My friend Jill who I have known since she was the editor of Cooking Light Magazine is now the editor of the fabulous Relish magazine .  She called me the other day to tell me they’re having this cool virtual celebration called the Easter Jam–you can go to this link,  create a page then interact with all the other guests. I put my Bunny Biscuits recipe up and I included a snack mix with pastel colored M&M’s. I really love the seasonal colors and they really add to the theme or color scheme you’re having with food.  Share recipe, stories, traditions and photos. You’ll find me there too. Go to Easter Jam and let me know which recipes you really like.  Visit my website, http://www.hollyclegg.com for more recipes!

Bunny Biscuits
These biscuits are lots of fun to make and eat. Great for Easter – they turn breakfast into an exciting meal. Let your kids help you form the bunny’s ears and whiskers.

Makes 5 biscuits

1 (10-biscuit) can refrigerated biscuits
10 raisins
5 maraschino cherry halves
20 slivered almonds

1. Preheat oven to 450ºF. Place five biscuits on ungreased 15 x 10 x 1-inch nonstick baking sheet.
2. To assemble bunny biscuits: Cut remaining 5 biscuits in half, pull a little to form ears. Press 2 biscuit halves (ears) under top of each whole biscuit to form bunny head.
3. In each whole biscuit, press in two raisins for eyes, cherry half for nose, two slivered almonds on each side of cherry half for whiskers. Bake 10 minutes, or until biscuits are done. Serve immediately.

Terrific Tidbit:  Try using whole wheat biscuits.

Nutritional information per serving:
Calories 116, Protein (g) 3, Carbohydrate (g) 21, Fat (g) 2, Calories from Fat (%) 16, Saturated Fat (g) 0, Dietary Fiber (g) 1, Cholesterol (mg) 0, Sodium (mg) 360, Diabetic Exchanges: 1.5 carbohydrate

Ready for the Easter Jam with Bunny Biscuits?

Click here to view the embedded video.

Looking for a quick snack with simple ingredients that can be prepared in a snap!  This was a recipe I created for Walmart, Mini Cheese Pizzas-a fun recipe that the kids can help, be creative and will love to eat!

Mini Cheese Pizzas

Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Meal Occasion: Lunch/Snack/Dinner
Makes 10 pizzas
Serving size one biscuit
Cost Per Serving: less than $1

Ingredients
•1 (10-biscuit) can Great Value jumbo flaky refrigerated biscuits
•1/3 cup Great Value Pizza Sauce
•1/2 cup Great Value shredded mozzarella cheese

Instructions:
1.Preheat oven 450ºF. Pat each biscuit into 4-inch circle on baking sheet coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2.Spoon pizza sauce on each biscuit round. Sprinkle cheese over pizza sauce, bake 8-10 minutes, or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Tips:
1.Use veggies to make funny faces, green pepper slice for mouth, black olives for eyes, and mushroom for nose – kids will love this!
2.Spice your pizza up, try different marinara sauces.

Mini Pizzas-Quick Summer Snack

Are you one of those that love bread? Looking for a wonderful bread to be the hit with any dinner?  Well, I am having a dinner party tonight (a thank you to our doctor friends), and of course, this is the bread I am serving.  What’s great is I made the bread this morning in my round pans and refrigerated it–when time for my party– I will pop it in the oven.  You will be surprised at how many people want the recipe and think you made this sensation from scratch. Biscuits, Italian seasoning, and Parmesan cheese create this quick, easy, and unbelievably tasty pull-apart bread that adds to any meal.  Shhhh-I won’t tell if you don’t how easy it is!!!

Italian Pull Aparts from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Gulf Coast Favorites

Makes 20 biscuits

2 tablespoons butter, melted
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano leaves
1 teaspoon dried basil leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons sesame seeds
1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese
2 (10-ounce) cans refrigerated buttermilk biscuits
Instructions
1. Preheat oven 400°F. Pour melted butter into 9-inch round pan coated with nonstick cooking spray.
2. Combine oregano, basil, sesame seeds, Parmesan cheese in resealable plastic bag.
3. Cut each biscuit into two pieces. Add biscuit pieces to bag, shake to coat. Arrange coated biscuit pieces in prepared pan, sprinkle with any remaining mixture. Bake 15-18 minutes or until golden.

Nutritional information per serving: Calories 89, Calories from fat 37%, Fat 4 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Cholesterol 4 mg, Sodium 259 mg, Carbohydrate 12 g, Dietary Fiber 0 g, Sugars 1 g, Protein 2 g, Diabetic Exchanges: 1 starch, 1/2 fat

TERRIFIC TIDBIT: Use kitchen scissors to make biscuit cutting easier.

Bread lovers-Simple Italian Pull Aparts begin with biscuits

Sweet Potatoes or Yams?

 Tis the season of the yams!  We know our holiday table wouldn’t be complete without a bubbling hot rich sweet potato casserole. Or is it a yam casserole and what is the difference?  Well, a true yam actually is a tuber grown in the tropics, and a true sweet potato is an enlarged root of the sweet potato plant that is starchy when harvested but becomes sweeter after storage.  In the 1930′s, as Louisiana sweet potatoes were shipped to the eastern states, the consumer recognized that Louisiana sweet potatoes were moist, sweet and soft when baked.  Thus, “Louisiana Yams” (yam comes from African word “nyami” means “to eat”) became the trademark of the Louisiana sweet potato distinguishing them as the sweetest and most moist variety. 

 Here’s one of my favorite Louisiana yam recipes that I have no willpower–natural sweetness of yams, tart cranberries and a toasty pecan praline topping.

Sweet Potato Coffee Cake with Praline Topping from Holly Clegg trim&TERRIFIC Freezer Friendly Meals

Versatility and new yam ideas!  This nutritional vegetable packed with antioxidants and fiber adds a natural sweetness to any recipe from soups, stews, casseroles and breads. 

 Terrific Yam Tidbits:

 1 (15-ounce) can sweet potatoes (yams) drained and mashed equals 1 cup.

• 1 medium sweet potato, cooked equals 1 cup mashed
• If a recipe calls for canned sweet potatoes, fresh cooked sweet potatoes may be used.
• Bake sweet potatoes, wrap well, and freeze to pull out for a quick dinner side.
• Sweet potatoes (yams) should not be refrigerated unless cooked.
• Look for Louisiana yams in your grocery!

Sweet Potatoes or Yams?