OK, this might be weird, but I’m gonna throw it out there anyway.  Do you ever have the need or craving to eat a piece of fruit (mainly citrus) after a heavy, savory and filling meal?  Even if I am filled to the gills, that taste for something cold and citrus-y makes me feel better (or at least it makes me think I’m going to feel better).  Similar to how Chinese food restaurants will often times serve a plate of sliced oranges or pineapple chunks post-dinner, I look for fruit to help cut down on that greasy taste in my mouth and belly.  For whatever reason, it seems to work (for me at least).  For that reason, when I was perusing the internet for dessert recipes for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, I was looking for something on the ‘lighter’ side and something that involved a fresh fruit taste.  I knew that we’d all be stuffed with heavy foods like lasagna, mashed potatoes, roast beef, roast turkey and stuffing that by the time dessert rolled around, we’d be looking for something to cut that ‘ugh’ feeling one tends to get after a big holiday meal.  I remembered my sister’s boyfriend’s key lime pie that he made for MHC’s birthday dinner and how I kept thinking it was so light and almost seemed to magically get rid of the heaviness in my stomach.  That said, I decided to make a Healthy Chow version of this classic dessert.

So Fly Key Lime Yogurt Pie
From Eat Better America
Serves 8

• 2 TBSP of cold water
• 2 TBSP of fresh lime juice
• 1 1/2 TSP of unflavored gelatin (I used Knox brand)
• 4 oz. (half 8-oz package) fat-free cream cheese, softened
• 3 containers (6 oz each) Yoplait® Light Thick & Creamy Key lime pie yogurt
• 1/2 cup frozen (thawed) reduced-fat whipped topping plus more for garnish (I used Cool Whip Lite)
• 2 TSP of grated lime peel/zest plus more for garnish (you will need about 3 limes, 1 lime doesn’t give much zest)
• 1 reduced-fat graham cracker pie crust (6 oz.) (I used Keebler brand)

1) In small saucepan, mix water and lime juice.  Then, sprinkle the gelatin on the lime juice mixture and let it stand for 1 minute.  It will start looking very gelatinous (like Jello!).

Clearly magical!

2) Heat mixture over low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin has completely dissolved.  Then, let the gelatin mixture cool slightly for about 2 minutes.

3) In a medium bowl, beat cream cheese.  I used a fork and mashed the cream cheese around until it was well-blended (since it’s already been softened, it doesn’t take much effort).  Add the yogurt and lime juice mixture to the cream cheese and mix again until well-blended.

Just beat it!

Like a light green cloud…

4) Add your whipped topping and lime zest and fold into the cream cheese mixture.

It kinda looks like ranch dressing…

5) Pour the cream cheese mixture into crust.  Make sure it is spread out evenly.  Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours.

Ready to chill…

6) Garnish with more lime zest and lime slices and serve with a dollop of whipped topping.  Dig in!

Lotsa lime zest (in a reused margarine container – gotta think green!)

As I mentioned in my previous post, because this was such a breeze to make and I like to make things easy as pie (get it?) for myself, I decided to make a double-batch of this recipe on Christmas Eve morning.  This was a tad risky on my part considering I had no idea how it was going to taste and I was going to bring this dessert to two separate events.  Well, I gambled and I won!  This dessert was a hit both times!  The guests at both parties really seemed to enjoy the tartness of the lime and how ‘light and airy’ this dessert tasted.  In fact, they had a tough time believing that this dessert was low in calories and low in fat.  I had to giggle at times because the main ingredient in this dessert was just key lime pie flavored yogurt and people kept asking how I made this creation.  I wish I could have told them that I slaved over this recipe for hours, but I can’t tell a lie.  Nevertheless, my key lime pie received rave reviews and managed to achieve what I had in mind – make my full belly feel lighter and cut the grease from the heavy foods.  And if lime is not your cup of tea, you can use lemon, vanilla or orange flavored yogurt as a substitute and add in lemon or orange zest/juice or vanilla bean.  Not too shabby, huh?

