teaching and want a quick meal something after.Another quickie dessert is just ice cream with syrup. I recently bought the soy based Pure Decadence in Chocolate Obsession. Ii usually get their Pomegranate Chip, but alas, the store sold out of it. Sometimes just a scoop of ice cream with syrup is enough dessert. Ices are good too. They're low calorie, and always refreshing.During the summer I was polishing off my Taco Bell meals with their deliciously icy Frutistas.

Fruit makes a healthier, more nutritious ending to a meal, especially if it's dinner. Now that's it's fall I can once again go back to my beloved apples dipped in caramel. This is a great meal topper and fun to share. Marzetti has an excellent caramel dipping sauce that also goes well on pound cake and ice cream. I prefer apples . This is also the season for pears and there's nothing like a healthy dessert of just a pear. Baked apples are a good meal ender and they're easy to make in the microwave. My version has caramel and chopped walnuts along with butter in the apple core. It's kind of like an inside out caramel apple. I have updated my grandmother's baked apple recipe which calls for red wine, sugar and butter. This is a quick and fancy dessert , perfect
for company.

Desserts can be fun or healthy or both. It depends on you. Sometimes just a bowl of ice cream with syrup and fruit will suffice. Sometimes dessert is just a bit fancier with whipped cream or elaborately created. In the end it's up to you , the foodie, to decide how to end your meals.

Make Wiggle Room For Jello

There's nothing like the American classic, Jello. It's perfect for dessert or even as a side dish at a buffet.Not only that it's low in calories so you can splurge on it without feeling guilty. It's also versatile and you can eat it plain, with fruits or whipped cream.

Jello was invented in 1897 by Pearle Waite of Le Roy , New York. Gelatin was nothing new. The French had been creating it since 1682 when gelatin's; inventor Dennis Papin boiled animal bones and culled the glutinous matter from them. The result was a clear sticky , protein enriched gel. This used it in all aspects of cooking from meats to sweet desserts. Gelatin dishes in the 1800's were not widely consumed nor were they popular. It took Mr. Waite a little over two centuries later, to develop a palatable gelatin that would be tasty and easy to make. He added fruit syrup for color and taste and a new American classic was born. His wife named it "Jell-O". Waite sold the patent for it to Frank Woodward. Woodward was able to make it the most popular dish out there.

Gelatin soon became a staple in American households. Housewives soon realized they could give their families a fun colorful dessert for only pennies.The flavors were good, the original ,being strawberry , lemon ,orange and raspberry (lime was added in the 1930s). In this modern high tech age we still crave the low tech easiness and goodness of a cup of Jello. It's a fun dessert that can come in a variety of ways. Also it's good for nails. Eat Jello three or four times a week and you'll have strong healthy ones.

If any of you have any good Jello recipes please feel free to share them. Do you make yours into shapes? Or add fruits of the season? Do you like bubbly Jello made with club soda or ginger ale? Let Foodie Pantry know about it.

Cool Desserts

No matter what time of year it is, you still feel like a good dessert or sweet treat to snack on. This is not, however the the best season to bake. It's too hot and your kitchen probably feels like an oven anyway. If that's the case then stick with easy to make desserts that require little or no fuss. You'll still have a sweet treat but without the sweat.

Fruit is always a good starting off point. This is the season for rich berries that can be made into an easy shortcake. Take any pound or angel food cake , slice and serve with fresh berries and a side of Cool Whip or even freshly whipped cream. You can mix fruits like strawberries and blueberries or try a new spin with fresh cut peaches. This is a light dessert and also makes a good treat for summer birthdays. A fruit parfait is excellent. Layer peaches, cut melon and berries in a tall glass. If you want a bit of fizz. add a splash of club soda or seltzer. This is a wonderful on hot evenings when you're craving something sugary but light.

Never discount instant puddings or Jello during the summer. These are a snap to make and work well with just about everything. There's nothing like a quick creamy pie where all you have to do is fill a prebaked pie shell with pudding. A really fun and quick dessert is a banana chocolate pie. Filled a chocolate pie crust with a layer of instant chocolate pudding. Add topping and right before you serve it , arrange sliced bananas on top. Another fun one is an instant zabaglione pie. This involves vanilla pudding , a splash of Marsala and Cool Whip or nay whipped topping (see recipe below).Jello, that old standby, makes another quick dessert. For a bubbly frothy variation add ginger ale or club soda. This is perfect for kids parties and isn't as messy as cupcakes or cookies in hot weather.

