Mexican Spinach Dip

 I made this to add to a taco bar.  It looked suspect but was delicious.  Everyone loved it and went back for more. . . and more!

Mexican Spinach Dip

1 8 oz. package of cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

2 cups grated cheese (Mexi blend)

1 15 oz. package of fresh spinach, cut up

2 cans diced tomatoes

1-2 jalapeno peppers, seeded and cut up

1 onion, minced

1/2 tsp. chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 tsp onion powder

1/3 tsp. cumin

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to 350.  In a large bowl, Stir together the cream cheese and sour cream.  Add the cheese, spinach, tomatoes, jalapeon and onion and mix well.  Add the seasonings.  Put all in a 13 x 9 prepared pan.  Bake for 30 minutes, until hot and bubbly.  Serve warm with tortilla chips.

Copycat Olive Garden Salad Dressing

 This is supposed to be a copycat recipe of Olive Garden's famous salad dressing.  I don't think it tastes exactly like theirs (theirs is a lot more vinegary,) but it is very good and very easy to make.  My husband loves this dressing.

Italian Salad Dressing

3/4 cup olive oil

1/3 cup vinegar (I will add more next time)

1 packet Italian dressing mix

1/2 tsp. sugar

1 Tablespoon mayonnaise

Salt and pepper

Put all in a jar or container with a lid.  Shake and shake until well combined.  Put in the fridge to let the flavors blend before serving, if you have time.  

Crockpot Tortellini

 This dish was advertised as being the best recipe on the Internet.  Of course I had to try it.  It was delicious.  But I added sweet sausage and seasonings that it didn't call for.  It was really, really good and I will do that again.  I will be making this a lot as my husband loved it and it was so easy.

Crockpot Tortellini

1 bag of frozen tortellini

1 small bag of fresh spinach

2 cans Italian style diced tomatoes

1 box chicken stock

1 block of cream cheese, cut up

1 lb. sweet sausage, cooked (optional)

Garlic salt, Italian Seasoning, and salt and pepper to taste.

Put all except the tortellini in a sprayed crockpot.  Cook on low for 5-6 hours.  If possible, don't put the tortellini in until the last couple of hours so that it doesn't get mushy.    But if you aren't going to be home, you can add it at the start.   A yummy, easy meal.

Egg Drop Soup

 Do you love the Egg Drop soup in Chinese restaurants?  This is a good recipe that is easy to adapt to make it taste the way you like.  

Egg Drop Soup

1 box chicken stock

1/2 tsp sesame oil

1 T salt

1/2 tsp. turmeric

1/2 tsp sugar

2 T. soy sauce

1/2 tsp. ginger

3 T. Corn starch

1/3 cup water

3 eggs, beaten

Chopped green onions for serving

In a pot, bring the chicken stock to simmer.  Stir in the oil, salt, turmeric, sugar, soy sauce, and ginger.  Whisk together the cornstarch and water and add to the pot.  Stir and cook and simmer for several minutes.  Taste.  Add more salt, soy sauce, ginger, and/or sugar as needed for your taste.  When it tastes right, add the eggs: stirring slowly for big pieces of egg, faster if you want smaller.  Stir in a circular motion and cook for about a minute.  Serve with green onion on top.

I serve it with potstickers.

Holiday Pancake Fun

 This isn't really a recipe, but a technique that I just learned from my son-in-law.  He made these cute pancakes for Valentine's Day.

You could use this same technique for any holiday, birtthday, or special day.  

Just put some of your pancake batter in a squeezable condiment container.  Write with the batter in the container right on the griddle. You can make pictures or write words.  Let it cook a minute, then pour the pancake batter over it as usual to make the pancake. The writing will be darker because it cooks longer.  Isn't that a fun idea?

Butter Pecan Praline Poke Cake

 This is a delicious, moist, company-worthy cake.

Butter Pecan Praline Poke Cake

1 box butter pecan cake mix

1 can coconut pecan frosting

4 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 cup milk

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Sauce:

1 can sweetened condensed milk

1/4 cup butter 

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Spray a 9x13 dish.

In your mixer bowl, add the cake mix, frosting, eggs, oil, and milk.  Beat until well blended.  Stir in pecans and pour the batter into your prepared pan.

Bake about 40 minutes until it passes the toothpick test.

Remove from oven and, using the handle of a wooden spoon, poke holes all over the cake.  Let cool a bit while you make the topping.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the condensed milk and stir well.  Bring to a simmer, then add the chopped pecans.  Remove from heat and pour over the cake, letting it go down each of the holes.

Cool before cutting.  So delicious!

Corn Bread Deluxe

 This is a ramped up version of the old classic.  It is moister and tastier than the plain version, but still so easy to make.

Corn Bread Deluxe

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix

2/3 cup milk or half and half

2 eggs

1 cup sour cream

1/2 cup vegetable oil

2 T. sugar

Heat oven to 400.  Prepare a 13 x 9 pan with spray.

Put all ingredients in a bowl and mix together.  Do not overmix.  Pour into pan and bake for about 25 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. 

* You can half this recipe and put in a 9x9 baking pan.