{Restaurant Style Salsa}

I love salsa, if I had my choice I would eat it for dinner. My favorite is fresh salsa from veggies in my garden. Since it hasn't yet produced veggies quite yet I made this, and it was awesome and addicting. It makes a lot so you can eat it for a few days too.

1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
2 cans (10oz) rotel. I use the mild
1/4 cup chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, smashed
1 whole jalapeño, halved (I take the seeds out because I don't like it too spicy)
1/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh cilantro
1/2 whole lime, juiced

In a large food processor or blender, combine all the ingredients together and blend until well combined.

Recipe adapted from: Two Peas & their Pod

{Yummy Cheese Ball}

Here is a recipe for a yummy and very easy cheese ball. I hope you all have a fun and safe New Years!! xo

2 (8 ounce) packages cream cheese, softened
1 1/2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 package ranch-style dressing mix
2 cups chopped pecans

In a large bowl, mix together the cream cheese, cheddar cheese and dressing mix. Form into one large ball or two smaller balls. Roll in chopped pecans to coat the entire ball. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or overnight.

{Roasted Garlic and Butternut Squash Galette}

This is a great Autumn recipe, and the roasted garlic made my house smell heavenly! You can plan ahead for this one and cut and peel your squash earlier in the day, I even roasted the garlic early. That way it came together pretty quick come dinner time. This would also make a great appetizer.

Pastry:

• 1 cup all-purpose flour 
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 6 tablespoons chilled unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
• 2 to 4 tablespoons ice water

Filling:

• 1 butternut squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, chopped
• 1 clove garlic, chopped
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 10 cloves, garlic whole and unpeeled
• 1/2 cup fresh ricotta
• 1 cup grated fontina
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan

1. To make the dough: Put the flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse to combine. Add the butter and pulse to form a mixture that looks like small peas. Add the ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the dough sticks together (to test, remove the top and gather the dough in your fingers. If it sticks together without crumbling, it’s ready). Add the ice water while pulsing, until the dough comes together, being careful not to over mix. Transfer to a lightly floured board and shape the dough into a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 24 hours.
2. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. To make the filling: Cut the squash into two pieces to separate the rounder part from the narrower section. Peel the entire squash, cut both parts in half and remove any seeds. Cut all four pieces into 1/4-inch-thick slices. Put in a large bowl and add the olive oil, chopped garlic and thyme. Toss to coat evenly. Spread out on one of the prepared baking sheets. Set the bowl aside. Sprinkle the squash with the salt and pepper. Put the garlic on the baking sheet and bake until the squash and garlic are tender, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll out the dough into a large circle about 1/4-inch thick. Transfer to parchment paper–lined baking sheet and refrigerate until ready to use.
5. When the garlic is cool enough to handle, peel and put in the reserved bowl. Mash with the back of a wooden spoon until smooth. Stir in the ricotta.
6. Remove the pastry from the fridge and spread the garlic-cheese mixture over the top, leaving a 1-inch border. Spread the squash over the garlic-cheese mixture and fold the edges toward the center of the galette. Sprinkle the fontina over the center of the galette. Sprinkle the edges of the crust with the parmesan and bake until the crust is crisp and golden brown, about 25-30 minutes. Let cool slightly before slicing and serving

Recipe Source: Food 52

{Basic Hummus}

Pita chips and hummus are one of my favorite snacks! Homemade hummus is so delicious you will never want to buy store bought again I promise. This stuff is so great in so many ways and with so many things. Dip for veggies, chips, you can put it in wraps, really anything. I love it! Oh and did I mention it's super easy to make?

3-4 peeled garlic cloves, minced or pressed
2 (15.5oz) cans chickpeas
6 Tbs tahini
6 Tbs lemon juice
up to 3 Tbs of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup fresh parsley leaves, curly or flat, rinsed and drained
1/2 to 1-1/2 tsp salt, to taste
fresh ground black pepper, to taste

 Add garlic cloves, chickpeas, tahini, and lemon juice to the bowl of a food processor fitted with a blade. After putting the lid tightly in place, process until a thick, coarse paste is formed, about 1 to 2 minutes. Check the consistency of the hummus. If you’re happy with the texture of the hummus, add the salt, parsley, black pepper and cayenne pepper, and any optional add-ins, and pulse until evenly combined. If you would like it to be thinner and/or smoother, add the olive oil and process for an additional minute.

{Easy Salsa}

I love Mexican food, I feel like I make it a lot and the one thing always missing is some really good Salsa to go along with it. I hate the bottled salsa at the store, so I wanted to start making my own. Luckily my Sister in Law has a good recipe that I slightly adapted. It's really simple to make and it tasted great! I used my food processor to make it, but I know that a blender would do the trick too.















2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes, drained
1/2 onion, finely diced
1-2 tsp minced garlic
1 lime, juiced
1 1/2 tsp salt
1/4 cup canned sliced green chiles
3-5 Tbs chopped fresh cilantro


Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, lime juice, salt, green chiles, and cilantro in a blender or food processor. Blend on low to desired consistency.

