~let's get together and eat~

 

No, we have not been on some extended vacation. Just busy, hectic lives. Thanks to some faithful chicks, we got back in the saddle and had a cookin night. We did not have a theme for the evening so we had a good variety of dishes. Let's get right to it. 

 

 

This is Lisa and Katie.  They were inspired to bring some Mexican to our cookin night.  Lisa brought a really good salsa type recipe.  And Katie stole my heart with some fresh guacamole.  I don't have recipes for them yet.

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This is Bev. She is such an amazing woman and we loved her recipe for:

GOOD QUICK CHILI

3 cans small red beans

1 can diced tomatoes

2 TBS minced onions

1 LB cooked hamburger

1/2 C brown sugar

1C chili sauce

2 tsp chili powder

Combine and let simmer.

 

 

 

This beautiful lady is Michelle, Bev's daughter.  She is one of my dearest friends.  She takes after her mom in the amazing-ness department.  She made a delicious soup.

 

MEXICAN ZUCCHINI SOUP

Ingredients:

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 ½ tsp. butter

2 cups chicken broth

2 cups zucchini, dice in small pieces

1 ½ cups corn kernels

3 tbls. Jalapeno peppers, finely chopped

1/8 tsp black pepper

1 cup sour cream

2 tbls Parmesan

minced fresh parsley

 

Directions:

1. Saute the onion in the butter until it is glassy, about 3 minutes.

2. Add the minced zucchini pieces and sauté until they begin to soften.

3. Stir in the chicken broth, corn & jalapeno’s and black pepper.

4. Bring the soup to a gentle boil, reduce the heat and cook until the corn and zucchini are soft but not mushy.

5. Remove from the heat.

6. Add the sour cream and Parmesan cheese.

7. Optionally garnish the soup with parsley.

 

 

 

 

HI....it's me, Paula 

I made a couple of party appetizers

The one pictured is a Christmas tree made from cream cheese. 

Here is the skinny....

Take a brick of cream cheese and cut it on the diagonal.  Place it on the serving plate with both the wide ends together and the skinny ones at the top, making the tree.  Smooth the top together so you don't see the seam.  Cut a star from a green bell pepper and add a tree "stump" of 4 or 5 pretzel sticks.  Over the top is some raspberry jalapeno jam.  Garish with some chopped cilantro.  Serve with your favorite crackers. 

 

Pumpkin Pie Dip

(not pictured)

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

3/4 c brown sugar (splenda works)

1 tsp vanilla

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp pumpkin pie spice

6 oz fat tree greek yogurt (vanilla)

8 oz cool whip (fat free works)

Blend all ing. together and chill.  serve with sliced apples, bananas, or cookies such as vanilla wafers. 

 

 

 

 

This is Mary...we can always count on her to bring us something new and exciting.  She did not disappoint this time. 

She shared:

 

Fruit and Cilantro Salad

INGREDIENTS:

Watermelon, Cilantro Leaves,

Other Desired Fruit, Feta Cheese,

Juice of Fresh Lime, Cayenne Pepper or Smoked Paprika

Cut desired fruit into bite sized cubes. Watermelon is always a good base for this salad. (Pineapple, cantaloupe, honeydew melon, blueberries are also good choices for adding to the watermelon.)

As you layer each fruit into a bowl, squeeze lime juice on to the fruit and coat.

With each layer of fruit, sprinkle a light layer each of feta cheese, cilantro leaves, and cayenne pepper or smoked paprika.

Mix salad shortly before serving or serve layered. (Layer if making salad a few hours ahead.)

 

 

 

This is Susie.  She is our party girl.  Always sharing something good to take to a party.  She shared two really good dip recipes.   

 

 Apple Dip

1 cup brown sugar

         1 8oz. cream cheese-softened

         ½ bag Heath toffee bits

           Put into a bowl and mix together.

           Serve with apple slices.

 

 

Fritos Chili Dip

1 can Hormel NO BEAN chili

                        1- 8 oz cream cheese                   

        1 bag of Fritos chips (Scoops)

 

   Put cream cheese in a microwaveable bowl. 

          Pour the chili over the cream cheese. 

          Heat in the microwave for about 4-5 minutes.

          Stir mixture together. 

 

 

 

 

 This is my dear friend Vicki.  Lets just say we could all learn a few things about cookin from this lady.  She is so smart about recipes and ideas for meals.  I love her to pieces.  She also brought a dip recipe.  Well, some of us could have just taken a spoon ( a very large spoon) and ate it like that.

 

Snickers Dip

(2)-8oz. pkg cream cheese **very soft

1/4 c. brown sugar

2 Tbsp. Vanilla

Dash Cinnamon

4-6 Snickers bars chopped

Mix above ingredients together until well mixed. Then add the milk and the Coolwhip and mix until blended. Refrigerate.

1/3 c. milk

1-8 oz. Cool Whip

(I adapted this recipe from Relativetaste.net)

 

Connie, one of our true chicks, refused to have her photo taken.  She has to be the most photogenic person there.  I will get her next time.  She shared a really good recipe for cheesecake bars.

 

 CHEESECAKE BARS

1- 9OZ PKG YELLOW CAKE MIX

3t BUTTER SOFTENED

1 EGG

Combine above three ingredients and spread into a greased 9" pan

1-3 OZ PKG OF CREAMCHEESE

2CUPS CONFECTIONERS SUGAR

1 EGG

Mix above 3 ingredients and spread over cake batter mixture

Bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack. Store in refrig. Yield" 2 dozen

 

 





Seeing RED

What a slacker I have been. We had a chicks gathering back in November and here it is the beginning of January. What's the hurry? Right? Well, since it is almost time to meet again, I thought I better post SOMETHING from our last gathering.

