Fruit cheesecake was one of the desserts I made for the Holidays. This is a recipe from JELL-O. With that being said, the recipe makes good use of lemon flavored JELL-O instant pudding. I found the lemon flavor to be very refreshing, a very good change up from your normal cheesecake flavor. Others though, felt the lemon flavor might have been a little too strong, I will let you decide. If you don’t like lemon, you could leave it out. The crust is pretty basic with Nilla wafers, sugar and butter. The cheesecake is topped with an assortment of fresh fruits and cool whip. You can use whichever fruits you like and whichever type of cool whip you prefer. I tried this with regular and strawberry flavored; I personally preferred the strawberry. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup crushed NILLA wafers (crushed)
3 tablespoons butter (melted)
3 tablespoons sugar
4 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons flour
1 cup sour cream
4 eggs
1 package JELL-O (4 serving size) lemon flavor instant pudding and pie filling
2 cups cool whip strawberry whipped topping (thawed)
1 cup fresh blueberries
1 cup fresh strawberries (sliced)
1 cup kiwis (peeled and sliced)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 325 degrees. In a bowl mix crushed nilla wafers, sugar, and melted butter. Line a 13×9” baking dish with aluminum foil and firmly press the mixture onto the bottom of the foil. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Step 2: In a large mixing bowl beat cream cheese, 1 cup of sugar and flour. Add sour cream, mix well. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time. Mix each egg until well blended. Stir in lemon flavor pudding mix. Pour over the crust. Place into the oven and bake for 1 hour or until the filling is almost set. Remove from the oven, allow to cool. Place into the refrigerator overnight.
Step 3: Lift foil of the baking dish and place the cheesecake on a serving platter. Spread with whipped topping and fruit.

With Christmas less than a couple days away here is a fantastic recipe for sugar cookies. These are nearly the perfect sugar cookies and they have the icing that hardens. The cookies get a lot of flavor from a combination of vanilla and almond extracts. They also have a nice buttery flavor to them. The dough in this recipe is very easy to roll out and work with; they also bake up extremely nice. For the frosting you can separate it into multiple bowls to make different colors, and put any additional decorations on the cookies. If you are looking for the perfect sugar cookie recipe for the Holidays, you have found it. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
½ teaspoon almond extract
3 ¼ cups all purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
Frosting-
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
1-3 tablespoons milk (more or less as needed to achieve spreading consitancy)
1 tablespoon light corn syrup
¼ teaspoon almond extract
food coloring (optional)

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: In a large mixing bowl combine butter with sugar, eggs, almond and vanilla extract. Beat until lightly and fluffy. In a separate bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Gradually mix flour mixture into butter mixture until well blended. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Step 2: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. On a lightly flowered surface roll out dough to ¼” thickness. Cut into desires shapes with cookie cutters. Place cookies 2 inches apartment on cookie sheets. Place into the oven and bake 4-6 minutes. Remove cookies and cool on wire racks.
Step 3: To make frosting- in a small bowl mix confectioners’ sugar with milk, start with 1-2 tablespoons of milk and add more as needed. Beat in corn syrup and almond extract until the icing is smooth. Add food coloring if desired.  
Step 4: Paint the cookies with the frosting and allow to set on wax paper.

I am not really sure where the name Hummingbird cake comes from or why it is called that, but one thing is for sure, this cake is very good. This is an older recipe that has become very popular, and for good reason. This cake is very moist and uses a combination of pineapple, bananas and chopped pecans that go right into the cake batter. The cake is first baked and then topped with cream cheese frosting, which goes perfect with this cake. This is a triple layer cake for it will make a lot; just a small piece will be enough to fill you up. This cake got eaten very fast around here. If you are looking for a fantastic cake recipe to make for the Holidays, give this one a try. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
3 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3 eggs (beaten)
1 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple (with juice)
1 cup pecans (chopped)
2 cups bananas (chopped)
½ cup pecans (chopped)
Cream cheese Frosting-
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese (softened)
½ cup butter or margarine (softened)
1 (16 ounce) package powdered sugar (sifted)
1 teaspoon vanilla

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt, sugar and cinnamon. Add eggs and oil, stirring until the dry ingredients are moistened. Stir in vanilla, pineapple, 1 cup pecans and bananas. Pour batter into 3 9” round baking pans.

