Weight Watchers BOMB 1 pt Chili!!!

At Mom's meeting Saturday, she spotted a recipe on the board for 1 pt chili, intrigued she scribbled it down, and the words are.. Fantastic!! make again!! our only complaint.. is more heat! we will add a can of diced green chilies and more Cayenne pepper next time, but other than that it was fantastic!!



1 pt Chili: 1pt per 1 cup!

10oz extra lean ground turkey
1 med onion chopped
Brown these two items together...

In a large soup pot put:

2 (28 oz) diced tomatoes
2 med zucchini diced
about 1 cup diced butternut squash ( ok here is the thing haha.. the recipe says 3 med crook neck squash diced, wth is a crook neck squash!! I saw a bag of already chopped butternut squash and said use this it should work LOL and it did great!!)
1 (15oz) can black beans
1 (15oz) can kidney beans ( ok we added this to as well.. )
4 celery stalks diced
2 green bell peppers diced
1 package dry chili seasoning

Add the browned and drained meat and onion mixture. Simmer about 30-45 min.

Serve and enjoy!! adjust heat to liking. We did as is with just the changes listed above, still really really good and did I mention.. 1 point!!!!!

Sweet and Tangy Pot Roast!

Yet again another recipe from the trusty taste of home Comfort Food Diet Cookbook!! In case you can't tell, we love this book!! Now.. we will make pot roast no other way again, after the first time this was made, this is the ONLY way we will do it from here on out. It's easy and amazing. We serve it with mashed potatoes for the gravy that is made with it, it really is fantastic!

Sweet 'n' Tangy Pot Roast: W.W.: 5 pts for 3 oz of meat and 1/2 c gravy

1 boneless beef chuck roast (3 lbs)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1 c water
1 c ketchup
14 c red wine or beef broth
1 envelope brown gravy mix
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/8 tsp garlic powder
3 Tbsp cornstarch
1/4 c cold water

Cut meat in half and place in a 5 qt slow cooker. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. In a bowl, combine the water, ketchup, wine or broth, gravy mix, mustard, Worcestershire sauce and garlic powder, pour over the meat. Cover and cook on low for 9-10 hours or until meat is tender.
Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth. Stir into slow cooker. Cover and cook on high for 30 minutes or until gravy is thickened. remove the meat from the slow cooker, slice and serve with gravy.

Seriously sooo good!!!!!

Our Light Meal with A touch of Olive Garden!

We were in the mood for a light but tasty meal, it was chilly out, and Mom had picked up her recipe at Weight Watchers for Rigatoni with Sausage and Kale, and we remembered that we had the recipe for Olive Gardens Zuppa Toscana. So we set out to make both for a nice meal! The soup is amazing, and we had made it before so knew it would be awesome. The pasta was new, and Mom has been up for trying so many new things I was excited! So here goes! First the Pasta.. then the awesome soup!

Rigatoni With Sausage and Kale: WW Pts 7 per 1 1/2c

2 cups uncooked rigatoni
1/8 tsp salt or to taste for pasta
8 oz raw turkey sausage, sweet Italian variety ( we used hot)
4 c kale, roughly chopped into bite sized pieces
1 c canned chicken broth
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/2 c shredded Parmesan cheese

Cook rigatoni in salt water according to package directions. Drain.
Meanwhile, remove sausage from casings, about 3 minutes. Add kale; cook, stirring frequently, until limp, about 3-5 minutes.
Add broth to skillet, and scrape up browned bits on bottom of skillet with a wooden spoon; season with salt and pepper. Cover skillet and reduce heat to low; cook until kale is tender, about 5-10 min. Stir in rigatoni; heat through.
Sprinkle each portion with 2 tablespoons of cheese before serving. Feeds 4.

This was so yummy, and very light! We loved that it was so light, perfect for a summer evening when you don't want a heavy meal sitting in your tummy!

Zuppa Toscana :
6-8 servings- this makes a decent pot, with 5 of us, there was enough for at least 2 bowls each, so keep that in mind if you want to make it for a small first course.

