FRUIT WITH CANNOLI CREAM 1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese 1/ 3 cup sugar 3/ 4 teaspoon orange zest 3 tablespoons orange juice 2 tablespoons mini chocolate chips 1 apple, cored and cut into 8 wedges 1 pear, cored and cut into 8 wedges 1 plum, pitted and cut into 8 wedges 1 pint strawberries, hulled In a blender or food processor, combine the cheese, sugar, orange peel and orange juice and process until smooth. Transfer the mixture to a bowl and fold in 1 tablespoon of the chocolate chips. Place the fruit on a platter and spoon the ricotta mixture over it. Sprinkle with remaining chocolate chips, and serve. NOTE: You can also arrange the fruit in four large goblets or wine glasses and top each portion with some of the sauce and chips. Other fresh fruits can be substituted. Apricots, raspberries and blueberries are all good in this recipe.

I would, in a blender, mix 1/2 cup fat free yogurt( plain!) with 2 T olive oil and 1/2 tsp Coleman's dry mustard, and "some" lemon juice. Start with a tablespoon full. Then add dill to taste. Ought to taste a lot like a mayo based dressing...but it's pretty healthy...no cholesterol in the olive oil, low salt and the mustard and lemon juice are the predominate tastes in mayo. I use that and add garlic, worchestershire and some crumbled blue....which negates all the heart healthy stuff that went before!! LOL! Linda C

I was thinking along the same lines for friends and family Christmas presents also to have around here for surprise guests. Here are some that I found. Stacie Onion Soup or Dip Mix 3 onion bouillon cubes, crushed 1 beef bouillon cube, crushed 2 tsp. cornstarch 1/3 cup instant onion flakes 2 dashes pepper Put all ingredients in a small sandwich bag. Seal well and store in cool, dry place. Label bag as follows: Onion Soup: Empty package into a pot and gradually stir in 4 cups cold water and 1 Tbsp. butter. Bring to boil, reduce heat and cover. Simmer 20 minutes. Ladle soup into ovenproof bowls, sprinkle with croutons or toasted bread. Then add one slice provolone cheese. Briefly put bowls under a broiler to melt cheese. Serve. Makes 4 1-cup servings. Onion Dip: Mix one package onion soup mix with 2 cups sour cream. Chill before serving. Dill Dip 3/4 cup dill weed 3/4 cup accent 3/4 cup season salt 3/4 cup onion flakes 3/4 cup parsley flakes Combine all and place in a jar. The pint size jelly jars would be perfect here. To use: combine 2 tablespoons mix with 1 cup sour cream and one cup Miracle Whip in a small bowl. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to allow the flavors to blend. This makes an excellent vegetable dip as well as one for chips. Bacon Flavored Dip Mix 2 tbs. Instant Bacon Bits 1 tsp Instant Beef Bouillon 1 tbs. Instant Minced Onion 1/8 tsp Minced Garlic Combine all ingredients in a small bowl; blend well. Spoon mixture onto a 6-inch square of aluminum foil and fold to make airtight. Label as Bacon-Flavored Dip Mix. Store in a cool, dry place and use within 6 months. Makes 1 package (about 3 T) of mix. Add these directions to label: Bacon Flavored Dip: Combine 1 cup of sour cream and 1 package of mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. VARIATIONS: Substitute 1 cup yogurt, 1 cup cottage cheese or 1 (8 oz) package of softened cream cheese for sour cream. Fill a large mason jar with any type of snacks for dipping (small snack crackers, pretzels, breadsticks, etc.). Attach package of dip mix to jar and decorate for gift giving. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix 1/2 cup dried parsley 1/3 cup minced onion 1/4 cup dried chives 1/3 cup chili powder 1/4 cup ground cumin 1/4 cup salt In a large bowl, combine the spices and store in an airtight container. Attach this to the Jar: Mexican Fiesta Dip Makes 2 cups 3 Tbsp. Mexican Fiesta Dip Mix 1 cup mayonnaise or low-fat mayonnaise 1 cup sour cream or low-fat yogurt In a medium mixing bowl combine the Dip Mix with the mayonnaise and sour cream. Whisk the mixture until smooth. Refrigerate for 2 to 4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips or fresh vegetables. Ranch herb dip and dressing mix Ingredients: 1/4 cup dried parsley flakes 1/4 cup dried thyme leaves 2 tablespoons dried tarragon leaves 2 tablespoons dried onion flakes 3 teaspoons garlic powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper. Directions: Combine all and mix well. Store in a jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir or shake before using. Use as a seasoning in recipes. Herb Mix Dip: use 1 tablespoon of the mix with 3/4 cup sour cream, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, and 1 teaspoon lemon juice. Blend well. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours. Serve with assorted fresh vegetables. Make your own Onion Cheese Dip Mix for parties. INGREDIENTS: * 1/4 cup instant minced onion * 2 tsp. instant beef bouillon powder * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese * 1 tsp. garlic salt PREPARATION: Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and blend well. Spoon mixture into a small glass jar with screw-top lid. Label as "Onion Cheese Dip Mix" and attach instructions for use. Store in a cool dry place and use within 3-4 months. Makes 4 batches of mix. Each batch, equaling 3 tablespoons, can be substituted for 1 package of purchased onion-cheese soup mix. ONION CHEESE DIP Combine 1 cup sour cream or 1 8-oz. pkg. softened cream cheese with 3 tablespoons of Onion Cheese Dip Mix. Chill at least 1 hour before serving. Makes about 1 cup of dip. Give this dip and dressing mix in decorative jars with instructions for making dip or dressing. Make a basket up with this dip, a pretty serving bowl, and fancy breadsticks, croutons, or bagel chips, INGREDIENTS: * 2 teaspoons salt * 2 teaspoons dried minced garlic * 3 tablespoons dried minced onion * 2 teaspoons freshly ground pepper * 2 teaspoons sugar * 2 1/2 teaspoons paprika * 2 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley flakes PREPARATION: Combine ingredients; blend well. Store in an airtight container. Give in decorative jars with directions below for dressing and dip. Makes 1/2 cup of mix, or 8 portions for dressing or dip. Dressing: In a bowl or jar combine 1 cup of mayonnaise and 1 cup buttermilk. Dip: In a small bowl blend 1 tablespoon mix with 1 cup sour cream. Refrigerate 1 hour before serving. Hope that these sound as good to you as to me. I think I might make a bunch of these and give a mix of them for Christmas presents. Stacie

