mint chocolate ice cream bars.

I created this dish from some leftover brownies.  Is there such a thing?  Sadly some homemade brownies I made got a little too hard for my liking, but I didn't want to toss them. They were a very tasty crust for these ice cream bars.

Put left over brownies into the food processor.  If you don't have leftover brownies, you could also use oreos.  Add 1 stick melted butter if need to get the brownies or oreos to bind together. Press into the bottom of any pan.  I used 6 leftover brownies and 1 stick of butter and it fit a 13 by 9 dish nicely. (Make sure your dish can fit in your freezer).

Take vanilla ice cream out of the freezer and let it thaw a bit before working with it.  Mix together 3 c. vanilla ice cream, 1/2 t. peppermint extract, and 1 t. vanilla extract.  Add a few drops of green food coloring, if desired.  Beat until ice cream is mint green color and all ingredients blended well.  Spread over the brownie crust.  Cover and put in freezer until ice cream is frozen again.  Once frozen, you can top with melted chocolate.

Melt 1 c. chocolate (bars or chips) and 1/2 stick butter over a double boiler. If you don't have a double boiler, you can put it in a saucepan on very low heat. Stir often. When the chocolate is melted and smooth, take off heat and let cool for a few minutes.  Pull your ice cream bars out of the freezer.  Drizzle chocolate over top with a fork.  Recover and freeze until ready to serve.

Before serving let the ice cream bars sit out of the freezer for 10 minutes. This will make it much easier to cut.

Homemade Brownies-

4 squares unsweetened chocolate

3/4 c. (1 stick plus 1/2 stick) butter

2 c. sugar

3 eggs

1 t. vanilla extract

1 c. all purposed white flour or 7/8 c. whole wheat flour**

Preheat oven to 350.  Grease a 13 by 9 oven safe dish.  Over low heat melt chocolate and butter together.  Stir frequently.  Add sugar.  When blended, take off heat.  Whisk in eggs and vanilla.  Stir in flour.  When all ingredients are well blended, pour into greased 13 by 9 dish.  Bake for 30 minutes.  

Unless you have a husband who doesn't like chocolate (like mine- weirdo:) ), you'll have to hide these brownies in order to have leftover for ice cream bars.

**In the past when making brownies, I would use an all purpose white flour.  In my attempts to make sweets a little healthier, I have started substituting whole wheat flour for traditional white flour.  The ratio is 7/8 c. whole wheat flour to 1 c. white flour when substituting whole wheat flour in recipes written for white flour.

xx.

Val

pimento cheese spread.

For all you cheese lovers, this is a good one! Goes great on crackers, bread and celery. I got this recipe from my mom, but I don't know where it originally came from!

Recipe:
10 oz. Cracker Barrel Cheese- 2% extra sharp cheddar
4 oz. jar chopped pimentos, drained
1/4 tsp. sugar
1 tsp. vinegar
1/2 cup mayo or light mayo

--Process cheese in a food processor, mix the ingredients all together.

extra tip: makes a great grilled cheese sandwich with the leftovers!


emily.

green onion & cream cheese mashed cauliflower & potatoes.

In an attempt to make mashed potatoes a little bit healthier, I added cauliflower to the mix. I wasn't ready to completely eliminate delicious mashed potatoes for an all cauliflower dish- although maybe I will try that next time.

4 baking potatoes (suggested: Russet or Idaho)

1 head cauliflower

1 (8 oz) pkg cream cheese

1 stick butter

2 t. salt

1 t. pepper

Milk, if needed

Peel 4 potatoes. Quarter the potatoes and put into a large pot. Add water to the quartered potatoes, but just enough water for the potatoes to barely be covered. Bring water to a boil over high heat. Once water is boiling, turn heat to low and simmer for 17 - 18 minutes with the lid on. Rinse the cauliflower. If there is enough room in your pot, place a steamer (sub a wire basket or colander if you don't have a steamer) on top of the potatoes and stick the whole cauliflower head in the steamer for 17 minutes, too. If there is not enough room for the whole head in your pot, cut the cauliflower into bite sized pieces. When there is 5 minutes left on the timer, add the cauliflower to the steamer. Remove the cauliflower, cut into smaller chunks if you steamed it as a whole head. Normally I would just use a mixer for mashed potatoes, but because I wanted the cauliflower to be as smooth as the potatoes, I used a food processor this time. Put cauliflower into a food processor, process. Drain potatoes. Add potatoes to cauliflower in two shifts. Continue to process. You want a smooth consistency. Add 8 oz cream cheese (separate into 4 pieces), 1 stick butter (cut in 1/2), 2 t. salt, 1 t. pepper. Process until all ingredients are blended well. If having trouble processing because it is too thick, add a little milk (1/8 c. at a time). Normally I bake my mashed potatoes, but I thought these tasted fine so this time I didn't. However, if you wanted to have a lighter, fluffier mashed cauliflower and potatoes, then bake at 350 for 20 minutes.

I topped the mashed cauliflower potatoes with green onions, to add a little green to our St. Patty's Day dinner.

xx

Val

uppercase living party.

