Holiday Food Fest

The kids are home from College and of course they have favorite foods that they want to make. This year was especially fun since they decided that they would help with the food! We had the Crain side of the family for Christmas on Christmas Eve and it was an appetizer fare. One of the new recipes we tried was one I found on Pinterest. I am hooked on pinterest and have found tons of good recipes to try. My brother said they tasted like a breakfast casserole in a meatball form.  Very easy & quick to make!
 Cream Cheese Sausage Balls
1 lb hot sausage, uncooked 8 oz cream cheese, softened 1 1/4 cups Bisquick 4 oz cheddar cheese Preheat oven to 400F. Mix all ingredients until well combined. (I use my KitchenAid mixer with the dough hook attachment) Roll into 1-inch balls. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until brown. Sausage balls may be frozen uncooked. If baking frozen, add a few minutes to the baking time.
 www.plainchicken.com

Our Fall has Ended!

It is time for soup....... I love soup and tend to fix large pots for leftovers. I love to come home on a cold night from work and know that I have a hearty bowl of soup waiting for me. I also have to have a good slice of bread and love Leon's Cottage Cheese Bread he makes in the bread maker. The recipe to follow.
The soup I love is White Chicken Chili
Bush's White Bean Chicken Chili
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 onion,chopped
2 cloves of garlic,minced
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth
1 (18.75 ounce) can tomatillos,drained and chopped
1 (16 ounce) can diced tomatoes
1 ( 7 ounce ) can diced green chiles
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander seed
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 ears of fresh corn (I used frozen)
1 pound diced, cooked chicken meat
1 ( 15 ounce) can white beans
Salt & pepper to taste
Heat oil, and cook onion and garlic until soft.
Stir in broth, tomatillos, tomatoes, chiles, and spices. Bring to a boil, then simmer for 10 minutes.
Add corn, chicken, and beans; simmer 5 minutes. Season with salt & pepper to taste

Thanksgiving Yummies

Layered Pumpkin Dessert 25 NABISCO Ginger Snaps, finely crushed (about 1-1/3 cups) 1/4 cup butter, melted 2 pkg. (8 oz. each) PHILADELPHIA Cream Cheese, softened 1/2 cup sugar 1-1/2 cups canned pumpkin 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/4 tsp. ground nutmeg 2 eggs 2 pkg. (3.4 oz. each) JELL-O Vanilla Flavor Instant Pudding 2 cups cold milk 1 tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided 1/2 cup chopped PLANTERS Pecans, toasted make it HEAT oven to 350°F. MIX cookie crumbs and butter; press onto bottom of 13x9-inch pan. Bake 10 min. Beat cream cheese and sugar with mixer until well blended. Add pumpkin and spices; mix well. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating on low speed after each just until blended; pour over crust. BAKE 30 min. or until center is almost set. Cool 1 hour. BEAT pudding mixes and milk in medium bowl with whisk 2 min. Stir in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Spread over dessert; cover with remaining COOL WHIP. REFRIGERATE 3 hours or until firm. Sprinkle with nuts before serving. kraft kitchens tips SIZE-WISE Sweets can be part of a balanced diet but remember to keep tabs on portions. MAKE AHEAD Dessert can be refrigerated up to 2 days before serving. HOW TO TOAST NUTS Toasting nuts adds crunch and intensifies their flavor. To toast nuts in the oven, spread nuts in single layer in shallow baking pan. Bake at 350°F for 8 to 10 min. or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. To toast nuts on the stovetop, place nuts in ungreased skillet. Cook on medium heat until golden brown, stirring frequently. To toast nuts in the microwave, place up to 1 cup of nuts in a microwaveable shallow dish. Microwave on HIGH until fragrant and crisp, stirring every 30 sec.

Game Day Treats

I have been using my crockpot

more & more lately and have found some wonderful recipes. The fall weather is here and it is time for soup. College Football is at the top of my list of Saturday must do & watch so I like to get my soup into the crockpot early in the morning and then let it cook on low until it is time to serve. This last Saturday was homemade Chicken noodle and Crock pot Taco soup. The recipe for the Taco soup is as follows:


  Crock Pot Taco Soup Ingredients
 1 (16 ounce) cans pinto beans
 1 (16 ounce) cans kidney beans
 1 (11 ounce) cans niblet corn fritos 
1 (11 ounce) cans Rotel tomatoes & chilies 
 1 (28 ounce) cans diced tomatoes 
 1 (4 ounce) cans diced green chilies 
 1 (1 1/4 ounce) envelopes taco seasoning mix
 1 (1 ounce) envelope hidden valley ranch dressing mix 
 1 lb shredded chicken, ground beef or 1 lb any meat 
 Directions
 Cook meat and drain. Shred if needed. Add all ingredients to crock pot. DO NOT DRAIN CANS. Stir. Cook on high for 2 hours or low for 4 hours. Keep on low until serving to keep hot. Garnish with sour cream, shredded cheese, chopped green onions, or tortilla chips. 


I also had made a Carmel Dip for Apples which was very good and buttery! This dip will last for 4 -6 weeks so it can be used on whatever you would want to put carmel dip on. I just kept the dip in my small crock in the frig so I could heat it up or take out what I needed.