Step 2: Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in cake pans on a wire rack for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes remove from the cake pans and cool completely.
Step 3: To make cream cheese frosting- In a mixing bowl beat cream cheese and butter. A little at a time add powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth. Add vanilla extract. Frost cake with the frosting and top with ½ cup chopped pecans.

Baked spaghetti is one of my favorite casserole dishes in the winter time. It can be a nice change from your classic spaghetti recipe. I would say this dish is very similar to that of lasagna, only without the lasagna noodles. This dish is preparing by first cooking the noodles, then cooking the burger with onions and adding the sauce. The noodles are then tossed with an egg and parmesan cheese mixture and layered into a casserole dish with the meat sauce and cottage cheese. You could add other ingredients to this recipe as well such as mushrooms, green pepper, pepperoni, ect. You can also use homemade spaghetti sauce, such as my spaghetti sauce recipe. If you decide to use my spaghetti sauce recipe, you can exclude the hamburger from this recipe. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (16 ounce) package spaghetti noodles
1lb ground beef
1 medium onion (chopped)
1 (26 ounce) jar meatless spaghetti sauce
½ teaspoon seasoned salt
2 eggs
1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
5 tablespoons butter (melted)
2 cups small curd cottage cheese
4 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Cook spaghetti noodles according to package directions. While noodles are cooking in a large skillet brown ground beef with the onion until the beef is no longer pink. Drain. Stir in spaghetti sauce and seasoning salt. Set aside.
Step 2: In a large bowl mix egg, parmesan cheese and butter. Drain spaghetti noodles and toss with the egg mixture until they are coated thoroughly.
Step 3: Place half of the spaghetti noodles in a greased 13 x 9 inch baking dish. Top with half of the cottage cheese, half of the meat sauce, and half of the mozzarella cheese. Repeat layers, cover and bake at 350 degrees for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes uncover and top with the remaining mozzarella cheese. Return to the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the cheese has melted.  
(Makes 6 Servings)

This is another type of bruschetta I made recently – Guacamole bruschetta. This is a combination of Italian and Mexican cuisine; toasted sliced French bread topped with delicious Guacamole. The garlic bread really makes this recipe great. The bread is rubbed with a clove of garlic and brushed with olive oil. This makes the perfect appetizer for parties or events. It also makes a good side dish for tacos, burritos or really any Mexican dish.  Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread (sliced into ½” thick rounds)
1 garlic clove
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tomatoes (chopped)
2 avocados (chopped)
1/3 cup onion (finely chopped)
¼ cup cilantro (finely chopped)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Arrange bread slices on a baking sheet and bake in the oven on one side for 3 minutes. Flip and toast on the other side for 3 minutes. Remove toasted bread from the oven and rub with a clove of garlic (works best if you cut the clove in half or some off the top).Brush the tops of each bread slice with olive oil. Set aside.

Step 2: In a large bowl combine tomatoes, avocados, onion, cilantro, lime juice, salt and pepper. Mix well.
Step 3: Place 2 tablespoons of the mixture onto garlic toasts and serve.

I have been on a roll with these delicious pizza recipes lately and chicken Caesar salad pizza is no different. Caesar salad lovers are sure to enjoy this recipe. This is the perfect mixture of hot and cold; crispy romaine lettuce and diced tomatoes on top of hot and delicious pizza. This pizza has typical ingredients you would expect from Caesar salad such as the dressing, garlic and parmesan cheese. The combination of parmesan and Monterey Jack cheeses goes perfect with this pizza. This recipe calls for cooking the chicken in the pan with a little dressing but you can also grill it. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 pre-made pizza crust (or box mix, I use Pillsbury)
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
8 ounces shredded Monterey jack cheese
16 ounces Caesar salad dressing
1 boneless skinless chicken breast
2 roma tomatoes (diced)
3 garlic cloves (minced)
4 green onions (sliced)
2 heads romaine lettuce (torn into pieces)