Image Credit – theproducersperspective.com

So let’s run through this again.  This recipe is easy to make, is a relatively healthy treat, contains inexpensive ingredients, tastes amazing, is versatile and helps in digestion (at least in my mind)…I think it’s time to label this recipe with a gold star and bookmark it in my recipe folder.  It’s definitely a KEY-per!  Hahahahaha!

What’s your favorite kind of pie?  Or, do you prefer a savory pie (meat pies, Shepard’s pie, pizza pie)?

Namasté,
Nicole

I’m not quite sure what happened?  Healthy Chow is a gal who loves her sleep and doesn’t usually have a hard time catching her Z’s.  However, after having a fun-filled Christmas Eve night, I could not fall asleep.  Perhaps it was the excitement of Christmas on the horizon that kept me wide awake?  Or, maybe it was all the sugar and carbs I had that prevented me be able to watch the back of my eyelids? Whichever the case was, I think I slept for about two hours total and was ready to greet the day at 3:30am!  INSANE! I tried to just rest and take some deep breaths in order to calm my mind, but I guess my mind just wasn’t having any of it.  That said, I decided to get out of bed at 6am.  I’m surprised I didn’t see or hear Santa coming down my chimney?  Hehehehehe!

Image Credit – christmas.howstuffworks.com

Much like the day before, I spent the whole day hanging out with my two hot friends – my stove and my oven.  Dang, were they on fie-yah!  Christmas dinner was going to be at MHC’s (Mother Healthy Chow) house and while she and my aunt were going to be cooking the main entrées, a roast beef and a turkey, I was in charge of bringing a hot appetizer, a yummy vegetable dish, a unique lasagna and a fun dessert.  Because Healthy Chow is a girl who likes to makes things as easy as possible for herself, I made a double-batch of the key lime pie I made on Christmas Eve, so that dessert for Christmas Day would be all set.  And I also made the same hot app – it was tasty the day before, so why not recreate the same hit?  For my new dishes, I made 1.5 trays of pumpkin and sausage lasagna and a broccoli casserole.  Hoooo-weeeee!  It’s a good thing I was running on pure adrenaline because much like the day before, I finished up my cooking just in the St. Nick of time!

When my sister and I arrived at MHC and Darrell’s home, we were greeted by the bright view of the ocean, as well as the hosts of the party and the wafting smell of deliciously home-cooked food! Apparently, MHC was on the same schedule as her daughter.  She must have greeted the sun on Christmas morning with the amount of food she had cooked and all the beautiful decorations in their home.  I love the toasty feeling of homes on holidays when they’re filled with family.  They’re so inviting and full of love, a gift that no kind of money can buy.

Uncle Victor, my cousins and Patrick revving up their appetites

My sister, my aunt, MHC and my uncle checking out the view

The not-so-childlike kids’ table

Fresh kielbasa brought by my aunt, a festive bean dip made by Michelle and the remnants of my bite-sized biscuit cups (I guess the hungry mouths were working faster than my picture snapping abilities)

Carve up that bird, Auntie!

Once all of our family members had arrived, it was time to be seated for dinner.  We were all working up such a frenzy in the kitchen (my mother was getting all the last-minute details in order, my aunt was in charge of gravy making and meat carving, Michelle was cooking up her corn bread stuffing and I was heating up my prepared dishes), that it was almost sundown by the time the dinner bell rang.  But that’s perfectly fine, because while I was busy as a bee in the kitchen, I was working up a hunger that could give a mean sting!

A feast for king and queens

Succulent roasted turkey courtesy of my Aunt Joanie

My cheesy broccoli casserole topped with whole wheat panko breadcrumbs

A bowl of delight – mashed potatoes!

My pumpkin and sausage lasagna – more cheesy goodness!

Michelle’s savory herbed cornbread stuffing

MHC’s roast beef – juicy and cooked to perfection!

And I thought there was only going to be a ham on Christmas Eve!

