Dill Pickle Dip:

 My birthday was last week, and like most people, my family kept asking me what I wanted for dessert, and things like that. I really just enjoy all kinds of food - a lot! So it's hard for me to pick one thing!! I seriously thought about it for days! We had a lot going on that weekend, and would already be having lots of desserts, so I thought that Chips/Veggies and dip and Chex mix would be fun! And it was a good choice!! Everything was so yummy, and it was so fun to just relax, have some finger foods, and watch one of my favorite movies - Princess Diaries2! And another good part, was that I could pick more than 1 thing!! I love Dill Pickle chips, but they are hard to find where I live, so when I saw this dip recipe, I wanted to try it! And it was so, so good! I actually like it far better than the dill pickle chips! So, even if it's not your birthday or any special occasion, I hope if you like dill pickles, you'll give this super easy recipe a try!!

 

 

1 (8 oz.) block cream cheese, room temperature

1/2 - 1 cup chopped dill pickles, depending on how much you like pickles!

1 tblsp. Worcestershire sauce

Pickle Juice

 

Using a hand mixer, cream together the cheese, pickles and Worcestershire sauce, until well combined. If it's too stiff for you, than you can pour in a small amount of pickle juice from the jar, until it reaches desired consistency. Serve or chill until ready to serve!

 

Note:

-You can use any size pickle. I used the pickle slices, and chopped them about as small as I could get them.

-It's actually a lot better served the next day! The flavors have a chance to blend I guess, and it's just really super yummy!

-I served it with Potato Chips, but it's actually good with tortilla chips too, and I'm sure you could serve it with crackers as well!

 It's just good, no matter how you serve it!!!

 

Cheesy Garlic Pull Apart Bread:

After falling in love with the Monkey Bread I posted a couple of weeks ago, I knew there would be other ways to use that bread. Why not a savory option? When I saw a version of this recipe, I knew it would be AMAZING. And let me just tell you - it was!!! It smelled SO good while it was baking and it tasted heavenly! Even my mom liked it and she is NOT a fan of garlic or Parmesan cheese! As with the Monkey Bread, it takes a little time, but it's really easy. I hope you give it a try and enjoy it as much as my family did!!!

Dough:

2 & 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup tapioca starch

3 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tblsp. Rapid Rise yeast

3 tblsp. sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup instant vanilla pudding mix (dry)

1 tsp. baking powder

4 tblsp. butter

1/2 cup water

3/4 cup milk

1 egg, room temperature

1 tsp. cider vinegar

2 tblsp. canola oil

1 tsp. vanilla

Coating:

1 & 1/2 cups grated Parmesan Cheese

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, melted

1 tblsp. dried parsley

4 tsp. garlic powder

2 tsp. Italian seasoning

2 tsp. onion powder
Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

1. Lightly spray a 9x13-inch baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, mix all the dry ingredients from the "dough" list, until well combined. Set aside.
3. Put water and butter in a glass measuring cup and microwave just until the butter has melted. Remove from microwave and stir. Add milk, stir. Add egg, cider vinegar, oil and vanilla; whisk to combine.
4. With the stand mixer running (using the paddle attachment), pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Scrap down the bowl if you need to. Allow to mix on medium speed for 3 minutes.
5. Melt butter in a small bowl. Combine the Parmesan cheese, parsley, garlic powder, Italian seasoning and onion powder from the "coating" list in a seperate small bowl.

6. Form the dough into 3/4″ balls (I just used a cookie scoop) and dip each ball first in the butter and then roll in the Parmesan cheese mixture.
7. Place into the prepared pan. Be sure to not tightly pack the dough into the pan, allow gaps between the dough. Repeat until all of the dough has been formed, dipped in the butter, rolled in the cheese and placed in the pan. You will probably have some butter and cheese mixture leftover. You can reserve the butter for another use. Sprinkle about 2 tablespoons of the cheese mixture over the top of the rolls. Place the remaining mixture in a zip-top back and refrigerate for later use.
8. If you want to bake it now, you may go ahead and follow the remaining steps. You can also cover the dish now, and place it in the refrigerator over-night or until you are ready to bake it. Follow the remaining steps.
9. Allow the dough to rise for 30 minutes in a warm, draft-free place, covering the dish with a clean dish towel.
10. Bake in preheated 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes or until dough is no longer "doughy" when a ball of dough is pulled apart. Carefully remove from the oven.

11. Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese and return to the oven for 5-10 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve and Enjoy!

Note:

-The Rapid Rise Yeast is very important here. Don't use Active Dry, or it will not rise at all.

-This would be SO good served with just about anything, but especially Lasagna, Spaghetti, or something like that. I served it with this Vegetable Meatball Stew and it was super yummy!

Cherry Limeade:

Happy Valentines Day!

Here's a bonus recipe this week in honor of this special day!

 

I LOVE cherries, as long as they're fresh, but cherry flavored things are not my favorite at all. However, I really liked this drink! It didn't have a big cherry flavor, but was still surprisingly yummy! It would be perfect for in the summer, but it would also be cute for Valentine's Day too!! 

Hope you try it out! 

 

 

 

1 (12 oz.) can frozen limeade concentrate

1 (2 liter) bottle Lemon-Lime Soda

1 (10 oz.) jar maraschino cherries

 

Place limeade concentrate and the juice from the cherries in a gallon pitcher (save the cherries for something else later). Add a small amount of the Soda, and blend together with an immersion blender. Add the rest of the Soda and stir together. Serve over ice!

 

One Bowl Chocolate Cake:

I don't know who it was that started the connection between Valentine's Day and Chocolate, but whoever it was, they were pretty smart!! This cake is SO easy and it would be perfect for an easy, yummy Valentine's treat!!! I've been looking for a good cake recipe for a while now, and when I came across this one, I thought it was too good to be true!! Being a food-blogger, it's my duty to try out all kinds of recipes. It's a hard job, but someone's gotta do it! So, doing my "duty" I made this chocolate cake! And it.was.good!!!!!! I hope you'll do your "duty" as well and give this recipe a try!

 

 

Cake:

2 cups flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup baking cocoa

2 tsp. baking soda

1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. salt

1 cup canola oil

1 cup buttermilk (see note)

2 eggs

1 cup hot water

 

Frosting:

1/2 cup butter, softened

1/4 cup milk

1 & 1/2 tsp. vanilla

3 tblsp. baking cocoa

3 cups powder sugar

 

For the cake:

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, xanthan gum, sugar, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add oil, buttermilk and eggs; mix well. Add water and mix until well combined. It may seem runny, but that's how it's supposed to be! Pour into a greased, 9x13 baking dish or a large sheet pan or jelly-roll pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Let the cake completely cool before frosting.

 

For the frosting:

In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Using a hand mixer, mix until thoroughly combined. Add more milk, if desired, 1 tblsp. at a time, to reach desired consistency. I wanted mine to spread very easily, so I added 2-3 more tblsp. of milk than what the recipe calls for, but it's completely up to you.

 

Enjoy!!!

 

Note:

-I don't normally have buttermilk on hand, so I use this handy substitute:

Place 1 cup of milk in a small bowl. Add 1 tblsp. vinegar and gently stir. Let stand for 5 minutes and then add it to your recipe! Works great!

-I made this cake with the chocolate frosting, but you could use any kind you like.

This Peanut Butter Frosting would probably be really good on it!!!!

