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.
****************************
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
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,
Other Desired Fruit, Feta Cheese,
Juice of Fresh Lime,
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)
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