1 lb ground Italian sausage (we used hot.. yup we like our spice ;) )
1 1/2 tsp crushed red peppers
1 large diced white onion
4 Tbsp bacon pieces
2 tsp garlic puree
10 c water
5 cubes of chicken bouillon
1 c heavy cream
1 lb sliced Russet potatoes, or about 3 large potatoes
1/4 of a bunch of kale

Saute Italian sausage and crushed red pepper in a large pot. Drain excess fat, refrigerate while you prepare other ingredients.
In the same pan, saute bacon, onions and garlic over low-medium heat for approximately 15min. or until the onions are soft.
Add chicken bouillon and water to the pot and heat until it starts to boil.
Add the sliced potatoes and cook until soft, about half an hour.
Add the heavy cream and just cook until thoroughly heated.
Stir in the sausage and the kale, let all heat through and serve.

Tasted just like Olive Gardens!! It is fantastic!! and trust me you will eat more than 1 bowl!!

Peachy Bread Pudding with Bourbon Sauce

The Step Dad was watching the Today show the other day, and Paula Dean was on making a rice pudding. Well he proceeded to go on line and found about 5 of her various recipes for Rice pudding and Bread pudding. He is quite the bread pudding lover and we found one to try. It was the "N'awlins bread pudding with bourbon sauce". I changed 2 things .. thus the title of this post. I chose to use Chalah bread and add peaches. I am going to post the recipe with the ingredients and my changes after words. It was amazing! I mean.. seriously amazing. Mom and I have never really had bread pudding, and it never really looked appetizing, but this.. just the smell was tempting.. and really no words can explain how wonderful this bread pudding is. And a small scoop of vanilla ice cream sends it beyond over the top!!

Paula Deans N'awlins bread pudding with bourbon sauce:

• 1 (16-ounce) loaf french bread ( I used Chalah bread)
• 3 cups sugar, divided
• 5 large eggs, lightly beaten
• 2 cups half-and-half
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract, divided
• 1/2 cup raisins
• (I add 2 halved, pitted, chopped peaches. cut into slices, cut slices in half)
• 1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
• 3/4 cup butter, softened and divided
• 1 1/2 cups pecan halves
• 1/3 cup bourbon

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Tear bread into small pieces; arrange in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish. Cover loosely with a paper towel, and allow to stand at room temperature several hours or until bread is stale and dry. (or to speed up process, place bread on a baking sheet, and bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes or until bread is dry)
In a large bowl, combine 2 cups sugar, eggs, half-and-half and 2 teaspoons vanilla; pour over bread in baking dish. Sprinkle raisins on top ( Add chopped peaches to the top); press top of the mixture with the back of a spoon to make sure all bread is covered with egg mixture. Let stand for 20 minutes.
In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, 1/4-cup butter and pecans; sprinkle over top of bread mixture. Bake for 35 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.
In a medium saucepan, whisk remaining 1 cup sugar and remaining ½-cup softened butter over medium heat. Cook, whisking constantly, 3 minutes. Remove from heat, and cool slightly. Add remaining 1 teaspoon vanilla, stirring until combined. Add bourbon, stirring until smooth. Pour over warm bread pudding.

Serving Size

Makes 15 servings

We all agreed it was truly dangerous to make the whole pan for just 3 people, we have been giving it away so that we do not eat it, it is seriously that amazingly good!!!! ( I am plotting to make it for Thanksgiving! )

Cookies!!!

Having the end of a school semester at hand again, the students in my step dad's class asked if I was once again going to bake for them. So I figured why not, Macaroon's were a hit, and I had this Peanut butter cookie recipe I wanted to test out. The PB Cookie was really so I could put a nice bag away for my boyfriend that was coming out for a visit, his birthday was coming up and PB Cups are his fave. This recipe is very good!! a little rich so have a glass of milk handy, but oh so tasty. The Macaroon's I found in a new magazine I just got, and are like almond joys, so no way I could pass those up!

Peanut Butter Cup Cookies: From Taste of Home, Best loved Cookies and Bars Jan. 2009:

1 c butter, softened
2/3 c peanut butter
1 c sugar
1 c packed brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 1/4 c all purpose flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 c (12 oz) semi-sweet chocolate chips
2 c chopped peanut butter cups ( about 6 1.6 oz packages)

In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, peanut butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually add to creamed mixture and mix well. Stir in chocolate chips and chopped peanut butter cups.
Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls 2 in apart onto un-greased baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake at 350 for 10-12 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Cool for 2 minutes before removing to wire racks.

