Pico de Gallo

This is any easy favorite.  It's also good pureed as a salsa.

1/2 medium onions - peeled
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. lime juice (about 1-2 limes) or apple cider vinegar
12 sprigs cilantro
6 lg. very ripe plum tomatoes
freshly cracked black pepper (optional)
3 serrano chiles (more or less depending on preference)
Freshly Cracked Black Pepper (optional)
1/2 medium onions - peeled
1 tsp. salt
12 sprigs cilantro
1 tbsp. lime juice (about 1-2 limes) or apple cider vinegar
3 serrano chiles (more or less depending on preference)
6 lg. very ripe plum tomatoes

Dice the onion and rinse in a strainer under warm water.  Cut the tomatoes in half crosswise and squeeze out the seeds. Dice the tomatoes and place in a large bowl with the salt.  Cut the stems off the serrano chiles, then slice into very thin rings. Add to the tomatoes.  Add the onion to the bowl of tomatoes and chiles. Roughly chop the cilantro sprigs and add to the bowl.  Add the lime juice or vinegar and optional pepper and stir well. Let sit for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors mingle.  Taste for seasoning and add more salt or lime juice if you like.

New Addition

Well, she's finally here,  the newest member of our family.  We are so excited to have her, she is such a sweet baby.  If we could just get her feeding schedule regulated things would be great.  I'm really excited to get back to my old self again too.  I think my husband is ready for me to really enjoy cooking again.  I have lots of new recipes I want to try and I'm going to give making my own baby food a shot once our little Eden is ready.  It should be interesting and if it works out well, I'll be sure to share. :)

Another Favorite

I got this little beauty for Christmas from my parents this year.  My dad has always used a pressure cooker, but they used to be so complicated to put together and take care of, this baby makes it simple.  I absolutely love it!  Admittedly they are not cheap, but you can get a killer deal at Costco and there is something to be said for the time you save using a pressure cooker. It cuts cooking time by 70%.  I know you are thinking it can't be so, but it is true.  So far I haven't branched out beyond veggies, but baked potatoes take about 7 minutes.  I can't wait to try actual recipes after the baby is born.  In the meantime I had to share my excitment over this cooking marvel.  Between that, my new recipe books and my new rolling pin, I am going to be a lean mean cooking machine.  I can hardly wait.  The idea is almost as thrilling as that of not being pregnant anymore.  :) 

Caramel Pull-Aparts (Monkey Bread)

I first had these at my in-laws house on Christmas morning last year and loved them. (I could have eaten the whole pan by myself.)  It seemed like a relatively simple concept and I asked my mother-in-law for the recipe.  Every time she tried to give it to me though she was away from her recipes and would give me what she thought it was.  Finally I just decided to wing it and failed miserably.  You can only imagine my delight then when fellow blogger Stacy put it on her blog.  I also received a cookbook for Christmas containing the recipe.  After using the wrong kind of pudding,  (I forgot to tell the hubby to get cook and serve)  I have finally mastered it.  Third times the charm right?  There are two versions which I will post below.  The traditional version and the quick version, which is how my mother-in-law does it.  I also prefer the quick version and the results are equally delicious.

Traditional method:

15 frozen roll dough balls (such as Rhoades regular, not Texas size)

1/2 C butter

1tsp cinnamon

1/2 C brown sugar

1 small pkg. cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding (not instant, trust me it won't work)

1/2 C nuts optional

Grease a bundt pan.  Place frozen dough balls evenly around the inside of the pan.  Melt the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, dry butterscotch pudding mix and nuts together.  ( I add the pudding last.)  Mixture will be a little thick.  Pour over the frozen dough balls.  Place in cold oven and forget about it for 6-8 hours.  (Around midnight if preparing for the next morning.)  It is ready to bake when the rolls have risen to the top of the pan.Turn the oven on to 350 degrees and cook for about 20-25 minutes.  It is ready when the rolls are golden brown on top.  Put plate over the top of bundt pan and turn immediately.  (It will be hot!)  Enjoy!

