Baked Potato Dip

This is the easiest dip ever! It is a winner with every crowd too!

Baked Potato Dip

8 oz. cream cheese
8 oz. sour cream
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 jar real bacon bits
chopped jalapenos to taste

Mix all ingredients together and put in oven safe dish. Bake at 350 until bubbly. Serve with Wheat Thins.

It is so yummy! Let me know how it worked for you.

Tea Cookies

This recipe is from Carol Echols. I made these for Bennett's baptism favors.

Carol says: "These make great cut-out cookies!"

2 cups sugar
4 cups sugar
1 cup butter
2 eggs, beaten
1 scant teaspoon soda
1 teaspoon vanilla
pinch salt

Blend sugar & butter; cream. Lightly spoon flour into cup measure and level with knife. Mix dry ingredients and add alternately with beaten eggs to sugar mix. Add vanilla. Roll out on board dusted with flour and cut with cookie cutter. Bake in 350 degree oven until lightly browned. About 10 minutes.

I used Royal Icing to ice them.

Royal Icing

This icing is so easy and perfect for stacking cookies as the icing hardens when air hits it. Leslie and I used this to ice Kendal's baby shower favors. I also used it to ice Bennett's baptism favors.


2 large egg whites
2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
3 cups (330 grams) confectioners (powdered or icing) sugar, sifted


Royal Icing with Egg Whites: In the bowl of your electric mixer or hand mixer, beat the egg whites with the lemon juice. Add the sifted powdered sugar and beat on low speed until combined and smooth. The icing needs to be used immediately or transferred to an airtight container as royal icing hardens when exposed to air. Cover with plastic wrap when not in use.

It said to sift the powdered sugar...I sifted the first cup and then was tired. It worked just fine "unsifted!"

They turned out so cute! We piped Kendal's baby girl's monogram on each cookie!

Cucumber Sandwiches

1 large or 2 medium unpeeled cucumbers

1 8-ounce & one 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened

1/4 cup mayonnaise

2-3 green onions, finely chopped, tops and all

2 tablespoons chopped parsley

2 dashes Tabasco

1/2 teaspoon seasoned pepper

1 teaspoon garlic salt (optional)

1 tablespoon chopped chives

Grate cucumber and carefully press out moisture with paper towels. (I used a small strainer because I find that the paper towels just don't cut it!) Mix all ingredients well, using enough mayonnaise to moisten so filling will spread easily. Spread on very thin bread, crusts removed. Refrigerate or freeze.

I used Pepperidge Farm Ultra Thin bread. I also use an electric knife for clean cut edges! Also, I forgot the chives and they turned out great!

Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins

These muffins are so fabulous! They are perfect for a Fall day.

1 2/3 cup all purpose flour (I only use 3/4 cup)
1 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 large eggs
1 cup plain pumpkin
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup chocolate chips

Heat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare muffin pan with foil or paper baking cups. Thoroughly mix flour, sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Break eggs into another bowl. Add pumpkin and butter, and whisk until blended. Stir in chocolate chips. Pour over dry ingredients and fold in with a rubber spatula just until dry ingredients are moistened. Scoop batter evenly into muffin cups. Bake 20-25 minutes, or until puffed and springy to the touch in the center. Keeps 1-2 days.

Cookie Dough Truffles

This is a yummy Paula Deen recipe. I saw her make these the other day and I had to try them! I made them for Weiser's Steel Magnolias Testimony!


1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 (14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup semisweet mini chocolate morsels
1 cup finely chopped pecans
1 1/2 pounds chocolate bark candy coating, melted

Directions:
In a large bowl cream butter and brown sugar with an electric mixer at medium speed until creamy. Add vanilla. Gradually beat in flour and add milk. Add chocolate morsels and pecans, mixing well.
Shape into 1-inch balls. Place on waxed paper; chill 2 hours.
*Cook's Note: Since the dough is sticky, roll your fingers into flour. This will make it easier to roll. (I did not do this...I used this handy small ice cream scoop and kept clean hands...Paula needs this tip!)

Into the refrigerator for 2 hours...

Melt chocolate bark candy coating in a double boiler. Using 2 forks, dip cookie balls into candy coating to cover. Place on waxed paper and chill to set. Store in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.

I started to run out of chocolate towards the end so some of them look a little messy and uncovered. Also, I topped them off with some of the extra pecans I had left.

Corn Dip

This dip is one of my total spring/summer favs! I make it at least 12 times a summer!