Everyone waiting for the blogger to finish snapping her pictures…

My dinner plate

Garlicky-lemon caesar salad

Much like the previous night, once dinner was over, we slowly migrated to dessert.  And if I thought dinner was already grandiose enough, dessert was definitely fighting for a place in the spotlight.  Darrell’s dad brought over three huge desserts from Montillio’s Bakery: a strawberry shortcake, a chocolate layer cake and a blueberry pie.  There were also my Aunt Mary’s mini pecan tarts, a tiramisu, as well as my key lime pie.  Sah-weet! And to go along with our dessert, MHC played coffee barista again and made us all our very own cappuccinos and mocha lattes.  You can’t beat that!

Berries and cream = heaven!

How festive!

Check out all those blueberries!

The Montillio’s Bakery trio along with my key lime pie and a tiramisu

Hmmm, fantastically frothy!

Can we give you a few Bucks for being our Star?

Too much turkey, Patrick?

And what’s a holiday without a few holiday pictures?  Not a complete one in my book!

MHC and her helpers

Our gracious hosts for the evening

Look, Mom!  I can take a picture of myself!

To conclude the night, we exchanged a few gifts, as well as many smiles.  I was so excited to give my mother and Darrell their gifts, as I knew my selections were spot-on this year.  You know how when you see something, it just feels right and you know it’s the perfect gift? Well, this happened twice for me.  Can you believe?!

What could it be?

Nambé Kissing Salt and Pepper Shakers!

And…

A set of Nambé Twist Coasters!

And finally, Burberry rain boots!  How chic!

Strut your stuff, MHC!

Ah, and that concludes another Christmas.  While I think I worked harder this year than any other year, I couldn’t have been more happy and satisfied.  Being able to provide deliciously home-cooked food for your family on the holidays is truly a feeling of which I hope to have more.  That synergy that exists when family is working together to achieve a common goal is something I want to experience as much as I can.  No matter if it’s Christmas or any other day, it’s a feeling and spirit that can’t be beat or bought.  Thank you again, Mom and Darrell, for a wonderful Christmas!  Love you!

Even though I had my share of Christmas sweets, I didn’t have one Christmas cookie this year.  Can you believe?  Do you have a favorite cookie recipe?  If so, what is it?  I’m participating in a cookie swap and I could use some suggestions.  Thanks!

Namasté,
Nicole

WOW!  Christmas came and went with a bang!  I think I blinked my eyes and it was instantly over.  However, I did have a blast and enjoyed every minute of this glorious holiday.  As I mentioned in my previous post, this year I wanted to really be involved with the cooking and preparation, versus just lounging around as I did in years past.  Thus, for Christmas Eve, after much deliberating and thought, I decided on baking a ham, making a hot appetizer and whipping up a tasty dessert.  That said, I was up at the crack-a-lackin’ of dawn to get a good stretch in at yoga and then it was time to hunker down in the kitchen.  I was cooking up a storm!  Not to pat myself on the back, but everything came out better than I expected.  Also, everything took a bit longer than expected.  Before I knew it, it was time to rush out the door to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law-to-be’s place for Christmas Eve dinner.  We made it just in time! Phew!

When Patrick and I walked in, the festivities had already started.  Patrick’s family was socializing and munching on appetizers as I was getting my goodies settled in the kitchen.  Among the array of finger foods were shrimp cocktail, an antipasto platter, baked brie and fresh fruit.

Hello everyone!

Hmmm, shrimp cocktail!

What a spread!

A little bit of everything…

My hot appetizer: bite-sized biscuit cups with caramelized onion, mushrooms, gorgonzola and bacon

My baked ham with tangy honey citrus glaze.  Check out that garnish; it’s all about the presentation!

A yummy lasagna – courtesy of my mother-in-law, Ellen.  Thanks El! (BTW, it wasn’t 10:57 pm.  The clock was a little wacky!)

My sister-in-law, Carolyn’s, green bean casserole.  So good!

How’s the food, Pat?

