Rosemary, I think half and half is 1/2 milk and 1/2 cream (I guess you don't watch Ina Garten on the Food Network as she is always using it!)Please correct me if I am wrong anyone. Velveteena seems to be a hard processed low fat cheese - like Calvita or Galtee(do you have those in the UK?).

I have a recipe that is creamy broccoli soup; another adapted weight watchers recipe (I changed a bit)

One full head of fresh broccoli
cut up head of broccoli (I use a potato peeler & peel off the outside of the large stems, cut off bottom of stems & then dice stems & add to soup w/broccoli flourets
2 1/4 cups of fat-free half and half (located in refrigerator section/milk area)
14 ounces of (I use Swanson, MSG free chicken broth) chicken broth
12 ounces of Velveeta Light cheese (cubed) Velveeta cheese has markings on the package like butter sticks so you don’t have to worry about weighing the 12 ounces; it is on the foil that the cheese is wrapped in.
1 fresh garlic clove or 1 tsp minced bottle garlic
1/3 cup of all-purpose flour
1/2 cup water
1/3 tsp ground red pepper
Combine first five (5) ingredients in a large saucepan (I use a Le Crueset pot that works great!) ; cook, uncovered over medium head until cheese melts; 5-10 minutes. Must stirring frequently
Put flour in a small bow & gradually add 1/2 cup cold water (I use a whisk to get all the lumps out)
Add flour mixture to soup, reduce heat to medium low & cook another 10 minutes, stirring constantly.
Remove from heat stir in red pepper to taste, it serves about eight people

It is the fastest easiest soup to make & is a very hearty soup. I serve mine with fresh bread. My DH & I make it together & it even goes faster! Enjoy

Oh Lotti, your recipe sounds soooooo yummy. I have a confession for all of you! I do not cook. I do not like to cook! Oh, I prepare the meals, but simplicity is the key! A good piece of meat, a fresh veggie, and a salad. I seldom try new recipes. Now I have to say, DebbieW guided me toward a Kraft recipe site, and I think it was made just for me! 3 or 4 ingredients, and open a can or jar! So, this recipe requirement has me shaking in my boots. I sew! I do not cook. Oh, sorry, I already said that! Why did I name my spools Creme Brulee? I do not have a creme brulee torch to caramelize the top sugar crust! Maybe I should change that to blackened tilapia! I do that REALLY well, with the help of Chef Paul Prudhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic!

But, here's a recipe (that even I can follow) for our famous Montana Huckleberry Pie.

3 C Fresh or Frozen Hukleberries
1/2 tsp. Almond Extract
1 C Grated Apple
1 C sugar
I Pastry for Double Crust Pie
2 Tbs. Flour and dash of Salt

Place ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Pour into an unbaked pie shell. Cover with the top crust and bake at 375* for about an hour, or until nicely browned.

So, someone with purples in their spools, is welcome to submit the above. It is free in the public domain, with no copyright issues.

Dawn
In beautiful Northwest Montana

Ladies;

I fix this weight watcher barbecued pork all the time, It is wonderful & simple;
One Lean pork loin (on sale can be only $8.00)
Brown outside of pork in olive oil, about 2 tablespoons;
Put in slow cooker w/
One cup of beef boulion (I use Swanson’s MSG, Fat free)-If I am in a hurry I may microwave the cup of beef bouillon to speed up the cooking.
One garlic glove (I use the minced garlic from the jar, it is 1/2 tsp.)
Put in slow cooker on high setting for 4-5 hours / depending on size , or
you can put your slow cooker on the low setting and leave it all day. I have even put it on the low setting before going to bed and it is done by morning so I could take it into work for get togethers
Pull pork apart with two forks and add heated barbecue sauce (I use Jack Daniels Original barbecue sauce-one bottle)
Put on Whole wheat bun, it’s great & I am always asked to bring it to party’s it is so popular!

