Tasty Tuesday - Peanut Sauce - includes Daniel Fast approved version

Peanut sauce is traditionally used in asian cuisine. It is used with meat dishes, like chicken skewers, with noodle dishes or even on top of vegetables. Peanut sauce uses a combination of sweet, salty, and spicy flavors to add to it's unique taste. Because this recipe uses peanut butter and coconut milk it is not really a low calorie sauce, but when it is used sparingly over vegetables it can add some life to your otherwise bland veggies and (whole wheat or tofu) noodles. I am planning to make this over some tofu shiratake noodles (I found these in the organic and vegetarian section at Meijer btw! If you decide to use these be sure to rinse them very, very well and pat them with a paper towel until they are super dry.) and some steamed broccoli.


Peanut Sauce

1/4 cup all natural peanut butter - chunky or creamy.
2 teaspoons honey, maple syrup, or brown sugar
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper or red pepper flakes
1/3 cup coconut milk - this is sometimes hard to find so you can substitute this with vanilla soymilk or just plain water.

Place all ingredients for sauce together in a small saucepan over medium to low heat. Whisk until smooth. Stir gently until sauce begins to thicken. Add water if needed to get desired consistency. Serve immediately.

I am still following the fast but not as strictly as before because I've added a few more ingredients to my diet like tofu and some canned items that have minimal oil or sugar in them. Here is an alternative version to this recipe that I will be using to stick to my fast:

(Daniel Fast Version)

1/4 cup all natural organic peanut butter or almond butter.
2 teaspoons agave nectar (I may make an acception to this and allow honey for this recipe because the agave nectar is very expensive.)
2 tablespoons all natural low sodium soy sauce
1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/3 cup all natural coconut milk, almond milk or soy milk.

Instructions same as above.

Tasty Tuesday - Easy Hummus Dip

I want to apologize for not posting the Daniel Fast update and menu yesterday. I am in the final week of college and things are pretty hectic here. I will post an update and menus for days 7 and 8 later today.

Last week we had a recipe for roasted chickpeas. I bet you didn't realize this but there are lots of uses for those strange little bean things. Here's a yummy recipe for homemade hummus that uses chickpeas. I could eat this stuff all day long. I am especially liking that I'm allowed to eat it on the fast because it is made with all natural ingredients. Hummus dip is very versatile and can be made / eaten in any number of combinations. It is great with olives, sliced veggies, especially red peppers, or you could have this with chips, crackers, pita bread etc. I've even made sandwiches out of this stuff with whole grain bread and sliced cucumbers on top. That is a very refreshing change from lunch meat! If you don't know what hummus is then you are in for a treat. This recipe is non traditional hummus because it is made without tahini. You will need a blender or food processor for this recipe.

Click here to read more about hummus and tahini.



Hummus

1 can of chick peas (garbanzo beans) drained.
1/4 cup olive oil (I use Extra Virgin Olive Oil. I prefer the stronger taste and it is more natural - not processed.)
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
1 tablespoon Ground Cumin (add more or less to taste. I always end up adding more.)

In a food processor or blender add all ingredients and blend until creamy. You may need to add a drop or two more of oil or lemon if your dip is too thick. This recipe is really not hard to mess up and you can really play around with this a lot to get it to your own personal liking.

Serve with some fresh sliced veggies and enjoy this good for you "diet" food!