 

Tips on making half of a recipe:

I am part of a pretty big family  - I mean, 5 kids (all over 13) at home and two parents. And there's even a 16-year-old boy in there! But still, for some reason, if a recipe serves 4, that's the amount I make and usually there's leftovers! I hardly ever make anything with two pounds of hamburger, and typically only use 4 chicken breast. We're just not big eaters I guess, at least that's what people tell us (unless it's chocolate chip cookies we're talking about!)!! That being said, there is lots of times that I only make half of a recipe or sometimes I even make a recipe and a half, depending on what it is and how many I'm cooking for. We have this fantastic measuring cup that has teaspoons, ounces, tablespoons and cups all marked on it, but after years of use, the lettering is starting to disappear and I was starting to panic!! Then I stumbled across this and was very excited! It may not take the place of my handy measuring cup, but it will definitely help!

Now I know there's people out there that can figure all this out in their head in two seconds, but I am NOT one of them. Plus, I second guess everything, and that doesn't help either. So if you're super smart and don't need this chart, I sincerely congratulate you!!!! If you're anything like me, here's a handy chart to help us out!!

 

 

 

Swedish Meatballs

I've had this recipe on the blog almost since the beginning, but I made a few adjustments and got a picture since then, so I thought it was time for an update! My family used to eat Swedish meatballs all the time, but we just made them out the McCormick mix you buy at the store, which of course has gluten in it. I found this recipe, and after some adjusting, it tastes just as good as the mix, and it's really not hard to make at all! As with most of my recipes, even if you're not following a gluten-free diet, you can still enjoy this dish! I hope you try it out and enjoy it as much as we do! Let me know what you think!

 

 

 

Now, before I get into the directions, I need to explain that this makes about 60 meatballs, and that's enough for my family for at least two meals. So, when I make this, I use half the meatballs, and freeze the rest for another meal. If you want to fix this using all the meatballs, you will need to double the sauce recipe.

 

Meatballs:
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1 1/2 cups crushed cornflakes
1 medium onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 teaspoon allspice or nutmeg
1 lb. ground beef
1 lb. ground sausage

In a large bowl, combine all meatball ingredients except the beef and sausage. Mix together. Add meat and mix (with your hands is the best way, but you could also use a hand mixer) until everything is well blended. Shape into 1-inch balls using a cookie scoop. Place on a greased broiler pan and bake at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until lightly browned on the outside and no longer pink in the center. Remove meatballs to a baking sheet and let cool. Once they are cool, place in the freezer and allow to freeze for about 1-2 hours. Remove from the cookie sheet and place in a ziplock bag and freeze until ready to use!

Sauce for half the meatballs:
4 tblsp. butter
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 tblsp. beef seasoning
1/8 tsp. pepper
5 cups milk

In a large skillet or saucepan, melt butter. Combine cornstarch, beef seasoning, and pepper. Whisk into melted butter. Gradually whisk in the milk. Cook and stir over high heat until thickened and bubbly; stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and add meatballs. Cook and stir until heated through. Sprinkle with parsley for garnish, if desired, and serve over hot cooked rice!

Note:
-I personally think that turkey sausage works the best in this recipe, because it tends to help the meatballs stay together better, but regular pork sausage works good as well.
-I would recommend partially thawing your meatballs, if they were frozen, before adding them to the sauce.

 

Seasoned Pretzels:

My sister got this recipe from her friend from school, and we absolutely loved it!

I don't know how to describe the taste. When you look at the ingredients, you kind of wonder how those things could taste good together, but somehow they work and taste amazing! Plus, they couldn't be any easier to make! 

I hope you give them a try!

1 cup canola oil

1/2 tsp. lemon pepper

1/2 tsp. dill weed

1/2 tsp. garlic powder

1 pkg. (3 tblsp.) ranch dressing mix

1 & 1/2 - 2 pounds pretzel sticks or twists

In a small bowl, whisk together everything but the pretzels. Place pretzels in a gallon ziplock bag. Pour the seasoning mixture over the pretzels. Seal the bag, and gently shake to coat the pretzels.

Pour onto a wax paper lined cookie sheet and spread evenly. Let stand until dry. Store in an airtight container and enjoy!

