Friday, December 31, 2010

Nutty Bacon Cheeseball: Friday Dec. 31, 2010

Good bye 2010........here we come 2011! Ready or not. My li'l brother Mikey is having a New Year's eve party. This recipe is worth repeating, one of our favorite. Found in a cookbook that came with my kitchen aid mixer:

Nutty Bacon Cheeseball

1 pkg. 8oz. cream cheese, softened
1/2 c milk
2 c. (8 oz.) shredded sharp Cheddar Cheese
2 c. shredded monterey jack cheese (I can only find this at Hy-Vee)
1/4 c. (1oz) blue cheese
1/4 c. finely minced green onions (white parts only)
1 jar (2 oz) diced pimiento
10 slices bacon, cooked and crumbled
3/4 c. chopped pecans
salt and pepper
1/4 c. minced parsley
1 T. poppy seed

1. Place cream cheese in mixer bowl. Attach bowl and flat beater to mixer. Turn to speed 2 and mix 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Speed 2, gradually add milk, mixing until well blended, about 1 minute. Scrape bowl. Add cheeses, onions, pimientos, half of bacon and half of pecans. Turn to speed 4 and beat until well blended, about 1 minute.

2. Season with salt & pepper.

3. Transfer half of mixture to lg. piece of plastic wrap. Form into ball: wrap tightly. Repeat with remaining mixture. Refrigerate at least 2 hrs until well chilled.

4. Combine remaining bacon, pecans, parsley & poppy seeds in pie plate or lg. dinner plate. Remove plastic wrap from each cheese ball: roll in bacon mixture until well coated. Wrap in clean plastic wrap & refrigerate until ready to use, up to 24 hrs.
Yield: 24 servings. each ball

Recipe Friday Dec. 31, 2010 Buffalo Chicken Dip

Buffalo Chicken Dip


1 package (8 ounces) cream cheese, softened
1 can (10 ounces) chunk white chicken, drained
1/2 cup buffalo wing sauce (we use hot wing sauce)
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
2 cups (8 ounces) shredded Colby-Monterey Jack cheese
Tortilla chips

Spread cream cheese into an ungreased shallow 1-qt. baking dish. Layer with chicken,
buffalo wing sauce and ranch dressing. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake, uncovered, at
350° for 20-25 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Yield: about 2 cups.

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Kitchen Aid is in the house!










I have been wanting a professional kitchen aid mixer for awhile now, one that will allow for LARGE batches of dough..........here it is in the color of choice! Thanks SANTA


Isaac got a kitchen aid for Christmas, too............an 'after market' that comes with a good background.....he knows exactly how much it has been used.......and how old it is! I gave him my old one, it still has a lifetime of use in it, have fun with it son.

Friday, December 24, 2010

Recipe Friday Dec. 24th. Spinach Artichoke Dip

Spinach-Artichoke Dip Easy/20 min

1) 8 oz cream cheese, softened
2) ½ cup sour cream
3) ½ cup mayonnaise
4) ½ cup parmesan cheese
5) 2 small cloves garlic, chopped
6) dash garlic salt
7) ½ teas. Accent (optional)
8) ½ cup frozen chopped spinach, thawed
9) 1 small jar marinated artichoke hearts, rinsed of oil and chopped
10) 1 to 2 cups Havarti cheese, grated or sliced
11) Milk or cream

In bowl, mix 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. Add 8 and 9, mix. Add 11 to thin mixture (1/4 to 1/3 cup). Spread in 8 x 8 pan (glass if going to microwave). Top evenly with 10.
Bake at 350 for 20 minutes or until cheese melts or microwave 6 - 8 minutes. Serve with white corn tortilla chips or toasted baguette slices.

First tasted at Laslow's in Lincoln, then imitated. Got from a co-worker at a holiday pot luck at work. YUMMY

Wednesday, December 22, 2010

Almond Bark with a twist











I got this recipe from Bake at 350. That photo was bloglifted from Bake at 350 also. It was midnight before I got done, so the lighting was bad.

It is gorgeous! I sent it to work with hubby for all of his co-workers........also sent with the round pretzels that have Kisses melted in the center, peanut butter fudge, chocolate fudge and non-traditional peanut clusters. Merry Christmas!!!! feel free to click on the attached links.

Sunday, December 19, 2010

Noah's Ark Collector

My sister in law and brother in law stopped tonight to drop off their gift to us this holiday season.

Scott is Steve's 1/2 brother, the most delightful person you'd ever meet in your life. He's not married until recently, he was striving for perfection and found it in Debbie.

I have collected Noah's arks for over 25 years, this is what they gifted me this year....the Noah's Ark Tree in the middle..........








Available at Sam's Club...who knew??

Friday, December 17, 2010

Creamy Peanut Butter Fudge

Ingredients

• 4 cups white sugar
• 1 cup light brown sugar
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1 (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk
• 1 (7 ounce) jar marshmallow creme
• 1 (16 ounce) jar peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

No candy thermometer is required. Before you start timing the fudge, a rolling boil is required. This means that you are not able to stir the fudge to stop the boiling process. Once the candy is at that stage, then begin timing.

