Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Dip

 One of my favorite grocery stores stocks a snack combo of mini pretzels and garden vegetable cream cheese dip.  I often nab one when I am there because I don't live in the town with that store so I have at least a half hour drive home.  It's good to have a little something to munch on on the way home.  A month or so ago I was craving that flavor combo but I wasn't going to town any time soon.  Plus, I know I can make it for a lot less!  I checked out the ingredients and tested from there.  

It's easy to make and the ingredients are simple.  The spices are the same as my  Homemade Buttermilk Ranch Dressing with the added flavors of carrot and crunchy green pepper.  I was lucky enough to have green peppers from the garden but store bought will do well here too. I didn't include the red bell pepper or cucumbers but it wasn't only because I didn't have peppers on hand and I detest cucumbers (unless they are pickled!)

A little note....I grate the carrot fine and it ends up giving it a slight orange tinge to it.  If you stir the cream cheese and sour cream together first and then add your vegetables the orange won't leak out as much.  It doesn't affect the flavor and I don't mind it. If you are making it for the next day you could wait until then and stir the carrots in.  Honestly, your guests, family and/or friends will be too busy devouring it to take note of it's color. You could also grate it larger if you want more crunch (and less color.) I've given you spice and herb measurements as a guide. Change it up to suit your taste, it's your dip!

I enjoy this dip with gluten free pretzel chips or gluten free pretzel sticks.

Garden Vegetable Cream Cheese Dip

8 ounce pkg cream cheese (I use lite)

1/2 cup sour cream (I use lite)

1-2 Tablespoons milk (as needed for consistency)

1/4 teaspoon dried dill

1/8 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried parsley

2 dashes onion powder

2 dashes salt

1/2 green pepper, diced

1 small carrot, finely grated

In a small bowl, mix together the cream cheese, sour cream and herbs and spices.  You can taste it now, add more spices or change up the flavors to suit you.  Stir in the green pepper and carrots.  It is best to let it set for a couple hours (or longer). Serve with pretzel chips, pretzel sticks or your favorite cracker.  

Stuffed Mushrooms

They're easy to make and great for parties.  My family loves them as a tiny appetizer with dinner. These mushroom caps are stuffed with creamy yet crunchy mixture and baked until golden brown and hot.  I've seen other recipes without bacon and all I can wonder is...why?

Do make more than you think as these will go fast.  If your family is like my family as soon as they come out of the oven they are grabbing at them and blowing on them so they can eat one (or two!)  There will be some disappear before you are ready to present them.  

Here a tip:  You can have them stuffed and ready to bake ahead of the time you need to cook them.  Having the mess earlier in the day means less rushing around before your party or supper. 

Stuffed Mushrooms                                                                                  Printable Recipe

1 pound whole mushrooms (white or baby bellas (portabellos) are fine)

1/2 cup cooked bacon

1 teaspoon minced garlic (optional)

1/2 cup bread crumbs (gluten free works well too)

dash of dried oregano

dash of dried parsley

dash of dried basil

dash of salt

1/2 cup cream cheese, softened (1/2 of an 8 ounce block)

2 tablespoons Parmesan cheese

Top 10 Recipes of 2015

2015 has drawn to its end and it's always fun to look back and see some of the fan favorites.  Most of them are from this year but a few from last year snuck in. 

I hope you enjoy the look back with me. Click on the title to see the recipe or click on the "pin it" link to go right to Pinterest to re-pin for later!

Corn Salad

I had this at a potluck and had to hunt down the one who brought this in and get the recipe.  It's fresh and crunchy and you'll find yourself grabbing a second helping.  If you are headed to a party, make this dish.  It's a unique dish so there's a good chance there won't be 2 to 3 other dishes just like it. There is only so much macaroni and potato salads one can eat at a meal. 

It tastes just as good the second day although it loses its corn chip crunch.  Sprinkle on a couple more crushed pieces and you'll be back in corn salad heaven!

Corn Salad                                                                                               Printable Recipe

2 cans yellow kernel corn, drained (or four cups frozen corn, thawed and drained)
1 green bell pepper, diced (approximately 1 cup)
1/2 cup red onion, diced
1 cup mayonnaise
8 ounce block of cheddar cheese, shredded (approximately 2 cups)
Chili cheese flavored Frito-Lay corn chips

Top 10 Recipes of 2014

2014 is drawing to an end and I thought we should take a look back at some of the fan favorites.  Most of them are from this year but a few from last year snuck in. 

I hope you enjoy the look back with me. Click on the title to see the recipe or click on the "pin it" link to go right to Pinterest to re-pin for later!