Tasty Tuesday - Roasted Chickpeas

The question I know I will be asked more often than not during this "fast" will be "but what are you eating?" Well trust me, I am not living on salads 24/7. If I were this would be an almost impossible task lol. We went to the grocery store last night and I was just in awe at the number of fruits and vegetables available. It is amazing how much food God has provided for us to truly live by and it is even more amazing that we go everyday not even realizing that such wonderful foods exist. I have some pretty basic guidelines that I am going by for this fast. I am eating only natural fruits and vegetables (aka no frozen entrees with added junk and canned items cannot have added ingredients - just the fruits, vegetables and water). I am allowing 100% fruit and vegetable juices if the ingredients are just the fruit, vegetable and water. Dried fruits and vegetables are ok as long as extra sugar or oil has not been added. And I am allowing natural seasonings and spices for flavoring and olive oil for cooking and dressing but I am not allowing any sugar or honey and I am keeping salt to a minimum. I am also allowing raw nuts like almonds without any salt, seasonings or oils added.
Want to know exactly what I'm eating? Well how does all of this sound: Strawberry, banana, and blueberry smoothies with a touch of vanilla. Zucchini and yellow squash slices tossed with olive oil and toasted in the broiler or cooked on the grill. Fresh green salads with large mushroom slices, tomatoes and tossed with olive oil and garlic and herb spices for dressing (just ate this and that was the most amazing salad I have EVER eaten by far!). Spaghetti squash cooked with mushrooms, onions, garlic and diced tomatoes that were sauteed in olive oil for a mock spaghetti. Apple slices sprinkled with cinnamon and slow baked in the oven to make apple chips. Baked potatoes sprinkled with a little salt, pepper, and chives and with the skins coated with olive oil to make them crispier. Homemade baked french fries made from sweet potatoes and a little salt and olive oil. Ok am I making you hungry yet? See, there is a limitless amount of combinations you could make with just vegetables and a little seasonings. This way of eating is certainly far more delicious than I had anticipated. I never knew eating healthy could taste sooooo good :-)

Here is a recipe that I used to eat on another diet years ago. This makes for a good crunchy and salty snack and is totally compatible with the fast.

Roasted Chickpeas ( or Garbanzo Beans as they're sometimes called)

1 (12 ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained
2 tablespoons olive oil
salt (optional)
garlic salt (optional)
cayenne pepper (optional)

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
Blot chickpeas with a paper towel to dry them. In a bowl, toss chickpeas with olive oil, and season to taste with salt, garlic salt, and cayenne pepper, if using. Spread on a baking sheet, and bake for 30 to 40 minutes, until browned and crunchy. Turn the chickpeas halfway into the cooking time - this can be done by just shaking them around the pan a little. Watch carefully the last few minutes to avoid burning.

Tasty Tuesday - Spinach Salad

Amazing isn't it - you get two real posts in two weeks! This will become a habit I'm sure ;)

A reminder to the JOY women there is a meeting tomorrow night - not next week.

Today's recipe is for one of my favorite salads to whip up for myself when I'm running low on calories for the day but I'm still incredibly hungry. This is very filling, very low in calories and very high in good for you stuff.


Spinach Salad

2-3 cups baby spinach leaves
1/4 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese
A sprinkle of sliced almonds - less than 1/4 cup
2 tbsp. Light balsamic dressing or olive oil drizzled on top
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Toss together in a large bowl. Enjoy!
This can be made with many variations and you can omit the cheese if you want this to be even lower in calories. Baby spinach leaves are a staple in my kitchen. I use them in omelettes, pasta dishes like lasagna, soups, and I even make this yummy dip using green onions, baby spinach leaves and FF cream cheese - I will post the recipe for this at a later date.

Tasty Tuesday - Recipe For a Happy Life

Today is a highly emotionally charged day. I urge you not to over-indulge just because your emotions tell you to. If you feel the need to eat just to calm your nerves then just go fast and pray. It is better to fast than to over eat and suffer from the guilt of it later. No matter the outcome of the elections, no matter the decisions that are made tonight, there is only one fact that remains: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. He is the one true God and the only king and ruler we will ever need to rely on. Put your faith and confidence in God, not man.

Recipe For a Happy Life

Take a couple of whole months, clean them thoroughly of all Bitterness, Rumors, Hate and Jealousy; in other words, make them as fresh and as clean as possible.

Now cut each month into 28, 30 or 31 different parts...

But don't make up the whole batch at once..
Instead prepare it One Day At A Time.

Mix well each day:

One part of Faith,
One of Patience,
One of Courage,
One of Work,

Add one part each of:

Hope,
Faithfulness,
Generosity,
Kindness;

Blend with:

One part Prayer,
One part Meditation.
Good Deeds.

Season the whole with:

a dash of Good Spirit,
a sprinkle of Fun,
a pinch of Play
a cupful of Good Humor.

Pour all of this into a Vessel Of Love,

Cook thoroughly over Radiant Joy

Garnish with Smiles and serve with Quietness, Unselfishness and Cheerfulness

And you are bound to have a Happy Life.

