Michelle's Cheese Ball

Need a good cheese ball recipe for your New Year's festivities or Super Bowl celebration?  Michelle made this for an appetizer for our Thanksgiving dinner.  It was delicious!  She got the recipe from allrecipes.com.

Cheese Ball
2- 8oz. packages cream cheese, softened
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 red pepper, finely chopped
1/2 green pepper, finely chopped
1/2 onion, finely chopped
2 Tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
Salt, just a pinch
1/2 cup finely chopped pecans.
Combine the cream cheese and cheddar cheese in a bowl- It is easiest to use your hands to mix them together.  Add the peppers, onion, Worcestershire, lemon juice and salt.  Mix well and shape into a round ball.  Spread the chopped pecans on a plate.  Roll the cheeseball in the pecans until the ball is well and evenly coated.  Refrigerate overnight.

Corn Dip

 Need a good dip recipe for a July 4th barbecue?  This one is delicious!
Corn Dip
2 cans corn, drained
1 can diced green chilis (7 oz.)
1 small green pepper, diced fine
1 (or more) jalapeno peppers, diced fine, seeds removed (this is so much to taste.  Start with a little and add more if you want more kick)
small bunch green onions, chopped fine
1 cup sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon garlic salt (more or less to taste) You can also use garlic powder and then add salt to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
16 oz. shredded sharp cheddar cheese
Lots of tortilla chips or Fritos Scoops

Pantry Pick of the Month: Dipping Chocolate/ Cake Balls

My reach into my pantry this month yielded this half-used bag of dipping chocolate.  It immediately made me think of those fun, little cake balls that were wildly popular a few years ago.  I made them once or twice then, but haven't made them since, so I thought that would be a fun idea.  They are cute and fun, but they were a bit of work.  I think one of the words I use the most when describing my recipes on here is "easy."  These are time consuming, so not in the "easy" category.   But, like I said, they were tasty and very cute.   You actually don't need dipping chocolate for these.  Any baking chocolate- semi-sweet or dark, or white chocolate will do.

Cake Balls
1 cake mix, baked according to directions (eggs, oil, and water)  Any flavor.
1 tub frosting, Any flavor
Chocolate for dipping (Baking semi-sweet, milk, or white chocolate)
Sprinkles or other decorations, if desired


Crumble the mostly cooled cake into a large bowl, making a fine crumb by rolling it between your hands.  You could also use a food processor for this.  Add a couple of large scoops of the frosting and, with your hands, mix together.  Try forming a ball with a Tablespoon or so of the mixture.  If it makes a nice, moist ball that doesn't crumble apart, you probably have enough frosting.  Add frosting until you can form nice, moist balls.  Put the mixture in the fridge for about 15 minutes while you melt the dipping chocolate.  Put the chocolate in a narrow, deep bowl, so that a whole cake ball can fit down in it.  Form the cake into balls and put them on waxed paper.  Dip each one by using toothpicks or skewers and place them on the waxed paper.  Before the chocolate sets up, decorate with sprinkles, oreo crumbs, crushed candy bars or hard candy.  Then put them on the waxed paper to harden.  Again, you can put them in the fridge for this if you'd like.

The popular thing these days is to put these on a sucker stick and wrap and bow them for a nice favor.  I really think this would be easier because you wouldn't have to mess with the toothpicks.  They'd have their own dipping stick.

For more Pantry Picks click here.

Sweet and Spicy Snack

We love this snack! It is tasty with a little bit of kick. We have served it as a party appetizer, and a late night or after school snack. Even our 6 year old asks for it.

1 tube Ritz crackers
Cream Cheese
Jalapeno Jelly (We can our own every fall with jalapenos that we grow. We use this recipe from Ball and it is delicious!)

Spread cream cheese on crackers. Add a dollop of jelly. Serve immediately.

Pantry Pick of the Month- Sun Dried Tomatoes/Hot Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Dip

Here is my pantry pick for March.  On impulse, I picked up a bag of Sun Dried tomatoes at Costco and they've been sitting in my pantry for a couple of months, waiting for inspiration on what to do with them.  I googled Sun Dried tomatoes and decided to try this hot dip.  It is very similar to Spinach- Artichoke dip.

Spinach and Sun Dried Tomato Dip
2 8 oz. packages cream cheese (you can use light)
1 10 oz. package frozen spinach, thawed and drained (I used leaves, but I think next time I'll buy the chopped)
1/3 cup chopped sun dried tomatoes
2/3 cup fresh grated Parmesan cheese
1 heaping Tablespoon garlic (crushed or finely minced)
A couple of splashes of Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and mix well with a wooden spoon.  Spray a pie plate and spoon the mixture in and smooth.  Bake at 350 for about 25 minutes.  Serve hot with chips, crackers, or, my favorite- french bread slices that have been broiled.  Man, that's yummy!

Cheddar Bacon Dip or Loaded Baked Potatoes

I found this recipe on Pinterest.  It said it's AKA Crack.  Pretty funny. It makes a great appetizer dip or game day snack.   We enjoyed it as a dip, but LOVED it as a topping for Loaded Baked Potatoes.

Cheddar Bacon Dip or Loaded Baked Potatoes
16 oz. sour cream
1 packet Ranch Dressing mix
Bacon crumbles(fry your own, or use the kind that comes in a bag), about 1/2 cup (more or less to taste)
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Mix together.  Refrigerate overnight for flavors to blend.  Serve with chips, veggies, or top baked potatoes.