Our theme was seeing RED. Bring your recipes that appeared red, had a red ingredient or just tasted good...we don't really care. Now let's see if I can remember what we had. Thank goodness I took pictures.

CRANBERRY SALAD-Connie Sandoval

1 BAG FRESH CRANBERRIES (ABOUT 1 LB)

1 ¼ CUP SUGAR

1-10 OZ BAG MINIATURE MARSHMALLOWS

1 CUP CRUSHED PINEALLLE (DRAINED)

1 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

2 CUPS UNWHIPPED WHIPPING CREAM

2 TABLESPOONS POWDERED SUGAR

Crush or chop raw cranberries in blender or food processor. Add granulated sugar to cranberries and refrigerate overnight. Whip cream until stiff add powdered sugar to it while whipping. Add nuts, marshmallows, and pineapple and stir all together.


Bruschetta - Michelle Jones

Loaf of French Bread

5 md tomatoes (chopped)

3-4 garlic cloves (minced)

juice from 1/2 lime

1/4 cup EVOO

1 C freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 TBS fresh basil

salt & pepper

Mix diced tomeatos (juice & all), galiic, olive oil, lime juice and 3/4 c parm cheese, basil and salt and pepper to taste.

Allow to stand several hours to marinade. Slice bread at an angle and brush one side with melted butter, broil on each side to brown.

Spoon mixture onto bread, and top with remaining cheese. Broil until cheese has melted. Best when served immediately.

Roasted RED Potatoes ~ Charlene

1/2 C Ranch Dressing

1/2 C cheese

1/4 C bacon, crumbled

Mix with your red potatoes and pour into a greased 9X13 dish. Bake at 350 for 40 min.

Chocolate Oreo Truffles ~ Suzi Ward

1-8 oz pkg (finely crushed, with the cream filling)

8 oz pkg cream cheese, (softened)

Mix together crushed cookies and cream cheese. Roll into small 1 inch balls. Put on parchment paper or wax paper. Melt 1 bag of melting chocolate. Dip balls into the chocolate. Set back on paper to harden. Makes about 24-30.
**To make them festive, add crushed candy canes to teh melted white chocolate before dipping.
**You can add cuts, sprinkles, extra crushed oreo's , etc to the chocolate before dipping or roll the balls in it after dipping.

Grandma Davis' Cherry Cookies

Beat the following together:

3/4 C butter flavored shortening

1 C sugar

2 eggs

2 Tbs milk

1 tsp vanilla

then add:

2 1/4 C flour

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp baking powder

3/4 C maraschino cherries, cut up

1 C chopped nuts

Bake at 375 for 10-12 min

Frosting:

1 pkg cream cheese, softened

2-4 drops red food coloring

2 Tbs butter

1 box powdered sugar

1 tsp almond extract
Low-Fat Red Velvet Cake ~ Mary
Ingredients
· 2 ½ cups cake flour
· 2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
· 1 tsp baking powder
· ½ tsp salt
· 1/4 cup unsweetened applesauce
· 1/4 cup vegetable oil
· 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
· 1 egg
· 2 egg whites
· 1 tsp vanilla extract
· 1 cup fat-free buttermilk
· 2 Tsp red food coloring
· 1 tsp white vinegar
· 1 tsp baking soda
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, spray two 9-in round cake pans with fat-free zero-calorie cooking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper. In medium bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cocoa powder. Separately, in large bowl or electric mixer, beat together sugar, applesauce, and oil. Add egg, egg whites, and vanilla one at a time, beating well after adding each one. In a small bowl combine fat-free buttermilk and food coloring. Add half the flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring well, then add buttermilk mixture, stir, and finally the rest of the flour mixture, mixing until well combined. Combine baking soda and vinegar in small bowl or measuring cup, allow to fizz, then fold into batter. Immediately divide evenly between cake pans and smooth the tops, then bake 25-30 minutes or until a skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pans, then turn out onto wire rack and allow to cool completely. Wrap layers separately in plastic wrap and freeze at least 60 minutes before icing with low-fat cream-cheese frosting, below.

Low-Fat Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
· 3/4 cup fat-free vanilla yogurt
· 3/4 cup fat-free small curd cottage cheese
· 16 oz Neufchatel or low-fat cream cheese
· 1 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Instructions
Drain/press any excess liquid from cottage cheese. Place yogurt and cottage cheese together in food processor and process until smooth. Cube cream cheese and add to processor, processing again until smooth. Add sugar in three parts, processing to mix between additions. Cover and refrigerate until hardened enough to spread.
Icing The Cake
Once cake has hardened in the freezer and frosting is spreadable, cut each 9-inch round in half horizontally to create four layers (or, if you prefer a smaller icing-to-cake ratio, leave as is). Place the first on your serving platter, then spread with frosting. Repeat with next three layers, then frost the sides of the cake. Garnish with grated coconut if desired, and return to refrigerator to let frosting set.


Eggplant Parmesan ~ Vicki
1 med eggplant
olive oil
4 cups favorite marinara sauce
parmesan cheese

Peel eggplant and lightly brush with olive oil. Lightly saute until tender. (May also cook on grill, turning halfway through cooking time, until tender.) May season very lightly with little salt and pepper or little italian seasoning.
When eggplant is done, place 1 cup marinara sauce in bottom 9 x 11 glass baking dish. Cover with one layer of sliced eggplant. Then cover with marinara sauce. Then lightly sprinkle with parmesan cheese. Repeat with another layer of eggplant and sauce until dish is full. Top with parmesan cheese. Bake at 350 for about 45 minutes or until dish is bubbling all the way through.