Carolyn and Greg

Uncle Norm and Auntie Margo

My dinner plate (or bowl, as we ran out of plates)

After Carolyn and I finished prepping and serving dinner, we cleaned up and got the living room area ready for the activity portion of the night – gift opening! There were some wonderful gifts this year (much like every year) and we were all quite pleased.  While I love the gifts that I received, I also loved watching the excitement and joy on the faces of my family members.  There were so many laughs and good times shared, exactly what the holidays should be about.

I think Ellen really liked her new coat! Priceless!

Uncle and Nephew

My father-in-law, Dan, loving his 2010 calendar of Colby (Carolyn’s dog)

The hosts for the evening: Kevin and Vanja

Which is the better gift, Carolyn?  The handbag or Greg?

Healthy Chow’s best gift ever!

Cheers!

Healthy Chow happily posing with some of her Christmas gifts

Once we finished opening our gifts, we had digested our dinner and made room for our next course – dessert! On the agenda were chocolate and vanilla frosted cupcakes, Carolyn’s homemade apple crisp and my freshly baked (or chilled) key lime pie.  Everything was delicious!  I loved the buttery, yet light taste of the apple crisp with the toasted oatmeal topping.  And my key lime pie was tart and refreshing.  It tasted very tropical! I definitely had a taste (and a little bit more) of everything

I’m glad I saved room for dessert!

Ah, cupcakes!

What a lovely night!  Kevin and Vanja did a fantastic job decorating their home giving it a warm, Christmas feeling and hosted a great party.  We all had a such an amazing time enjoying each other’s company and sharing so many laughs.  Not to mention, the food was delicious! I’m proud to say that my first-ever baked ham came out quite well and was a hit!  It felt great to be able to fully contribute to my family’s dinner and to know that I was able to help in giving them a nice meal on Christmas Eve.  I think all of our bellies were quite full and happy.  What a splendid way to end the day and to prep myself for the next big event…Christmas!

I hope you had a Merry Christmas!

Did you make anything for your holiday meal?  If so, would you make it again?  Do you like cooking on the holidays?

Namasté,
Nicole

***Thank you so much for your patience.  I’m back and I finally have pictures (and boy, do I have pictures!).  Did you miss me?***

Do you have anyone in your life that is tough to shop for?  Someone who has impeccable taste and great style and has one (or more) of just about everything and anything? A person who is so beautiful that nothing you buy her will compare to her beauty? But this human being is very near and dear to your heart and you love her so much that you want to give her something but you just don’t know what?  Well, ladies and gents, let me introduce you to that person.  That person in my life is Mother Healthy Chow (or MHC for short).

As you might have read from my posts a couple of weeks ago, MHC recently had her birthday.  She turned 39 (*ahem-ahem, cough, cough*) and doesn’t look a day older 25.  Being the good daughters that we are, Michelle and I wanted to get a nice gift for MHC.  But we just didn’t know what?  The woman has too much a lot of clothes, more handbags than she ever can carry, fanciful jewelry, mucho make-up, a collection of shoes that can rival Imelda’s or Mariah’s and two amazing daughters (*pats herself on the back*).  What more could she want or need?

Can’t get enough of this pic!

However, even if a person has just about everything, the person’s gotta eat.  So, instead of taking MHC to the latest and greatest resto in the Boston area, we decided to shake-n-bake things up a bit and do something we haven’t done in awhile and should do more often.  Michelle and I decided to cook MHC a birthday dinner! And because MHC just moved in with her boyfriend, Darrell, we decided to make dinner at their newly renovated home.  There’s nothing like cooking in a brand spankin’ new kitchen!

Because Michelle and I were going to be responsible for cooking the whole dinner and bringing dessert, we had to plan in advance what we were going to make and thus, bring the ingredients.  I’m not quite sure how we decided, but we divvied up the courses as follows: sides, salad and dessert – Healthy Chow and main course and dessert – Michelle.  Yeah, I know dessert is mentioned twice.  That’s no mistake!  We wanted a birthday cake-ish treat for MHC, for candle blowing and wish making, as well as some other goodies, for variety and pigging out’s sake.

