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My Easy Creamy Salsa Dip

December 15, 2008 13 Comments

The holiday season gets a little crazy, with all the extra social events, cooking, baking, shopping, card sending, gift wrapping, decorating, and countless other activities. In times like these it’s always good to find short cuts and simple solutions. So to go along with this week’s simplicity theme, I decided to post my recipe for Creamy Salsa Dip. This was actually the first recipe that I ever posted on the blog, but at the time I didn’t have a photo of it. So when I made the dip last week, I decided to get some photos to share.

I’m also posting this on the appetizer portion of the Bloggy Progressive Dinner. The appetizers are being hosted by A Simple Walk on Tuesday.

Recipe for Creamy Salsa Dip:
Ingredients:
8 oz. Cream cheese (softened)
1/2 cup Sour Cream
1 1/2 cups salsa
Directions: Cream together the cream cheese & sour cream. Add salsa gradually and mix well.

Tips & Suggestions:
-Serve with tortilla chips, Fritos, or potato chips.

-It would also be great with crackers, vegetables, crescent rolls, or even other appetizers like chicken fingers or Southwestern eggrolls.

-Here’s something my husband & I came up with: Chop up one or two cooked chicken breasts, and add to mixture. Use for dipping or bake inside of crescents or tortillas.

-This recipe is great for a big party or a quiet night at home.


-Jerri


Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, party ideas, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Peanut Butter Balls

December 12, 2008 7 Comments

To me, no food says, “Merry Christmas” like Peanut Butter balls. When I was growing up, we used to make these every year at Christmas. It is, by far, my most favorite Christmas recipe and favorite candy recipe of all time!

I didn’t actually make the ones pictured here. They came from a friend. These are a little different from the one’s we always made. The biggest difference is that we covered our completely in chocolate, and these obviously are not completely covered. But they taste good either way. Some people also refer to this “not completely covered” version as Buckeyes.

Recipe for Peanut Butter Balls
Ingredients:
3 cups peanut butter
2 boxes powdered sugar
2 tpsp vanilla
2 sticks margarine
1 bag semi-sweet chocolate chips (12 oz)
1/2 block paraffin wax
Directions:
Mix peanut butter, sugar, vanilla, and margarine, roll into balls. Place on trays, covered in wax paper. Insert toothpicks. Chill in the refrigerator for about an hour. Use a double boiler to melt chocolate chips and wax together. (The chocolate will be a thin liquid, and will be shell-like once the balls have cooled.) Dip balls in chocolate and place on wax paper.
Tips & Suggestions:
-If you’re in a hurry and/or only need a small batch of these, this recipe is easy to divide in half.
-Be sure to use semi-sweet chips. If you use milk chocolate, it won’t melt in properly with the wax.
-Chilling the balls for an hour with the toothpicks already inserted will make the dipping easier. If you stick the balls at room temperature and then immediately dip them, the balls are more likely to fall off into the chocolate.
-Keep a spoon or other utensil handy, in case you have to “fish” any of the balls out of the chocolate.
-To completely cover the balls in chocolate and fill in the holes, go over all the balls with a spoon of left over chocolate at the end.
-Don’t forget to stir the chocolate occasionally in the middle of the dipping process. And use a double boiler to prevent sticking.
-If you’re making the large batch, be sure that you have your counter & fridge completely cleared so that you have plenty of space to lay out the balls.
-The rolling & the dipping can be a very timely process. It definitely doesn’t hurt to have a partner or helpers on this one.


-Jerri


Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, recipes

Half a Dozen Christmas Cookies

December 10, 2008 7 Comments

No food is more closely associated with Christmas than cookies. So here’s a lovely selection of yummy Christmas cookies from our fellow blogging friends. That Santa’s a lucky man! Below each photo, you’ll find a link to the blog where the cookies came from. And thanks everyone for allowing me to share your goodies! Enjoy!

Chocolate Kris Krinkle Cookies from Rosie Bakes a “Peace” of Cake. Don’t these look yummy? Rosie never ceases to amaze with her delicious looking cakes and treats. Move over Betty Crocker! (You can also participate in her Sweet and Simple Bakes each month.)

Lemon & Strawberry Jam Christmas Cookies from Nina’s Cooking 4 Fun. Very pretty! Nina’s food creations are beautifully photographed. You can request her recipes by emailing her at ninaartdesign@yahoo.com. You can also check out her other blogs, devoted to art and jewelry creations, gardening, and even one of a kind envelopes. She’s a true artist. (and a busy woman!)

