Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar Dip

Football Season is on the horizon.  I can see it just peeping over the sun!   Do you have your tailgate recipes lined up?   Well, add this one to the batch.   Especially if you like jalapeno poppers. The football crowd will love this served with some Fritos scoops, or whatever you want to serve it with.

Bacon Jalapeno Cheddar Dip

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1 Tbsp ranch seasoning mix

2-4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and diced (if you like more heat, leave the seeds in a couple of them)

1/2 cup crispy cooked and crumbled bacon (reserve a couple tablespoons to sprinkle on top)

2 cups sour cream

2 Tbsp onion, chopped

1 Tbsp parsley

pinch of salt and pepper

1/2 tsp garlic powder (optional)

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9×9 inch baking dish with cooking spray.  Stir all ingredients together in a bowl (except the reserved couple of tbsp. bacon) and spread evenly in the baking dish.   Sprinkle with remaining bacon.  Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbly and golden brown.  Serve hot with chips or crackers of your choice.

Roll Tide or War Eagle?

The door cuties are waiting to be delivered to their new owners who are…

 

Alabama Elephant…..#3 – Dianne Hann

Auburn Tiger Paw ….  # 1 – Lynnie

 

Congrats!   Hubby and I actually watched the Alabama Texas A&M game last night to get us ready for Football season and we are so ready!    So get your colors on and get ready to cheer your favorite teams on!

 

Football is almost here!

Are you getting excited?  I can’t believe summer is almost over but in reality it is.  But that only means one thing…..football and tailgate food.   The best of both worlds!  

To kick off football season this year,  I found two of the cutest door hangers for you Alabama and Auburn fans.  (sorry, Troy Trojan and Huntingdon Hawks fans like me that have a grandson at each one and this booth had neither!) 

How cute is this little elephant!    You Alabama fans can hang this on your door and yell Roll Tide all day long!

And for you Auburn fans, War Eagle!  This little paw print is just the thing you need.   

If you want a chance to win your cute door hanger, just leave a reply with your choice, either Auburn or Alabama – I will do a drawing for all Alabama replies and another drawing for all Auburn replies.  Posting of winners will be Wednesday, July 23rd.   Roll Tide, War Eagle, Go Trojans, and Go Hawks!  (that ought to cover them all).

Grilled Corn with Smoked Paprika Compound Butter

Its the top of grilling season and fresh corn is in.  I see it everywhere I go especially at the local Farmer’s market, since I don’t grow any.  (I need to go see Julie, who seems to grow a lot of it…Tiny, tell her I’m coming!)  

And there’s nothing better than grilling a fresh ear of corn.  Do you grill yours naked?  (the corn, silly- out of the husk) Or do you grill yours in the husk with all kinds of seasoning on it?   Or in foil with seasoning?   

However you grill it, fresh grilled corn is the bomb.  It just doesn’t get any better than that.  Here’s a butter recipe you just may want to try next time you grill your fresh corn.   And if you have any grilled corn left over, cut it off the cob, and save it for that next salad you make,   

Smoked Paprika Compound Butter

1 stick unsalted butter at room temperature

1 teaspoon sea salt

1 heaping tablespoon smoked paprika

Mix all ingredients together until smooth.

Coat the corn with half of the smoked paprika butter while reserving the other half of the butter for later use.  

Grill as you normally would, flipping when browned on each side.  

Enjoy!

Making compound butters is so easy.  You just decide on the flavors you enjoy most and mix.  Fresh herbs work well in the butter and serve up great. 

Experiment with your favorite flavors and butter.  

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

I grow herbs.  I love growing fresh herbs and walking out and cutting what I need for a particular recipe.   Fresh basil, fresh sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella cheese, drizzled with olive oil, the best summer salad.   

I made this fresh herb vinaigrette and had all the herbs right out in my herb garden.  YEA!  And it was so good.   If you are a fan of vinaigrette dressings, you will like this.  

 

Fresh Herb Vinaigrette

3/4 cup white wine vinegar (i believe it would be just as good if you used apple cider vinegar)

1 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons sugar (use Splenda if you are so inclined and a little more if you lean on the sweeter side))

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1/2 cup extra-light olive oil

1 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

1 Tbsp chopped fresh oregano

1 Tbsp chopped fresh tarragon

1 Tbsp choped fresh thyme

1 Tbsp chopped fresh basil

1.  In a small bowl, combine vinegar, Dijon mustard, sugar, salt, garlic powder, and pepper, whisking until sugar dissolves.  In a slow stream, gradually add olive oil, whisking to combine well.  stir in parsley, oregano, tarragon, thyme, and basil.

 

I store mine in a mason jar (what else?)  so that all I have to do is shake well before using.

Sure is good!  Give it a try.  Would be a good marinade for chicken or pork before grilling, also.

 

What’s for Lunch?

Sister came to visit after a long hiatus.  She has been very busy and so have I.  We just haven’t gotten our schedules on the same track for a good visit.   We fed her lunch, of course.  She and I think alike on a few things, and lunch yesterday was one of them  We love to have “cold plates” which consist of a variety of crackers, cheeses, fruits, sliced tomatoes (locally grown and fresh, of course!), along with sliced meats.  

See that plate?   The variety of cheeses were so good.  And those tomatoes, oh my!   Farmer’s Market came through again.   They were so fresh and had so much flavor.  I took the picture before I got our “lemon cucumber” sliced and on the plate.  It is a type of cucumber that is yellow, round and looks like a lemon that has been zested and is so mild (doesn’t taste like a lemon) and no after effects either.   So good.  I will be back at the market this week looking for these again.