Image Credits – fundraw.com

While I was planning the few days prior to the dinner party, I chose to make sides that I felt would go with just about anything.  Because Michelle hadn’t told me what she was making as the main course and I didn’t want to keep annoying asking her, I just went with my gut (lame pun intended)  and selected recipes that were tasty and on the ‘healthier’ side.  Thus, I chose to make two recipes I found from Cooking Light - Creamy Parmesan Orzo and Mustard-Dressed Asparagus.  Both recipes received at least 4 out of 5 stars and very good reviews and comments from readers.  In addition, I had made the orzo recipe a few times before and it was delicious and easy and the asparagus recipe seemed healthy and easy.  Done and done! For the salad, I decided to bring mixed greens (baby spinach, arugula, radicchio and frisée) and the ingredients to make a homemade vinaigrette dressing.  So easy-peasy lemon-squeezy!  And for dessert, I just stopped by the store and grabbed brownie bites and chocolate chip ice cream.  You can’t go wrong with warm, soft chocolate baked goods à la mode, right?

I was so excited for this night!  Not only did I want to show off some of my much improved culinary skills, but I also love spending time with my family and I could not wait to see my mother’s new place.  MHC had just moved into Darrell’s condo, which they recently renovated and enlarged by acquiring the adjacent condo unit.  I’ve always loved seeing the interior of people’s homes, but ever since we gave our place a face-lift, my interest has reached a whole new level of appreciation.

Oh my stars!  I thought the ocean view from the outside of their building was incredible; the interior of their home was absolutely gorgeous! I tried not to have any expectations or visions in my head before arriving in order to be totally surprised and when I walked in, I was blown away.  Not only was their condo ginormous, but every detail was carefully paid attention to and flowed seamlessly to the next.  I felt as if I was flipping through the pages of an interior design magazine.

I lurrrrvvve those bamboo floors!

Absolutely beautiful…

Sparkle, sparkle…

I think the food might taste better coming from this kitchen…

Even the spices are cool, or should I say, ’sah-pie-say’!

Now that’s a closet!

My dream come true!

Even the washer and dryer are stylin’!

Darrell loves his shoes, too…

This closet would suit me just fine

An ocean view…

Simply breathtaking…

After receiving the grand tour and getting my groceries for dinner settled, I nibbled on some shrimp cocktail and chips and salsa.  While we told our mother she didn’t have to do a thing, she naturally put out a spread of appetizers and snacks.  What a good lil’ doobie.

It’s a good thing I had to cook or else I’d be full before dinner…

Snacks and sports…

I was having so much fun chatting it up with the party goers that I almost forgot that we were in charge of preparing dinner.  I could see the hungry looks growing, so I stopped munching (for a few minutes) and got started on cooking.  Since all of my dishes were relatively simple to prepare, I picked the one that would take the longest to make and would be the easiest to reheat.  So, I started on the creamy parmesan orzo.  Having Michelle and MHC (she couldn’t stay out of the kitchen for long, nor did we want her to) by my side in the kitchen was so much fun and so helpful.  While I would read off the instructions, one would hand me the needed ingredient and the coordinating utensil.  It was like having my very own sous chefs!

Stir that orzo, Michelle!

Even the birthday girl isn’t safe from kitchen duty!

Love that green!

Once the orzo was about done, I began on my asparagus dish.  Even though the recipe was for asparagus, I decided to add some zucchini since it would give the dish some variety and because I had some just sitting idle in my fridge.  I know, your girl is so resourceful! The recipe called for the asparagus to be boiled, but because MHC had a crazy-arse steamer built into the stove top, I just had to steam versus boil.  It just seemed so cool and high-tech; I had to give it a whirl.  The vegetables took only minutes to cook and the sauce took an even shorter time to prepare.  The key ingredient to this recipe was no doubt the mustard seeds.  They’re little, but they’re powerful (does that remind you of anyone you know?).

