However, for the adults, a sweet treat can be the perfect way to complete a candlelit dinner.  Whether you choose to make a gourmet dinner or order pizza, this dessert will be a beautiful final course.  Easy to make but also beautiful, this charming recipe is courtesy of Think Tasty.

Wine Poached Pears with Honeyed Mascarpone

3 pears, peeled

2 cups Cabernet Sauvignon*

1/2 cup water

1/2 cup sugar

4 oz. mascarpone

2 Tb. honey

Cut pears in half lengthwise, remove stem and core.  Combine wine, water, and sugar in a medium-sized pot, and bring to a boil over high heat.  When sugar has dissolved and mixture is boiling, add pears.  (If pears are not fully covered by liquids, more water can be added).  Reduce to simmering, and allow to cook for 15 minutes, or until pears can be pierced by a fork but still are firm.

While pears are simmering, combine mascarpone and honey in a small bowl.  Remove pears from poaching liquid, and place cut side up on a serving plate.  Place a generous scoop of mascarpone mixture in the scooped out section of the pear’s core.  Serve immediately, as the mascarpone will start to melt.

*Any red wine varietal can be used.  If using a white wine, the sugar can be reduced to 1/4 cup.

I know snowstorms mean shoveling and scraping, but they also mean fun for kids.  What snowstorm is complete without the building of a snowman on the front lawn?  And what snowman is complete without a carrot nose?

When the snowman is built, all of the snowballs have been thrown, and the walkways are cleared, it is time to return indoors for some dry clothes and warmth.  I can’t think of any better way to add warmth than with a pot of homemade soup.  Since you have carrots on hand from the snowman building, why not make a soup with them?

This soup, which is courtesy of Think Tasty (a food and restaurant publication), is a delight.  Its orange color and hint of sweetness are cheery additions to your dinner table.  Although it is creamy, it is healthy, as it is made with skim milk instead of cream.  Served with biscuits or dinner rolls, it is sure to please.

Creamy (Yet Lowfat) Carrot Soup

3 cups carrots, peeled & diced
1/2 Tb. butter
1 onion, diced
1 Tb. fresh thyme, diced
2-1/2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup skim milk
salt & pepper
Sour cream*
Maple syrup*

Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add carrots, and boil for 8-10 minutes, or until they are fork tender. Drain, and set carrots aside. Return pot to medium heat, and add butter. Once butter is melted, add onions and sauté until translucent, about 5 minutes. Add thyme, and sauté for 1 minute longer. Remove pot from heat. Place half of carrots and half of onion mixture in a blender with half of the broth. Pureé until creamy. Repeat with other half of carrots, onions, and broth. Return all pureéd ingredients to pot and warm over medium heat. Add milk, and stir well. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Makes 6 side dish servings or 2-3 main dish servings.

*When serving, each dish can be topped with sour cream or maple syrup for additional flavor.

Fortunately, my mom was aware of my sweet tooth and started making carrot bread and zucchini bread as a snack. The great thing about zucchini bread is it tastes nothing like zucchini – it’s sweet, moist, and utterly delicious.

Zucchini bread actually became a favorite Christmas morning tradition. My mom would make the bread the night before, so when we woke up in the morning, we would have zucchini bread while opening our gifts.

After years of futile searching for my mom’s bread recipes, I finally turned to the Internet for help. After performing a Google search, I landed on a recipe titled “Mom’s Zucchini Bread” at allreceipes.com. The ingredients list looked similar (from what I could remember), so I decided to give it a try.

The author of this recipe wasn’t kidding when she titled it “Mom’s Zucchini Bread.” This tastes exactly like my mom’s recipe!

What You’ll Need:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 eggs
• 1 cup vegetable oil
• 2 1/4 cups white sugar
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups grated zucchini
• ½ – 1 cup chopped walnuts

How to Make It:
1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Grease and flour two 8 x 4 inch pans.
3. Sift flour, salt, baking powder, soda, and cinnamon together in a bowl.
4. Beat eggs, oil, vanilla, and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until it reaches a creamy consistency.
5. Slowly add the flour mixture ingredients to the creamed mixture with a spoon, stirring well. The mixture will be really thick.
6. Stir in the zucchini. The moisture from the zucchini will help liquefy the mixture.
7. Add the nuts until well combined.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
9. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
10. Cool in pan on wire rack for 20 minutes.
11. Remove bread from pan.
12. Serve warm with a little butter on top.

Enjoy!

So, this year, I decided to try something a little different – I searched allrecipes.com for a recipe that combined all of my favorites into one recipe. I couldn’t find exactly what I was looking for, so I experimented a bit in the kitchen, and this is what I came up with. I hope you enjoy it!