Another easy dessert ingredient is ice cream. This is great not only for sundaes and soda but also as a base for ice cream pies and tarts. A really fun but classy dessert is filling premade tart shells with chocolate and vanilla ice cream, adding a layer of slivered almonds and then whipped cream and strawberries. It's a spin of a baked French tart with the ice cream standing in for the custard. Don't forget that new standard, the ice cream sandwich . Get a fun flavor, such as mint chocolate chip or cherry swirl and put between two large cookies. You can then roll the sandwich in sprinkles or chopped nuts for added decoration.

It's easy to make a satisfying , sweet treat this summer without firing up the oven. Just use pre made ingredients and your imagination. You're bound to come up with a treat that's just as good as any fresh baked cake or pie.

Easy Zabaglione Pie

1 prebaked pie shell, preferably graham cracker crust.
1 package instant vanilla pudding
2 -3 tablespoons Marsala wine
Whipped topping.

Make pudding according to package instructions. Fold in Marsala wine and then pour into prebaked pie shell. Let set. Cover with whipped topping or whipped cream when ready to serve.

What's Making You Fat???

You diet and still look like the Michelin man. You gorge on nothing but salads and you're still the size of a semi. You still exercise but the pounds aren't melting off. What's wrong with this picture?

Maybe your foods are the culprits.The thing is we may think we're eating healthy and we're not. If you're big on salads like I am , you may assume you're chowing down on one low calorie meal. In truth you may be loading your plate up with more calories and carbs than if you had a double cheeseburger and fries. The next time you go to a salad bar be very judicious. First, stay away from the croutons and rolls that are always offered. Secondly, stick with a light dressing such as oil and red wine vinegar or any low fat Italian or French. The creamier dressings are the ones that will kill you. Fill up on a good mix of tomatoes, onions, peppers and mushrooms. They are not only healthier for you but also will keep you sated for a long time. As far as with meats and sides, plain grilled meat is a much better choice than anything covered in cheese or served between a bun. Stay away from mayo as well. Opt for a squeeze of lemon or lime over your grilled foods. Another big no no is any veggie with cream sauce such as creamed cauliflower or Lima beans. A melange of steamed vegetables or better yet, a savory ratatouille is a nice side dish or even a meal.

Sweets and desserts are going to have to be scrutinized as well. Those low fat ice creams make us feel like we can have our cake and eat it too however be careful with them. You may feel the need to eat two bars or cones at a time. Doing that will surely make the fat still stick to your hips. Use any low fat iced treat as a twice weekly reward. A better choice would be Edy's fruit pops which are only sixty calories each. Another good sweet treat is fruit in gelatin. You don't have to make these any more . Jello has the individual cups in a four pack. Add a dollop of low calorie Cool Whip or any non dairy topping and you've a surprisingly tasty dessert.
If you have to staunch your chocolate cravings then go with the heart healthy dark chocolate. A small piece every other day isn't so bad plus you're giving your body the antioxidants it needs.

Now here's the shocker of all. You may be drinking a high calorie drink with your low calorie meals. Nix any soda because the high concentration of sugars will add on pounds. The same is true with any iced teas that have more corn syrup than tea. Make your own fresh brewed zero calorie tea. For more flavor add mint leaves or a tablespoon of fruit juice . Even energy drinks contain some calories and carbs. A friend introduced me to this new caffeine infused Fyxx Hybrid Energy spring water. It packs a punch but leaves no pounds. You can mix it with fresh cut fruit such as melon chunks or strawberries or even mint leaves for a refreshing taste.

Think twice about what you're eating these days. What you think is low fat may be calorie and fat rich. Be a conscientious foodie and look into what you're eating and not at what you're eating.

You can buy Fyxx Hybrid Energy drink at www.fyxxwater.com or at your local grocery or convenience store.