I recently threw a party to help out my friend Sarah with her new business. Miss Anita and I were in charge of the food, so we decided to use skewers to make dinner seem more like fun appetizers. We skewered strips of marinated chicken after soaking the skewers for 20 minutes. Then grilled the chicken on the grill just like normal. I was in charge of the fruit and veggies. Here are some fun ways to serve normal party food.

Veggie Platter with Bell Pepper Dip Bowl-

For this veggie platter I used carrots, celery, red bell pepper, green bell pepper, tomatoes, cucumbers, and broccoli. I alternated my orange and red colored veggies with the green veggies on this platter. Squash and yellow or orange bell pepper would also be beautiful, colorful additions.

Bell Pepper Dip bowl- Any color bell pepper will work for this dip bowl. Cut the pepper in half widthwise or lengthwise. If you are serving two dips with your veggie tray, try to make the cut as even as possible to allow use of both pieces of pepper as dip bowls. Carefully remove the seeds. Rinse your pepper inside and out with water. Fill your dip bowl with dip of your choice.

I also kept the top of my bell pepper as a holder for toothpicks to help pick up the tomatoes.

Festive Fruit Skewers-

For these fruit skewers, I decided to use strawberries, grapes, pineapple, and cantaloupe. Rinse strawberries and grapes. Cut the top off the strawberries and cut any large strawberries in half. Cut the pineapple and cantaloupe into bite size pieces. Skewer your fruit. I used a small, circle watermelon for this party of 10 girls. For a party of more people a larger, oval watermelon would probably be the best choice. Cut the watermelon in half- lengthwise or widthwise depending on the shape you are wanting for your arrangement. Place flesh side down on platter of your choice. Cut the other half of your watermelon into bite sized pieces and use in your fruit skewers. Place the skewers into the watermelon. Start in the middle and work your way down and out.

xx.

val

an idea for leftovers: turkey sandwich with spinach & artichoke spread.

So, a friend and I were trying to figure out what to do with leftover spinach and artichoke dip. We discussed how good the Turkey Artichoke Panini at Panera was, and decided to make our own version. We had leftover garlic bread, so we put it all together with some turkey and baked it for a few minutes.. and the outcome: a really good sandwich!

spinach and artichoke dip recipe: (I just got this from a recipe website or blog, was looking for one with these ingredients, I have a few different recipes I like for Spinach/Artichoke Dip that I like though!)

1 cup spinach, frozen
1 1/2 cup artichokes from can
6 oz. cream cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup mayo
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder

Boil spinach and artichokes in 1 cup of water until tender, drain. Heat cream cheese in microwave for 1 minute, or until soft and hot. Stir in rest of ingredients, and serve hot. I put some extra parm on top and baked it for a few minutes.

garlic bread
loaf of italian bread, sliced but not all the way through. paint in between pieces with mix melted butter and garlic powder or garlic salt. Bake wrapped in foil, 400 degrees for about 10 minutes.


emily.

sexi mexi salad.

I love Chili's Quesadilla Explosion Salad.  So here is my version with some additions!  Serves 4.

For the Salad:

4 - 8 c. salad greens of your choice, washed (I used 2 cups romaine for a large salad pictured above).

1 recipe for Southwest chicken, sliced

1 can mexi corn, drained

1 can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 red onion, diced

2 tomatoes, diced

2 avocados, diced and sprinkled with salt and pepper

Tortilla strips (Chips crumbs work well or you can make your own tortilla strips*)

1 c. cheddar or monterey jack cheese, or combo of both

1/2 c. fresh cilantro, chopped

Sour cream, for garnish, optional

In a saucepan, add can drained and rinsed black beans and can of mexi corn over med low heat.  Keep on heat until black beans and corn are just warmed.  If you prefer cold black beans and corn, then skip this step.  

To build each salad, place down a layer of washed salad greens- 1 cup to 2 cups depending on your appetites.  Add warmed black beans and mexi corn.  Top with diced red onion, tomato and avocado.  Add tortilla strips (or chip crumbs) and cheese.  Cook southwest chicken according to directions, slice or dice and add to salad.  Top with fresh chopped cilantro. Garnish with a dab of sour cream, optional.

*I took the easy way out and used tortilla chip crumbles.  To make tortilla strips, preheat your oven to 400 degrees.  Brush olive oil over a whole wheat tortilla.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cut into strips- 1/4 inch by 2 inches.  Bake for 10 minutes.  

For the Quesadillas:

4 whole wheat tortillas

2 c. cheddar or monterey jack cheese, or combo of both

olive oil

Brush olive oil on each side of the tortillas.  In a skillet on med heat, lightly brown each side of the tortillas. Add cheese to one tortilla, top with another tortilla. Flip after one minute. When cheese is melted, cut quesadillas into 8 pieces.

For the Dressings:

I used two different types of dressing on this salad- a Salsa Ranch dressing on the greens and a Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing over the quesadillas.

For the Salsa Ranch dressing, mix together 1/2 c. salsa and 1/2 c. ranch. Drizzle over your salads.

