In this video, Betty demonstrates how to make a perfect (and healthy) Fourth of July dessert–her Strawberry-Blueberry Parfait! It is colorful (red, white, and blue), dramatic, and delicious! And super easy to make!!!

Ingredients:

2 cups fresh strawberries, washed, dried (with paper towel), and quartered
2 cups fresh blueberries, washed and dried
2 tablespoons Splenda (or sugar or other artificial sweetener)
1 carton strawberry glaze (I used sugar-free.)
8 oz. carton frozen whipped topping, thawed (I used fat-free.)

Instructions:

Add 1 tablespoon of Splenda to 2 cups strawberries and stir. Also add 1 tablespoon of Splenda to 2 cups of blueberries and stir. For a pretty parfait, you will need an appropriate clear glass. I used a sundae glass.

In the bottom, place a small amount of whipped topping. Next, put a few small strawberry slices, followed by strawberry glaze. Then, put a few blueberries on top of the glaze. When you put these layers in the glass, make sure that each layer can be seen all around the glass. Repeat this layering, up to the last layer.

For the last layer, place a generous amount of whipped topping, and then top it off with strawberry slices and blueberries (no glaze, because it would kill the effect of the whipped topping at the top). Done! It’s that easy! It is perfect for the 4th of July, but is very elegant for a fancy summer party!! Happy 4th!!!

Always Enjoy!

These Garlic Shrimp Triscuit Appetizers will be fabulous for your New Year’s Eve party!  They’re not only attractive… they’re also pretty delicious.  Try them… you won’t be disappointed!

Ingredients

2 eggs

1/2 cup water

24 Triscuit Roasted Garlic crackers

2 oz Philadelphia Neufchatel cheese (softened)

1/4 tsp lemon zest (if you don’t have a zester… use a grater)

2 tsp lemon juice

2 tsp fat free milk (regular milk is fine)

24 deveined and rinsed shrimp (about a pound)

2 cloves minced garlic

2 tsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Preheat oven to 350-degrees.

Spray a 24 cup mini muffin tin with cooking spray and set aside (even if the tin is non stick).

Place eggs and water in a flat pie dish and beat well.

Add 12 crackers to the egg mixture and allow them to stand for 4 minutes bbefore removing.  Repeat with the remaining 12 crackers.

Press each soaked cracker on the bottom and up the sides of your prepared mini muffin tin.

Bake the crackers for 8 to 10 minutes until they’re lightly browned.

Carefully remove the Triscuit cups from the pan with a mini spatula or a butter knife and place them on a baking sheet that has also been spraying with cooking spray.

Return the cracker cups to the oven and bake again for 30 to 35 minutes until they’re totally crisp.

Mix together the cheese, zest, juice, and milk in a bowl and set aside.

Clean, devein, and rinse shrimp.  Pat dry.

Spray a non stick skillet with cooking spray and add the garlic and shrimp.  Cook on medium heat for about 3 to 4 minutes until shrimp are beginning to turn pink. Remove from pan.

Place Neufchatel cheese mixture into thoroughly cooled cracker cups.  Top each cup with a shrimp.

Garnish with chopped fresh parsley.

Always Enjoy!

I just love parties. Especially Holiday Cocktail Parties. I love the food, the music, the crowd, the crowd pleasers, the gossip, the silly games, the even sillier dancers, and the pretty little cocktails. I bet that you didn’t know that Your Smiling Chef is also a dancer. I didn’t know either until I had eight of those pretty little cocktails. Boy oh boy, can I dance! You should see me go. I can twist and turn and even flip over on my head and do a reverse quarter split on my way back up again. You’ve never seen anything like it!

Okay, enough about my extraordinary dancing talent.

(more…)