Cream Cheese-Filled Strawberries

Ingredients:

2 pints strawberries (with long stems, if you can find them
1 8-ounce package cream cheese
3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 cup semisweet or dark chocolate chips optional
1/2 teaspoon shortening optional

Directions:

1. Rinse and dry the best looking strawberries you have (you can let them air-dry on a clean kitchen towel if your not pressed for time Set aside
2. To prepare the filling beat the cream cheese powdered sugar and almond extract with an electric mixer on high. This step can be done 2-3 days days ahead of time. When ready to serve spoon the mixture into a decorating bag fitted with a star tip
3. Using a sharp knife cut a strawberry from tip almost to stem in the middle of the strawberry Make another cut crosswise making an "X" be careful not to cut all the way into the strawberry If the strawberry is sitting on its stem it should flare open. Repeat this step with the remaining strawberries.

Brazilian Lemonade Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1 cup sugar
6 cups cold water
4 juicy limes
6 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk

Directions:

1. Mix cold water and sugar very well and chill until ready to use. This step can be done ahead of time.
2. Wash limes thoroughly with soap (just use hand-dishwashing soap or regular hand soap); you need the soap to get the wax and pesticides off the limes because you are using the whole lime. Cut the ends off the limes and then cut each lime into eighths.
3. Place half of the limes in your blender. add half of the sugar water, place the lid on your blender, and pulse 5 times.
4. Place a fine-mesh strainer over a pitcher (the one you'll serve the lemonade in) and pour the blended mixture through the strainer and into the pitcher. Use a spoon to press the rest of the liquid into the pitcher. Dump the pulp and residue in the strainer into the trash. Repeat with remaining limes and sugar water.
5. Whisk in sweetened condensed milk.
6. Serve immediately over lots of ice. This does not keep well, so while you can mix the sugar and water ahead of time and slice the limes, don't mix them in the blender until you are ready to serve.

Sweet Potato Fries Our Best Bites

Ingredients:

1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon oregano
1/2 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon parsley
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1 pound peeled sweet potatoes cut into 1/4 inch match sticks
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F
2. In a small bowl, combine cumin, oregano, coriander, salt, parsley, and pepper.
3. Place the sweet potatoes in a pile directly on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil. Use your hands to toss until all pieces are well coated. Sprinkle seasoning mixture on top and toss again with your hands to coat
4. Arrange sweet potatoes in a single layer so that pieces are not touching each other. Place the pan in the preheated oven and bake for 15 minutes. Use a metal spatula to gently flip fries and then return pan to oven. Cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes or until fries are starting to lightly brown and crisp. Remove pan from oven and cool for 5 minutes. Serve immediately with Honey-Lime dip.

Honey-Lime Dip

Ingredients:

1 (6-ounce) container plain, low-fat yogurt
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
1/2 tablespoon honey
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
1/4 teaspoon cumin
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon parsley
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Whisk together all the ingredients and chill until ready to serve.

Peach/Blueberry Crisp

Ingredients

5 big peaches
1 1/2 cups blueberries
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup regular sugar
3 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ginger
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 cup butter
1 cup oatmeal

Directions

1. Wash peaches and blueberries

2. Slice peaches
3. Grease crock pot
4. Line with peaches and blueberries

5. Melt butter

6. In medium bowl, combine melted butter with all remaining ingredients

7. Pour over peaches and blueberries

8. Cook on high for an hour an a half or until done

Then you're done!