2 cans mexi-corn
1 bunch green onions, chopped
8 oz sour cream
1 cup mayonnaise
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
Tony's (I just put some for taste)
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Mix all of the ingredients together. Chill in refrigerator for at least 2 hours before serving. I like to make it the day before because it tastes SO much better! Serve with corn chips.

Everything But the Kitchen Sink Bar Cookies

This recipe is out of the Junior League of Shreveport/Bossier's Mardi Gras to Mistletoe cookbook. It is one of my favorites because it is easy and you can change out the color of the M&M's to whatever season it is!

1 (18oz) roll refrigerator chocolate chip cookie dough (I use the already pre-scored cookies)
1 (7oz) jar marshmallow creme
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1 1/2 cups corn Chex
1/2 cup "M&M's"

Pat the cookie dough over the bottom of a greased 9x13 inch baking pan. Bake at 350 degrees for 13 minutes. Drop teaspoonfuls of the marshmallow creme and peanut butter over the top of the baked layer and bake for 1 minute.

Carefully spread the melted marshmallow creme and peanut butter over the top. Sprinkle with the *Chex and M&M's and bake for 7 minutes longer. Cool in the pan on a wire rack and cut into 2 inch bars.

*I always use more Chex and M&M's than it calls for...

Honey Bun Cake

This is another recipe from JLSB's Mardi Gras to Mistletoe. I made it for Bunco and it was a total hit!

Cake:

1 (2-layer) yellow cake mix

1 cup sour cream

2/3 cup vegetable oil

4 eggs

1 cup packed brown sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Icing:

3 cups confectioners' sugar

1/2 cup milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Cake:

Combine the cake mix, sour cream, oil and eggs in a mixing bowl and beat until blended. Spread 1/2 of the batter in a 9x13 inch cake pan. Sprinkle with a mixture of the brown sugar and cinnamon and spread with the remaining batter. Swirl with a knife and bake at 325 degrees for 40 minutes. Cool in the pan on a wire rack.

Icing:

Mix the confectioners' sugar, milk, and vanilla in a bowl until desired consistency. Spread the icing over the top of the cake. Let stand until set.

Stuffed Strawberries

I love this recipe. It is so easy and they look like they took all day to make. I got this recipe from Lucy!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sliced almonds

24 fresh strawberries

8 oz. cream cheese, softened

1/2 cup confectioners' sugar

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

grated chocolate

Spread the almonds in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast AT 350 degrees for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Slice off the bottom tips of the strawberries and hollow out centers.

Beat the cream cheese, vanilla, and confectioners' sugar in a mixing bowl until light and fluffy. Spoon the cream cheese mixture into a piping bag fitted with a star tip and pipe into the strawberries. Arrange the strawberries on a serving platter and top each with an almond slice. Sprinkle with the grated chocolate.

Italian Casserole

Here is the recipe for Italian Casserole. This is a Connie Aclin original. It is YUM-tastic!

1 lb. ground chuck

1 medium onion, chopped

1 jar spaghetti sauce

1 pkge. vermicelli noodles

8 oz. cream cheese

8 oz. sour cream

8 oz. cottage cheese

Brown the ground beef with the chopped onion (I buy the pre-chopped frozen onions b/c I don't like to chop onions!) After it is cooked, add spaghetti sauce.

I would have the noodles boiling while I am browning the meat b/c they take a while. In a separate bowl, mix the cream cheese, sour cream, and cottage cheese.

After everything is mixed and cooked....Pour the noodles in a 9x13 pan

Next layer is the "white mixture." Top it off with the spaghetti sauce. Bake in a 350 degree oven until hot.

Look at those layers of deliciousness!

It is a winner every time! I love it...it was a college favorite (and still is)!

A Beachy Dessert

This dessert was so much fun to make. I found the recipe in People (Country Music Edition).

Ingredients:
1 (5.25 pkg.) sugar cookies finely crushed
1 (10.75 oz.) frozen pound cake (I use Sara Lee)
2 (3.9 oz. pkgs.) chocolate instant pudding
3 cups milk
1 (16 oz.) container cool chip
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
4 (1.4 oz.) Heath Bars crushed (I used the crushed Heath Bar in a package)
Chocolate Candy Shells to garnish

1. Crumble the cookies and cut the pound cake into 1 inch cubes
2. Whisk together pudding mix and milk, add cool whip and vanilla
3. Place 1/2 of cookie crumbs into 3 qt. sand pail, top with 1/3 pudding mixture, 1/2 of cake, half of Heath bars, continue layering pudding, cake, and Heath, ending with a layer of pudding. Top with remaining cookie crumbs.