Marshmallow Lime Fruit Dip

This is a delicious dip to serve with your summer fruit platters.  It goes well with about every kind of fruit.  My favorite is bananas, but is great with apple wedges, strawberries, cantaloupe, pineapple and grapes. Every time I make this, I think of my little neighbor lady that used to live across the street.  She was a tiny little thing and didn't eat much.  Because of some health problems, the doctor suggested she needed to eat a banana each day.  She hated bananas.  I made her a batch of this dip and took it to her.  Her husband called to report that, with the dip, she was now happily consuming bananas!  But even if you do like naked fruit, it's always more fun to dress it up!

Marshmallow Lime Fruit Dip
13 oz. jar marshmallow cream
2- 8 oz. packages cream cheese (light works great, too), softened
1 T. frozen orange concentrate
Juice of 1 lime
Grated lime zest
1/4-1/3 cup coconut milk, optional (but yummy if you have it!)

With a hand mixer or stand mixer, mix all ingredients together until fluffy and well-blended.  Taste and add more orange juice or lime juice or coconut milk to your taste.
"You put the lime in the coconut and eat it all up!"

Garden in a Bowl Salsa

Tomatoes, tomatoes, tomatoes. I've bottled lots of salsa (a different recipe):

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and made Summer Tomatoes (my husband's absolute favorite!) and every other tomato recipe I can think of. I decided to make some fresh salsa, that stores in the fridge for a really long time. You don't really need a recipe for fresh salsa- you really can't go wrong- but I do have a secret ingredient that I add as we eat it. We'll get to that. So here's what I did for our salsa, but again, if you're missing something or want to change the quantities- just do it. It will be delicious.

Garden in a Bowl Salsa

About 1 quart tomatoes (give or take a quart!), peeled and coarsely chopped

1 coarsely chopped onion (you can dice some of it to put in after it's processed if you like some onion chunks)

1 or 2 coarsely chopped green peppers (same as onions- I like to dice some of it to put in after it's processed)

1-3 or more jalapeno peppers, to taste (Put in the seeds for more eat, don't for less)

1-3 tsps. salt (more or less to taste)

Lots of fresh ground pepper

1/2 cup chopped cilantro (again, to taste)

Juice of 1 lime

1/2 tsp. cumin

1 tsp. sugar

Put all in a food processor. If yours is small, you may need to process parts at a time and then mix it in a bowl. Mix it and taste it on a chip. Add more sugar if it's really acidy and adjust the seasonings to your taste.

Now, here's the secret: When Ken and I went to Lake Tahoe last year on vacation, we found a Mexican restaurant that we LOVED! The salsa was SO good. It was owned and operated by a Mexican- descent family. I talked to the son who made the salsa to ask what is in this stuff that makes it so good. He said his grandmother taught him to add cucumber. Yes, cucumber. And why not? I have cucumbers in my garden, too. I was a little afraid that they might not last in the salsa as long as the other ingredients (stored in the fridge), so I just chop one up as I serve it. I'm thinking next time I might just throw one in the food processor to help thicken the salsa. Anyway, it makes it really yummy and fresh tasting. I also sometimes add green onion as I serve it. This stuff is good on anything: with chips, breakfast burritos, tacos- anything Mexican. Adios!

Cream Wafers

I received the Betty Crocker cookbook for a shower gift before I was married 34 years ago. I loved looking through the book, and was especially intrigued by this picture of these beautiful cookies. But I never made them, just drooled over the picture. Then many years later, I attended a family gathering to which my cousin brought these little beauties. I was hooked. They are even more delicious than they look. I've since made them for several parties, showers, luncheons, and teas. They are a bit labor intensive, but so worth the effort. These will definitely be in my Top Ten Favorite Cookies book when I get that made. I love these little melt in your mouth cookies. Enjoy!

1 cup butter

1/3 cup heavy whipping cream

2 cups flour

Blend together. You may have to use your hands to get it all mixed together, but so do lightly. Chill dough at least 1 hour.

Roll dough 1/2 inch thick (I like them this thick- you can do them thinner). Cut into 1 1/2 inch rounds. Put some sugar on a plate and dip the rounds on both sides in the sugar, then place on a cookie sheet. When you have your cookie sheet filled, prick each round with a fork four times- in a row looks nice. Bake just 6 minutes at 350. Remove from sheet and let cool on rack. If you wish, pack in an airtight container to frost the next day.

Cream filling:

1/2 cup butter

1 1/2 cups confectioner's sugar

2 tsp. vanilla

Blend well with beaters. Divide filling into as many small dishes as you wish and use food color to color the filling. You can match wedding or shower colors, baby shower colors (blue or pink), pastels look so pretty for a spring party or tea party. Carefully put filling between two wafers. The wafers are very fragile. If one breaks, I guess you just have to eat it!

Whitney's Nacho Cheese Dip

My good friend Whitney shared the yummiest, easiest, more healthy nacho cheese recipe that she created. Yum.

1 can Campbells Cheddar Cheese soup
1/2 soup can of milk
1 cup of salsa (or according to taste)

Mix all 3 ingredients in a medium saucepan. Heat through being careful not to boil. Enjoy!