LiveSTRONG: Glazed Pineapple Cookies

When I think of the words "live" and "strong," the first person that comes to mind is my mom, because strongly is exactly how she lived her life. That's why, when I recently learned about the A Taste of Yellow blogging event (hosted by Barbara at winosandfoodies) I knew I had to take part: to remember my mom and others who lost their battle with cancer, to celebrate those who won, and to raise awareness for this horrible disease.

My mom's battle with cancer began when I was nine years old. She was diagnosed with brain cancer on Halloween of 1992. After two surgeries, two rounds of radiation and some intensive chemotherapy, she was declared cancer-free, which she remained until 2005. In February of 2005, though, her routine yearly MRI revealed that the cancer had returned to her brain, and this time it was determined to take her. She had two more surgeries and countless rounds of chemotherapy, but she finally succumbed to the disease on January 22, 2007.

My mom was the strongest woman I have ever known and will ever know -- independent, with an engaging personality and a smile that was a more brilliant yellow than any food I could possibly make. People gravitated towards her for a reason; she exuded confidence, strength and faith every single moment she lived. Even as she died, her faith and her strength remained. I can't even begin to describe what it felt like to lose her -- what it still feels like as I wake up every day without her in my life. I hope that I can be half the mother -- half the woman -- she was.


It's shocking how many lives and how many families are affected by cancer. That's why the work that Lance Armstrong's foundation and other organizations around the country do is so important. I have to believe that, with enough awareness and research, our world can be free of this terrible disease.

Okay, enough seriousness! On to the food. As soon as I learned about this event, I knew I wanted to use pineapple as my "something yellow." Spring is upon us now, and nothing says spring to me like a deliciously tangy and juicy pineapple. I found a scrumptious-sounding recipe for pineapple cookies in one of my cookbooks, so I decided to go for it. They don't really look very yellow after baking, but they're wonderful cookies. Their texture is both moist and cake-like, and I love the little explosion of pineapple flavor in every bite. I think the addition of some toasted coconut mixed in with the glaze would add a nice tropical flavor, so I may try that next time. Hmmm...And now that I think about it, some white chocolate chips and macadamia nuts would be a nice addition to this cookie, too! Really, though, they're delicious just as they are. (Also, I know I glazed my cookies when they were still too warm, because the glaze ran everywhere...but I just couldn't resist! I had to try one of the cookies immediately, and it was worth it!)


Glazed Pineapple Cookies
Source: The Ultimate Cookie Collection (page 52)

1 can (8 ounces) crushed pineapple
1/2 cup shortening (I used butter-flavored)
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Drain the pineapple, reserving 3 tablespoons juice. Set pineapple aside; set juice aside for glaze. In a mixing bowl, cream shortening and sugar. Add egg; mix well. Add pineapple and vanilla; mix well. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; stir into the creamed mixture.

2. Drop by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto greased baking sheets. Bake at 325° for 17-20 minutes or until golden. Immediately remove to wire racks to cool.

3. For glaze, in a small bowl, combine confectioners' sugar with enough of reserved pineapple juice to achieve a smooth consistency. Spoon glaze over cooled cookies.

Creamy Red Pepper Chicken Pasta

While this recipe isn't exactly in our regular rotation, it's definitely one that I keep coming back to again and again because it's so easy to make and so unbelievably delicious. I can't even remember how this recipe originated -- I think I was making some type of pasta with red pepper sauce, and I thought how good the sauce would be if it were creamier...and then this dish was born.

This dish is so Sandra Lee of me, since it uses jarred Alfredo sauce. You could definitely make your own sauce, but I find that my brand of jarred sauce (Ragu) imparts a lot of flavor and saves a lot of time. The resulting dish is flavorful, creamy, and totally irresistible. It's light enough to eat in the spring and summer months, but hearty enough for fall and winter. I just know you'll love it!


Creamy Red Pepper Chicken Pasta
Source: Cassie

1 box fettucine or linguine
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts
Italian seasoning to taste
Garlic powder to taste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 yellow onion (2 if the onions are small), sliced
1 jar Alfredo sauce
1/2 cup milk
1 jar roasted red peppers, drained
1 cup mozzarella cheese

1. Cook pasta according to package directions.

2. Meanwhile, season chicken breasts with Italian seasoning, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Cook in olive oil in a skillet until juices run clear. Remove chicken from skillet and let rest.

3. In a medium saucepan, cook onions over medium heat until they just begin to caramelize. Season with salt and pepper. Place peppers in a food processor or blender (the Magic Bullet works perfectly for this!) and pulse until peppers form a puree.

4. Add Alfredo sauce to onions, then add milk and mozzarella cheese to desired consistency. Stir in the red pepper puree and heat through.

5. Once chicken has rested, slice at an angle and mix with pasta, reserving some strips for presentation. Add sauce to pasta and chicken. Top with additional mozzarella or parmesan cheese, if desired.