APPLE CARAMEL DIP 
Printed from COOKS.COM
 1/2 c. butter, melted 
2 c. dark brown sugar
 1 c. light corn syrup 
2 tbsp. water
 14 oz. sweetened condensed milk 
1 tsp. vanilla 
10 apples, seeded & cut into 8 wedges each 
Cook butter, sugar, water and milk until all the sugar is dissolved over medium heat, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add vanilla. Cut unpeeled apples into wedges, and then in half again. Dip into salted water for about 1 minute to prevent them from turning brown. (Apples should be done as close to serving time as possible.) Seal apples in an airtight container until use. To serve, heat caramel sauce and pour into chafing dish. Place apples in a bowl beside the caramel with toothpicks for dipping. Serves 25 to 30. The caramel sauce will keep in the refrigerator for 4 to 6 weeks. It is divine served warm over ice cream or pound cake. 
 Enjoy Fall!

Book Club Treat

I had book club this week and decided to bring something warm for a treat.  The hostess, my friend Linda, had a wonderful warm drink of Apple Cider, butterscotch schnapps and Whip cream.  Also she had an assortment of cheeses, apples & pears for us to sample.  My Buffalo Chicken dip fit in just right.  I love the heat of the hot sauce and Frank's Hot Sauce is my favorite.  I used the can chicken as they had in the recipe but I am thinking next time a rotisserie chicken shredded would be a good touch.  The bread I used was a day old baguette from Jimmy Johns that I sliced and toasted.
Here is the recipe:

Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Dip

• 2 (10 ounce) cans chicken 
• 2 (8 ounce) packets cream cheese 
• 3/4 cup hot sauce ( I use Frank's) 
• 1 cup ranch dressing 
• 2 cups mild colby jack cheese 
• 2 loaves baguette or Frito Scoups

Directions

1. Drain canned chicken and put in medium sauce pan.
2. Add hot sauce and cook on medium until heated throughout. My personal favorite is Frank's hot sauce.
3. Add cream cheese and stir until blended thoroughly.
4. Add ranch dressing and mix.
5. Add 1-1/2 cups of cheddar cheese and heat for a few minutes until mixed and melted.
6. Pour the dip into the crock pot and sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on the top. Keep heated on low.
7. I serve on baguette that has been sliced and toasted. However, it is also tasty on corn chips.

Fall Favorite

Since we love Fall camping, our trip would not be complete without a nice warm cappuccino to drink in the morning.  I have a favorite called Victorian Inn French Vanilla that I get from Shopko but I thought this fall I will try to make my own.  I looked over several recipes and came up with this as my choice..........I hope it works!

Homemade Cappuccino Mix

From: sandra stevens

INGREDIENTS

1. 2 1/2 cups regular coffee creamer
2. 1 1/2 cups or 8 oz. french vanilla flavored creamer
3. 2 cups instant dry milk
4. 3 teaspoons Quick chocolate drink mix
5. 3/4 cup instant coffee (I am going to try regular decaf French Vanilla and put it in my coffee grinder)
6. 1 1/2 cups white sugar
7. 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
8. 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
9. 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
10. 1/2 teaspoon salt

DIRECTIONS

Mix altogether in large bowl. Store in airtight container. Add approximately 5 HEAPING teaspoons of mix per mug of HOT water. 

Dear Food Blog

I am sorry that I have neglected you for the pass weeks!  School has begun and I have been busy with my school blog instead.   It is not because I don't like you any more,  I just need to spend sometime right now with my other blog.
Here are a few recipes to try.......

TWO-BITE POPTARTS
1 c. fresh cherries, pitted and diced
3 T. sugar
2 T. cornstarch
2 T. water
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 pkg. prepared pie crusts

FOR THE POPS
wooden popscicle sticks

FOR THE GLAZE
1 c. powdered sugar
1-2 T. milk
1/2 tsp. vanilla
food coloring and sprinkles (optional)

In a small saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, cornstarch and almond extract. Heat on stove over medium heat until mixture has thickened. Remove from heat and allow mixture to cool. Unroll pie crusts and using a pizza cutter to slice them into 1 1/2″x 2″ rectangles (I used a ruler to measure mine into equal sizes. Just use a butter knife to score your pie crust before cutting).

Place a wooden popscicle stick on top of one of the cut rectangles, then spoon a small amount (about 1 1/2 tsp.) of cooled cherry filling into the center of the pie square, taking care not to get it near the edges. Gently lay a second rectangle over the top of the cherry filling. Press the edges of the rectangles together with a fork. Transfer to a baking sheet. Bake poptart pops in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes, or just until the edges begin to brown.

If you have extra zucchini here is a decadent treat.....

Zucchini German Chocolate Cake

4 eggs

2 c. shredded zucchini including peeling

3/4 c. oil

1 tsp. vanilla

1 (4 1/2 oz.) instant chocolate pudding

1 1/2 tsp. instant decaffinated coffee

1 pkg. chocolate cake mix (German chocolate mix)

Beat eggs, zucchini, oil, vanilla, chocolate pudding. Add coffee, cake mix (dry out of the box) and beat at low speed until moist, about 11 minutes. Bake in bundt pan about 1 hour at 350 degrees, or in a 9x13 pan 40-45 minutes.

Vanilla frosting makes an excellent topping for this cake.