COOKING WITH CLORIS--SWEET 'N SOUR TURKEY MEATBALLS

I love dinners that cook themselves. Cloris has one today that’s about as easy as it gets. Just defrost the meatballs and pineapple in the fridge overnight. -- AP

SWEET ‘N SOUR TURKEY MEATBALLS
(serves 4)
Ingredients:
2 lbs. frozen, pre-cooked turkey meatballs, defrosted
2 cups frozen pineapple, defrosted
8 carrots, peeled and halved
1 cup cranberry jam
1 can (14.5 - 16 oz.) diced tomatoes
1/2 cup beef broth
1/4 cup barbecue sauce

Place meatballs, pineapple, and carrots in a slow cooker. Add tomatoes. Mix together jam, broth, and barbecue sauce. Pour over meat and vegetables. Cook on low 8-10 hrs.

Serves 4.
Serve this over cous cous, minute brown rice, or bow tie noodles and you’ve got dinner. Readers, what’s for dinner at your house tonight? -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- PATRIOTIC TOPIARY REDUX

This week marks our 1 year anniversary at Killer Crafts & Crafty Killers. In honor of that I’m repeating the first craft project that debuted the blog because I’m sure many of you never saw it. For those of you who don’t want a patriotic themed topiary, this design can be worked in any color scheme. Enjoy! -- AP

Materials:

metal, wood or ceramic container or pot, approx. 6” x 6” x 6”

15” long 5/8” wooden dowel

6” white Styrofoam® ball

1 yd. 1” wide blue print ribbon

3” x 45” piece blue gingham

scraps of red, white, and blue fabric

floral foam, enough to fit inside container

straight pins

green excelsior

hot glue gun and glue sticks

tacky glue

Note: Use hot glue for all gluing except where tacky glue is indicated.  Model shown made with red glitter metal container purchased from crafts store.

1.  Insert dowel halfway into Styrofoam® ball.  Remove dowel.  Dispense glue into hole in ball.  Reinsert dowel.

2. Glue floral foam inside container.  Insert dowel into center of floral foam.  Remove dowel.  Dispense glue into hole in floral foam.  Reinsert dowel.

3.  Apply a thin coat of tacky glue to dowel.  Wrap ribbon around dowel to cover.

4.  Tear fabric into 1-1/2” x 6” strips.  Place two strips wrong sides together and tie a knot at center.

5.  Insert a straight pin into knot.  Dip pin in tacky glue and quickly insert into Styrofoam® ball.  Repeat until ball is completely covered.

6.  Glue excelsor over floral foam inside container.

7.  Tie blue gingham strip around container.

BOOK CLUB FRIDAY -- GUEST AUTHOR PEG HERRING

Today we welcome Peg Herring as our Book Club Friday guest author. Peg lives and writes mysteries in northern Lower Michigan. Of her paranormal mystery, THE DEAD DETECTIVE AGENCY, critic Sam Millar (New York Journal of Books) says: “Ms. Herring’s story-telling ability…is genuinely impressive. Masterfully, she takes your conscious mind out of your own world and guides you into the atmospheric surrealism of The Dead Detective Agency, smoothly and expertly, with page-turning ease. The story and writing proceed at a furious, breathtaking pace, and when we finally come to the end of our voyage, it’s with deep regret, as if saying bon voyage to a dear friend we have known and loved for years.”

Learn more about Peg by visiting her website. -- AP

READ WHAT I SAY

I have a friend who has never been able to forget (forgive?) that I did not like the Andrew Greeley book she gave me.

I once had the parent of a student insist I read THE STAND. She was visibly unhappy when I finally admitted I had not finished the book.

I was a little offended when my sister returned my copy of THE POISONWOOD BIBLE with wrinkled nose. “Not my kind of thing.”

What is it about reading that makes us want others to get the same thrill we get from a book? I don’t expect my sister to wear clothes like mine. My friend does not expect me to order the same food when we lunch together. And the Stephen King-loving parent would not expect that we agree on what color a person should paint her living room.

Here are some things that I believe cause disagreement about what is a good book:

Personality -- Some of us like romance; others want action. Some like a lot of setting or character description or gore; some don’t.