English Toffee from Prudence Pennywise. Not really a cookie, but I wanted to include it anyway! Prudy creates “scandously good food on a budget.” And right now she’s doing a neat little series of posts on Christmas Around the World.

Snickerdoodles with Cinnamon Chips from Dunkin Cooking the Semi-Homemade Way. MaryBeth’s Snickerdoodles are just one of many, scrumptious looking recipes on this blog. And each of her lovely pictures is worth a thousand words!

Molasses Cookies from Lamp Unto My Feet. Sherry’s blog has a little bit of everything from the realm of home and family. And she’s posted more great Christmas goodies that you’ll love!

The Best Sugar Cookies from Baking Delights. Sugar cookies are one of my all time favorites. They’re such a simple classic! Try these and other delicous cookies and food recipes made by Marye.


-Jerri


Filed Under: Christmas, cookies and candy, recipes

The Best of Simply Sweet Home: The Christmas Recipe Edition

December 9, 2008 8 Comments


Time for more of my favorite posts from a year ago. I did a lot of Christmas recipe posts last year, and since this is Recipe Week in my little Christmas festival, I thought it would be a good time to revisit last December’s recipes.

I recommend the appetizers and the holiday poke cupcakes, but that’s just me! My husband recommends the coconut macaroons. (Unless you’re coming to my house; in which case, they’re no good. lol.)

Appetizers:
Christmas Pinwheels
Crunchy Cheese Crisps
Sausage Balls

Desserts:
Coconut Macaroons
Peppermint Brittle
Fantasy Fudge
Holiday Poke Cakes
Chocolate Bon Bons
Rudolph Cupcakes


-Jerri


Filed Under: appetizers and snacks, Best Posts, cookies and candy, cupcakes, recipes

Menu Plan Monday for October 20

October 19, 2008 6 Comments

Breakfasts: cereals, oatmeal, ham & cheese scramble

Lunches: ham & cheese sandwiches, leftovers from dinner

Dinners:
Monday – Chicken Poulet served with beans/vegetables (this recipe feeds us for 3 meals)
Tuesday – leftover poulet
Wednesday – Cheeseburger Macaroni
Thursday – leftover poulet again
Friday – Easy Chicken Pot Pie (recipe below)
Saturday – Eating out
Sunday – Pork chop sandwiches w/ fries

Recipe for Easy Chicken Pot Pie
3-4 chicken breasts, (boneless, boiled and shredded) (or use 2 cans boneless chicken)
1 can Veg All, drained
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 c. chicken broth from chicken
1 c. milk
1 c. Bisquick mix
Spray casserole dish with non-stick cooking spray. Mix chicken, broth, veg-all, and soup together and pour into dish. Mix Bisquick with milk and pour over mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 25 minutes.

Not sure what to do make for dinner this week? Get some ideas at I’m An Organizing Junkie.


Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday, recipes

Candy Apples: Photos & Links

October 15, 2008 1 Comment

Fall is the time for Halloween and the country fair, and no county fair or Halloween party is complete without candy apples. I looked around the internet and found several sites that might be of interest to you. They include instructions/recipes to make candy apples, and they feature a variety of different kinds that you can make. (funny, growing up I’d only ever heard of 3 kinds: the caramel ones, the red ones, and the ones with nuts.)

Each link is described below, and as a bonus I posted a few delicous looking photos for you viewing pleasure.

Ehow – For directions on how to make candy apples
Maholo.com – another site that offers instructions on making candy apples
maholo.com (again) – facts & lots of links about candy apples
Cooking Light – learn how to make cinnamon candied apples
About.com – Video shows you how to make caramel apples
Wikipedia – the history of candy apples (for nerds like me)
Family Fun shows how to make mini candie apples (pictured below). Very cute!


myrecipes – This site has a gallery of 14 different kinds of candy apples. Below I’ve posted some a few of their photos. Visit their site to learn more about the photos and find out all the different kinds of candy apples you can make.




Personally I like the Granny Smith Apples with caramel, but that’s just me. Though I wouldn’t mind a taste of the chocolate or chocolate-peanut butter, and maybe the toffee flavored!

Filed Under: desserts, fall, Halloween, recipes

Sweet Thursday: Breakfast Treats

August 7, 2008 1 Comment
And now for the sweeter side of breakfast. Here are some photos & links to some sweet breakfast pastries and treats. Enough said.

