Enchil-agna

Yes, it's enchiladas prepared in classic lasagna style. :) Our kids love this, so we thought we'd share.

12 corn tortillas, quartered
1 lb ground beef
1 small onion, diced
1/2 c salsa (optional)
2 c red enchilada sauce
2 c shredded cheese
1/2 pound black beans, cooked


Cook beef and onions in a large skillet over medium heat until beef is browned and onions are translucent. Drain off drippings. Stir in salsa or 1/2 c enchilada sauce.
Coat bottom of 9 x 13 pan with a layer of enchilada sauce, reserving about a cup for the top layer. Beginning with a layer of tortilla quarters in the pan, create layers of meat mixture, beans, cheese, and tortillas as you see fit. I like to create 8 individual stacks of layered ingredients to ease serving, and usually end up with 6 layers in each stack. Pour reserved sauce over all, then sprinkle on the last of the cheese. Cover tightly with foil that has been coated with cooking spray. You can make it in advance and store in fridge until it is time to cook. Bake at 350° for 30 minutes until heated through.

You can buy enchilada sauce in a can or buy a seasoning packet to add to tomato sauce. OR you could make your own, with this recipe from allrecipes.com.

If you don't use dried beans, you can substitute two cans of beans, rinsed and drained.

Red Enchilada Sauce

1/4 c oil
2 T flour
1/8 c chili powder
8 oz tomato sauce
1 1/4 c water
1/4 t cumin
1/4 t garlic
1/4 c minced onion

Place first three ingredients in a small saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly till slightly browned. Add remaining ingredients. Cook 10 minutes, stirring occasionally until thickened.

This yields about 2 cups of tasty sauce that is healthier than sauce from a can, and more cost-effective than the seasoning packets you can buy.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Bars

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
3 1/2 cups confectioners' sugar
1 1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup butter, melted
1 cup semisweet chocolate chips


1. In a medium bowl, stir together graham cracker crumbs, confectioners' sugar, peanut butter and melted butter. Press firmly into the bottom of a 9x13 inch pan.
2. Melt chocolate chips over a double boiler or in the microwave, stirring occasionally. Spread melted chocolate over the crumb crust.
3. Chill for about 5 minutes, then cut into bars before the chocolate is completely set, then chill until ready to serve.

Rice and Beans

We found this outstanding recipe combo in "Mice and Beans," a children’s picture book by Pam Muñoz Ryan.


Beans:
16 oz dried pinto beans, washed and picked over
1 large chopped onion
4 cloves minced garlic
29 oz. chicken broth
29 oz. water

Combine ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 3 hours, stirring often, until beans are plump and soft.

Rice:
2 T oil
⅓ c minced onion
⅓ c minced pepper
1 ½ c long grain white rice, uncooked
14 oz. chicken broth
¼ c tomato sauce
1 ½ c water

Pour oil in large skillet. Add onion, pepper, rice, and saute over medium heat until rice is lightly toasted. Add broth, sauce, and water. Bring to a boil. Cover. Reduce heat to low. Simmer for 20-25 minutes or until liquid has been absorbed. Do not stir. Remove from heat and let sit for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork.

Serve rice and beans side-by-side or wrapped in tortillas.

Boursin Cheese Ball

16 oz. cream cheese – room temp.
4 Tbsp. Butter – room Temp.
1 tsp. lemon juice
4 cloves minced garlic
1 Tbsp. Dried Oregano
¼ tsp. cayenne pepper
¼ tsp. salt
4 Tbsp. diced fresh parsley
Plus….
Nuts or parsley to coat the outside.

Combine all ingredients in a mixer. Shape into a ball and wrap in seran wrap and chill over night. Right before serving, cover with nuts or parsley. Serve with crackers.

Callie's Crockpot Potato Soup

6 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
5 cups chicken stock
1 Tblsp. dried parsley
1/3 cup butter
13 oz. can evaporated milk
corn (fresh, can or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

Everything in crockpot except milk. Add milk and severeal tablespoons cornstartch to thicken soup one hour before serving. Cook 8-10 hours on low.

