Allysgoodies is a website that I launched in 2003 shortly after our twins were born to share photos of our family and my art quilts.
While the twins and Drew were young, I worked from home building websites, restoring vintage sewing patterns, and selling handmade items online. As they got older I became a freelance educator for Husqvarna Viking and traveled around the country teaching quilting and creative sewing classes.

I believe in supporting local artists, farmers markets, and small businesses. We grow a lot of fruits, vegetables, and herbs year round and try to cook as many meals at home as possible. Over the years my cooking skills have improved dramatically, thanks to America's Test Kitchen and Alton Brown.

It has been such a blessing over the years to share with our family the importance of maintaining an organic, sustainable, water-wise garden. We harvest rainwater, vermicompost, use beneficial insects, plant native Texas plants, and provide food, water and shelter to wildlife.

Known at Tec support to family and friends- I am a self confessed computer geek and volunteer to maintain a few websites for charities we support. You will often find me in the yard, covered in dirt, taking photos and publishing them to the internet. Gardening to me is the perfect hobby- not only can I grow food for my family, teach the children about being self-sufficient, get "free" exercise, stay in touch with nature, but also take photos to use in art quilting later.

Mulch Love,
Allison Ray

My goal for this site is to provide information that people can count on. Unlike many "commercial" sites that only provide information that help sell a product. Our aim is to provide up to date researched information to help people not only save time and money with trial and error, while also conserve our natural resources in Texas.

In an effort to make finding information easy- This website is divided up into different categories and I do my best to keep to the topic within each. However, some topics do overlap, so if you do not find the information you are looking for try looking at one of the related categories.

If you have any tips, comments, suggestions or ideas about any of my articles, please email me. I would love to share your information and experiences to help others.

Madeline AKA Sissy

Mary Margaret AKA Porkchop

Drew AKA Dewba or Peanut

Nana

Papa Bill

Poppy, G-mum and Auntie

Randy
AKA...Daddy, Webmaster, Banker, Lawn Service Coordinator, Trash Man

Lucas, Texas Cimmaron

Shopping Cart Covers

Vintage Sewing Patterns

Allison
AKA..Momma, Maid, Taxi Driver, Seamstress, Webmaster, Cook, Banker, Mediator

We have been trying to find ways to eat the recommended 5 servings of fruit and veggies every day. Since we all have a wicked sweet tooth. We thought we would try only eating desserts that are made from fruit and/or fruit juice plus other healthy ingredients. Some of the recipes are healthier than others, but it’s a great way to add that extra fruit into your family’s diet. All of the recipes below use fruit and/or fruit juice plus other natural ingredients to create more nutritious food alternatives to over processed store bought desserts. You can adapt these recipes to make them even more healthy buy using organic ingredients, whole grains, and eggs from free range chickens. Let’s be honest, the chances of us mom’s having time to go to an orchard to pick fruit and a garden to veggies to blend perfect meals for our families is pretty slim in these busy times. If we can sneak it into desserts maybe they won't even notice ;0)
These are some of our favorite dessert recipes. If you have any recipes that you would like to share or if you have tried some of these and want to share your feedback. Ps...please do not resell or post these recipes on any message boards.

White Cheese Queso Recipe
1 package of Ranchero- Queso Fresco cheese
5 oz chopped jalapeños
1/4 cup half and half
1/4 cup heavy cream
16 oz cream cheese
1/4 small onion
2 tsp cumin
2 Tbsp butter
In small pan melt butter and cook the chopped onions. Place the cooked onions into a small crock pot with the remaining ingredients. Heat until the cheese is melted and smooth. Serve with tortilla chips or flour tortillas.

Cream Cheese Banana Bread Recipe
1 Cup granulated sugar
8 oz fat free cream cheese
6 ripe bananas
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
2 cups pancake mix
In mixing bowl combine all ingredients. Pour into greased pan (I use a loaf pan) and bake at 350 for about 1 hour. This is great as a breakfast bread or you can use the left over once it is stale and make some yummy bread pudding.

Hot Fruit Dessert Recipe
1 orange
1 lemon
½ cup brown sugar packed
½ tsp. Nutmeg
8 oz can apricots
8oz can pineapple tidbits
8 oz can slice peaches
17 oz can pitted bing cherries
sour cream
Grate the rind from the orange and lemon; add to brown sugar with nutmeg. Cut orange and lemon into very thin slices. Drain fruit juice. Combine fruits. Butter a 1 quart casserole an arrange fruits in layers. Sprinkle each layer with some of the brown sugar. Bake 30 minutes. Serve warm with a spoonful of sour cream on top.

Lemon Ice Recipe
4 cups water
3 ½ cup sugar
1 cup fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. Grated lemon rind
Combine water and sugar in a sauce pan; bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes. Cool. Add lemon juice plus rind. Pour into 2 refrigerator trays. Place in freezer. When mixture is frozen to mush, remove to a cold bowl and quickly beat until smooth. Return to trays and freeze again until firm, about 2 hours.

Pretty Parfait Recipe
4 cups sweetened cooked rice
½ pint whipping cream
½ tsp. Almond flavoring
4 Tbsp. Sugar
1 package frozen strawberries, defrosted
To sweeten the rice, add 2 tablespoons of sugar to the water in which the rice is cooked. Chill. Just before serving, whip the cream, flavoring, sugar. Then fold into the rice. Fill serving dishes with alternate layers of rice and strawberries. Top with whipped cream.

