Dish the Pie with Monique & Diana Rubino
Today on Dish the Pie, Diana Rubino joins me to share the recipe for one of her favourite pies and to tell us about Fakin’ It, her contemporary romantic comedy. In addition to contemporary romance, Diana also writes historical romance. Please help me welcome Diana!
Welcome, Diana! I'm so happy to dish the pie with you! The first question I always ask my guests is:
Do you like desserts? What is your favourite and would you share the recipe with us?
Diana: I never skip dessert; my favorite is pumpkin cheesecake made with cottage cheese. I’m happy to share the recipe.
Monique: I have to admit, I’ve never had pumpkin pie made with cottage cheese. I’m looking forward to the recipe!
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Ingredients:
3/4 cup low fat cottage cheese
2/3 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
1 tbsp. white whole wheat flour
2 tbsp. honey
1/4 tsp. salt
4 egg whites
2 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
1/2 tsp. pumpkin pie spice, no sugar added
Directions:
Place everything in your blender and blend until smooth. Pour into a greased or parchment lined cake pan or a mini scone pan.
Bake at 350 F for 50 minutes.
Optional: When cooled, top with whipped cream
Enjoy!
1 serving = 1/8 of the entire cake
Carbs: 13gm
Monique: This looks delicious, Diana. Have you ever eaten pie for breakfast? If so, what was it?
Diana: No, I can’t say I have. The closest to a pie for breakfast has been quiche.
Monique: It’s been a while since I’ve had pie for breakfast. What is your earliest funny childhood memory?
Diana: In third grade, my teacher called my friend Jill “a spoiled brat.” I went hysterical laughing, never heard that phrase. Jill and I are still friends to this day, and I always find her ‘spoiled’ or ‘brat’ birthday cards.
Monique: It’s so sweet that you’ve kept that inside joke going all these years! I love how moments like that can stick with us. Which season (Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter) is your favourite and why?
Diana: Autumn; the extreme heat is over, the leaves are breathtakingly beautiful, and it’s time for crisp apples and pumpkins. It’s also Halloween season, and as I’m very into the paranormal, I enjoy watching all the paranormal shows and reading creepy books.
Monique: I love spring, but this year I’ve been liking autumn very much. Are you married?
Diana: I’m very happily married to my husband, Chris.
Monique: How did you meet him?
Diana: We met when I was working in London.
Monique: How did he propose?
Diana: He didn’t formally propose; it was a mutual decision to get married.
Monique: Cute! How long have you been together?
Diana: We’ve been together since 1979, married since 1986.
Monique: Oh, that’s a lovely long relationship! What’s your philosophy in life?
Diana: Follow the Golden Rule, treat people how you want to be treated, and always do the right thing; as a strong believer in Karma, I make sure I don’t do anything to bring about bad Karma.
Monique: That’s a good rule to follow. Thank you so much for dishing the pie with me today, Diana. Would you tell us about your contemporary romantic comedy?
Fakin It
by Diana Rubino
Published by The Wild Rose Press
What happens when the perfect hero steps out of a romance novel and into the real world?
“Yes! The End!” After nineteen drafts and a two-week trek to Antarctica, Judi finally finished Barbarian Hoards of the Dark Nebula, #10 in the Race Parsec series. She scrolled up to the Prologue, where Race bade his ladylove farewell on the launching pad.
She mouthed the words from her monitor: “Finestra, my love for you transcends the vastness of space, however warped.”
Judi closed her eyes and sighed. Oh, to live in her made-up world, where heroes never cheated, and lovers never grew apart, no matter how many galaxies separated them. “If only love could transcend warped space in our universe.”
She glanced over her rimless specs. No one paid attention to the muttering redhead in the newsboy cap. The literati here at Three Steps Down tapped on laptops, read from their Kindles, and chatted with others—or with themselves. The Village Vanguard rated this place Number One for trendsetters in poetry, film noir, and flavored lattes. The whirring ceiling fans created a pillowy breeze. A young Usher wannabee sang off- key with no kicking bass or backup hotties, only snapping fingers.
Diana writes about folks through history who shook things up. Her passion for history and travel has taken her to every locale of her books: Medieval and Renaissance England, Egypt, the Mediterranean, Virginia, New England, and New York. Her urban fantasy romance FAKIN’ IT won a Top Pick award from Romantic Times. She is a member of the Richard III Society and the Aaron Burr Association. With her husband Chris, she owns CostPro, Inc., a construction cost consulting business. In her spare time, she bicycles, golfs, practices yoga, works out with her trainer, plays her piano, devours books, and lives the dream on Cape Cod.
Oh, that recipe looks wonderful! I enjoyed your interview, too!
ReplyDeleteHi, Liz, thanks for visiting!
DeleteYum to pumpkin cheese cake. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteHi! Thanks so much for visiting.
DeleteThanks for visiting, readers! Monique, the post looks fantastic; am spreading the word!
ReplyDeleteHappy to host you, Diana!
DeleteNow I want to make that pie!!!
ReplyDeleteIt does look yum! Although, I'm not sure about the cottage cheese. Then again, it would make the pie higher protein. Definitely worth a sample! Thanks for stopping by, Maxine.
DeleteI'm sure you'll love it, Maxine! You'll get hooked, I guarantee it!
DeleteThe cottage cheese does sound very interesting. I think I might have to try it.
ReplyDeleteIt makes it lighter; you're not aware it has cottage cheese in it. Regular cheesecake is dense and heavy, and of course has more calories & fat.
ReplyDeleteCongrats on the new release. Sounds like a fun read. And the pie sounds wonderful and easy to make. I love pumpkin cheesecake but my recipe is a bit less healthy than yours. :D
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by, Alicia. Hugs.
Delete