Author Unknown

Tasty Tuesday - Interesting Fruit & Veggie Facts

INTERESTING OBSERVATIONS ABOUT FRUITS & VEGETABLES

A Coincidence????

A sliced Carrot looks like the human eye. The pupil, iris and
radiating lines look just like the human eye...and science shows that
carrots greatly enhance blood flow to and function of the eyes.

A Tomato has four chambers and is red. The heart is red and has four
chambers. All of the research shows tomatoes are indeed pure heart
and blood food.

Grapes hang in a cluster that has the shape of the heart. Each grape
looks like a blood cell and all of the research today shows that gra
pes are also profound heart and blood vitalizing food.

A Walnut looks like a little brain, a left and right hemisphere,
upper cerebrums and lower cerebellums. Even the wrinkles or folds are
on the nut just like the neo-cortex. We now know that walnuts help
develop over 3 dozen neuron-transmitters fo r brain function.

Kidney Beans actually heal and help maintain kidney function and yes,
they look exactly like the human kidneys.

Celery, Bok Choy,
Rhubarb and more look just like bones. These foods specifically
target bone strength. Bones are 23% sodium and these foods are 23%
sodium. If you don't have enough sodium in your diet the body pulls
it from the bones, making them weak. These foods replenish the
skeletal needs of the body.

Eggplant, Avocadoes and
Pears target the health and function of the womb and cervix of the
female - they look just like these organs. Today's research shows
that when a woman eats 1 avocado a week, it balances hormones, sheds
unwanted birth weight and prevents cervical cancers. And how profound
is this? .... It takes exactly 9 months to grow an avocado from
blossom to ripened fruit. There are over 14,000 photolytic chemical
constituents of nutrition in each one of these foods (modern science
has only studied and named about 141 of them).

Sweet Potatoes look like the pancreas and actually balance the
glycemic index of diabetics.

Olives assist the health and function of the ovaries.

Onions look like body cells. Today's research shows that onions help
clear waste materials from all of the body cells They even produce
tears which wash the epithelial layers of the eyes.


"The news isn't that fruits and vegetables are good for you, it's
that they are so good for you, they can save your life."
David Bjerklie, TIME Magazine, Oct. 2003

Tasty Tuesday & Joy Announcement

Wow I can't believe it's July already! I haven't posted in almost a month, but thankfully we are finally finished with school over here so I will hopefully have a little more time to post. For those of you that don't know, I homeschool my children and we were in the last few weeks of crunch time trying to get everything finished. I now have a little breathing room in my stress level but I am still extremely frustrated right now with a lot of things going on. Please keep my family in your prayers!

Anyway I just wanted to remind all of you that we will be meeting at the park tonight for Tennis and Badminton. Hope to see you all there!

Tasty Tuesday - Easy Biscuit Recipe


(Note: This photo is not mine but these are pretty much how the biscuits look. I "borrowed" this one from this site: http://www.yumsugar.com/774382 - Looks like a pretty interesting site. Go check them out!)

Ok I realize that biscuits are not exactly a great food when you're on a diet but sometimes there's a need for those little puffy bread creations - like when you're making low fat gravy and biscuits. I discovered this recipe last week and made them twice for my family and they absolutely loved them. They said they tasted a lot like the biscuits from a local chicken place (Churches). I think this recipe could easily be made using whole wheat flour, liquid egg substitute and skim milk and still turn out just as good.

Dry Ingredients:
2 Cups all purpose flour (for healthier whole grain biscuits substitute whole wheat flour instead)
3 Tsp. Baking powder
1 Tsp. Salt
1 Tsp. Sugar (This is very minimal in the recipe so I would not worry about it. An alternative sweetener would probably work just as well or you could leave it off all together. I used honey in mine, I like as much natural ingredients as possible.)

Wet Ingredients:
3/4 Cup Milk
1/3 Cup Oil (Corn or canola oils are healthiest. I would not recommend using olive oil as it may alter the taste of the biscuits or even give them an odd taste.)
1 Beaten Egg (Or 1/4 cup liquid egg substitute)

Blend the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Combine the remaining ingredients and pour over the dry ingredients. Stir together lightly.

Drop by spoonfuls onto a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake in a 450° oven for 12 to 15 minutes.

