Earthly Eating

• Frozen Fruit Smoothie
Serves: 2

1 frozen banana, peeled and sliced
2 cups frozen strawberries, raspberries and/or cherries
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vanilla yogurt
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
3 tbs. honey

Place all above ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Serve in chilled glasses and garnish with a sprig of mint and fresh fruit.

• Chocolate Torte
Serves: 14

Cooking spray
5 cups all-purpose flour
4 oz. unsweetened cocoa powder
2-1/3 cups fine sugar
2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
10 oz. pitted prunes, pureed in a food processor
2 tsp. vanilla extract
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 cup strong made coffee
Confectioners’ sugar
Fresh strawberries, washed with steams removed

Preheat oven to 35o degrees. Spray cooking oil in a 9-inch cake pan and set aside. In a large mixing bowl, sift together flour, cocoa, fine sugar, baking soda, salt and the cinnamon. Mix with a whisk until combined and then add pureed prunes, vanilla, and one egg at a time and then the milk. Mix well until blended completely, but don’t over mix.

Stir in coffee and pour into prepared baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes and allow to cool. Turn out onto a serving plate and sprinkle with confectioners’ sugar and top with fresh strawberries before serving.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Roasted Beet Salad
Serves: 6

Combine 1/3 cup olive oil, orange juice and 1/8 tsp. black pepper. Cover and shake or whisk in a bowl. Pour over the beets and let stand for 20 minutes and allow beets to soak up flavor. Remove beets from dressing and place on top of salad greens along with organ wedges and walnuts. Drizzle with reserved dressing and serve.

Happy Eating!

In this season of summer time fun, try these recipes for your next get-together. They are simple and quick to mix up and make so take them to your next BBQ for everyone to enjoy.

• Strawberry Pops
Serves: 16

1 3/4 cups orange juice (pulp free)
2 containers (6 oz.) low-fat vanilla yogurt
1 bag frozen strawberries, thawed
1/4 cup honey (optional)
16 plastic or silicone pop molds
16 wooden pop sticks

Process all ingredients in a blender until smooth, be sure and stop to scrap down the sides of the blender. Spoon the mixture evenly into the 16 pop molds and insert wooden pop sticks and freeze for about 8 hours or over night. Serve when frozen solid.

• Peach and Better Cobbler
Serves: 6

1 package frozen sliced peaches (don’t thaw)
1 package frozen blackberries or raspberries (don’t thaw)
3/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. cornstarch
1 tsp. grated lemon rind
1 1/4 self-rising flour
2 tbs. sugar
1 cup milk
1/2 cup butter or margarine, melted

Toss together frozen peaches and the next 4 ingredients. Spoon into a lightly greased 11 x 7-inch baking dish.

Combine flour and 2 tbs. sugar in a large bowl; make a well in the center of the mixture. Stir together the milk and melted butter; add to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened. Spoon evenly over the fruit moisture.

Bake at 400 degrees for 50 to 55 minutes or until crust is golden brown.

• Lime Pie Cake
Serves: 12

1 package white cake mix
1 container sour cream
2 large eggs
1/2 cup water
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 tbs. grated lime rind
Non-stick cooking spray
Lime Pie Filling
1 1/2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup powdered sugar

1. Beat the first 6 ingredients at low speed with an electric hand mixer for 30 seconds. Beat at medium speed for 2 minutes. Pour the batter into 4 round cake pans coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 17 minutes or until a wooden pick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans on wire racks for about 10 minutes. Remove cakes from the pans and cool completely on the racks.

Place 1 cake layer on a serving platter and spread one-third of the pie filling evenly over the top. Repeat the layers twice, ending with pie filling on top of the remaining cake layer.

Beat the whipped cram at medium speed with a mixer until it is foaming. Gradually add powdered sugar to the cream and beat until soft peaks form. Spread this mixture evening on top and the sides of the cake. Serve immediately.

*Making the Lime Pie Filling: 3/4 cup milk, 2 tbs. cornstarch, 1 can sweetened condensed milk, 3 large eggs, 1/2 cup fresh lime juice, 1 drop natural green food coloring, 3 tbs. cold butter, cut up, 1 tbs. grated lime rind.
Whisk together the milk and the cornstarch in a heavy saucepan, whisking until the cornstarch is dissolved. Whisk in the sweetened milk and eggs until blended, whisk in the lime juice and the food coloring, if using. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly. Boil for 1 minutes until it begins to thicken, be sure and whisk constantly. Remove from heat and whisk in butter and lime rind until smooth. Pout filling into a large bowl and place that bowl in another bowl filled with ice. Whisk until the filling has cooled completely. Spread on cake.
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Earthly Eating Recipe

Green Tomato Stacks
Serves: 8

Place about 1 tbs Pimiento Cheese on each of the 8 tomato slices; top each with 1 tomato slices. Repeat layers’ twice, beginning with pimiento cheese and ending with a tomato slices. Serve immediately.

Happy Eating!