Cooking  Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 500 degrees. Cut chicken into small chunks and stir fry in a skillet with 1-2 tablespoons of dressing until fully cooked. Add one minced garlic clove to the pan and stir. Lay out pizza crust on a baking sheet.  Brush the top of the crust with olive oil lightly.
Step 2: Spread ½ cup of Caesar salad dressing in a thin layer over the top of the crust. Top with remaining minced garlic cloves. Spread them over the crust evenly. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top then put ½ cup of Monterey jack cheese on top. Place the chopped chicken on top. Add the remaining Monterey Jack cheese. Bake 10 minutes or until the crust is golden brown and the cheese is bubbly.
Step 3: While pizza is cooking toss romaine lettuce, tomatoes and green onions in a bowl and mix with a little Caesar salad dressing. Serve each slice with salad on top.

This is a slightly different take on bruschetta, instead of having meat and/or vegetables this one consist of fruit. These bruschettas are sweet, delicious and full of flavor.  I have been experimenting with a couple different types of this appetizer lately and this is one of them. Here is one that is kind of geared towards the dessert category. The French bread is first sliced, baked, buttered and sprinkled with a cinnamon and sugar mixture. After, it is topped with yogurt, honey and the fruit mixture. If you want you can add additional fruits or replace them with others. This makes another great treat for the Holiday season. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 loaf of French bread (sliced into 16, ½ inch thick slices)
2 tablespoons butter (melted)
1 ½ tablespoons sugar
1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon
4 kiwi fruit (peeled and chopped)
2 bananas (diced into small cubes)
10 large strawberries (diced)
2 tablespoons orange juice
3-4 tablespoons vanilla yogurt
Honey (for drizzling)

Cooking  Instructions:

Step 1: Pre-heat the oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the bread slices on a large baking sheet. Place into the oven and bake for 10 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven. Brush toast slices with butter on one side.
Step 2: Combine 1 tablespoon of cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of sugar and sprinkle with mixture evenly over the buttered side of the toast. Broil in a preheated broiler for 30 seconds or until tops are bubbling. Remove and allow them to cool.
Step 3: In a bowl toss fruit with orange juice and remaining cinnamon and sugar. Spread yogurt on the top of each piece of top, top with fruit and drizzle with honey.
(Makes 16 Bruschetta)

Tacos Al Pastor is one of my favorite Mexicans foods. They are tacos filled with grilled pork, pineapple and a cilantro relish. I had never heard of these until a couple days ago when I came across a recipe and just had to give them a try. They were a huge success and I will be making them frequently. The pork gets marinated in an orange juice/pineapple mixture. This helps to tenderize the meat. I felt the flavor of the pork, pineapple and cilantro relish all went together extremely well. I also decided to add some shredded Monterey jack cheese to my tacos. The tacos also go great with different types of salsas. If you do not have a grill this could all be done using a grill pan or even a skillet. Enjoy.

Ingredients:
1 (3 pound) boneless pork loin
1 large white onion (cut in half)
½ cup orange juice
1 pineapple (peeled and cut crosswise into ½” rounds)
¼ cup white vinegar
¼ cup chili powder
3 garlic cloves (cut in half)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 small chipotle chilies in adobo sauce(plus 1-2 teaspoons adobo sauce)
¼ cup fresh cilantro
1 package corn tortillas

Cooking Instructions:

Step 1: Take 2 pineapple rounds and seal and refrigerate the rest. Chop 2 pineapple rounds (discarding the core) and place chopped pineapple, orange juice and ½ of the onion into a food processor. Add vinegar, chili powder, garlic, salt, oregano, cumin, chipotle chilies and adobo sauce. Puree in the food processor until the mixture is smooth. Place pork in a large sealable plastic bag, add marinade and refrigerator 4 hours (or overnight).
Step 2: Heat grill to medium high heat. Grill remaining pineapple until warm and slightly charred. Remove from grill and chop, discarding the core. Remove pork from the marinade and place onto the grill. Grill until cooked through and slightly charred. Remove from grill and chop pork into small cubes. Toss diced pork with chopped pineapple.
Step 3: Finely chopped the remaining onion half and put it into a medium bowl. Add chopped cilantro and toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm (about 10 seconds per side). Add pork/pineapple mixture on top of each tortilla, and then add cilantro relish. You can also add salsa and cheese if desired.