Playing w/ my food!!

I have a confession . . . one of my favorite things about cooking is that I get to practice "art". I was never very good in art class during school, but I love decorating cakes, and turning the ordinary, simple dessert, into a beautiful creation. So this past Sunday, I took advantage of the opportunity to be creative when I fixed dessert for lunch at my bro & sis-in-law's house. I absolutely love fresh fruit, and could make myself sick on fruit salads during the summer! Some day, my dream is to have a big orchard, berry patch, as well as my own vegetable garden! I absolutely love fresh produce! Anyway, on to yesterday's food . . . the fruit pizza was for lunch, and then I took some of the pumpkin oatmeal muffins (posted Jan 25th) as well as one of my favorite quiches, Sausage & Cheese to Sunday School. They were all three a big hit! My kids, nieces, & nephews thought the fruit pizza was pretty cool.

Fruit Pizza

serves at least 12

1 pkg refrigerated sugar cookie dough

8 oz cream cheese, softened

8 oz cool whip, thawed

Assorted fruits

1/4 cup Peach Jelly

Slice cookie dough into thin rounds, and place them on baking pan, side by side. Use fingers, or small rolling pin to flatten and connect the pieces to form one large crust. Leave approx. 1/2" of edge of pan uncovered, so the dough can expand w/o running off into your oven. Bake according to package temperature, for 15 - 20 minutes, or until golden in color. Let cool completely, and leave on pan. Blend cream cheese until smooth; fold in whipped topping, and spread on top of cookie crust. Arrange fruit, as desired and chill pizza until ready to eat. Just prior to serving, heat jelly 10 - 15 seconds in microwave, until liquid, but not too hot. Drizzle over the top of the pizza, cut and serve.

Sausage & Cheese Quiche

makes 1 9" deep dish (8 servings)

1# ground sausage

1 med. onion, chopped

1 small bell pepper, chopped

1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped

1 Tbs flour

6 eggs, slightly beaten

3 Tbs. sour cream

1 1/2 cup milk

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese

1 Tbs dried parsley

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp ground pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1 pie crust, unbaked

Combine sausage, onions, bell pepper, & mushrooms in skillet, cook until sausage is no longer pink; drain. Combine flour and cheese; toss w/ cooked sausage. Pour sausage mixture into bottom of prepared crust. In medium bowl, combine eggs and sour cream, until well blended; add milk and seasonings. Pour over sausage & cheese. Bake at 375* for 35-40 minutes, or until knife inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let sit for 10 minutes before serving. You can cook this ahead of time and place in low oven to warm for 10 minutes before eating.