Top with cheese and crumbled bacon.

Tortillas

We have a hard time eating store-bought tortillas now. If you have never eaten fresh tortillas, you won't understand how much better these are. They really are easy to make and everyone should know how to make these. If you have fat, flour and salt stored for emergencies (and you should), it's a great resource. Think of all the things you can do with tortillas.

3 c flour
½ t salt
4 T butter or shortening or lard
7 oz. warm water

Combine flour and salt, cut in the butter. Add water slowly just until dough holds together. Knead until dough is quite smooth and elastic. You may prepare ahead to this point and wrap dough in plastic wrap and allow to rest at room temperature.

Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Meanwhile, divide dough into 12 pieces. On a lightly floured surface, press a piece into a disk, then roll it out as thin as possible (should measure about 7 inches in diameter). Toast the tortillas one at a time in a dry pan over medium heat, turning once. It takes about 2 minutes total (about how long it takes to roll out the next one). Serve warm, or allow to cool and store in plastic wrap. You can easily double the recipe if needed.

Ginger's Tortilla Soup

1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. chili powder
1/4 tsp. cumin
2 cans chicken broth
1 can (4oz.) green chilies (undrained)
1 can (28 oz.) diced or crushed tomatoes
2 chicken breasts (can be frozen!)

Saute the onion and garlic in a little oil. Add cumin and chili powder. Saute. Add 2 cans chicken broth, green chilies, tomatoes and chicken breasts. Boil for 20 minutes.

Remove the chicken to shred.
Drain and rinse 1 can kidney beans, drain 1 can of corn and add those and the shredded chicken to the pot.

Simmer for one hour.

When serving, add toppings such as shredded cheese, sour cream, lime, salsa, cilantro, avocado, tortilla chips.

QUESTION for those who are wiser in the kitchen than I - is there a reason I'm adding chili powder when there are actual chilis in the recipe?

NOTES - This recipe is pretty open to interpretation. You could use fresh tomatoes, fresh corn etc. less or more chicken broth, less or more other ingredients etc. I use 1 chicken breast and 2 cans of kidney beans. Or you could just omit the chicken. Also, I use a hand blender in the pot before I add the corn, beans and chicken back in. None of my family (including me) like chunks of tomato.

This meal is easy and delicious, it looks pretty and my kids love it!

Another Best Ever Sugar Cookie

There are two camps of thought regarding the ancient art of sugar cookies. Well, three . . . but nobody can take thin and crunchy sugar cookies seriously. I mean, really.

If you like thick and poofy best-ever sugar cookies, go here, because this recipe does not make that kind.

Originally from my mother’s orange Betty Crocker cookbook, these best-ever sugar cookies remain flat during baking, producing a perfect canvas for decorating. If you remove them from the oven the instant the middle sets, they stay soft and chewy, even if you don't frost them. But of course you want to frost them, so use the frosting recipe at the link above. That is a good frosting.

3/4 c shortening
1 c sugar
2 eggs
1 t vanilla
2 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1 t salt

Cream together wet ingredients, then add combined dry ingredients. Form the dough into a disc, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill in fridge for one hour. Dust counter and pin with flour, roll out 1/4 inch thick, and cut into desired shapes. Bake at 400° on an ungreased cookie sheet for 6-8 minutes. Do not overbake. Frost if desired. Makes approximately 4 dozen.

It's easy to get perfect dough thickness with rolling pin rings.

Rolling Pin Accessory

If you find it difficult to evenly roll out pie crusts or cookie doughs or what have you, we have the perfect kitchen gadget for you. Rolling pin rings slip/stretch onto the ends of pretty much any rolling pin and produce perfect, uniform thickness with no additional effort. They come in a set of four different thicknesses: 1/16, 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8 inches. We found our set years ago at a neighborhood kitchen specialty shop, but recently saw them for sale at Bed Bath and Beyond. Enjoy!

