Pea + Peanut Salad

This is one of those "you have to try it before you decide" recipes. It sounds weird; I was skeptical at first as well. But once I tried it, I was sold. It's sweet and crunchy, savory and creamy, all at the same time.

Pea & Peanut Salad

1/2 cup sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 lb frozen peas, thawed
1 lb Spanish or cocktail peanuts

In a bowl, combine everything except the peas and peanuts. Mix well. Gently stir in the peas and peanuts, ensuring everything is coated well. Chill at least one hour before serving.

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars - a nice, different side dish. I served it with smoked sausage and noodles. As a bonus, my two-year old scarfed it down!

Fruit Pizza

Fruit Pizza

My friend Jessica made this today. It's beautiful!

She was kind enough to share the recipe! Thanks, Jessica!

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough

1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened

1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed (Jessica substituted Marshmallow Fluff)

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar

1 pinch salt

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/2 cup orange juice

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon orange zest

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.
2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the marshmallow fluff. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.
3. Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make a sauce to spoon over fruit.
4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.               

I cannot wait to make this! Maybe I will go blueberry/strawberry picking this weekend! Thanks for sharing, Jessica!

Yummy Potato Casserole

Potato Casserole

1 package (30oz) frozen shredded hash brown potatoes, thawed
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese (I used 1 cup cheddar and 1 cup of hot pepper cheese)
1/4 c. chopped onion
2 c. sour cream
1 can of condensed cream of chicken soup, undiluted
1/2 c. butter, melted and divided
2 c. French's Fried Onions
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

In a large bowl, combine the hash browns, cheese, onion, green peppers, salt and pepper. In another bowl, combine sour cream, soup and 1/4 of the melted butter. Pour over potato mixture and mix gently. Pour into a greased 3 qt. baking dish. Toss French's Fried Onions in the remaining melted butter and sprinkle over the top of the casserole. Bake uncovered at 350 degrees for 45-55 minutes.

This is great for potlucks, dinner parties and holidays.

Yummy Factor: 5 stars!

Cranberry Jalapeno Salsa

This may seem like an odd mix of ingredients, and I would agree. And that is why it took me more than 2 years from when I first got this recipe to finally make it. My BFF promised me it was amazing, but I guess I didn't quite get it. But now I do! I was hooked after the first bite. It's the perfect blend of sweet, tangy, spicy, and creamy. In fact, those who tried it at our family Thanksgiving dinner declared it the best appetizer EVER, and I have been threatened with disownment if I consider making any other appetizer for any future get-togethers. Yes, it really is *that* good.

Cranberry Jalapeno Salsa

12 oz bag of fresh cranberries
1 c. sugar
1 jalapeno, minced (I took out most of the seeds, but make it as spicy as you want)
1 bunch of green onions, chopped (including greens)
Large handful of cilantro, chopped
2 8-oz blocks of cream cheese
Wheat Thins

Pick cranberries over to get rid of any stems and bruised/bad ones. Place in saucepan with enough water to just cover them.

Bring to a boil until cranberries start to pop. Allow to boil for about 1 more minute until the majority of cranberries have popped. Drain almost all the water off.

Mix in sugar, jalapeno, green onions, and cilantro with cranberries. Refrigerate until needed, at least 4 hours.

To serve, place 1 block of room-temp cream cheese on a platter and top with 1/2 of the cranberry mixture. Serve with Wheat Thins or other crackers that can hold up to the cream cheese.

*Next time I make it, I will add 1/2 of the cilantro when I make it and 1/2 right before I serve. I want the flavors to meld but also want the bright green of the fresh cilantro.

Salsa

Salsa and Margaritas are a summer staple around these parts. This is a fresh salsa recipe that's easy to make. Thanks for sharing Michelle!

Salsa:

6 Roma Tomatoes, diced
1/2 red onion, diced
1/2 red bell pepper, diced
2 jalapeno peppers, diced
1 tbsp. olive oil
1 tbsp. lime juice
3 cloves of garlic, minced
salt to taste
pepper to taste
chili powder to taste ( I used 1/2 tsp.)

Mix together in a medium bowl, chill and serve!

Helpful hint: Kevin and I love our Vidalia Onion Chopper. This makes dicing these vegetables effortless. It's well worth the $20.

Cheesy Jalapeno Dip

This cheesy dip has a slight kick! It's great for pot lucks and parties!

Cheesy Jalapeno Dip

Ingredients:
1 c. Hellman's Mayo
1 c. sour cream
2 1/2 c. finely shredded cheddar cheese
5 jalapeno peppers, chopped into small pieces
1 medium onion-finely chopped
5 dashes of Red Hot
2 small cloves of garlic-pressed

In a large bowl, mix all the ingredients. Chill for 2 hours before serving. Served great with tortilla chips, crackers, pita chips or bagel chips.

