When I saw this decadent cake in this month's Better Homes and Gardens, I knew I had to try it. In typical Cindy fashion. I adjusted the recipe to make it nutrient rich and in a smaller quantity. The original recipe has 350 calories per portion; mine has less than 200. Here's my version:
Peel and core from the bottom 2 fresh pears. Leave the stem intact. (That's the hardest part). Sprinkle with 2 tsp. lemon juice. Bring to a boil: 2 cups of water, 3 Tbsp. sugar and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon. Add pears. Cover and simmer for 20-25 minutes. Drain and cool.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray an 8 X 4 inch loaf pan with Pam.
Beat 1 egg and 1/3 cup brown sugar.
Add 2 Tbsp. olive oil
2/3 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
Mix 2/3 cup whole flour
1/3 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup Dark Unsweetened Cocoa
2/3 tsp. baking powder
2/3 tsp. cinnamon
1/3 tsp. baking soda
Add to batter, stirring only until mixed.
Roll pears in 2 tsp. whole wheat flour, 2 tsp. unsweetened cocoa and 1/4 tsp. cinnamon.
Place pears in loaf pan with stem over the side.. Add batter.
Bake 45 minutes. Cool in pan on rack for 10 minutes. Remove from pan to finish cooling.
Slice in 8 pieces.
Nutrients per serving: 180 Calories, 4 grams Protein, 33 grams Carbohydrate, 5 grams of Fat and 138 mg. Sodium. With 4 grams Fiber and less than 10 grams of added sugar, this is a guilt free dessert!
Now to try the Citrus Upside Down Cake, another eye catching dessert in the November issue.
Phoenicia Downtown Houston quicly became our destination for meals, salad bar and baked goods. The 15- foot conveyor belt that transported fresh baked pita bread from the mezzanine bakery to the customers on the ground floor was the highlight. Employees loved to tell their story, including the man who cut and shared the pear cactus after I asked about them. October 2013
I got these Bon Appetit stamps at the CKC Convention this summer. They were in a bin without a name but I still loved them:
I'm a foodie so I have a few different "cutlery" embellishments. I loved these from 7 Gypsies:
Enjoy your weekend. We were out of town last weekend, so I'm happy to venture to our own downtown Morgantown for Farmer's Market and New Day Bakery!
This year's Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics' conference was in Houston Texas and Bob went along! The days and nights were full. We were treated to Southern Hospitality most places we journeyed.
I always wanted to take one of the tourist buggy rides. Bob asks how much just as I was about to do the same. As we rode through the streets of downtown Houston people were smiling at us. It was a special time.
I combined Halloween and Valentine paper for the frame and added Halloween washi tape. Bob says the buggy in the paper is actually a Hearst but I'll pretend I didn't know that!
I used the Maya Road Kraft Journaling cards as background decor, and inked a design on the white Basic Grey alphas.
Now, what to scrap next?
The original recipe for these luscious cakes was very rich, so I modified and analyzed prior to testing. My version has 245 calories, 3 grams of fiber and high quality protein (the equivalent of 1 egg).
Recipe for 4 cakes:
Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Spray 4 ramekins with cooking spray.
4 Eggs, separated
3 oz. Bittersweet Dark Chocolate
1 oz. Natural Peanut Butter
Combine chocolate and peanut butter in a microwave-safe container. Microwave in 30-second increments, stirring until melted. Whisk in egg yolks.
Beat egg whites until stiff peaks form.
2 Tbsp. Granulated Sugar
Add sugar.
Mix half of egg whites into chocolate mixture, then fold in remaining whites. Divide mixture among ramekins.
Bake until cakes pull away from sides, approximately 35 minutes.
Garnish each with 1 tsp. almond slivers and a dollop of Greek yogurt.
Inspired by a recipe in Parade Magazine's Dash Recipe.
Our son Chris, a WVU student, had a 4-day break so on Sunday he and I went to nearby Ohiopyle State Park. The weather was warm and it was a simply beautiful day.
When I asked a young mother who was taking pictures of an older gentleman and her son if she wanted me to take a picture with her in it, she didn't but then offered to take one of us. It's so nice to get a picture with my boy!
After cutting out and adhering the sun stamp, I doodled rays and added paint splatters to the background cardstock.
My desktop computer died last week, so I have been installing printer, scanning and stitching software and drives to my lap top. I'm real proud of myself for being able to figure this out! Downloading digital elements is different too.
We're off to Houston Friday for a professional convention. While I doubt they have fall color there. . . I'm sure there will be many scenes and memories to capture!
This is my niece Kaity. I have 6 nephews, 2
sons......she is the only female in that generation. And she is
adorable!
I now have a lovely daughter in law, a step-niece, and my older nephews have perfect partners. While I love my boys, I love the girls in the family too!
Hope everyone's having a great weekend!
Digi elements from Jessica Sprague.
Inspired by a recipe in Dash Recipes , I cooked this in the crock pot on low while we went to the theater! I sprinkled a little brown sugar on the chicken breast, add kalamata olives, purple grapes, a green onion, fennel and rosemary. It was delicious!
Served with brown rice and green beans. I added a little sesame oil to the water to cook the rice. The Green Beans are Del Monte canned without salt. Served with a glass of skim milk and 7 Grain Bread from New Day Bakery with Benecol margarine.
Enjoy your Sunday!