{Mini Baklava}

I have never made regular baklava but these are super fun to make and just the right size to eat. I did use a mini muffin tin but I am sure you could get away with using a regular muffin tin and just cutting your squares bigger and adding more filling. I loved the soft filling and yummy flaky, crisp of the phyllo.












1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup walnuts
1/4 cup chopped dried apricots
1/4 cup plain bread crumbs
2 Tbs sugar
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
Pinch of salt
1 stick butter, melted, divided
3 Tbs honey
12 sheets phyllo dough


Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

Place the almonds, walnuts, apricots, bread crumbs, sugar, cinnamon, ground cloves, and salt in a food processor. Run the machine until the mixture is very finely chopped. Transfer the mixture to a small bowl. Add 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and the honey and stir to combine.

On a dry work surface place 1 sheet of phyllo. Using a pastry brush and the remaining melted butter, lightly cover the entire sheet of phyllo with melted butter. Cover the first sheet with a second sheet of phyllo and brush with melted butter. Continue until there is a stack of 6 sheets of phyllo. Cut the stacked phyllo rectangle into 12 equal pieces (Cut lengthwise into 4 pieces and widthwise into 3 pieces.)

Gently press each cut piece of phyllo into the mini-muffin tin cups. Press 1 tablespoon of the nut mixture into each of the phyllo cups. Gather the ends of each of the phyllo squares and twist to make a sachet shape. Continue shaping the remaining sachets in the other mini-muffin tin. Bake until the edges of the phyllo are golden, about 20 to 25 minutes. When cool enough to handle, remove the baklava sachets and transfer to a serving plate.

{Chicken Egg Rolls with Sweet and Sour Sauce}

I have only made Egg Rolls one other time a really long time ago. I like this recipe better. I prepared the chicken earlier in the day so that it had plenty of time to marinate which I think is the key to the great flavor these have.













For the filling:
4 tbsp. soy sauce, divided
3 cloves minced garlic, divided
4 chopped green onions, divided
4 tbsp. vegetable oil, divided
1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips
¾ head green cabbage, shredded thin
3 carrots, peeled and shredded


To finish:
24-30 egg roll wrappers
1 tbsp. cornstarch mixed with 3 tbsp. water
Canola or peanut oil, for frying

Directions:
To make the filling, combine 3 tablespoons of the soy sauce, 1 clove of minced garlic, half of the green onions, and 1 tablespoon of the oil in a resealable bag; shake well to combine. Place the chicken in the bag, press out the excess air, and seal. Refrigerate and allow to marinate at least 30 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken pieces to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until the chicken is cooked through and lightly browned. Remove to a plate and set aside.

Add the remaining tablespoon of oil to the pan. Add the shredded cabbage and carrots, and the remaining tablespoon of soy sauce. Stir to toss the vegetables. Cook over high heat for about 2 minutes. Toss in the remaining garlic and green onions and cook for 1 minute more. Remove from the heat.

Dice the chicken breasts and add them to the vegetable mixture. Let the filling cool for 30 minutes before filling the wrappers.

To finish the egg rolls, heat about 3 inches of oil in a Dutch oven or large pan to 375˚ F. While the oil is heating, assemble the rolls. Lay an egg roll wrapper out on a work surface with one corner pointing toward you. Add a tablespoon or two of the filling to the center of the wrapper. Fold the corner closest to you up over the filling. Roll slightly away from you, fold the two corners pointing to the sides inward, and continue rolling the wrapper tightly away from you. Dip a finger in the cornstarch mixture and lightly brush inside the top corner of the wrapper to help adhere, and finish rolling. Repeat with the remaining wrappers and filling.

Fry several egg rolls at a time in the hot oil, without overcrowding, about 4-5 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer to a large pot or dish lined with paper towels and place the finished egg rolls vertically to help drain excess grease. Repeat with the remaining rolls. Serve warm.

For the Sauce

3/4 cup white sugar
1/3 cup white vinegar
2/3 cup water
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon ketchup
2 tablespoons cornstarch


Place the sugar, vinegar, water, soy sauce, ketchup and cornstarch in a medium saucepan, and bring to a boil. Stir continuously until the mixture has thickened.

{Asparagus, Gruyere, and Parmesan Tart}

When I saw this recipe on a blog called "What's Gaby Cooking" I just had to make it. Everything about it sounded fabulous, and asparagus is my favorite vegetable so that just made it sound even better. This was so good and flakey and crunchy and cheesy and...well it's amazing!















1 sheet of Puff Pastry (I got mine in the freezer section of the grocery store)
1/2 cup Gruyere, shredded
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 bundle asparagus
1 Tbs olive oil
Kosher salt
Crushed Black pepper


Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Thaw the puff pastry either by placing it in the fridge overnight or by laying it on the counter, on a piece of parchment paper, for about an hour.
Trim the ends of the Asparagus by 1 inch to get rid of the woody stalk
Once thawed unfold the flaps and slightly roll out the dough to get rid of the seems.(Make sure it's not too thawed, or it's hard to work with) Transfer the puff pastry dough while still on the parchment paper to a baking sheet. Sprinkle half the Gruyere and Parmesan on the puff pastry. Line the asparagus on top of the cheese. Scatter the rest of the cheese on top of the asparagus and drizzle with the olive oil. Bake for 20 minutes until the pastry dough has puffed and the asparagus is roasted and cooked through.
Sprinkle with salt and cracked black pepper before serving.

