The Season is Coming.....

The holidays are just a few months away and I am starting to get the urge to cook and bake. We haven't been posting here very much lately so I have decided to put some of our favorite holiday recipes here to share.



Sugar-Free Mincemeat



3 cups of apples, with some skin

1/2 of 1 lemon with peel, ground

1 orange with peel, ground

1 cup raisins, ground

1 cup raisins, whole

1 cup currants

1 tbsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cloves

1 tsp. allspice

2 tbsp. flour

1/3 cup Splenda

1 tsp. rum extract or 2 tsp. vanilla



Quarter and core apples, do not peel. Grind in food processor to medium chunk. Pour into large stockpot. Remove seeds from lemon and orange and grind then add to bowl. Grind 1 cup of raisins. Add all of the other ingredients, except extract, stirring well to mix everything. Cook over medium heat until well blended and slightly thickened. Remove from stove and add extract. Store in air-tight container for 1 week before use.



This can be poured into an uncooked pie shell and baked, following your filled pie recipe directions. It can be used as a mincemeat filling in cookies or tarts. It can be eaten with a spoon.

Traditional mincemeat has beef and suet in it. The jarred stuff you buy in the grocery is loaded with fat and sugar. People who like mincemeat can not tell the difference.



Our favorite way to eat this is in Empanadas. I cut circles out of my pie crust. Put about 1 teaspoon of Mincemeat in center. Fold over and use a fork to crimp the edge. I bake them in the oven, following the pie crust recipe, until golden brown. A few bites and a tasty treat.



T

Cheese Cake Recipe

Morningstar mentioned that her Sir sometimes eats cheese cake -- and messes up His blood sugars with the indulgence. So, here, for morningstar, her Sir, and anyone else who might enjoy it, is a cheese cake recipe that I've been making for years. It can be made sugar free and relatively low fat. It is very simple to make, and absolutely pure and simple and yummy...

Cheese Cake --

3 eggs

3 packages (large) of cream cheese or Neufchatel (can use lowfat or fat free)

3/4 cup of sugar or Splenda (sugar free)

3/4 tsp vanilla

Blend ingredients together with an electric mixer until smooth. Bake in a buttered, floured springform pan (I've also made this in a regular 9x13" pan) @ 375 degrees for 20 minutes. NOTE: Trust the times on this. Do not overbake.

Topping --

Large carton Sour Cream (can use lowfat or fat free)

3 Tbs. sugar or Splenda (sugar free)

3/4 tsp. vanilla

Mix the topping and spread over the top of the baked cheese cake. Bake for an additional 5 minutes.

Cool completely before serving.