Quick Method:

2  cans (aprox. 20 biscuits) refrigerated buttermilk biscuits, (such as Pillsbury, I use the regular size)

1/2 C butter

1tsp cinnamon

1/2 C brown sugar

1 small pkg. cook-and-serve butterscotch pudding (not instant, trust me it won't work)

1/2 C nuts optional

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a bundt pan.  Place biscuits evenly around the inside of the pan.  Melt the butter, cinnamon, brown sugar, dry butterscotch pudding mix and nuts together.  ( I add the pudding last.)  Mixture will be a little thick.  Pour over biscuits. Bake for about 20-25 minutes.  It is ready when the biscuits are golden brown on top.  Put plate over the top of bundt pan and turn immediately.  (It will be hot!)  Enjoy!

Yield: 8 servings.

Cookie Candy Molds

I absolutely love making candy in my various Wilton candy molds. My mom bought me this mold and we used it to make presents for the kid's teachers. The mold was only 1.99 at Michaels, but it's the same price on their website. It was such a fun and easy way to make a delicious treat. Just brush colored candy details in the mold, let set, then add more melted candy and position your cookie in the mold. Works with sandwich cream cookies or any round cookie 2 in. diameter or less. We used Oreo's and they were a big hit. This is a picture from Wilton's website. I kept meaning to take pictures of mine, but it's been so crazy. We  did green trees and red Santas and then used white and milk chocolate for the main part of the mold.  They were simpler than these,  but still adorable.

Cake Balls

My husband loves these whether they are done as cake balls or cake pops.  The recipe is basically the same, but I find that I can make the balls a lot faster.  (40 in about an hour, minus baking and cooling.)  They are always a hit.  These are chocolate, but the red velvet is really good too.

1 box cake mix (cook as directed on box for 13 X 9 cake)

1 can  frosting (16 oz., Cream cheese frosting works best)

1 package chocolate bark (regular or white chocolate)

Wax paper

 After cake is cooked and cooled completely, crumble into large bowl.

Mix thoroughly with 1 can  frosting. (I start with half a can and add more as needed. It may be easier to use fingers to mix together, but it will get messy. A fork works well too, just cut the frosting in like you would butter.)

 Roll mixture into quarter size balls and lay on cookie sheet. (Should make 40-50.)

 Chill for several hours. (You can speed this up by putting in the freezer.)

 Melt chocolate in microwave per directions on package.

 Roll balls in chocolate and lay on wax paper until firm. (Use a spoon to dip and roll in chocolate and then tap off extra.)

It's easier to melt a few pieces of chocolate bark at a time because it starts to cool and thicken. It’s easier to work with when it’s hot.

Oreo Truffle Balls

I discovered these at one of this year's many family Christmas parties  My husband's cousin brought them.  I had made the cake balls and thought they were the same thing at first, but was delighted to find that they were slightly different.  While we like both the cake balls/pops are still our favorite. The look is very similar, however these are a nice variation and faster to make.

8 ounces softened cream cheese or whipped cream cheese
18 ounces package of Oreo cookies, crushed
2 cups semi-sweet or milk chocolate chips
1 tablespoon shortening

*Use a good-quality chocolate chips. The taste and quality of these truffles are dependent on the quality of chocolate you start with.

 

Mix cream cheese with electric mixer until fluffy. Add the crushed Oreos and beat on high until well mixed. Chill for at least 2 hours in the freezer. Then roll Oreo cookie mix into one inch Oreo Balls.

Next, melt the chocolate chips and shortening with a double boiler or in the microwave. Dip the Oreo balls completely into the melted chocolate using tongs or a toothpick.Put on wax paper. After the Oreo balls harden, keep them in the refrigerator. Makes about 3 or 4 dozen Oreo Balls, depending on the size

Butterscotch Christmas Cocoa

I actually adapted this from a coffee recipe that I found in my favorite magazine, Taste of Home. It is tasty and really easy to make. The kids love it and the best part is you can use really cheap hot cocoa and it still tastes great.

