Guilt-Free Potato Chips

Tara’s mom here. Just thought I’d offer a blog post to a very overworked daughter. Besides, I received a new kitchen toy for Christmas and I’ve been having a great time with it and would love to share my biggest success so far. Have you ever used a mandoline? I never realized I needed one, and actually probably don’t, but if you want to make potato chips, it’s a necessity. I will eventually try other sliced veggie variations, but for now, potato chips have captured my attention.

I love potato chips, but they are way too calorific and salty for someone my age. (Don’t ask.) When you make your own – ‘from scratch’ as the blog title says – you can have them your way. The potato-y taste and crunchiness that comes from having absolutely no oil on these things is fantastic, and you can use only as much salt as you think you can tolerate…or not.

This mandoline is stainless steel, with an adjustable blade that will take your fingertip off, so you want to make sure to use the pusher and keep those fingers safe. It also has four other cutter inserts that make various-sized veggie strips from julienne to french fry. But you don’t need this fancy a mandoline; you just need one that can cut veggies into very thin, even slices so that they dry fairly evenly into crispy slices.

Now I’m not saying these are quick – they definitely are labor-intensive, and you can’t make a lot each go. But I’ve found that the more I make, the quicker I get at it, and I only have to watch closely during the last minute or so in the crisping process. For me, they’re worth it because I usually try to avoid store-bought potato chips; they’re just not that good for my health.

Guilt-free potato chips require two ingredients (russet potatoes and salt) and four basic steps.

1. Slice the potato with a mandoline. I start with one monster russet potato, the fatter and rounder the shape, the better. I’ve tried new potatoes, but the russets are bigger and they have better flavor. You might experiment with Yukon Gold or others too. I cut 1/16” slices on my mandoline, which produces very thin chips that crisp easily.


2. Soak the slices in cold water to remove excess starch. You could skip this step if you’re in a hurry, but I think the chips taste better and are crunchier if you soak them. Maybe that’s my imagination, but when you see the murky water that results when you soak the slices, somehow it just seems better to get that out! I‘ve tried both ways, and prefer soaking.


3. Sandwich the slices between two towels, paper or cloth, to dry; the drier they are, the faster they’ll crisp. After pressing them a bit, I uncover them and add whatever salt I want (for me, not a lot). This will pull out a bit more water, which you can daub off after a few minutes. Then you can let them dry a couple more minutes. But I often get impatient at this stage and put them right into the microwave.


4. Nuke the slices in a microwave oven. I cut a piece of parchment paper the diameter of my glass rotating tray and lay the slices in a circular pattern on that. Depending on the size of the slices, I can do maybe 20 to 30 slices at a time. Since they shrink as they dry, I sometimes overlap them a bit to cram more in, but they can stick together if you don’t separate them after the first five minutes. Microwave on high for five minutes. You will have to do some experimentation here because every microwave oven is different. Your times may be more or less than mine. The first five minutes releases a fair amount of water from the slices.

After the five minutes, I gently pull out the parchment with the slices on it onto the counter in front of the oven. I find if I mop up the water that collects on the glass tray beneath it, things go a bit faster. You will discover your own shortcuts as you keep at it, depending on your oven and patience.


You can either slide the paper with the slices back into the oven, pushing them around a bit to make sure they’re not sticking, or arrange them directly onto the glass tray. It goes somewhat faster without the wet paper. Also, my oven tends to cook the center ones faster, so since I’m rearranging slices anyway, I eliminate the parchment.


Now I turn the oven on for three minutes. If the slices are big and they haven’t started to crisp much in the first five minutes, I ignore them again for this time period. As you continue for one minute bursts, you’ll notice some are starting to get tan, then brown. I happen to like my chips a bit on the brown side, but some of you will consider that too done, so watch them and take them out when they suit your taste. You do need to get them crisp though. Put them on a paper towel, and they will crisp further as they cool. If I am going to store a bunch of these, I want to make sure they are all very dry, so as each batch comes out of the microwave, I put them onto a cookie sheet and hold them in my regular oven at only 150 degrees. That way, by the time I’m done with all the slices, I know every one of them is crisp and they won’t become soft in the storage bag.



These are great as appetizers with dips, and just for snacking. What more could you ask for? Fantastic guilt-free potato chips!