Makes 12 to 14 biscuits

I put a little melted butter and honey over the tops of mine. You could also coat them with a few sprays of the parkay margarine spray or I can't believe it's not butter spray. You could also add some low fat cheese and onions, or just about anything to make unique biscuits. Enjoy!

Tasty Tuesday - An Interesting Link

For today's recipe I'm sending you to the Ladies Home Journal website. The link is an article that includes a shopping list for 10 fresh ingredients and 6 meals to make with the ingredients. I thought everything looked good and sounded yummy (all except the shrimp of course - I would think that you could substitute salmon, tuna or chicken for the shrimp recipe.) so I decided to share it with you all - happy Reading:
Ladies Home Journal - 10 Fresh Ingredients, 6 Sensational Meals

Tasty Tuesday - Chicken Soup for a Cold

I have a bad head cold right now with probably the worst sore throat I've had in years. So in honor of that I've decided to post a nice soothing chicken soup recipe with a little kick. This recipe takes advantage of leftovers or you can start from completely fresh ingredients. I usually make this when I have leftover roasted chicken. I've also found an article that discusses foods to help a cold - http://www.cookinglight.com/cooking/hl/nutrition/article/0,13803,734808,00.html

Chicken Soup for a Cold

4 cans 98% fat free chicken broth
4 - 6 cans water (depending on how much broth you like in your soup)
2 Tbsp. Parsley
1 tbsp black pepper
1 - 2 tsp. red pepper flakes
1 - 2 cups chopped, diced or shredded chicken (I usually debone the remainder of a roasted chicken that we've had the night before)
1 can carrots (do not drain liquid)
1 can green beans (do not drain)
1 can corn (do not drain)
1 - 2 stalks celery diced (this is optional and I really do not like celery so I usually leave this out)
1/2 bag egg noodles

Put all ingredients except for egg noodles into a large pot. Bring to a rolling boil and then add the egg noodles. Cook just until noodles are tender and immediately remove from heat. Noodles must be added last or they will get very soft and mushy. The chicken broth combined with the hot pepper makes for a great food for a cold. More or less pepper can be used. I like mine very spicy!

Tasty Tuesday Recipe - Meringue Cookies

This recipe is a bit labor intensive but is well worth the effort. These little melt in your mouth goodies are only about 30 calories each! You can mix in any number of ingredients to have a different cookie each time. Try crushed peppermint instead of chocolate chips, or toffee bits, crushed butterscotch candies, or you can even try different extracts for an entirely different flavor. One tip is to place the batter into a cake icing bag and squeeze these out onto the pan in a "kiss" shape.


Meringue Cookies

4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
1/4 tsp. salt
1 1/2 cups baker's sugar
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups of mini chocolate chips

Cover 2 large cookie sheets with parchment paper. Beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they hold very stiff peaks. Add the salt. While beating at a high speed gradually add the sugar in a stream to incorporate. Add the vanilla. Fold the mini chocolate chips in very gently by hand. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto cookie sheets. Because this is a stiff batter they do not need a lot of space between them - they have already done their rising. Bake them in a 170 degree oven for about two hours, or more. Cool on racks before storing. For added sweetness you can dust the tops of these with a little powder sugar. Can be stored in the fridge (in an air tight container) for up to two weeks or store them in the freezer for 3 months.

Tasty Tuesday - Pineapple Angel Food Cake

This is a super easy cake recipe and is about 130 calories per piece. The pieces are actually pretty large. Just divide the cake into 12 squares.

1 box 1 step angel food cake mix
1 large can crushed pineapple (12 oz or larger) do not drain!

Preheat oven to 350. This is very important - completely ignore all instructions on the cake mix. Mix angel food cake with undrained pineapple - do NOT add anything else like water or eggs. Lightly coat a cake pan with cooking spray. (I usually use a 9x13 pan but you could use a bundt pan or any pan you choose. Just remember that the smaller the pan you use, the thicker the cake will be and it will divide into less pieces.) Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until it is golden brown and slightly crispy on top. You can top this with fat free sugar free pudding, low calorie vanilla ice cream or my personal favorite fat free cool whip.