Cinnamon Pull-Apart Bread (or Monkey Bread)

Basically cinnamon donut holes baked together in a bundt pan, with a yummy glaze added. Yum! Very easy to make too. And I’ve also seen an already made version of this in the freezer section at the store for anyone who’s in a big hurry.

Cream Cheese Squares

I’m a huge fan of cream cheese and recipes like this. Such a simple and plain concept, yet it’s so good!

Cinnamon Coffee Cake

Believe it or not, I’ve never really had coffee cake…then again, I don’t drink coffee either. But I wouldn’t mind trying it, and this one looks pretty good.

Strawberry-Banana Muffins

I love Banana muffins and Strawberry muffins, so why not combine the two. Joy of Baking has a great recipe to try.

Lemon Bars

I absolutely love these. I never thought of them as breakfast food until I started seeing them served in coffee shops. At work I had them for breakfast a few times, and it really hit the spot.


Filed Under: desserts, recipes

A Few Good Breakfast Recipes

August 6, 2008 3 Comments
Breakfast foods are some of my favorite things to eat, but if you eat it day after day before getting ready for school or work, it can get old, especially if you make the same dishes over and over again. I looked around for some breakfast recipes that were a little different and unique to share with you. Here are a few photos and links of some that I found.

I’ve tasted a few different recipes for Breakfast Casserole, but none of them had waffles in them. And since bacon tastes so good with pancakes and waffles, why not add a few other ingredients and just mix it all up.

Breakfast Tacos

Like a breakfast burrito, except all the toppings are a pancake. Personally I think I would like a little bacon and hashbrowns on mine.

Breakfast Pizza

At cdkitchen.com they have several different recipes for Breakfast Pizza. The link should take you to their list of recipes.

Breakfast in a Cup

I thought this Paula Deen recipe looked very interesting. It’s definitely a great method of putting together and presenting your old breakfast favorites in a very unique way.

Sausage Breakfast Cups

This one looks like a fancy gourmet recipe, but it’s actually made with refrigerated biscuits and is very easy to make.


Filed Under: recipes

Menu Plan Monday for July 21

July 20, 2008 4 Comments
I did a lot of thinking about this week’s menu. The other day I was looking through my recipe books, and I found a couple of things that I had marked before and forgotten all about, so I’m planning to make some of those this week. One is a recipe of Chicken Poulet, which I’m sharing with you. I’ve also included a picture of the Chicken & Brocolli Alfredo that I made several weeks ago, which I’ll be having again this week. Have a good Monday, and enjoy the rest of your week!
Monday – Chicken & Brocolli Alfredo – the recipe calls for linguine, but for the pic below I used rotini instead.

Tuesday – Chicken Poulet (new recipe, posted below)

Wednesday – Leftovers

Thursday – Spaghetti w/ garlic bread and salad

Friday – Chicken & Cheese Quesadillas

Saturday – Tuna Noodle Casserole


Sunday – Leftovers

Recipe for Poulet:

Stuffing Mixture:
1 pkg. stuffing mix
1 stick melted butter
1 c. water or chicken broth

Combine all ingredients in large mixing bowl.

Chicken Mixture:
2 1/2 c. cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 tsp. salt

Other ingredients:
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups milk
1 cup cream of mushroom soup
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Butter casserole dish. Layer stuffing, chicken mix and then stuffing mix again. Beat eggs and add milk. Pour over casserole (do not pack or smooth down, leave loose). Let chill in refrigerator for 2 hours or overnight. Before baking, pour cream of mshroom soup over top and bake at 350 for 40-45 minutes. Take out and sprinkle cheese over top of casserole. Bake an additional 5 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Join in on all the fun meal planning action at I’m An Organizing Junkie.


Filed Under: casseroles and quick meals, menu plan Monday, recipes

Recipe of the Week: Pina Colada Plus

July 11, 2008 Leave a Comment

For this week’s recipe, I chose a non-alcoholic Pina Colada drink from BHG. It’s fruity. It’s sweet and smooth. And it’ll help you beat the heat on a hot summer’s day! Yum!

1 8-ounce can crushed pineapple (juice pack), chilled
1 medium banana, cut up
3/4 cup soy milk
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons bottled or canned pina colada mix, chilled
Ice cubes (optional)
Directions
1. In a blender container combine the undrained pineapple, banana, soy milk, orange juice, and pina colada mix. Cover and blend until nearly smooth. If desired, serve over ice. Makes 2 servings.

Filed Under: drinks, Recipe of the Week, recipes, summer
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