Ham Hash

Prepare yourselves!! This is one of those dishes that requires leftovers and the best time to get the right kinds of leftovers is a holiday. When else do you end up with tubs of leftover ham? And if you don't normally prepare a ham, maybe you should think about it. It is Easter next week, after all. So, get a ham... get a big ham... and revel in the leftover possibilities.

I made this after our Christmas feast with my husband's family. We had oodles of spiral ham left over. Hash doesn't always look like much, but it really is the cat's meow. Trust me.

You can use whatever mix of goodies strikes your fancy, but I typically turn to potatoes, onions (both regular and scallions), and eggs, along with my ham. Oh yeah, and cheese. You can't forget the cheese! Since the potatoes have to be cooked first and take a little bit, you can get them going and then prepare your other ingredients while they cook.

Heat a 3-4 TBS of oil in the bottom of a large skillet. I like to use a non-stick skillet for this recipe, but you can use whatever you've got. Heat over medium-high heat and - once it is preheated - add your 1/2 inch diced potatoes and regular onion. I like to leave the peel on, but you can peel them if you like, of course. Save the green onion until the very end to keep it tasting nice and fresh.

Continue cooking the potatoes, turning occasionally. When they have a nice, golden crust and are tender through (anywhere from 10-20 minutes depending on your stove), add the ham and cook for 3-4 minutes. Then, push the mixture to the sides so that you can pour the eggs into the middle to cook.


As the eggs cook, start to stir and turn them. When they are almost completely done, you can start stirring the whole mixture together. I like what this does to the overall texture... you end up with nice clumps of flavor "glued" together by the eggs.

The dish is now just about finished. The last step is to add the scallion and cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste and then serve. Remember, this is one of those dishes where the actual proportions and ingredients are completely up to you. That's the joy of hash. It's a blank slate waiting for your loving, tasty touch.

Now, go buy the biggest ham you can find! Hash on!

Caramelized Pears and Cream

I just love fruit. I really get excited about summer fruit... watermelon. Oh yeah. Peaches! (Tree ripened, of course.) Heck yeah. There are so many really good summer fruits out there. But, winter ain't no slouch, you know. Who can forget that winter is orange season? From December through April, I eat between four and eight pounds of juicy oranges a week. I also adore pears. I split my time between d'Anjou and Bosc. I love them both for different reasons. I love d'Anjou for their sweet juiciness. With a properly ripened bosc, I delight in their satisfying crisp, clean pear flavor.

Unfortunately, I sometimes get a bit carried away at the grocery store and purchase more pears at a time than I could ever hope to consume. When they start going "that way," I start thinking about cooked preparations. I really enjoy Cooking Light's Red Wine Pear Crisp with Spiced Struesel. But sometimes, I just want a quick and simple dessert.

Enter the caramelized pear. Three ingredients are all you'll find in the caramel part. Two ingredients are all you'll find in the cream part. Then a light sprinkling of cinnamon tops it off. It couldn't be easier! What I really love about this dessert is how the unsweetened cream provides a wonderful contrast for the too-sweet-by-themselves pears. The cream is only partially whipped and provides the pears with more of a sauce than a fluffy topping... an ethereal, creamy sauce.

I typically use one pear per person, but it's satisfying enough that a pear per two after a heavy meal would probably be sufficient. Be sure to use Bosc pears since they can hold up to being cooked.

Caramelized Pears and Cream
Yield: 1-2 servings, multiply as needed

1 ripe but firm Bosc pear
2 TBS table sugar
1 TBS heavy cream

2 TBS heavy cream
1/8 tsp vanilla

dash cinnamon

Peel and slice the pear into approximately 6-8 wedges. Sprinkle the sugar in the bottom of a skillet over medium heat. Place the pears in and then walk away. If you mess with the pears and try to move them around, you may disturb the sugar's crystallization process, leading to horrible rock hard pieces of sugar in your caramel. Trust me, it isn't pretty. So, resist the urge to fiddle and stir.

Keep an eye on the pears to prevent over caramelization (leading to a bitter taste). While the pears and sugar cook, mix the cream and vanilla and beat with a whisk until it is thickened and foamy, but does not hold its shape.

Allow the pears to cook in the sugar until the sugar has all melted and started to turn a golden hue. Again, be careful not to let the sugar get too dark. When the sugar is golden, add the tablespoon of cream and start to stir to incorporate. There may be a good deal of hissing and the caramel may seem to seize a bit, but keep it over the heat until it loosens back up, if necessary.