For the Cilantro Lime Ranch dressing, mix together 1/4 c. ranch, 1 T olive oil, 2 t. fresh lime juice and 1 t. fresh chopped cilantro . Drizzle on the quesadillas.

xx.

val

martini salad.

I made these fun, fabulous salads for Corri's bridal shower.  Classy and tasty!  This recipe serves 4.

4 martini glasses

4 c. of salad greens of your choice (Suggested: green leaf lettuce, bibb lettuce, arugula or baby spinach)

2 pears or apples, sliced, reserve 4 slices for garnish

1/2 c. parmesan, use a block of parmesan and grate in thin strips

1/2 c. toasted pine nuts or walnuts*

Dressing-

2 T extra virgin olive oil

1 t. balsamic vinegar

1/2 t. salt

1/4 t. pepper

Blend oil and vinegar together throughly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

In a bowl, combine lettuce, pear or apple slices, cheese and nuts.  Drizzle with dressing.  Toss to combine.  Divide evenly into martini glasses.  Garnish each martini glass with a pear slice.

* To toast the nuts, put a thin layer of nuts in a skillet over med heat.  Don't overcrowd them though and watch them closely.  The nuts are done when they have turned a few shades deeper than their original color.

xx.

val

guacamole.

It took me 2 years to make a guacamole worth serving to company. Every time I attempted to make it, something went terribly wrong. Brick hard avocados that wouldn't mash. Over ripe avocados that tasted less that wonderful. Soup consistency guacamole. One time it turned out more pink in color than green. How is that even possible?? Yes. It is embarrassing to admit that I made a pink guacamole unintentionally, but it is a true story. Most of my problems arose because I did not know how to choose a good avocado. The rest of my problems had to do with the wrong amounts for the ingredients. FINALLY, I learned how to pick good avocados and found a good balance of ingredient... and now the result speaks for itself! (Ahem...Delicious!)

4 ripe avocados

1 large tomato, diced

1/3 cup white or red onion, diced

1/2 jalapeno, small dice (or 5-6 dashes tabasco)*

1 -2 tablespoons fresh lime (or lemon) juice

1 teaspoon salt** (less or more to taste)

1/2 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, minced, (or 1 teaspoon garlic powder***), optional

1 - 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped, optional

Avocado selection is a very important factor when trying to achieve a great guacamole. You have to get your hands on them to see what is ripe and what is not. Pick up the avocado and lightly press your thumb on the surface. Are you making guacamole in a few days? Then you want avocados that are firm to your touch. Are you making guacamole today? Then you want avocados that have a little give when you touch them. When your avocados are too hard, you end up with a less than creamy consistency to your guacamole. If you accidentally buy avocados that aren't quite ripe yet, let them sit a few days until they have a little give when you touch them. The other extreme is much worse! When your avocados are mushy, you end up with over ripe avocados. If you can press in on the avocado easily, it is probably over ripe. An over ripe avocado will ruin the taste of your guacamole. It only takes one over ripe avocado to spoil the whole bowl.

With a large knife, cut the avocados around the seed- either lengthwise or width wise. Twist the two pieces apart. Remove the pit by lightly tapping a large knife on to the pit. Twist the knife until the pit comes free. Scoop out the flesh with a spoon into a bowl. Mash with a fork. Add diced tomato and onion to the avocados. Add small diced jalapeno (or 5 to 6 dashes of tabasco sauce)*. Sprinkle your guacamole with fresh lime juice (or lemon juice). (I use a citrus squeezer for this job). Add salt** and pepper. If you like garlic, feel free to add one clove minced garlic (or one teaspoon garlic powder)***. Fresh, chopped cilantro is never an option for my guacamole, but it certainly can be optional for yours. Stir to combine all ingredients. Be careful not to over stir. Serve right away or refrigerate until serving. I have found that refrigerating one hour really fuses the flavors together nicely.

* Using tabasco instead of small dicing a jalapeno can be a great time saver. Although I prefer using the real deal, sometimes it isn't worth the extra time to small dice, extra cost or extra worry. Remember if you are using jalapeno to wash your hands thoroughly after use.

**The amount of salt is also important. If you are going to eat your guacamole with yellow tortilla chips, add less salt. (I use one teaspoon salt for tortilla chips). If you are going to eat your guacamole with blue corn chips, add a little more salt. It is trail and error and also up to your taste buds!

***Once again, I prefer to use the real deal and mince my own garlic clove. But in a time pinch, garlic powder will give your guacamole a great garlic flavor without all the work.

xx.

val

nachos with southwest chicken and nacho cheese.

tortilla chips

1 recipe for nacho cheese

1/2 recipe for southwest chicken

optional toppings: lettuce, tomato, onion, black beans, corn, jalapenos, black olives, gaucamole, sour cream, green onion, etc.

Nacho cheese:

2 oz cream cheese

2 c. cheddar cheese, shredded

1 c. milk

4 oz green chiles

In a saucepan over med heat, combine nacho cheese ingredients. Cook until ingredients are warm and well blended.

Cover the chips with nacho cheese. Make southwest chicken according to directions. Dice or shred chicken to your liking and add to the nachos. Top with your favorite nacho toppings.

xx.

val