What You’ll Need:
*6 ½ cups prepared bread for stuffing. Use a combination of cornbread, white, and wheat
*1 cup yellow onion, chopped
*1 lb ground pork sausage
*3/4 cup celery, chopped
*3 teaspoons fresh rosemary
*5 teaspoons fresh sage
*1 teaspoon fresh thyme
*1 Golden Delicious apple, cored and chopped
*3/4 cup Craisins
*1/3 cup fresh parsley, minced
*1 ½ cups turkey stock
*4 tablespoons butter, melted

How to Make It:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Spray a 9×13 glass casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray.
3. Place prepared bread in a large bowl.
4. In a large skillet, cook the onion and sausage over medium heat. Be sure to stir frequently and crumble the sausage as it cooks. Cook until sausage is evenly browned.
5. Add the chopped celery, rosemary, sage, and thyme. Cook, stirring constantly, for two minutes to ensure all of the flavors are well blended.
6. Pour mixture over the bread in the bowl.
7. Add in the chopped apple, Craisins, and parsley.
8. Gently fold in turkey stock and melted butter. Mix lightly.
9. Spoon mixture into prepared casserole dish. Cover with foil and back for 40 minutes. (Check on stuffing in 30 minutes to ensure it hasn’t dried out. If it has, add a little more turkey stock).
10. After 40 minutes, uncover, and bake stuffing an additional 10 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Since Columbus was Italian, why not celebrate Columbus Day this year with a tasty Italian dish like Eggplant Parmesan?

When selecting an eggplant for this dish, choose one that is approximately 9-10 inches long and 5-6 inches across. If the eggplant is too small, it will have a lot of seeds; if it’s too large, it will be bitter.

What You’ll Need:
*5 Tbsp all-purpose flour
*1/4 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
*1 tsp Italian seasoning
*1/4 tsp garlic powder
*1 Tablespoon parmesan cheese
*2 large eggs, lightly beaten
*1 1/4 cup(s) dried bread crumbs, Italian-style
*Olive Oil
*2 cups (shredded) part-skim mozzarella cheese, shredded
*3 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese
*1 medium raw eggplant, sliced
*14 oz pasta sauce

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a glass casserole dish with the nonstick spray.

How to Make It:
• Combine the flour, black pepper, Italian seasoning, garlic powder, and parmesan cheese in a wide, shallow bowl, or in pie plate.
• Beat the eggs in another wide, shallow bowl.
• Put the bread crumbs in a third bowl.
• Working one slice at a time, coat the eggplant with the flour mixture. Next, dip the eggplant into the egg and coat. Finally, dredge the eggplant in the bread crumbs. Put on a plate. Repeat these steps with the remaining eggplant slices.
• Pour half inch of olive oil into a large pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, place coated eggplant into oil, and fry until it is golden brown on both sides. Drain eggplant slices on paper towels.
• Place drained eggplant slices in a single layer into the prepared casserole dish. Add 1/3 of tomato sauce and 1/3 of mozzarella cheese on top of the eggplant. Repeat with 2 more layers of eggplant.
• Add the rest of parmesan cheese, and bake until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling, about 10 minutes.
• Slice and serve with Angel hair pasta topped with marinara sauce.

Yield: 4-6 servings

Rosh Hashanah

To celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Jewish people eat foods that symbolize all of the good things they hope come to pass in the New Year. Traditionally, the ingredients, apples and honey, represent the promise of a sweet new year. Even if you’re not Jewish, you can celebrate the religion’s New Year with this delicious apple cake that’s sure to be a hit with your family and friends.

What You’ll Need:
*3 cups flour
*1 tablespoon baking powder
*1 teaspoon salt
*2 cups granulated sugar
*1 cup vegetable oil
*4 eggs
*1 ½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
*1/4 cup fresh orange juice
*3-4 apples, sliced
*1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
*3/4 cup granulated sugar

How To Make It:
1. Combine 1 teaspoon cinnamon and ¾ granulated sugar in a small bowl. Set aside.

2. Place the flour, baking soda, salt, 2 cups granulated sugar, vegetable oil, eggs, vanilla extract, and orange juice in a large mixing bowl. Beat until mixture has a smooth consistency.

3. Pour half of the batter into a greased tube pan that has a removable bottom.

4. Sprinkle cake batter with 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture

5. Arrange half the apples on top of the mixture and sprinkle with 1/3 of the cinnamon sugar mixture

6. Arrange the remaining apples on top of the mixture and sprinkle with the last of the cinnamon sugar mixture

7. Bake at 300 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 1.5 hours, or until done.

8. Check for doneness by interesting a knife into the cake; if the knife comes out clean, the cake is done. Cook until knife comes out clean.

Recipe courtesy of Paula Levine Weinstein and Julie Komerofsky Remer at About.com

What You’ll Need:
• 2 pounds Butternut squash, peeled and cubed
• 1 large Vidalia onion, diced
• 12 oz chicken broth (or vegetable broth if you’re looking for a vegetarian dish)
• 12 oz evaporated milk
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon black pepper

How to Make It:
1. Place the squash, onion, and chicken broth into a large, heavy pot.

