Kate Gosselin's Love Is in the Mix (15 page)

T
his is my secret weapon to perfect holiday pie making, so I had to share it with you. I use this especially with my
Fast Freezer Apple Pie Filling
, but you can use it to top any fruit pie. I have not mastered a traditional “top crust” for pies, so I use this crumb topping—and I like it even better!

Combine all of the ingredients in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse the mixture until it has the texture of oatmeal. Refrigerate this crumble topping until it’s ready to use. Sprinkle it evenly as the “top” of your pie and bake according to pie directions.

F
ourth of July is our “favorite-est” summer holiday! The flags, patriotism, and hot summer weather make us smile. In years past, we always attended our local parade and then grilled outside for dinner. Now that we have a pool, we tend to invite friends over and decorate all “red, white, and blue,” including our driveway, which is always lined with American flags. This flag cake is a well-known American recipe that you may remember us making on our TLC show, Jon and Kate Plus 8. I’ve added my own favorite touches over time to make it even more fun. It has become a Fourth tradition for our family because it combines our patriotic spirit with a scrumptious easy dessert.

Bake the cake in a 9 by 13-inch pan according to the package instructions and let it cool.

Allow the whipped topping to come to room temperature. Spread the topping across the entire cake.

Place the blueberries in the top left corner in a square to represent the stars; put these on the cake first. Use the sliced strawberries to create “stripes” across the cake. Add the white chocolate chips between each strawberry stripe and form a border around the blueberries in the top left corner.

Sing “You’re a Grand Old Flag,” and dig in!

Variations and Options:
Substitute red raspberries instead of strawberries;add red and blue sprinkles to the cake batter before baking; use my
Cream Cheese Icing
in place of the whipped topping.

L
et go. Relax. Make some fun
“snacky”-type foods. In this section, I share my collection of recipes that I enjoy making just for fun. These are the ones that make everyone—my kids and our friends and family—stick close to the kitchen, hoping to be the first to taste what pops out of the oven or fridge next!

W
hen my kids were little, they used to call hummus “Thomas,” thinking it was named after Collin Thomas. They have been eating it since they were very young and would often yell, “More Thomas please!” This makes a great lunch with some sliced vegetables, or a healthy after-school snack. It’s a huge hit with my kids, who like to eat it with
Toasted Pita Chips
.

Drain the chickpeas. Using a blender, puree the chickpeas, garlic, lemon juice, tahini paste, olive oil, and the salt until very smooth.

Serve with pita bread or Toasted Pita Chips. This hummus can be stored for up to 4 days in the refrigerator.

I
threw this together one hot summer day for a last-minute pool party. It was an instant and refreshing hit and has become a summer regular for us.

Combine all of the ingredients in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer for 3 to 4 minutes until well blended.

Chill in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours and serve with your choice of fruit.

T
hese are my version of my grandma’s moon balls, which she made all the time for us during our childhood years. As far as food is concerned, they are truly one of my fondest childhood memories and have become one of my kids’ favorites, too. We just made them again—last night, in fact!

Chop the nuts in a food processor until they are the consistency of a fine powder. Pour the nut powder into a low bowl. Set aside.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine the syrup, peanut butter, and skim milk, and mix until well incorporated.

Using your hands, form walnut-sized balls and roll each of them in the nut powder to coat. Serve immediately. Refrigerate the leftovers.

T
here is scarcely anything I love eating more in life than guacamole. So, over time, I have developed my favorite recipe for it … and I pretty much live on it. The most encouraging thing is that my kids now crave it, too. You are what you eat, so consider me an avocado!

Blot the roasted red peppers between paper towels to remove the excess liquid and then dice them. Rinse, blot, and dice the black olives.

Cut the avocadoes carefully in half, avoiding the pit, and gently twist the halves apart. Remove the pit and discard. Reserve the avocado skins to use as small serving bowls. Score the flesh vertically and horizontally, and scoop the flesh into a mixing bowl using a spoon.

Add all of the other ingredients to the mixing bowl with the avocado and combine. Mix well until it reaches the desired consistency.

Scoop into the avocado skins, garnish with the extra cilantro, and serve with tortilla chips.

I
love cooking healthy, organic, and inexpensive meals. This recipe allows us to have a somewhat healthy pizza night, and I can even accommodate each topping request. I usually make three pizzas: one with cheese, onion, green pepper, and pepperoni; one tomato basil (feta cheese, fresh tomato, fresh basil, and a few drops of olive oil); and one with “everything” (cheese, pepperoni, onion, mushrooms, black olives, and green pepper). It’s a sure hit every time Mom plays “Pizza Parlor”!

Preheat the oven to 550 degrees F.

Into a large standing mixer, using a dough-hook attachment, pour the warm water and add the yeast. Let stand for 5 minutes. Slowly add the 11 cups of flour, and the sugar and the olive oil intermittently, stopping occasionally to scrape the sides of the bowl.

Turn the mixer up to medium as the dough becomes thicker, and continue mixing. Once all of the flour, sugar, and olive oil are added and they are well mixed, add the salt and incorporate it well.

When the dough is firm, yet somewhat “sticky,” it’s ready to be placed on a well-floured surface to be rolled out.

Divide the dough into 3 to 4 sections and knead the air bubbles out. Form each section into a flat circle. Then, using a rolling pin, roll each circle evenly in all directions to form a ¼-inch-thick pizza crust. Flip the dough over occasionally and flour its surface each time so that the rolling pin doesn’t stick to the dough surface.

When the desired size is reached, transfer the dough to a pizza pan. Crimp the edges of the dough to form a crust.

Top the dough with pizza sauce (use Kate’s Homemade Pizza Sauce on page 209, or store-bought). Top the sauce with the desired toppings and bake until the crust is browned and the pizza is bubbly, about 12 to 14 minutes. Watch the pizza closely as all ovens vary.

Note:
If you want smaller (12-inch) pizzas, divide the dough into 5 parts. I like to make these into heart-shaped pizzas for Valentine’s Day.