Dine and Dish

Written for Paper Palate on the Well Fed Network

When looking at cooking magazines that only come out quarterly, I expect to be able to immediately tell what season we are in by looking at the cover of the magazine. For summer, I want bright photographs full of fresh ingredients, cool treats and quick dinner ideas. Summertime is for playing... the last thing I want to do is spend the entire evening in the kitchen slaving over a hot stove.

We just returned from our family vacation (which I will write about soon...still recovering from the car ride!), and since we were stuck in the car for 40 hours total, I got tempted more than once at our stops by magazines being sold. One magazine that I have noticed before but never picked up is a special interest publication of Better Homes and Gardens. The magazine is simply titled Eat with a tag line of easy family food. The summer 2007 edition promised recipes for "good food fast" and the tempting photograph of the fruit waffle bowl on the front cover is what sealed the deal. I bought the magazine for $4.99 and set out to see what Eat magazine was all about.

The first thing I noticed about Eat magazine is that the featured cooks in the magazine are very much like me. Busy moms trying to put good food on the table every night for our family, without spending a lot of time doing it. The recipes were very straightforward...Eat magazine is not for the gourmet cook but is for the person who wants simple and delicious solutions at mealtime. With sections like Weeknight Solutions, Sunday Dinner Together, Food on the Go, Fast Meals Under $15, Just Like Mom's (But Quicker) and Teens Can Cook you will find recipes for just about everyone. My menu plan for July is now full of recipes from this magazine. Mexican Shrimp Tostadas, Jerk-Spiced Shrimp with Wilted Spinach, and Apple Pecan Pork Chops are just a few that are top on my list to try. The recipe for Raspberry Cheesecake Shake was a refreshing, return from vacation dessert that went beyond the basic milkshake with the addition of cream soda.

Eat magazine is a great resource for new moms, new brides, college students, etc... anyone wanting to simplify the art of cooking with recipes that are fast, healthy and tasty. I am looking forward to what the Fall issue has to offer.

Raspberry Cheesecake Shake

Makes 6 servings.

1 (12 ounce) package frozen unsweetened red raspberries, thawed
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
1/4 teaspoon almond extract
1 quart vanilla ice cream, softened
2 (12 ounce) cans or bottles cream soda
Fresh raspberries (optional)

In a blender combine the raspberries, cream cheese, almond extract, half the ice cream, and 1/2 cup of the cream soda. Cover and blend until smooth.

Divide blended mixture among six tall 16-ounce chilled glasses. Add a scoop of the remaining ice cream to each shake. Top each shake with remaining cream soda. Top shake with fresh raspberries. Serve immediately.

Makes 6 servings.

Nutritional facts per serving: calories: 305, total fat: 15g, saturated fat: 9g, monounsaturated fat: 4g, polyunsaturated fat: 1g, cholesterol: 54mg, sodium: 130mg, carbohydrate: 36g, total sugar: 30g, fiber: 2g, protein: 4g, vitamin C: 3%, calcium: 12%, iron: 2%