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4 large baking potatoes, baked and flesh scooped out
3 tbsp. finely chopped scallions
3/4 cup Gruyere cheese, shredded
3/4 cup Emmenthal, shredded
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 tbsp. butter
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole milk
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 eggs, separated
1 tbsp. French mustard
pinch of nutmeg
pinch cayenne pepper
fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1. Place scooped out potato flesh in a bowl. Mix in the scallions, cheeses, and garlic.

2. Melt the butter in a pan, quickly add the flour to make a roux. Pour in the milk gradually to make a thick white sauce. Add the white wine and whisk it in quickly to avoid curdling. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently, then remove from the heat. Beat in the egg yolks, mustard, nutmeg, and cayenne, and fold the sauce into the potato mixture.

3. Beat the egg whites in a clean, grease-free bowl until soft peaks form. Fold carefully into the potato mixture and season. Quickly spoon the mixture back into the potato shells, making sure they are well filled.

4. Place the potato shells on a well-oiled baking sheet and put them quickly into a preheated oven, 325degreesF. Bake until the souffle filling is well risen and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
Serve immediately.
Serves 4

note: I substituted Three cheese grated (parmesan, romano, pecorino) in a contatiner for the gruyere and emmenthal. I used spelt flour instead of whole wheat. The wine I used was Autumn Leaf Chardonnay. I skipped the nutmeg and substituted paprika for the cayenne.

This recipe was taken from Cooking For a Healthy Family by Simon Hope

Here is an authentic chili recipe that gets its regional twist by adding cinnamon. It is typically served over spaghetti and topped with kidney beans, Cheddar cheese and onions.

Makes 8 servings.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Cincinnati Spice Blend:
2 tablespoons McCormick® Chili Powder
2 teaspoons sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons McCormick® Cinnamon, Ground
1 teaspoon McCormick® Garlic Powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cups chopped onions, divided
2 cups water
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
8 ounces spaghetti, cooked
1 can (15 ounces) kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 to 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

1. For the Spice Blend, mix chili powder, sugar, cinnamon, garlic powder and salt in small bowl. Set aside.

2. Cook ground beef and 1 cup of the onions in large saucepan on medium-high heat until beef is no longer pink; drain fat. Add Spice Blend, water and tomato sauce; bring to boil. Reduce heat to low; simmer, uncovered, 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

3. Serve chili over spaghetti. Top with kidney beans, cheese and remaining 1/2 cup onions, as desired.

per serving

Calories: 340
Fat: 12 g
Carbohydrates: 34 g
Cholesterol: 57 mg
Sodium: 712 mg
Fiber: 4 g

Copyright © 2011 McCormick & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. http://www.mccormick.com/Recipes/Main-Dish/Cincinnati-Chili.aspx

by The Menu Mom

Are you as tired as I am of those little white heart-shaped candies with messages like “I like You” printed on them? Be a little creative this year and come up with some new Valentine’s Day treats to take to school and work. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Valentine’s Day Cookies
Make a batch of Sugar cookies or pick up some refrigerated dough at the grocery store. Cut them out with a heart-shaped cookie cutter and bake. Frost with a glaze of powdered sugar, water and a little red food coloring, or make it really simple and buy a container of pre-made frosting. Use some frosting pens to write messages or draw on the cookies. Add a few sprinkles and you’re set! Don’t forget to invite your kids to get involved in decorating any cookies they are taking to school. They will have a great time preparing these special treats.

Valentine’s Cup Cakes
Purchase a box of devil’s food cake mix (or your favorite flavor) and prepare according to package directions. Line muffin tins with paper liners and pour enough batter in each to fill to about 1/3 full. Top with 1 tbsp of fruit preserves (strawberry works great) then add more batter until the muffin tins are approximately ¾ filled. Bake according to cake mix directions. When they are cool, dust them with powdered sugar, or frost them and sprinkle with red-hot candy hearts.

Valentine’s Day Cake
Bake any flavor cake in a heart shaped cake form. Let cook and cut in half horizontally. Mix a few drops of red food coloring into a container of whipped topping, and spread some on the bottom layer of the cake. Add the top layer and frost the entire outside of the cake. Top with fresh berries.

Chocolate Lollipops
Get some heart-shaped lollipop molds. Melt milk chocolate, dark chocolate or white chocolate (quality chocolate chips work great). Pour the melted chocolate in the mold and add a lollipop stick. Let cool until hardened. Wrap in cellophane and tie with a little bow.

Use leftover chocolate and plastic spoons to create fancy coffee stirrers. Simply dip the plastic spoons in the melted chocolate. Let cool and repeat until you reach the desired thickness,

Both of these can be decorated by drizzling different types of melted chocolate over the finished product.

Have fun this year creating some wonderful Valentine’s Day treats. I’m sure you will come up with a delicious treat that will be a big hit in the office or the classroom.

Christine Steendahl Is The Founder Of Dine Without Whine – The Number One Online Source For Affordable And Family Friendly Weekly Meal Planning. Eliminate Your Dinner Hour Stress And Re-Discover The Pleasure Of The Dinner Hour! CLICK HERE for a Free Sample Menu And Grocery List.

