apple caramel dip

I found this awhile back online... have no idea where, but oh so glad I did.


Apple Caramel Dip

block of cream cheese or two, room temperature
container caramel apple dip (sold in produce)
package of Heath bits (by chocolate chips)
red and green apples

Spread cream cheese into thinish rectangle. (I use almost two blocks)

Top with container of caramel apple dip. I warm it in the microwave for maybe 30 minutes or so.

Sprinkle with about 1 cup of Heath bits.

Surround with alternating red and green apples.

Easy peasy. :)

Hummus

Because you can't post a Naan recipe without a Hummus recipe, right? I got this one from MckMama. It is cut and paste from her post word for word, so go check out her blog for more details.


Hummus

1 16 oz can of chickpeas (also known as garbanzo beans)

the liquid from said can of chickpeas

4 tablespoons lemon juice (or lime if you want to get crazy)

1 1/2 tablespoons tahini (sesame seed paste: unless you're really crafty, you'll probably just want to buy rather than make this)

2 crushed garlic cloves

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

Dump all of the ingredients into your blender. Or set them in nicely, whichever you'd rather. Blend into a nice paste. Serve immediately with fresh, warm or toasted pita bread, as a spread on a sandwich (I especially love it with tomatoes and cucumbers on toast with fresh basil) or cover and refrigerate.

I use hummus for our MSC almost exclusively as a dip for fresh veggies. They love it and will eat insane amounts of fresh carrots simply for the love of the hummus.

Naan

This Indian bread is divine with hummus. I should probably put that recipe up too, eh? ;o)

I got the recipe from Allrecipes.com so I linked the name to it. Go to the link to see hints and tips for making it.

Naan

Prep Time: 30 Min
Cook Time: 7 Min
Ready In: 3 Hrs

Original Recipe Yield 14 servings

Ingredients
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
1/4 cup white sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 1/2 cups bread flour
2 teaspoons minced garlic (optional)
1/4 cup butter, melted
Directions
1.In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2.Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3.During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4.At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned. Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.
Nutritional Information
Amount Per Serving Calories: 211 Total Fat: 4.5g Cholesterol: 24mg

'Tis the season

Okay ladies! I'm putting out a recipe call! I would love some new pumpkin recipes! Bars, cookies, cupcakes, pies, pancakes, I love them all. Do you have any delicious pumpkin recipes to share?

Pumpkin dip

I got this from my friend Nickie's blog (the same Nickie with the awesome sticky bun recipe) and she said I could put it on her. One of the reasons fall is my favorite season is because I love all things pumpkin. Pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin pie... and now I'm adding pumpkin dip. Oh for yum!

2 8oz cream cheese
1 16 oz can pumpkin
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
powder sugar
Mix/Beat all ingredients together.
Add Powder sugar to your taste of liking.
It will make 4 Cups of dip!

White Chicken Chili

Also easy to do in the crockpot but it really takes no time at all on the stove...

2 cups of cooked shredded or cubed leftover chicken
2 or 3 cans of great northern beans (you can use dried if you want to mess with them; it just takes longer).
2 cans chopped green chiles
4 cloves of minced garlic
1 medium yellow onion, diced
2 cups of chicken broth (use less or more depending on how thick you like your chili)
salt, pepper, garlic powder, cumin, and parsley to taste
2 T olive oil
1 cup corn kernels
1 pkg cream cheese, cut into cubes (low fat is fine)
1 cup cooked white rice (optional - but we love it - definitely thickens it up)

Start off by sauteeing the onions and garlic in the olive oil. Add the chicken (if you use raw, then cook it through). Add the green chiles, chicken broth, corn, and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cream cheese cubes until melted. Stir in the rice and season to taste. My mom always adds coriander but I never seem to have any so I mostly use cumin.

This is super fast if you use canned beans (I buy GV brand) and leftover chicken.

Optional: Serve with shredded cheese and sour cream on top!

Crockpot Split Pea Soup

Easy and cheap... this made a lot for us so I froze half of it for later. :)

2 16 oz bags of dried split peas
1 pkg of kielbasa sausage, diced (I usually buy the turkey stuff - cheap and healthy)
1 lg yellow onion, diced
2 cups of carrots, diced (I shredded in the mini-processor instead)
3 cloves of garlic, minced (also used the mini-processor here. Love that thing!)
Salt, pepper, and chicken bouillon to taste
8-9 cups of water

Wash peas in hot water and add all ingredients to the crockpot. The original recipe I splurged on called for 1 bag of peas and 6 cups of water, but 8-9 cups is all my big crockpot would hold - I ended up with a thick soup, which is how I like it anyway. You could always halve the recipe and use less water.