Inside out almond joy macaroons: Cuisine Cookies for the Holidays:

1 package sweetened shredded coconut, divided (14oz)
1/4 c all purpose flour
1/4 c sugar
1/4 c light corn syrup
1/4 c cream of coconut ( NOT coconut milk)
3 egg whites
2 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
pinch of salt
32 Chocolate "kiss" candies with almonds, unwrapped

Preheat oven to 350. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or coat with nonstick spray.
Mince 1 1/2 c of the coconut in a food processor. Transfer minced coconut to a bowl. Add the remaining coconut to the minced coconut along with the other ingredients except the chocolate kisses.  Mix gently with your hands until combined, then chill the dough for at least 1 hour and up to 24 hours.
Shape a heaping tablespoon of dough around a chocolate kiss, enclosing the candy completely. Arrange cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing 1-inch apart. Bake until firm and deep golden at the base and light golden on top. 16-18 minutes.
Cool macaroons on the pan for 5 minutes, then transfer to a rack.
* these macaroons are sinful!!!! absolutely amazing.. sooo good!!!

Honey Chicken Stir Fry

That's right you guessed it, The Comfort Food Cook Book!! ok.. so I have been very very far behind, can you tell, sooo many posts in one day, hours at this damn computer desk.. and soooo close to done.. I think..maybe I see a light of some sort!!! This was made earlier this week, as I said before I love Asian food.. all kinds, and this just sounded super yummy, I added pineapple chunks and water chestnuts, we love the sweet and crunch these add, so I almost always add it when I make a stir fry of some kind.
Huge hit with us, despite the Step Dad not a fan of Asian fare it was still a hit. I served it for Brown Rice.

Honey Chicken Stir Fry: 5 pts 1 cup of mixture.

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tsp olive oil, divided
3 Tbsp honey
2 Tbsp reduced sodium soy sauce
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp pepper
1 package (16 oz) frozen stir fry vegetable mix
2 tsp cornstarch
1 Tbsp cold water

Hot cooked rice

1. In a large nonstick skillet, stir fry chicken and garlic in 2 tsp oil. Add honey, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Cook and stir until chicken is lightly browned and juices run clear. Remove and keep warm.
2. In same pan, stir-fry vegetables in remaining oi for 4-5 minutes or until tender. Return chicken to the pan; stir to coat. Combine cornstarch and cold water until smooth; gradually stir into chicken mixture. Bring to a boil. cook and stir for 1 minute or until thickened. Serve with rice.

Glazed Pork Medallions

Another great recipe from The Comfort Food Diet Cook Book!! Served with sour cream mashed potato's this is one that will also be made again!! Super simple, and oh so tasty!!

Glazed Pork Medallions: W.W. Pts: 4 per 4 oz serving

1 pork tenderloin (1 1/4 lbs)
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 c reduced sugar orange marmalade
2 tsp cider vinegar
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp minced fresh ginger root
1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Cut pork into 1 in slices and flatten to 1/4 in thickness; ( ok I was lazy and just made like center cut pork chops haha) Sprinkle with salt. In a large non stick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook pork in batches over medium-high heat until juices run clear. Reduce heat to low; return all meat to the pan. Combine the remaining ingredients; pour over pork and turn to coat. Heat through. How easy!! we totally dug it!

Chicken Marsala

From the awesome cookbook of taste of home Comfort Food Diet Cook Book, come delicious Chicken Marsala! ohh my was this good, and I served it with buttered, parsley egg noodles, with the extra sauce on them. I loved it!! The chicken was like butter, so juicy and tender, and since I love mushrooms it totally hit the spot!!! quite easy to make as well! Though.. before you think it's quick, there were 2 things that snuck up on me!.The chicken will need to be pounded and it marinates over night. I like to not read all the way through and haha that was far from cool, we ended up at our fave Mexican restaurant while it marinated for the next night ;) .. and no I did not plan on that hehe.




