Fromage Fort is done - I can honestly say I love that I had the rosemary crusted Manchego to include, it lends a wonderful herby flavor to it. And I went with 1 clove of garlic, otherwise it gets really strong sitting in the fridge for a day or so. The Moody Blue will probably go on pizzette with caramelized onions tomorrow. I am having a few friends over (they were supposed to come last night, life got in the way) and I am making Ruthannas olive and anchovy bites too. OMG we will all be stinking to high Heaven with all the garlic, olives, cheese, anchovies, etc but we will be in good company so I guess it is okay. Thank you again for all the inspiration, I now have a trove of ideas what to do with left over cheeses! Alexa

Baby Spinach Salad with Roasted Strawberries 2 pints large strawberries, (1 pound total weight) 8 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp sugar sea salt and freshly ground pepper 6 tbsp red wine vinegar 1/4 cup fresh orange juice 4 tsp finely chopped fresh tarragon leaves 1 cup blanched whole almonds, toasted 9 cups baby spinach Pecorino romano cheese, 5 ounces, shredded 1 Preheat the oven to 400F. 2 Using a paring knife, hull the strawberries and cut them in half lengthwise. Spread the berries on a rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and sprinkle with the 2 teaspoons sugar, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Toss to coat the berries evenly, then spread them out again. Roast until softened, about 10 minutes. Let cool to room temperature. 3 In a small nonreactive bowl, whisk together the vinegar, orange juice, tarragon, the 1 tablespoon sugar, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper until the sugar dissolves. Slowly whisk in the remaining 6 tablespoons olive oil until well blended to make a vinaigrette. Taste and adjust the seasonings. 4 In a small bowl, stir together the almonds and 1/4 teaspoon salt. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and several grinds of pepper. Whisk the vinaigrette to recombine, drizzle about one-third of it over the spinach, and toss well (reserve the remaining vinaigrette for another use). Taste and adjust the seasonings. Divide the dressed spinach evenly among individual plates, top each serving with an equal amount of the roasted strawberries, and sprinkle with the almonds and cheese. Serve right away.

Thank you....

this one is for the diabetics from the diabetes self management website Pecan-cranberry upside-down cake Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 30 minutes 2 tablespoons light margarine 1/2 cup fresh or frozen cranberries 1/2 cup Brown Sugar Blend Splenda, No Calorie Sweetener, granular 1/4 cup chopped pecans 1 cup Splenda, No Calorie Sweetener, granular 1 cup all-purpose flour 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 cup liquid egg substitute 1 cup skim milk 1/2 teaspoon almond extract 1/4 cup Enova or canola oil Fat-free nondairy whipped topping (optional) Heat oven to 350ðF. Melt light margarine in microwave or over low heat in small skillet on stove. Pour melted margarine into a 9-inch nonstick round cake pan, and use a pastry brush to evenly spread the margarine across the bottom of the pan. In a small bowl, combine cranberries, Brown Sugar Blend Splenda, and pecans. Pour mixture over melted margarine in an even layer. In another small bowl, combine Splenda (white), flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon and stir well with a spoon. Add liquid egg substitute, milk, almond extract, and oil, and stir until batter is smooth. Pour batter over fruit and nut mixture evenly. Bake for 30 minutes, or until lightly brown on top. Remove from oven and allow to cool 5 minutes, then carefully invert using protective gloves onto a serving plate and remove pan. Allow cake to cool. Cut into 10 slices and top each with 1 tablespoon fat-free nondairy whipped topping if desired. Yield: 10 servings Serving size: 1/10th of cake Nutrition Facts Per Serving: Calories: 165 Carbohydrate: 17 g Protein: 4 g Fat: 9 g Saturated fat: 1 g Cholesterol: 1 mg Sodium: 289 mg Fiber: 4 g Exchanges per serving: 1 starch, 2 fat Carbohydrate choices: 1