I gotta get me one of these…

The Yellow Wonder…(tee hee)

While I was cooking the vegetables, Michelle and her boyfriend, Jonathan began cooking the main dish – chicken saltimbocca.  Jonathan and Michelle make a great team both in life and in the kitchen.  They love cooking together and testing out new recipes.  I was told by the dynamic duo that the trick to making their recipe was to brine the chicken in salt water the night before.  I guess I’ll take their word for it.  It looked dang good! And just as the chicken was about to be taken out of the oven, I whisked together a simple salad dressing using Trader Joe’s Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar, dijon mustard, olive oil, some chopped shallot and salt and pepper.  As I’ve said before, Trader Joe’s never lets me down and he came through for me again that night.  The Orange Muscat Champagne Vinegar was divine! It gave the right amount of citrus and zip to the dressing without making it too sweet or weighing it down.  Another winner from TJ’s!

That’s some kickin’ chicken!

I heart TJ’s

Veggie Might!

Finally, dinner was served! MHC did a fabulous job setting up her dining room table for her first dinner guests and her first dinner guests did a fabulous job of dining.  I couldn’t believe how well everything turned out.  Everything was cooked to perfection and tasted wonderful.  Michelle and Jonathan’s chicken saltimbocca was moist and juicy (must be that brining action) and the prosciutto that enveloped it was flawlessly crisped with just the right amount of fresh sage.  Ah-may-zing! And like the chefs who played off of the synergy that was overwhelming the kitchen, the dishes co-mingled with each other fantastically and complemented each other perfectly.

And while I don’t like to brag much, I just want to say that my dishes came out quite well.  MHC loved the creaminess of the parmesan in the orzo recipe and said that the fresh basil was the perfect complement to the dish.  And everyone seemed to really like the mustard sauce on the vegetables.  They said it gave the vegetables a unique flavor.  As for the salad, everyone wanted to know what I used to make the ‘fruity’ dressing.  They truly seemed to enjoy my new found secret weapon from TJ’s and the fact that the salad was tasty without being too greasy or heavy.  Success!

And what would a birthday dinner party be without birthday cake and dessert?  Not a good one in Healthy Chow’s book! Jonathan made a key lime pie that was so light and refreshing, I thought I was having a cocktail.  There was just enough lime to cleanse my palate and the airiness of the filling coupled with the flaky crust was enough for me to want to have seconds.  However, because there were other desserts to sample, I stayed with having only one small (ish) piece and had a scoop of ice cream along with a mini fall-inspired brownie.  I think MHC honestly loved every bite of her birthday celebration.

While receiving a luxurious cashmere sweater, the latest bottle of perfume, a new pair of fall boots, or some fancy handmade jewelry may be a wonderful birthday gift, it’s no match for the gift of time.  Being able to spend time with my mother and sister in her new kitchen laughing, cooking and simply enjoying each other’s company was my favorite part of the night and by looking at my mother’s face, she felt the same way.

Oh, he’s such an angel! Hahahahaha!

Gotcha!

“Isn’t she lovely? Isn’t she wonderfuuuuullll?“

MHC is always appreciative of any gift she receives, but I could tell that this time this gift meant the world to her.  She was so excited for us to finally see her new home with Darrell and to be able to see how our culinary skills had developed.  I think it’s always a gift for a parent to see how their children have matured and blossomed, but it’s also a gift for the child to see their parent being happy in their new life.  While it may have been MHC’s birthday, I feel as though I was the one who was showered with presents.  It was a spectacular night filled with giggles, good times and great food.  While it might have been easier to go to the mall or hop online to buy our mother a birthday gift, it definitely would not have been as much fun, nor would it have been as special.  Being able to create a memorable night, such as our dinner party, is something that everyone should try – it may require a bit of time and energy, but what you get back is immeasurable and certainly priceless.  For the person who has everything, it’s definitely something of which they could use more.

What’s the best gift you’ve ever received?  Or, what’s your favorite secret ingredient to use?

Namasté,
Nicole