These were our choice of crackers (we went healthy and didn’t lose any flavor in doing so).  Use whatever choice you like.

For our sliced meats (of which I didn’t take a picture of)  hubby smoked a boneless turkey breast and a small boston butt.  We sliced these up and they needed no sauce.  Moist, and delicious.  What a good summer meal for the hot muggy days.   Sometimes for our meats we just use deli sliced meats and enjoy it just as well for a light lunch.  Oh. we also had a plate of deviled eggs.  Can’t have a “cold plated lunch’ without deviled eggs!

Try you a good “cold plate” sometime.   It sure hit the spot where we were concerned!  And dessert?   Why, cold sliced, seedless watermelon, of course.  Try to stay cool this week.

Whoopie! pies, that is

I have made these for the peeps on numerous occasions.  I haven’t made them in a while and need to do so.  You should see my recipe.   I love it as it has the effects of my baking right there on the sheets.  Well used, well loved recipe.   Ease recipe, and oh, so good.   Make these – they won’t last long and I can assure you they will become a favorite at your house.

Chocolate Whoopie Pies

Chocolate Cake ingredients:

1/2 cup shortening

1 cup brown sugar, packed

1 egg

1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp natural cocoa

2 cups all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

1 cup milk

1 tsp vanilla

Filling:

1 cup shortening

1 cup confectioners’ sugar

1 1/3 cups marshmallow fluff or marshmallow creme

a heaping 1/4 tsp extra fine salt OR the salt of your choice dissolved in a Tbsp of water

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Cakes: in a large mixing bowl, cream together the shortening, sugar and egg.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the cocoa, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.  Stir the vanilla into the milk.  Add the dry ingredients to the shortening mixture alternately with the milk/vanilla, beating smooth.  Drop the dough, by 1/4 cupful, (I use a cookie scoop that has the release handle on it – this makes them all uniform in size – use a smaller scoop, get more pies – use a larger scoop, less pies but larger cookie) onto parchment-lined or lightly greased baking sheets, leaving about 2 inches between each cake.  

Bake the cakes in a preheated oven for about 15 minutes, or until they’re firm to the touch.  Remove them from the oven, and cool completely on a wire rack.

Filling:  Beat together the shortening, sugar, and marshmallow, then stir in the salt and vanilla.  Spread half of the cakes with the filling; top with the remaining cakes. 

Then share with your family or friends because these are deadly!  You won’t be able to eat just one.   Makes me hungry for one just thinking about these.  So much better than the store bought ones.   

Now get to baking these!  

By the way, since I am on a watermelon eating frenzy, do you know how good these things are for you????!!!!!  No wonder my hair grows at such a rapid rate!   No wonder my hair cutter is so glad!  Happy baking, cooking, grilling and watermelon eating! 

Veggie Dip

In the quest to eat healthier, one item I enjoy are the Laughing Cow cheese triangles in the various flavors.

I had gotten a double pack (only because they came that way) this past week and decided to make my very own veggie dip out of several of them rather than using cream cheese, since the laughing cow wedges are an item I can have. I had also gotten a package of those baby tri-colored bell peppers that are so sweet and good. I use these on salads, and just to eat right out of the package. The great thing about using these wedges is you can add anything you want. Here’s what I did: 6 laughing cow wedges (I used the plain low fat wedges but wouldn’t some of the flavored ones be good!) finely chopped tri colored baby bell peppers (use amount you desire – no set amount) finely chopped celery finely chopped onion finely chopped part of a carrot 1/4 tsp garlic pepper a pinch of cayenne pepper a pinch of salt Mix all together and taste – adjust any of the above to your liking. Serve with celery sticks, bell pepper wedges, or whatever you want to dip. Would be great as a spread on a sandwich also. Mine didn’t last very long as hubby liked it, also. What a versatile recipe. I may try the queso flavored wedges next and add some of my homemade taco seasoning mix – sounds yummy! Hope your July 4th was a great weekend! Have a great week.

Breakfast Casserole – make it!

When I come across a recipe I can “tweak’ and make it what I consider more flavorful, and one I think either my peeps, or my co-workers, or my Sunday School class will enjoy, I jump at the chance,and this was one of those that turned out great.

It is easy, it bakes up golden and smells so good while cooking, and will get a lot of thumbs up when serving.  Have a house full of guests over the 4th of July holiday?  Serve a couple of these and you are a winner.

Incredible Breakfast Casserole

1 can flaky Grands 

1 bag shredded sharp cheddar cheese (8 ounce bag)

1/2 cup milk 

1 cup cooked of either cooked pork sausage or cubed ham (I found a brand, Wright’s smoked pork sausage, the 1 lb bulk that you make the patties out of that I used and it smelled incredible and i believe gave the casserole some of that “conecuh”  smokey flavor without as much of the grease)

5 eggs

Salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 to 3/4 tsp garlic powder (more or less, to taste)

1/4 to 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper (more or less, to taste)

 Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Beat eggs and milk together, then add the salt, pepper, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, then stir in the shredded cheddar cheese and cooked sausage or ham.    Once combined, throw in the cut biscuits, and stir to coat all the biscuits.
 Transfer to an oiled casserole dish (I used an 11×7 pyrex but you could also use a 9×13, depending on how thick you want it – the 11×7 worked great). 

Bake 25 to 30 minutes at 350 degrees.  It should look just set and golden.

 

Enjoy!