Sunday, May 31, 2009

Veggie Cream Cheese Spread


THIS IS THE BEST SPREAD TO PAIR WITH THE HOMEMADE BAGEL RECIPE BELOW!!!
I often make the Bagels and this Spread and take them in disposable containers for neighbors and the Women I visit teach.

Ingredients:

16 oz softened Cream Cheese
2/3 cup Chopped Celery
2/3 cup Chopped Carrots
1/3 cup Chopped Green Onions

Garlic Salt to taste

Blend Well together

Put in air tight container and keep in fridge to chill.

AWESOME on toasted Bagels or in place of Mayo on a turkey Sandwich.

Chicken, Ranch Doritos, Black Bean Nacho's



EASY SUNDAY DINNER !!!!

ON a Tin Foiled Cookie sheet (for easy clean up): spray lightly with Pam...

Ingredients:

1 Family Bag of Ranch Doritos
3 Pounds of Shredded Monetary Jack Cheese
1 can Black Beans (drained)
2 Cups cooked cubed Chicken ( I use pregrilled chicken strips by Foster Farms or leftover Bajio Chicken.)

Salsa
Guacamole
Sour Cream

Directions:
First Layer half of the Bag of Chips and Sprinkle 1 1/2 pounds cheese over the top.
Layer Chicken, and next sprinkle black beans over chicken.
Add the next half bag of chips over top and again Sprinkle remaining cheese.

Bake in Oven @ 350 until Cheese is melted 15-20 minutes.

Serve with Salsa, Sour Cream, and Guacamole.

* Sometimes if I am in a hurry ....I will make Chili Cheese Nachos and take out the beans and Chicken and use two cans of Nalley Chili Cheese Chili instead...
It really is Yummy and my kids eat it up!!!!

Easter Red Potatoe Salad



Why Easter?...
Because after dying ALL of those Easter Eggs...I hate wasting them...so I save them in my fridge and use them in my Potato Salad for my Easter Dinner.
It is great fro BBQ's and For Dinners with Pulled Pork Sandwiches, Cook outs, or BLT's.

Ingredients:
8-10 Washed Red potatoes (leave skins on)
1/2 medium chopped Red Onion
1 half jar Chunky Dill Relish
8 peeled and chopped Hard Boiled Eggs
4 Stalks washed and chopped Celery ( I like my salad crunchy)

For Dressing (mixed in):
1 2/3 cup Mayo (can use light)
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup spicy mustard
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:
Boil Potatoes with a pinch of Salt until you can pierce easily with a fork...
Drain and let cool....
Cut up into bite-sized pieces.
In Large Bowl add Potatoes,Red Onion, Relish, Eggs and Celery.
In Smaller bowl whisk together Ingredients for Dressing...once blended well ....
Pour dressing on top of Salad and mix together...chill for at least four hours before serving.

My Famous Lemon Cheescake


I am not kidding and it is by a buncha love I am sharing the families FAVORITE Desert... like the one Trev's side requests ....and my kids and husband beg for...
It is not exact..because I made it up ...but I will give a fair play by play.
This is for two pies since I never make less than two...
The picture above is mini cheese cake's I made for last Memorial day for all of the cousins...They each had their individual cheese cakes...LOVED THEM!!!

Ingredients:

2 Gram Cracker Crusts ~ Homemade or Pre-made
1 box INSTANT Lemon Jello Mix
2 box Lemon Pudding
16oz. or 2 boxes 8oz. Cream Cheese (softened)
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
3 cups Milk
1/2 cup to 1 cup Lemon Juice

Garnish:
Strawberries, Raspberries or Fruit or your choice...


Directions:
In large bowl blend dry jello mix into cream cheese, slowly add sugar to taste.
Once creamy add Pudding mix and milk...blend well.
Once milk is blended in smoothly..slowly begin adding lemon juice with blender on..add juice to taste...I like A LOT of Lemon...some like less....

Pour mixture into Pie Crust and Chill in Refrigerator until hard ( 3 hours) ...
Garnish and Serve....

Spinach, Apple, Walnut, Ranch Salad



It's spring!!! I am going to be posting A LOT of Salad recipes...because well..we eat A LOT of Salad....and kid friendly salads are a big deal for us Moms...that don't have A Lot of time...but want our kids to eat healthy.

Ingredients:
Medium Bag of Whole Fresh Baby Spinach ~ wash, break stems off and pat dry

4-5 fresh crisp sweet apples (Brae burn or Gala) de-cored and cut up bite sized
1 cup chopped Roasted Walnuts
2/3 cup or six chopped green onions
1 cup Ranch Dressing

1/2 cup (or more) dried Cranberries

Mix all ingredients in Large bowel including dressing and serve immediately...
My kids eat this up and it is soo fast!!!

Butternut "French" Fries


I got this recipe off the "Hungry Girl Website" over a year ago.
I make them all of the time (especially if I am using half of a butternut squash for another recipe).

In italics are the changes I have made...these are really, really good..kinda like sweet potato fries.

Face it, french fries are one of the greatest tasting foods known to man. But they're no-nos when it comes to dieting. Of course, if you're feeling ambitious, you can whip up a batch of HG's Bake-tastic Butternut Squash fries. Yep, you can make crispy, wonderful, sweet fries out of our new best friend, the butternut squash. And, what's even better is that this is our easiest recipe ever. So pay close attention. VERY close attention. Because what we're about to share with you may very well change your life...forever!

Ingredients:
1/2 butternut squash
kosher salt

Directions:
Pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Peel and de-seed your butternut squash. If you're unfamiliar with handling them, you may have a little trouble at first. They're fairly easy to peel, but you'll need a sharp knife to cut them. Once your orange friend is peeled and seed-free, slice it in half. Then cut it up into french fry shapes. We like to use a crinkle cutter to make authentic looking crinkle cut fries, but they'll work any way you slice 'em. Place on a cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick spray. Cover lightly with kosher salt (regular salt works, too, but we prefer kosher). Place tray in your pre-heated oven and bake for 40 minutes or so, flipping halfway through baking process. Fries are done when they are starting to brown on the edges and get crispy. Serve with ketchup, or however else you enjoy fries or sweet potato fries!

* When Slicing the Butternut (it IS THICK) use a good knife..and make potato log like size slices...because your squash will shrink and lose water during baking.

When baking the fries ...I olive oil spray my pan....do a light dusting of Sea salt and rosemary (I like them better with rosemary, but I am weird) ON THE PAN BEFORE placing the uncooked fries onto it.

I then do another light spraying and dust more Sea Salt and Rosemary.

I like to eat them with BBQ Sauce...YUMMY!!!


Nutritional Info:


Serving Size: 5 oz., uncooked
Calories: 65
Fat: 0g
Sodium: 486mg (includes salt)
Carbs: 16.5g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 3g
Protein: 1g

* 1 Point