Well. We are back from our lovely vacation in Prince George and I figured I had better get back on board the healthy eating train. After making so many veggie pizza crusts -- you know, like our Carrot Crust Pizza, Spinach Crust Pizza, and so many, many more -- I decided to see if I could make a crust out of fruit. This time I wanted to make a dessert crust and figured apples and/or pears would be my best bet. These turned out really well. I made one with apples and one with pears and they were both equally good. In fact, I couldn't really tell one from the other. According to Myfitnesspal the nutritional breakdown is: For half of one pizza -- 381 calories, 41 carbs, 11 fat, and 12 protein. (That is for crust AND toppings.) For half of JUST crust -- 211 calories, 31 carbs, 2 fat, and 10 protein. And I mean, really, who eats HALF of a dessert pizza? Well, except me... The calories for 1/8 slice WITH TOPPINGS would be 95 calories. Now you can make 8 people your new best friends. Apple (or Pear) Crust Pizza Ingredients Crust 2 large apples peeled (or pears), firm 1 egg 1/2 cup light cheddar cheese, shredded 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/8 tsp ginger Topping 3 Tbsp light cream cheese spread 2 Tbsp pecans, toasted & diced fine 1 Tbsp caramel sauce Directions Preheat oven to 400. Line a pizza pan or cookie sheet with parchment paper. Set aside. Shred apples (or pears) by pulsing in a food processor (or use a cheese grater). Press as much liquid out of the shredded apples (or pears) by using a cheesecloth or something similar (ie: clean piece of material). You should end up with a heaping 1 cup of shredded apple once the liquid is pressed out. Put the shredded apple (or pear) back in the food processor and lightly pulse in the egg, cheese, cinnamon, and ginger until well mixed. Spread mixture onto prepared pan into about a 10 inch circle. Bake at 400 for about 15 minutes, until crust appears dry and a little browned. You can either top with toppings at this stage OR you can flip the crust over onto another piece of parchment paper and bake in the oven another 5 - 8 minutes to crisp up a bit. In the photo below I flipped it over onto a pan NOT lined with parchment paper. It came off but did stick a bit. It would be a better idea to use another piece of parchment paper if you intend to flip it and cook it longer. Use the parchment paper to slide the crust onto a wire rack to cool. Top with the cream cheese spread, nuts, and caramel sauce. You can also use chocolate chips as topping but that will affect the nutritional count. The one with nuts (top) is apple, and the one with chocolate chips (bottom) is pear. They look identical and they taste pretty much identical too. You can pick this up in your hands but it is a little floppy. Think of it as a thick tortilla. I covered the leftovers and had them in the fridge overnight and they were even tastier the next day. NOTE -- I used cheddar cheese because I love the cheddar + apple combo, but feel free to mix it up with some mozza or your favorite cheese - just nothing too strongly flavored to overwhelm the apple! This is not a very sweet crust because there is no added sugar. The cream cheese and nuts and caramel topping make up for the lack of sweetness. The chocolate chips are very exciting on top. I think what I will do next time is make the crust and then cook down another apple with a little brown sugar and cinnamon and put the cooked apple on top as the topping. What do you think? Move over veggie crust pizzas, fruit crust pizzas have arrived! Be sure to visit The Velvet Moon Baker and Chef In Training and Blissful And Domestic and Carole's Chatter for some fantastic links!

These cream puffs are really easier to make than they look. Just follow these easy steps and you WILL get amazing cream puffs.

Unfurl Photography || The Art of Noticing Scottish Elopement Photographer, Glencoe Elopement, Highlands Scotland Wedding, Elopement, Scotland Elopement

This recipe is a classic that produces sweet, chewy candied pineapple that is perfect for using in baking recipes or for eating on its own.

This is my mom's recipe and she actually made those doughnuts on the pictures. So, she is the star of this post. Simple but amazingl...