Restaurant Style Salsa and Chips

Sit down at a Mexican restaurant and the first things they bring you are chips and salsa.  I have to tell myself to quit eating them to leave room for the main meal.   If you want to make your own at home this recipe has several shortcuts from my original homemade salsa that can be preserved and shows you how to make your own chips.

Restaurant Style Salsa and Chips                                                     Printable Recipe

28 oz can petite or regular diced tomatoes

1/3 cup minced onions

1/3 cup minced green peppers

1-2 teaspoons green chiles (add more if you like it hotter)

1 teaspoon sugar

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 dash of red cayenne pepper

up to 1/4 cup lime juice - start off with a tablespoon and add to taste

small handful of cilantro, chopped (optional)

canola oil

yellow or white corn tortillas

For salsa:

Add the ingredients tomatoes through the cilantro to blender or food processor and pulse. Blend it until it is as smooth as you want.  If you like it really chunky, use the petite diced sized tomatoes and all of the ingredients can be mixed in a bowl instead.

For chips:

Cut tortillas into 4 or 6 pieces.

Heat oil to 350 degrees in small pan (or until you dip an edge of a tortilla into the oil and it bubbles.) You can use a large fryer if you are making lots of chips.

Cook tortillas for a minute or so, then flip.  Cook until almost starts to brown.  You need the moisture cooked out of the chips so they aren't chewy but you don't want them burnt.  Drain on paper towels. 

Ham and Pickle Roll-Ups

These yummy bites are always a hit at the party.  You'll never make enough!

One day I decided I was tired of trying to get these to stay together after it was rolled up since nothing ever wants to stick to the pickle, then they like to come undone.  If I didn't shove the whole thing in my mouth I ended up with the whole piece of pickle in my mouth and nothing for the rest so I end up shoving it all in my mouth anyway.  So, I diced the pickle and mixed it in the cream cheese.  Problems solved!  I can take one bite and still have pickle left and it stays all rolled up in a pretty pinwheel!

Ham and Pickle Roll-Ups

8 oz pkg cream cheese, softened
sliced dill pickles, med jar
4-5 tortillas
pkg of thin Ham slices

Dice pickles and use about 2/3 of the whole jar(more or less as you like)

Mix with cream cheese

Spread cream cheese on 3/4 of tortilla (the cream cheese will smoosh as you roll it so you don't want it coming out the edge.)

Lay down 3 slices on ham.

 Add a little more cream cheese, this will act like glue and hold it all together.

 Roll tightly.

When you get to the end, smooth on a little cream cheese (that is if your cream cheese mixture didn't already squoosh out the side!)

 Wrap in plastic wrap. Put in fridge for a few hours to firm up. 

Slice into pieces about 1" or so wide.  Eat the ends, they never look nice for the plate. Stack the rest and serve!

You can also chop thicker slices of ham, the pickle and mix with the cream cheese and use it as a spread on crackers.  Just as good but with crunch!

Hot Beef and Bean Dip

Hot Beef and Bean Dip

2 pounds hamburger
1 small onion, chopped
16 ounce jar salsa
1-1/2 teaspoons taco seasoning
2 cups shredded cheddar or 12 ounces Velveeta
1 can refried beans

Cook hamburger and onion. Drain. 

Add salsa, taco seasoning*, cheese, and beans.  If you are using shredded cheese you can dump it into the crock now.  If not melt the Velveeta and then put it the crock. 

This can be made the day ahead and then heated back up in the crock pot.  Serve with tortilla chips. 

*The refried beans and salsa already have seasoning so you may want more or less of thee taco seasoning.

The Ultimate Cheeseball

The flavor combination is one that will make your scratch your head and snub your nose at it.  Try it once and you'll find that you won't be able to keep yourself out of it!

The Ultimate Cheeseball  (Makes 2)                                        Printable Recipe

2 tablespoons diced onion
1 teaspoon garlic salt  (use garlic powder and a little bit of salt)
2 tablespoons diced green pepper
1 small can crushed pineapple, drained
2 - 8 ounce cream cheese, softened 
Approximately 2 cups chopped pecans


Pecans should be chopped small enough so there aren't chunky pieces left but not so small it is pulverized. Place onto a medium piece of wax paper.

 These 5 ingredients seem like an unlikely combo.

Mix together with a spoon or small mixer.

 Scoop half of the cream cheese mixture onto pecans.

 Using the wax paper to keep your hands clean, press the pecans into the cream cheese.

 Flip cheeseball.