Tasty Tuesday - Pot Roast and Cabbage

This is a recipe I am well known for among my friends and family. My family used to make this when I was a child and I started making it for my own family a few years back. Nothing says love like a good home cooked meal of pot roast and vegetables. Yummy! Nutritionally this isn't the best for you but it is certainly much better for you than a big mac or processed food. We don't eat this all the time in my house because of the price of beef and also the fact that beef is not something you should indulge in all that often because it is high in fat and cholesterol. If we use the bible as our example then we would save the "fatted calf" only for special occasions.

Pot Roast with Cabbage and Vegetables

1 5-8 pound roast - choose the leanest possible, the less marbling (white streaks) the better
1 small head cabbage
1 medium - large onion
1 small bag baby carrots
1 can green beans
1 can corn (frozen corn is good also)
8-10 red potatoes (these are also called new or russet potatoes)
Seasoned Salt and Pepper to taste

In order for this to turn out right you have to have patience. This can also be cooked in the crock-pot but I personally prefer the oven method. Preheat your oven to 350. Place the roast in a casserole dish that is approximately 9x13 (I use a glass pyrex pan). Put about 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of the pan and then cover with foil. Bake the roast for about 2 hours. While the roast is cooking go ahead and chop the cabbage and onion into large pieces. It really doesn't matter how large you chop the cabbage and onions because they will get softer and mushier as they cook. I usually just quarter them. Chop the potatoes into halves, or quarters if needed. After about 2 hours of cooking take the roast out of the oven and remove the foil. Layer the onion and cabbage pieces all around and on top of the roast. Be sure to get some of the onions close to the roast because this will help to add flavor to it and make it more tender. Add the potatoes, corn, carrots and green beans. If you are using canned vegetables it is ok to add the liquid as well - this will help add flavor and keep it [the roast] from becoming too dry. Sprinkle seasoned salt and pepper all over the top. Cover the pan again with foil and put back into the oven for another 2-3 hours. The longer you let this cook the more tender it will be. You will know it is done when the vegetables are nearly wilted, and the roast literally falls apart when you try to pick it up with a fork.

Tasty Tuesday - Breakfast Egg Bake

This is a recipe that I kind of came up with myself but you could in some ways just call it a crustless quiche. This is great for making ahead and keeping in your fridge for breakfast all week.


Breakfast Egg Bake
1 8oz. carton liquid eggs like egg beaters
4 - 6 strips turkey bacon cooked and crumbled
half of a small onion chopped
2 tbsp. flour (preferrably whole wheat)
1/4 cup shredded fat free cheddar cheese
1/4 cup regular shredded cheese
2 tbsp. melted butter
1 tsp. parsley
1 - 2 cups baby spinach
salt and pepper to taste

In large bowl mix together all ingredients. Pour into a pie pan lightly sprayed with cooking spray. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 - 30 minutes or until this has risen and is golden brown. This will rise a lot while cooking but it will come back down to a normal size while it cools. This makes 8 slices at about 200 calories each. For variation you could also try peppers and diced turkey ham, or even broccoli and chicken instead of spinach and bacon.

Tasty Tuesday - Baked Oatmeal

On cold wintry mornings like today it's nice to have a hot bowl of cereal to warm you up but sometimes we do not have time to make or even eat hot cereal like oatmeal. This recipe is great because you can make it ahead of time and keep it stored in the fridge. Just pop it in the microwave for about 30 seconds and you have oatmeal on the go! This is far healthier, tastier and more inexpensive than the granola or cereal bars you get in the grocery store.

Baked Oatmeal
2 c. uncooked oats
1 1/2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. salt
1 c. fat-free or lowfat milk (To add richness I sometimes substitute the milk with low-fat buttermilk.)
1/2 c. Egg Beaters (or 2 eggs)
1/2 c. unsweetened applesauce (can substitute low-fat or fat-free plain yogurt, or mashed banana)
1/4 c. Brown sugar (or sugar free sweetener like splenda)
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. ground cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350. Spray an 8x8" pan with cooking spray. Combine wet ingredients and then add in dry ingredients. Mix well. Pour mixture into pan, and bake for 35-45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. This divides up into 6-8 servings or bars.

This recipe is very versatile - Try adding raisins, chopped apples, nuts or even canned pumpkin.