Time of life -- My choice of books has changed over the years. While mystery remains a constant, I paired it with biographies for a while, historical novels for years, and recently, nonfiction (quantum mechanics—Can you believe it?) Many books I once loved now seem thin or wordy or contrived.

Mood -- There are books I was in the mood for on a particular day. I might have owned the book for ages, but then the time to read it came along. THE BOY WHO COULD MAKE HIMSELF DISAPPEAR was one such book. Loved it; probably would never read it again.

Education level -- Without being snobbish, it must be said that education changes a person’s view of what’s worth reading. I recently enjoyed a book on brain research, but I couldn’t help but notice that the doctor who wrote it needed a ghost writer! I’m now enjoying Louis Bayard’s THE PALE BLUE EYE, because he cleverly inserts little Poe things that delight me but might slip past someone who hasn’t spent a lot of time with Eddie.

Outlook on life -- Friends tell me this or that author is brilliant, so I try their work. If it hasn’t got my slant on life, i.e., that good guys win, even in some small way; that life is serious but not to be taken seriously; and that there are good people in the world, I probably won’t enjoy it. I know there’s an audience for noir. It just isn’t me.

There. Some of why we can’t always agree on a favorite book. Reading is so darned personal that we react in ways we often don’t even recognize. That’s why, if you don’t like my books, it doesn’t mean you’re a bad person (even if I’m tempted to think so.)

Thanks so much for being our guest today, Peg, and for a very interesting post. Taste is very subjective. We often forget that. -- AP

BEAUTY WITH NICOLE-- DIY BEAUTY RECIPES

Beauty editor Nicole Emmerling has some DIY beauty tips for us today, and just wait till you hear what the main ingredient is! -- AP

Anastasia, last week you offered a tip for adding coffee to chocolate dessert recipes. That got me thinking about some beauty uses I’ve come across for coffee grounds.

You can make a great body scrub by mixing 1-1/2 cups leftover coffee grounds with enough olive oil so that mixture isn’t dry and crumbly, about 1/4 cup. While in the shower, rub the coffee grounds over your body, then rinse. You’ll exfoliate and soften your skin at the same time! Add a couple of drops of essential oils for an added bit of aroma therapy.

Got cellulite? Vigorously rub coffee grounds on those spots when you shower. Supposedly, the stimulant in the coffee breaks down fat deposits in those areas. I don’t know if this is fact or fiction, but it’s worth a try for those of you with cellulite.

Want a new twist on an herbal body wrap? Rub fresh unbrewed coffee grounds over your body, then wrap your body in plastic wrap (not your face!.) Put on a heavy robe or sweat suit. Sit in a warm place like a steamy bathroom for an hour. Some people claim you can actually lose up to 10 inches all over your body by doing this. I'm rather skeptical about this one as I don't see how the coffee grounds will stay on your skin as you try to wrap yourself, not to mention how you'd lose inches, but if any of you are daring enough to give it a try, let us know if it works. Maybe you lose inches by sweating off water weight, but you'd probably just put it all back on, and wouldn't you sweat just as much without the coffee grounds?

Finally, for those of you still foolish enough to bake in the sun to acquire a tan, here's a tip for replenishing that tan as it begins to fade. Rub coffee grounds on your body and leave for 30 minutes. Or sponge room temperature brewed coffee on your skin. Don’t rinse for 20-30 minutes. Maybe this one will also work to darken untanned skin, saving you from all those harmful rays. Again, if you're daring enough to try it, let us know how it works.

Hmm…losing 10” in an hour with coffee? I wonder if it does work. What about the rest of you? Anyone else think they’ll try any of these DIY ideas? Let’s hear from you. -- AP

EAT WHAT YOU WANT DAY

Do you know what today is? Health editor Janice Kerr does. Keep reading. You’ll be glad you did. -- AP

It seems like there’s a holiday for everything lately. Today is no exception. It’s Eat What You Want Day, a day to reward yourself for being so diligent in your healthful eating habits and exercise routines. This holiday was created by Thomas and Ruth Roy. They sell herbs and e-cards and come up with quirky holidays like Eat What You Want Day. As quirky holidays go, this one is pretty cool and so much more appetizing than some of the other holidays they’ve established, like Return of the Slugs Day, which falls later in the month.