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins - Yummy & Easy!

This is an old stand-by that I jazzed up with the addition of sweetened cream cheese. Try any flavors of cake mix that sound good - chocolate is one of my favorites.

These aren't soft, fluffy muffins -they're quite moist and dense, but they sure are g.o.o.d!

Pumpkin Cream Cheese Muffins

1 box yellow cake mix

1 box spice cake mix

1 29 oz. can pumpkin (not pumpkin pie filling)

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

4 T. powdered sugar

2 T. sugar

1 T. cinnamon

2 T. chopped nuts, optional

Mix together cake mixes and pumpkin. Do not add anything the boxes call for - just add the pumpkin. The mixture will be thick and sticky, perfect for a mess-making two-year old.

Mix the cream cheese with the powdered sugar, and set aside. Mix the sugar, cinnamon, and nuts, and set aside.

Spray two muffin pans with non-stick spray, or use cupcake liners. Add to each muffin tin: 2 T. of cake mixture followed by 1 T. of cream cheese mixture and then 2 T. of cake mixture. Sprinkle the top with cinnamon-sugar mixture.

Bake at 350 for 25-30 min. Cool before removing from muffin tins. Store in an airtight container in the fridge.

Pumpkin Streusel

This recipe caught my eye in the Sunday paper coupon section. Recipe courtesy of Betty Crocker.

Pumpkin Streusel

Cookie Base
1 pouch (1 lb 1.5 oz) Betty Crocker® oatmeal cookie mix
1/2 cup crushed gingersnap cookies
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup cold butter or margarine

Filling
2 packages (8 oz each) cream cheese, softened
1 cup sugar
1 cup canned pumpkin (not pumpkin pie mix)
2 tablespoons Gold Medal® all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
2 tablespoons whipping cream
2 eggs

Toppings
1/3 cup chocolate topping
1/3 cup caramel topping

Heat oven to 350°F. In large bowl, stir together cookie mix, crushed cookies and pecans. Cut in butter, using pastry blender or fork, until mixture is crumbly. Reserve 1 cup mixture for topping. Press remaining mixture in bottom of ungreased 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 minutes. Cool 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese and sugar with electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Add remaining filling ingredients; beat until well blended. Pour over warm cookie base. Sprinkle with reserved topping.

Bake 35 to 40 minutes or until center is set. Cool 30 minutes. Refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.

Before serving, drizzle with chocolate and caramel toppings. For bars, cut into 6 rows by 4 rows. Store covered in refrigerator.

Dessert Rating: 4 out of 5 stars. If you do not like the consistency of pumpkin pie, this recipe is not for you. Kevin loved it.

Snicker Salad-Oh Yum!

Trick or Treat! This sure is a delicious treat! This is an old fall party favorite!

Amy, this is for you! I bet this will make you come and visit!

Snicker Salad
(or Apple Salad if you are going to Weight Watchers!)

6-8 Granny Smith Apples-cut into bite size pieces
6-8 Snickers Bars-cut into bite size pieces
1 can of salted Planters Peanuts
1 lg. tub of Cool Whip

In a large bowl, combine Snickers, peanuts, apples (cut the apples last to prevent browning) and Cool Whip. Mix thoroughly and chill for 2 hours before serving.

Meal Rating: 10 out of 5 stars! Yummy deliciousness!

Cherry Yum Fluff!

Sorry it's been so long since Amy and I posted anything. I have to be honest, I just have not been cooking. I wish I had worthy excuses like having 2 kids under 2 like Amy, but I don't.

This recipe is courtesy of Chris and Lisa Bors! Thanks for sharing with me.

Cherry Yum Fluff

1 large tub of Cool Whip
1 can of cherry pie filling
1 can of crushed pineapple
1 can of sweetened condensed milk
2 sliced bananas
chopped walnuts (optional)

Mix all of the ingredients together except bananas with an electric mixer. Slice and fold in bananas.

Chill and serve.

Dessert Rating: 5 out of 5. It's easy, you can add any fruit you have laying around and it's still good. Great for cookouts!

Yummiest Potatoes EVER. (And that ain't no lie)

I am a big fan of The Pioneer Woman, so it's no surprise that my favorite potato dish is courtesy of Ree. My dear friend Tiffany was in town this weekend, and we liked them so much, we made them two nights in a row!

I'd highly recommend making enough for leftovers. They warm up great. We even turned them into hash for breakfast Sunday morning!