{Chili Cheese Dip}

This is a yummy little dip, and I thought it would be a good one to post being super bowl weekend and all...Oh and it all goes in the crock pot so its easy!

















1 lb lean ground beef
1 (16oz) picante sauce (I use mild)
2 (15oz) cans refried beans
1 cup sour cream
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
Small can of mild green chilies
Salt and pepper to taste

Cook beef with onion, drain. Mix everything together in a crock pot. Cook on low 3-4 hours. Serve with tortilla chips.

{Chocolate Fondue}

This is such a fun food. And the possibilities are endless as far as dipping goes...I tried this particular recipe when it was served for our church's cooking group and I was smitten. Who can resist chocolate covered anything...Really?



















1 Tbs butter
3 Tbs milk
8 10oz chocolate bars broken into pieces (such as symphony bars)
1 1/2 cups miniature marshmallows
1/2 cup heavy cream


Rub Crock Pot with butter and place all the ingredients except for the cream in the pot. Cover and cook stirring after 30 minutes until melted and smooth. Gradually add the cream, cover and keep warm on low for up to 6 hours. Double the recipe to feed more. Serve with bite size pieces of pound cake, bananas, marshmallows, fresh strawberries, graham crackers, pretzels, cinnamon bears etc...

{Garlic cheesy Artichoke Dip}

I will be forever grateful to my friend Danielle for this dip recipe. Over the holidays I had to make it for our family so they could experience the amazingness! It is so so good! And of course they all loved it and wanted the recipe, so I had to post it on here :)
I almost like it better with tortilla chips but most like it with the baguette slices. Either way...Delish!














2 Tbs Butter
5 cloves garlic, minced (I added a little more garlic to mine but if you aren't a huge garlic fan add a clove less)
2 cans artichoke hearts, cut up
16 oz sour cream
2 8oz cream cheese, softened
2 cups sharp cheddar cheese
1 bread bowl with the top cut off and hollowed out

Saute the garlic in the butter for about a minute on med-high heat. Thoroughly mix all the ingredients together in a mixing bowl. Put the dip in a baking dish, cover the top with foil and heat in the oven for 1  hour at 375. Transfer into a bread bowl. Serve with sliced french or sour dough baguettes or tortilla chips.

{Homemade Tortilla Chips}

This recipe is so good! I am a HUGE fan of the Tortilla Land brand Uncooked Flour Tortillas at Costco. You get a pack of 44 (from the refrigerated section, but you can also freeze them at home) for only $7. They are so so much better then ones you get from the store. And they only take seconds to make. I had a bunch left over from dinner so I just made them into chips. But you can use any flour tortilla that you like, it would still be good.













Cut round, flour tortillas into eighths or whatever size you want.
Lightly brush a cookie sheet pan with olive oil
Lay your tortilla triangles in the pan, then brush over them lightly with the olive oil. (Make sure they’re not overlapping too much.)
Sprinkle garlic salt or kosher salt on the triangles.
Bake on 350º for 10-12 minutes.

{Seven Layer Dip}

This is one of my favorite things! Seriously, family parties just aren't the same without this dish. It is so yummy and I have a hard time stopping once I start. It's that good!
















1 lg. can refried beans
2 pkg. guacamole mix
4 avocadoes
1 pkg. taco seasoning
1 16oz. container sour cream
2 c. shredded cheddar cheese
1 lg. tomato, chopped
1 6oz. can sliced black olives, drained

Spread the refried beans in a 9x13" dish. Mash avocadoes and mix with guacamole mix. Spread guacamole over beans. Combine taco seasoning with sour cream and spread on top of guacamole. Top with cheese, tomatoes, and olives. Serve with corn chips.

{Bruschetta}

This is so so yummy! Its so simple to put together and great to serve as a light lunch or an appetizer before dinner. I usually double this whole recipe to make more :)













1 1/2 cups chopped roma tomatoes
2 Tbs diced onion
1 large clove garlic, minced
2 Tbs chopped fresh basil
2 Tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp red wine vinegar
1/4 tsp salt
little black pepper
1/2 loaf french baguette or crusty italian bread, sliced into 5-7 slices
1/4 tsp. garlic salt
3 Tbs fresh italian parsley

In a medium bowl, combine tomatoes, onion, garlic and basil. Add 1/2 Tbs olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour. Preheat broiler, slice bread in 1" slices diagonally. Combine remaining 1 1/2 Tbs olive oil with the garlic salt. Brush the entire surface of each side with the oil mixture. Broil for 1 1/2-2 minutes on each side until they start to brown a little. Serve with the tomato mixture, garnished with fresh parsley.

{Apple Dip}

Warning: So good and super addicting! 

2 8oz cream cheese

3/4 cups brown sugar

1/4 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

1 pkg heath toffee bits

mix together and serve. ( I think its best with green apples)


Recipe Source: My Mother in Law Kelley