Chicken Marsala: 6 pts per W.W standards

6 boneless skinless chicken breasts halves (4 oz each)
1 c fat free Italian salad dressing
1 Tbsp all purpose flour
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 Tbsp butter
1/2 c reduced sodium chicken broth
1/2 c Marsala wine or 3 Tbsp unsweetened apple juice plus 5 Tbsp additional reduced sodium chicken broth.
1 pound sliced fresh mushrooms
1/2 c minced fresh parsley

1. Flatten the chicken to 1/2 in thickness. Place in a large resealable plastic bag; add salad dressing. Seal bag and turn to coat; refrigerate for 8 hrs or overnight.
2. Drain and discard marinade. Combine the flour, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika and pepper; sprinkle over both sides of chicken. In a large nonstick skillet coated with cooking spray, cook chicken in 1 Tbsp oil and butter for 2 minutes on each side or until browned. Transfer to a 13 in x 9 in baking dish coated with cooking spray. Gradually add broth and wine or apple juice mixture to skillet, stirring to loosen browned bits. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes. Strain sauce; set aside. In the same skillet, cook mushrooms in remaining oil for 2 minutes; drain. Stir sauce into mushrooms, heat through. Pour over chicken; sprinkle with parsley. Bake uncovered. at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until chicken juices run clear.

Peach Raspberry Galette

Yet another recipe from the Weight Watchers book Hit the Spot. Peaches have been on sale often, and we happened to have the raspberries on hand, and I tossed a few frozen blueberries on top that I had. It was really tasty and very little sugar!! With 3 points per slice, we had a fruity desert that hit our natural sweet tooth and was oh so enjoyable! I also loved that peeling the peaches was completely not called for nor necessary at all!

Peach Raspberry Galette:

1 refrigerated piecrust (from a 15 oz box) at room temperature
1/3 cup + 2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp grated lemon zest
1 1/2 lbs peaches (about 5) halved, pitted, and cut into 1 inch wedges
1 (6oz) container raspberries

1. Preheat the oven to 400. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll the crust into a 13 inch round. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet.
3. Whisk together 1/3 c of the sugar, the cornstarch, and lemon zest in a large bowl. Add the peaches and toss to mix well. Gently stir in the raspberries. Spoon the filling over the crust, leaving a 2 inch border. Fold the edge of the dough over the filling, pleating it as you go around. Lightly brush the edge of the dough with water; sprinkle the edge and fruit with the remaining 2 Tbsp sugar.
4. Bake until the filling is bubbling in the center and the crust is browned, about 35 minutes. Let cool 10 minutes. Slide the galette with the parchment onto a wire rack. With a spatula, separate the galette from the parchment, slip out the parchment and discard. let the galette cool completely. Cut into wedges.

Super simple and oh so tasty!!

Grilled Tri-Tip with Chipotle Butter slathered Corn and Cumin scented Sweet Potato Wedges

I know.. HUGE title!! But well there are 2 recipes in this meal, so it needed to all be in there!! It was a Weight Watchers night, So both recipes came from the Weight Watchers book Hit the Spot. It is a Great little book that we picked up last fall, and also gave as a Christmas gift. Some very tasty recipe's in it! First.. my favorite of the whole meal, the Corn! OMG!! I will never ever ever boil an ear of corn again, NEVER! 10 min on a grill is amazing, juicy and crisp and really just amazing. The Chipotle butter was awesome too, it added a killer spice and we loved it! The Tri-Tip grilled was fantastic too, really the whole meal was bomb! So why keep talking.. lets just get to posting the recipes for you all!!

Cumin-Scented Sweet Potato Wedges: 1 pt per serving ( about 4 wedges)

2 large sweet potatoes (10 oz each), peeled, each cut into 8 wedges
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp paprika
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill to high or prepare a hot fire.
2. Put the sweet potato wedges in a large bowl and spray with olive oil nonstick spray; toss to coat evenly. Combine the remaining ingredients in a cup; sprinkle evenly over the potatoes. Toss to coat.
3. Arrange the potatoes, cut side down, on the grill rack and grill until tender and crispy in spots, about 7 minutes on each side.
** Now.. I totally didn't do all this lol.. I heated my oven to about 400 and roasted them instead. but we all agreed that we want to make pure the recipe, we think they would be even tastier!!

