Pizza as a Vegetable

“We are not saying pizza is a vegetable,” said Corey Henry, the spokesman for the American Frozen Food Institute, which supports the bill. “What we are saying is if you serve a slice of pizza with 2 tablespoons of vegetable paste, it can be an important way to deliver a number of vegetables that children will actually consume.”

Source: ABC News, http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2011/11/veggie-politics-how-budget-cuts-can-make-pizza-a-vegetable/

DESSERT/CRAFT: Bakri Eid Diorama

DESSERT: Dark Chocolate Glazed, Toffuti, and Brown Sugar Cake Pops

Servings: 20-24 Cake Pops

Ingredients:

• Cake mix
• 12 oz of Toffuti cream cheese (or your favorite low-fat cream cheese) - this is approximately a tub and a half of cream cheese
• 1 cup of brown sugar (or confectioners sugar if your not counting calories)
• 8 oz of semi-sweet or dark chocolate (try baking chocolate, such as the Ghirardelli baking bar)
• Lollipop sticks
• Large Styrofoam square (or multiple pieces)
• Large cookie sheet with wax paper

Instructions:

• Bake the cake (using the mix), let the cake cool and refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours
• Use a mixer to blend the cream cheese and sugar.  Refrigerate for at least 2-3 hours
• Crumble the cake and mix in the cream cheese mix
• You should be able to make a ball shape with the mixture - if not, add in more cream cheese
• Stick the balls of cake mixture on a cookie sheet, stick in the lollipop sticks
• Let cake balls chill - if you plan to make them right away, stick them in the freezer for an hour or so
• Heat the chocolate in a double boiler setup - try high heat first, and reduce to low-medium heat within 7-10 minutes (TIP: You can also use this technique for chocolate dipped strawberries - see the picture to the right)
• Quickly dip and swirl the cake balls in the mixture - swirl away any excess chocolate, and stick in the styrofoam to dry (and drip)
• Be sure to decorate with sprinkles, eyes, etc. while the cake balls are still wet
• For other extensive decorations, let the cake balls dry first and then decorate with frosting or fondant
• Enjoy!
• If you are presenting these as a gift, consider covering them with treat wrappers (Walmart and Target carry them - try the Wilton brand) and using a ribbon to tie them

DINNER: Presto Pesto Sauce

Pesto is one of those food items (like cupcakes and macaroons) that has been the subject of overkill over the last few years; nevertheless, I love this played out ingredient every time I have it.  I finally had to make it for myself, and have to say it was super easy to make.

Serving Size: 1 Pasta Dish

Ingredients:

• 1 whole garlic bulb, pressed
• 2-3 cups of fresh basil leaves (stems removed)
• 1/3 cup of walnuts or pine nuts
• 1/4 - 1/3 cup of olive oil
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• Dash of sea salt
• Note: no parmesan cheese is used - see the recommended preparation below

Instructions:

• Grind nuts, garlic, and 1/2 of the oil in the food processor
• Mix in basil leaves and continue to grind in the processor
• Add in pepper and salt and pulse in food processor until the sauce is smooth
• Recommended Preparation:
• Heat pesto sauce and add in 1/4 tbsp of cayenne pepper and an additional 1/4 tbsp of black pepper
• Add in 16 ounces of non-fat sour cream (try the Trader Joe's version)
• Add in cooked spiral pasta (3/4 to a full standard package depending on how much you would like the pesto sauce to stand out)
• Consider adding seasoned cooked chicken cubes to the pasta