Crash Hot Potatoes

(adapted from here)

2-3 lbs. new potatoes

Tastefully Simple Seasoned Salt

Olive Oil

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add potatoes. While potatoes are cooking, heat oven to 450 F. Drizzle a large cookie sheet with olive oil.

Boil potatoes until fork-tender.

Drain potatoes and place on cookie sheet. Using the bottom of a glass or a potato masher, gently smash each potato flat. Drizzle with more olive oil, and then generously sprinkle on the seasoned salt.

Bake for 25 min or until potatoes get brown and crispy on the edges.

Rating: 5 out of 5. No doubts about it!

Yummified Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

This super easy recipe is from our Slow Cooker Cook Book.

Southwestern Stuffed Peppers

Ingredients:

4 green bell peppers (fresh from the garden!!!!)
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 c. shredded pepper jack cheese
3/4 c. medium salsa
1/2 c. corn
1/2 c. chopped green onions with tops
1/3 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. cumin
sour cream (optional)

Cut thin slice off top of each bell pepper. Carefully remove seeds, leaving pepper whole. Combine remaining ingredients except sour cream in a medium bowl. Spoon filling evenly into each pepper. Place peppers in slow cooker. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Serve with a dollop of sour cream, if desired.

I did not add the black beans just because I do not like them. We also used cheddar cheese rather than pepper jack because I was not making a special trip to the store for cheese. I did add a few dashes of hot sauce to take it up a notch.

Meal Rating: 4 1/4 out of 5 stars. They were good, but the pepper was too soft. We cooked these for 5 1/2 hours. Next time, we will only cook them 4 hours. This recipe is a keeper.

7 (Yummy!) Layer Salad

This delicious summertime favorite salad is easy to make. You can substitute any of the layers for a change. I have had this with celery, peppers, snap peas, broccoli and egg (you will never have mine with egg!). You can also leave off the bacon for the vegetarians in your life!

7 Layer Salad

Ingredients:

1 large head of iceberg lettuce-rinsed and chopped
1/2 bag of shredded carrots or 2 large carrots shredded
1/2 red small red onion-diced
1/2 c. frozen peas
2 c. Hellman's Mayo (no Miracle Whip!)
3 tbsp. sugar
1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
8 strips of bacon

Cover the bottom of your dish (approx. 4x8) with the lettuce. This layer should be approx. 1 inch thick. Layer carrots, peas and onion on top of the lettuce. In a large measuring cup, mix mayo and sugar together. Mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the salad. Cover dressing with cheese. Crumble bacon on top of the cheese. Refrigerate until serving.


Meal rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars. This is a crowd pleaser, but I took off a 1/2 star due to the cost. The veggies and the bacon can get expensive if you have to make this for a large group of people. This is best if serving 8-10 people. Enjoy!

p.s. Happy Birthday Madison and Chris Bors. Hope you like this salad (and your presents!)

Cucumber Onion Salad-Yum!

This is one of my favorite summertime salad recipes.

Cucumber Onion Salad

1 large cucumber

1 large sweet onion

3 tbsp. sour cream

salt

pepper

Thinly slice the cucumber and onion. The thinner the better. In a medium bowl mix cucumbers, onions, sour cream. Salt and pepper to taste. I prefer fresh coarsely ground pepper.

Chill for an hour and enjoy!

Meal Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. This is a great side dish that is easy to make.

Yummy Summertime Veggie Pizza

I decided this would be my very first recipe post for 2 reasons. 1. All my veggies are ready to be picked from the garden. It's the perfect time to make this. 2. I am tired of writing it down for my co-workers.

Veggie Dip:

2 c. Sour Cream
2 c. Real Mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip!)
4 tsp. dill weed
2 tsp. Accent Salt
2 tsp. Beau Monde (by Island Spice)
2 tsp. Minced Onion
Mix together in a medium bowl and chill for 1 hour. If you are making this just for a dip, chill for 2 hours.

Veggie Pizza:

2 rolls of Pillsbury Butter Tastin' Crescent Rolls
2 c. Fancy Shredded Cheddar Cheese
2 carrots shredded
1 red onion-chopped
1 green pepper-chopped
1 red pepper-chopped
1 medium stalk of broccoli-chopped

Lightly spray one large cookie sheet with Pam. Roll out both crescent rolls and piece together until the entire sheet is covered. Bake as directed on the Pillsbury Crescent rolls package or until a light golden brown. Let cool for 20 minutes.

Spread a generous amount of the Veggie Dip over the crust. Sprinkle the cheddar cheese over the dip. Add the shredded carrots, chopped onion, peppers and broccoli. Chill for 1 hour.

Cut into squares and enjoy! You will have some dip leftover so cute some fresh veggies and have a healthy snack.

Appetizer Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. This is an easy potluck appetizer that is a crowd pleaser!