1. Grease a 9x13 inch baking dish. This fudge is creamy and flawless every time. For any fudge to be successful you must follow directions exactly as written. Candy is a persnickety thing, stirring at the wrong time will cause crystallization of the sugar granules. Ruining your recipe.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, combine sugar, brown sugar, butter and evaporated milk. Bring to a rolling boil, stirring constantly, and boil for 7 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in marshmallow creme until well incorporated and melted. Stir in peanut butter and vanilla until smooth; spread in prepared pan. Let cool before cutting into squares.

I cut the fudge into squares, then seal in a large zip lock bag, placing it inside a rubbermaid container with a lid.

Monday, December 13, 2010

2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Exchange

I made the Cinnamon Sassies Cookie recipe for our cookie exchange this year, we'll give 1/2 dozen cookies to each participant. These cookies are like snickerdoodles on steroids......right out of the oven the centers are soft and chewy. The recipe is correct, it takes 1/4 cup of dough per cookie. So worth the extra effort. I put one or two of these on my cookie trays every year.

Here's mine, packaged and ready to go..











Recipe:

Cinnamon Sassies

* 1-½ cup Sugar
* ½ cups Butter Or Margarine
* 1 teaspoon Vanilla Or Vanilla Bean Paste
* 2 whole Eggs (large)
* 2-½ cups Flour
* 1 teaspoon Cream Of Tartar
* ½ teaspoons Baking Soda
* ¼ teaspoons Salt
* 1 cup Cinnamon Flavored Baking Chips
* 1 cup Chopped Pecans
* 2 Tablespoons Sugar (this To Roll Cookies In)
* 1 teaspoon Cinnamon (this To Roll Cookies In)

1. Heat oven to 375 F. If using a dark or nonstick pan, heat to 350F.

2. Beat 1 1/2 cups sugar, butter, vanilla, and eggs in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed, or mix with a spoon until creamy.

3. Stir in flour, ceam of tartar, baking soda and salt. Stir in cinnamon chips and pecans.

4. Mix 2 Tablespoons sugar and 1 teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl.

5. Shape dough by forming 1/4 cups of dough into balls. Roll in sugar and cinnamon mixture.

6. Place balls 3″ apart on un-greased large cookie sheet. (Do not flatten.)

7. Bake 13-17 minutes or until set and light brown. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack to cool.

Friday, December 10, 2010

Recipe Friday Dec. 10th, 2010: Foolproof Fudge




This is the best recipe ever, creamy, smooth, definitely foolproof, I do the microwave one, it is so much easier to clean up, I make several batches one right after the other:



Ingredients

3 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 (14 ounce) can EAGLE BRAND® Sweetened Condensed Milk
Dash salt
3/4 cup chopped nuts (optional)
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions

1. In heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Remove from heat; stir in nuts (optional) and vanilla.
Spread evenly into wax-paper-lined 8- or 9-inch square pan. Chill 2 hours or until firm. (I always make this in the microwave, see below, last item under variations)
2. Lift fudge out of pan and place onto cutting board; peel off paper and cut into squares. Store covered in refrigerator.

Variations:
Creamy Dark Chocolate Fudge: Melt 2 cups miniature marshmallows with chocolate chips and sweetened condensed milk. Proceed as above.

Milk Chocolate Fudge: Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips. Add 1 cup milk chocolate chips. Proceed as above.

Rocky Road Fudge: Omit 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips, salt, nuts and vanilla. In saucepan, melt chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and 2 tablespoons butter or margarine. In large bowl, combine 2 cups dry-roasted peanuts and 1 (10 1/2-ounce) package miniature marshmallows. Stir in chocolate mixture. Spread in wax paper-lined 13x9-inch pan. Proceed as above.(Makes about 2 3/4 pounds)

Microwave: In 1-quart glass measure, combine chocolate chips with sweetened condensed milk and salt. Cook on HIGH (100% power) 3 minutes or until chips melt, stirring after 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients. Proceed as above.

Friday, December 3, 2010

Recipe Friday: Coconut Cream Pie

Coconut Cream Pie

1 13.5 oz. can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk (whole or 2%, your choice)
3 eggs
3/4 cup white sugar
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup flaked coconut
1/4 cup toasted flaked coconut
2 (9 inch) graham cracker crust pie shells
1 container frozen whipped topping, thawed

1. Toast 1/4 cup coconut by spreading on a cookie sheet and baking at 350 degrees until just golden, about 5 minutes. (Don’t overcook or coconut turns bitter).

2. In a medium saucepan, combine milks, eggs, sugar, flour and salt. Bring to a boil over low heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 3/4 cup flaked (untoasted) coconut.

3. Pour into a pie shells (today I’m using a premade graham cracker crust, but you can use whatever you like) and chill 2 to 4 hours, until firm.
Before serving, spread each with whipped cream and sprinkle the toasted coconut across the tops.

Makes 2 pies; one to have and one to share.

I don't do this, I make a deep dish pie, using a 10" deep dish pie pan. The Paula Deen glass pie plates sold at Wal-mart are perfect for this recipe. It only makes one pie, though.