Cook on high for about 4 hours (I started stirring it after 3 hours to help peas mush up) until peas are mushy. Serve with cornbread. Some people like to drizzle olive oil on top... :)

I think I spent around $5...

White Cheddar Fondue

I looked and I can't find where Brad got this recipe from, so I can't give out the credit for it. But I love it. A lot. It is fabulous with a baguette. We usually have it with steak and asparagus because they also taste good in the fondue. :o)

Cheddar Cheese Fondue
4 Servings

2 Tbs butter or margarine
3 Tbs flour
2 cups milk
salt
paprika
nutmeg
1 lb. ripe WHITE cheddar cheese, finely diced

Melt butter/margarine in fondue pot. Add flour, stirring until smooth. Add milk very slowly, stirring constantly. Add salt to taste. Add paprika and nutmeg to taste.

Cook for 3-4 minutes over low heat. Add cheese a bit at a time, making sure it melts before adding more.

Sticky buns

I got this from my friend Nickie. I think I will make it our new traditional birthday breakfast treat. Yum-my.

1 pkg frozen rolls (about 20-24)
1 small pkg butterscotch pudding (non-instant)
1 c nuts, chopped
1 c brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
6 T butter, melted

Put chopped nuts in bottom of a large greased bunt pan. Put frozen rolls on top of nuts. Mix pudding, cinnamon, and brown sugar and sprinkle on top of rolls. Drizzle butter over all. Cover with towel and leave overnight. Bake in the morning at 350 for 30-40 minutes, covering with foil after 20). Release immediately from pan.


A few thoughts of mine: 1) I used some rolls that I made and froze and it still worked great. I also used instant vanilla pudding because I didn't have any other on hand and it still was yummy, though the butterscotch might give it a more caramel taste. Also, I forgot to tip the pan over immediately and it pretty much stuck in the pan. Be sure to get them out quick!

Super yummy, super fast, and do easy to just pop in the oven in the morning. Give it a try!

cheesy stuffed shells

Just wanted to share the recipe from dinner tonight. It was loaded with veggies (zucchini, carrots, celery, tomatoes, spinach) and included tofu for the protein. It was yummy and my kids ate it up.

Cheesy Stuffed Shells

Tortillas and sopaipillas

We just made these tonight and it just made me miss New Mexico so much. I would have loved some green chili. But alas, I can't make that. Here are some yummy recipes for some good NM food!

This is from this website. It also has a link for some tools to make the tortillas. Bonus! http://www.texasrollingpins.com/tortillarecipeprint.html

Flour Tortilla Recipe
Ingredients:
3 cups unbleached flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
4-6 Tbsp. vegetable shortening or lard
about 1 1/4 cups warm water

Instructions:
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.

Add vegetable shortening or lard. Or use a combination of half lard, half shortening.
Use a fork or a pastry cutter to cut in the shortening or just do it the old fashioned
way and use your hands.

Next add warm water a little at a time until your dough is soft and not sticky. You do
not need very hot water.

Knead the dough for a few minutes.

Now you will pull off pieces of dough to form about 12 small dough balls. Let them
rest for at least 10 minutes, longer if you like.

This is a good time to heat up the comal. You will want to set it at medium to high
heat. If it is too hot the tortillas will cook too fast.

Now you can roll out the dough with your tortilla rolling pin or palote. It is a good
idea to dust each ball with a little flour just before you roll them out. Lay the palote
in the center of the dough ball and roll up, center and roll down. It is good to lift the
dough and turn it. Again, rolling pin in the center and roll. Roll them out fairly thin.

Lay your tortilla on the hot comal. It takes just a few seconds to cook. Flip to the other
side. When they are done it should have lots of nice brown speckles. Place them in a
towel. If you would like you can use a tortilla warmer to keep them warm longer.
They are ready to be served!

If you need any of the equipment to make flour tortillas, try our authentic tortilla kit.

It is well worth the effort to make homemade tortillas! Enjoy!

Sopaipillas (I got this from a church cookbook. It is by Ida Peabody)

6 c flour
2 1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 c canola oil
1 pkg dry yeast
2 tbsp sugar
1 c warm water

Stir sugar into warm water. Add yeast and let stand until it bubbles. Add salt and baking powder to flour. Make a well in the flour mixture. Add oil and yeast mixture. Add enough warm water to make firm dough. Let rise for 30 minutes or more. Shape dough into balls. Roll and cut into any shape you like. Deep fry in hot canola oil. Drain on paper towels. Eat with powdered sugar or honey. Makes about 24.