Nanaimo Bars

A delicious dessert said to have originated in British Columbia. Good job, Canada!

Crust
½ c unsalted butter
¼ c sugar
5 T cocoa
1 egg beaten
1 ¼ c graham wafer crumbs
½ c finely chopped almonds
1 c coconut

Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler. Add egg and stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in crumbs, coconut, and nuts. Press firmly into an ungreased 8 x 8 pan.

Filling
½ c unsalted butter
2 T and 2 t cream
2 T vanilla pudding powder
2 c powdered sugar

Cream butter, cream, pudding powder, and powdered sugar together well. Beat until light. Spread over bottom layer.

Icing
4 squares semi-sweet chocolate (1 oz. each)
2 T unsalted butter

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat. Cool. Once cool, but still liquid, pour over second layer and chill in refrigerator. Yields 20 servings.

Cherry Nut Breakfast Cake

I needed to use up some leftover cherry pie filling. I got an idea from allrecipes.com, adapted a coffee cake recipe I've had for years, added my own sugar glaze, and served it for breakfast (several times now; my kids love it).

cake:
1 1/2 c flour
1 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
1/2 c milk
1/4 c oil
1/2 t vanilla
1/2 c sugar
1 egg
1 c cherry pie filling

topping:
1/2 c chopped walnuts or sliced almonds
2 T softened butter
1 c powdered sugar
2 t corn syrup
2-3 T milk

Prepare the cake batter by sifting together the dry ingredients. Beat the wet ingredients together until blended. Combine the mixtures until moistened. Pour into greased 8 x 8 pan. Drop cherry pie filling by spoonfuls onto batter. Bake at 375° for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare glaze by creaming the butter and sugar. Add corn syrup, stirring to combine. Slowly add milk until glaze reaches desired consistency. Remove cake from oven and sprinkle with chopped nuts. Drizzle glaze over the cake and serve warm. Yields 16 pieces.

Baked Pineapple with Strawberry Sauce

1 pound frozen unsweetened strawberries
1/3 c. brown sugar
1/3 c. water
3 T. lemon juice (freshly squeezed or no)
2 t. corn starch
1 t. vanilla
3.5 to 4-pound pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut crosswise into 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick slices to yield about 1 pound of fruit

Combine the strawberries, sugar, and water in a large saucepan over medium heat; cover partially. Cook until the berries thaw, then uncover and cook until the berries are soft, allowing the mixture to maintain a low boil. In all, the process will take about 25 minutes.

Combine the lemon juice and cornstarch in a small bowl, then add to the saucepan, stirring until the mixture comes back to a low boil. Remove from the heat and let cool for 10-15 minutes.

While the sauce is cooling, line one or two large rimmed baking sheets with parchment paper or tin foil. Lay the pineapple slices on the prepared sheets(s) in a single layer, then roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes, until any excess liquid has evaporated and the slices look dry (they should not be brown).

Use a large spoon to mash the cooled berries against the sides of their saucepan to form a slightly chunky sauce. Add the vanilla extract.

Divide the pineapple slices among individual plates. Spoon about three tablespoons of the sauce down the center of the slices and serve warm, with ice cream if desired.

Notes: I doubled the sauce and used two cans of sliced pineapple (yielding about 20 slices). They took longer to bake because there's more liquid, but it still turned out great. Also, you can do the sauce in advance and then rewarm on the stove while the pineapple slices are baking. I have a lot of sauce leftover, however, so wonder if I had to double it. But now I have a jam-like fruit sauce that I can feed the baby.