Oktoberfest has somewhat strayed from its roots. The first festival in 1810 was thrown to celebrate the marriage of German Crown Prince Ludwig, who later became King, and Princess Therese of Saxony-Hildburghausen, but it's become a decadent celebration of fall flavours and fine beers for Germans and other citizens worldwide. The 16-day festival is held annually in Munich, beginning the third weekend in September and continuing through the first Sunday in October. A celebration of German culture, Oktoberfest is an intoxicating extravaganza of beer, bratwurst and Oompah bands with many embracing the spirit of the festival, donning traditional deerskin lederhosen or embroidered dirndls. Hacker-Pschorr Biergarten, just one of the 35 giant beer tents stretching over 26 hectares in central Munich First things first, though: beer. Strong concoctions were brewed for fair Ludwig and Therese back in the day, and this continued every year following for their anniversary. The tradition stuck. To decide which Oktoberfest brews pair best with menus, here's a simple rule of thumb: lighter Wiesen-style Oktoberfest beers with the first course; more traditional, malty Oktoberfest beers with the second; and Pumpkin ales with dessert. Bratwurst with braised sauerkraut and German-style fried potatoes Depending on how much time you want to take away from the more liquid-focused portion of your Oktoberfest celebration, you might want to enjoy some traditional German dishes such as Hendl (chicken), Schweinebraten (roast pork), Schweinshaxe (grilled ham hock), Steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), Würstl (sausages) along with Brezeln (Pretzel), Knödel (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Rotkohl/Blaukraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a spiced cheese-butter spread) and of course, every Wurst (sausage) this side of Munich. Prost! Potato & Sauerkraut Kartoffelpuffer Makes about 30 3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and shredded 1-1/2 cups shredded peeled apples 1-1/2 cups sauerkraut, rinsed and well drained 6 eggs, lightly beaten 6 tbsp all-purpose flour 2 tsp salt 1-1/2 tsp pepper 3/4 cup canola or peanut oil Sour cream, cured salmon & chopped green onions, for garnish In a large bowl, combine the potatoes, apples, sauerkraut and eggs and mix well. Add the flour, salt and pepper, and stir into potato mixture. Meanwhile heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Drop the batter by 1/4 cupfuls into the oil, pressing lightly to flatten. Fry in batches until the latkes are golden brown on both sides, using remaining oil as needed. Drain briefly on paper towels. Serve on a warm platter as an appetizer garnished with sour cream, cured salmon and green onions. Jaegerschnitzel Serves 4 4 boneless pork chops 1/2 pound bacon, chopped 2 cups cremini mushrooms, quartered 2 tbsp olive oil, plus more if necessary 1/2 cup flour, for dredging 2 large eggs, lightly beaten 1 cup bread crumbs 4 tbsp Butter 4 tbsp Flour 3 cups beef broth Salt and Pepper To prepare the pork, cut each pork chop in half through the middle to create two thinner pieces out of each chop. Place each pork chop in a ziploc bag, and with a mallet, pound to flatten to about 1/4-inch thick. Season each piece with a bit of salt. Then dredge the pork in the flour, dip in the lightly beaten eggs, and coat in the bread crumbs. Set the breaded chops aside. In a large pan, over medium heat, cook the bacon until it just begins to get crispy, about 5-7 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to remove the bacon, leaving the rendered fat in the pan. Set the bacon aside. Add the mushrooms to the bacon fat remaining in the pan and cook for 5-7 minutes over medium heat until the mushrooms are tender and lightly browned. Use a slotted spoon to remove the mushrooms and set aside. Add 1-2 tablespoons of olive oil to the bacon fat remaining in the pan, so that you have a very thin, even layer of bacon fat and oil. Add the breaded pork cutlets and cook for 2-3 minutes on each side, over medium heat, until they become lightly browned and cooked through. Cook in batches, adding more oil between each batch, if necessary. Set the cooked pork aside. If the pan has any burned bits on the bottom, clean the pan before proceeding or use a new pan for the following steps. Add butter and flour to the pan over medium heat. Whisk to combine. Cook for a minute or two. Then, gradually begin whisking in the beef stock. Bring to a simmer. Simmer for about 5 minutes, whisking frequently. The sauce will thicken. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Add the cooked pork cutlets, mushrooms, bacon, and any juices to the sauce. Gently move the pan to coat the pork in the sauce. Cook for a minute or two to reheat all components. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Serve with warm butter-sautéed spaetzle or German-style fried potatoes. Spaetzle Serves 4-6 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 tsp salt 1/2 tsp ground pepper 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg 2 large eggs 1/4 cup milk 3 tbsp unsalted butter 2 tbsp minced fresh thyme or chives In a large bowl, combine the flour, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. In another mixing bowl, whisk the eggs and milk together. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the egg-milk mixture. Gradually draw in the flour from the sides and combine well; the dough should be smooth and thick. Let the dough rest for 10 to 15 minutes. Bring 3 quarts of salted water to a boil in a large pot, then reduce to a simmer. To form the spaetzle, hold a large holed colander or slotted spoon over the simmering water and push the dough through the holes with a spatula or spoon. Do this in batches so you don't overcrowd the pot. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until the spaetzle floats to the surface, stirring gently to prevent sticking. Dump the spaetzle into a colander and give it a quick rinse with cool water. Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat and add the spaetzle; tossing to coat. Cook the spaetzle for 1 to 2 minutes to give the noodles some color, and then sprinkle with the chopped chives and season with salt and pepper before serving. German-Style Fried Potatoes - Bratkartoffeln Serves 4 1 1/2 lb small potatoes, boiled in their skins, peel, then place the potatoes in the fridge overnight) 1 medium onion, finely chopped 4 thin slices of bacon or speck, cut into small cubes 2-3 tbsps of olive oil & butter (50/50) Salt and black pepper to season Slice the cold potatoes into thin 1/8" slices, then set aside. Add about 1 tbsp of the oil to a large frying pan and heat gently. Fry the onions till soft then add the bacon pieces. Continue frying till the bacon and onions are lightly browned then remove from the pan with a slotted spoon. Set aside for now. Add the remaining oil and butter to the pan and fry the potato slices over a low/medium heat, turning them occassionally. Allow them to brown lightly on one side before turning, repeating the process till most of the potatoes are golden brown. Once the potatoes are almost done, return the onion and bacon mix to the pan, season with salt and plenty of black pepper, then continue frying over a medium heat till everything is nicely browned. German Chocolate Brownies Serves 10-12 4 oz unsweetened chocolate, coarsely chopped 3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes 1 cup granulated sugar 3 large eggs 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/4 tsp salt 1 cup all-purpose flour Topping: 1/2 cup evaporated milk 1/2 cup granulated sugar 1 egg yolk, beaten 4 tbsp unsalted butter 1 tsp vanilla extract 1/2 cup chopped pecans, toasted and cooled 1/2 cup flaked coconut, toasted Preheat oven to 350°F. In a medium saucepan, cook the chocolate and butter over low heat until the chocolate has melted, about 6-8 minutes. Let cool about 10 minutes, then whisk in the sugar, eggs, vanilla and salt. Gradually add in flour, and stir until just combined. Line an 8 or 9-inch square baking pan with parchment paper, or line with foil and spray with nonstick spray. Pour in the batter into the prepared pan, smoothing as needed with a spatula. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Once done, set on a wire cooling rack. For the Topping: In a large saucepan combine evaporated milk, sugar, egg yolk and butter and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla, pecans, and coconut. Spread the topping over the brownies while still warm. To serve, gently remove the brownies from the pan and cut as desired.

