Frito Dip

I decided to make this for a fun appetizer for us tonight and am shocked that this is not an entry on my blog.  It is a recipe that I got from one of the ladies in my Bunco Group.  It is easy to make but you need to have a Hawaiian Bread bowl and they are not always easy to find.  I had to use a different one (sourdough) for the one pictured and hope it tastes as good.

Looking forward to pulling this out of the oven and eating it tonight during family game night!  I didn't hallow the bowl out very well and it spilled over.  Glad it put it in the disposable pan :)

Enjoy!


Frito Dip
1 1/2 cups sour cream
1 pkg (8oz) cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
5 green onions - chopped
1 4oz) can green chilies - drained

Mix all together. Cut out top of bread bowl and pour mix into bowl.  Wrap in foil and bake at 375 degrees for 1 hour.  Serve with Fritos and cubed bread from the top you removed.

Goodbye 2012 & Hello 2013

I can't believe that I blogged all year and pretty regularly.  I have added a lot of different recipes and some of my favorites to this blog this year. 

I did 3 posts on Freezer Cooking which I tried this year.  One all day event and 2 about my shortcuts which work better for me and my family.  There are still recipes that I haven't added that are some of my favorites which I am going to have to pull out and photograph. 

My photos need some help but I still got over 7000 hits on my site.  That just blows my mind.  Pinterest has done wonders for my blog and some of the recipes that have over 500 hits surprise me.  I guess I should realize that the basics are some peoples favorite things to make and find recipes for.

I had hoped to hit 100 posts but I will take 98 for my first year.

Thanks for making my first year fun.  Looking forward to a great 2013. 

Chicken & Noodles

I found this recipe on Pinterest and decided to try it.  I had all the ingredients and it reminded me of the Chicken Tetrazzini my sister makes.  It was so creamy and my kids really liked it.  I had way more than I should of and it was such a comfort dish which I really needed this month. 

Its been a tough month and with the holidays next week I needed some comfort food. Food has always been a huge comfort for me and why I can't seem to make the scale go down these days.  I LOVE food and trying new things.  I think I am going to focus on eating the good stuff next year but in moderation and see where that gets me :)

Hope you enjoy!!!!

Chicken & Noodles
8oz spaghetti noodles
2 cans cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream
2 cups chicken, cooked and cubed
2 Tbl butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Cook Spaghetti according to directions.  Saute onions in butter until clear.  Mix soup and sour cream in a large mixing bowl.  Add onions, chicken and drained noodles.  Mixed until all coated with the soup/sour cream mixture.  Transfer to a greased 9x13 baking dish and cover with cheddar cheese.  Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.  Serve with a salad and rolls. 

Spritz Cookies

I have started on my Christmas baking and I make my favorite cookies 2 ways.  One as the green trees and one as a long skinny S that I dip in chocolate and add nuts or sprinkles too.  These are some of my favorite cookies and I do make them year round just more at the holidays.  I always make a tray of cookies for my neighbor and this year she asked for the recipe.  Always the biggest compliment.   

I have found that the dough needs to be a little chilled to not spread so easily when you use the cookie press.  Plus, not all cookie presses are created equal.  I have tried a lot of them and I use one for the S cookies which is older than I am.  They don't make the star tip on the newer cookie presses any more.  The cheap plastic ones (about $10) I use as long as I can until the break for the trees, hearts or flowers I make throughout the year. 

I think the secret ingredient to these is the Almond Extract.  I gives them the right flavor plus I like them just this side of done.  They are softer and so much better.

Enjoy!


Spritz Cookies
1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
2 1/4 c flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
Dash salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Cream butter in large bowl.  Add sugar and beat until light and fluffy.  Beat in egg and extract.  Gradually add in dry ingredients.  Using cookie press, make cookies about 1 3/4 inches in diameter onto an unbuttered cookie sheets.  Decorate with sprinkles.  Bake 10 -12 minutes until pale. 

Chicken in Cheese Soup

This recipe my mom gave me from my Aunt who is no longer here with us.  I am so thankful to have a few of her fabulous recipes.  This is such an easy meal and my kids love it.  Plus, you can fix it with a lot of different sides to make it a little different whenever you fix it.  My favorite is mashed potatoes but you could serve it over egg noodles or white rice.  We've had it with all of the above and it's always all gone :)

Chicken in Cheese Soup
1 (3lb) bag of boneless chicken breasts, defrosted

1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cheddar cheese soup

Cut your chicken into nice size pieces.  I cut mine in half and place in a 9x13 baking dish.  In a small bowl, combine 1/2 of each can of soup.  Place the remaining half in a freezer container, label and toss in the freezer for next time.  (Can be stored up to 3 months).  Spread over top of chicken and cover with aluminum foil.  Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.  Serve with potatoes, rice or egg noodles and enjoy!