Rich Chocolate Chunk Brownies

The purpose of this weekend's baking was to feed a craving...and, surprisingly, it wasn't even one of my own! Before my kitchen was finished, I took a vow that, when the room was finally done, I would try to bake something every weekend. For my inaugural weekend baking session, I decided to ask Joe what he wanted. Personally, I have been craving everything strawberry lately, so I was thinking about some strawberry scones or strawberry muffins. My husband, however, has taste buds that are set to "all chocolate, all the time" (I swear, he's as bad as a girl when it comes to chocolate), and he requested chocolate chunk brownies. After perusing through my baking cookbooks, I came across a recipe in The Taste of Home Baking Book that sounded like it fit the bill almost perfectly; and with only a few alterations, it became my idea of the perfect brownie -- ooey gooey and deliciously chocolatey and super-rich. My modifications are in purple.

Rich Chocolate Chunk Brownies
Source: The Taste of Home Baking Book (pages 96 and 97 of hard-bound edition)

For the brownies:
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup baking cocoa
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
half of an 11.5-ounce bag of semi-sweet chocolate chunks

For the frosting:
3 tablespoons baking cocoa
3 tablespoons butter, melted
1 teaspoon instant coffee granules (I omitted)
1 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
2 to 3 tablespoons warm water

1. In large mixing bowl, beat the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt; add to batter and mix well. Stir in chocolate chunks.

2. Pour into a greased 8-inch square baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack.

3. For the frosting, combine the cocoa and butter. Gradually stir in confectioners' sugar and enough water to achieve a spreading consistency. Frost brownies.

"Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Today is Joe's birthday; his grandpa's birthday was last Wednesday. Yesterday, we had a little get-together for both of them at our house, and when I asked Joe what kind of cake he wanted, his answer was definitive: "Chocolate."

I'd heard plenty of good things about Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake, so I couldn't resist trying it. And I'm so glad I chose to go with this recipe. This cake was super-moist and decadent and absolutely delicious. The frosting was outstanding, too, although next time I make this cake (and I'll definitely make it again!) I'll probably make more frosting. I'll also flour my pans a little bit heavier next time, because this cake is so moist that I had some difficulty getting it out. This made the cake a little lopsided, but no one really cared; half of it was gone within five seconds of it hitting the table!

Incidentally, I think the baby liked it too; he was squirming around pretty intensely while I was eating my piece. Sooo...I indulged him and had a second piece. Hey, I'm pregnant -- if I can't get away with it now, when can I?

(By the way, the "100" candles represent Joe's and his grandpa's combined ages. I thought it was pretty clever, although his grandpa did do all the blowing out himself!)

Hershey's "Perfectly Chocolate" Chocolate Cake

Source: Hershey's

For the cake:
2 cups sugar
1 3/4 cups flour
3/4 cup Hershey's cocoa
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

For the frosting:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter or margarine
2/3 cup Hershey's cocoa
3 cups powdered sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1. Heat oven to 350°. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans.

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, milk, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes. Stir in boiling water (batter will be thin). Pour batter into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost. 10 to 12 servings.

4. For the frosting, melt butter. Stir in cocoa. Alternately add powdered sugar and milk, beating to spreading consistency. Add small amount of additional milk, if needed. Stir in vanilla. Makes about 2 cups frosting.

Mom's Potato Salad

Some people have a certain dish that they're known for, a dish that they're always asked to bring to family gatherings, church dinners, potlucks and other functions involving food. For my mom, that dish was her potato salad. People raved about it everywhere she took it, and no one could ever get enough. Unfortunately, she never wrote down the recipe before she died, and I only had the opportunity to watch her make it one time. For her, making that potato salad must have just been second nature; for me, though, duplicating it was a much more daunting task.

We're having a gathering at our house tomorrow afternoon for Joe's and his grandpa's birthdays, both of which are this week. I thought this would be a good time to try my hand at Mom's "signature dish," especially considering that Joe's family never had my mom's version and wouldn't be comparing the two in their heads. Some of the pressure relieved, I set out to try to duplicate my mom's potato salad. I sneaked a small helping for myself before storing it in the fridge, and I have to admit: I came pretty close to Mom's recipe. Of course, nothing ever tastes as good as it does when your mom makes it, right? It must just be some magic "mom" thing. I'm guessing this is as close as I'll ever come to her recipe. Hopefully Joe's family will enjoy it!


Mom's Potato Salad
Source: my mom

For the dressing:

2 to 3 cups Miracle Whip (depending on how "saucy" you like it)
2 tablespoons yellow mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
Salt and pepper to taste
Paprika

For the salad:

3 pounds potatoes, peeled and diced
5 medium-sized dill pickles, finely diced
3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped
1/2 of a medium-sized onion, finely diced or grated

1. Cover potatoes with cold water in large pot and bring to a boil. Cook just until fork-tender.

2. While potatoes are cooking, mix dressing ingredients (except paprika). Taste for seasoning. Add the diced pickles, eggs and onion to the dressing.

3. Drain potatoes and let cool. Add dressing to the potatoes and mix. Sprinkle paprika over the top. Refrigerate before serving.