Orange Cream Brownies:

I posted a recipe for Mint Chocolate Brownies a couple of weeks ago, and I wanted to share another version of that. I can not decide which I like better - the orange or mint! They are both so good and so different! Just beware! They are pretty rich, so you might want to cut them small! I hope you try them out and enjoy them as much as we did!

 

 

Brownies:

2 cups sugar

2/3 cup cocoa powder

1 cup oil

4 eggs

1 & 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp. xanthan gum

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. vanilla

 

Orange Cream Filling:

3/4 cup butter

3 -4 tblsp. milk

3 cups powder sugar

1 & 1/2 tsp. orange extract

Yellow and Red food coloring

 

Glaze:

2 & 1/4 cups milk chocolate chips

2 tblsp. butter

 

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa and oil. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each. Stir in flour, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and vanilla with a spatula until thoroughly combined. Spread evenly into a greased baking sheet with sides. Bake at 350 degrees for 25-30 minutes or until toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool completely.

In a medium bowl, beat together milk and butter until combined. Add powder sugar and mix until well combined. Add more milk if needed, 1 tsp. at a time, until you reach desired consistency. Add the extract and food coloring, one drop of coloring at a time, until you reach the color you want. I'm not sure how many drops of food coloring I used, but I used equal amounts of red and yellow. Place in a Ziploc bag.* Cut the tip from one side on the bottom, and pipe onto the brownies. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Freeze until firm.

Place chocolate and butter in a microwave safe dish. Heat for 30 seconds; stir. Heat an additional 10 seconds at a time, stirring thoroughly after each time, until completely melted. Pour over the frosting on the brownies and spread evenly. Chill until set. Cut into serving size pieces and serve immediately or store in an airtight container in the fridge. Enjoy!

 

Note:

-I put the frosting in a bag and pipe it over the top, because sometimes when you just plop the frosting on and try to spread it around, it tears up the brownies a little bit and I don't like brownie crumbs in the frosting!

 

SOUP DAY!!

I hope everyone is managing to stay warm today!!

It's about -8 degrees where we are, so we are staying inside!!

Unfortunately, my dad is out working in all this today.

So I'm going to have a nice, hot meal waiting for him when he comes home!

 

I think anything warm will do, but I also think soup works better than almost anything!

So if you you're looking for something warm today, check out some of my family's favorite soup recipes!

 

Broccoli Chowder

 

Vegetable Meatball Stew

 

Cinncinnati Chili

 

Cheddar Potato Soup

 

Chicken Noodle Soup

 

Cheeseburger Paradise Soup

 

And I don't know about you, but soup always tastes better with muffins or bread!

Check out my recipe index and go to the breads/muffins section to see some great sides for any of these soups!!

 

RECIPE INDEX

 

   

   

 

 

 

Rocky Road Fudge:

At Christmas time for the last couple of years, I have made several batches of all sorts of fudge and several cookies. Generally, it took me roughly two days and was done at least a week before Christmas. But for some reason this year, I simply ran out of time and energy. I had all my family name one thing that they would really like, and we just made those things - on Christmas Eve!!! I came across this recipe at the last minute and since I had all the ingredients, I threw a batch together real quick. It was the first thing to disappear out of all the things we had!!! It couldn't have been easier and it was such a fun, yummy treat! I hope you give it a try!

1 (12 oz.) bag chocolate chips

1 (14 oz.) can sweetened condensed milk

3 cups mini marshmallows

1 & 1/2 cups finely chopped nuts (walnuts, pecans, peanuts....whatever you like)

Prepare a 9x13-inch baking dish with foil. Lightly spray the foil with cooking spray; set aside.

In a large microwave safe dish (I used a glass, 8-cup measuring cup), mix together the chocolate and milk. Heat in the microwave for 45 seconds; remove and stir. Microwave again, at 15 second intervals, stirring after each, until the chocolate is melted and smooth. Quickly stir in the nuts and marshmallows. Press the mixture into the prepared pan. Chill for about 60 minutes or until firm. Lift out onto a cutting board. Remove the foil and cut into squares. Serve!!!