Jalapeno Dip

I decided to try this for my Bunko group this month and the directions were really broad and my dip was REALLY spicy as a result.  I used the juice from the jalapenos and the green peppers.  It was really spicier than I like.  But I learned to be liberal with spicy stuff and watch how much I add.

It was easy and went together very quickly.  I had everything and served it with my favorite Club Crackers.  Everyone commented on the heat but everyone loves Jalapeno dip and were thrilled to learn I had made it.

Hope you enjoy!




Jalapeno Dip
2 pkgs cream cheese, soft
1 cup mayo
1 4oz can green chilies
1 4oz can jalapenos, drained
1 cup Parmesan cheese

Stir cream cheese and mayo until blended.Stir in chilies, peppers and cheese. Pour mix into pie pan and bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie

I never make desserts and decided to try on for the Pinterest Craft Night a hosted last week.  It was a lot of fun and we had all kinds of good recipes.  Here is one I found online that takes 4 ingredients and I only used two and it was AMAZING!  My son inhaled it when he arrived.

Hope you enjoy!

Chocolate Chip Cookie Pie
1 roll refrigerated chocolate chip cookie dough
semi sweet chocolate chips
chopped walnuts (optional)
vanilla ice cream

Press half the cookie dough into the bottom of a 9 inch oval casserole dish. Sprinkle a layer of chocolate chips and chopped walnuts over the cookie dough. Crumble the remaining half of cookie dough over top of the chocolate chips. Bake at 350 degrees for approximately 25 minutes, until the top of the cookie pie is turning a golden brown. Allow to cool for about ten minutes, then serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

Grandma Bode's Sugar Cookies turned Christmas

I needed cookies for a cookie exchange at Bunko this week and I decided to try something new.  I took my Grandmother Bode's sugar cookie recipe and adapted it.  They looked great and tasted even better.  I LOVE her sugar cookie recipe and I wanted to dress them up for this exchange.  You roll the cookies in sugar and I rolled them in green/red sugar instead.  They looked lovely.  I added a Hershey's peppermint kiss and they were perfect.

The secret to these is making sure you chill the dough long enough or they spread out easy.  I like to chill mine overnight. 

Hope you enjoy!

 
Grandma Bode's Sugar Cookies turned Christmas
1 cup butter
1 cup vegetable oil
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cream of tarter
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups flour
Bag of Hershey's Peppermint Kisses

Cream butter, oil and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla.  Sift dry ingredients and add to wet ingredients.  Cover and chill several hours.  When chilled, using a teaspoon dip up dough and form into a ball using your hands.  Roll in sugar and place on cookie sheet.  Press flat with the bottom of a glass.  Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes.  Remove and add Peppermint Kiss.

I only baked mine about 9-10 minutes.  I like mine very pale.  They brown very easily.

Here is a close up of one on the cooling rack.
 

Bacon Wrapped Smokies

My hubby LOVES this and every time I make them I have to eat them fast or he will eat them all in a blink of an eye.  This time was no exception.  I decided to make some for Saturday night while we put our tree up with some stuff mushrooms as well.  I got them out of the oven, put a couple on my plate and went back about an hour later and they were GONE!  They are super simple and I always keep a package of the little smokies in the freezer just for this reason.

Hope your family lets you enjoy them before they are gone!

Bacon Wrapped Smokies
1 pkg of little smokies
1 lb of bacon
1 cup of brown sugar
toothpicks

Cut strips of bacon into 3 equal pieces.  Take a smokies and place it onto the bacon.  Wrap up and secure with a toothpick.  Place in a 9x13 baking dish close together.  Repeat until all of them are wrapped and dish is full.  Sprinkle 1 cup of brown sugar over top of smokies.  You make think that it's too much but it can NEVER be too much.  Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour.  Remove foil and enjoy!

3 Cheese Artichoke Dip

I hosted Pinterest craft night last Friday and everyone was to bring something they found on Pinterest to bring to snack on.  I made a appetizer and a dessert.  They were both great and I will easily make them again.  I forgot to grab a photo of each so I am borrowing until I make them again. 

I had everything to make this and it was the perfect warmed up later.

Enjoy!

3 Cheese Artichoke Dip
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 (14 ounces) can artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 cup mayo
1 (8 ounces) block cream cheese, softened
1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 tsp garlic powder
dash Worcestershire sauce


In a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese with a mixer until smooth. Then beat in the mayo until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and stir together until combined. Transfer the dip to a pie plate or shallow dish. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 40 minutes until the top is golden brown and the dip is bubbling. Serve hot with crackers or tortilla chips.