Remove from the heat and spoon pears into a bowl. Pour the cream over top and sprinkle with cinnamon.

Doggy Nibbles

Because your doggy deserves scratch cooking, too, sometimes!

This is Stella. Stella joined our little family about 6 months ago after we finally decided three years without a dog was enough. When my husband and I finally made the decision, I started going online looking at dogs at various local shelters. I knew from the moment that I saw her, Stella was coming home with me... err... I mean us.

So, my husband and I went to that particular shelter to check things out. He, of course, wanted to meet every dog there. But the moment I met Stella, I was absolutely, positively sure. Stella and her brother were brought to the shelter together as year and a half old dogs. Well, whoever owned them hadn't taken care of them, let alone gotten either "fixed." As you might imagine, the staff soon came to realize that Stella was in the family way. Being a no-kill shelter, Stella stayed at the shelter to have her five puppies and then wait for someone to come and take her home.

She is such a kind dog and her desire to please is huge. Unfortunately, she was two years old by the time we took her home and the fact that she had never been taught much of anything has led to some problems. I have been working with her and, in addition to praise, have been using Milkbone puppy treats broken in half as training treats.

This weekend, possibly as a stall tactic to not grade student papers, I decided to try making my own training treats. I have previously had good success making dog treats in cute little bone shapes. They were very popular at the farmers' market I sold at in Ohio. But, they are too large to use as training treats and I wanted to try a mix that was simpler to make than the yeast dough I used before.

I decided to put together a recipe that was similar to drop biscuits or muffins, but were small and baked until almost crispy. They turned out fabulously! And Stella will do whatever I ask to get one and I am assured they are safe and healthy for my girl!

Making the batter is really easy; simply mix together the ingredients and then place into a piping bag fitted with a large, round tip. Pipe small balls onto a parchment lined sheet pan and use a pair of scissors to snip each one cleanly as you pipe them out. Dip your finger in a bit of water and dab any stray tips that might be left behind from the piping process. Bake, cool, and be prepared for your dog to follow you around... well, like a puppy dog!


Doggy Nibbles
Yield: about 200 small treats, about 1 1/2 quarts

2 eggs
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cups beef broth, reduced to 2/3 cup
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder

In a small sauce pan, boil the broth until it has reduced by about half. Let cool until almost room temperature.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a bowl, mix the eggs and shortening until well incorporated. Beat in the broth and yogurt. Add the flour and baking soda. Stir until well mixed, but try not to over do it. Too much mixing will develop the gluten in the flour and make them harder to pipe out.

Spoon the mixture into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip. I used a Wilton #12. Pipe small blobs (about 1 cm across) onto a parchment lined sheet pan. Use a pair of scissors to snip each clean from the bag. You can put them fairly close together. I fit approximately 50 treats on each 11x17 inch pan.

Dip your finger in some water and then dab any unshapely treats into proper form. Bake at 375 for about 10 minutes. I baked two trays at a time and switch positions half way through (I do not have a convection oven). Remove treats when they are lightly golden and let cool completely before storing in an air tight container.

Everyday Scalloped Potatoes

I'm not sure why I haven't made this dish more... it's super easy. Spend 5-10 minutes making a gravy, a few minutes more slicing up some potatoes, put it in the oven and go do something else! And who can turn down tender slices of potato immersed in a flavorful, creamy sauce? Not this girl, that's for sure!

Perhaps, because nice even slices of potatoes are pretty important for best results, I waited to make it regularly until I had a food processor or a mandolin. Either works great. I like the slices to be about an eighth of an inch thick... mainly because I'm impatient. It seems that making the gravy/sauce causes a ticking time bomb of salivary anticipation and the longer I have to wait, the worse it gets. Therefore: thinner is better in my book.

While you can make scalloped potatoes into sin city, this everyday version is pretty tame and you can eat a decent sized serving without feeling too guilty. If you're making it for company, you can always use cream, more cheese, or more bacon... or all of the above!!

As I mentioned, you first make the sauce. This simply involves cooking the bacon, sauteing the onions, adding a slurry of milk and flour, and then - off the heat - adding the cheese. All you have to do then is mix the sauce and potato slices together and place in a greased baking dish! The last step is the trickiest... occupy yourself long enough that it can bake completely and form a nice golden top!