Grilled Tri-Tip with Chipotle Butter Slathered Corn: 6 pts

1 (1lb) tri-tip roast. trimmed
3/4 tsp salt
4 ears of corn, husks and silk removed
2 Tbsp light stick butter, softened
1 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1 Tbsp grated lime zest
1 tsp minced chipotle en adobo

1. Spray the grill rack with nonstick spray. Preheat the grill to medium-high or prepare a medium high fire.
2. Sprinkle the beef with 1/2 tsp of the salt. Place the beef and corn on the grill rack.Grill the beef until an instant read thermometer inserted into the center of the roast registers 145 for medium-rare, about 10 minutes; grill the corn until lightly charred in spots and tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer the beef to a cutting board and let rest 10 minutes. Transfer the corn to a serving dish and keep warm.
3. Meanwhile, to make the chipotle butter, mash together the butter, cilantro, lime zest, chipotle en adobo and the remaining 1/4 tsp salt in cup.
4. cut the beef into 12 slices. Spread the chipotle butter over the corn, and serve with beef.

Such a fantastic meal, super delicious  and oh so easy to make!

Glazed Pork with Strawberry Couscous

Enjoying some cooking as well as baking, we had a large pork loin in the freezer and I saw this recipe in Taste of Homes Healthy Cooking Magazine. I love trying new things, and my family sometimes doesn't. So when I decided to make this, I left out exactly what it was, knowing the fact that fruit was in the couscous that something would be said.. and mind you it was.. The little Brother went on the whole time .. the rest agreed it was different but good. I left the mint out as to not push my luck lol next time I plan to throw it in! The Roast was wonderful, very flavorful, and juicy! We had so much left that we made a chili with some of it the next night and made delicious pork loin wraps for lunch on Saturday! A fantastic pork roast that I will make again, as well as the couscous!

Glazed Pork with strawberry couscous:

2 tsp dried marjoram
1 tsp salt
1 tsp seasoned pepper
1 bone in pork loin roast ( 5lbs) * uhm.. well I just realized literally that it was suppose to literally be a roast haha.. I used a boneless pork loin, and it was fantastic, explains the little bit of left over glaze ;)
1/2 c strawberry jam
1/2 c orange juice, divided
1 can (14.5 oz) chicken broth
1 pkg. (10 oz) plain couscous
1 c fresh strawberries, chopped
1/4 c minced fresh mint
2 tsp grated orange peel

1. Line the bottom of a large shallow roasting pan with foil; set aside. Combine the marjoram, salt and pepper; rub over roast. Place in pan. Bake, uncovered at 350 for 1 hour.
2. Combine jam and 1/4 c orange juice; brush half over pork. Bake 20-30 minutes longer or until a meat thermometer reads 160, basting with remaining jam mixture every 10 minutes. Let stand for 10 minutes before slicing.
3. Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, bring brother to a boil. Stir in couscous. Cover and remove from the heat; let stand for 5 minutes or until liquid is absorbed. Fluff with a fork; stir in the strawberries, mint , orange peel and remaining orange juice. Serve with pork.

I added fresh steamed green beans that I then quickly tossed with a smidgen of butter, salt and seasoned pepper, a delicious meal!

Zucchini Pecan Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

The other Dessert at that Bomb BBQ of mine was this cake, which woohoo Bon Appetit provided as well from its August 2010 issue. With our abundance of zucchini from our garden, it was necessary to do something with it! It was great, and let me tell you the icing.. OMG!! it's a Cinnamon Cream Cheese icing, and other than an icing for a cake, I would use it for a fruit dip, a filling with cookies, icing on cookies, or just eat it with a spoon! Was sooo good!!!

Cake:
Non Stick Vegetable oil Spray

1 1/2 c all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp coarse kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
3/4 c olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 c (packed) golden brown sugar
3 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups coarsely grated zucchini (about 8 oz)
3/4 c chopped pecans

Icing:

1/2 8 oz package Cream Cheese (do not use reduced fat or fat free) at room temperature
3 Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 c powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

Cake: Position rack in center of oven and preheat to 350. Line 9 inch diameter cake pan with 2 inch high sides with parchment paper. Coat parchment paper with nonstick spray.
Whisk flour, baking powder, coarse salt, cinnamon, ginger, and nutmeg in medium bowl to blend well. Whisk oil, sugar, eggs, and vanilla in large bowl to blend well; fold in flour mixture, then grated zucchini and pecans. transfer cake batter to prepared pan.
Bake cake until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 45minutes. Cool cake completely in pan on rack about 1 hour. Cun around sides of pan to loosen. Turn cake out onto platter; peel off parchment paper.
Icing: Using electric mixer, beat cream cheese and butter in medium bowl until blended. Beat in sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon. Spread frosting thickly over top of cake*. Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. cover and chill. Slice cake into wedges and serve. * I iced the entire cake, not just the top :)

