The Dessert to be Thankful For...

As we prepare for our Thanksgiving Day feasts, there’s always one thing besides the turkey (of course) that we look forward to dressing our tables with every year. For some of us, it’s pumpkin pie with whipped topping, or Grandma’s famous stuffing. For others, it’s the tart and tangy apple pie and vanilla ice cream, or the rich creamy comfort of green bean casserole.

In my family, there’s been one glorious dessert that’s been topping off our holiday meals since I was a kid. No one can ever seem to get enough. And when it’s gone in the blink of an eye, all of us our thankful for having tasted a little piece of heaven. I’m proud to say this mouthwatering masterpiece – with its sinfully delicious concoction of chocolate and peanut butter melded together with cream cheese and whipped topping – was passed down from my Grandma Mabel and we’ve been singing her praises for sharing the recipe ever since. My grandma is no longer with us, but her recipe lives on, making its way to a few family gatherings every year.

I’m thankful to say, I’ll be bringing the Peanut Butter Torte to Thanksgiving in a few days, or as my family affectionately calls it, Mabel’s Torte. It’s been missing at our table for the past few occasions so I know it will be a welcome treat and I’m sure the first of the desserts to be wiped clean from our plates.

It’s that good.

If you’re in charge of bringing a dessert for Thanksgiving, come with this knock-their-socks-off creation. I guarantee your family will be asking for it for years to come. Just tell them you got it from Mabel. It’s a simple recipe that you can make ahead of time and leave in the refrigerator until you’re ready to go.

Give thanks for all that you’ve been blessed with this year…..like this recipe!

Peanut Butter Torte

Crust:
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup peanut butter
¼ cup margarine
1 cup flour

Beat sugar, peanut butter and margarine until fluffy. Add flour to mixture. Pat into 9” x 13” pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 10-15 minutes. Let crust cool completely.

Topping:
8 oz. whipped topping (thawed)
8 oz. cream cheese (softened)
½ cup sugar
¼ cup peanut butter
1 tsp. vanilla
2 eggs
1 cup chocolate chips

Beat first 5 ingredients until smooth. Beat eggs separately then add to mixture. Pour mixture onto cooled crust. Melt chocolate chips. Drizzle thinly over mixture and marbleize with a knife. Refrigerate for 1-3 hours. (It also freezes well).

Happy Thanksgiving!
What's your favorite holiday recipe!

Superfoods to the Rescue!

It dawned on me the other day as I was downing a handful of dry cereal while getting the girls their breakfast that I’ve really been eating lousy lately. Since obtaining my new role as full-time, stay-at-home mom (I’ll save the details of that story for another time)—with its 24/7 diaper duty, preschool meltdown mending, sibling squabble stopping, and clingy-toddler, one-legged Olympic house cleaning—I realized that my life has become so consumed with the day-to-day tasks of my latest gig that I forget to eat healthy meals. Instead I do what most of us hurried moms do and grab the leftovers from the girls’ plates or pick grab-n-go foods as I fly out the door to get Ella to school on time. (With a 12:30pm start-time, we still manage to be almost-late most days....no kidding. It's sad.)

I’ve been neglecting my healthy eating habits and I’m not proud of it. This realization brought me back to an article I wrote once about superfoods. These powerhouses from nature, which are packed with mega doses of health-protective antioxidants, vitamins and minerals—surprise!—are actually convenient enough to fit into my most jam-packed day. Now that I’ve starting choosing a handful of blueberries over a handful of cheese nips for an afternoon snack I'm beginning to feel so much better. Superfoods like these have secret powers any Super Mom would love—to lower cholesterol, reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer, and even improve your mood!

This time of year, there are an abundance of choices out there to enjoy and experiment with in your favorite recipes. High on my list right now are beans, broccoli, pumpkin, walnuts, yogurt, and who could forget….dark chocolate. Screw diamonds. Chocolate is a girl’s best friend in my book. It makes the superfoods list because it’s loaded with antioxidants and helps to lower blood pressure. No wonder I feel so much calmer after a sweet indulgence! Experts say, the darker the better for lower sugar and fat content. Aim for 60% or higher cocoa content to reap the most benefit and less guilt.

Remember my teaser for America’s Healthiest Cookie? It’s loaded with superfood goodness, is super healthy and, SERIOUSLY super yummy (kid-tested, mother-approved). I got it from one of my favorite websites, health.com. Next time you have a sweet tooth, whip up a batch! You won’t be sorry.

Chocolate Chunk and Walnut Oatmeal Cookies
6 Tbls unsalted butter
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup whole-wheat flour
¾ tsp baking soda
1 ½ cups old-fashioned oats
½ tsp salt
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla extract
½ cup chopped walnuts
3 ounces bittersweet chocolate

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Melt butter in small saucepan over low heat. Remove from heat, add brown sugar; stir until smooth. Combine flour, baking soda, oats and salt in medium bowl. Combine butter mixture with the dry ingredients, and add egg, lightly beaten, and vanilla. Fold in walnuts and chocolate, coarsely chopped. Mix well and spoon by tablespoonfuls onto lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 12 minutes or until tops are dry to the touch. Makes about 32 cookies.

Want More Recipes?
Check out other mouth-watering, superfood-infused recipes like the oatmeal pancakes with wild blueberry sauce. Not only will you be pleasantly satisfied, you’ll be helping improve your health in a single bound. Eat to your health’s content!