Everyday Scalloped Potatoes
Yield: four side servings

2 strips bacon, diced
2 medium potatoes, peeled and sliced thinly (about 1/8 inch)
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 cups milk
1 rounded TBS flour
1/2 cup Gruyere cheese
1/2 tsp salt (or to taste - depends on how salty your bacon and cheese is)
dash fresh ground pepper

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Start the bacon cooking in a skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, peel and slice the potatoes. If for some reason, your potatoes will be sitting more than 10 minutes between slicing and mixing with the sauce, let them hang out in some water to keep from browning.

When the bacon is nicely rendered but not too browned, add the onion. Do not remove the bacon grease unless your bacon was overly fatty. A tablespoon or two of grease is necessary to flavor the dish. Saute over medium heat until the onion is soft but - again - not browned. Mix the flour with a small amount of the milk while it is still cold. Add the remaining milk slowly to form a lump-free mixture. If you are concerned there are still lumps, simply run it through a sieve as you add it to the pan. Cook the sauce over medium to medium-low heat until it thickens and just starts to simmer. Remove from the heat and add the cheese, holding back a couple of tablespoons. Stir to mix. Add the salt, but be sure to taste as you go. The bacon and cheese may add more salt than you think. Add the pepper and stir one last time.

Add the potatoes to the sauce mixture and stir to completely coat the potatoes. Pour into a greased 10x6 inch pan (or similar). Sprinkle the rest of the cheese on the top. Bake at 375 for 40-45 minutes, or until the potatoes are nice and tender and the top is golden brown. Let cool slightly before serving.

Banana Nut Muffins

I eat a lot of muffins. Because I get up so early during the week, I need a portable breakfast. Muffins are my go-to breakfast. There are plenty of other quick and simple starts I enjoy, but these are really the only ones that I turn to Monday through Friday. My favorites are my mini-chocolate chip muffins. Good as they are, I occasionally need a little variety.

Banana nut muffins are one of my regular alternates. First of all, I always have too-ripe bananas on hand. I'm one of those people that loves bananas provided they're within that 12 hour window of perfect ripeness. After that, I won't touch them. This is a great way to use those past their prime bananas. I also like how substantial these are. The whole grains and nuts really pack a great morning nutritional punch, and - most importantly - they taste really good!

They're super easy to make, too! Mix together the wet ingredients in a medium bowl. Notice that the batter may look somewhat curdled. That's fine. In fact, if you let it sit, the honey may separate out a bit. Just give it a stir before adding the dry ingredients.

Mix the dry ingredients together in a separate, small bowl. Chop up some walnuts and toss into the dry ingredients. Stir to mix and then add, alternating in batches with the smashed bananas, to the wet mixture.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Line standard sized muffin tins with papers. This recipe makes an uneven number of muffins. Someday, when I have time, I may try to standardize it, but currently, it makes about 17 muffins. Be sure not to fill the cups too full.

To help them look great and to add a nice sweet crunch, I sprinkle two things on top: some old fashioned oats and some turbinado sugar. I especially like the turbinado sugar because it holds its shape and crunch not only through baking but through freezing, if you go that route.

If you're not familiar with turbinado sugar, it is a coarse grained, minimally processed sugar that has a tan color and more complex flavor than table sugar. You can find it on the baking aisle of nearly any grocery store and it keeps forever in an air tight container.

Bake the muffins for about 25 minutes or until they are puffed and golden. Remove from the oven, remove from the pans, and let cool on a rack. If you are going to bag them up to put in the freezer, make sure they are completely cooled before doing so. Frozen muffins can be thawed in the microwave. In mine, it takes about 40 seconds to thaw out two of them.


Banana Nut Muffins
Yield: 17 standard sized muffins

2 eggs
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup shortening

1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 cup toasted wheat germ

1 cup mashed, ripe bananas
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
2 TBS old fashioned oats (optional)
2 TBS turbinado sugar (optional)

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Mix together the first four ingredients in a medium bowl. Do not worry if it looks a bit curdled; it does not need to be perfectly smooth. In a separate, smaller bowl, mix together the flours, baking power, salt, and wheat germ. Stir to mix, adding the walnuts. In another small bowl, mash the ripe bananas until they are well pureed.

