New Way of Eating

Mr. Goodwrench and I are doing a lifestyle diet change, to bring our blood glucose to a balanced, and lower level. I have a few pictures of the first dessert, I have made for us in over a week. We have been on this diet for a week...he has, I have only been on it for 3 days. It is good, all good!
Anyway, the torte has a graham cracker crust, layer of baked cheesecake sweetened with a Stevia product (TrueVia) topped with fruit and glazed with sugar free apricot preserves. Today is the first day of using the TrueVia, so I am still evaluating it's potential as a sweetener for us. All in all, the torte was just fine. The cheesecake could have been sweeter, I only used 3 packets of the TrueVia. Maybe 5 or 6 would have done the trick.
I know, I know, this is a lower fat and lower carb/sugar torte, and yes, tastes like it, but for those who must, and I mean must, change their way of eating, this torte will suffice. It does please the eye, too!

Fruit and Cheese Torte Recipe

Crust:
1 pack low-fat graham crackers, crushed to crumbs
3 tablespoons melted butter
1 pack stevia sweetener
Mix and press into bottom of torte pan

Top:
1 8 oz. package of 1/3 fat cream cheese (this is labeled as 1/3 fat cream cheese)
4 packages stevia sweetener
2 eggs
dash of lemon juice
Blend in a blender or food processor until smooth. Pour over crust and bake in preheated 325 degree oven for 30 minutes. Remove and cool on rack. Top cheese layer with sliced and whole peaches and berries..
In microwave place bowl with 3 tablespoons sugarfree fruit preserves, I used apricot, and add 2 teaspoons water, stir and heat 1 minute. Stir and brush, over the fruit layer. Chill and top with fat-free whipped cream!

Saturday Farmers Market & Lunch

Stopped in at "Taste of Bavaria", check out the pastry case!

Two types of Rye Boules from the Covington Market


Covington Farmers Market
3 loaves of Bread, Goat cheese, Baba ganoush and a fat stuffed Artichoke and all for $ 32.00. A lot for fresh fare, but everything was homemade, and this is the best goat cheese I have ever eaten, no kidding...!

Covington Farmers Market

Picture by Paul Swain borrowed from CFM Website

Here's what I'm talking about...yum.
Going to visit the Covington Farmers Market today!

AMEN to a Great Saints Football Season

Congratulations to the Superbowl Champions the New Orleans Saints. We are a happy bunch of folks down here in Louisiana and the Gulf South Region...Who Dat Nation.

I wanted to share the headline of our newspaper on Monday. A prettier one is available at this site: NOLA.com

Kumquat Harvest

What to do with the just picked Kumquats? Checked out recipes on the Kumquot Growers and found a marmalade which sounds do-able for me. I love marmalades, and this one will be unusual. Join me for the task of making marmalade click here for my recipe!

Yummy Pineapple Upside Down Cake

Pineapple Upside Downcake using Paula Deen's recipe.

My daughter Hanna wanted to try this one. It was really good, even though we used regular flour, not cake flour.

Panettone

Italian Christmas Bread!
This is my adjusted recipe, which makes a moister bread than the ones you may have bought at stores!
1/2 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
2 Tablespoons Honey
1 stick butter, softened to room temp.
2 packages dry yeast
1/2 cup warm water
2 eggs and 2 egg yolks (fresh eggs!)
1/2 cup candied orange peel, chopped small
1/2 cup dark raisins
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel
5 1/2 cups flour

( Save 3- 1 pound size- tin coffee cans to bake 3 breads. OR you may bake in mini loaf pans to give as gifts, or 2 regular loaf pans)
Heat the milk in saucepan, add the sugar and butter. Remove from heat and let come to lukewarm. Stir.
In mixing bowl add yeast to the warm water, to dissolve. Add the milk mixture, the eggs, orange peel, lemon peel and raisins. Add 2 cups flour. Stir well. Add remaining flour 1 cup at a time. Knead dough until smooth and slightly elastic. Will be a bit sticky. Knead for 15 minutes. Plop out into a large buttered bowl. Cover with plastic. Allow to rise, in a warmish spot, until doubled in size. After rise, place dough onto floured surface. Divide into 2 pieces. OR -- how ever many loaves you intend to bake. Shape and place into greased pans. Allow to rise, covered again about 1 hour. Bake in hot oven, which has been set at 350 degrees. Bake until golden brown, depending on loaf size, about 40 minutes.