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

by Terry Smith

Do you like peanut butter, whipped cream and graham crackers? I have a super simple, delicious recipe for Peanut Butter Pie I created that can literally be prepared in less than ten minutes. The ingredients are simple:

1 Prepared Graham Cracker Crust (10 inch or small individual size shells)
2 pints of whipping cream
3 eggs separated
3 heaping tablespoons full of your favorite peanut butter.
Two cups of your favorite chocolate candy chopped into small chunks (Candy containing chocolate and peanut butter add a special flavor to the dessert.)

To begin, separate the eggs; save the whites, discard the yolks.
In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites to fluffy stiff peaks. Do not over beat.
After mixing the egg whites, place them in a large, clean bowl and set aside.
Carefully wipe out the mixing bowl that contained the egg whites.

Pour half the whipping cream, (one pint), into the mixing bowl and whip the cream till stiff peaks form. Be careful not to whip the cream too much or it will become butter.
Place the whipped cream in the bowl with the egg whites.
Place the peanut butter in the bowl with the egg whites and whipped cream.
With clean hands, carefully mix the three ingredients tossing it gently in the bowl until you have a uniform texture. It should all be tan in color.

After the ingredients are mixed, it may look a little soupy. Pour ingredients into the pie shell or shells.
Place in refrigerator for about two hours or until the filling is set.

To decorate, take the other half of the whipping cream and whip in a mixer till stiff peaks form.
Place multiple dollops of the whipping cream all over the top of the pie to cover.
Sprinkle the assorted candy on top of the whipped cream.
Chill again and serve. This pie will serve six to eight people.

For a more elegant look, take one cup of chocolate and one cup of milk or cream. Melt together in microwave safe container for one minute at a time until chocolate is melted.

Stir chocolate and cream together until it is one consistency. Spoon sauce over whipped cream on pie and then add the candy pieces.

For a last touch, take a bar of chocolate and with a vegetable peeler, run it down the side of the candy bar to make chocolate curls.

This is a simple yet elegant dessert for holiday parties or for that matter, any occasion.

About the Author: Brother Terry B. Smith holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Christian Counseling from Bethany Seminary in Dothan, Alabama, and is currently working toward his Master’s Degree in Biblical Studies. A born-again Christian since 1988, he loves to write inspirational devotions to encourage those who feel they are without hope. Brother Terry lives in Pinson, Alabama with his wife of 20 years and their two teen daughters.

by Susanne Myers

With the weather being nice and warm outside, why not let the kids help prepare dinner for dad on Father’s Day and make it a fun night out by the grill.

During the day, let the kids make decorations like handprints on a paper tablecloth, blow up balloons or make some simple paper lanterns. Then let them help you with dinner preparations. A great Father’s Day dinner from the grill includes delicious grilled steaks, pasta salad and Texas toast. Finish it all off with scrumptious brownies a la mode.

Start by making this simple pasta salad. Cook the pasta ahead of time, and then let the kids mix all the salad ingredients together. Chill the pasta salad for several hours before serving.

Pasta Salad

Makes 5 servings

1 16-ounce package corkscrew pasta
1 cucumber
3 carrots
1 bunch broccoli
1 15 1/2-ounce can garbanzo beans
3 tablespoons salad supreme
1 16-fluid ounce bottle Italian herb dressing

Cook noodles and combine with everything else.
Now it’s time to prepare the marinade for the steaks.

Marinated Steaks

Makes 4 servings

1/2 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tablespoons garlic minced
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 pinch cayenne pepper
4 beef steaks – cut of your choice

1. In a medium bowl, mix the vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, honey, olive oil, ground black pepper, Worcestershire sauce, onion powder, salt, liquid smoke, and cayenne pepper.

2. Place steaks in a shallow glass dish with the marinade, and turn to coat. For optimum flavor, rub the liquid into the meat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator overnight or up to two days.

Now it’s time to cook those steaks on the grill. Of course Mom or Dad should be taking care of this.

3. Preheat grill for medium-high to high heat.

4. Lightly oil the grill grate. Grill steaks 7 minutes per side, or to desired doneness.

Texas Toast

What would dinner be without some sort of bread? Dad is sure to love this hearty Texas Toast. Kids can help spread the butter and sprinkle the seasoned salt.

1/4 cup butter or stick margarine, softened
4 slices thick-cut white bread, about 1 inch thick
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt

1. Set oven control to broil.

2. Spread butter on both sides of bread slices. Sprinkle with seasoned salt. Place on rack in broiler pan.

3. Broil with tops 4 to 6 inches from heat 2 to 4 minutes, turning once, until lightly toasted. Cut each slice diagonally in half. Serve warm or cool.
Dessert

Help the kids mix up a boxed brownie mix and bake them just before you sit down for dinner. Allow the brownies to cool while you eat, then get the kids to make dessert by placing a piece of brownie in a bowl, top it with some vanilla ice cream. Drizzle chocolate syrup over the ice cream and dessert is ready.

There you have it…the perfect Father’s Day dinner that Dad is sure to love, especially since the kids were busy making most of it.

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Want more family friendly recipes and crafts ideas? Visit www.dinewithoutwhine.com/info for a sample weekly menu plan your entire family will love and www.kinderinfo.com for tons of craft and activity ideas that are sure to keep your little ones entertained