Alternate adding the dry ingredients and bananas to the wet mixture. Do not over mix. Divide batter evenly between 17 standard, paper lined muffin cups. Sprinkle each with a small amount of turbinado sugar and old fashioned oats. Bake at 375 for about 25 minutes, until the muffins are puffed and lightly golden. A toothpick or cake tester should come out clean. Be careful not to over bake. Cool completely on wire racks.

Ingredient Notes: I get my wheat germ at the bulk food store for much, much less than it costs at the grocery store. However, I then need to toast the wheat germ myself, which I do in a dry saute pan over medium heat. Simply stir occasionally until the germ has a nice toasty smell and has obtained a nice golden color. As for the bananas, you can use bananas way past when you might think you should. I've even used bananas after the flesh is completely brown and has a slightly fermented smell.

Toffee Butter Crunch

This is one of those things that it seems everyone has made at one time or another, but maybe not well. If everyone else is working from the same recipe I started with, it's no wonder. Someone once gave me a bag of this stuff as a gift and the toffee part was very light in color, lacking in flavor, and had no snap. Definitely not what I had in mind when it comes to toffee.

If you really want to make good butter toffee, you have to push the temperature much higher than many recipes specify. The one that I have gives instructions to remove from the heat at 280 degrees. At 280 degrees, the sugar hasn't had a chance yet to develop much flavor and, if you want good snap, you need to bring the sugar all the way to the hard crack stage or 300 degrees.

The good news is that armed with this knowledge, you can make some darn fine butter toffee. If you give it as gifts, you can be guaranteed the recipients will love you for life. What's even better? It's the quickest, easiest candy you've ever made! Well, maybe except for lollipops.

For a single batch, you need to use at least a 2-quart sauce pan. This recipe can easily be doubled, but if you do, be sure to use a much larger pan. The candy will bubble up quite a bit higher than you might expect when it really gets going. The last thing you want is molten sugar overflowing in your kitchen!

Stir together the butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup in the sauce pan and place over high heat.

Place your candy thermometer into the pan to keep track of the temperature. Cook over medium-high to high heat, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. As you see in the picture below, it will come to a violent, roiling boil. Just keep an eye on the thermometer and let it do its thing. It may take anywhere from 10-25 minutes to reach 300 degrees, depending on your stove, so don't be dismayed if it seems to be taking a while.

As it cooks, it will lose water and shrink back down in the pot, becoming very gelatinous and gloppy. This is all part of the process, so just keep watching the thermometer. When you reach 285 degrees, you will need to be very vigilant; those last 15 degrees can go fast. Notice the difference in color between the picture above and below. That color is your flavor. Be ready to remove the pan from the heat right at 300 though... there's a fine line between flavor and burnt!


As soon as you remove the candy from the heat, add the pecan pieces, stir, and pour out onto a cookie sheet. There is no need to prepare the cookie sheet in any way. This candy has enough butter in it, it couldn't stick even if it wanted too! Jiggle the pan or help it to spread out with your wooded spoon. Be sure that you have a towel or trivet under the pan to protect your counter from the heat. Let the candy cool for a bit before moving on to the next step.

When the candy has cooled quite a bit (you should be able to touch it without hurting yourself), add the chocolate chips. I like to use the mini-morsels because they melt so much easier. The reason you need to let the candy cool before adding the chocolate is related to tempering. If you add the chocolate when the candy is too hot, it will heat the chocolate up too much and then it won't harden properly. It still tastes good, but is a real mess since the chocolate won't harden up like it should. The candy should not be warmer than about 105 degrees when you add the chocolate.


Let the chocolate sit on the candy for a bit to melt and then use a utensil of some sort to spread the chocolate evenly over the top. I use a butter knife. If you want, you can sprinkle some more crushed nuts on the top. They look pretty, but I find they tend to make the candy too messy. Move the tray to a cool area to firm up. If necessary, you can place it in the refrigerator. Avoid placing it in the freezer as this could also interfere with the chocolate's temper. (You can read my post about tempering chocolate if you want to learn more about this process).

When the candy is completely cool, break into small pieces and store in an air tight container. It will keep for at least a couple of weeks.