Tallia's Cheesy Stuffed Shells

16 oz. low-fat cottage cheese
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well-drained
1 cup shredded mozzarella
1/4 cup grated parmesan
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
20 jumbo pasta shells, cooked and drained
26 oz. spaghetti sauce

Note - I used ricotta instead of cottage cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400. Mix cottage cheese, spinach, 1/2 cup mozzarella, parmesan, and Italian seasoning until well blended. Spoon 1 heaping Tbsp. of the cheese mixture evenly into each pasta shell.
2. Spoon half of the sauce into 13x9 pan. Place shells, filled sides up, in baking dish. Spoon remaining sauce mixture over shells. Cover with foil.
3. Bake 25 minutes or until heated through. Uncover; top with remaining 1/2 cup mozzarella. Bake uncovered an additional 2 minutes or until cheese is melted.

Sour Cream Pork Chops (Crock Pot)

6 pork chops
salt and pepper to taste
garlic powder to taste
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 large onion, sliced 1/4 inch thick
2 cans condensed cream of mushroom soup
4 to 8 ounces sour cream (you decide)
3/4 cup beef broth
2 cups milk
mushrooms (optional)
red potatoes (optional)

1. Season pork chops with salt, pepper, and garlic powder, and dredge in 1/2 cup flour. In a skillet over medium heat, lightly brown chops in a small amount of oil.
2. Place chops in slow cooker, and top with onion slices. Combine soup, sour cream, beef broth, and milk. At this point add the mushrooms and/or red potatoes if desired. Pour soup mixture over the meat and onions.
3. Cook on high 4 hours or Low 7 to 8 hours. Serve over rice.

Notes: It’s also good to use one can each of cream of mushroom and cream of chicken soup. You can also use either beef or chicken broth.

Orzo and Potato Parmesan

Here is another orzo recipe. We had this for dinner tonight.



2 tablespoons butter
1 cup uncooked orzo
2 teaspoons minced garlic
2 potatoes, peeled and diced
2 carrots, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1/4 c Italian dressing
salt and pepper to taste
3 cups water
1 cube chicken bouillon (1 tsp)
1/2 c sliced sausage or chicken, cooked
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Stir in orzo and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned. Place potatoes, carrot, and onion in the saucepan. Continue to cook and stir until tender. Add dressing, salt, and pepper.
2. Mix water into the saucepan. Add bouillon and stir until dissolved. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 10-12 minutes, or until orzo is tender and most of the liquid has been absorbed. Top with Parmesan cheese to serve.

Jill's Lemony Orzo with Grilled Chicken and Spinach

Lemon Vinaigrette

Pinch of salt and pepper
Juice of 1/2 lemon (1.5 Tblsp lemon juice)
1 Tblsp rice vinegar
1/4 c. extra virgin olive oil

Lemony Orzo with Grilled Chicken and Spinach

1 chicken breast shredded
1/2 pound uncooked orzo
1 handful washed and dried spinach (I love the spinach so I use 2 handfulls)
1/4 cup toasted pinenuts*
Grated parmesan cheese

* Heat the pinenuts in a skillet on the stove, stirring constantly as these will burn very quickly and easily.

Grill chicken breasts making sure to salt and pepper both sides. Meanwhile, place a large pot of salted water over high heat. When it comes to a rolling boil, add all the orzo and cook according to package directions.

When the chicken is finished cooking, place the ckicken on a plate to cool. Shred the chicken when it is cool enought to handle.

After the orzo is cooked to al dente, drain all the water and place the orzo in a large bowl. Immediately add the spinach. The heat from the orzo will wilt and "cook" the spinach. Next add the shredded chicken and toasted pinenuts. Toss with lemon vinaigrette and Parmesan cheese.

Note - As this sits in the refrigerator, the vinaigrette loses some flavor. If you plan on eating it later, be sure to heat it and maybe add a little lemon juice.

The original recipe is double everything, but it's too much for my family to finish so I make this recipe. My husband loves this, my kids love this (well except for the picky one) and I can't get enough. It's so yummy! Thanks to my amazing friend Jill for her recipe.