Cover and Chill for 30 minutes. Garnish with Candy Shells. (I couldn't find any candy shells so I bought a candy mold from Michaels and made them!

Shrimp and Okra Hushpuppies

I made these the other night and they turned out so yummy!

Prep: 10 min., Stand: 7 min., Fry: 5 min. per batch

Yield: Makes 8 servings (about 2 1/2 dozen)

Ingredients

• 1 cup self-rising yellow cornmeal mix
• 1/2 cup self-rising flour
• 1 cup medium-size raw shrimp, chopped
• 1 teaspoon Creole seasoning
• 1/2 cup frozen diced onion, red and green bell pepper, and celery, thawed*
• 1/2 cup frozen cut okra, thawed and chopped
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 3/4 cup beer
• Canola oil

Preparation

1. Stir together cornmeal mix and flour in large bowl until combined.

2. Sprinkle shrimp with Creole seasoning. Add shrimp, onion mixture, and okra to cornmeal mixture. Stir in egg and beer just until moistened. Let stand 5 to 7 minutes.

3. Pour oil to depth of 4 inches into a Dutch oven; heat to 350°. Drop batter by level tablespoonfuls into hot oil, and fry, in batches, 2 to 2 1/2 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Drain on a wire rack over paper towels; serve immediately.

Note: Keep fried hush puppies warm in a 225° oven for up to 15 minutes. For testing purposes only, we used McKenzie's Seasoning Blend for diced onion, red and green bell pepper, and celery.

Oysters Rockefeller

We made these for New Year's Eve. They were so great!!

1 stick of butter (melted)

1/2 small head lettuce (chopped)

1/2 bunch parsley (no stems)

leaves of celery

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon anchovy paste

1 teaspoon salt

14 oz frozen bag spinach (thawed)

1 small bunch green onions

1 tablespoon pureed onions

3 tablespoons Worcestershire

Juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons Pernod

Blend all liquids and seasonings in blender. Add greens and blend. Add spinach and stir (don't blend). Top fresh oysters with mixture. Top mixture with crushed saltine crackers & Parmesan cheese. Bake 450 degrees for 30 minutes or until brown on top.

Brennan's Bananas Foster

¼ cup (½ stick) butter
1 cup brown sugar
½ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ cup banana liqueur
4 bananas, cut in half
lengthwise, then halved
¼ cup dark rum
4 scoops vanilla ice cream

Combine the butter, sugar, and cinnamon in a flambé pan or skillet. Place the pan over low heat either on an alcohol burner or on top of the stove, and cook, stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the banana liqueur, then place the bananas in the pan. When the banana sections soften and begin to brown, carefully add the rum. Continue to cook the sauce until the rum is hot, then tip the pan slightly to ignite the rum. When the flames subside, lift the bananas out of the pan and place four pieces over each portion of ice cream. Generously spoon warm sauce over the top of the ice cream and serve immediately.

Berry-Lemon Trifle

This quick and easy semi-homemade dessert was so refreshing and good. It is the perfect Spring/Summer dessert. It only takes about 5 seconds to whip up!

Ingredients:

2 cups cubed angel food cake

1 8-ounce carton lemon low-fat yogurt

1/4 of an 8-ounce container light whipped dessert topping, thawed

1 cup mixed berries, such as raspberries, blueberries, or strawberries

Directions:

Divide the angel food cake cubes among 4 dessert dishes. In a small mixing bowl fold together the yogurt and whipped topping. Dollop yogurt mixture atop cake cubes. Sprinkle with berries. Makes 4 servings.

It was so simple because I used a store-bought angel food cake!

Southern Style Crab Grilled Cheese Melt

OK, this was probably one of the best grilled cheeses I have ever had. It was a little more involved than your regular plain ole' grilled cheese, but it was well worth it. Neil had to take a to-go plate and he called me when he finished it saying "that was awesome" and "man, that was good!" Amy was over for dinner that night and said it was "delicious!" It made me feel like I made a winner! So, without further ado...the Crab Grilled Cheese Melt.