Toffee Butter Crunch
Yield: about 1 pound of candy

1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
3 TBS water
1 TBS light corn syrup
1/2 cup coarsely chopped pecans
3/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (mini-morsels work best)
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans (optional)

Place the butter, sugar, water, and corn syrup together in at least a 2-quart sauce pan. Turn the heat to medium-high/high. When the butter melts, stir everything together and place a candy thermometer in the pan.

Let the mixture boil, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until it reaches 300 degrees and has a nice caramel color. Be very vigilant once the candy reaches 285, as the temperature can go up very rapidly from there. Remove from the heat as soon as it reaches 300. Immediately add the coarsely chopped pecans and stir.

Pour the hot candy out onto a sheet pan. Be sure there are some towels or pot holders under the sheet pan to protect your counters. Jiggle the pan or use your wooden spoon to help spread the mixture out, if necessary. Let cool until the surface is no warmer than 105 degrees. (Just feels warm to the touch). Sprinkle the chocolate chips on top and let them sit to soften. Spread with a knife into a nice, even coating. Sprinkle with the remaining nuts, if desired.

Place tray in a cool area or the refrigerator to harden. When fully cool, break into pieces and wrap for gifts or store in an air tight container.

NOTE: If you are making this toffee to give as gifts, you may find yourself wanting to make a lot at one time. I have made as much as a triple batch and it works great. For a triple batch, you want to be sure you are using at least an 8-quart pan. A triple batch will fit perfectly on two 11x17 sheet pans.

Perfect Buttered Popcorn

Have you ever tried making buttered popcorn at home? I don't mean that microwave stuff, either... it doesn't really taste like butter. You know, real, subtle, finger-licking good butter. I wish that I could be satisfied eating plain popcorn, I really do. But I can't. I've come to terms with it, and I've found a way to make it work.

Air poppers are a great tool for popping corn. They're cheap and quick, but they won't apply the butter for you. I used to melt a little butter in a bowl and then pour it over the popped corn in as thin a stream as I could. I would then grab a spoon as quickly as possible to toss things around. It never worked. Invariably, I always ended up with kernels that were so coated in butter they were soggy and some that were naked as the day they were born. I knew there had to be a better way.

And there is. All you have to do is brush the stuff on. I use a pastry brush to apply it. For a half cup of unpopped kernels, I only need to use about 1 tablespoons of butter and I am completely satisfied with the flavor.

Just blot the popped kernels with the brush, tossing them in the bowl as you go to get all sides covered. You'll end up with a perfectly even coat every time. At this point, you can add a sprinkling of popcorn salt and curl up on the couch with your favorite movie while happily crunching away. Yum!

Gelatin Fruit Cups

Part of being a teacher is the acknowledgement that you can't go out to get lunch every day. I know that a lot of schools have been trying to improve their food, but even if they were serving the best food ever, I still would pack a lunch. When you only get a 26 minute break, the idea of walking all the way down to the lunch room and fighting my way through a line to get some chow is less than appealing.

I often need to get to work by 6:10 in the morning so that I can use the copy machine without waiting, and that means that I need quick packing lunches. Yogurt is a regular star as are those small bags of chips... and I've always been a fan of fruit cups with gelatin.

Until recently, I'd made my own using the artificially flavored stuff at the store. I started to find, however, that I'm not a fan of the acrid after taste that the artificial stuff tends to have. And it somehow felt wrong to be putting home canned pears into such overwhelmingly sweet, fake flavor. So, I decided to see how much trouble it would be to use unflavored gelatin and fruit juice... the good news? It's absolutely no trouble at all!

The only extra steps are the requirement to soften the gelatin in some cool liquid before mixing and making sure you have an appropriate fruit juice on hand. While you can use whatever juice you want, I wanted to go for a 100% juice variety. I really love cherries, so I purchased sweet cherry juice. There are all kinds of juice blends out there. Experiment! Try all kinds. The good news is that the sky is the limit.

To soften the gelatin, pour 1/4 cup of your still cool juice in a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the top and let it sit until the gelatin is absorbed and swells up.

As I was taking pictures, I help the bowl up so that some light was coming through. I got so intrigued by the shapes and colors! The geologist in me was screaming, "Look at the lava!"

Heat the juice to almost boiling. To keep a nice fresh flavor, try not to overheat the juice. Meanwhile, fill some plastic containers with the fruit of your choice. I like to use diced peaches or pears. These containers are 4 ounces each and work perfectly.