Lentil Soup

prep:25 min cook:20 min

1 c dry lentils rinsed and drained
1 c chopped green pepper
1 c sliced carrots (2 medium)
1/2 c chopped onion (1 medium)
2 t instant chicken bouillon granules
1/2 t dried sage, crushed
1/8 t ground red pepper
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 oz fully cooked smoked sausage links quartered and sliced

Directions: In a large pot mix all but sausage and add 5 cups of water. Bring to boiling, reduce heat. Cover and simmer 20-25 minutes until veggies and lentils are tender. Stir in sausage and heat through.

Makes about 7 cups (5 main dish servings)

267 calories per serving, 11 g total fat

My thoughts: I prefer using ground sausage. I just brown it after I get the soup going and then add it when it is browned for the remainder of the time. It just seems to go farther since the pieces are smaller. I'd rather get a lot of bites with a little sausage than a few with a lot of sausage. And some ground sausage varieties have great seasoning too. I don't put in the pepper because my boys don't like spice, but I put red pepper flakes in my own bowl. And if you really want the flavor to pop, don't be afraid to add a tiny bit of salt and lots of pepper. :)

It can be frozen, but it cooks pretty fast from scratch too. You can have the veggies frozen and pre-chopped to make it even faster.

Blackberry Cream Pie

We had a huge bag of frozen blackberries from out trip to the orchards, so I wanted to make a pie with them. I found this recipe and we made it last week when my parents were here. It was wonderful! We just did a lattice top instead of a crumb topping. I wonder if it is freezable....

***Update*** We followed the recipe this time and it was sooooo good. Forget the lattice and just follow the directions. :o)

1 (9 inch) pie crust, unbaked
4 c. fresh or 16 oz. frozen blackberries
1 c. sugar
1 c. sour cream
3 tbsp. flour
1/4 tsp. salt

TOPPING:

1/4 c. bread crumbs
2 tbsp. sugar
1 tbsp. melted butter

Put blackberries in pie crust. Cream together next 4 ingredients and pour over blackberries. Combine topping ingredients and sprinkle over pie. Bake at 375 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes. Delicious served with vanilla ice cream.

Chicken (or beef) Tortilla Casserole

This is super easy and freezes well. I made it for Darrica last week, so she can tell you if it's any good. ;o) I grew up eating it and it was a family fave. There are two versions - chicken or beef (ground or shredded).

I usually cook without measuring, so bear with me! lol...

You will need:
Tortilla chips (I use the white corn - doesn't matter - leftover, stale, it's all good)
cooked shredded or cubed chicken - leftover is fine - about 1 1/2 cups (substitute beef if you want to!)
1 can cream of chicken soup (or cream of mushroom for the beef version)
1 can drained rotel tomatoes (if you don't want the spicy kick, use regular diced canned tomatoes)
1 small bag (approx 8 oz) frozen mixed vegatables - pop 'em in the microwave to thaw. Yes, you can use fresh if you've got the time, but I would steam them first since it doesn't cook long. Any veggies are ok but I like the carrots, peas, and corn mix.
Shredded cheese
Salt, pepper, and garlic powder to taste.

Crush tortilla chips into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan. Crush enough to cover the bottom.

In a bowl, mix chicken, cream soup, drained tomatoes, steamed veggies, and 1/2 cup of cheese. Add salt, pepper, and garlic to taste. Spoon over chips.

Cover with more shredded cheese and more crushed tortilla chips.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes.

Freezer alert: If you want to freeze it do so before adding the final layer of tortilla chips on top. You can do it when you are ready to bake it. That way they stay crispy.

This recipe easily doubles and is great with leftovers.

Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

Soooo, in looking for recipes I could double and freeze, I found this one (copied below) at Kelly's Recipes (author of Kelly's Korner).

****
Mozzarella Stuffing Chicken

4 large skinless boneless chicken breasts
4 slices Mozzarella or Swiss cheese
1 can Cream of Chicken soup
1/4 cup white cooking wine
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup herb-flavored crushed up Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix
1/2 stick butter, melted

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place uncooked chicken in shallow buttered casserole dish. Layer cheese on top. Mix soup, wine, salt, pepper; pour over cheese. Sprinkle stuffing mix on top and drizzle with melted butter. Bake uncovered for 1 hour.
****

Her recipe calls for either Mozzarella or Swiss cheese, so I used Mozzarella knowing that my kiddos would eat what I didn't use for the recipe (Swiss is too smelly for them-LOL). I also substituted the white cooking wine with chicken broth. And with the next batch, I will add a bit more than 1 cup of crushed stuffing mix (I *heart* stuffing) just to bulk up the 'gravy'.

IT WAS DELICIOUS! BOTH of my currently very picky eaters gladly ate ALL of it (this is huge). Kelly mentioned in her post that she prepared the recipe as directed and froze it raw before her daughter was born and it was just as delicious....I'm definitely adding this recipe to my baby preparation freezer meal list.