2. Bring the mixture to a boil.

3. Reduce heat and simmer until the squash is cooked. This should take approximately 15 minutes, but check for doneness at 13 minutes.

4. Once the squash is cooked, slowly add the evaporated milk to the mixture.

5. Mash with potato masher. Once the majority of the squash has been mashed, use a hand mixer to get a smooth, silky texture. If the mixture is too thick, you can add a little bit of nonfat milk until the soup reaches the desired consistency. Be careful not to make it too runny.

6. Add all of the spices.

7. Heat soup thoroughly before serving.

8. Optional: Serve with freshly baked, warm French bread and butter.

Yield: 6 servings

Because this dish is comprised of basic ingredients, it’s important to select fresh, top quality produce and cheese to ensure it’s truly sensational. While I prefer to serve bruschetta immediately after making it, you can make it ahead of time, and store it in the refrigerator 1-2 hours prior to serving.

What You’ll Need:

* 5 – 6 vine ripened tomatoes
* 8 oz part-skim mozzarella cheese, chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, minced (I use fresh, jarred garlic)
* 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
* 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
* 8 fresh basil leaves, chopped.   *1/4 cup top quality extra virgin olive oil
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste    *1 loaf French baguette bread

How to Make It:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F

2. Prepare the tomatoes first by parboiling them in order to remove the skin. Basically, you will need to heat a pot of water to boiling. Once the water reaches a boil, remove it from heat and parboil the tomatoes for 1 minute. Drain the tomatoes and peel with a sharp knife.

3. After the tomatoes have been peeled, cut them in half and remove the seeds and juice. Finely chop the tomatoes.

4. Place tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, garlic, chopped basil, 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil and vinegar in large bowl. Mix together. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.

5. Slice the French baguette into ½ inch thick slices.

6. Brush one side of each baguette slice with olive oil.

7. Place oiled baguettes on a cookie sheet with the olive oil side up. Toast 5-6 minutes, until the bread turns golden brown.

To Serve:

You can serve bruschetta a couple of different ways:

1. Transfer the tomato mixture to a serving bowl in the center of a large platter. Arrange the bread, olive oil side up, around the mixture.

2. Spoon brushetta on top each slice of bread and arrange on a service platter. Serve immediately or the bread may become soggy.

Yield:
Serves 8-10 people

Unlike regular German Potato Salad that it gets its scrumptious flavor from bacon fat, this low calorie version uses Canadian bacon to deliver that salty, smoky flavor. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

What You’ll Need:
* 1 ½ pounds (about 14 small potatoes) uncooked red potatoes, unpeeled
* 3 oz Canadian-style bacon, finely chopped
* 1 Tablespoon olive oil
* 1 medium Vidalia onion
* 2 teaspoons cornstarch
* 1 Tablespoon sugar
* 1 teaspoon table salt
* ½ teaspoon celery seed
* ½ teaspoon dry mustard
* ¼ teaspoon black pepper
* 2/3 cups water
* ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
* 1 large hard-boiled egg, chopped
* 2 Tablespoons parsley, fresh, chopped

How to Make It:
1. Place potatoes in a large saucepan. Add enough water to the pot to cover potatoes.

2. Bring water to a boil then reduce heat, cover, and simmer until tender, about 15 minutes.

3. Drain potatoes, and allow to cool. Cut potatoes into ¼ inch thick slices, and set aside.

4. While the potatoes are cooling, cook the Canadian bacon in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until slightly browned on both sides, about 5 minutes. Remove from skillet, and set aside.

5. Add oil to same skillet used for the Canadian bacon. Heat over medium heat until oil begins to sizzle. Add the chopped onion and cook, stirring frequently, until the onion is tender.

6. Stir in the cornstarch, sugar, salt, celery seed, dry mustard, and black pepper. Cook for approximately 1 minute.

7. Add the water and vinegar. Stirring frequently, cook until mixture is thick and bubbly.

8. Add potatoes and bacon. Toss to coat.

9. Cook all ingredients, stirring gently, until mixture is heated, about 1-2 minutes.

10. Transfer to a large serving bowl, and garnish with parsley and egg.

Yield: Eight ½ cup servings.

Original recipe courtesy of Weight Watchers

What You’ll Need:
*8 oz uncooked tri-color Fusilli pasta
*1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
*2 tsp olive oil
*1/2 tsp dried oregano
*1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
*1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
*1/2 cup light mozzarella cheese, diced
*1/8 tsp salt
*1/8 tsp black pepper

How to Make It:
1. Cook pasta according to package directions; drain and transfer to a large bowl.
2. Add vinegar, olive oil, and oregano. Toss to coat.
3. Fold in tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella
4. Season pasta salad to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Chill in refrigerator for 1 or more hours.

Yield: 8 servings