When the juice is heated, add the softened gelatin and any sugar or other flavorings you want to add. Swirl the contents in each slightly after they are filled to evenly distribute the fruit. Put on their covers and place in the refrigerator to firm up.

A single batch makes six containers, if you use the 4 ounce size. Just enough for one per day plus an extra for good measure.

Gelatin Fruit Cups
Yield: 6 - 4 oz. containers

1 packet (or 1/4 oz. or 2 1/2 tsp) unflavored gelatin such as Knox
2 cups fruit juice of your choice
1 - 16 oz jar or can of fruit (such as diced peaches or pears)
sugar, as needed, up to 1/4 cup (if you add too much sugar, you will need to add more gelatin)

Pour 1/4 cup of the still cool fruit juice into a small bowl. Sprinkle the gelatin over the juice and let it soften and swell while the remainder of the juice heats. Heat the rest of the juice until it is almost boiling. For the freshest taste, try not to overheat.

Add the softened gelatin and any needed sugar to the hot juice. Stir until all particles of gelatin and sugar are dissolved. Prepare the plastic containers by evenly dividing the drained fruit from one 16 ounce can between them. Pour the hot juice evenly between the containers. Swirl gently to evenly distribute the fruit. Cover and refrigerate. Requires at least 3-4 hours to full chill and set.

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Nothing says spring to me like asparagus. I know in many parts of the country, spring is just a far off dream, but here in Florida, we're starting to see asparagus in the market at peak-season price. I just can't help but think that it is spring when that happens.

It used to be that I knew spring had sprung when tender shoots of asparagus peeked out from the soil of my perennial garden in Ohio. There is nothing like home grown, fresh picked asparagus. And it is so easy to grow! The only down side is that it takes a few years to get the bed established. If you have the patience, you will be rewarded... unless your husband's in the military and then you get to be Johnny Appleseed and continually plant for other's enjoyment.

I did at least get to enjoy one decent harvest from my asparagus bed in Ohio before we had to leave. Doesn't that look fabulous? I hope the folks that bought our house like asparagus. This year should be a bumper crop!

Asparagus is such a great vegetable. You can include it in dishes for any time of the day. It's great in quiche. It's great wrapped in prosciutto and roasted. I like it steamed with a sprinkling of smoked salt. It also happens to rock as a soup. While this recipe can really highlight a number of vegetables (think broccoli or cauliflower), it's especially good with asparagus.

It starts with shallots and asparagus. And a little butter. You didn't think I'd forget about the butter, did you? While, ultimately, the soup will be pureed, I like to chop all the ingredients small so that they cook quickly. Usually when I make this soup, I'm in a hurry for some sustenance.

Saute the shallot in butter over medium heat. Add some celery and the asparagus pieces. Be sure to trim the stems so that you are only using the tender part of the spear. I once thought that because the soup was pureed I would use the whole spear. BIG mistake. The asparagus was pureed, but the soup still had a distinct woody texture. Not a very pleasant experience, let me tell you.

When the vegetables are softened and slightly browned, add the chicken broth. Cook at a simmer until the vegetables are very tender, almost falling apart. I save the tips of the asparagus for garnishing the soup. About five minutes before the vegetables are done, I cook the tips in the broth using a piece of cheesecloth to keep them separated.

Remove the soup from the heat and let cool for a few minutes before pureeing in a food processor or blender. In my experience, you don't have to worry too much about over processing it. It maintains a nice texture even with a fair amount of processing. Return the soup to the pan and place over medium-low heat. Add the cream and stir until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve!

Cream of Asparagus Soup
Yield: 2 servings, double/triple, etc. as needed

1 TBS butter
1 small shallot, diced
1/4 cup celery ribs, diced
2 cups chopped asparagus spears, woody ends removed
2 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup cream (heavy or light, depending on your mood)
salt & pepper to taste

Saute the shallot and celery in the butter over medium-high heat. Reduce heat as needed to prevent too much browning. When the shallot and celery are beginning to soften, add the asparagus. Saute for another 3-4 minutes.

Add the broth and bring the soup to a simmer. Cook until the vegetables are very tender, about ten minutes. Remove the soup from the heat and let cool slightly before pureeing in a food processor or blender. Return the soup to the pot and place back over the heat. Add the cream and salt and pepper. Heat, stirring, until it just reaches a simmer. Remove from the heat and serve.