ok folks, as this doesn't go with either of my fabrics, here's the freebie ahead of time recipe i promised this morning:

baked fruit salad

fruit salad:
2 oranges
1 apple
1 pear
1 banana
2 tbs lemon juice
2 tbs sugar
4 passion fruit

for topping: mix together & set aside (you can wait to prepare this while the fruit is baking)
1 cup / 1 single portion container greek yoghurt
1 tsp vanilla
sugar to taste
i would also add:
the very very finely grated peel of one orange (use organic oranges - or clean very well with hot water - we don't want the pesticides)


instructions
filet the oranges: cut top and bottom off so you have a flat surface to stand the orange on, using a sharp knife, cut the skin away all around (be sure to also cut away the white inner skin). then, holding the orange over a bowl to catch any drips, remove the orange filets from the divider skin - squeeze any juice/orange bits remaining in the divider skin into your bowl - discard the divider skin. have a go - it's not nearly as difficult as cooks make us believe - the key is to use a SHARP knife!!!

peel,core and finely slice apple and pear & add to the oranges,
peel and slice the banana & add,
cut passion fruit in half, scrape flesh/seed mixture into the bowl,
add lemon juice and sugar, mix carefully (so you don't end up with a mushy mess)

place the mixture inside a baking bag & seal - place bag on a baking sheet;
alternatively pour the lot into a casserole dish

bake in a 400°F / 200°C hot oven and bake on lower shelf for 12-15 minutes
take out of the overn and leave to set for 5-10 minutes (it will continue to cook during this time)

serve fruit warm in dessert dishes or glasses and top with a spoon full of topping


serves 4

each portion contains:
4 g protein
5 g fat
26 g carbohydrates
168 calories / 702 kJoule

note 1:
i've made a baked orange & banana dessert before; have also done the same cooking on the stove instead
and this is absolutely fabulous (great on it's own, with vanilla ice cream, with plain cheesecake, use your imagination)
the idea is exactly the same, slice/dice fruit, combine with (little or no sugar), a little lemon juice (because this is always good); place in casserole or pan and cook till everything is all yummy but still keeps it's own shape - do not overcook as it will keep on cooking while it cools
if i'm sure to use sugar, i like to caramelize the sugar in the pan first, then add the fruit into the hot sugar, watch out - caramel extremely hot: you'll probably also need a little fruit juice - 1/4 cup of orange juice or whatever will do nicely - so the fruit doesn't burn in the hot caramel

note 2:
i prefer fileting the oranges - gets rid of all the skins and much nicer to eat - but if oranges are cut into small dice (be sure to completely remove both the white outer skin and the white threads on the "core" as these will become bitter), it's much quicker, easier and also good!

i'm organizing a soup-lunch at the office this thursday - basically a colleague and i organize & prepare a huge pot of goulash-soup and for the non-meat-eaters, a smaller pot of vegetable soup & lots of fresh bread
another colleague is baking some cakes (& i have a banana cake in the freezer that i should remember to take out); i decided i'll also make a large casserole of this baked fruit salad
we're 170 employees at our office here in baar, so they do have to sign up - up to now i have 35 participants - will probably be between 50 and 70 - should be fun...
will let you know how it went and how the fruit salad turned out

i will probably add other fruit - depending on what looks nice and appetizing (or what's on sale), when i'm doing the shopping on the way home tomorrow night; as i'll use my huge canadian turkey-casserole dish, a diced fresh pineapple will definitely be added (baked pineapple is truly scrumptious - yes i'm a great fan of chitty-chitty-bang-bang )

wow - this is one loooooooooooooooooooong post
have a good night and don't forget to dream of beautiful quilts

Lorna, at this time of year the rhubarb is beginning to appear so a good Irish desert would be a Rhubarb Fool. The way we do it is you chop the rhubarb (a bunch that you could buy in the supermarket might have about 6-8 stems) into inch-long pieces, and simmer until soft with about 2 tablespoons of water. Add sugar to sweeten it to your liking. When the rhubarb has completely cooled whip up about 1/2 pt cream (double cream in the UK) until it is almost stiff. Fold the rhubarb into the cream and either decant into a large bowl or into individual bowls and chill until ready to serve. We are also very fond of rhubarb crumble, apple, rhubarb or gooseberry tart (our tarts are flatter than the American version), trifle. We are also fond of our tea bracks. If you would like a recipe for that I can give it to you but it's not so much a dessert as a thing we have with a cup of tea. Hope that helps.