Home made Goldfish Crackers

2 3/4 cups whole wheat pastry flour
2 tablespoons nutritional yeast flakes (this is where the cheesey flavor comes from; it's loaded with B-12, and other good nutrients)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup canola oil, chilled in the freezer for at least 30 minutes
1/2 cup ice water
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
Orange food coloring, as desired
Olive oil cooking spray
Fine sea salt, to taste

Preheat the oven to 375. Line baking sheets with parchment paper and spray with nonstick spray. Combine the flour, nutritional yeast, baking soda, salt, paprika, cayenne, and onion powder in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to combine. Drizzle in the cold canola oil and toss with your fingers until the oil is incorporated and the flour has formed small to medium-sized clumps. Add orange food coloring to the flour mixture, if desired.
Mix the ice water and apple cider vinegar together and drizzle it over the flour, stirring with your fingers until the dough holds together. Turn out the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Knead a few times, adding a bit more water if needed to form a cohesive dough. Use a rolling pin to roll the dough out thinly, about 1/8-inch thick. Cut out fish shapes using a small cookie cutter. If you would like to make happy fishies, use the curved tip of a spoon to give them a smile and a toothpick to give them an eye.
Place the fish on the baking sheets, spray with olive oil and sprinkle with fine sea salt. Bake for 10 minutes, or until lightly golden on the bottom. Slide the parchment paper covered with fish onto a wire rack to cool.

Blueberry Cheesecake

1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 graham cracker pie crust

1 (21-oz.) can blueberry pie filling (or other fruit filling)

In a small bowl, combine cream cheese, sugar, and eggs. Beat until fluffy. Pour mixture into graham cracker crust. Bake at 325 degrees for 25-30 minutes, until toothpick inverted comes out clean. Remove from oven. Cool. Spread blueberry filling on top. Chill 2-3 hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream, if desired.

(Source: Recipe from Tamara Asbury - Deanna Buxton, Worldwide Ward Cookbook, pg. 267)

Yogurt Fruit Leather

Yogurt (plain or if using fruited kind, use the premixed version)
Fruit or jam


Puree yogurt and fruit. Line dehydrator sheets with plastic wrap. Place up to a carton worth of mixture on each sheet. Or in 3-4 inch circles for convienience. Dehydrate at the same temperature for fruit leather. Leather is done when it is not shiny or sticky when touched lightly, about 4-5 hours. Cut into portion size pieces, and stack or roll. Keep in a container in the fridge or a cool place once done.

*Healthy alternative to taffy, but just as satisfying!
*Once dried you can use cookie cutters to punch our shapes for holidays like hearts for valentines day.
*Get creative with fruits, and amounts of fruit pureed into it. Berries have a stronger flavor and color and will "go farther". Apple and pears will not go as far flavor wise.
*Label it "peaches and cream" or "strawberries and cream" leather, it tricks older kids to think they are even more appealing! He he!

Mexican Brown Rice

2 c. dry brown rice
4 1/2 c. water
3 garlic cloves
2 jalapeno's-red (use seeds for more spice)
juice from 1 lime
2 tomatillo's
3 heads from bulb onions (can use dried onions or regular onions)
3/4 tsp salt

Mince garlic, jalapeno's, tomatillo's, onions. Combine all ingredients in a pot and cook for 45-50 min. or until rice is tender. Tastes great with black beans, avocado's, tomatoes, cheese etc, or with taco's.

*use jalapeno's according to taste. I used two with seeds tonight and it wasn't spicy. Jalapeno's differ greatly in heat from plant to plant.

Leatherby's Caramel Sauce

10 T. butter
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. white sugar
1 c. light karo syrup
1 t. salt
1 c. whipping cream

Combine butter, sugars, syrup and salt in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil and boil for 8 minutes.  Add the whipping cream and bring back to a boil for two more minutes.  (After the sauce is cooked, keep refrigerated - or warm to keep thin and runny for toppings.)