Press more pecans into cream cheeseball until completely covered.  Without the wax paper use your hands to shape into a ball or disk shape.  Cover with plastic wrap and place into fridge.  Repeat with last half of cheese mixture.  Refrigerate overnight to allow flavors to blend.

"Tailgating" Party

Sweet Lime Pickles

These pickles take a few days to make but they are yummy!  I started mine at 5 pm on a Wednesday and processed them on Friday morning. They are crispy and a fun color!

Sweet Lime Pickles

7 pounds cucumbers (wash, cut off ends, slice 1/4" thick)

2 cups pickling lime

2 gallons water

2 quarts white vinegar

9 cups sugar 

1 teaspoon canning salt

1 Tablespoon mixed pickling spices*

Homemade Salsa

Everyone has their own tastes and interpretations when it comes to salsa.  I was given a salsa recipe from a friend.   It contained quite a bit of sugar.  We don't use much sugar so I went on with the task of lowering the sugar. It also contained a thickener that dulled the color of our salsa.  I removed it so our salsa is more like fresh salsa, but canned. 

Taste your salsa before you can it.  If you wouldn't eat it fresh, you won't like it canned. 

Homemade Salsa

20 cups chopped peeled and seeded tomatoes*
1 to 1-1/2 cups minced onions (onions can be strong so ease in slow)
1-1/2 cups minced green peppers
7 banana peppers, minced
5-6 jalapenos (if they are hot, use less --if you can't tell start off with fewer, you can always add more), minced
2 Tablespoons sugar
2-1/2 Tablespoons chili powder
5-6 dashes of red cayenne pepper
1-1/2 cups vinegar
2 Tablespoons salt

Grilled Flatbread

Careful, this bread is so quick and easy to make you'll find yourself making it often.  Not good if you are a carbivore like me!

Grilled Flatbread                                                                                      Printable Recipe

3/4 teaspoon active dry yeast

3/4 teaspoon  sugar

1/2 cup warm water (110 degrees)

1/2 Tablespoon olive oil

couple dashes salt

1-1/2 cups flour plus more for dusting/kneeding

optional: more olive oil and flavored salt

Add yeast and sugar to water.  Let set for 5 minutes.

Add olive oil, salt, and flour. 

Stir until completely mixed.  It is ok if it is a little wet.  You are going to add to a floured surface and kneed. This will add flour and help complete your dough.

It should take you less than 5 minutes to get a nice smooth ball.  Cover with a towel and set aside for 15 minutes to rest/rise.

Roll out or hand toss until it is as thin as you like it. The thinner it is the crispier it will be. Using a pastry brush brush on olive oil.  Sprinkle with a flavored salt if you like.  I used a rosemary salt.  Not too much or it will be overpowering.

Place oiled side down on a medium heat grill for a minute or so, turn 1/4 turn to get pretty criss cross marks.  Flip and continue to cook the other side.  It doesn't take long to cook your bread so do not step away.  A little burn adds to the flavor, a lot doesn't.  :)

You can hand tear and serve or

cut like a pizza and serve. This one I served with hot marinara sauce to dip in.

You could also use this as a base to a fresh pizza. I plan to try some of these to freeze sometime to use with my oven and stone. I'll let you know when I do!

Pin it:  http://www.pinterest.com/pin/273593746085930888/

Blue Bomb Drink

Blue Bomb Drink

1/4 cup blue raspberry flavored vodka (I prefer UV Blue)
3/4 cup cold lemonade (I prefer Countrytime)

Add to a shaker that has ice in it.  Shake to cool the drink. Then strain through the ice.  You can also add the drink to a glass of ice but it will water it down as the ice melts.   Enjoy!!

Lava Flow Drink

Lava Flow Drink

1 cup crushed ice
1-1/2 ounces Malibu (Coconut) Rum (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract for non-alcoholic version)
3 ounces piña colada mix
3 ounces strawberry drink mix liquid (used to make daiquiris and margaritas)

Blend together ice, rum, and piña colada mix.   Set aside for a moment.

Pour strawberry drink mix into glass.

Pour piña colada into the glass and watch the "lava" flow up the sides.

Garnish and serve.

Sunset Passion Colada

Sunset Passion Colada

1 cup crushed ice
1-1/2 ounces Malibu (Coconut) Rum (or 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of rum extract for non-alcoholic version)
3 ounces piña colada mix
2 ounces strawberry drink mix liquid (used to make daiquiris and margaritas)
strawberry or pineapple to garnish

Blend together ice, rum, and piña colada mix.  Pour into glass.  Top with strawberry drink mix.  Garnish and serve.