So go ahead. Take the day off. Splurge! But remember, it’s one day and one day only. Going off the health wagon one day of the year isn’t going to make a difference in the greater scheme of things, as long as you don’t have food allergies or any other medical reasons to stay away from certain foods.

Tomorrow it’s back to getting in shape for those bathing suit days that are fast approaching. Just remember, it’s Eat What You Want Day, not Pig Out Day. Watch those portions. Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow it’s back to salads and the treadmill.

So readers, what will you treat yourself to today? -- AP

COOKING WITH CLORIS--GUILT-FREE LASAGNA

Who doesn’t love lasagna? But don’t you feel guilty afterwards? All those calories! All that fat! Well, food editor Cloris McWerther has come to the rescue of lasagna lovers everywhere with her Guilt-Free Lasagna recipe. She uses chicken sausage, zucchini, fat-free ricotta, and part-skim mozzarella. All the taste, none of the guilt! Manga! -- AP

GUILT-FREE LASAGNA

Ingredients

12 oz. package spinach/cheese chicken sausage, chopped

3/4 cup of chopped onions

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

2 cups diced zucchini

2 tablespoons olive oil

25 oz. jar 3 cheese pasta sauce

1 tablespoon Italian seasoning

3 cups of fat-free ricotta cheese.

1/2 teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg

1 egg

2-1/2 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1-1/4 cups grated Parmesan cheese

12 whole wheat lasagna noodles

Soak lasagna noodles in hot tap water for 15 minutes. While noodles are soaking, brown sausage, onions, garlic, zucchini, and Italian seasoning in olive oil.

Whisk egg in mixing bowl. Blend in ricotta cheese and nutmeg.

Spread 1/2 cup of pasta sauce on the bottom of a 9” x 13” lasagna pan. Add remaining sauce to the sausage mixture.

Remove the lasagna noodles from water. Shake off excess water from noodles. Lay 6 noodles in pan over sauce layer. Spread half the ricotta cheese mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella cheese over the ricotta layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the mozzarella layer. Spread half the meat sauce over the cheese layer. Add remaining layer of noodles. Spread the remaining ricotta mixture over the noodles. Spread 1 cup of the mozzarella, then 1/2 cup of the Parmesan cheese over the ricotta. Spread the last layer of meat sauce on the cheeses. Sprinkle the remaining mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses on top.

Cover the pan with foil. Bake in preheated oven at 350 for 25 minutes. Remove foil and continue baking uncovered for another 25 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool for approximately 15 minutes before serving.

Who’s running right out to the supermarket to pick up the ingredients to make this tonight? -- AP

CRAFTS WITH ANASTASIA-- YO-YO SPRING TOPIARY

YO-YO SPRING TOPIARY
Celebrate spring with this easy-to-make yo-yo topiary.
Supplies:

cardboard

compass

scissors

1/4 yd. print fabric

fabric pen

quilting thread

sewing needle

five pink 5/8” buttons
3” diameter wooden embroidery hoop

8” length 3/16” diameter dowel
floral tape
2 green silk leaves
2” x 2” x 3” piece floral foam
3” x 4” clay pot
small amount green excelsior
glue gun and glue sticks

Using the compass, draw a 5” diameter circle on the cardboard. Cut out the circle.

Using the cardboard circle as a template, draw five circles on the wrong side of the fabric. Cut out the circles.

With the wrong side of the fabric facing up, fold the edge over 1/4". Using a running stitch, sew around the entire circle close to the fold line. Pull the thread tightly so the fabric cinches up to form a yo-yo. Flatten and shape the yo-yo. Run the needle through the center back. Now stitch a button over the center of each hole.

Hot glue one end of the dowel into the screw opening of the embroidery hoop (see diagram.) Allow to dry.

Wrap floral tape around dowel, securing silk leaves as you wind tape. Don’t worry that top of dowel where glued into hoop isn’t covered.

Glue one yo-yo to the bottom of the hoop, covering screw. Glue the remaining yo-yo’s around the hoop as shown in the photo with the yo-yo’s overlapping each other slightly.

Glue the floral foam into the pot so that it fits snugly and foam isn’t visible over the top edge. If necessary, trim foam to fit.

Glue dowel into center of floral foam. Glue excelsior over floral foam.