Deep Dish Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping

From the BBQ below, it's time to get the pie up here. With the family coming I was allowed to bake desserts! and oh how I wanted pie, and I love peach pie, it was the first pie I had ever made at 15 so when I saw this recipe in the July 2010 issue of Bon Appetit I had to try it. When given the ok to bake anything, I will take that and run! It was an oh so yummy pie, we loved it! I cheated and added a couple extra peaches to it, figuring like every fruit pie, the filling will cook down, so not needed! the filling didn't budge, which put the topping high up, leaving to a few overly baked pecans, so definitely make this as the recipe directs! Warmed with Vanilla ice cream it was amazing. Thank you Bon Appetit!

Deep Dish Peach Pie with Pecan Streusel Topping:
Streusel Topping:

1/2 c plus 2 Tbsp unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 c old fashioned oats
1/3 c packed, brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick) chilled unsalted butter, diced
3/4 c pecans, coarsely chopped

Crust:

1 1/2 c unbleached all purpose flour
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
6 Tbsp (3/4 stick)chilled unsalted butter, diced
1/3 c non-hydrogenated, vegetable shortening, frozen, diced ( I totally just used normal shortening here)
3 1/2 Tbsp ( or more) ice water

Filling:

3/4 c sugar
2 Tbsp quick cooking tapioca
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cardamom
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 1/2 tsp fresh lemon juice
3 3/4- 4 lbs peaches, peeled, halved, pitted, and cut into 1 inch wedges

9-91/2 in ceramic deep dish pie plate is needed.

Streusel Topping: Stir flour, oats, sugar, and salt in medium bowl. Add butter; rub in with fingertips until mixture holds together in moist clumps. Mix in pecans. Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead, cover and chill.

Crust: Blend flour, sugar, and salt in processor 5 second. Add butter and shortening. Using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles very coarse meal. Drizzle 3 1/2 Tbsp water over. Blend until moist clumps form, adding more water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Gather dough into ball; flatten into disk. Wrap and chill at least 1 hour. Do Ahead:  can be made 1 day ahead. Keep chilled. If necessary, soften dough slightly at room temperature before rolling out.
Roll out dough on floured work surface to 14 inch round; transfer to 9 inch deep dish pie plate. Cut off all but 1/2 inch overhang. Fold overhang in; crimp edge. Chill crust.
Filling: Stir sugar and next 4 ingredients in large bowl. Mix in lemon juice, then peaches; toss. Let stand at least 20 min, tossing occasionally.
Set rack at lowest position in oven. Slide foil-lined baking sheet under rack onto oven floor (to catch any drips). Preheat oven to 400. Spoon filling into crust. Scatter topping over, breaking up large clumps.
Bake pie 30 minutes. reduce oven to 350, bake until juices bubble thickly and topping is golden, covering edges with foil if browning too quickly, about 1 hour. Cool on rack at least 1 1/2 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Banana Granola

In the mood for some home made granola, I stumbled across this recipe I printed off the net years ago from allrecipes.com, I was intrigued by the banana in it and the fresh dates! I have never bought fresh dates before, nor even knew where to pick them up at! I added pecans as well, and just used raisins for the dried fruit.
It was great with Milk for Breakfast.





                                                                        Banana Granola:

               2 banana's. peeled and diced
               1 1/4 c dates, pitted and chopped
               1/4 c hot water
               1 Tbsp vanilla extract
               1 tsp ground cinnamon
               8 cups quick cooking oats8 oz dried mixed fruit
               8 oz blanched slivered almonds

Preheat oven to 250

Puree the bananas and dates in a food processor. Add the brown sugar, hot water, vanilla and cinnamon. mix well.
Pour mixture into a large mixing bowl, add oatmeal and mix well.
Spread onto large baking sheets and bake at 250 for 1-1 1/2 hrs stirring frequently. Cook longer for crunchier if desired. Once cooled add the dried fruits and nuts, as little or as much as you want. and mix.