Ingredients:

6 oz can crabmeat, well drained
1/3 cup finely diced Hungarian pepper (I used banana peppers)
2 green onions (tops only), minced
1 stalk celery, finely diced
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
1 tsp pepper vinegar
1/4 tsp black pepper
4 thick slices light-textured, grainy bread
Butter for spreading
Paprika for dusting
6 oz shredded sharp cheddar cheese

PREPARATION:

Combine the first seven ingredients (crabmeat to black pepper) in a bowl.

Toast the bread lightly on both sides. Heat a skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.

Generously spread two slices of bread with butter, dust generously with paprika, and place them butter side down in the pan. Distribute 1/4 of the cheese on each of the two slices. Spread half the crab salad on each; top with remaining cheese. Butter and sprinkle paprika on the remaining bread and place on top. Press down very gently, if necessary.

Cook sandwich until bottom is crisp; turn over carefully and cook until other side is crisp. Cut with a serrated or very sharp knife, taking care not to press out the filling. Serve with bread & butter pickles. Makes 2 sandwiches.

Plain 'Ole Grilled Cheese

In honor of National Grilled Cheese month I had to pay my respects!  Truth be told I really don't like cheese except for Mexican restaurant queso. Every once in a while I can go for a slice of American cheese, so I guess yesterday was my "every once in a while."

This could possibly be the cheapest dinner ever!

-2 slices of white Kroger brand bread ($.88/loaf)
-1 slice of Kroger brand cheese ($1.79/24 slices)
-Butter

-Butter two slices of bread.
-Spray your pan with Pam.
-Throw in your bread, cheese, and other piece of bread.
-Flip when desired "grilledness" is achieved.

This grilled cheese looks like it was made by my 3 year old nephew. Oh well, Ben ate the whole thing.

I made myself a different version because I had two rolls left over from Sunday's dinner.

And here is my version of a mini-grilled cheese.  I'm all cheesed out for a while!

National Grilled Cheese Month

"A grilled cheese sandwich is heated until the bread crisps and the cheese melts, sometimes combined with additional ingredients. The bread is usually buttered before cooking." -Wikipedia

April is National Grilled Cheese Month!  I don't know who makes this stuff up, but we're just celebrating!  We all have different variations of grilled cheese, so I am really excited to see what each Messy Apron has in store. In the odd case that more than 1-3 people read this blog, we'd love to hear your grilled cheese recipe too!

Tie on your aprons and let's get cheesy...

My Dirty Deviled Eggs

These deviled eggs are something I made up a years ago for Easter. I have never really been a big fan of deviled eggs with sweet pickles in them. So I started putting green olives in my deviled eggs! I use olive juice too.....which makes them "dirty"! I don't measure when I make these, I just eyeball it. But feel free to adjust my measurements.

"Dirty" Deviled Eggs

1 dozen eggs, boiled and shells removed

2 T. Light mayonaisse

3-4 T. yellow mustard

1 glugs of white wine vinegar

1/2 tsp. kosher salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper
1/2 tsp. Cavenders' Greek seasoning (I use this in almost everything I make!)
dash of Louisiana Hot Sauce (what Louisiana girl wouldn't?)

1/4 c. green olives, chopped

1 T or more of olive juice

Cut your eggs in half and put the yolks in a bowl. Mash them with a fork until they are all crumbly. Add all your other ingredients and mix well. You can adjust all these. If you see your mixture looking dry......add more vinegar or olive juice. Or if you want them creamier....go for more mayo. I really just start throwing stuff in.....no method to my madness!

Once your mixture is to your liking, start piling it up in your egg halves. Sprinkle with a little paprika (or cayenne for an extra kick.....just be careful!) and put on your favorite egg plate and serve!

Chick on a Stick

They take about 30 mins to set.

To make about 25, you need:

2 large bags of chow mein

1.5 bags baking bark chocolate blocks (milk chocolate) (I used Candyquik because it is easy)

Peeps

1 bag of Robin’s eggs malted milk balls

1 bag of pretzel rods

Melt the chocolate and then pour in some noodles and mix until they are covered, then add some more noodles, and keep mixing, repeat. The chocolate will not cover if you try to dump all the noodles in at once.

Lay the pretzels on wax paper, plop some chocolate covered noodles on in a “nest” and try to flatten out the middle while it is still gooey. If you have a little extra melted chocolate, you can pour that on the nest as extra “glue” to keep it all together. Put the peeps on and the malted milk eggs on while the whole thing is still warm. The egg sticks to the marshmallow on the side of the peep where it was broken away from the other peeps.

I chose blue peeps because what is more realistic than a bluebird sitting in it's nest with eggs?