Lighter Chicken Potpie

From Martha Stewart Living

Ingredients:

2 chicken breasts

Salt and ground pepper

3 T. olive oil

4 carrots, sliced 1/4 in. thick

1 med. onion finely chopped

1/4 tsp. dried thyme leaves

1/4 C. all-purpose flour

2 1/2 C. low-fat milk

1 pkg. (10 oz.) frozen peas, thawed

2 T. lemon juice

6 phyllo sheets, thawed

Martha has you roast two bone in chicken breasts at 400 degrees for 25 to 30 minutes, but I didn't. I just cooked two skinless boneless breasts until I could shred the meat and then set it aside. Then while chicken in roasting (if you prefer to roast with Martha) heat 2 T. oli in large saucepan over medium. Add carrots, onion and thyme; season with salt and pepper and cook until carrots are crisp tender, about 8-10 minutes. Add flour and cook stirring 1 minute. Gradually add milk, stirring until smooth. Cook stiffing until mixture comes to a simmer and thickens - couple minutes.

Remove from heat, stir in peas, lemon juice and chicken; season with salt and pepper. Pour filling into a 9 inch deep-dish pie plate.

Stack phyllo on a work surface. Using knife, cut out 11" circles, discard trimmings. Stack two circles and brush gently with remaining olive oil. Repeat with remaining circles and oil. Place phyllo stack over filling and press down about 1/2 inch from the edge so phyllo fits inside rim of plate. Bake at 400 until golden and bubbly, 20-25 min. Let pot potpie cool 15 min. before serving.

Notes: I used my pampered chef deep dish as I didn't think the mixture would fit into a Pyrex deep dish. I substituted 1 carrot for a stalk of celery. What makes this lighter is you don't have the pie crust on bottom or top but it's still tasty. Next time instead of the flour, I think I will mix in a can of cream of chicken or cream of celery soup to add just a little more flavor.

Super-Stuffed Baked Potatoes

From Cook's Country TV

Ingredients
7 large russet potatoes (about 12 oz. each), scrubbed
6 T. unsalted butter and 3 T. melted
3/4 tsp. salt
1 (5.2 oz.) package Boursin cheese, crumbled
1/2 C. half-and-half
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 C. chopped fresh chives
1 tsp. pepper

Bake your potatoes either by oven or microwave until tender. Slice and remove top 1/4 of each potato, let cool 5 minutes then scoop out flesh leaving 1/4 inch layer of potato on inside. Discard 1 potato shell. Brush remaining shells inside and out with melted butter and sprinkle interiors with salt. Transfer potatoes scooped side up to a baking sheet fitted with a wire rack and bake at 475 degrees until until skins begin to crisp, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, mix half of the Boursin and half and half in a bowl until blended. Cook remaining butter with garlic in sauce pan over med-low heat until garlic is straw colored, 3 to 5 min then stir in Boursin mixture until combined.

After hand mashing or potato ricing your potato flesh, which should be approx. 5 cups, gently fold in Boursin mixture and 3 T of chives, remaining salt and pepper until well mixed. Remove potato shells from oven and fill generously with flesh/cheese mixture. Top with the remaining crumbled Boursin and bake until tops of potatoes are golden brown, about 10-15 min. Sprinkle with remaining chives and serve.

Notes: these were delicious! I think I could have gotten away with only using 6 potatoes but they suggest you do 7 for extra flesh and also if you mess up a shell when scooping it out. The Boursin cheese was a little pricey and the only kind I could find last minute was a garlic flavored so I opted to not add the minced garlic but the flavored cheese worked wonderfully. I also used dried chives (since I had them and was too cheap to buy fresh) and they worked great too but I think fresh would have given it a little extra kick. These were even fantastic as leftovers.

My Prize!

Sorry it has taken so long to post...

but here it is in all its glorty. The Foodees prize!

I love it!

It is reversible.

It is happiness in the kitchen!

Thank you Foodees!

Christmas Morning Cheesebraid

Dough:
1 c. sour cream
1/2 c. sugar
1 t. salt
1/2 c. melted butter
2 T. yeast
1/2 c. warm water
2 beaten eggs
4 c. flour

For bread: Mix sugar, salt, melted butter, and sour cream. Cool to lukewarm. Sprinkle yeast over water in large bowl, stirring until dissolved. Add sour cream mixture, eggs, and flour; mix well. Cover tightly and refrigerate overnight.