Recently - probably because I am nearing menopause - I have become extremely sodium-sensitive. It raises my blood pressure and makes me retain water. I never had this problem in the past. So I can sympathize with all of you who have posted on this thread. low salt seeker, Here are links to two recipes for low-sodium barbecue sauce: http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/2001/0312252528_1.html http://www.lowsodiumcooking.com/free/BarbecueSauce.htm Donna, the link below takes you to a really good low-sodium cooking site with lots of recipes. Do you have Trader Joe's stores in your area? If so, they carry a lot of low-sodium and sodium-free products - go to www.traderjoes.com website for a list. McCormick and Mrs. Dash both have lines of salt-free seasonings, and I really like the Mrs. Dash marinades for meat & veggies. If you rinse canned foods like beans, tuna, chicken, and olives, you can usually remove about half the sodium from them. The thing that I find most frustrating about avoiding sodium, though, is that even the supposedly "healthy" frozen meals are loaded with it. It's tough to find a packaged meal that contains less than 25% the daily recommendation. Lean Cuisine has about 5 varieties that fit the bill. Trader Joe's makes some Asian meals that are low-sodium, and Aldi's Grandessa Brand Mexican and Creole pork meals are lower in sodium. But I usually end up making lasagna, meatloaf, or casseroles every weekend and taking portions to work for lunch all week. And don't even get me started about restaurant food - I always blow up like a balloon the next day after I eat out! Here is a link that might be useful: Low Sodium Cooking