Tasty Tuesday - Oven "Fried" Chicken

Oven "Fried" Chicken
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp table salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
3 oz buttermilk
1/2 cup cornflake crumbs
1 pound uncooked boneless, skinless chicken breast, four 4-oz pieces

Preheat oven to 365ºF. Lightly coat an 8 X 8 X 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.
Combine flour, salt and cayenne pepper together in a medium-size bowl. Place buttermilk and corn flakes crumbs in 2 separate shallow bowls.
Roll chicken breast halves in flour mixture and evenly coat each side. Next dip chicken into buttermilk and then corn flakes crumbs.
Place coated chicken breasts in prepared baking dish. Bake until chicken is tender and no longer pink, about 25 to 30 minutes (there is no need to flip the chicken during baking). Yields 1 breast per serving.

Tasty Tuesday - Turkey Noodle Soup

As you may have already guessed this is made from none other than leftover T-day Bird :-). This literally only takes about 15 minutes to make and is soooo good! You will need to chop the turkey before adding it to this soup and you can use however much you feel necessary. Usually about 1 to 2 cups of chopped turkey is plenty.

Turkey Noodle Soup
1 to 2 cups Turkey chopped (dark or white meat or both)
6-7 cans reduced fat chicken broth
2 bags frozen stew vegetables (has potatoes, corn, carrots, celery, and onions)
half of a 16oz bag of egg noodles (no yolks or whole wheat are healthier)
1-2 tbsp of chopped or dried parsley
salt and pepper to taste

Pour chicken broth into a large pot. Add the turkey and vegetables. Bring to a rapid (rolling) boil. Stir in the noodles and seasonings and let cook just until the noodles are tender and then remove from the heat. More broth or vegetables may be added to this as needed.

Tasty Tuesday - Sausage, Cornbread & Apple Stuffing

I plan on making this for Thanksgiving:


Sausage, Cornbread & Apple Stuffing

8 oz raw turkey sausage
2 Tbsp apple juice
1 tsp butter
1 medium onion(s), chopped
2 medium celery, chopped
2 medium apple(s), cored and diced
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
2 Tbsp thyme, chopped or 1 tsp dried
1 Tbsp poultry seasoning
8 oz cornbread stuffing dry mix
1 1/2 cup canned chicken broth, hot
1/8 tsp table salt, or to taste
1/8 tsp black pepper, or to taste

Coat a large, nonstick skillet with cooking spray; place over medium heat.
Remove sausage from casing; add sausage to skillet and cook, breaking up into small pieces until no pink remains. Add apple juice and simmer, stirring constantly, until liquid evaporates. Remove sausage to large bowl; set aside.
Melt butter in skillet. Add onion and celery; saute until translucent, about 8 minutes. Stir in apples, parsley, thyme and poultry seasoning; cook about 3 minutes.
Add stuffing to skillet; stir in enough chicken stock to moisten stuffing as you like it. Add to bowl with sausage; stir in enough chicken stock to moisten stuffing. Season to taste. Yields 3/4 cup per serving.

**One extra step I plan to add to this is that I will probably bake this in the oven @ 350 for about 20 minutes or so just to give it a little bit of crispiness.**

Tasty Tuesday Recipe - Pistachio Fruit Salad

It's a fun new meme - Tasty Tuesday! I plan to post new healthy or low cal/fat/carb recipes every tuesday if possible. Today's recipe is my own personal fruit salad recipe. Many people have been salivating over getting this recipe from me so here's your chance lol (I'm making this tonight so I'll try to snap a pic of it):

This makes enough for a party sized bowl so the servings may vary. All in all it's about 130-160 calories per cup serving.

Pistachio Fruit Salad

4 8oz. containers Fat Free Cool Whip thawed
1 16oz. container Breakstones Fat Free Sourcream
4 packages instant sugar free fat free pistachio pudding mix
3-4 cans tropical fruit salad in juice or light syrup drained
2 small jars maraschino cherries also drained

In a large bowl mix together the cool whip and sour cream. Make sure the cool whip is not frozen. Next dump the DRY (do NOT add anything to the pudding like milk or water) pudding mix into the cool whip and sour cream. Stir completely until you see no more of the pudding mix powder and your cool whip/sour cream is taking on a green hue (yes this is normal). Making sure that all of the cans of fruit and cherries are drained well stir them in. You can serve this immediately or wait until it's chilled.