The next day, divide into two parts and roll each half to a rectangle about 1/4" thick. Place on greased cookie sheet. Spread half of the cream cheese filling (see directions below) down the center of each rectangle (see first picture). With pizza cutter (or knife) cut half-inch strips away from the center filling. Lay them left, right, left, right across each other, forming a pseudo-braid (see second picture). Cover and let rise until double. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-18 minutes. Can glaze with powdered sugar and milk mixture.

Filling:
two 8-ounce packages of cream cheese (can do lite, but not fat-free)
3/4 c. sugar
1 beaten egg
1/2 t. salt
2 t. vanilla

To make the filling, combine the cream cheese and sugar in a bowl. Add other ingredients. Beat well. This will make more than enough, but unfortunately halving the filling isn't quite enough for a full recipe of dough.

We LOVE this on Christmas morning. As adults, it's okay that it takes a couple hours on Christmas morning to complete. But if you have little kids and they want to eat right away, you can make the dough Christmas Eve morning, refrigerate all day, and then bake Christmas Eve so it will be ready Christmas morning.

Caramel Apple Bars

1 ¼ cups flour
¾ cup firmly packed brown sugar, divided
½ cup butter
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1-2 golden delicious apples, cored and chopped
1 cup caramel candies, each cut in quarters
½ cup chopped walnuts

1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9-inch square baking pan.
2. In a medium size bowl, combine 1 cup flour and ¼ brown sugar. Cut in butter until mixture resembles course crumbs. Transfer mixture to the pan and press down in an even layer. Bake for 10 minutes.
3. In the same mixing bowl, beat eggs. Stir in vanilla, ½ brown sugar and ¼ cup flour. Stir in apples, caramels, and nuts. Pour over the bottom crust. Bake 30-35 minutes, or until golden brown.

Note: Makes 16 Servings. Good served hot with vanilla ice cream or cooled to room temperature.

Layered Bean Dip with Baked Chips

So I kinda "created" this tonite and it was a big hit with my whole family (okay, not emmy - but she only wants to eat candy). It was actually our "main course" (ahem, my only course).

Dip:

1 can (160z) of fat-free refried-beans

1/2 package of fajita seasoning

1/4 - 1/2 t. cumin

2-3 minced garlic cloves

1 ripe avacado

1 lemon

1/8 t. salt

1 t. olive oil

lite sour cream

sliced olives

chopped tomatoes

shredded monterey jack and cheddar cheese

chopped cliantro

Chips:

flour tortillas

PAM

salt 'n pepper

In a small saucepan heat the beans up with the fajita seasoning, cumin, and garlic. Once warmed, take off the heat and set aside.

Mash the avacado up with a fork and the juice from one lemon, the 1/8 t. salt and 1 t. oil. It does not need to be completely smooth.

Then either in individual ramikins or other serving dish, layer the beans, then avacado, next with sour cream, tomatoes, cheese and cilantro. (I did mine in 7 ramikins - I layered the beans, then dolloped on about 1 T. of the avacado and about 1 T. of sour cream. I also put about 1 T. of cheese on each serving, too.)

Place in fridge for at least 4 hours (more longer if doing it in a larger serving dish).

Chips:

Heat oven to 350. Cut up the flour tortillas in triangles (I used fajita-size tortillas and made 6 triangles per tortilla). Place on a baking sheet and spray each wedge with PAM. Then sprinkle salt and pepper as desired. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes. Then turn each one over, spray again with PAM, and cook another 5 minutes. Done. (We did about 6-8 tortillas, on 2 different baking sheets).

Dip "chips" in the bean dip. Yum.

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

(How appropriate a title for a food site, eh?)

Anyway, I am happy to announce that...

Linda (from Living in Tally) is the big raffle winner! Congratulations Linda! Your prize packages (plural!) are on their way.