My interest in the behaviour and movements of birds of arid and semi-arid ecosystems began when my wife, Sue Milton, and I were Roy Siegfried, Director, at that time, of the Percy approached by Prof. FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, to set up a project to investigate granivory in the South African Karoo. Sue and I spent some time finding a suitable study site, setting up accommodations and an automatic weather station at Tierberg, in the southern Karoo near the village of Prince Albert, and planning projects. Among our first projects was a transect where we noted plant phe- nology, measured seed densities on the soil surface, counted birds, observed ant activity, measured soil surface temperatures and col- lected whatever climate data we could at 40 sites along a 200-km oval route. Along the way, we became interested in the marked presence and absence of birds at certain sites - abundant birds one day, and very few birds at the same site a month later. Subsequent counts along fixed transects through shrublands confirmed that a number of bird species were highly nomadic over short and long distances, locally and regionally, leading to speculation on how widespread these movements were in the arid ecosystems of the world.

With my youngest son's first birthday rapidly approaching I found myself once again venturing back into the familiar realm of royal icing and beautifully decorated sugar cookies. During these baking sprees my husband cringes

For The Sheikh's Pleasure by Annie WestArik Ben Hassan is a modern prince– a progressive leader of a thriving commercial empire. Yet when he spies a gorgeous stranger trespassing on his territory, she evokes a primal response in him. Rosalie Winters has a past that has made her strong and secretive. Yet, in Arik she finds a man who, against all expectations, she can trust. A man who might even have the power to heal herThe Sheikh's Contract Bride by Teresa SouthwickSheikh Malik Hourani, Crown Prince of Bha'Khar, is a rich and powerful man dedicated to ruling his kingdom– but experience has made him wary of love. Beautiful Beth Farrah has been betrothed to the Sheikh since birth, but she is keeping a secret from him. She's not the woman– namely, the twin– the Sheikh thinks she is!In The Sheikh's Arms by Sue SwiftCami Ellison knows she's playing with fire when she agrees to go out with Sheikh Rayhan ibn–Malik. Because after one sensual kiss, Cami can no longer resist him, and quickly agrees to become his wife! Rayhan is delighted that Cami has agreed to marry him– years ago he swore he would use her as an instrument for his revenge against her father. But that was before she stole her way into his heart

A toy-boy lover and a dramatic suicide attempt - how Princess Margaret's final years were blighted by illness, tragedy and deep embarrassment

Magnificent is the only way to describe our all-pink bouquet. We’ve gathered one dozen long-stem roses with six, multi-bloomed Asiatic lilies for a gift that’s sure to leave an impression.

How we turned our bathroom walls into concrete with microcement! A beginner's guide with application tips, tricks and mistakes to avoid.

The second I stepped foot in Charleston a year ago, I was hooked. The charm of this Southern city is seriously unreal and the bevy of pink homes the cherry on top. Thus making it the absolute perfect ...

I had so much fun making the haunted portrait gallery cookies for the Let the Ghoul Times Roll black light Halloween party. Under regular light, they were sugar cookies with old painted portraits and a couple mirrors in gilded frames. But once the lights turned out and the black lights turned on...

Hope you like it!

This Cannoli Poke Cake is a simple vanilla cake soaked with sweetened condensed milk and covered with an unforgettable topping that mimics the filling of a classic cannoli! It's moist, indulgent, and 100% irresistible. A quick and easy recipe you'll come back to over and over!

Amazingly moist and full of flavor banana bread! There is a way around buying a whole quart of buttermilk for one use in this recipe. Pour a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar into a measuring cup then fill up to the half-cup mark before starting the recipe. The vinegar sours the milk, and is a great substitution for buttermilk.

Looking for the best restaurants in Bar Harbor, Maine? Discover the top places to eat, showcasing diverse cuisines and dining experiences. #barharbor #maine #foodies

Stop everything and go make this 3-ingredient easy strawberry sorbet right now!  It's clean, healthy, dairy-free, low-carb, and it’s super yummy. Plus no ice cream maker required!

Is it OK to have cookies for breakfast? If you’re talking about these Gluten Free Apple Oatmeal Breakfast Cookies, then I would say yes. They also are egg free, dairy free, and refined suga…

Here's an easier way to cut round birthday cakes. Hopefully this is helpful! #cakes #phillycakelady #cakecutting #birthdaycakes #birthdays #bakery #facebook #reelsvideo #cakedecorator 4 Every...

When you are outlining your outside room, you may consider which seats to utilize, which table will go best in that space or if that TV will work over on that one side. Adding a backyard chimney to the blend makes for a stay with quick interest and adaptability.