1/2 C Butterscotch chips
8 C hot cocoa prepared
1/2 C half-n-half cream
5 to 8 tblsp sugar (optional, most hot cocoa has plenty of it's own and won't need it)
Whipped cream in a can

In a large pot stir butterscotch chips and hot cocoa until chips are melted. Stir in cream and sugar. Pour into mugs. Top each serving with whipped cream.

Yield: 8 servings

The Letter V, V-Shaped Sandwiches and Veggies

There are plenty of options for the letter V, but not many that I thought sounded appealing to children, so I decided to be a little creative. This is not perhaps the most gourmet alphabet dinner to date, but my kids enjoyed it just the same. I decided I couldn't pass up a good opportunity to have another veggie centered meal, but knew something needed to go with them. Sandwiches turned out to be the perfect choice. I simply cut them, so that they looked like the letter V. Simply use your families favorite sandwiches and enjoy!

The veggie dips listed are just a few of the possibilities that are out there and the Very Berry Parfaits were a huge hit. Rhyming words are always good too.

Veggies and Dip

Vegetable Dip

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
2/3 cup mayonnaise
1/3 cup sour cream
4 green onions with tops, chopped
1 teaspoon dill weed
1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 to 2 drops hot pepper sauce

In a bowl, combine cream cheese, mayonnaise and sour cream; mix well. Add remaining ingredients. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Yield: 3 cups.

Mustard Vegetable Dip

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sugar
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon Dijon or other prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
Assorted raw vegetables

In a bowl, combine the mayonnaise, sugar, oil, mustard and garlic powder; stir until smooth. Cover and refrigerate until serving. Serve with vegetables.

Yield: 3/4 cup.

Horseradish Veggie Dip

1-1/2 teaspoons prepared horseradish
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 cup sour cream
1 green onion, chopped
1/4 cup chopped peeled cucumber
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Assorted fresh vegetables

In a small bowl, combine first seven ingredients. Chill. Serve with fresh vegetables.

Yield: 1 cup.

Very Berry Parfaits

This recipe is sugar free, however I am wary of certain artificial sweeteners and often use ingredients which contain sugar. Either way is good.

1 package (.3 ounce) sugar-free strawberry gelatin
1 cup boiling water
1 cup cold water
2 cups fresh or frozen blueberries, divided
2 cups sliced fresh or frozen unsweetened strawberries, divided
1-3/4 cups cold fat-free milk
1 package (1 ounce) sugar-free instant vanilla pudding mix
Reduced fat cool whip or whip cream (optional)

In a large bowl, dissolve gelatin in boiling water. Stir in cold water. Pour into eight parfait glasses; refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

Top with half of the blueberries and half of the strawberries. In a large bowl, whisk milk and pudding mix for 2 minutes. Let stand for 2 minutes or until soft-set. Pour over berries. Top with remaining berries. Cover and refrigerate 1 hour longer.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition Info: One parfait equals 68 calories

World's Softest Gingerbread Cookies

These delightful cookies were made years ago by a then co-worker of mine and were instantly the talk of the office. They take a little time, but are well worth it.


1 C Shortening

1 C sugar
2 tsp baking powder
2 tsp ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1 C molasses
2 eggs
2 Tbsp vinegar
5 C flour
Powdered sugar and milk for icing

In a large bowl, beat shortening on med high for 30 seconds. Add sugar, baking powder, ginger, soda, cinnamon and cloves. Beat until combined. Beat in molasses, eggs, vinegar until mixed. Add flour a little at a time. Mix together. Cover and chill for 1-3 hours. Roll out on floured surface and cut (approx. 1/2 " thick). Bake @ 375 degrees for 7 to 9 minutes.

Icing: Combine 1 C powdered sugar with milk, 1 Tbsp at a time until mixture resembles pancake batter consistency.

Yield: 3-4 dozen