Truly, thanks to everyone who participated. The response was simply awesome. When should we do it again?!

And of course, please don't stop posting. The success of this site depends on posts (duh), which means it relies on you to post those posts, so keep 'em coming.

Merry Christmas everyone!

Mini Pecan Tarts

1/3 cup finely chopped pecans
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. salt
1 egg
30 mini fillo shells

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together brown sugar, corn syrup, vanilla, salt and egg. Spoon 2 tsp. filling into each shell and sprinkle chopped pecans over mixture. Bake for 20 minutes.

I'm not a huge pecan pie fan, but for some reason I LOVE these little treats.

Individual Cheese Balls

1 tub (8oz.) chive and onion cream cheese spread
1 pkg. (8oz.) shredded mozzarella cheese
4 slices bacon, cooked, and finely chopped
1/2 tsp. Italian seasoning
1/2 tsp. garlic powder
1/2 cup toasted walnuts, ground

Mix cream cheese spread and mozzarella cheese until well blended. Stir in chopped bacon and seasonings. Shape mixture into approx. 54 balls, 1 level tsp. each. Roll in walnuts. Cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 2 hours.

To change flavor, prepare as directed using 1 pkg. natural three cheese crumbles in place of mozzarella cheese.

Fudge

1 - 12 oz package chocolate chips
1 cube butter
1 box powdered sugar (3 3/4 cups)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup chopped walnuts (optional)

1. Melt chocolate chips and butter in double-broiler over low heat.
2. Beat eggs in bowl until lemon yellow in color. Add powdered sugar and beat well.
3. Add melted chocolate and vanilla to bowl. Beat well.
Add nuts if desired.
4. Pour into 9/13 in or 9x9 in buttered or foil lined pan. Pan size depends on how thick you like your fudge.

Cool and cut into squares. Keep unused portion in refrigerator.

Candy That Shouldn't Taste Good, But It Does

Someone brought some homemade candy into work last week. At first glance it looked like toffee, but closer inspection revealed a very surprising ingredient. I searched for it online, and it turns out to be quite a phenomenon. Check the link: I don't think it needs a new write-up here.

We made it for a Christmas party, and it was quickly gone. Who would've thought?

Chocolate Gingerbread Bars

This is from Everyday Food magazine, and is num-yummy.

• 4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted, plus more for pan
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus more for pan
• 3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon pumpkin-pie spice
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 cup packed dark-brown sugar
• 1/4 cup unsulfured molasses
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup semisweet chocolate chips
• confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with a strip of parchment paper, leaving an overhang on two sides; butter paper. Dust paper and sides of pan with cocoa; set aside. In a medium bowl, whisk together cocoa, flour, ginger, pumpkin-pie spice, and baking soda; set aside.
2. In a large bowl, whisk together butter, brown sugar, molasses, egg, and sour cream until smooth. Add flour mixture; stir just until moistened (do not overmix). Stir in chocolate chips. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top.
3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack; let cool completely. Using paper overhang, lift gingerbread from pan. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut into 16 squares. Before serving, dust bars with confectioners sugar, if desired. (To store, keep in an airtight container at room temperature, up to 3 days.)

In addition to the powdered sugar, I added pomegranate seeds, chopped pistachios, and whipped cream. I think those additions took this dessert from YUM to SUPER-YUM!

Christmas Yumminess

I don't know what to call this, nor do I remember where I got it from. It's just so good and so easy.

1 bag of stick pretzels
2 bags of MINT M&M's
1 package of white chocolate almond bark

have the bag of pretzels and M&M's opened and waiting in a large mixing bowl. Melt the package of almond bark (check heating directions on package, usually just 1 mintue).

When melted well, dump into the bowl on top of the pretzels and M&M's and stir til it covers it all. While still warm, spread on a wax papered cookie sheet. Let harden (10-15 minutes). Then break it up haphazardly and serve.

Take it to a party

Or take a treat to a friend

Or let your kids devour it.