Grapefruit- Avocado Salad Mold Recipe
2 Tbsp. Gelatin
½ cup cold water
½ cup hot water
3 cups fresh grapefruit, drained
½ cup sugar
3 Tsp. Lemon juice
1 Cup grapefruit juice
1 avocado
½ cup nuts
Dissolve the gelatin in cold water and then add the hot. Blend grapefruit, sugar, lemon juice plus grapefruit juice, avocado and nuts. Pour into a round mold or into 8 individual molds.

Flat Apple Pie Recipe
Crust
4 cups flour
1 cup butter
1 cup margarine
6 T. iced water
6 apples
1 cup sugar
sharp cheddar cheese
1 Tbsp cinnamon
lemon juice
½ cup maple syrup
Put flour, butter and margarine on marble slab. Cut with knife until it is like corn meal. Then put into a bowl and add iced water. Handle just enough so that it stays together, then roll out to one inch thickness, place in refrigerator for 20 minutes. Then roll out again to one eighth of an inch.
Use flat pan or baking sheet 15x10 inches. Cover with prepared crust, and arrange sectioned apples over one layer. Sprinkle with one cup of sugar, and the lemon juice plus cinnamon, and bake pie for 20 minutes. Reduce heat to 350 for 30 minutes more.

Stuffed Baked Apples Recipe
6 apples
4 tbsp. Mincemeat
1 cup sugar
1 cup orange juice
1 tsp. grated orange rind
Wash baking apples and remove core without extending hole through apple. Stuff with mincemeat. Place apples in open baking pan. Combine juice plus sugar and grated rind and simmer for 10 minutes. Pour orange juice sauce over the apples and place in oven. Bake at 350 for 1 hr.

Honey Nut Bread Recipe
2 ¾ cups flour
2 ½ tsp. Baking powder
½ tsp. Salt
½ tsp. Sods
2 tbsp. Shortening
1 cup strained honey
1 egg, beaten
1 Tbsp. Grated orange rind
¾ cup orange juice
¾ cup nuts, chopped
Mix and sift dry ingredients
Blend shortening and honey. Add the beaten egg and orange rind; mix well. Add sifted dry ingredients and orange juice plus egg mixture. Add the chopped nuts. Mix only enough to moisten dry ingredients. Pour into a greased loaf pan. Place in 320 oven Bake 1 ¼ hours

Old Fashioned Plum Pudding Recipe
1 1/3 cups sifted all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp. salt
1 tsp. Soda
¼ tsp. all spice, cinnamon, cloves, and nutmeg
1/8 tsp. mace
¾ cup brown sugar
1 1/3 cups ground suet
1 Cup seeded raisins
¾ Cup currants
1 ¾ cups chopped mixed candied fruits 2 eggs, beaten
1/3 cup orange juice
Mix and sift flour, salt, soda and spices. Add orange juice plus mace, sugar, suet, raisins, currants, candied fruits and eggs. Pour into well greased 1 ½ quart mold. Adjust lid or cover with wax paper. Place 2 cups water in deep well cooker and place mold on trivet. Cook on high heat until steaming, then turn to low heat or simmer and cook 5 hours.

Lemon Sauce Recipe
1 ½ Tbsp. Cornstarch
½ cup sugar
1 ½ cups cold water
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 tsp. Grated lemon rind
2 Tbsp. Butter
Combine cornstarch, sugar and water in saucepan. Cook on low heat until mixture thickens. Remove from heat. Add lemon juice plus grated lemon rind, and butter.

Prune Whip Recipe
1 ½ cups dried prunes
2 Egg whites
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. Sugar
2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Vanilla
Using the food press combination put the prunes in the top part and rinse. Measure 3 cups hot water into the saucepan and assemble the food press. Cover; bring water to boiling on high heat and reduce to Medium head. Steam 20 minutes or until tender. Remove from heat. Cool prunes and pour liquid out of sauce pan. Press prune pulp into saucepan, using masher.
Whip egg whites with salt until stiff but not dry. Beat in sugar, a tablespoon at a time. Slowly beat lemon juice plus vanilla and prune pulp into egg mixture. Continue to beat until fluffy. Heap into dessert dishes. Chill well.
Make 4 servings

Raspberry Tapioca Parfait Recipe
1 egg white
5 Tablespoons sugar
1 Egg Yoke
2 Cups Milk
3 Tbsp. quick cooking tapioca
½ tsp. salt
¼ tsp. Nutmeg
1/8 tsp. Vanilla
2 tsp. Lemon juice
1 tsp. Grated lemon peel
1 cup heavy cream, whipped
1 ½ cups thawed frozen raspberries or sweetened, fresh raspberries
Whip egg white until foamy. Beat in 2 tablespoons of the sugar, a tablespoon at a time; continue beating until stands in soft peaks. Set aside.
Mix egg yolk and ¼ cup of the milk in the 1-quard saucepan. Blend well. Stir in remaining sugar and milk, tapioca, salt and nutmeg. Cook on medium heat stirring constantly, until mixture comes to a boil. Remove from heat. Slowly sire ½ cup hot mixture into beaten egg white; blend well. Gradually stir in remaining mixture. Mix in the lemon juice plus lemon peel. Cool 15-20 minutes; stir and chill. When chilled fold into whipped cream. Fill parfait glasses with alternate layers of pudding and berries.
Make 8 servings.

Fruit Sauce (yummy with fritters) Recipe
½ cup sugar
2 Tbsp. corn starch
1 ¼ cups fruit juice
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tbsp. butter
1 cup chopped fruit
Mix the sugar and corn starch in saucepan; stir in the fruit juice plus lemon juice. Cook, stirring constantly, until thick and smooth and semi-transparent. Remove from heat’ add the butter and additional fruit.