Welcome to my recipe blog! I started it when my brother, Mark, moved away and was in need of some recipes....or so I thought.... The goal is to post recipes that can be made quickly, easily, and inexpensively. If you have something to contribute, please let me know and I will be glad to add it!!

Thursday, January 17, 2008

Soutwest Salsa

My friend Connie (SCS - cmc2stamp) sent me this FABULOUS salsa recipe. I can't wait to try it!

Thanks, Connie!

Connie's Salsa
1 habanero pepper
1 bunch of cilantro
1 medium white onion
12 Roma tomatoes
1-2 minced garlic cloves (optional)
24 oz tomato sauce
Juice from 2 limes
1 package of taco seasoning

Mince habanero with cilantro in food processor (if you do not have a food processor and want to make a chunkier salsa then put the habanero in a blender with some of the tomato sauce and blend until the pepper is VERY well minced). Add onion and tomatoes to the food processor and pulse until well chopped. Move contents of food processor to a large bowl. Add minced garlic cloves, tomato sauce, lime juice and seasoning packet. Mix well. Enjoy!!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Skor Bar Cake

Ok....I have to say this is one of the most yummy desserts EVER in the whole wide world -- seriously. It's a cake, but more like a torte. AND....it's way better left over the second day.



Skor Bar Cake

1 chocolate cake mix
1 pint of whip cream (not whipped)
1/2 cup of granulated sugar
1/4 cup of cocoa
4 Skor bars (chocolate covered toffee bars)

Make cake mix according to directions. Put in 2 layer pans (circle or square) and bake until done. Cool. (When I bake in layer pans to make sure the cake comes out I put wax paper in the bottom. Trace around the outside of the pan on wax paper and then cut out and put in bottom of pan. Cakes come out perfect every time!)

In mixing bowl put whip cream, sugar and cocoa. DO NOT WHIP!!! You can stir it together a bit if you want, but don't mix it yet!! Stick it in the fridge for at least 15 minutes. (Or whenever you remember it's there....whatever!) Take out and whip.Crush all 4 Skor bars. Take 3 of the crushed Skor bars and mix them into the chocolate whip cream.

Cut each cake layer in half horizontally, so now you have 4 layers of cake. Put one layer on a plate and smear chocolate whip cream over it. Don't put it on the sides--it's more of a torte. Put on another cake layer. Smear with whip cream. Repeat until all layers are on cake and have whip cream on them.

Sprinkle last crushed Skor bar over top of cake for decoration.

BLT Dip

Here is another family favorite......

BLT Dip
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese , softened
1/2 cup ranch salad dressing
1 medium tomato (about 3/4 cup)
6 slices bacon, crisply cooked, drained and chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons onions, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar

Place cream cheese in a bowl. Gradually stir in dressing; mix well. Remove seeds from tomato; dice tomato. Reserve 1 tablespoon for garnish. Chop bacon, celery and onion. Add tomato, bacon, celery, onion, and sugar to cream cheese mixture; mix well. Cover; refrigerate at least 3 hours to allow flavors to blend.

Serve with toasted bread, such as a mini loaf of French Bread

Mississippi Sin

So I have a recipe for this absolutely DEVINE ham dip -- here it is. This is one of my faves!!

Mississippi Sin

1 Lb Chopped Ham
8 oz Sour Cream
2 Cups Shredded Cheese
1 Sm. Can Chopped Chile Peppers
1 Loaf French Style Bread, hollowed out.

Mix all ingredients together. Place in Bread Bowl. Bake at350 degrees for 30 minutes or until filling is hot.

Serve with corn chips. I usually use Frito's Scoops

The bread is delicious heated up the next day.....just pop it in the oven until it's nice and crispy.

Fruit Salsa

Fruit Salsa

2 Granny Smith Apples
1 Cup Strawberries
1 Kiwi
1 Tbsp Apple Jelly
2 Tbsp Brown Sugar
2 Tbsp Orange Juice
1 pkg flour tortillas
Cinnamon
Sugar

Chop fruit up small, like salsa and combine the first six ingredients. Chill.....the salsa, not nececerily yourself -- HA!

Dampen tortillas with water and sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar. Cut into wedges and bake at 475 degrees for 5 minutes. Use for dipping into the salsa.

Yummy!!

Chicken Ring

Ok...here is a recipe for one of our family's FAVORITE recipes. I even took pictures, so you would know how to make the actual ring.

This one's for you, Krystina!

Chicken Ring
1 - 1 1/2 Lbs. Boneless Chicken Breast
1/3 Cup Mayo (or Miracle Whip)
1 Tsp. Dijon Mustard
1 Cup Swiss Cheese, Shredded
2 Tsp. Parsley Flakes
1 Garlic Clove, pressed or minced
1 Tomatoe, halved and sliced
2 Packages Crescent rolls


Preheat oven to 350 degress.

Cook chicken (duh!...but I do have a keen grasp on the obvious) and chop into eentsy teentsy pieces using a food chopper (love that tool!!), food processor, or by other means that hopefully inovlve sharp instruments. Be sure not to chop your fingers off. Stir in all ingredients EXCEPT FOR the crescent rolls and 1/4 cup of the Swiss Cheese.

Unroll the Crescent Rolls (again with the obvious....I know....) and arrange on a Pizza Stone or cookie sheet or something that can go into the oven. There are several different ways to do this. The easiest is to line up the wide end of the roll with the points facing outward. The rolls should overlap slightly and form a ring...hence the recipe name Chicken RING :o) It should look like this:




Press the wide part of the tringles together so they kind of seal a little bit. Then, for the filling -- just fill 'er up. Kind of scoop the chicken mixture around the edge of the ring and place the tomato slices on top....like this:


Then, fold the tips of the triangle over and tuck under the other edge of the ring. Next, brush on the egg whites (Mom doesn't know why I took this pic....but I think it's fun).....



.....and sprinkle with the reserved Swiss Cheese. It will look like this:

Bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until golden brown. Serve immediately. YUM!!